George Clooney’s seventh directorial effort starts on a somber note. Following a heavily bearded, gaunt Clooney around a deserted Arctic base, we discover that the entire planet has been made virtually uninhabitable by a vague, unexplained environmental catastrophe (AKA global warming). This tour continues for ten minutes, during which some flashbacks are interspersed to let us know that there may be hope, as Clooney’s Dr Augustine Lofthouse details the potential for life on a small moon orbiting Jupiter. Then we learn that Lofthouse has some kind of a terminal illness. That’s a pretty fitting summation of The Midnight Sky, a film that constantly feels as though it is building towards a grand statement about humanity’s treatment of the planet and the potential to fix it, before descending into relentlessly boring, needlessly depressing tedium with no conclusion. This is a film about the eradication of life on earth and the potential to restart the human race, and yet, not a great deal actually happens.
Lofthouse’s lonely, existence comes to a halt when he discovers a small girl, Iris (Caoilinn Springall), hiding out in the observatory, terrified and strangely mute. As the two adapt to each other and form a wordless bond, they are shaken from their isolated existence by a radio signal received from returning spacecraft Aether, ending its round trip mission to establish a colony on the moon of Jupiter. The Aether is crewed by an unlikely mob of superstar actors, led by David Oyelowo’s Commander Adewole and including Felicity Jones as heavily pregnant communications expert Sully, Kyle Chandler’s hotshot pilot Mitchell and renowned Mexican-American actor Demián Bichir as Sanchez. As the crew hurtles towards Earth, mysteriously unable to communicate with anyone on the doomed planet, Augustine realises he is the only person capable of warning the astronauts of their impending doom and sets out on a daring mission, with Iris in tow, across the snowy wasteland to a nearby satellite capable of reaching the Aether.
Netflix, 2020
The undeniable strength of Clooney’s opus is the visual presentation. It looks spectacular, with sprawling shots of the frozen Arctic tundra making you feel physically cold, capturing the sense of isolation that Augustine feels as potentially the last man on earth. Once Augustine and Iris embark on their trip, that picturesque landscape that looked so impressive from the safe windows of the observatory becomes a snowy hellscape for the pair, battling fierce blizzards that obscure the screen and hide shadowy threats in the madness. Conversely, Clooney shows us that there is also great beauty to be found out in the world, making his point for environmental conservatism hard to argue against when displaying the natural beauty of the Northern Lights, which shimmer with colour (just one of many scenes that were made for crystal clear 4K). When the story shifts to space it loses none of its visual flair, with the inventive, futuristic design of the Aether dropping jaws and setting it apart from others that populate the genre.
The narrative, on the other hand, is not as impressive, as Clooney seems laser focused on blaming audiences for their part in dooming the planet to its – some would argue – inevitable fate. What he doesn’t seem interested in is offering any solutions or commentary on how that fate could have been avoided, leaving the ensuing, glacially paced two hours a depressing, almost joyless slog. Clearly a brilliant mind, albeit one without much social acuity, there are attempts to humanise Augustine through flashbacks that suggest a past relationship and the sacrifice of that in order to devote himself to finding a habitable planet to save the human race. Played by Ethan Peck as a younger man – with a curious bit of digital trickery melding their voices to give a continuity to Augustine’s character – these scenes simply don’t do enough to make the mopey, boring lead any more interesting. He has sacrificed a lot, that is undeniable, but the self-pitying silence that fills most of the run-time becomes unbearable at times, as you pray for some action to break up the monotony.
Netflix, 2020
That action comes in the form of the Aether and the bevy of talented actors who all do what they can with their thoroughly underwritten characters. Each has their own hook: Sully is the link between the ship and Augustine, Mitchell longs to see his family again, Maya (Tiffany Boone) is the inexperienced rookie and Commander Adewole furrows his brow throughout the whole affair, constantly worrying. You get the sense that most of these actors are here simply to work with Clooney rather than for the skin and bones roles they are afforded but the familiar faces do go a small way towards making the crew likeable. Clooney draws on his experience from Gravity in a spacewalk scene that feels wholly original as the crew jam out to “Sweet Caroline” on the radio before turning into a fiasco once struck by a meteor shower. It’s frantic filmmaking that enthrals for a brief few minutes before cutting back to our moody protagonist, the fallout of the accident largely inconsequential given our nonchalance towards the crew.
At the end of it all, The Midnight Sky seems about as pointless as the Aether’s mission. Clooney’s intention to discuss and break down climate change is admirable but doesn’t go anywhere because he refuses to actually dive in, content to play the blame game and leave it at that. Similarly the entire premise of the film essentially results in the Aether doing a U-turn and heading back to their colony, the journey largely inconsequential. An unearned late game revelation will likely have audiences scratching their heads as to the point given the lack of development between Augustine and Iris, but seems to function to give Clooney’s character some form of catharsis. For all its visual flair and the stacks of cash that were thrown at Clooney to make it, the esteemed actor-director forgot to give us a story or characters worth caring about. If there was ever an argument to be made for Netflix imposing a little more control or oversight over some of its more expensive films, this is the prime example.
Netflix, 2020
The Midnight Sky stars George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall, Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone, Ethan Peck, Sophie Rundle & Kyle Chandler – Streaming on Netflix now.
The #MeToo movement took the world by storm in 2017, with predatory behaviour and the culture of toxic masculinity within the Hollywood community being taken to task by the women who had long suffered from it. Many more women have come forward in the years since to tell their own horrifying stories, putting the world on notice that this kind of behaviour simply won’t be tolerated any longer. That’s a message that Carey Mulligan’s character Cassie has well and truly taken to heart in Emerald Fennell’s incendiary directorial debut Promising Young Woman, an incredibly dark and biting comedy thriller about one woman’s quest for revenge against the entire concept of toxic masculinity. Its no-holds-barred approach to the social commentary at its core may come at the cost of building an empathetic lead character at times, but a career-best performance from Mulligan, highly stylised presentation and some of the most brutal on-screen violence of 2020 each make this a film you can’t ignore.
The titular woman at the centre of the story is Cassie (Mulligan), a med-school drop-out whose life was irreversibly changed by the death of her childhood best friend Nina. As a result of the stomach-churning circumstances surrounding Nina’s death (I’ll avoid specifics due to spoilers) Cassie has taken it upon herself to launch a one-woman crusade for revenge on Nina’s behalf. Every week she visits clubs and bars, pretending to be paralytically drunk in order to draw in scumbags from far and wide, teaching them a lesson they will never forget as they inevitably attempt to get in her pants only to realise she is stone-cold sober and has caught them in the act of attempted sexual assault. Yeah, it’s a pretty hardcore plan. On the advice of her parents (Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge), Cassie attempts to soften her stance on men and re-integrate herself into everyday life, slowly falling for old college friend Ryan (Bo Burnham). When she runs into Madison (Alison Brie) however, another old friend from college, Cassie uncovers secrets from her past that shake her to her core and force her to make some hard decisions about whether to keep on the path of revenge she had committed herself to.
Focus Features, 2020
What makes Emerald Fennell’s film so unique is the tone. Almost intentionally awkward at times, the film’s vacillates between humour and seriousness seemingly on a whim. We are laughing at the ridiculousness of some of these men Cassie is stalking – caricatures of a far more sinister real-world equivalent – as they rant stupidly through inconsequential conversations with colleagues in clubs, only to have that laughter come to a grinding halt when you realise what these men intend to do to a seemingly helpless girl. It’s a jarring switch, but one that lends itself to the theme at play here: not all men are inherently evil, but that potential is lurking there under the surface for those morally bankrupt few who need only an opportunity to present itself for them to take advantage of a situation. That zig-zag between comedy and thriller is aided by Fennell’s almost over-the-top style. The film is filled with close-up shots of both men and women, shot to look as though they are being seen through the eyes of the opposite gender. Shots of female breasts and lips contrasted against fat, sweaty white businessmen tearing up the dance-floor is an equally funny and horrifying visual representation of that predatory behaviour Cassie aims to stamp out. Yet this even-handed juggling of two genres unfortunately does not always extend to Cassie herself.
Mulligan’s character takes a bit of warming-up to get used to. Initially extremely cold and snarky (think something of a female Patrick Bateman), Cassie’s crusade is presented as essentially the entire driving force behind her existence. The trauma from her past has permeated every facet of her life and has halted any plans for normalcy, an emotional spectrum Mulligan brings to life brilliantly, moving between vulnerable, helpless drunk to fully aware alpha within seconds to chilling effect. When alone in her room, that mask of confidence slips away to reveal a truly broken woman underneath, a girl who has lost faith in humanity. Things look to change with the introduction of Bo Burnham’s Ryan – played to witty perfection by the young comic – a perfect gentleman it seems, whose occasional minor stumbles early in their courtship Cassie is determined to look past. The montage of Cassie and Ryan’s burgeoning relationship is a highlight of the film, the first (and unfortunately only) glimpse at something in Cassie other than rage and a lust for vengeance, set to the bubblegum pop of Paris Hilton’s “Stars are Blind”.
Focus Features, 2020
At a certain point in the film Fennell makes a decision to shed this character development completely, doubling down on Cassie’s commitment to her cause and driving the final nail into the coffin of toxic masculinity. It’s a strong, jarring decision that some audiences may not like – I’m still coming to terms with it myself – and one that leans into the darkness of the subject matter, presenting a scene so shockingly violent and raw that I had to turn away a few times. While the ending does have a fun tongue-in-cheek, wink at the camera quality to it, you’re left with something of a hollow experience after having invested so much time into a character that really doesn’t develop much from where she first started. Mulligan’s performance goes a long way to making that lack of development not seem so obvious. She is clearly relishing playing a role so diabolical and psychotic, and it is hard not to get wrapped up in that and enjoy the ride in the moment. As a symbol for the #MeToo movement, Cassie will go down in the ages as the filmic representation of women fighting back against the patriarchy, taking a stand against a corrupt system that has long kept them down. The costume design and visual presentation in the climactic scene alone are a striking and pointed message at the scumbags of the world: your time is up.
Promising Young Woman is the perfect response to the social change of the last few years; a scathing, biting send-up of all the worst parts of toxic masculinity led by a tour de force performance from Carey Mulligan as a woman a scumbag wouldn’t want to meet late at night in a dark alley. It wears its social commentary on its sleeve, sometimes to its character’s detriment, but there can be no denying the impact the film leaves you with, an unsettling feeling of disgust, but worse a recognition that this type of behaviour does happen in the world. Emerald Fennell comes out of the gate swinging and while it may not be a movie you will want to revisit often, with its heavy themes and bone-crunching violence, Promising Young Woman isn’t one you will forget in a hurry. Parts of it I don’t think I ever will.
Focus Features, 2020
Promising Young Woman stars Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Molly Shannon, Laverne Cox, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Sam Richardson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Christopher Lowell – In cinemas now.
One of the biggest tragedies of the terrible year that was 2020 was the loss of Chadwick Boseman. The young actor was on the cusp of superstardom with his brilliant turn as the king of Wakanda in Marvel’s Black Panther and diverse roles in 42 and Get on Up cementing him as a terrific talent to watch. His final role in George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is made even more bittersweet by the fact that it is best work, an award-worthy showcase of raw talent snatched away far too soon. Paired with the always stellar Viola Davis as legendary blues singer Ma Rainey, the duo clash as they both strive for their independence in different ways, resulting in some truly enrapturing monologues that capture all the intensity and desperation of the African-American push in the 1920s to gain respect and recognition in America.
Boseman plays Levee, a talented, upstart trumpeter in Ma Rainey’s back-up band who feels the time has come to start his own band and put himself on the map within the Jazz community. During rehearsals at a Chicago studio prior to a recording session, Levee begins to clash with the other members of Ma’s band, who become angered by his arrogance and lack of respect for Ma – a woman who has given him the chance of a lifetime and pushed the boundaries for African-American artists in an industry which had constantly rejected them. As Levee’s frustration with his status begins to grow, so too does Ma’s, as she defiantly battles with white studio executives to avoid having her artistic vision compromised to increase sales. As tensions rise all around, decisions are made that will fracture futures and make or break lifelong dreams.
Netflix, 2020
Adapted from famous African-American playwright August Wilson’s arguably seminal play, Wolfe has his work cut out for him in transferring that single location setting to the screen and making it interesting. What could have been a technically boring film of speeches and conversations absolutely sings thanks to the smooth and fluent camerawork, which spins and careens around the room as the band-mates converse, highlighting each of them as they say their piece and immediately flicking around to capture the response. It makes what amounts to an hour and a half of talking riveting and captivating cinema that keeps you on the edge of your seat as the conversations become more personal and intimate and the hardships and trauma of these four men are laid bare. This energy is infused into the dialogue as well, which is never preachy but always hard-hitting and to the point. These men have all been through hell in their own ways, Levee maybe more than the rest, so slowly unravelling their stories through these conversations not only invests you in the characters but in the struggle of the African-American community for respect and recognition in America.
Then there are the performances, which put simply, are world class. Davis is almost unrecognisable as Ma Rainey, drenched in makeup and wearing an extravagant gold grill, she completely commits to the character, carrying herself with a mixture of well-earned arrogance, pride and fear that all that she has worked for will be ripped away if she does not stand up for herself. When Levee or the studio executives begin to overstep their boundaries, Ma does not hesitate to put them in their place – whether that be through her ferocious temper or diva-like behaviour that adds some levity to the otherwise heavy proceedings. Boseman is transformative as Levee who is initially wide-eyed and hopeful about his future, but as the discussion veers into his backstory and the plight of the African-American community you realise there is far more to this troubled young man than just his hopes for a Jazz-filled future. The mad glint in his eyes may seem like a reflection of the hunger and excitement for becoming his own man but under the surface is a darkness and fear bubbling away born from some truly horrifying, eye-opening trauma from Levee’s past. There are two monologues in particular where Boseman lays everything on the table, shattering nerves and breaking your heart as he breaks down and begins to crumble. These scenes alone should net Boseman a posthumous Oscar but he never lets that intensity and energy lapse, carrying it the entire film until the shocking finale.
Netflix, 2020
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a showcase for two of the finest actors of this generation, one tragically taken far too soon. Boseman and Davis are electric and captivating on levels audiences didn’t think they could reach, easily some of the best performances of the year and worthy of the inevitable awards consideration. George C. Wolfe’s film isn’t content to rest on the laurels of these two superstars, however, crafting a beautifully shot and decorated film that benefits from its swift pace to carry you through captivating discussions of the African-American experience in a different time. The themes and trauma of the characters, however, are still as relevant today as ever, especially in the heated climate of 2020, making this one of the most important films of the year; as informative and eye-opening as it is enjoyable to watch.
Netflix, 2020
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom stars Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown & Glynn Turman – Streaming on Netflix now.
I appreciate the original Wonder Woman for what it is: a fun, well made superhero film with some exceptional scenes (No Man’s Land) and some great chemistry between Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. It was the perfect introduction for the character of Wonder Woman, brought down a few pegs by the disastrous CGI mess of a final fight scene; a scene director Patty Jenkins has recently gone to great lengths to distance herself from, citing studio interference as the reason for its existence. For the sequel, Wonder Woman 1984 Jenkins takes up writing duties alongside DC veteran Geoff Johns, meaning she is in far more control of the muddled mess of a film that she has crafted this time around. From the awful CGI to the incredibly annoying, terribly written villains and almost incomprehensible plot, Wonder Woman 1984 fails on many levels, only kept chugging along thanks to the star power and charisma of Gadot and Pine. That plot is so incomprehensible at times that it is almost necessary to dip into some minor spoilers here and there, so consider this your warning.
Things get off to a roaring start with an introductory flashback scene to Diana’s homeland of Themyscira providing exciting thrills as a young Wonder Woman competes against a bevy of fully grown Amazonians in an Olympic games style triathlon. It’s all terrifically shot, with quick fast cuts and an exciting theme from Hans Zimmer that enraptures you quickly and never lets go, even if the scene never really justifies its relevance to the overarching plot. After this, it is straight into the titular time period and Jenkins seems hell-bent on earning that title, with a suitably cheesy fight scene in a shopping mall featuring some questionable fashion choices and Stranger Things style synth music announcing loudly and proudly that this film is set in the eighties. This scene pops with colour and seems overloaded with eighties references, a theme that crops up in a few noticeably lighter moments in the film, with montages of eighties fashion a joke that the film relies on quite a bit. Other than these visual gags however, the film doesn’t seem to really have much of a reason for being set in the eighties, using it as a visual and comedic crutch rather than for any meaningful plot significance.
Warner Bros, 2020
That plot starts to lose its way almost 20 minutes into the bloated 2-and-a-half hour run-time, as we meet our first of the film’s two villains: Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a scientist who works with Diana and a bumbling klutz who means well, but lacks the social skills necessary to really connect with anyone. Wiig is a terrific actress, as we’ve seen in films like Bridesmaids, but here it seems her only instruction is to play the character as annoyingly as possible, like something out of an SNL skit. When Minerva is tasked with uncovering the origin of the mysterious dream stone by the museum, she stumbles upon a story of the stone granting wishes, and – fresh off an encounter with new friend Diana – tests it out by wishing to become more like her, unknowingly committing herself to a future filled with super-strength, speed and unbridled power she could never dream of. Like an episode of the Oprah show, Jenkins gives every major character a go on the stone, as Diana finds herself wishing for the return of her love and fraudster wannabe oil tycoon Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) wishes to literally become the stone, granting wishes for others in an effort to establish power over all the worlds major players and resources.
It becomes clear shortly after the plot reveals itself that Jenkins’ only concern is Diana herself. Every other character in the story is simply there to service her arc of coming to terms with the loss of Steve and diving into the future, unafraid of showing emotion or letting herself get invested (a prelude to her keenness to assemble the Justice League?). Minerva’s change from good-hearted, if somewhat overzealous friend to full-blown villain is so ham-fisted and unexplained, relying on an inexplicit obsession with Maxwell Lord borne from him showing her the smallest amount of previously unreceived attention. Why does she suddenly hate Diana, her former friend, who has done nothing wrong to her? How does she become Cheetah? I still have no idea. The closest approximation I can make to any affinity towards the African cat is a scene involving a pair of cheetah print high heels she remarks on Diana wearing. Her ability to later walk in heels is the incredibly cheesy and cartoonish representation of the strength she has inherited from Diana which again, explains absolutely nothing about her motivations to turn into a supervillain. When she does, the CGI used to bring her newly feline form to life is laughably bad, with fights involving her shot in frustratingly low light and with such quick cuts to hide as much as possible.
Warner Bros, 2020
Similarly, Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord is an interesting enough villain at first, driven by his lust for power but also the desire to show his son that he is not a failure and can make something of himself. The performance is, similar to Wiig’s, dialled up to eleven as Pascal screams and yells about any number of things, playing off his cheap television persona to get ahead until he becomes one with the dream stone, suddenly turning calm and ominous in his tone. Pascal does what he can with the role, but any attempt to redeem Lord through his relationship with his son feels completely unearned when he hasn’t given a damn about him as he rips the world apart. The clichés never cease to end in both characters and plot as we head towards a typically large scale, end of the world scenario that we’re told can only be saved by Wonder Woman’s inherent goodness. That message in itself is hammered home multiple times throughout the film but doesn’t hit like it did in the first film. In the original Wonder Woman Diana was a symbol of peace, fighting the wars of men in an attempt to end the violence and show them the error of their ways. Here it is as simple as Diana is good and Minerva and Lord are bad so she has to win. It never gets any deeper than that.
Here’s where that minor spoiler comes in, you have been warned again. As you have probably seen throughout the endless streams of trailers and clips that have been released in the lead up to the film’s release, Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor returns to the fold, after having sacrificed himself at the end of the first film. This is obviously Diana’s wish on the dream stone, but the film makes the frankly mind-boggling decision to place Trevor in the body of a random civilian rather than his own. Over the course of these increasingly epic adventures, that excellent chemistry between Gadot and Pine is undercut by the fact that no one in the film is actually seeing Chris Pine, not even Diana herself. The film presents Steve as Pine to us the audience because that is who we are familiar with and that is how Diana remembers him, but in actual fact a complete stranger is joining her on all these adventures, completely robbing every moment of its emotional impact. If it is some attempt at conveying the “beauty is on the inside” message it doesn’t land, muddying up an already confusing storyline with a downright bizarre decision. Would it have been so hard for Steve Trevor to have regenerated in his own body? There isn’t a pre-established logic to the fantasy of wish fulfilment in a superhero movie.
Warner Bros, 2020
Wonder Woman 1984 is a disappointment on nearly every level. The sequel to one of the most beloved superhero films of recent memory fails on almost every level as it fills its terribly paced, excessive runtime with nonsensical plot points, poorly written characters and mixed messages that contradict each other. With only a handful of memorable scenes and less than that of actual action, there is simply too much of a burden placed on Gal Gadot and Chris Pine’s chemistry to carry the picture, and it crumbles under that weight. Do yourself a favour this holiday season and watch Pixar’s Soul instead. The wonder is missing from this instalment of the franchise.
Warner Bros, 2020
Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen & Pedro Pascal – In Australian cinemas now and streaming on HBO Max in the US.
What happens when we die? How do we find our purpose in life? When does passion for something turn to obsession? These are the lofty questions asked by Soul, the latest film from premier animation studio Pixar and veteran director Pete Docter. Does the film answer all these questions? The answer is a resounding yes, in typical Pixar weep-inducing fashion no less, with the story of struggling music teacher and wannabe jazz musician Joe’s (Jamie Foxx) journey through the afterlife filled with heart, humour and a fascinating examination of the human experience. Whilst it may place too much focus on its mature story at times and not enough on making things fun and enjoyable for younger audiences, this is a resounding return to form for Pixar after the somewhat lackluster Onward earlier this year.
Joe is in a rut. Resisting the call of a steady full-time job, he slogs through his part-time music teacher gig by day as a means to support his true passion: jazz. When a former student offers him the chance of a lifetime to play in the jazz quartet of legendary Dorothea (Angela Bassett), Joe jumps at the chance… and in his excitement jumps all the way to his untimely, accidental demise. This is where our story truly begins as Joe’s soul is given an opportunity to mentor 22 (Tina Fey) – a particularly difficult young soul who has spent thousands of unsuccessful years attempting to find her purpose for living – in exchange for a shot at his own life again and the chance to fulfil his lifelong dream. Along the way, the pair begins to understand more than they ever could have imagined about life itself and the joys to be found in the little things, with epiphanies flying left, right and centre as they learn their true places within the world.
Pixar Animation Studios, 2020
Soul is an impressive feat of animated storytelling in multiple regards, perhaps most importantly it might just be the best looking animated film ever made. Every frame is filled with groundbreaking, jaw-dropping visuals; from the crisp, photorealistic vision of New York, where Joe resides, to the ethereal, abstract quality of the training ground for young souls, the “Great Before”. Buildings are well-worn and populated in the city that never sleeps, capturing all the tiny details from cracks and chips in the bricks to faded stickers and graffiti on the subway. The jazz club Joe frequents looks spectacular, like something plucked straight out of La La Land, with its hazy neon sign and dimly lit, smoky interior providing the perfect backdrop for the captivating scenes of Joe performing in his element as he gets into “The Zone” – itself a visual marvel of vivid shades of blue and purple swirling around the musician as the rest of the world fades to nothingness. This sumptuous visual palette follows Joe wherever he goes, as his soul falls through strikingly abstract scenes of black and white lines on his way to the “Great Before”, which is rendered in brilliant baby blues and light purples, a calm and welcoming place for souls to learn about the world, in stark contrast to the dank wasteland of lost souls.
As you can probably tell from some of the locations I’ve just talked about, Soul is an incredibly original film, one that takes these great questions of the human experience and attempts to answer them through the personification of souls and their journey to find their “spark” – that lust for life and thirst to experience being human that qualifies them to be placed into a human body. Young souls bubble and bounce around with exuberance, not aware of the hardships of life and filled with sheer optimism. A great moving walkway ferries souls towards a great white abyss after they die, counted by an abstract guardian, Terry (Rachel House) who later pursues the renegade Joe. Similar abstract figures – the Jerry’s – act as guides to these fresh souls, teaching them all the things that make a human unique, and guiding them towards attaining their pass to enter a body. It’s all incredibly inventive and these otherwise undefinable aspects of the human experience are prime real-estate for the Pixar team to experiment to their hearts content, creating a world that makes these heady concepts palatable for younger audiences through visually arresting imagery and an accessible story filled with excellent messages for children to learn. In a way, Soul feels like the perfect companion piece to the studio’s earlier hit Inside Out. Where that film brought the emotional struggle within a human being to the forefront, Soul focuses on things external to the body, the many facets of life that make it worth living and that people connect to.
Pixar Animation Studios, 2020
The story of Joe is at once recognisable and universal, one of discovering what makes you unique and what gets you out of bed in the morning and ready to dive into life. Jamie Foxx gives a deeply layered and nuanced performance in his portrayal of the teacher, a man who wholeheartedly believes his spark is music and will listen to no one else if it does not pertain to his goal, teetering dangerously close to obsession. We’ve all been in Joe’s shoes at one point, having taken an interest or hobby too far and needing to be reminded that there is so much more to life than this one thing. This relatability and relevance only makes the emotional impact late in the piece hit that much harder and in typical Pixar style you’ll require plenty of tissues on deck if you hope to survive to the end. The impact of those final moments is heightened by Joe’s companion 22’s journey.
The not so young soul has been around for some time now; completely apathetic towards life, she has burned through strings of mentors (deceased souls who have moved on to train the next generations) from throughout history, told within one hilarious montage. Her journey from hatred to a complete lust for life is wonderfully laid out and hits emotional notes like Joe does piano keys. It’s a truly beautiful story that’s only real flaw comes in the fact that there isn’t much focus placed on fun for the younger audiences. The presentation certainly seems kid-friendly, but the decidedly mature story doesn’t seem like it resonates with those without much experience with life and while it certainly does pack some good lessons in, there’s something to be said about the lack of adorable side-characters or visual, slapstick gags that usually populate a Pixar adventure. It’s a small complaint but one that does seem a little off-brand given the studio’s usual target audience.
Pixar Animation Studios, 2020
Pixar’s Soul is nothing short of a masterpiece of animation. The culmination of all the technical wizardry the studio has cultivated over more than 20 years has led to the most visually stunning animated film ever created, with clarity and inventiveness in its imagery that will astound audiences of all ages. Its beautifully told story may not strike a chord with younger audiences, but like those ten minutes in Up, it touches emotion after emotion as it dissects the human experience and perfectly renders those small feelings of joy and wonder in the little things that make life great, on the way to a complete tearjerker of a finale. Soul is filled with humour, heart, imagination and most importantly, touches your own soul with that Pixar magic. Essential viewing.
Pixar Animation Studios, 2020
Soul stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Alice Braga, Rachel House, Richard Ayoade, Daveed Diggs & Angela Bassett – Streaming on Disney+ now.
The DC “Extended Universe” as it is now known has had a tumultuous journey throughout its relatively short 7 years, with various set-backs and course corrections altering character arcs and even entire films before they reached audiences. Nevertheless, the films featuring the likes of Batman, Wonder-Woman and Harley Quinn consistently bring in huge numbers at the box office (sometimes regardless of the quality – I’m talking about you Suicide Squad). With a recent string of relatively well-received hits and plenty more on the horizon (The Suicide Squad & The Batman), it is looking like a particularly bright future if you’re a DC fan. With this year’s DC Fandome event whetting our appetite for more of these characters and Wonder Woman 1984 hitting our screens before the end of the year, now might seem like the perfect time to go back and re-watch your favourites or start the series. Luckily for you, we’ve done the hard work and ranked all the DCEU films currently available from best to Suicide Squad (no points for guessing that ranking).
8. Suicide Squad (2016)
Warner Bros, 2016
As expected, in last place we have David Ayer’s absolute mess of a superhero team-up film. It is fair to say expectations were high and for good reason with a cast like this. Will Smith. Margot Robbie. Viola Davis. Whether you believe the reports of heavy studio meddling or not, the one thing you can’t deny is that the final product is woefully undercooked. None of the characters are given much development at all apart from Smith’s Deadshot and Robbie’s Harley Quinn and the introductions we get to them are rendered comical by the incessant use of top 40 radio-songs. Seriously, it’s like the entire film’s music was orchestrated to net Warner Music’s stars some royalties. The plot is fairly standard comics Suicide Squad fair. A group of criminals with bombs implanted in their heads perform dangerous missions to get their sentences reduced, this time around that involves fighting their way through the fictional Midway City in order to stop the evil Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) from carrying out her decidedly vague, superhero movie staple “end of the world” plan. Delevingne is by far the worst thing about the film (and that’s saying something), waving her hands around as she weirdly sambas towards the titular team for an anti-climactic showdown. The one saving grace is that you can happily skip this and still have a perfect understanding of things going forward in the DC Universe until James Gunn’s reboot releases next year to hopefully better results.
7. Birds of Prey (2020)
Warner Bros, 2020
Plucking Harley Quinn from out of the wreckage of Suicide Squad led to only slightly better results in the annoyingly titled Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). That’s right, I used the full title because I want you to know how ridiculous it is. We find Harley on the outs with boy toy the Joker in her latest outing, her back against the wall as criminals descend from the rafters to take their revenge now that she is no longer affiliated with the clown prince of crime. The biggest of these baddies is Ewan McGregor’s Roman Sionis (known to comic book fans as Black Mask), who actually manages to steal the limelight away from Quinn for more than a few scenes as he stomps his way through foul-mouthed tantrums and some unnerving moments of villainy. The eventual Birds of Prey team-up might be a little too convenient but injects a much needed shot of adrenaline in proceedings, with a diverse supporting cast including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Rosie Perez doing their best to counter Robbie’s over-exuberance. Certain scenes including a delightful bout of colourful bedlam in a police station show promises of something beyond the trite elements stripped from Deadpool but are too few and far between to turn Birds of Prey into essential DC viewing.
6. Justice League (2017)
Warner Bros, 2017
It’s hard to be too critical of Justice League, a film plagued by production issues and the untimely personal tragedy of director Zack Snyder forcing him to leave the film in the hands of Avengers director Joss Whedon. By all accounts, Whedon butchered the film and the resulting superhero team-up barely hits the 2 hour mark, very atypical for films of this type and even more strange considering the new Snyder Cut coming in 2021 is expected to be over 4 hours long. Nevertheless the resulting film was released and needs to be judged on that. Whedon tries almost too hard to inject the levity of Avengers here, focusing on banter and cool action moments rather than a coherent story. The gist of it involves Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) rallying together to assemble a team of superheroes – including the Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa) – to defend the earth from an upcoming invasion by Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), lieutenant for Thanos-level DC villain Darkseid (who was originally scripted to appear but is strangely absent). The story involving various macguffins and an attempt to revive the recently deceased Superman isn’t nearly as coherent as Whedon’s other work and converges into a final “team fights an army of faceless villains” confrontation so bland and weightless, it is hard to recall amongst the myriad of superior scenes. At the end of the day, Whedon’s version of Justice League is a somewhat enjoyable ride that Snyder will hopefully improve upon in the future, with some solid character moments and the honour of bestowing the world with Jason Momoa’s ultra macho, kick-ass Aquaman interpretation.
5. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Warner Bros, 2016
After the solid success of Man of Steel, DC decided to differentiate themselves from the MCU’s way of doing things; skipping the individual hero films and going all in with the Civil War-esque showdown of Batman v Superman. The result is a messy, overly complex superhero film that at times seems more preoccupied with laying the groundwork for things to come than being a coherent film in itself. Director Zack Snyder did manage to flesh out some of the myriad of undercooked storylines and give some breathing room to character arcs in the superior Ultimate Cut but the film still struggles under the weight of everything it is trying to do. After witnessing the destruction of Metropolis in the events of Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) sets his sights on Superman (Henry Cavill), digging deep into the work of billionaire tech philanthropist (and Superman’s main psychotic enemy) Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) in order to find a way to stop Kal-El from ever repeating his mistakes. Add to that the many side investigations of Lois Lane (Amy Adams), Superman struggling to find his way in the world amid the myriad of political attacks led by a disgruntled senator (Holly Hunter), the introduction of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and hints at each member of the Justice League and you have yourself one big pile of movie. The bright spots burn particularly bright, namely Batfleck and Wonder Woman’s introductions and the internal struggle of Superman, but for every victory the film shoots itself in the foot with sloppy writing. It’ll take more knocks in the head than Superman and Batman suffer combined to forget about that Martha debacle.
4. Wonder Woman (2017)
Warner Bros, 2017
Catapulting off her performance in Batman v Superman, Gal Gadot found herself in the spotlight in the first solo Wonder Woman film, one of the first showings that the DC universe could escape the dark and gritty pallet of Zack Snyder and venture into vibrancy and positivity. Patty Jenkins directs with obvious love and adoration for the character, building a fully realised character in Diana Prince, who must learn the hardships of life after being flung from her perfectly isolated picturesque paradise of the Amazonian isle of Themyscira into the first World War, desperate to bring the peace of her people to the larger world by killing the embodiment of war Ares (David Thewlis). The film works best when it focuses on the fish-out-of-water storyline of Diana, giving us genuinely funny gags (something the series had struggled with in the past) and heart in spades. Chris Pine is excellent as Steve Trevor, bringing a rough-and-tumble charm to the spy who is on his own personal mission to end the war and stop the German scientist Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya), but this is Gadot’s film. Like Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Chris Hemsworth as Thor, she embodies the role in every way possible, bringing a dignity and grace to the princess of Themyscira whilst maintaining that warrior spirit and willingness to do whatever it takes to spread peace. The third act stumbles slightly in its generic, CGI-heavy punchathon, but it can be forgiven when what preceded it is as affecting and genuine as Wonder Woman is.
3. Shazam! (2019)
Warner Bros, 2019
Tom Hanks’ Big is a classic right? The story of a boy who wishes to become an adult one fateful night and wakes up the next day having jumped the gun on puberty. What if instead of becoming just an adult, that boy became a superhero? Complete with super-speed, flight and the ability to shoot lightning and move between boy and man by uttering a single word. Enter David F. Sandberg’s Shazam!, a film that excels by simply knowing what it needs to be: fun. This is definitely the most lighthearted adventure thus far in the DCEU and the result is a surprising jolt of energy into the developing overall tone of the series. We’ve seen films like Aquaman and Wonder Woman try to steer away from that grittiness of yesteryear before but Shazam! is a whole different ball game, taking the admittedly ridiculous story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and turning it into a (mostly) family-friendly adventure with jokes flying thick and fast as Billy and adopted brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) discover the former’s powers together. Grazer is on top form here, fresh off his performance as the equally neurotic Eddie Kasprak from the IT franchise, and his banter with Zachary Levi (who plays the powered-up version of Billy) is the highlight of the film, full of childlike wonder and amusement as they bond and tackle everyday problems with Billy’s abilities. Sandberg isn’t afraid to push the limits of the “family friendly” tag though, peppering in some truly horrific creatures, physical embodiments of the seven deadly sins controlled by the evil Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong hamming it up).
2. Aquaman (2018)
Warner Bros, 2018
How do you end decades of endless ridicule of a superhero whose only real power is the ability to talk to fish? You cast the hulking behemoth that is Jason Momoa and dare anyone to crack a joke, that’s how. Momoa redefines the character of Arthur Curry in his own solo film as a tough as nails, heavily drinking badass, who rejects his valid claim to the throne of Atlantis, an act of defiance against those who he believed murdered his mother Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). The film follows a fairly standard hero’s journey arc for Arthur, paring him with Princess Mera (Amber Heard) on a journey to find the long-lost trident of Atlan, the only macguffin powerful enough to defeat Arthur’s deranged half brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) and fulfil his destiny. Having previously helmed horror franchises such as Insidious and The Conjuring before moving on to tackle the gigantic Furious 7, director James Wan goes bigger than ever before here, populating the sprawling CGI world of Atlantis with all manner of cool and crazy creatures. Orm riding an armoured Mosasaur into battle? Check. An octopus playing war drums before a ceremonial death match for the crown? Check again. A remix of Toto’s hit Africa by the one and only Pitbull? You bet your ass that’s a monster of a tune. As you can see Wan has fun with this world, also bringing those horror roots to tense and terrifying scenes involving the Trench, a race of mutated ocean dwellers driven insane by the lack of light in the briny depths. Throughout it all however, we are deeply invested in Arthur’s journey, primarily due to the earnestness in Momoa’s performance. He lives and breathes this character, this is a part of him and it comes across on-screen. Give Jason Momoa as many sequels as you can in this crazy underwater playground. Long live the king.
1. Man of Steel (2013)
Warner Bros, 2013
Man of Steel represents the purest form of what the DCEU set out to do: build on the foundation and quality of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy to create a film that gets to the heart of Superman and his message, with Henry Cavill cementing his legacy as Supes with a performance that rivals the great Christopher Reeves. Told through a combination of flashbacks, both to the fall of Krypton and Clark Kent’s childhood, this new take on the iconic story presents Clark as a lost soul searching for the meaning his adoptive father (Kevin Costner) has always told him his life holds as a link between humanity and a bigger universe, a guiding light to bigger things for the human race. When the terrifying General Zod (Michael Shannon) risks everything Clark holds dear, he is forced to dig into his past, uncovering the ghostly memory of his Kryptonian father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and the power he possesses as the strongest being on Earth. The world-building on display is fascinating, giving you equal measures of classic Earth-bound adventures and epic sci-fi action from the destruction of Krypton to Clark’s final battle against the devious Zod. Following a similar stylistic choice to Nolan’s trilogy proves a bit too dark at times, with a very muted colour pallet robbing the film of a lot of its vibrancy – especially with regards to Superman’s otherwise vivid suit – but fitting like a glove when applied to the cold Kryptonian architecture. The film does manage to top Nolan’s opus in one key way, with composer Hans Zimmer delivering his greatest work here, crafting an iconic modern take on the Superman theme, one that fills you with dread as General Zod approaches his unsuspecting victim but also with unbridled hope and optimism as Clark uncovers his potential and becomes the symbol for all humanity to aspire to. It’s a transportive score that elevates the film to a whole new level and one you will be humming for weeks after. Man of Steel is an experiment that proves that there is a middle ground between extremely dark and gritty and comedy-heavy, a grounded epic that makes you believe in the man in the red cape you looked up to as a kid all over again.
With the PS5 and Xbox Series X now out in the wild for those lucky few that managed to snag a pre-order, the PS4/Xbox One generation of games is coming to an end, which means it is time to look back on the best of the best of the last seven years. We’re excluding Nintendo here given they don’t conform to anyones rules and had two consoles release during this time, one of which we don’t really want to talk about (sorry Wii-U) and the other which hasn’t finished it’s life cycle just yet. No we’re sticking to the big boys here from Sony and Microsoft. Keep in mind we haven’t played everything and there may be some notable omissions to some (we didn’t get to The Last of Us Part II, don’t hurt us), but these are what we consider the cream of the crop and games that you absolutely should play before you switch over to the next-gen. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
10. Infamous: Second Son (2014)
Sony Interactive Entertainment, 2014
One of the first exclusives for the PS4, Infamous: Second Son remains one of the best, an excellent super-hero (or super-villain) game beaten only by one other entry on this list. Players take control of Delsin Rowe, a Native American graffiti artist who discovers he has the powers of a Conduit (the game’s term for super-powered individuals); specifically he can absorb and utilize the powers of other Conduits, thus making him the perfect candidate for wild experimentation with different power-sets. When the villainous Brooke Augustine and her Department of Unified Protection slaughter Delsin’s tribe in an effort to find these Conduits, he begins a journey of revenge through Seattle, amassing different skills and abilities that give players a tremendous amount of choice in how to tackle the game’s multiple enemy types. Not only are all the powers extremely original and fun to fight with – ranging from Smoke and Neon to Video and Concrete – but they impact how Delsin traverses Seattle, whether that be a super-speed Neon dash or Smoke powered hover, making just getting around the city incredibly enjoyable in its own right, up there with Spider-Man‘s swinging mechanics. What elevates the story beyond typical superhero fare is the Infamous‘ series signature choice mechanic, presenting you with multiple scenarios where you are forced to decide between the good or evil path for Delsin, actively affecting the outcome of his story and the powers presented to him. It might be a bit hard to seek out this late in the console’s life but do yourself a favour and try; Infamous: Second Son is an immensely fun and replayable super-hero romp.
9. Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)
Square Enix, 2020
In a generation full of remasters, remakes and long-awaited sequels, 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake is probably the most infamous. Releasing 23 years after the iconic Playstation One original, the game had a ridiculous amount of pressure from fans of the series who demanded that creators Square Enix do the classic game justice. Yet fears for the game’s quality were put to bed when Final Fantasy VII Remake released, quickly becoming one of the most successful entries the franchise has ever seen. Well-developed characters, action heavy combat and an unexpectedly fresh plot all drove it to the top of the charts at release, and it has maintained quite a reputation since. Cloud and his group were given a huge amount of additional character development compared to the original, which shines through in the emotionally impactful and genuine interactions between them It also looks downright fantastic, with even the most intense and chaotic action sections exploding to life with colour and polish. Yes it’s a somewhat shorter experience than other franchise entries and is only part of the full experience offered in the original, but its surprising changes to the plot and overhauled battle system set it apart from its legendary source material. If you’re even remotely interested in RPGs, then make sure you give this one a go before its sequel undoubtedly makes its mark on the next console generation.
8. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019)
Electronic Arts, 2019
EA had a lot to make up for with Jedi: Fallen Order. After two fairly lackluster attempts at revitalising the Battlefront series, the developers turned their eyes to a purely single-player, story-focused adventure featuring newly created Jedi Cal Kestis. The result is one of the best Star Wars games of all time, with ridiculously fluid, satisfying lightsaber combat that borrows elements of the Batman: Arkham games and the difficulty of the Dark Souls games to make you feel like an unstoppable Jedi. It isn’t always easy and some of the boss battles can be brutal but the feeling of accomplishment that encompasses you when you clear a room of enemies is easily worth it, making you feel like Obi-Wan Kenobi himself once you master the many intricacies of the combat system. Accompanying Cal is former Jedi Cere and pilot Greez and the bond the three develop really increases your care factor and provides some nice smaller, character-driven moments outside the epic fight against the Empire. It’s a sure sign that you’ve done your characters justice when the player cares more about the inner relationships and dark secrets between them than the generally vague (yet awesome) battle between the Empire and Rebellion. Add to that the name-drops and locations that will make fans squeal with delight (as well as one drop-dead awesome cameo) and you have yourself a top-tier Star Wars game that makes an extremely strong case for the best ever made. Hell it was even the best thing the franchise produced in a year that included one of the movies.
7. DOOM Eternal (2020)
Bethesda Softworks, 2020
2016’s DOOM was an incredible return to form for the seminal franchise. A rip-roaring, gory as hell (pun intended) trip across Mars that made the player feel like an absolute badass, a one-man army tearing through hordes of nightmarish ghouls and demons. While the main story was great, it did feel a bit rushed and the multiplayer underwhelmed for the most part, feeling like little more than a tacked-on extra. Those problems are more than made up for in the 2020 sequel DOOM: Eternal, with a meaty story mode that takes the Doom Slayer through Mars, Earth and Hell on an epic quest to prevent the destruction of Earth by the demon forces of the Khan Makyr. Right away that muscle memory from the first game comes back, with the same twitchy gunplay and parkour based movement system that will have you leaping around the multi-tiered arenas, switching between the myriad of ridiculously over-the-top weapons and laying waste to wave after wave of demons. It just might be the best shooter ever, with the verticality of the combat providing endless opportunities to experiment as you eliminate the increasingly aggressive forces of Hell. The guns all feel appropriately weighty and feature secondary fire modes that keep things fresh and each demonic foe the Doom Slayer comes up against requires a slightly different approach to defeat. Just don’t dig too deep into the story and you’ll be fine. It starts off simple enough but quickly descends into a completely incomprehensible mess; albeit one that takes you to some equally gorgeous and terrifying locales. The multiplayer modes also breathe new life into the classic team death-match formula with two demons taking on one slayer in thrilling fashion. Don’t skip on DOOM: Eternal; it is the best shooter of the generation and a hellishly good time.
6. Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (2017)
Capcom, 2017
Many thought the Resident Evil franchise was over the hill after the messy, over-the-top sixth instalment in 2012. Capcom wisely took a step back and returned 5 years later with arguably the best entry in the long-running franchise. Eschewing the traditional third-person, over-the-shoulder camera proved to be a stroke of genius, placing you in the first-person shoes of new protagonist Ethan Winters, responding to his presumed-dead wife’s message at a derelict Louisiana mansion, home to the terrifying Baker family. This new perspective quite literally puts you into the scares, making all the terrible events that befall Ethan feel much more intense and personal in an effort to send you through the roof with some genuinely shocking jump scares. The hallmarks of Resident Evil remain, from the tight inventory management play style that will have you avoiding enemies to conserve ammunition for fierce battles against gruesome bosses. The Baker family, although not directly linked to the other mainline games by a typically silly tangent, are some of the series’ best villains, with each family member providing a plethora of scares and some extremely memorable boss fights. There’s something about a hulking Jack Baker charging at you, fully engulfed in flames and an uncontrollable temper, that will remain permanently emblazoned into your mind, a set-piece that stands up there with the best the series has to offer. Resident Evil VII: Biohazard offers plenty to love for old and new fans alike, and may just be the most complete and terrifying Resident Evil experience to have graced these systems
5. Outlast (2013)
Red Barrels, 2014
Outlast is the scariest game ever made. Period. Don’t try and dispute that unless you can show me something scarier. I’ll wait. Set in an abandoned asylum, the game follows Miles, an investigative journalist tasked with uncovering the Murkoff corporation’s shadowy activities at the facility. Armed with only a video camera and an ever dwindling supply of batteries, the game hits you fast and hits you hard, with a mixture of jump-scares and chase scenes propelling you through the many nightmarish sections of the asylum. The lack of combat options adds to the overwhelming terror, providing you with only the option to run or hide. Run and you pretty much guarantee your demise unless you have thoroughly mapped your route with multiple escape exits. Hide and you’ll spend the next 20 something minutes carefully sneaking your way to your objective while your assailant prowls the corridors. It’s nerve shredding stuff and the atmosphere and design of the asylum – littered with mutilated corpses, blood soaked floors and bloody, deranged messages on the walls – makes it so you are never comfortable no matter where you are, even if no enemies are present. The enemies themselves are gruesome, abhorrent creatures for the most part, with the odd grunt enemy type reused, but the standouts are the main tormentors who track you across majority of the game: the hulking, almost pig-like Chris Walker whose lumbering gait belies a fearsome speed, and Richard Traeger, the deranged doctor hell-bent on torturing Miles and performing all sorts of awful experiments. If you can survive the anguish, do yourself a favour and tackle the Whistleblower DLC, an equally horrifying story that provides some interesting backstory to Miles’ main adventure as well as some unforgettably savage villains that rival the main game’s baddies.
4. Cuphead (2017)
Studio MDHR, 2017
Studio MDHR’s incredibly tough yet rewarding action platformer Cuphead is one of those games that is impossible to put down, while simultaneously making you want to hurl the controller through the TV. Lovingly crafted with hand-drawn animations and painted backgrounds, the game draws inspiration from classic 1930’s era cartoons of old, with surrealist enemies and old-school dialogue that underlies the incredibly challenging gameplay with a constant stream of charm. That gameplay is where Cuphead really shines, as the titular character and his brother Mugman take on boss fight after boss fight – with the odd platformer level thrown in for good measure – on their journey to reclaim lost souls for the Devil and clear their names from his bad books. Each boss is a multi-staged death-match, requiring players to attempt each fight multiple times in order to learn enemy patterns and identify the best strategy for victory. While there is a steady increase in challenge overall as the brothers traverse through each of the 3 overworlds, every boss is tough going at first, and some never seem to get any easier no matter how many tries you give it – one particular battle against a queen bee has given me permanent PTSD from the hundreds of times I heard her deranged battle cry. That feeling of exhilaration when you overcome a particularly challenging foe is almost euphoric, a worthy reward for a hard fought win that can sometimes leave you as soon as it arrives if you don’t give yourself a break before tackling the next boss. The anthropomorphic crockery handles extremely well with the old-school run and gun style of yesteryear feeling fresh and responsive in a world that sometimes overly complicates these simple game mechanics. The upgrades to your basic gun and dash moves all make a substantial difference in one way or another and choosing the correct loadout is a necessity if you want to make your way to the final bout against the Devil himself. Cuphead is a rewarding yet challenging indie that has deservedly gone mainstream and to other consoles beyond its initial Xbox exclusivity. This means that there has never been a better time to give it to go, just note we aren’t liable for any damage to your TV.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
Sony Interactive Entertainment, 2018
Many thought we’d reached the peak of superhero video games with Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight. Yet along came a spider who managed to knock it from the top spot. Studio Insomniac took a break from their acclaimed Ratchet & Clank franchise to craft quite possibly the greatest superhero game of all time, as we find Peter Parker 8 years into his job as the web-slinger and in the middle of a war between various parties for New York. The love for Spidey is immediately apparent, with the story deftly weaving together multiple story points from the character’s rich history, throwing in mountains of secrets and references to uncover as well as power-ups, gadgets and suits from Spider-Man’s past that all have an impact on how you play and approach combat. That combat does indeed owe a lot to the Arkham formula, borrowing the standard strike and dodge mechanic, but it’s the movement that really catapults the game into top-tier. No other game, bar the admittedly now dated Spider-Man 2, has ever made web-swinging so fluid and precise that you actually feel like Spider-Man. It all works perfectly with the regular swinging, web zipping and launching off points coming together to make even the longest trips across New York exhilarating and unique, as you encounter side-missions, crimes to stop and challenges left by the villainous Taskmaster to complete. Throw in a bevy of classic villains from Rhino, Electro and Kingpin alongside newer enemies like Mister Negative and you have an absolutely insane game brimming with content. If you’re itching to try out Miles Morales on the PS5 and can’t get your hands on one, then head on back to the original. It’s never a bad time to take a swing through New York, just watch out for low-flying Vultures.
2. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016)
Sony Interactive Entertainment, 2016
By this stage, most will be familiar with Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise. Something of a modern day Indiana Jones series, the first three entries followed treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he travelled through tombs and forests with nothing but a pistol and a quick wit. Featuring charming characters, well-designed exploration and adrenaline-pumping action, the trilogy remains as one of the greatest highlights of the Playstation 3 catalogue. So when it came time to close the book on the series with a fourth and final entry on PS4, Naughty Dog went all in. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is quite simply the closest you’ll get to Hollywood action with a controller, featuring a brilliantly deep plot, fantastic character work, outrageous action and amazing visuals. It’s a rollercoaster of intensity and emotion from the offset, with an attention to detail and graphic fidelity so impressive it’s often hard to believe you’re in control of it all. You’ll often find yourself engrossed in a gorgeous cutscene, watching characters with years of established relationships interact with cinema-like quality. Next, you’re riding through vast open plains and taking on a small army with flair as you zip between locations all over the globe. We could sit here all day showering it with praise, but when its an adventure of a high enough standard to define an entire generation, it’s one best experienced first-hand.
1. God of War (2018)
Sony Interactive Entertainment, 2018
If you had asked us how we felt about the God of War franchise a few years ago, chances are we wouldn’t have much to say. The series was certainly good at what it did – hack and slash gameplay all about tearing enemies apart with as much blood and noise as possible – but nobody was coming to the table for an interesting plot, engaging world or developed characters. 2018’s ambitious sequel/reboot God of War sought to change all that with a shifted focus, new setting and series of refined mechanics that ultimately resulted in the current gen’s greatest achievement. Gone is the darkness and noise of Ancient Greece, replaced with a far more intimate yet expansive adventure through the lands of Norse mythology. We’re dropped into this new world as familiar anti-hero Kratos, who lives in quiet exile as a father and recent widower who must set out across these lands while pursued by both gods and demons. The action is just as tight as it was during previous entries, with the addition of a brutal axe that just may be one of the best weapons ever seen in a game. Yet where God of War really shines is in its incredibly deep plot and character building of the two main characters. We watch as Kratos evolves from a stoic, distant father into a wise protector and role model to his young son Atreus – who undergoes a huge and complex character arc himself. The entire game is shot from the shoulder of Kratos, ensuring that you’re deep in the middle of every conflict, victory, revelation and emotional moment from start to finish. It’s rare to find an experience as engrossing and memorable as this one, and it’s hard to imagine another game managing to do the same anytime soon. So when deciding on the greatest game of this generation, there really is no other choice as worthy as the outstanding God of War.
A classic staple of the Disney formula; the fairy godmother, is the subject of Godmothered, the latest film from Bridget Jones’ Diary director Sharon Maguire. What should be a subversive, inventive twist on a genre staple generally cast as a side character unfortunately descends into tedium in one of the most aggressively bland Disney features in recent memory. Squandering a solid cast led by Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher, there isn’t much magic to be found here with a jumbled narrative, poor special effects and some seriously underdeveloped characters that serve less purpose than the spaghetti from Lady and the Tramp.
Bell gamely steps into the role of Eleanor, a fairy godmother who dreams of delivering happily ever afters to those in need in the human world, studying the code of her people day and night in preparation. The other fairies, led by Moira (Jane Curtin), do not share Eleanor’s optimism, as human’s belief in the fairy world and happiness in general has been steadily on the decline (2020, am I right?), threatening the entire occupation of Eleanor’s people and forcing them to consider lives as tooth fairies. Once Eleanor discovers this, she commits herself to a daring journey to the human world, determined to bring a happily ever after to Mackenzie (Isla Fisher), who dreamed of a Prince Charming as a child but who now finds herself stuck in a difficult grind as a single mother to Jane (Jillian Shea Spaeder) and Mia (Willa Skye).
Walt Disney Pictures, 2020
By far the best part of the film is Jillian Bell’s portrayal of Eleanor. She brings such an infectious enthusiasm and positivity to the role that it is hard not to get caught up in it at first. Her eyes light up with childlike wonder at every turn as she experiences this whole new world for the first time and Bell almost oversells it at times, going all in on that giddy Disney optimism. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Isla Fisher. She plays the straight woman to Bell’s over-exuberance as well as she can, but there just isn’t anything to her character. There are attempts to draw a sympathetic response from the audience by implying that she missed out on her happily ever after when her husband died and comments are made about the stress of her job cutting into her relationship with her children, but the film doesn’t really commit to pulling on any of these threads in much depth, leading to a whole mess of tonal shifts and plot realignments. Let’s explore shall we?
We’ll start with Eleanor’s mission. It is never established what a “happily ever after” encompasses and so the film relies on those classic Disney staples we all know. Find your Prince Charming. Have him sweep you off your feet. It’s a choice seemingly at odds with the film’s “girls can do anything” message. You have Eleanor aiming to do her best and save the day. You have Mackenzie working tirelessly to support her children and keep a roof over their heads. Jane, the eldest daughter of Mackenzie, is struggling with her own confidence issues in leading the school choir and gaining her mother’s support. Yet their problems can be solved by Mackenzie finding a man, specifically co-worker Hugh (Santiago Cabrera)? The film likes to tell you these girls can do anything and it is an excellent message to instill in young women, but it never really enforces the message by actually showing you. We have some fun bigger moments and some mopey, “looking at old photos forlornly” moments designed to give the impression of a story but nothing that really shows you these girls kicking ass until the very last few scenes. The big finale attempts to counter the whole Prince Charming can solve everything argument but it rings a little hollow after you’ve spent the preceding hour and 40 minutes following Eleanor clumsily attempting to set Mackenzie and Hugh up.
Walt Disney Pictures, 2020
Then there are the gags themselves. The film is incredibly poorly paced, stretching on for what seems like an eternity between the many big set pieces. Some of these are better than others, from a magical mishap at a football match to a snowy misadventure that should end in more carnage than it does. The lesser ones are painfully blunt (Eleanor transforming the house to look like a Disney castle, complete with racoon and piglet helpers) or preachy to a point where you’re just beyond caring (a school concert which quickly turns into a self-help seminar). The elongated run-time full of filler also makes the incredibly choppy editing stand out that much more, with random cuts of the same character moving between two places with no connective tissue leaving scenes feeling inorganic and disjointed. The land in which the fairies live should be a highlight, a cross between that iconic opening credits Disney castle and the land of Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent films, but the visual effects on display make it all look a hazy mess and it is quite clear that the budget simply wasn’t enough to accommodate the scale of this world. This would also explain why majority of the fairy plot is left in the dust after the opening, with a haphazard attempt at reconciling these loose ends raising more questions than it answers.
Godmothered fails in a lot of different ways, most notably poor plotting, the colossal waste of Jillian Bell’s talents, bad visual effects and jokes that land with a deafening thud. Its greatest failure, however, comes in the lack of that trademark Disney magic. This is a film that should feel fresh, the rare film from the mouse house that isn’t a sequel or remake of a beloved classic. Yet the potential of the fascinating, previously untold story is never reached, and director Sharon Maguire seems content to simply check fundamental movie boxes rather than infuse any life or wonder into the proceedings. While younger children may find some enjoyment in some of the more slapstick moments and the fairy world, everyone else will likely have changed the channel or be suffering from severe neck pain from checking their watches during this overlong bore-fest. Fairy tale? More like Fairy fail.
Walt Disney Pictures, 2020
Godmothered stars Jillian Bell, Isla Fisher, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Santiago Cabrera, June Squibb, Jillian Shea Spaeder, Willa Skye & Jane Curtin – Streaming on Disney+ now.
‘Tis the season for outstanding performances and the latest (and perhaps greatest) comes in the form of Riz Ahmed’s stunning turn in Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal; an uncompromising look into one man’s journey to come to grips with hearing loss and how it affects those around him. Told with gritty realism and a commitment to presenting the deaf experience as accurately as possible, this is far from an easy watch but one that reveals as much about the human spirit and what it can achieve as it does the day-to-day lives of the deaf; who draw on that spirit to view their affliction not as a curse, but as something that makes them unique. With a similarly excellent performance from Olivia Cooke and next-level sound design that will have you believing you are experiencing the same things as protagonist Ruben, this is a brilliantly made and acted drama that demands your attention.
Ahmed plays Ruben, a recovering heroin addict and drummer for punk outfit Blackgammon alongside girlfriend Lou (Cooke). The pair live their lives touring dive bars and small venues from the RV they also live out of and it’s immediately clear that they share a history of drugs and violence. We understand the bond between Ruben and Lou at once; the commitment and understanding evident whilst playing on stage. This opening performance scene tells you all you need to know about the pair’s relationship with each other and music in general. It is their shared saviour and the thing that has brought them out of their tragic, arduous pasts; the central pillar of their lives that keeps them out of trouble. This single scene is so simple and effective in setting up the entire trajectory of the film; making it clear just how monumental the loss of hearing will be for Ruben. This is his way of life. You can feel his commitment to the beat, to hitting each note and how it draws him out of his troubles and into another world where he exists only with Lou.
Caviar, 2019
The physical commitment from Ahmed and Cooke is also immediately recognisable, with both actors playing their own instruments (Cooke also does her own singing) and physically transforming into the punk duo with bleached hair and eyebrows. Cooke in particular looks almost unrecognisable and particular attention to detail has been paid to the story the duo’s physical appearance tells, with scars and tattoos informing us about their violent pasts without the need for verbalisation. Her performance is incredible. You can feel the love and fear for Ruben emanating from her through her eyes and facial expressions alone. There is clearly a strong backbone to Lou’s character and when the going gets tough for Ruben she doesn’t hesitate to act, encouraging him to join a deaf community as his hearing deteriorates.
This is where the real story takes shape. Ahmed is phenomenal at selling the overwhelming terror Ruben feels as his whole world crumbles around him; alternating between blind rage and denial; convinced his problem can be solved with the installation of Cochlear implants. There is an unsettling parallel made between Ruben’s past life of addiction to heroin and the increasingly desperate lengths he goes to to regain his hearing, made all the more terrifying by the mask of madness that engulfs Ahmed’s face as the film goes on, risking all that he has learnt for a shot at his former life. As Ruben ingratiates himself in the community, he strikes up a friendship with Joe (Paul Raci), who explains to him that he needs to accept deafness not as a handicap but as a blessing; to appreciate the quiet and stillness. Ruben slowly finds himself accepting his position, teaching deaf children music and becoming a central figure within the community, with Ahmed never failing to show the periodic frustration Ruben feels at a new situation he is encountering for the first time as a deaf person or the longing he feels for Lou, who has gone abroad to try to keep their musical momentum going.
Caviar, 2019
Director Darius Marder has gone to painstaking lengths here to engulf audiences in the hearing-impaired experience and it shows, especially in the remarkable sound design. Sound fades in and out as we shift perspectives, voices become muffled and white noise dwindle to nothing as we enter the journey alongside Ruben, to the point where I was genuinely a little taken aback hearing sounds after being in that space for two hours. There are no big splashy scenes that go over the top with the sound design – or the acting for that matter – it is just consistently excellent across the board and the subtleness of it allows Marder to pull you into the experience better than if there were those big scenes that sometimes feel designed to attract award attention. Marder goes beyond the sound design to make the world feel as realistic and true-to-life as possible, showcasing ASL (American Sign Language) and other methods of communication prominently, something that will perhaps educate those unfamiliar with the deaf experience.
Sound of Metal is a gut-wrenching feature debut for Darius Marder. An unflinchingly real look into the journey of one man’s struggle to cope with total hearing loss is made all the better by a career-best performance from Riz Ahmed, channelling equal amounts of sadness, anger and desperation for his predicament. Aided by an equally enrapturing performance from Olivia Cooke and some truly breathtaking sound design, this is a film that relies on the strength of its characters and story to move you, rather than over-the-top performances or flashy effects, and it absolutely succeeds at drawing you into the world of those with hearing loss like no other film before it. It might not be the most accessible or easy film of the year to get into but once you are, you are all the way in, transfixed in absolute silence like the characters that inhabit the story until the very last frame.
Caviar, 2019
Sound of Metal stars Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke & Paul Raci – Streaming on Amazon Prime now.
There’s a line fairly early on in David Fincher’s latest film Mank that sums it up beautifully: “You cannot capture an entire man’s life in two hours, all you can do is leave the impression of one”. The screenwriter is referring to the creation of the often quoted “greatest film of all time”, Citizen Kane but Fincher has also taken the phrase to heart, painting an incredibly detailed, complex and enthralling look at 1930’s Hollywood and the internal politics which plagued the studio system at the time. Aided by an Oscar-worthy performance from Gary Oldman, genuine technical wizardry that will make you believe you are watching a film from the 1930’s and a killer score from frequent collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, this is a deep dive into one of classic Hollywood’s most notorious stories, told by someone with great affection for the material. That complexity becomes a hindrance for the film in spots, as the pacing of the film varies wildly and there are a few too many inside-baseball terms and references for the casual viewer, but those with even a passing interest in film history will likely love Mank.
The first thing that will grab you in Mank is the stylistic choice Fincher has made. This is a visually striking film, more so than any other modern film in recent memory, and one that wears its admiration and love for classic cinema well and truly on its sleeve. Outside of the obvious black and white presentation are the little things that Fincher and company have woven into the fabric of the film. The picture has a grainy quality to it (typical of classic cinema) with changeover cues (which signalled the changing of the physical film reel) and slight picture tears digitally added in to blend the film itself into the time period it is set in. The black and white also aids in conveying the multiple opinions expressed by the many different players in the film. The politics of Hollywood itself – combined with the larger political impact of the Depression and the war at the time – factor in prominently to the story being told and everyone’s opinion is slightly different on the spectrum between democrat and republican. The myriad of greys that constantly swamp the screen help reflect these varied responses to the world and the shadow or light Fincher chooses to bathe his characters in can often reflect their political views in relation to Mank’s personal views. The sound design also adds a lot here, with echoes to the dialogue indicative of the sound technology before digitisation as well as a typically incredible score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross which continues their winning streak of collaborations with Fincher, at once fitting right into the time period whilst sounding modern, with the slowly ticking, tension-inducing accompaniment to a climactic dinner confrontation a particular highlight.
Netflix, 2020
In typically subversive Fincher-fashion, the director presents the story non-linearly. The overarching, framing narrative follows an older, injured Herman J. Mankiewicz (Oldman), who has been exiled to a remote cabin in Victorville, California by director Orson Welles (Tom Burke); free from politics, alcohol and any other distraction in order to complete the screenplay for the film that will become Citizen Kane. While here, Mank forms a bond with his typist Rita (Lily Collins), a young, idealistic British woman whose husband is fighting in the war. The Mank we see here is defeated; a self-proclaimed “washed-up” screenwriter who, at 43, believes he has wasted the talents of his youth and hasn’t achieved the greatness he was destined for. Oldman sells the world-weary side of Mank well. There is a tiredness to the man and it is immediately plain to see that he has gone through a hell of a journey to get to where he is at this point. The relationship he forms with Rita is touching and therapeutic for the both of them, as she learns to trust in the troublesome old man, discovering a kinder side that she didn’t believe was there, while he relishes the chance to initially torment but soon after banter with the young, switched on woman, a worthy opponent for his mental jousting that allows him to churn out page after page of script. It’s well done and simple enough to follow but these scenes are simply not as interesting compared to the flashback scenes of Mank’s heyday. Apart from a late encounter with Welles himself – played to perfection by Tom Burke – these scenes don’t crackle with the intensity that one would come to expect from a Fincher film.
Thankfully those flashback scenes are where the film soars. Written by his late father Jack Fincher, this is clearly a passion project for his son and it shines through in these frenetic, energetic scenes within the Hollywood studio system. The dialogue absolutely sings with the quick and witty back and forth between writers and studio executives almost too fast to follow at times. Mank, ever the socialite, runs through Hollywood like it is his own personal playground, and Oldman is simply thrilling to watch, expertly delivering line after line of lightning fast, razor sharp dialogue as he dips in and out of sets and executive offices at will, doling out words of advice and witty puns wherever anyone will indulge him. This fearlessness and need for attention serve him well when the screenwriter encounters newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst (played by Charles Dance and immediately familiar to fans of Citizen Kane and Rita, for bearing a striking resemblance to the tragic protagonist of Mank’s masterpiece) and his mistress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried). Hearst takes an interest liking to Mank’s refreshing willingness to express his opinions no matter the setting and as the screenwriter descends into Hearst’s circles, visiting parties and generally benefitting from his association with the tycoon, he strikes up an intense, platonic relationship with Marion. Amanda Seyfried gives a career best performance here as the actress who struggles with being known more for her relationship with Hearst than her actual talent and the scenes where she expresses this self-doubt to Mank are witty and moving, as she comes to accept her (admittedly still very well-off) lot in life.
Netflix, 2020
Fincher surrounds Mank with a bevy of talent, with Arliss Howard a captivating villain as Louis B. Mayer, the famous head of MGM studios, harbouring a hatred for Mank’s unwillingness to conform to social conventions typical of the studio system. The pair have a brilliant back and forth, constantly taking shots as they encounter each other over the years, ultimately culminating in that aforementioned dinner confrontation that is surely the standout scene of the whole picture, a tightrope walk between tension and humour with a soul-crushing revelation to cap it all off. Tom Pelphrey is similarly excellent as Herman’s brother Joe Mankiewicz, constantly in his brother’s shadow and the less talented creative who has chosen a more business oriented life; he loves his brother but has grown weary of his antics. Rounding out the core cast is Mank’s wife Sarah, an extremely dutiful housewife who constantly supports her husband despite being viewed as a pushover by almost everyone around her for putting up with his constant drunken shenanigans. It’s something of a thankless role for Tuppence Middleton who doesn’t seem to play much of a role at first but who slowly becomes this incredibly sympathetic character as you develop this feeling of deep sorrow for her. She is an extremely selfless and loving person who has committed herself to this way of life and refuses to back down and Middleton owns the role, putting Mank in his place when necessary and stepping aside when she knows he is out of control; powerless to stop him from his attack on Hearst which ultimately costs him his position in Hollywood, prime for a come-back with Kane.
David Fincher’s 11th feature film is a labour of love. An ode to a classic time in Hollywood that he clearly cherishes; a family affair based on a script by his own father. It absolutely succeeds in glorifying the time period, providing a fast-paced, acerbically tongued world of powerful studio executives and prestige pictures. Oldman’s performance as the titular screenwriter is nothing short of amazing, crafting a complex, multi-faceted look at this complicated man who was loved and hated by many. While there is a distinction in quality between the present day and the far superior flashback storylines, with the pacing suffering because of it, the technical expertise and dedication to making the film look and sound as authentically 1930’s as possible never ceases to be spellbinding to look at. Unlike some of the other gems in Fincher’s filmography, Mank might not be as instantly re-watchable, but it is nevertheless a fascinating and rewarding film for lovers of cinema to sink their teeth into.
Netflix, 2020
Mank stars Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tuppence Middleton, Tom Pelphrey, Tom Burke & Charles Dance – Streaming on Netflix now.
