Author: Mark

Code 8

Post author By Mark
Post date April 16, 2020

Superhero movies are everywhere nowadays. Every year we seem to be inundated with big budget releases from Marvel and DC; well made action films of a generally high standard (Suicide Squad not withstanding) which make boatloads of cash for the studios, prompting dozens more to go into development with higher budgets and effects. Enter the rise of the low budget superhero film. We saw it last year with Brightburn; an interesting spin on a decades old origin story that didn’t quite hit like it should have and now we see it done with much more success in Jeff Chan’s Code 8. Set in a gritty world where powers are despised by society and those with them are hunted, the film is less standard superhero film than it is a sci-fi heist thriller with a lot of heart. Whilst it borrows some concepts from other films and the plot loses its place in spots, the endearing lead performances from cousins Robbie and Stephen Amell combined with solid action, terrific world building and a swift pace make this one enjoyable, easy watch that I would be happy to spend more time with.

Set in the futuristic Lincoln City, built by the same superpowered humans that are now under strict restrictions, we follow Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), a down on his luck handyman working odd jobs to make ends meet and to provide for his mother Mary (Kari Matchett). When his mother’s cancer worsens, Connor is forced to look into other means to earn money for her treatment, taking a job with Garrett (Stephen Amell) – a high level enforcer for drug kingpin Marcus Sutcliffe (Greg Bryk) – and his team. Connor learns to embrace his power here as an “Electric” – allowing him to manipulate and create electrical fields around himself – forming a bond with Garrett and putting his morality at risk as they engage in increasingly illegal jobs for larger and larger pay checks. When the screws begin to tighten around the crew however, Connor must reassess the life he has chosen and take control of his destiny in order to save his mother.

Sound like something you’ve seen before? Code 8‘s story is not exactly the most original, sticking pretty closely to the standard hero’s journey, with a few twists and turns thrown in to mixed results. What pulls you in as a viewer is the world building: think a cross between the gritty, grounded world of Chronicle and the heavily regulated, robot police force patrolled streets of District 9 or Chappie. There is clearly a lot of lore here that the film teases you with, providing few answers as to the origin of the powered humans or the drugs pulled from their spinal fluid that now fill the streets. Rather than rely on exposition heavy dialogue the film finds creative ways for the audience to experience the world, with a montage of construction workers using their powers to assemble a house of particular note. It might not sound like the best use of budget, especially when there isn’t much to begin with, but it is just one example of a subtle way to show the world and is just plain interesting to see from a street level view – this isn’t Thor swinging his hammer or Iron Man blasting bad guys, it’s a real-life portrayal of these powers in an everyday setting. Speaking of budget, the film does a lot with a little; making the powers less flashy but more deadly brings real life consequences to using them and as a result the characters tend to rely on more traditional weapons, using the powers for utility. Most of the budget goes to the robotic police force of “Guardians” and drones which carry them and they all look spectacular, as if they had been plucked from something with Marvel’s budget.

Beyond the flashy world building and powers is an engaging story that hits with some powerful emotional beats, centered on two key relationships between Connor and his mother and Garrett. The mother-son relationship is central to the overall story, acting as the incentive for all of Connor’s actions throughout the film and Robbie Amell and Kari Matchett do a great job selling this bond. Connor struggles with the weight of compromising his moral code to help her, and her insistence that he let her go and move on with his life and Amell captures this internal tug of war exceptionally well. We see real conflict in Connor as he learns to utilise the powers his mother has insisted he hides, knowing they are the only thing that can provide him with the means to save her in time. This conflict carries over to Connor’s relationship with Stephen Amell’s Garrett, a man with whom he is fundamentally, morally at odds with, but who allows him to embrace his abilities and ultimately use them for good, even if it means using them for nefarious purposes first. The older Amell has cultivated an image for himself as the boy scout superhero Oliver Queen on the popular DC series Arrow and is clearly relishing the chance to play a heel for a change. Whilst Garrett is more of an antihero than a fully fledged villain there is some darker material to work with here and Amell more than proves he has the chops, making the action look easy with his stunt-heavy background on television.

Outside of these two central relationships however, things are bit more rough around the edges, with side plots thrown in centered around a detective (Sung Kang) hot on the heels of Connor and Garrett and a woman (Kyla Kane) with the ability to heal people who has been indebted to Sutcliffe and forced to keep him alive. The police investigation story doesn’t really go anywhere and doesn’t get the screen time to do so, with an attempt to flesh out Sung Kang’s character coming too late in the piece to really do much to endear him to the viewer. Similarly Kyla Kane’s character isn’t really given anything to do outside occasionally healing Sutcliffe and hurling abuse at Connor, with Kane’s performance coming across as boring and wooden. Greg Bryk does what he can with the character of Sutcliffe, giving him something of an energy reminiscent of a Miami drug lord, but without any of the swagger or charisma needed to really pop on screen. Thankfully the action makes up for these poorer aspects, drawing the story away from these less developed areas with some tight, focused scenes of brutal violence, utilising the powers in some inventive ways outside of the usual close quarters hand-to-hand combat.

Code 8 is a surprisingly engaging and effective spin on the superhero genre told from a gritty, realistic world set somewhere in the future. While it might not be the most original or nuanced film ever made, it hits where it needs to; with inventive world building, intriguing powers, solid special effects and a pace that keeps you locked into the story. Outside of a few meandering side plots the film fires on all cylinders, hitting all the right emotional beats with great performances from Robbie and Stephen Amell. If you’re looking for a fun, interesting flick to keep your attention as you while away the time in isolation you couldn’t ask for much more than Code 8.

Code 8 stars Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Kari Matchett, Kyla Kane, Greg Bryk & Sung Kang – Streaming on Netflix now.

Tags Code 8, Colony Pictures, Jeff Chan, Netflix, Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Sung Kang

Movie Reviews

Onward

Post author By Mark
Post date April 10, 2020

I get excited for a new Pixar movie. Almost everyone I know does. There’s something special about the studio that has created some of the best animated all movies of all time, something magic. Magic is certainly the name of the game with the studio’s latest release Onward – the story of two elf brothers living in a society where reality lives in harmony with fantasy, embarking on a cross-country road trip to retrieve a spell which can revive their father – and for the most part it succeeds, even if the story gets lost in some tropes and drags in the middle. Whilst it may not sit at the top of the pedestal of the studio’s releases, Pixar and director Dan Scanlon manage to bring enough heart and emotion to the story to carry you through the gorgeously animated environments. Combined with the terrific voice-work led by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, clever pop-culture riffing jokes and that Pixar charm, Onward is a film more than worth your time; a solid addition to the Pixar canon, even if you won’t see yourself going back to it as often as some of their other classics.

Onward tells the story of Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), elf brothers who could not be more different in their personalities. Where Ian is shy and cautious in his approach to life, struggling to make friends and really stand out in his world, Barley is loud and bombastic, constantly getting into trouble as he crusades for the conservation of magical artefacts left over from ancient times, believing that magic could still be as prominent as it once was if people just believed again. On Ian’s 16th birthday, the boy’s mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) presents them with a gift from their father Wilden (Kyle Bornheimer), who died shortly before Ian was born: a magical staff from yesteryear. Powered by the Phoenix Gem Wilden has entrusted his sons, Ian discovers he has the ability to wield the staff, attempting to perform a spell of his father’s own design which will resurrect him for 24 hours to spend with his family. When Ian’s inexperience causes the spell to malfunction and the gem to shatter, the boy’s are left with a pair of sentient legs belonging to their father, and a quest to recover a long hidden Phoenix Gem in order to finish the spell and see their fully fleshed father.

A huge strength for Onward lies in the world building. Within the opening 10 minutes you have a complete understanding and appreciation for this extremely original concept: the melding of reality with fantasy. Trolls and Elves live in Mushroom houses on suburban streets, driving cars and playing video games just like the rest of us. Raccoons raiding garbage cans are replaced with rabid Unicorns and children attend school in a castle, learning everyday subjects like Maths and Sociology. It’s a clever device that adds a ton of charm to an otherwise fairly clichéd road trip buddy movie. You’ve seen the story enough to know that the boys will encounter troubles along the way and their relationship will be tested but you don’t care because everything around that story visually is just so delightful and jaw-dropping to look at. This extends to the jokes too, which for the most part, play off the unexpected, such as dangerous bikers in the form of 3 inch tall Pixies. One joke that doesn’t pay off so much however, is the character of Wilden, the boys father, or rather his legs, as he is seen as throughout the film. There’s something inherently stupid about seeing a pair of disembodied legs flailing around the place that elicits a giggle, but it gets old quickly for the older members of the audience, who admittedly, the film isn’t for, but Pixar adds enough jokes in for the adults to keep a smile on everyone’s faces.

The story is a different, more complicated beast. The central relationship between Ian and Barley is amazing, a true highlight that will leave you weeping openly in your seat in true Pixar fashion. Based on Dan Scanlon’s own family dynamic, there is a real focus on brotherly love and the lengths we go to as a family to stick together and that relationship works here in large part thanks to the casting of Pratt and Holland. The two Marvel superheroes have tremendous chemistry, really selling the brotherly bond and love between them, as well as the insecurities that go along with growing up without a father figure. As Ian struggles to find his path he looks up to his big brother, who is also struggling to move ahead without his father to guide him. Both actors deliver top notch performances, giving the story a lot of emotional weight and proving that their on-screen chops can easily translate to the animated space. This extends to the supporting cast too with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer turning in solid work as the boy’s mother and a fearsome restaurant owning Manticore respectively. While they are good in the film, the storyline they are given isn’t as high quality. Acting as a kind-of dull side quest to the boy’s mission, Laurel and the Manticore attempt to track the brothers to stop them from unleashing an ancient curse. There’s some good banter between the two and an attempt at fleshing out the mother’s devotion to her children but the storyline really just detracts more than it entertains, cutting away from the boys and causing the whole film to lose momentum as a result.

Onward isn’t a particularly original film for Pixar. It follows the studio’s tried and tested formula of encasing a familial bond within an engaging story and world and letting the lessons and emotion come organically. We’ve seen it done before with Woody and Buzz in Toy Story and Mike and Sully in Monsters Inc. and for good reason: it works. Whilst Onward doesn’t reach the levels of those films, what makes it stand on its own is the packaging of a realistic world merged with the fantastical. It is the film’s greatest strength outside of Pratt and Holland, disguising the shortcomings of the narrative with sheer charm and jaw-dropping visuals. When the time comes to hit the audience with emotional punches, Onward lands them, bringing the journey to a satisfying close and making you happy you stuck through the sometimes unevenly paced story. It’s a ride well worth taking and whilst the plot may fade from your memory, the emotions you felt and the Pixar magic never will.

Onward stars Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Octavia Spencer – Available to purchase digitally worldwide and streaming on Disney + in America now and in Australia on April 24.

Tags Chris Pratt, Disney, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Onward, Pixar, Tom Holland

Game Reviews

DOOM: Eternal

Post author By Mark
Post date April 2, 2020

I have a love-hate relationship with Doom: Eternal, although it definitely leans more towards the love side. It’s a technically phenomenal first person shooter that makes you feel like a badass more than almost any game I can think of, ratcheting up the action and pressure from its predecessor, but lord did it make me almost hurl my controller through the screen. If there was one universal complaint about the 2016 Doom it was that it felt like something of an incomplete package, with a fairly short story and a multiplayer mode that seemed like an afterthought. Eternal goes in the complete opposite direction, stuffed full of almost too much content; with a 16 hour campaign filled to the brim with bloody battles and secrets to uncover, multiple difficulty levels to encourage repeat playthroughs and a far more fun, interesting multiplayer mode that shows that developer Bethesda has gone above and beyond fan’s expectations to deliver the game they wanted. Apart from a few repetitive levels and game mechanics and some lacklustre boss fights, Doom:Eternal is an absolute must-buy and one of the best first person shooters of this console generation.

Let’s get one thing out of the way first. You don’t come to a Doom game for a deep, emotional story. You come to murder demons in increasingly violent ways, splitting skulls and spilling innards as you progress deeper and deeper into the bowels of Hell coming up against bigger and more badass demons. Alas, the game must have a story to propel you forward and true to form for the franchise it’s kind of a mess, but that just adds to the fun. Doom: Eternal‘s story is epic, picking up 2 years after the events of the 2016 game, where the Earth has been all but conquered by the demon forces that were brought forth from Hell through the gate on Mars. As the hulking Doom Slayer, you are tasked with saving the Earth and sending these demon forces packing before they can complete their mission and completely decimate the planet. Seems pretty straightforward right? Believe me when I say that you haven’t seen anything. Any coherent plot line that might have been gets gutted just as quickly as one of the games many demons as your quest takes you across multiple locations including Earth, Hell and inter-dimensional demon planets. At these locations you will be tasked with collecting a myriad of endlessly powerful items that the game does its best to explain, but which ultimately ends up confusing the player more than it should. A lot of these levels seem like filler, as ultimately the conclusion of your mission does nothing to impact the overall threat facing you and causes the game to drag in a few stretches, relying too heavily on its excellent combat to drag you through the tedium. Ultimately the story is simply a means to an end for you to kill as many demons as you possibly can and in that regards it gives you almost too much content, with the story clocking in at around a meaty 16 hours.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the gameplay here. Doom: Eternal is just so damn fun to play and despite a few levels that just piled on what seemed like endless enemies, I happily sunk hours into the increasingly frantic and overwhelming demon slaying combat. Part of this is the movement of the Doom Slayer. He handles wonderfully, moving with a speed which seems completely unnatural for a man his size but which makes the combat far more enjoyable. The 2016 games physics were such that the double jump felt like such a breath of fresh air for the decades old franchise, with the lower gravity on Mars giving you a brief period of time to float above your enemies before delivering a crushing blow or blast from a shotgun. Eternal increases the flexibility of this movement with the introduction of a double dash – a move that can be chained in the air to give you previously impossible reach and manoeuvrability options – allowing you to zip behind enemies and pick them off before they even know you’re there. Of course that would be far too simple and the logical answer to this is to increase both the movement speed of enemies and their sheer numbers. The waves of enemies thrown at you are seemingly endless, quickly filling a room and forcing you to think strategically about where you jump and dash to in order to pick off the smaller villains first before focusing on the big baddies.

The enemy variety has also seen a big increase over its predecessor with upwards of 20 different types of demons to hunt you. These range from mere cannon fodder to mid tier terrors slightly harder to take down – like the fan-favourite Cacodemon or the jetpack-wearing Reaper – to hulking slabs of evil that start off as mini-bosses but who appear increasingly frequently to add another dimension of strategy (and pressure) to your late-game encounters – like the half-tank, half-demon Hunter. The highlight of these new enemies, however, is undoubtedly the Marauder: an axe-wielding, flame hound summoning behemoth, capable of destroying you at close range with his shotgun and from afar with his ranged axe attack. He is undoubtedly the most difficult enemy you will encounter apart from the main bosses and demands a combination of patience and fast reflexes in order to take him down; something you will find yourself in short supply of when you’re also surrounded by about 30 other enemies.

Fortunately you’re well equipped to quell the rising forces of Hell, with the classic Doom assortment of weapons returning in all their explosive glory. These range from your classic combat shotgun to the machine-gun-like “heavy cannon” to the trusty rocket launcher, all of which are fully upgradeable with extra features that change the way you use each weapon. Equip the combat shotgun with the sticky grenade mod and it becomes a low-cost grenade launcher that, if used correctly, can be one of your greatest allies. The Doom staple “super shotgun” also makes a powerful return with the inclusion of a meat-hook like attachment which allows you to fire it into enemies and hurl yourself towards them, adding another dimension to the movement based gameplay. While that sounds fun in theory, I found that the lock on for the grapple was somewhat unreliable and had a rather limited range, relegating the gun to more of a close quarters powerhouse. All told there’s 8 main guns and while it’s unfortunate that there’s no major new inclusion to the arsenal, what you do get is more than enough to offer a variety of ways to take down your enemies.

On top of this is the ever-present Chainsaw, which allows for close-quarters bloody kills (provided you have enough fuel), which spew ammo from the enemy. The Glory Kill feature from the 2016 game also makes a triumphant return, allowing for an instant kill to be performed on an enemy that has sustained significant damage and which causes health pickups to burst forth. The newest attachment to the Doom Slayer’s suit is the wonderfully named “Flame Belch”, a shoulder-mounted flamethrower which torches enemies and causes them to drop armour pickups. This creates another sub-layer of strategy in Doom: Eternal: resource management. On the normal to higher difficulties you will constantly find yourself struggling for ammo, health and armour and the careful, well-timed use of these support weapons on the litany of minor enemies which constantly respawn will often mean the different between life and death, adding an extra level of panic to a game almost overflowing with it.

In addition to the extensive single-player campaign, Bethesda has also spent considerable resources on revamping the disappointing multiplayer from the 2016 Doom, reassessing the format from the ground up. Gone are the standard death matches and map creator modes, replaced by a more modern, on-trend asymmetrical death match; pitting two player-controlled demons and their horde of minor demons against one slayer complete with their entire arsenal. It works surprisingly well, with each demon’s play style feeling fresh and adding a new dynamic to the proceedings. Whilst you may think the slayer has the advantage in his far more varied arsenal, that is not the case and both sides are fairly balanced and come with their own set of challenges. Choose the demon and you have a clear advantage in numbers, but without careful collaboration with your partner, the slayer will pick you off one by one, using the smaller demons as fuel to rain down fire on you. Pick the slayer and you need to use your movement incredibly well, traversing the maps quickly in order to cut the demons off from their partner and strike while they are weaker. Whilst it’s still not something I can see myself sinking hundreds of hours into, it is a marked improvement over the previous game’s multiplayer and something that should find something of a cult following amongst the game’s biggest fans.

Doom: Eternal builds on everything that made the 2016 refresh of the franchise great. The action is more hectic and fast paced than it has ever been, the weapons feel just as great with new mechanics and resource management changing how you use them, and the enemies you encounter constantly challenge you and force you to adapt your play styles and try new things in order to succeed. While the story doesn’t make a lick of sense and drags in some places, the sheer joy of the core gameplay loop delivers just enough adrenaline and satisfaction to keep you coming back for more. The multiplayer may not be for everyone but is nonetheless a welcome addition to the game that extends its playability until the inevitable sequel. Doom: Eternal is an absolute must-play game and one that you should experience as soon as possible. There just isn’t anything out there at the moment like the sheer intensity of being on low health with no ammo and gutting a towering 8 foot demon with a chainsaw to give you just enough health for you to take down his friend behind him. When his friend cracks you open like a melon however, just make sure you have insurance on your TV.

Doom: Eternal is available now on Playstation 4, Xbox One & PC.

Tags Bethesda, DOOM, DOOM: Eternal, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox

Movie Reviews

The Platform

Post author By Mark
Post date March 27, 2020

Recent years have seen the rise of the mid-budget sci-fi film; human level stories that forego lightsabers and outrageously expensive special effects and utilise their sci-fi aspects to enhance rather than detract from the relatable narratives at their centre. Films like Arrival, Ex-Machina, and Annihilation that leave you thinking about your own experiences and society long after you leave the theatre. Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s debut film The Platform (or El hoyo as it is known in his native Spanish) falls into this category; presenting a powerful social commentary about classism and the perpetual struggle between the rich and the poor told against the backdrop of a vertical prison where food is delivered from top floor to bottom, forcing its inhabitants to adapt to survive. While it does take a while to get going and is far too heavy-handed with its message, a stellar performance from Ivan Massagué and terrific production design keep it chugging along until its bloody conclusion.

We follow Goreng (Massagué), the latest arrival in “The Hole”, a futuristic vertical prison reaching down hundreds of levels into the earth where prisoners change levels at random every month. Waking up on floor 48 of the prison he meets his new floor-mate Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor), a disgruntled old man months into his sentence and with little patience for Goreng and his endless questions about his surroundings. These questions are interrupted by the arrival of the platform, a levitating concrete slab filled to the brim with all sorts of fine food and drink, which fills the hole in the centre of each floor once a day to provide the inmates with sustenance. Attempt to keep anything to stave off the hunger later and the temperature on the floor rises to boiling point or drops to freezing. After befriending fellow inmate Imoguiri (Antonia San Juan), Goreng finds himself drawn into her crusade to create equality within the Hole and ensure each prisoner receives their ration of food, riding the platform deeper and deeper and encountering savagery beyond his wildest nightmares.

The premise of The Platform is an extremely clever one, offering some intriguing possibilities for action scenes and story beats. Sadly, the film never really embraces this premise fully, thinking it is much deeper than it is, content to beat the audience over the head with its extremely obvious metaphor for classism. The long monologues from Trimagasi grow more and more tiresome as he rehashes this metaphor, and I found myself checking my watch mid-way through waiting for some action. There’s also a recurring narrative of Goreng being some kind of Christ-like figure with multiple people believing he will bring equality to the Hole. This makes sense to us as a viewer because we’re aware Goreng is our protagonist but in the world of the filmhow do these people know anything about him, let alone enough to speculate he is their saviour? Fortunately, once the action kicks in it kicks in hard, moving at a break-neck pace while necks are broken. The Platform is an extremely violent and gory film, just like the struggle of classism, and nothing is held back as inmates become more desperate and violent, where cannibalism and cracking skulls are commonplace.

Mirroring the film’s pace is the character of Goreng; arriving in the Hole a quiet, measured man who believes he can use the opportunity to better himself and catch up on some reading. His character is tested on all fronts – physically, psychologically and morally – and Massagué gives an incredibly nuanced and emotionally charged performance as we literally watch this man break apart in front of our eyes and have his world views shattered. This is where the real representation of classism lies as we see the struggle of Goreng cycling through both the rich and poor mindsets; hoping for more as he struggles to survive in the lower levels only to have that hope ripped away when his time higher up ends. Whilst relatively unknown to audiences outside of Spain, Massagué’s excellent performance should put him on the map on an international scale as he delivers one of the best performances so far this year. Accompanying him in the Hole is Zorion Eguileor as Trimagasi, who gives a wonderful, layered performance as a frail yet violent man who opens Goreng’s mind to the harsh reality of the prison and social inequality in general. His extremely negative outlook on life casts a shadow of doubt over Goreng and Eguileor’s menacing presence is felt throughout the entire film even when he is not on-screen.

Whilst it isn’t the next sci-fi masterpiece many were expecting, The Platform is a promising start for director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, who comes to the party with an extremely clever idea but falls just short of making it all come together. The over-explanation of the metaphor of the prison and the lack of connective tissue between plot points sadly robs the film of much of its life and causes it to drag in the middle. Whilst the action that follows keeps you going to the bloody conclusion, it isn’t particularly well shot or choreographed and relies on gore and violence to extend the metaphor about the violence of classism rather than entertain the viewer. What holds it all together is some wonderful performances across the board, particularly Ivan Massagué who excels as Goreng. If you’re looking for a violent, dystopian sci-fi film that will also make you think a little, then give The Platform a go; just don’t expect anything as deep as the prison itself.

The Platform stars Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale & Alexandra Masangkay – streaming on Netflix now.

Tags Antonia San Juan, Ivan Massagué, Netflix, The Platform, Zorion Eguileor

Movie Reviews

The Invisible Man

Post author By Mark
Post date March 5, 2020

Cancel your plans, buy your tickets and get to the cinema because the first great horror film of 2020 has arrived with Leigh Whannell’s remake of the classic Universal monster movie The Invisible Man. Updated for a modern audience, the film addresses the issues of suffocating relationships and obsession, told through a game of cat and mouse between a woman fleeing her abusive boyfriend who is hellbent on controlling her and who just happens to have discovered the secret to invisibility. Anchored by a masterful performance from Elisabeth Moss, this decades-old tale is given new life with timely social commentary, excellent sound design and tension that will shred the nerves of even the most hardened horror veterans.

Moss stars as Cecilia, a normal young woman in a particularly undesirable situation: beaten down and desperate to escape the controlling grasp of her possessive, tech-millionaire boyfriend Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After making a daring, late night escape from Adrian’s house/prison complex, Cecilia lives in fear that her tormenter will make a return. Refusing to leave the house of childhood friend James (Aldis Hodge), Cecilia hides away until she learns of her former flame’s sudden suicide. In an unusual turn of events, Cecilia discovers that Adrian has left her his fortune, provided she maintains a period of good mental health. From here the games begin as Cecilia begins to notice increasingly bizarre occurrences around the house, as stoves catch alight and objects move seemingly on their own. This all leads her down a dark and dangerous path as she loses her grip on what is real and risks her connections to the people closest to her in an effort to prove that Adrian is really behind all of this and that he has cracked the secret to true invisibility.

Let’s get right to it: The Invisible Man is a great horror movie. Leigh Whannell’s ability to control the pacing and timing of scares is incredible and he is one of the best working in the business today. Having worked with James Wan on the Saw and Insidious franchises before, it is clear that Whannell knows his way around a jump scare, in fact he may be one of the best in horror right now at making a proficient and impactful jump scare, with emphasis on the impactful. These scares hit hard, never relying on the clichéd jump scare trend of fake outs before the real scare or the cutting of the music from the scene as the spook hits. In addition to being written into the world of the film in a way that makes complete sense and fits with the atmosphere and themes, they’re also shot beautifully by cinematographer Stefan Duscio, with long unbroken pans between rooms and corridors allowing you to get a grasp of the environment while also building tension. Adding to the atmosphere of dread and obsession is the decision to shoot most scenes with space intentionally left empty on the side or corner of the screen to insinuate the presence of the invisible Adrian. It’s a small thing but it really goes that extra mile to ingratiate you in the story and have you understand the fear Cecilia feels at all times.

That brings us to the other key strength of The Invisible Man; it’s a smart horror film. Not only do you get an excellent, fully realized protagonist in Cecilia who the audience can fully empathize with, but you also get a healthy dose of social commentary that never feels preachy or detracts from the fun of watching a horror film in a packed theatre. These are some heavy themes we’re dealing with, including obsession and learning to live with PTSD and other forms of depression and mental illness and it couldn’t be more relevant in today’s society. Cecilia is not only running from the “physical” invisible man but also the emotional trauma that she has endured as a result of his abuse. The lack of belief she experiences from those around her is a sad reflection of people in these circumstances in real life and Whannell addresses this in a way that is never heavy handed but which will keep you thinking long after you leave the theatre.

None of these scares or social commentary mean anything though, if you don’t have a compelling, likeable lead to carry the film and fortunately Whannell has found his muse in Elisabeth Moss, one of the best character actresses working today. She owns the role of Cecilia, bringing a pathos to the character that really makes the audience feel and understand the isolation she experiences as the world around her refuses to believe her. That’s not to say she plays a one-note character, as Moss imbues the character with a strength that rivals some of the greatest final girls in horror history, refusing to stray from her belief that Adrian is indeed stalking her. By the time the credits roll you completely understand and support her character, and if early box office indications are anything to go by, she is a character that audiences would absolutely want to follow in a sequel. Outside of Cecilia, Oliver Jackson-Cohen excels as the villainous Adrian, casting an imposing presence early on and bringing a gravitas and sense of creepiness that lasts the entire film, even when he can’t be seen. Aldis Hodge and Euphoria‘s Storm Reid round out the cast as Cecilia’s childhood friend and his daughter who bring a fun and comforting family energy to the proceedings. They deliver good work but ultimately don’t have too much to do and their involvement in the story lessens towards the end as we shift all focus to Cecilia.

The Invisible Man is an excellent spin on a classic monster movie. A modern update that not only brings the property into current times but which also elevates the source material into a discussion on important topics like depression, obsession and PTSD. That it does this while remaining an incredibly scary film is a testament to the talents of director Leigh Whannell – who follows up 2018’s Upgrade with another absolute winner – and Elisabeth Moss, who delivers one of her finest and most nuanced performance of her career. Not since 2018’s Hereditary has a horror film fired on all cylinders like this, and while you may not be able to see the titular character, you shouldn’t miss your chance to see this on the big screen.

The Invisible Man stars Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge & Storm Reid – in cinemas now.

Tags Aldis Hodge, Elisabeth Moss, Leigh Whannell, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Storm Reid, The Invisible Man

Movie Reviews

Sonic the Hedgehog

Post author By Mark
Post date February 20, 2020

Hollywood has a long history of building films from video games, and it’s certainly not a stellar one. Taking characters and stories with huge existing fanbases should equal an easy win when it comes to throwing them on the big screen, but it’s rarely ever a successful mix. More often than not, the end result is a film that doesn’t do enough justice to the source material for fans, while also being too niche for wider audiences to get into. The latest to try his hand at breaking the mould this week is Sonic the Hedgehog, the infamous blue blur that has been synonymous with gaming for almost 30 years. Looking to bank on the somewhat surprise success of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu last year, Sonic aims to hit that nostalgic goldmine with a new origin story, big personalities and some flashy CGI. When all is said and done, Sonic the Hedgehog doesn’t quite run rings around the competition, though there is just enough there for him to get you walking, if maybe not running, to the cinemas.

The live-action adaptation is set largely in Green Hills, a fictional small town in rural California. Living secretly in the woods of the town is the titular blue hedgehog, having been stranded for years following a speedy (and somewhat bizarre) opening scene. Sonic (Ben Schwartz) claims to be ‘living his best life’ as he zips around town unseen, however it’s quickly clear that his many years in hiding have taken a toll. To combat his loneliness, he keeps close tabs on the town’s sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) who – unknown to them – are his closest friends on Earth. Before too long, Sonic accidentally attracts the attention of the power-crazed scientist Dr Robotnik (Jim Carrey), spurring an unlikely road trip as Sonic and the sheriff try to outrun the mad doctor. The story is even more cliché than it sounds, with the heroes running through bar fights, car chases and a whole lot of bro talk along the way. It’s a very safe and predictable plot, which makes sense overall as you quickly realise that the film has a pretty specific target audience. Where Detective Pikachu managed to walk the line between pleasing both long-time fans and younger moviegoers, Sonic instead chooses to lean heavily into (not so) current pop-culture trends and jokes with just hints of nostalgia scattered throughout. Sonic is fundamentally the same character that we all remember, it’s just that now he pokes fun at Vin Diesel and spends a little too much time doing the floss.

Spicing up the hedgehog’s attitude and style isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it certainly helps given that he’s the centre of attention for just about the entire length of the adventure. Sonic blitzes through jokes and dialogue like a kid on a sugar rush, with his loud and scattered delivery the polar opposite of Ryan Reynold’s more restrained and subtle performance as Pikachu last year. It all fits with the general Sonic vibe however, and his big personality blends with the zany action and plot spilling out around him. James Marsden’s character does fine with what he’s given as Sonic’s partner, however it’s a role built solely to prop up and guide Sonic to his next punchline or destination. The same can be said for many of the remaining supporting cast, who again offer up good performances despite the titular hero continuing to steal the spotlight. The only character that truly manages to challenge the star is Jim Carrey’s Dr Robotnik, who quite frankly lifts the film far higher than it otherwise would have been. Robotnik has been Sonic’s arch nemesis for decades, and Carrey seems to revel in the role following a recent break from notable big-screen appearances. He brings his trademark manic style to the mad doctor, always teetering on the edge of insanity when on the hunt for Sonic, interacting with loyal right hand man Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub) or just turning in a bizarre two-minute dance sequence to the song “Where Evil Grows”. Robotnik is an old-fashioned, moustache-twirling villain that shouldn’t be nearly as interesting as the character Carrey manages to create, and his hits of madness are spread well throughout the film.

Also cropping up alongside the Doctor’s appearances are some of the film’s many action and CGI-heavy moments – each generally more explosive than the last. Everything from Sonic’s fur and quills through to Robotnik’s drones and gadgets have all been put seamlessly into the real world, allowing for some great and inventive scenes to come through. A solid example comes when we’re given Sonic’s point of view as he hits superspeed, watching as he moves through and plays with a world moving around him in slow motion. This is all in addition to the very successful ground-up redesign of the star hedgehog himself, following the now infamous initial preview of the film that tried to sell a human/hedgehog hybrid nightmare just last year. While the changes to Sonic ended up delaying the film quite a bit, they were definitely worth the wait given the result. In fact, the effects work is almost held back by its ties to real-world backgrounds, which add very little to the adventure as a whole. We’re given brief flashes at Sonic’s familiar, video game home which hopefully will be expanded on in the more-than-likely sequel down the line.

Sonic the Hedgehog is the latest challenger to attempt making the move from games to the big screen, and he manages to give it a solid swing. Sonic’s design and abilities have been handled with an amazing amount of care and detail, giving you enough to appreciate when his banter starts to dip. Pairing his large personality with Carrey’s diabolical villain really saves the film from growing stale, and Carrey gives his performance just the right amount of edge to be dark without turning off the younger audience. It’s this audience that will get the most from the movie, though long-time fans will appreciate the hero’s design and fleeting nostalgic nods scattered throughout the lackluster, paint-by-numbers story. It may not be the event that finally brings film and games together, but Sonic the Hedgehog is a good bit of fun with some decent action, setting quite a pace for those to come in the future.

Sonic the Hedgehog stars Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Lee Majdoub, Natasha Rothwell & Adam Pally – In cinemas now.

Tags Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Sonic the Hedgehog

Movie Reviews

Birds of Prey

Post author By Mark
Post date February 16, 2020

I was not looking forward to Birds of Prey, or to use the obnoxiously-long full title Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The last film to feature Margot Robbie’s ridiculously over-the-top psychologist turned maniac, 2016’s Suicide Squad, was a major disappointment: a misleading bore of a superhero-team up sold on its use of colour (it had none), pop-culture references (excessive) and endless blasting of pop songs (constant and mind-numbingly loud). Harley Quinn was a standout for most people – although I must admit I find the character extremely annoying and boring – and Warner Bros saw fit to give her another shot. This time around however, the film was being sold as a superhero team-up full of colour, pop-culture references and modern radio friendly tunes…. and that’s exactly what you get: a boring, meandering film of slightly better quality than Suicide Squad but with almost all of the same problems.

The central plot is simple enough. The Joker has had enough of Harley Quinn (he’s not the only one) and has severed his ties with her, leaving the poor psychopath on her own as a bevy of villains look to exact their revenge for the various evildoings she carried out while under the clown prince of crime’s protection. This leads Harley on a journey of self-discovery and preservation as she evades the people she has wronged, particularly the wealthy and well connected crime lord Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), familiar to fans of the Batman franchise as the villain Black Mask. To save her own skin, Harley must retrieve an extremely valuable diamond for Sionis – which just so happens to have been pickpocketed by local Gotham teenager Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) who is oblivious to the significance of her latest steal. As Harley befriends Cain and navigates the dangerous streets of Gotham City, she crosses paths with a number of quirky characters who all have their own motives for going after Cain and their own grievances with Sionis. These include the hard hitting detective-turned-vigilante Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Cain’s neighbour and Sionis’ reluctant associate Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and the recently arrived to Gotham, crossbow-wielding assassin Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

If this sounds like more of a Harley Quinn film than a team-up to you then you’re absolutely right. The supporting cast is woefully underutilised with the exception of McGregor as Sionis, who dials the campiness up to 11 to play the flamboyant, tantrum-prone germaphobe mob boss. His scenes are easily the most hilarious and enjoyable and his odd, are they/aren’t they relationship with his right-hand man Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina) is one of the strangest, and honestly one of the only fully realised relationships of the film. Yet this film belongs to Harley Quinn and if you’re a fan of the character then Robbie’s interpretation is about as close to perfect as you can get, right down to the voice. While her arc in the film is fairly standard and doesn’t really go anywhere unexpected, there’s no doubting the commitment and passion that Robbie has for the role, clearly relishing playing the character as she imbues Quinn with endless energy and sass. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is fine enough in her role as Huntress but she just isn’t given anything to do; with an attempt to establish her backstory and motives coming so late in the game and so fleetingly that it’s hard to really care all that much. The standout besides Robbie here is Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance – who fans of the show Arrow will be familiar with. She brings a nice balance of street-smarts and toughness with genuine kindness and a desire to be good that results in a character the audience can latch onto; she owes Sionis for dragging her off the streets but at the same time doesn’t condone the terrible things that he does and we want her to get out of this situation.

From a technical and story point of view, Birds of Prey is a letdown. Decisions have been made to make the film more quick-paced and manic, perhaps to make us see things like Harley Quinn, but these hinder the film more than they make for an enjoyable viewing experience. Large chunks of the film are narrated by Quinn herself as though she is relaying the story in real time to the audience, complete with time jumps backwards and forwards as Harley recovers from a hangover and recollects events. The result is an uneven pacing and a confusing plot that can go from two characters discussing something to an intense, in-your-face action sequence in a matter of minutes with no build-up or storytelling as to why the fight is happening. These action sequences vary in quality from an absolutely spellbinding sequence in a police station to an incredibly mundane final battle as far as super-hero movies go. The action is at its best when director Cathy Yan chooses to be play with the environment more and shoot the scenes in a more stylised fashion with slow motion shots and fast, quick cuts. In contrast to Suicide Squad, this film is colourful – filled with flashes of vibrant greens, blues and reds that really help to establish a visual style even if they don’t always make sense (why would a chemical plant explode in multicoloured fireworks?). Yan has clearly tried to lend her own personal flavour and style to the film and she should be commended. As for the music choices, the less said about that the better, as clearly nobody has learned from the mistakes of Suicide Squad in this regard.

Birds of Prey wasn’t a movie that was begging to be made. Warner Bros took what worked from Suicide Squad and figured they could build a film, potentially a franchise, on the strength of Harley Quinn alone. It’s an interesting experiment, if ultimately a failure. There’s no denying that Margot Robbie plays the character to perfection but the film around her just isn’t interesting enough to warrant much of a response from the audience. While there are flashes of style and some solid action scenes – Cathy Yan has clearly tried to do something different here – it ultimately doesn’t come together as a whole and I wouldn’t be surprised if I forget the film entirely after a few days. Harley Quinn certainly isn’t going anywhere however and it’ll be interesting to see how someone like James Gunn, famous for directing the Guardians of the Galaxy films, handles the character in his upcoming Suicide Squad sequel.

Birds of Prey stars Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ella Jay Basco & Chris Messina – in cinemas now.

Tags Birds of Prey, Cathy Yan, Chris Messina, DC, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez

Movie Reviews

The Lighthouse

Post author By Mark
Post date February 12, 2020

Robert Eggers’ The Witch was a distinctively different spin on the horror genre, focused on building a steadily increasing atmosphere of creepiness and dread in a time when most horror films rely on jump scares and hideous creatures. If that seemed like a throwback to classic horror films then his follow-up The Lighthouse can be seen as a throwback to classic cinema in general – shot in black and white featuring an old school square aspect ratio – but with a distinctively modern twist. This is one crazy film that is familiar yet completely unlike anything you’ve seen before, borrowing elements from the horror and thriller genres to create something wholly original.

Set in the 19th century, The Lighthouse centres around two lighthouse keepers: young inexperienced Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and weathered sea dog Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) as they embark on a 4 week job to keep a lighthouse running on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. Seems like a simple enough job? Not the way Thomas runs his ship, beating down on poor Ephraim with criticism every chance he gets whilst conducting himself as a slob; drinking himself into a stupor and farting constantly. Yes you read that right: farting. All the abuse and flatulence take their toll on Ephraim and he soon finds himself in a battle for survival with Thomas, each of them losing their grip on reality and becoming increasingly violent as secrets are revealed and they both fight for the right to tend to the mysterious “light” at the top of the lighthouse.

Like his first film, Eggers’ focus here is very much on building a distinct atmosphere. The island the pair inhabit is continuously under siege by the weather. Storms rage and are a constant presence in the film – almost a character in itself – as the sound of rain hitting the roof and thunder cracking builds as the characters become increasingly wary and irate with one another. Adding to the tension is the phenomenal score by Eggers’ frequent collaborator Mark Korven which fluctuates between soft, creeping dread and sudden, loud bursts of harsh strings and horns which catch you off guard like the bizarre and violent actions on screen. Reminiscent of the score for The Shining in parts, it goes a long way towards adding a horror dimension to the film, mirroring the character’s steady build toward madness. The choice to shoot the film in black and white, which some may dismiss as pretentious, actually works incredibly well to hone the focus on these two individuals and the bleakness of their situation and location. It also just looks fantastic, with shadows bouncing off the walls giving the scenes an almost gothic feel.

You can have all the atmosphere in the world but if you don’t have the right actors in your film then it’s all for nothing. Luckily, Eggers enlists two of the finest of their respective generations to tackle this decidedly weird script, in Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Pattinson continues his streak of darling indie films following the juggernaut that was the Twilight franchise and this might be the strangest and most difficult role he has played to date – including a particularly handsy scene that will forever separate him from the clean cut vampire hero that shot him to fame. Whilst his accent could use a bit of work, Pattinson is outstanding and a worthy adversary to Dafoe, making the giant shift in mentality from mild mannered to frustrated to completely unhinged look believable (within the confines of this crazy environment). Speaking of Dafoe, his performance as the grizzled sea captain is awards worthy, pivoting constantly between friend and foe to Pattinson, from calculating and vindictive to wild and completely insane. It’s a fine balance between believably crazy and completely over the top and Dafoe walks it with ease, delivering one of the most iconic characters of his esteemed career.

The Lighthouse is a film you’re not going to forget in a hurry. Whilst it may attract viewers with its distinctive dialogue and visual style, behind this is a completely crazy, original story filled with equal parts disturbing and beautiful imagery and two powerhouse performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Eggers further establishes himself as a director to watch; able to create an atmosphere that moves between genres and sweeps over and envelopes the audience – like the light atop the tower not letting go until you reach its wild, brutal conclusion.

The Lighthouse stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe – in select cinemas now.

Tags A24, Robert Eggers, Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe

Movie Reviews

Uncut Gems

Post author By Mark
Post date February 7, 2020

It’s not often that Adam Sandler finds himself in a dramatic role, but when he does he goes all in. The Safdie Brothers’ latest high-octane, anxiety attack of a film Uncut Gems features the Sandman at perhaps the best he’s ever been – in his element as a disgruntled, obnoxious jeweller up to his neck in gambling debts and loan sharks surviving through sheer luck and quick wits. Excellently written to wring every last drop of tension out of the audience and with a stellar supporting cast, Uncut Gems stands as one of the most original films of the last decade, and although the pacing can dip slightly around the middle, the Safdie Brothers have created a gritty, confronting sophomore feature that rivals if not surpasses their breakthrough Good Time.

We enter this ride in the thick of it as expert jeweller Howard Ratner (Sandler) returns to his shop to find trouble in the form of two dangerous enforcers looking to collect on a debt owed to Arno (Eric Bogosian), Howard’s brother-in-law. The problem is Howard “doesn’t have the money right now” – a line that becomes something of a catchphrase for Sandler’s character throughout the film – and Arno’s goons promise to cause more chaos if they aren’t paid what is owed. Enter the titular gem; a magnificent multifaceted, multicoloured beauty which Howard has imported from Africa to sell at an auction for a cool million – money problems solved. That is until basketball star Kevin Garnett (as himself) of the Boston Celtics steps into the store and lays eyes on it, obsessing over the stone and begging to borrow it before the auction so that he can use its “luck” to help him win the game and the championship. Howard reluctantly agrees, releasing the stone and risking his future, and what follows is a series of increasingly horrifying and nerve shredding events as Howard does whatever he can to keep afloat with all his problems and come out on top.

What makes Uncut Gems so watchable and stops it from being a depressing story of despicable people doing despicable things is Sandler. Maybe it’s all the goodwill he’s built up from starring in classic comedies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison but it’s almost impossible to root against the guy, even if he is doing things that would make most people’s stomach turn and isolate an audience. He gets by here by playing off both his extremes, mixing that always-yelling anger of his earlier comedy with the subtlety of his more dramatic work – Howard is as aggressive as they come; and he has to be to an extent to get by in his profession, but its the hunger and the level of greed he has that stop him from ever feeling fulfilled. Sandler shows us this in moments which should be happy for Howard – watching his daughter’s play or tucking his son in to bed – by undercutting them with a twitch and sudden need to be around something beneficial for him, his addiction. He is an addict and a broken person and Sandler plays it all beautifully, demonstrating how this affliction can build and build in a person until breaking point. He may never top this, the role seems written specifically for him, and it’s a crying shame he wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar for the performance.

Surrounding this epic performance is some damn fine filmmaking from the Safdie Brothers who go far bigger than their last, more contained feature. The stakes of Uncut Gems are far larger and more life and death and the film moves at a clip for the most part, lingering on specific visuals and people just long enough to make you feel uncomfortable. Certain spots around the middle to tend to drag slightly but it can be overlooked when the anchoring performance is so riveting. Shot to look somewhat grainy and dirty, the effect pays off to make the diamond district of New York look grimy and lived in. The supporting characters that live in it belong here, with LaKeith Stanfield at the top of his game as a hustler from the streets looking to hawk his stolen watches through Howard’s shop and Julia Fox as Howard’s mistress and employee who runs in multiple circles in order to make a name for herself outside the store. Everyone is self motivated and out for themselves, with no compunctions about who they have to go through to get out of their current situations. You get a true sense of this through the dialogue, where multiple people are constantly talking over each other, vying for their opportunity to be heard and appreciated. While this can be something of sensory overload at times it helps to sell both the world and the madness that is in Howard’s head, his addiction the only voice that can rise above the noise.

Uncut Gems is one of those films with a role so perfectly suited for an actor that it becomes a different beast, a showcase for their acting talent. Adam Sandler elevates the source material so much with his performance, partly due to his long presence in the industry and on our screens, that he becomes someone you actively root for, despite the awful way he treats those around him. The Safdie Brothers continue to show a flair for intense, nerve jangling stories that move at an incredibly fast pace, even if there are a few dips here and there, and it won’t be long before they earn the recognition they deserve. Ultimately Uncut Gems will be remembered for Sandler’s phenomenal performance and the Academy’s snub of it at the Oscars. Here’s hoping the Sandman has a few more of these left in him.

Uncut Gems stars Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian, Kevin Garnett & Judd Hirsch – in cinemas in the US now and streaming on Netflix everywhere else.

Tags A24, Adam Sandler, Benny Safdie, Idina Menzel, Josh Safdie, LaKeith Stanfield, Uncut Gems

Movie Reviews

Parasite

Post author By Mark
Post date January 12, 2020

Believe the hype. Visionary South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho has crafted a masterpiece with his latest thriller Parasite, building on an already incredible body of work to create perhaps his best film to date and one of the best films of 2019. Combining a complex, slowly unravelling mystery with a timely social commentary, a terrific cast, unsettling score, and gorgeous visuals which give the film a rich, distinct style – this is a movie that will suck you into its story and get its hooks in you early as it takes you on a ride unlike anything you have seen this year, maybe ever.

More than most films of recent times, this is one where it is almost impossible to discuss without venturing into spoiler territory. Having said this, it wouldn’t be much of a review if we didn’t delve into the story at all so I’ll attempt to be as spoiler free as possible. We follow the Kim family, a poor lower-class family in South Korea struggling to make ends meet as they live in their tiny, dilapidated “semi-basement” home in a poor neighbourhood. With none of the family members being employed, it is naturally cause for celebration when son Ki-woo (Woo-sik Choi) is given a job as an English tutor for Da-hye Park (Ji-so Jung), the daughter of a rich businessman Dong-ik (Sun-kyun Lee) and his paranoid, overzealous wife Yeon-kyo (Yeo-jeong Jo). Once in favour with the Park’s, Ki-woo opens the door for his family to begin to take over key positions of staff within the home. Daughter Ki-jung (So-dam Park) is set to work as the young son’s art tutor, mother Chung-sook (Hye-jin Jang) becomes the family housekeeper and father Ki-taek (Kang-ho Song) gets to work as the family’s driver. If you think you know where the story is going from here, trust me when I say you don’t.

Joon-Ho takes this tale of class warfare and economic inequality and imparts it on the audience not only through the story itself, but also through distinct yet subtle visual cues and a unique colour palette. The Kim family lives below the rest of society, and they look out of their cramped basement house onto the surrounding streets, seeing but never truly belonging. In comparison, the Park family live in an opulent, spacious modern mansion, set well above ground level with multiple storeys and every perk you could expect from a wealthy property. The colour palette for the Kim’s is dark and dingy, full of greys and blacks, with everything made to look dirty and well worn; colours faded and darkened to blend in with the grimy surroundings. Conversely, the Park’s residence is as modern as you can get; a natural clean aesthetic full of rich greys and blacks accented with pops of vibrant colour from wood and natural lighting. The backyard of the property is a particular highlight, shot to look like an almost unnatural shade of green; it draws the attention of every member of the Kim family when they see the property – in awe of such a natural and common thing, yet one which feels strange and foreign to them. Joon-Ho takes this metaphor one step further in a more literal sense as to how each family perceives the natural world, with an event as simple as a rainstorm to the Park’s, potentially catastrophic to the Kim’s.

Going hand in hand with the theme of class differentiation is an exploration of greed and the effect it can have on a person’s mindset, warping even the most innocent intentions into something sinister. Joon-Ho illustrates this change by letting the tension slowly bubble away under the surface of the film before dialling it up to 11 all too quickly, shattering your nerves and making the final act something that needs to be seen to be believed. Throughout the journey he dips into other genres such as horror and comedy as needed to add to the story and the seemingly worlds apart views of these two families. The humour especially is extremely well timed so that the film never loses tension but is just sporadic and off-kilter enough to hit you hard in the funny bone. While it may be a bizarre brand of comedy for some audiences, the tone works for the world Joon-Ho has built and it pays off in big ways. Jaeil Jung’s terrific score adds yet another level to the film, alternating between bright and happy to dour and unsettling and subverting your expectations from scene to scene as to what music should match each scene. It’s a subtly effective way to create tension and fear out of an otherwise normal setting and it complements the visuals beautifully.

The cast of Parasite is an impressive mix of old and new South Korean talent, led by Joon-Ho’s frequent collaborator Kang-ho Song as Ki-taek, the patriarch of the Kim clan. It’s a powerhouse performance, as Song passes through multiple emotional states, often relying on facial expressions and subtle bodily movements to convey his current mental state. You feel every emotion Ki-taek goes through in order to achieve his goal and it is a tough journey to endure, in the best way possible, as we follow him struggling to lift his family out of their poverty-stricken situation. Alongside him is young actor Woo-sik Choi as Ki-woo, the son of the Kim family and connective tissue to the Park’s. Choi has a lot of work to do in his role and carries the film for a good portion, introducing us to all the members of the Park family and establishing the dynamic between the two groups. He is more than up to the task and showcases a great emotional range as he struggles to comprehend the differences between the two family’s lives and how he can help his own family. Jeong-eun Lee is another standout as the Park’s housekeeper Moon-gwang, a friendly yet sinister presence in the house she has one of the most difficult and interesting character arcs to work with and she pulls it off without a hitch.

Parasite is one of those rare films which transcends the language barrier. Its themes and lessons are universal and apply to everyone regardless of the language you speak. Joon-ho has spoken publicly about his wish for this film to encourage more people to see subtitled films and he has made a masterful demonstration for the power of foreign films. With an outstanding cast, edge of your seat story featuring timely social commentary and a terrific score, this is as complete a package as you can get and Bong Joon-ho cements his position as one of the greatest directors working today with it. Already the focus of much critical acclaim, here’s hoping Parasite is a big hit come awards season as it deserves all of them.

Parasite stars Kang-ho Song, Woo-sik Choi, So-dam Park, Hye-jin Jang, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo & Jeong-eun Lee – in cinemas now.

Tags Bong Joon-Ho, Hye-jin Jang, Jeong-eun Lee, Kang-ho Song, Parasite, So-dam Park, Sun-kyun Lee, Woo-sik Choi, Yeo-jeong Jo