Film

In 2013, Netflix commissioned its first original series, House of Cards. Two years later the streaming platform released its first original movie, Beasts of No Nation, and has, since then, continued to release a steady stream of films that are slowly beginning to rival and compete with Hollywood and traditional theatrical releases. Here are 5 of this year’s best Netflix Originals. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Dir. Noah Baumbach To kick things off in fifth spot is Noah...

One always relishes the opportunity at the end of each year to stop and think about all the films I’ve watched over the past 12 months; the ones that moved me; the ones that angered me; the ones that were so evocative, I found myself still reflecting on them weeks after I saw them. Every film, no matter how nonsensical it may appear, has something to say, something to teach us… unless, arguably, it’s been directed by Michael Bay. And...

Christmas means a lot to me: family… friendship… goodwill to all men… but mainly it means cheese, wine, and movies. And though there are a number of titles with regards to the latter that I find myself drawn back to year after year – Die Hard of course, The Grinch (it’s really so much better than many people believe), and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, to name but three – as far back as I can remember, it was The Muppets...

For all the joy and frivolity of the festive period, film has always had a tendency to show the darker side of the holiday. From Dead of Night and Mon Oncle Antoine, to the mournful Meet Me in St. Louis and emotionally raw It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas at the cinema can be pretty bleak. The Apartment may not be full of snow, reindeer, and Father Christmas, but like many other Christmas films it looks at the loneliness that can...

Christmas is the season of giving, when people come together and rejoice in each other’s company. So, what better way to spend your pre-Christmas Friday than in the company of three loathsome characters, whose sense of cheer comes at the expense of others and to watch them slowly descend into a black hole of greed, selfishness and murder? This week’s Forgotten Film Friday marks the immaculate conception of a very different, more cinematic Holy Trinity, that of Danny Boyle and...

By Simon Columb  Mean, affected by a tragic condition and with a haunting, arresting gaze, Ava is a memorable tale. Directed by Léa Mysius, this debut can meander and lose a little energy, with plot devices dropped by the way side early on, but it has an intriguing focal point in its lead protagonist who is keen to escape her middle-class, yet lonely life. Ava is also a vulnerable and broken 13-year old girl. Bravely portrayed by newcomer Noée Abita...

By Sam Inglis Most of my go to Christmas movies are the same as anyone else’s: It’s A Wonderful Life, Gremlins, Muppet Christmas Carol, Die Hard, Die Hard 2 (it’s underrated, and as much a Christmas movie as the first). Then there’s this. This is the Manos of Christmas movies: It’s terrible, has been on MST3K, and is great fun with or without Joel and the bots making jokes. It’s an irresistibly silly title and, happily, Santa Claus Conquers The...

With family overseas, Christmas time has often meant a fair deal of travel, travel that has always involved international flights. When my family was based in the Middle East, I was often fortunate enough to find myself cozying into a long haul flight on an airline that boasted a great in-flight entertainment system, with a library of films that would put the BFI’s archives to shame. However, when my parents moved to Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, I had...

“Buddy the Elf, what’s your favourite colour?” I have wanted to answer the telephone and say that to someone ever since I first watched Elf, but considering it would probably make me look like a mad man I haven’t. Instead, I quote it in my head every time someone mentions the film. The line itself is silly – no one needs to answer the phone in that way, but Will Ferrell’s beloved character is just the right side of cheerful...