This article was written exclusively for The Film Magazine by Sophie Cook of Sophie Beatrice’s blog. The Rhythm Section (2020) Director: Reed Morano Screenwriter: Mark Burnell Starring: Blake Lively, Jude Law, Sterling K. Brown, Daniel Mays, Raza Jaffrey Blake Lively’s transition from the airy, upper-east-side socialite of Gossip Girl to a darker, lethal protagonist in … Read more

This article was written exclusively for The Film Magazine by Leoni Horton of Leoni Horton Movies. “That girl thinks she’s the Queen of the neighbourhood, I got news for you, she is!” — a line that could have been written for Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey. Kathleen Hanna, frontwoman of Bikini Kill and a key … Read more

Kes (1969) Director: Ken Loach Screenwriters: Barry Hines, Ken Loach, Tony Garnett Starring: David Bradley, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie, Colin Welland, Brian Glover, Bob Bowes More than fifty years after its release, Ken Loach’s Kes remains a powerful and painfully relevant portrait of working-class life in Britain. At the heart of the film is Billy … Read more

Professional wrestling has always been populated by larger-than-life personalities who perform for packed arenas while delivering scripted lines and exaggerated character work. It’s no surprise that Hollywood has long recruited some of wrestling’s biggest stars. Yet moving from the overt theatricality of the ring to the subtler, more disciplined craft of film acting has proven … Read more

Bedelia (1946) Director: Lance Comfort Screenwriters: Vera Caspery, Isadore Goldsmith, Herbert Victor Starring: Margaret Lockwood, Ian Hunter, Barry K. Barnes, Anne Crawford, Beatrice Valley, Louise Hampton Bedelia is a compact, stylish piece of British film noir that feels sharper and more modern than its 1946 release might suggest. Based on the novel by co-writer Vera … Read more

With director Martin Scorsese’s recent projects—most notably The Irishman—earning widespread awards and nominations, it’s timely to revisit one of his most enduring films on its tenth anniversary: Shutter Island. This meticulously crafted psychological thriller remains a resonant examination of trauma, memory, and mental illness, and feels increasingly relevant today. Released on February 19, 2010, Shutter … Read more

Netflix continues to expand its catalog across genres, but romantic films remain a particular focus. Search for “romance” on the platform and you’ll find a large, growing selection — yet critics and audiences often disagree about their quality. Why do some Netflix rom-coms earn praise from critics while audiences respond differently? This article examines five … Read more

Gretel & Hansel (2020) Director: Oz Perkins Screenwriter: Rob Hayes, Oz Perkins Starring: Sophia Lillis, Sam Leakey, Alice Krige Gretel & Hansel (2020) is a modern, atmospheric retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. This review examines the film’s reinterpretation of the story, its thematic ambitions, and the elements that make it visually compelling … Read more

Everyone is talking about Bong Joon-ho, and with good reason — he has reshaped contemporary cinema. Before 2019, outside dedicated film circles, he was often seen as a distinctive South Korean director known for his strange genre blends: monster movies that mix horror, comedy and social critique. With the international and awards success of Parasite, … Read more

This article was originally published to SSP Thinks Film by Sam Sewell-Peterson. The Host (2006) Director: Bong Joon-ho Screenwriters: Bong Joon-ho, Ha Won-jun, Baek Chul-hyun Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Ko Ah-sung Bong Joon-ho’s The Host (2006) stands out as a richly layered Korean monster movie that blends horror, comedy, and … Read more