Downton Abbey (2019) Director: Michael Engler Screenwriter: Julian Fellowes Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton. As a long-time admirer of the television series, I approached the Downton Abbey film with equal parts enthusiasm and apprehension. The series concluded with many characters’ journeys neatly resolved, so the … Read more

One of cinema’s greatest pleasures is watching countless creative elements—wardrobe, makeup, lighting, set design, camera angle and lens, music, and performance—converge in a single moment to reveal a character. A well-crafted introduction can instantly establish tone, motivation, and theme, sometimes defining a character or even an entire film in a single scene. From high-speed action … Read more

Border (2018) Director: Ali Abbasi Screenwriters: Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklof, John Ajvide Lindqvist Starring: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jorgen Thorsson, Ann Petren, Sten Ljunggren Border (2018), directed by Ali Abbasi and adapted from a short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist, is a haunting, unforgettable film that fuses folklore with contemporary life. At its heart is … Read more

This article was written exclusively for The Film Magazine by thecineblog’s Sophie Butcher. The Souvenir (2019) Director: Joanna Hogg Screenwriter: Joanna Hogg Starring: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is a film student in early 1980s London. She wears oversized shirts, carries an Olympus camera to parties, and spends her … Read more

It. Pet Sematary. Halloween. Raw. The Conjuring. Insidious. These recent horror films are well known for terrifying audiences and standing out as some of the decade’s best. Each of them carries memorable moments of dread, but when you try to name the single most frightening scene from recent cinema, the answer can be unexpected. After … Read more

The Wizard of Oz (1939): Color, Symbolism, and Historical Resonance Many film fans are naturally drawn to nostalgia, and few classics embody that feeling as strongly as The Wizard of Oz. Released in 1939 and directed by Victor Fleming, the film arrived at a pivotal moment in history and helped redefine cinematic storytelling through its … Read more

Say the name Stanley Kubrick to almost any film fan and you will get an immediate reaction: respect, curiosity, or even a little unease. Kubrick’s reputation for pushing boundaries and obsessing over craft made him one of cinema’s most formidable figures. The director of landmark films such as A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and 2001: … Read more

Director: Gillian Armstrong Screenplay: Robin Swicord, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott Starring: Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, Susan Sarandon Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 Little Women remains one of the most beloved screen adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. Arriving long before … Read more

With the recent glimpse of Rey’s foldable lightsaber in a special D23 preview for the new Star Wars installment, it’s clear the franchise still has room to surprise fans. From Darth Maul’s double-bladed weapon to Mace Windu’s distinctive purple blade and Kylo Ren’s rugged crossguard saber, lightsaber design has always been a place for striking … Read more

Overcomer (2019) Director: Alex Kendrick Screenwriters: Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick Starring: Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, Shari Rigby, Jack Sterner The Kendrick Brothers have built a recognizable niche in faith-based cinema: small-town settings, earnest characters, and moral crises that resolve through a rediscovery of Christian faith. Overcomer follows that template closely, but it does so in … Read more