Review: The Penguin

There’s a lot to be said for the 18-rated superhero flick. Whether we’re talking big screen or small screen, a lot of high-quality fare coming out the supe pipeline has taken a gorier, more adult approach. It was a while ago now, but 2012’s Dredd was one of the first films in the emerging superhero era to go big on the violence and see it pay off with many fans despite its underwhelming financial success. Deadpool was an obvious hard hitter in the big screen department, taking in substantial revenue and revitalising the superhero industry at a time when it was starting to get dull. Don’t forget about the smaller guys, though. Daredevil represented Marvel’s best TV series of the era, providing a healthy dose of violence alongside solid plotting, laying the groundwork for what great supe shows could do for an adult audience.

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Review: Small Things Like These

Quiet films go all too unappreciated these days. Quiet in the sense that, to the untrained eye, not much happens, and not much is spoken. Their slow pace might not be a plus for many commercial viewers. But heck, I’m not a commercial viewer. I’m an arthouse fan. And probably a bit of a snob. Nonetheless, quiet films are my bread and butter. So Small Things came as a much-appreciated surprise. Based on Claire Keegan’s 2021 novel about the notorious Magdalene laundries in Ireland, Tim Mielants’ film follows the daily routine of father Bill Furlong and the moment he makes a shocking discovery.

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