Phew. I\u2019ve written this year\u2019s annual review before midnight. Hooray. Get the low down on the films of the year. Or the films I\u2019ve watched that were released in the UK this year. 76, according to Grandmaster Letterbox. Check it out. 3,8528 words of cinematic prose for ya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
76 Tron: Ares<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hate Jared Leto<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jared Leto I Hate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I Could Find Jared Leto<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I\u2019d Whack His Head<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With A China Plate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah\u2026that\u2019ll do pig, that\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
75 Bugonia<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yorgos got bottom billing last year with Kinds of Kindness, and he\u2019s narrowly missed out this year too, saved by the bell. The bell being my hatred for Jared Leto. But yeah, I know Yorgos is quickly gaining a kind of auteur status, but I don\u2019t get it, dude. Poor Things was great, The Favourite was very good too, but the rest of his output is varying degrees of shite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
74 Mountainhead<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one just felt intensely hollow, and it\u2019s living proof that a star-studded cast does not a great film make. It can\u2019t really decide if it\u2019s serious or funny, and the wit isn\u2019t really there anyway. None of the characters are empathetic, and maybe that was part of the point, but that point landed like a\u2026head on a mountain. Yeah, let\u2019s go with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
73 Snow White<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t get the whole trend with turning animated films that are already highly acclaimed into live action films that will inevitably be inferior and disappointing. I mean, I get it from the cynical \u2018let\u2019s extort as much cash as we can out of this cow\u2019 viewpoint, but..meh. This version took the original in weird and unwelcome directions too, and it\u2019s also just a bit dull and lifeless. This apple\u2019s pretty toxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
72 Captain America: Brave New World<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This joint just crashed and burned, joining a lineage of stale superhero joints that also just crashed and burned. I like Harrison Ford, don\u2019t get me wrong, but he couldn\u2019t utilise his \u2018grumpy old man\u2019 schtick with a paper-thin screenplay and underwhelming villain. The CGI felt kind of meh too. I didn\u2019t like it, but I wasn\u2019t particularly angry, so I guess that avoided me turning green and smashing up my local Cineworld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
71 The Thursday Murder Club<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this one, I wasn\u2019t particularly angey either, although I was pretty disappointed considering how much I enjoyed the original source material. Then again, I shouldn\u2019t have been too surprised, because it\u2019s directed by Chris Colombus, who has a penchant for screwing up British joints (see: the first two Harry Potters).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
70 F1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I guess the rizz of a certain Brad Pitt is the only reason why this film got this high. It\u2019s more an advert for F1 racing with a shoddy plot awkwardly shoved into the machinery. All of the cameos from real-life racers are cheesy as hell, and the whole endeavour just feels pretty lazy and cynical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
69 The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s some solid voice acting here and there, but in terms of the overall themes and even multiple animation sequences and quotes, it\u2019s a pretty shameful carbon copy of the infinitely superior original. Not to mention that a lot of the characters are out of whack with their OG personalities back in the Hillenberg day. Overall, it\u2019s just not the SpongeBob spirit. Pretty weeny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
68 Locked<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This dude wears its Cube and Saw influences on its shoulders. It might be a vaguely fun watch if I was drunk, but as a person who\u2019s never consumed the boozy stuff, I wouldn\u2019t know such a feeling. I guess Anthony Hopkins puts in acceptable villain work, but Hannibal Lecter quality this ain\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
67 Friendship<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I probably should have done my research with this lad, considering I had no prior knowledge of I Think You should Leave, which main actor Tim Robinson is particularly known for. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it\u2019s a good film, but the awkwardness wasn\u2019t that effective, and kind of irritating with a paper-thin cancer plot. Maybe I missed the point. But to paraphrase Father Fintan Stack, I didn\u2019t have fun, and that\u2019s what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
66 The Balloonist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one may be concerned about a guy who flies hot air balloons, but for me it fell like a lead balloon. See what I did there, eh? But, uh, anyway, the romance element here was unconvincing and nothing here really puts enough air into the, uh, balloon. Lame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
65 Lilo & Stitch<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Better than the Snow White live action one, I guess, but that\u2019s not saying a whole lot. Spirited performances from the central cast, but I just don\u2019t find the whole plot that engaging, in the same way I didn\u2019t find the original that engaging either. Sure, I\u2019m not the target audience, but it\u2019s still a bad film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
64 The Life of Chuck<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I really didn\u2019t get the whole vibe of this lad, I\u2019ll be honest. Three separate stories with vague links, I get it. But I feel like it was just trying to be more zany and creative than it actually was. A pretty impressive cast but, as we know, cast doesn\u2019t necessarily equal quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
63 Heads of State<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Cena\u2019s definitely got comic potential. He\u2019s great in Jeopardy! and his mini Pluribus cameo. Idris has comedy skills too with his deadpan style. But the screenplay doesn\u2019t allow either of the leads to shine their um, shiniest in this silly thriller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
62 Eden<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some folks go to a deserted island that\u2019s an apparent paradise (look at the title) and things go bad quickly. Based on a true story, apparently. True story or not, it wasn\u2019t massively engaging and Ana de Armas deserved better screen material. It looks nice, I guess?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
61 The Man in My Basement<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This had some potential, but it didn\u2019t really go anywhere interesting. Willem Defoe was definitely the highlight, mostly because he\u2019s a master of weird. But yeah, not as thrilling as it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
60 The Mastermind<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This joint just landed slightly flat. There\u2019s a heist, heist goes wrong, then main orchestrator of said heist spends the rest of the films running from authorities and avoiding the consequences for his actions in said heist. Josh O\u2019Connor\u2019s got the riz, I can\u2019t deny that, but he\u2019s more effective as thirsty horny farmer dude in God\u2019s Own Country , or equally as thirsty horny tennis dude in Challengers. Maybe I\u2019m missing something here\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
59 Flight Risk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I guess it\u2019s fun if you\u2019re on board with the goofy premise. Mark Whalberg channels that goofy over the top shiz as a guy who hijacks a helicopter to try and kill a prime witness before the vechile gets to its destination. Kinda has Speed vibes, but it\u2019s also not as entertaining as Speed. So\u2026maybe not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
58 Play Dirty<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was expecting more from Shane Black, considering his previous high quality output with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and particularly The Nice Guys (Ryan Gosling\u2019s comedic magnum opus, in case you\u2019re not in the know). This heist flick is still vaguely entertaining, but it\u2019s certainly not vintage Black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
57 Giant<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s got some decent boxing sequences, but it ultimately can\u2019t escape the tried and trusted tropes of the sports movie to do anything different. An interesting premise ultimately falls flat despite a decent performance from Amir El-Masry, and a thankfully adequate turn from Pierce Brosnan where his accent doesn\u2019t fly all over the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
56 Honey Don\u2019t!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An enjoyable joint from a single Cohen brother, even though it doesn\u2019t come near the quality of their joint collabs. It\u2019s great to see Aubrey Plaza in more films too, she\u2019s awesome. I enjoyed this one slightly more than Drive Away Dolls, but they\u2019re both decent B-movie flicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
55 Elio<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was nice to see something a slightly different from the usual Pixar joint, and the animation style\u2019s fun and creative. A solid hero and partner duo, too. It\u2019s not gonna change the animation world any time soon, but it\u2019s an acceptable effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
54 Night Always Comes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I haven\u2019t seen much of Vanessa Kirby\u2019s work, but she\u2019s pretty solid here as a poverty-stricken woman trying to provide for her brother by working multiple jobs. It can\u2019t really balance thriller and dramatic elements well all the time, but it\u2019s a decent watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
53 The Amateur<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This could\u2019ve been a lot worse than it is, but a dude like Rami Malek has enough rizz to carry a fairly substandard plot into something interesting. Not groundbreaking, but an entertaining watch with decent fight scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
52 Mickey 17<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t hate this quite as much as most Bong aficionados did, but I\u2019d agree it\u2019s not his greatest effort. I guess it feels extra disappointing considering his last joint was Parasite. This one skews comedy and drama together more in the line of Okja, a Bong film I felt was kind of average too. Yep, Parasite and Memories of Murder remain my Bong besties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
51 Sorry, Baby<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A MeToo kind of drama that\u2019s more meditative and engaging than I was expecting. It came up in some of my film friends’ top 3 lists, and I\u2019ve gotta give a hard disagree on that one. Still, it\u2019s a measured and powerful drama that makes an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
50 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gotta be honest, I had no context for this joint going in, and didn\u2019t have a lot more context going out. Overall, I\u2019m just a major league anime noob. I\u2019ve only scratched the surface with a few Ghiblis here and there, and they\u2019re considered entry level flicks in the wide world of anime. But yeah, this was a lot of dramatic scenes with dramatic dialogue (yes, I watched it with subtitles, I\u2019m not one of those dubbing goobers who won\u2019t tolerate subtitles) and nice visuals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
49 KPop Demon Hunters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was more enjoyable (and comprehensible) than the above. I\u2019m not a KPop stan like most of the audience watching this will be, but it\u2019s got nice kinetic visuals and intriguing songs. Fun stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
48 After the Hunt<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More MeToo stuff, although pretty weak by Luca\u2019s general standards. The dude needs to return to joints with plenty of sexual tension. But shout out to Andrew Garfield for\u2026shouting. The dude\u2019s a great shouter, and it\u2019s lot of fun to watch him playing against type as an irredeemable a-hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
47 Eddington<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It ain\u2019t Midsommer quality, and it sure as heck ain\u2019t Hereditary quality. Still, there\u2019s something intriguing going on with Ari Aster\u2019s latest, and there\u2019s plenty of rizz to go around with Juaquin and Pedro on decent form. And it\u2019s cool to have our first proper Covid film out in the world, I suppose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
46 The Alto Knights<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two Robert de Niros for the price of one. That seems to be the main selling point of this joint, I suppose. The gangster stuff doesn\u2019t really hit a nerve, and de Niro still hasn\u2019t hit a stone-cold classic in a main role since Heat (controversial, I know).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
45 Black Bag<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has got pretty high in some folks\u2019 2025 list, and I don\u2019t get that. Are there strong performances from the leads and surrounding actors? Sure. But the whole project feels a bit too cold and a bit too clever for its own good to actually create a strong narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
44 Brick<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I watched this joint for *streaming service I\u2019m not officially allowed to name because I had to sign a contract* first in the original German language (did not understand) and then with subtitles (did understand). Pretty solid horror, even if it isn\u2019t actually original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
43 Highest 2 Lowest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spike Lee\u2019s latest, and not his best. It\u2019s based on the film High to Low. Denzel\u2019s got some serious rizz though, that can\u2019t be denied. The characterisation just needed a bit more work for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
42 Merv<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kind of harmless. And the drama revolves around a dog. WOOF. Dogs are great. And if you don\u2019t like dogs, or you\u2019re more of a cat person, well, BEGONE. I don\u2019t fancy talking to you right now. It\u2019s funny seeing Charlie Cox do his standard posh British accent after watching him do American in Daredevil and Irish in Boardwalk Empire and Kin, but hey, it\u2019s entertaining stuff if you just fancy some easy watching and a predictable plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
41 A House of Dynamite<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was expecting a bit considering this is Bigalow\u2019s return to the cinema, but it doesn\u2019t hit quite as powerfully as The Hurt Locker and Detroit (In know most folks hate Detroit, but I didn\u2019t. So there). I thought it was going to turn into an intriguing Rashomon structure, but then it was just the same narrative over and over again. Slightly feels like a wasted opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
40 Mission: Impossible \u2013 The Final Reckoning<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hey did you know Tom Cruise did his own stunts because these films never tell you that and that\u2019s so cool and definitely true I\u2019m sure it is and Tom Cruise wow he\u2019s the greatest action hero and uh yeah. It might be true, it might not be true. But I can appreciate the dollar that this series has pumped back into the movie industry, I can\u2019t deny that. And it\u2019s pretty entertaining too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
39 Superman<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gunn\u2019s revamp definitely benefits from skirting through that whole original story stuff, and Nicolas Holt makes a good Lex Luthor. Takes the lore in a slightly different direction and is generally an interesting move in the right direction. Better than the usual supe fare. And there\u2019s a dog, so that\u2019s a plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
38 Havoc<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I heard that the director of The Raid (Gareth Evans) was behind this shiz, I had to give it a look. And I was somewhat disappointed, considering The Raid is among my favourite action films of all time. There are some decent fight scenes here and there, and you\u2019ve gotta love Tom Hardy. But there\u2019s too much unnecessary exposition. Get on back to Indonesia, Evans<\/p>\n\n\n\n
37 The Assessment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Intriguing sci-fi that didn\u2019t go in the directions I thought it would. Something wasn\u2019t quite working, but it was entertaining to watch Alicia Vikander go full whacko in this dystopian tale about a couple trying to adopt a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
36 The Naked Gun<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original films hold a warm place in my heart. Would they get made in today\u2019s progressive era? Perhaps not. But Liam Neeson puts in a good effort as Frank Drebin\u2019s son, and Pamela Anderson\u2019s pretty hilarious as the femme fatale. Most of the best jokes are kind of ruined in the trailer, but it\u2019s still a good slice of slapstick tomfoolery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
35 The Smashing Machine<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hello hello, it\u2019s this year\u2019s Oscar bait. Give me an Oscar, guys, please. Although the Oscar baiting can\u2019t meet the pathetic heights of a certain actor in Maestro not so long along ago. LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT MY METHOD ACTING, I\u2019M SO TALENTED. Oof, I don\u2019t like Bradley Cooper. Didn\u2019t you know. Anyway, SM isn\u2019t bad by any means, but it\u2019s not Oscar worthy either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
34 Predator: Killer of Killers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, Letterbox counted this one as a film. So I\u2019ll also be counting it as a film. It\u2019s by the same dude who did Prey, which I enjoyed. Creative animation, interesting concept, pretty engaging narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
33 Wicked: For Good<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not a huge musical fan, but this guy\u2019s uh, good at what it does. Lots of singing, lots of colour, lots of drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
32 Frankenstein<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was expecting more from this, but it\u2019s more style over substance. I remember loving Pan\u2019s Labyrinth, but this just feels more lost in \u2018look at me\u2019 fancy visuals. Jacob Elordi\u2019s pretty good though, and Oscar Isaac ain\u2019t bad either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
31 Love Untangled<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just slapped this on Netflix when I didn\u2019t know what to watch and it was surprisingly engaging. No, the plot isn\u2019t exactly Nolan level complex, but it\u2019s just a nice bit of kooky and quirky<\/p>\n\n\n\n
30 The Lost Bus<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fire happens, bus gets lost. It\u2019s more entertaining than that, I promise. Not that entertaining, but entertaining enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
29 The Phoenician Scheme<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest Wes isn\u2019t vintage, but it\u2019s also much better than Asteroid City and The French Dispatch. Not that hard to do, since those films were pretty shite. But yeah, it\u2019s great to see Benicio in the star role, and it seems like a sign of Wes getting back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
28 The Fantastic 4: First Steps<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This supe joint felt nice and refreshing. Like Superman, it makes the sensible decision to cut out the origin stuff and adds an effective nostalgia aesthetic too. Like Superman, signals a hopeful return to decent quality for superhero films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
27 Caught Stealing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It hasn\u2019t got the Safdies Brothers energy it thinks it has, but it\u2019s still a fun film. Particularly fun witnessing Matt Smith going full crazy with the accent and general visual aesthetic. High octane, tense and kinetic. Just not on the same level as Good Time or Uncut Gems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
26 Materialists<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It ain\u2019t no Past Lives, I realise that. But I enjoyed it more than a lot of folks did. Pedro, Chris, Dakota? C\u2019mon. Lots of attractive folks to stare at and distract you from a not quite perfect plot. And the general aesthetic just won me over. Aesthetics are cool sometimes, k?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
25 28 Years Later<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An interesting extension of the 28 lore. Definitely build for a sequel, but there\u2019s several entertaining zombie scenes and Ralph Fiennes is pretty good. Uh, yeah, that\u2019s the summary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
24 Deep Cover<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a lot of silly fun. Not vintage, but some nice silliness. Plus my house member didn\u2019t notice Orlando Bloom was Orlando Bloom until the end credits. A nice bit of escapism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
23 Thunderbolts*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Probably the best supe entry this year. According to yours truly. Just a bit of goofy action, but the central villain\u2019s more interesting than usual and there\u2019s a bit more pep here. Yep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
22 HIM<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now. Onto the better 4-star Letterbox entries. This didn\u2019t seem to get great reviews, but I enjoyed it. Pretty gruesome body horror stuff, but I throughout it was effective. Generally not the type of horror I try, but this was definitely worth the watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
21 Ocean with David Attenborough<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, Letterbox classed this as a film, so I\u2019ll go with that. It\u2019s always nice to hear Attenborough\u2019s voice, especially when he\u2019s discussing key issues about climate change and how we still have time to use the ocean to make meaningful change. Good stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
20 The Running Man<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of Edgar Wright diehards didn\u2019t like this one. Well, tough shit. I liked it. Tougher shit? Spaced was Wright\u2019s magnum opus. Shaun of the Dead was great but not quite as good as Spaced. Hot Fuzz was great but not quite as good as Sean of the Dead. And the rest of his work, besides this new entry, is a whole load of meh. Yep. Deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
19 How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This had a powerful effect when I watched it. But I\u2019ll level with you. I\u2019m racing through these reviews at the moment to try and send off this post before midnight. So yeah, I\u2019ll just say that this was effective film with an enjoyable narrative. You\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
18 I Swear<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was in a lot of my friends’ best of year lists, and it is a goodun\u2019. Effective storytelling without falling into sentimentalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
17 The Penguin Lessons<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one went under the radar a bit, but I really enjoyed it. Like the above, manages to avoid sentimentalism while telling a compelling story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
16 Zootopia 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I loved this guy. Just a bit of jolly storytelling with good humour and enjoyable film references for the older audiences. Sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
15 The Surfer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Cage joint was pretty whacky and doesn\u2019t seem to get discussed much. But it\u2019s a great surfer movie, and I highly recommend it. Especially if you\u2019re a Cage fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
14 Wake Up Dead Man<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another great detective outing, with Daniel Craig putting in another fine performance as the murder mystery unfolds, this time around a church. Cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13 Die My Love<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, it may be my least favourite Lynne Ramsay joint, but I love every Lynne Ramsay joint, so that\u2019s not really saying much. Jennifer Lawrence\u2019s best performance since Winter\u2019s Bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
12 Companion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fun sci-fi with an effective plot and an equally effective Jack Quaid as a major league douchebag. Smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
11 Tornado<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A subversive Western that didn\u2019t get the attention it deserved. Seek it out if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10 Bring Her Back<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a tough choice between this and the next entry as my favourite horror of the year. This was great. I won\u2019t be watching it again anytime soon because it was pretty damn disturbing, but nonetheless, it\u2019s great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9 Weapons<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, here\u2019s my fave horror. A Rashomon structure on drugs full of dread and surprise, this is a little gem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8 The Long Walk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Really powerful stuff. Two fantastic central performances that make a pretty beige plot super colourful. Even if it is relentlessly bleak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7 One Battle After Another<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A great return from PTA. Everyone\u2019s great, the plot is crazy as hell in the best of ways. Very original stuff which you don\u2019t get enough at the cinema anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6 Sinners<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This joint slapped. It reminded me of how great it is to see original storytelling on the big screen that\u2019s not joined to a moneymaking franchise. Great stuff. Vampire films how they should be done. Heck, it\u2019s not even as simple as a vampire film. Great. Original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A great biopic that focuses on internal struggles more than the music. Sure, everyone loves last year\u2019s Dylan biopic, but Jeremy Allen White injects Bruce with a special kind of quiet and pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4 The Ballad of Wallis Island<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lovely, wistful, amusing, sad tale of fandom and lost time. It was great seeing this again at the Prince Charles Cinema recently with a Q+A by the cast. Wonderful stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3 Flow<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now. The top three. An outstanding film with incredibly novel animation, and was rightfully nominated for awards. No dialogue at all, just amazing imagery and narrative novelty. So cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2 Julie Keeps Quiet <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This won\u2019t be on anyone\u2019s list, and it\u2019s very much a \u2018me\u2019 film which focuses on imagery over dialogue (in case you haven\u2019t picked that up from the film\u2019s title. Not much happens, but in a really cool way. Not a way most would find cool. But I find it cool, k? Exposition is the death of intrigue. Yeah, breathe in those words of wisdom for a moment, why don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1 Steve<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And here\u2019s the number one. Cillian made it to the number two spot last year with Small Things Like These, but got to the top spot now. This is like if the Safdie Brothers had done a UK version of Uncut Gems with a group of schoolteachers and badly performing students. But it\u2019s fantastic, better than my description sounds. Loud, chaotic and touching, it\u2019s too arthouse to get the big commercial attention, but it\u2019s a fantastic work of art that deserves more attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Phew. I\u2019ve written this year\u2019s annual review before midnight. Hooray. Get the low down on the films of the year. Or the films I\u2019ve watched that were released in the UK this year. 76, according to Grandmaster Letterbox. Check it out. 3,8528 words of cinematic prose for ya.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1867"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1872,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions\/1872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}