Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

It's a rare complaint in this era of bloated running times, but Nancy ends in a manner I found frustratingly abrupt. I was fully invested in the dynamic between Nancy and her potential parents, and I could have gladly watched another hour of their tense but tender interactions. Review

If you lay out Wildlife's plot it doesn't offer much that we haven't seen before in such stories of domestic strife behind the picket fences of suburbia, but it boasts a couple of the year's most compelling performances from Oxenbould and Mulligan, and Dano is canny enough to let his camera focus on capturing their quiet brand of magic. Review

This is an interesting reworking of the original's central premise, and I appreciate Guadagnino's refusal to simply fawn over a beloved classic, but along with screenwriter David Kajganich, he pads his film out with unnecessary subplots that seem like cynical attempts to place Suspiria into that category of genre cinema that's become known by the eye-rolling label of 'elevated horror'. Review

Juliet, Naked could be remade as a more profound, but probably more depressing examination of how misguided and undeserved our love of artists can be, but as it is, it's a light piece of entertainment that won't make you think too much but should keep a smile on your face for 105 minutes. Review

As the scenario escalates, there comes a point where things get a little silly, and I stopped believing in the over the top actions of characters I had been invested in up to that point. Review

Framed may well be my least favourite movie of 2018, but your Joker obsessed kid brother will love it. Review

If you fancy a great but brief family drama, check it out up until a certain twist. You'll know it when you see it. Review

If you're a horror fan, you know what you're getting with an anthology movie. There's usually a couple of standout stories, a couple of mediocre segments, and one genuine stinker. Nightmare Cinema continues the trend. Review

The Devil's Doorway is strongest in its opening half when we're getting to know the two priests and their disparate attitudes to their chosen profession, and when the supernatural nature of the institution is kept ambiguous. In the movie's back end things take a turn toward Conjuring/Insidious style histrionics, and it becomes indistinguishable from its rivals in the crowded found footage horror market. Review

To the film's benefit, things take a twist and What Keeps You Alive becomes more of a psychological game of cat and mouse between the two women, with Sarah and her husband also finding themselves unwittingly drawn into this fraught domestic drama during a decidedly awkward dinner party in the film's standout sequence. Review

Avery's direction is muscular and keeps things moving at a rapid pace, though he never again replicates the thrills of the opening sequence, which captures the chaos of parachuting through a barrage of ground to air fire in intense fashion. Review

If you're like me and were ignorant of Callahan prior to viewing, you may well find yourself googling his cartoons after watching Don't Worry, so I guess in that sense it's achieved its aim of showcasing the artist's talent. For anyone who is already a fan of the cartoonist, Van Sant's film will be a major disappointment. Review

Shooting in black and white may sound like a pretentious indie cinema gimmick but it serves a valuable purpose in this case. By removing the garish day-glo colours that defined the '80s, filming in monochrome gives 1985 a timeless quality, meaning we never get distracted by any period detail and can focus solely on the human drama rather than the ghastly wallpaper it plays out in front of. Review

All of Good Favour's issues emanate from its superficial script, but it's one of the most skillfully directed movies of the year, offering enough in the way of escalating atmosphere to keep more visually oriented viewers engaged. Review

Utøya-July 22 isn't an easy watch, but I believe it's an essential one. Review

Compared to the visual extravagance of the Raid films, Apostle is disappointingly low on memorable images. For the most part it resembles a higher budgeted British TV production, and when in some short bursts, Evans falls back on his raison d'être of elaborate fight choreography, it jars with the movie's slow pace and Gothic aura. Review

All this would collapse without a strong enough actor in the central role, and as Asger, Cedergren offers a compelling portrayal of a man whose soul has been hollowed out by a job that has exposed him to humanity at its worst. Review

There's nothing approaching such ingenious filmmaking on display here, with Green failing to even exploit scenarios that are teed up for a filmmaker to knock out of the park, such as a room full of mannequins and a garden equipped with a motion sensor lamp - just think what Carpenter would have done with such situations! Review

As you might expect from a man of his generation, Armstrong is an emotionally withdrawn figure, which makes him a prime subject for a cinematic biopic. Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer never take the easy route of emotional monologues or verbal sparring, entrusting Gosling with the task of illustrating Armstrong's state of mind visually. The result might be the Canadian star's finest performance. Review

There's a head in the sand quality to how Greengrass fails to acknowledge that while very few people would condone Breivik's methods, a sizeable swath of the population of every western nation shares his xenophobic views on immigration and multi-culturalism. And for a movie that argues in favour of acceptance of foreign cultures, isn't it a little odd that Greengrass forces his actors to perform in English rather than their own... Review

Perhaps Leigh should have collaborated on the script with a writer more versed in threading such a complex narrative together, but as a director, Peterloo sees the veteran filmmaker on top form. Review

Marcello may be a likeable figure, and the droopy-eyed Fonte plays him like a sad-eyed mongrel, but it's difficult to fully sympathise with his predicament. Review

Lynskey continues to prove herself one of the most under-rated actresses working today, while the supporting cast is rounded out by equally impressive performances that help flesh out the film's trailer park world, with Orange is the New Black star Danielle Brooks particularly noteworthy as the owner of a local bar. Review

While it's largely an overwritten and underwhelming slog, El Royale does boast one subplot that enlivens the drama every time it takes centre stage. Review