Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Venom collapses as soon as the eponymous alien shows up, as the film doesn't seem to know what to do with its concept. Review

While it's perhaps a bit too artistic and self-conscious to compete with the best examples of the sort of down and dirty genre cinema Cosmatos is aping, Mandy offers patient viewers two hours of darkly sensual delights, not the least of which is the late Jóhann Jóhannsson's ominous score. It's an experience as akin to soaking in a bath as to watching a movie, but with its extreme violence and dark world view, you may feel like... Review

Another of Operation Finale's stumbling blocks comes in its use of language. Review

Tehran Taboo often resembles a hipper, more streetwise cousin of the work of Iran's rebellious filmmaking figurehead, Jafar Panahi. It tells a story that will and should induce outrage from any liberal minded viewer, but it does so in a wry and often witty fashion, and some of the sexual double standards on display are so ludicrous that you simply have to laugh. Review

While the narrative is too sloppy and indecisive to hold the film together, what keeps us engaged is Saulnier's deft ability to construct a thrilling set-piece. Review

For most of us, regardless of our position on the social food chain, life is a series of little somethings that keep us moving forward, and Sink is a little something to put a smile on your face. Review

As a director, Cooper offers a mixed bag. The film's concert sequences might be the most immersive since Scorsese's The Last Waltz, but off the stage, Cooper's film suffers heavily from his lack of experience in telling a story with pictures. Review

Ultimately, what saves The Monster from being filed in the drawer marked 'second rate Shyamalan knockoffs' is the central performance of young actress Bellantine, who was actually 15 at time of filming but is thoroughly convincing as a vulnerable 10-year-old. Review

An uneasy psychological thriller bolstered by Crampton's manic edginess turns into the sort of VOD fodder the movie initially threatened with its cabin in the woods setting before setting up a potentially fascinating sequel that in all likelihood will never get made. Review

While visually overwhelming Kogonada's protagonists, the architecture of Columbus ultimately proves a positive influence, its studied, logical lines providing a path to redemption. Review

The film around her doesn't quite live up to Enos's performance... Review

If nothing else, Noé has nailed that feeling of shutting yourself in a bathroom as you suffer a bad trip, the throbbing bass pouring in from a distant dancefloor threatening to drive you insane. Like most drugs, Climax will delight some, disturb others, and leave the rest waiting in vain for the effect to kick in. Review

As an action flick, The Predator is a damp squib. The few set-pieces we get rely heavily on gore rather than any visual creativity, reminding us that the film is helmed by a filmmaker more renowned for his words than his images. Review

This is Stanton's party, and it's as fitting a farewell to an unassuming screen legend as you could hope for. Review

Despite its post-colonial allegory, Matthews' film is as generic a western as any to emerge in the mid 20th century heyday of the genre, though with its often ponderous nature and extended running time, it may test the patience of even the most obsessive western fans. Review

Chekhov's comedy fails to translate to both the screen and to the mouths of the western cast, and gags fall embarrassingly flat. The Seagull is crammed with acting talent, but only Dennehy, Stoll and Winningham emerge with any dignity. Review

Moretz is onscreen in practically every scene, and while she's certainly an engaging presence, the film's refusal to look behind the curtain and explore the just as intriguing Rick and Lydia and their controversial practice is highly frustrating. Review

There's enough talent on display here to suggest that all involved will be responsible for more engaging fare in the future, from Lange, whose direction is commendably understated in even his film's wilder moments, to his young leads, whom I'm now curious to see deliver make-up free performances. Review

It's the latest North American indie horror that, like Beyond the Gates and Sequence Break, isn't concerned so much with being scary as being sad, soulful and even sweet, and it may make you question the various guises you adopt to negotiate your own way through life. Chicken soup for the horror fan's soul. Review

If you squint, you'll find moments that hint at the charming film this might have been, thanks largely to the wonderful animation work which brings Pooh and his mates to life and the vocal performance of veteran voice actor Jim Cummings, whose voice is as cosy as your grandfather's favourite chair. Review

Had The Equalizer 2 focussed on such small scale human dramas, rather than rehashing the plot of every other action movie, it would have been a far more satisfying watch. Oh, and Stewart Copeland's theme wouldn't have gone amiss either. Review

DJing is one of those cultures that's never been portrayed in any realistic fashion on screen, and with Elba himself heavily involved in the world of turntablism, it feels like a missed opportunity to shine a light on a misunderstood craft. Review

The Meg is at its best when it acknowledges how silly it really is and plays up to the clichés of the genre. It boasts a handful of gags that made me laugh out loud and a final irresistible Dad joke coda tells you everyone involved has their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks. As milque toast as the filmmaking here is, I'll take this over mopey men in tights every day. Review

Thanks to the huge profit margin on relatively miniscule budgets, the Unfriended series will likely live on past its sell by date, but two instalments in, it's the most innovative and effective horror franchise since Final Destination. Review