Movie reviews of Niels Matthijs

Gretel & Hansel is an extremely atmospheric film, with a strong cast, amazing cinematography and an exemplary use of its score. Review

Lost in Love is gentle and warm. A stunningly beautiful and impressively acted romantic drama, dealing with a very intimate and fragile theme that Huo meticulously dissects. Review

Eight very distinct and unique shorts offer plenty of stand-out material, more than enough wow moments and plenty of variety to breeze through this anthology and leave you wanting more. Review

Adoration is a very impressive film that feels like a complete and unique experience, thriving on sublime cinematography, a perfect score and amazing central performances. Review

It Comes is a film that delivers on its genre premise, is different enough to keep you on your toes and is impeccably executed, with beautiful cinematography, strong use of its score and boasting stellar performances. Review

The art style is lovely, the fantasy elements feel otherworldly and Palme's journey is grand, without ever feeling cheesy or expected, making this one of the better fantasy epics I've seen. Review

It's a combination of genres and styles that don't really go that well together, but somehow Yamashita found a way to create something extremely appealing from them. Review

F you love absurd comedy, executed with a deadpan disposition and styled conform the overall tone of the film, with some additional horror elements to boot, then Deerskin is bound to delight. Review

The film looks great, sports a sublime soundtrack and Kitano himself shines as the titular character. An easy recommend, especially for people who don't like to venture too far outside their comfort zone, but are willing to take a little gamble. Review

Kera delivers a weird, confident and funny film that looks the part, sports some solid comedy acting and has plenty of scenes worthy of a healthy chuckle. It's not quite perfect, nor as noteworthy as some of the bigger names in the genre, but there's still plenty of genius to go around and definitely worth seeking out if you're in the mood for some off-kilter comedy. Review

It's never going to be a crowd-pleaser, for that it simply isn't spectacular enough. But if you like quirky and absurd comedies that draw the most from a simple premise, backed by some incredibly talented comedy actors, you really can't go wrong with this film. Review

It's rare to see a reboot this ambitious, but Kawajiri really grabbed his chance to do justice to the Vampire Hunter D universe. With a major quality jump in animation and art style detail, a tighter focus on settings and atmosphere and some memorable, stand-out demon fights, this is a must-see for action/horror anime fans. Review

The White Girl is a delicate, soothing and exquisitely shot drama that lets its characters breathe, while still offering enough emotional depth and intrigue to make it more than a simple exercise in style. Review

The animation is strong, the art style detailed, the soundtrack a real treat. And how often do you get to see mechs battle it out against a giant monster in a future-realistic setting? Review

It may not be a genre-defining cinema, but even disregarding its origin and its gender breakdown, Angel Whispers is a fun, nasty and gruesome genre film, sporting a fine soundtrack, solid acting and stunning cinematography. Review

It's a real shame the image quality is atrocious, because apart from that this is a fun and entertaining film with some solid action scenes, a funky soundtrack, fine cinematography and a bunch of vintage Miike moments you won't be able to find anywhere else. Review

A little more subdued and in control, slightly more accessible, but in its own way still very punk, very pure and completely unique. It may not be an essential Tsukamoto, but it's a definite recommend that should be top priority for all who like to keep a close watch on Asian cinema. Review

One Point O looks very stylish, sports a strong score and benefits from a solid cast. It is pleasantly weird and strangely enticing, taking you on a disturbing trip with a fun finale. It's a neat little genre film that does everything right, ready to be rediscovered whenever the 00s are bound to have their moment of retro-hip fame. Review

Sono's latest is another wild experience, full of energetic performances, manic camera work and excessive events. A fever trip that holds you prisoner and dazzles all the way through. Review

The acting too is solid, even though Race and Rosanne Wong aren't the most prolific actresses. It's true that Oxide Pang does most of the heavy work for them, but there is a small dramatic undercurrent that's helped by good performances from both leads. Review

Overall Sound & Fury is a fine anthology, with some truly stand-out entries that are executed with the highest level of craft and creativity, but as a visual album there are still a few gaps to bridge. Review

Ready or Not is a dark and atmospheric horror/comedy with some solid kills, a superb setting, sumptuous visuals, a very likable main character and plenty of sly and sneaky grins. It's not high art nor the next big thing in horror, neither does it pretend to be. It's just an extremely fun and well-made horror flick, executed to perfection. Review

Dragon Tiger Gate sports some sublime action sequences, superb cinematography and a central duo that has the show aspect of martial arts down to a tee, all in the name of juicy entertainment. Review

Kung Fu Hustle is the perfect showcase for Chow's trademark mix of silly, over-the-top comedy and deadpan execution. Genuine laughs and crazy martial arts scenes make this one of the most entertaining films around. Review