Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Things eventually amp up in the final 30 minutes, and there are a couple of briefly suspenseful moments, but The Island will likely test the patience of anyone expecting the sort of grindhouse thrills its setup teases. Review

The film moves too quickly to ever really dig into this theme though, and Cohen is far more interested in entertaining us than providing a lecture. He does so with a smartly constructed comic thriller that combines whip smart dialogue, tight action scenes and unrequited sexual chemistry for 90 minutes of the sort of thrill a minute entertainment that was Cohen's trademark. Review

Kurylenko isn't a strong enough performer to carry what is mostly a solo show, and her performance is pitched a notch too high here. Review

Some of the kills are inventive, but they often strain credulity and the abilities of Cog are so poorly defined that the film sometimes seems to contradict itself. Review

Kovacic is convincingly terrified, but it would be nice if we knew exactly what sort of evil her protagonist is contending with here. Review

Where similar movies have given us young protagonists who are essentially child geniuses when it comes to thwarting their adult foes, Shed keeps things real in this regard. Review

Jimmy has bags of style with its very '80s neon palette, and boasts some convincing performances from its young cast. It's unfortunately let down by some confusing plotting and an inability to tie together its J-horror and slasher plotlines. Review

I'm all for an ambiguous ending that leaves you asking questions, but if your biggest questions are "How did this get made?" and "Why hasn't Dakota Fanning fired her agent yet?", there's something seriously wrong. Review

Horror fans certainly won't be disappointed by the kills, with one in particular winning this year's In a Violent Nature award for most creative onscreen death. Review

Perhaps The Mannequin's biggest strength is how it establishes its three female leads as relatable young women who genuinely give the impression that they're long time friends. Review

Spider One skilfully shifts his film from light horror-comedy into something darker and more psychological without any tonal whiplash. Review

I can only imagine how infectious its no-holds-barred blend of extreme violence and comedy might prove to a packed auditorium. Yet as wild as Appofeniacs is, it's rooted in a very real fear of how AI might be used in the hands of a sociopath. Review

One Potato, Two Potato is similarly nuanced in its refusal to make the outright racist Joe its sole villain. Review

The Smashing Machine will prove engaging to fans of both indie filmmaking and MMA, but both groups will be left wanting a few more rounds of action. Review

No amount of music video-inspired flashy editing can distract us from what might be the most boring and uninspired horror movie to emerge from Hollywood this decade. Review

Good Boy has enough atmosphere to function as an effective horror movie, but it stands out as a tribute to the unconditional love of man's best friend. Review

For all its flaws, Play Dirty is still a Shane Black movie, which means you're likely to get a few laughs from it even if you're not invested in its thinly drawn characters or shoddy plotting. Review

If only it leaned more heavily on Greengrass's vérité verisimilitude and less on Inglesby's screenwriting 101 shtick, The Lost Bus might be one of the all-time great survival thrillers. Review

As ever, this latest instalment of the series is a lucky dip. It boasts some of the most impressive effects we've seen from the series, but while there are plenty of tricks there simply aren't enough treats here. Review

Once you tune into its frequency you'll be fully locked in as One Battle After Another takes you through one thrilling sequence after another. Review

Petsch can't be faulted for her commitment, but Maya simply isn't an interesting enough protagonist to carry a trilogy. Review

We get swept up in this friendship, and Doe and Muna are a delight to hang out with. Review

A throwback to thrillers of the late 20th century, Dead of Winter is lean and purposeful in its storytelling. Review

It's a shame Steve's characters are so thinly drawn, as every cast member is on top form here. Review