Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

If Noe could team himself with a writer to add some depth and nuance to his glorious visuals, we'd be talking about him in the same breath as Von Trier and Haneke, but the more he indulges himself, the more he becomes a caricature - the auteur as troll. Review

There are times in Steve Jobs when you stop to assess just what it is the characters are arguing about, and you realise there's not really much in the way of drama here, but Sorkin's words and the ensemble performance keep you so engrossed, it's difficult to quibble. Review

Cynicism runs through this production like a seaside town's name through a stick of rock. The filmmakers seem to have made their protagonists scouts purely for the sake of a catchy title. Review

Most great comedies contain a layer of melancholy, and without shoving it down our throats Tangerine never loses sight of the sad truth of its protagonists' dire situation. We grow so fond of Sin-Dee and Alexandra that by the end of the movie we have an almost paternal attachment to the pair, making a late incident of intolerance absolutely tear-jerking. Review

When the titular Nina isn't on screen, Ben and Chris Blaine's movie is a touching examination of grief and the healing process, with some great performances, particularly that of Hardingham, who plays the ungainly teen bit immaculately. Review

The horror anthology has given us some real gems - 1945's Dead of Night, the 1975 TV movie Trilogy of Terror, and a handful of productions from Amicus, whose name is now synonymous with the format - but most leave you unsatisfied, and Tales of Halloween is no exception. Review

Jeruzalem suffers from a lack of funds necessary to give this story the scale it deserves, and after a few fleetingly effective glances at the initial mayhem, the movie all too conveniently has its protagonists retreat to a darkened cave for the final act. Review

It's all too easy to groan at the idea of a remake, especially one that dares to take on material covered by an auteur like Bava, but this Rabid Dogs is a worthwhile reboot, one that establishes its director as a filmmaker we'll be keeping a close eye on. Review

The middle section, during which Bolger and Rush excel in their characters' psychological game of cat and mouse, elevates Emelie above Lifetime movie of the week territory, but it's ultimately a frustrating movie that could have greatly benefitted from another couple of passes at the script. Review

Like most of Roth's films, The Green Inferno is devoid of tension or suspense, its narrative simply taking the form of a series of gruesome deaths of protagonists we couldn't care less about, all blood and no build-up. Review

Spectre is like one of those boutique magazines you find in hotel rooms and on passenger planes. It's printed on glossy paper, immaculately designed and packed with appealing products, but devoid of engaging content. Review

The dinner party has proven a fertile setting for a host of great movies. Karyn Kusama's engrossing new psycho-drama, The Invitation, is in heady company, but holds its own at the table. If you're offered a chance to see it, accept that invite. Review

Stylistically, Kill Your Friends resembles a product of the era it's aping, all smartass voiceovers and redundant flashy visuals; make of that what you will, but I grew tired of this post-Trainspotting style of storytelling two decades ago. Review

Vin Diesel is a self-confessed Dungeons and Dragons fan, which may explain why he took on this role, as his character is a glorified Dungeon Master, making up rules and inventing his own mythology as the movie progresses through a series of tedious exposition dumps. Review

There's no doubt Beasts of No Nation would be improved with an increased budget and a more cinematic approach to its storytelling, but only the most stubborn cinephiles could dismiss it, as it's arguably the best war movie since Full Metal Jacket. Review

As gothic melodramas go, Crimson Peak is fine, but what mars the movie is its ghost story element, an unnecessary subplot that adds nothing and feels a bit too close to M Night Shyamalan at his most mediocre. Review

An awful lot of continental male filmmakers seem to have had their hearts broken while in college and hold the mistaken belief that torturing themselves over this makes for good cinema. All I can say to them is, "Get over it!"... Review

The scariest part of The Vatican Tapes is its ending, which threatens a sequel. But at a mere 80 minutes when you cut the credits off, the filmmakers have clearly struggled to find enough material for one movie, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over that terrifying possibility. Review

Pan mixes late 20th century popular music with early 20th century bigotry, and most of the movie consists of the sort of spectacle-as-sleep-inducer set-pieces you find tacked onto the end of Marvel superhero movies. Review

The first two acts are riveting, thanks mainly to the stellar performances from Tao and Jingdong, but the movie capsizes under the weight of their absence from the final act. Review

This brand of humour will prove impenetrable to some, and those lured in from the mainstream by the presence of household names like Farrell and Weisz will likely recoil at the darkness on display, but if you can tune into Lanthimos's nihilistic wavelength, this is a comic treat like few others in recent memory. Review

The Hallow bravely puts its monsters front and centre, but does an effective job of building up to their appearance to a degree sufficient enough for us to accept them without unintentional laughter. The old-school effects bring these fanged fairy folk to life in a way CG simply can't. Review

If you're looking for an involving narrative, you're better off sticking with Man on Wire, but as a cinematic experience, The Walk is a visual treat. Shame then that it's such an aural travesty. Review

Writer-director Ramin Bahrani is one of American cinema's best kept secrets. With Spiderman and General Zod headlining his latest, maybe Bahrani will finally take his place at the head table of adult American drama. Review