Movie reviews of Ben Isbel

As entertainment it gets weighed down by dates, locations, numbers and a withdrawn but authentic portrayal from Ruffalo. Review

At times exasperating, at others humorous, there surely is an audience for this film somewhere. I imagine a Venn diagram of Tarantino nerds and teenage stoners. It may not be great art but it’s never boring. Review

While the subject matter couldn’t be more serious the film begins to unravel and become a tad silly with a perplexing plot and character motivations that are vexing. Review

The colour and performances are bang on. It would have been great if the tension and terror were at the same level. Review

As popcorn disaster trash this is nearly unmissable. Review

It’s incredibly advanced filmmaking combined with a simple, powerful story. Review

There’s nothing pretentious here. Just clean cut wholesome family fun mixed with charming British eccentricities and puns. Review

This is an incredibly passionate, moving portrayal of first love... Review

No amount of admittedly fantastic sound design, well shot racing sequences, or frequent gear shift shots make up for a banal ride. Review

Time will reveal whether this will be considered the director’s magnum opus, but it isn’t too much to say this is certainly his most quintessential film and a remarkable achievement. Review

There are flashes of brilliance here and there but ultimately too many weaknesses. The narrative falls apart the more you pull on the threads. Review

For those blissfully ignorant on the man’s influence there’s nothing informative to be found in the documentary. Review

Begrudgingly, I should add it’s hard not to admire the beautiful and immaculate attention to the period detail. Review

The entire film is worth watching, highs and lows, for the last twenty explosive minutes. Review

The story is timeless and still relevant today; there are parallels with her fellow patriot of the same period, Marie Curie. Her films were groundbreaking and original pieces of work and this documentary would perhaps have done better to show off those stories. Review

It’s gripping, well told, and a must see for fans, non-fans, and everyone in between. Review

Annabelle Comes Home is a solid entrant into the Conjuring universe, sitting amongst the better installments. Its shortfall is its desire to steer clear of any real depth of themes or willingness to go beyond a cursory exploration of the established universe. Review

With so-so acting, a narrative that the target audience (13 and under) will find a little too predictable, and a plot riddled with holes, what’s the verdict from a Pokémon fan? I loved it. Review

Plenty of the best films are slow burn character studies. But going through the minutiae of Gloria Bell’s mixed life isn’t one of them. Review

It’s a slow burn, and at a pithy 96 minutes, well worth it. Review

The tension and terror that courses through the blood of every scene will bring commercial acclaim. The myriad ideas and themes that are on screen to unpack will guarantee critical success. Review

Enjoyable but not quite capturing the terrifying relatability of Louis’ descent to madness. Review

Neither of the two main characters have any character flaws to overcome, there are no lessons to be learned. Review

In for a penny in for a pound; if you’re going to make a film filled so heavily with wtf substance I want an outlandish finish to match. Review