Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

As Bernard, Nelson delivers a knockout performance, the sort that would prompt a boxer to immediately retire because they suspect they'll never be this good again. Review

There's barely enough material here to hold our interest for a 20 minute short, making Divinity a largely insufferable experience. Review

Sometimes we might feel like we want to retreat to some metaphorical home planet, that maybe there's another world that's a more comortable fit, but we're stuck here on Earth with humans and all their flaws. The only way to survive is to make peace with the fact that sometimes hell is other people, but other people can also be heavenly. And sometimes they make movies as endearing as Sky Peals. Review

It won't develop a Reservoir Dogs or Usual Suspects cult following, but as a rare post-Tarantino ensemble crime thriller that plays its scenario with a straight face, Detained is worth interrogating for 97 minutes. Review

What makes the film's later scenes so devastating is the intoxicating nature of the early scenes as Owen and Maddy bond over their favourite show. Review

The Weak and the Wicked is strongest when observing the quotidian details of life behind bars for women. There are grim moments that remind us of what a cruel era this still was despite progressive efforts at reforming the prison system. Review

The sets are the only artifical aspect of Thompson's film, which portrays its world so vividly you can almost smell the uncollected garbage... Review

Springall is captivating as a child grappling with the fact that her father might be a monster, but the movie does her performance a disservice by making everything clear from the start to both Willow and the audience. Review

It's a dynamic we've seen in countless movies where maverick cops give their chiefs ulcers with their dogged determination, but here it's tied directly to '90s communist China's obsession with keeping up appearances. Review

The Echo's realm is palpably elemental, a vividly portrayed existence of dirt, water and flame, visually culminating in the trifecta of a lightning storm. A languid and poetic representation of an unsung society. Review

Thelma has a similar setup to the recent Dale Dickey headlined thriller The G, but where that movie traded in gritty realism, Thelma opts for a light comic approach. Review

By embracing the simplicity of their setup, Mulholland and the Kohnens have crafted a comic thriller that recalls the b-westerns of the '50s and the rugged, bloodsoaked action movies of the '70s, all while keeping its tongue lodged firmly in its tobaccy chewin' gums. Review

Twister was no masterpiece but its sequel is so devoid of anything that might hold our attention that it plays as though a tornado has swept through the 1996 movie and laid waste to most of the elements that almost made it work. Review

Matthew Herbert's score swells with ethereal wonder in moments of horror, reminding us that while we may recoil from what we're seeing, for Richard and Juliette it's a spiritual rebirth. Review

I'm all for surrealism and ambiguity, but for both to work requires a focussed vision from a filmmaker, something Roy fails to demonstrate in her misformed and frustrating debut. Review

While McCarthy's films nod to clear influences, they're filled with moments of gob-smacking originality. Review

Unfortunately all of Perkins' good work in building this almost suffocating sense of dread is derailed when Cage's Longlegs eventually takes centre stage. The actor is horribly miscast it's disappointing to see him fall back once again on his over-the-top schtick. Review

It's a shame Maxxxine is such an empty experience as it's anchored by a tremendous performance by Goth as the sort of determined '80s woman who views Madonna's 'Material Girl' as a philosophical tract. Review

With its impenetrably murky picture and over-reliance on dialogue, The Last Breath might as well be an audio drama. Review

While there's a surprising amount of pathos here, it's interwoven organically with the action and comedy. Review

While The Sparrow lacks the depth of recent Irish dramas that have interrogated the soul of their nation (The Quiet Girl; Lakelands; That They May Face the Rising Sun), it's a worthwhile addition to this growing canon of films that attempt to get to the concealed heart of Ireland. Review

What makes The Conversation so gripping is how it readily pauses its thriller plot to allow us to spend time with Harry outside of his work. Review

For all its flaws, Kinds of Kindness is a reminder of why so many actors want to work with Lanthimos, as he offers the chance to inhabit the sort of bizarre roles that just aren't common in English language cinema today. Review

A Quiet Place: Day One benefits greatly from a pair of interesting and relatable protagonists, played engagingly by two fine actors, but it's let down by its lacklustre set-pieces. Review