Movie reviews of Evan Popplestone

Love Type D is what it is, really. It’s a slight, frothy effort that just about works in its own way.

If you like your movies to be ingeniously constructed and truly surprising, then I See You is one that you should see.

Extreme Job is a trifle overlong. It’s also arguable that some of the violence feels a bit too brutal to mix well with the levity elsewhere. Even so, it pulls off one of the finest blends of comedy and action to emerge from Eastern Asia since Jackie Chan’s heyday.

It’s enjoyable enough and the supporting cast is worthy, especially Barney as Dreyfuss’s character’s devoted grandson and Art Hindle as his cranky buddy from the old folk’s home.

Unstoppable passes the time ok but, as South Korean thrillers go, it’s a long way off the likes of Oldboy, I Saw the Devil or The Villainess.

If you liked the film Alien, then this doc is an easy must-see.

The Furies is a bona fide mash-up of horror influences.

While the film’s outcome isn’t all that surprising if you’ve seen a number of others in the suicide comedy sub-genre, everything up to then has been infused with enough charm to make the journey there feel fresh.

Yesterday has a uniquely charming premise which it capitalises on rather well - at least initially.

Scum is one of the most brutal British films ever made and is well worth the effort of psyching yourself up to watch.

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is a truly bleak and haunting experience which is well worth a look, especially for Maggie Smith’s performance.

You know the drill. Just go to the cinema, buy a bucket of popcorn and relish it for the heady action rush that it is.

After a promising early stretch, Def-Con 4 plummets to Earth in more ways than one.

Under Fire is a good, gripping movie marred slightly by its love triangle aspect.

The Andromeda Strain is a haunting and slow-burning gem...

Bellman & True is an underrated gem of a film. It’s truly exciting stuff but never loses sight of its human dimension.

Who? is a somewhat interesting curiosity marred by serious shortcomings in terms of direction and production values.

However you feel about The Woman in the Window’s ending, it’s hard to deny that it’s a landmark in film noir history.

No Orchids for Miss Blandish is a dull and badly-executed pastiche despite being fairly decent from a visual standpoint.

If there’s anything for certain, however, one can confidently assert that it’s positively dripping in brightly-coloured 1980s visual flair and extremely carefully constructed out of its own rich slew of metaphors.

The Night of the Generals is no masterpiece but it is better than its reputation suggests.

Avengers: Endgame is a triumph for the series and recommended viewing even for those (like myself) who are typically lukewarm about all things MCU.

November isn’t for everyone and isn’t without its flaws but it’s still a rare experience. If you enjoy your fantasy dark and discomfiting then it’s definitely one to seek out.

The end result is one of the most gripping and memorable films of the era. A must-see.