Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

The further into thriller territory Echo Valley ventures, the less interesting it becomes. It's far more successful as a drama about a mother coming to terms with the fact that her daughter has become an unrecognisable monster and may be past the point of salvation. Review

As with Slow West, MacLean has once again crafted a western that's simultaneously sparse in its storytelling yet loaded with small details that flesh out its unique world. Review

RZA does a fine job of building tension in his film's first half. He's so committed to evoking the grindhouse era however that some of his b-movie nods jar with the overall tone of the film. Review

Both actresses leave us in no doubt as to why Paula and Sloane are so consumed by one another... Review

Daddario and Park emerge from this fiasco with credit in the bank, but their performances deserve a film that knows what it wants to say. Review

This mother and daughter may not know each other as well as they should, but by the end of Mehrel's film we feel like we've known them a long time, and we wish we could spend more time in the company of these beautiful women. Review

Byrne's performance is broad and hammy, but that's clearly how she's been directed, and she certainly disappears into the role, nailing the distinctive vocal inflection of a drug addict, though I've never seen a junkie/alcoholic who looks as good as Byrne. Review

This might be far from the first rodeo for both of Leads' leads, but it feels like we're watching Arnold and Kafka evolve from day players to movie stars in front of our eyes. Review

Rousselle is very good at portraying a woman struggling to maintain a tough exterior while she's crumbling inside. Cast against type, English actor Lawther is surprisingly convincing as the golly-gee-whiz Elijah. Review

As a writer and director, Hagen is even more impressive. Hagen's writing is exact and economic, with every scene expertly crafted to deliver a knockout punchline. Review

Lollipop is an intensely stressful and emotionally overwhelming watch as we witness a desperate mother make a series of ill-advised moves. Review

Re-Creation is a flawed but fascinating experiment, though as is the case with all true crime media there's an argument that its very existence is distasteful. Review

If you're expecting the sort of outlandish gore of George's films you'll be disappointed, as most of the few kills here take place offscreen. Queens of the Dead is more concerned with generating laughs, which it occasionally does. Review

All three leads deliver riveting performances. Review

Craig and co-writer Carter Blanchard manage to create well-rounded protagonists without ever getting bogged down in unnecessary backstory, and the movie zips along at a rapid pace. Review

Like the young Romina Bentancur in The Sharks, Passeggi is another star find by Garibaldi. In her first role the young actress delivers a confident performance that is always in tune with the film's uniquely odd vibe. Review

Lemonade Blessing is both bawdy and blasphemous, as upfront about teenage sexuality as a Porky's movie and taking its share of pot shots at the more ridiculous elements of Catholicism. But unlike typical teen sex comedies it doesn't shame or objectify its female characters. Review

Griffiths' film may not give you what you think you want from such a comic drama, but if you give it a try you just might find you can get what you need from it. Review

The movie struggles to get to the heart of Walker, but that's forgivable given the character is based on someone as enigmatic as Thompson. Review

There are several points where we laugh at the sort of things that we probably should gasp in horror at instead. Review

Otávio's affectations are criticised by the film, but it is arguable that with its idiosyncratic amplification of the mundane, the subjective angst of Autumn is equally as vainglorious. Review

It may not boast the best quality, but it could be a great entry point for burgeoning young horror fans to discover this evergreen and unstoppable genre. Review

The trouble with Anderson is that while he's a consummate visual stylist, he's not much of a visual storyteller. Review

It's Courtney's career-best performance that really sells the film's premise. Review