Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Some Other Woman is a gaslighting thriller of sorts, but it's one in which the protagonist has gaslit herself into believing all is well in her marriage. Review

For all the lavish excess of its cinematography, score, production and costume design, Poor Things is anchored by a remarkable lead turn from Stone. Review

There are a few clever comic touches that suggest Englert has a devillish sense of humour. It's a shame then that she didn't go for all-out comedy with her debut, as whenever Bad Behaviour decides to take itself seriously it's thoroughly unconvincing. Review

He Went That Way occasionally hints at a more interesting film, one that uses the relationship between its protagonists to examine the cultural shifts occurring in America in the mid-60s. Review

The attempts at creating suspenseful sequences become monotonous as McGuire continually riffs on the same theme, that old Cat People shtick of a swimmer seeing sinister shapes above the water line. Review

The production was unable to acquire the rights to use any of Elvis's music, and it works in the movie's favour. Review

For long stretches of American Star it's easy to forget it's a thriller. It has the laid back, avuncular appeal of recent Clint Eastwood movies. Review

Very much a 1969 time capsule in both its ideas and aesthetics, The Frightened Woman can be viewed as an early attempt to wrestle with changing gender norms. Or as an excuse to watch Dagmar Lassander prance around in bandages. Review

If you're new to folk-horror, Lord of Misrule might provoke some further exploration of the sub-genre. But for those of us familiar with folk-horror's unique delights, Bell's film is a dull attempt to ride its coattails without understanding the cloth it's cut from. Review

The ideas Blank brings up are more interesting to ponder than to actually watch play out on screen however. Review

The Settlers treads a Conradian path as its protagonists venture toward a beating heart of darkness. Review

As you would expect from a Michael Mann movie, Ferrari at least looks good. But you can't polish a turd. If it works better it looks better. The reverse is rarely true. Review

Godzilla Minus One is a proper spectacle, the sort of movie that makes you feel like an ant as you stare up at the screen. Spectacle is nothing without heart though, and Godzilla Minus One throbs with humanity. Review

What's most disappointing about Silent Night is that its silent conceit is no more than a gimmick that often takes us out of the movie. Review

If you want to see an affable drama about brotherly bonding on the high seas, you're covered by about half of Finestkind's runtime. But be prepared to slog through a crime thriller that's no more engaging than any of the many straight to VOD efforts that can be found lurking in the depths of a streaming service. Review

With creepy kids, a spooky well, a curse and even a sinister woman with lank hair, The Ghost Station transposes all the classic J-Horror elements to a Korean setting. It's not an entirely successful transition but with its light touch and brisk pace, The Ghost Station might be the ideal movie to introduce younger viewers to the thrills of East Asian horror. Review

Leave the World Behind could be placed in a time capsule to represent the worst aspects of made for streaming movies of the early 20th century. It looks like a TV show rather than a movie; it's glacially paced and in bad need of some judicial editing. Review

Its biggest problem is that it never establishes who we're supposed to be rooting for here. None of the characters are likeable, and the movie keeps shifting its perspective. Review

With its focus on cinematic ambience and character building over didactic sermonising, Monica is a key work of trans cinema. Review

After forcing us to suffer through its numbingly bad original songs, Wonka finally gives in and breaks out the classic Pure Imagination near the end in a desperate attempt to send us home happy. Review

I have to say it's something of a whiplash. Having been fully on board with the simple but well-handled exploitation fare Wexler was serving up, I struggled to follow the movie in its new direction, which takes it into the realms of young adult fantasy. Review

The film ends at the point where most noir thrillers are set to ramp up the tension, leaving us to fill in the blanks ourselves. It's a sign of how invested we've become in McKenzie's incredible performance that we feel cheated by this ending. Review

It often feels like we're simply watching plot beats rehashed from dozens of existing post-apocalyptic, disaster and zombie movies. It's the presence of the outstanding Byung-hun that gets us through such patches. Review

While it's as doleful and deadpan as any of his films, Fallen Leaves might be Kaurismaki's most accessible film to date. Review