Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

The Shape of Water's most glaring issue is its uneven tone. Its potential to become a classic family film (one ideal for any parents wishing to introduce their kids to the joys of the monster movie) is overturned by del Toro's obsession with graphic violence and, most jarringly, graphic nudity. Review

If at times Mysius' inexperience is betrayed by film school pretensions, it's rendered forgivable by the youthful, punkish energy she brings to her tale. Review

Guediguian fashions a feeling that these are characters we've met before, but never really gotten to know until this moment in time. By its climax, we still don't really know a huge amount about his film's protagonists, but we've seen enough to wish them well, whatever path they may take. Review

The most entertaining biopic of a filmmaker since Tim Burton's Ed Wood, Redoubtable is a committedly unserious look at an artist's desperate quest to be taken seriously. Now that Hazanavicius isn't so desperate himself to be taken seriously, we can take him seriously again, as Redoubtable is seriously good, without being very serious. Have I lost you? Review

This is a gripping ensemble drama that tackles a timely social issue in a nuanced manner, never straying into the movie of the week path its subject could so easily have diverted it down. Review

The Price of Success really succeeds as neither comedy, drama nor thriller. Rahim and Zem are an engaging pair of performers (though physically, it's difficult to buy them as brothers), but they're stuck in a film riddled with cliches; one that adds no new insight to the crowded field of narratives about, well, the price of success. Review

Assuming its audience won't be familiar with Grahame, it's patronisingly didactic in how it relays the main talking points of the star's life. Sorry Annette, but this isn't going to be your year. Review

The cheap aesthetics are matched by the functional performances of a set of actors who seem like they're working at gunpoint. Review

Despite its budgetary limitations, Game of Death boasts an impressive aesthetic, with some gorgeous cinematography by Simon-Pierre Gingras, tactile practical effects, a pounding synth score by Julien Mineau and some diverting animated sequences rendered in the form of an old-school 8-bit video game. It certainly could have explored its premise in more depth, but there's certainly enough here to keep the horror hordes happy for i... Review

It's difficult to imagine anyone having a passionate response, whether positive or negative, to Happy End... Review

Pulling from a mix of western and eastern sources, The Housemaid can at times feel excessively derivative, but the addition of its backdrop of colonial unrest makes it a unique experience in Asian horror. Review

In the movement to have more female viewpoints represented in film, the well intentioned but misguided idea that artists should stick to portrayals of their own genders has been proposed from some quarters. Princess Cyd exposes such an idea as nonsense, boasting two of the most tangibly real women seen in recent cinema. Review

Ingrid Goes West makes the sort of point that may have worked better in a sci-fi setting. Indeed we've seen this very subject addressed in a couple of Black Mirror episodes. Tackling its question - if everyone online is so happy, what's wrong with me? - in recognisably current surrounds makes it difficult to view as entertainment, and the result is akin to standing by while forced to watch a troubled young woman drown. Review

Almereyda's film is the very definition of a filmed play, with the conversational structure broken only by end of act montages of Malickian shots of nature accompanied by a melancholy Mica Levi score. Thankfully he's cast his talking heads well, plucking the veteran Smith from the off-Broadway production of the original play. Review

Sweet Virginia is one of the most engrossing thrillers of recent years, but had it taken more time to explore the emotional turmoil and existential terror experienced by Lila, it really could have been a modern classic. Review

It would be unfair however to lay the blame for Felicite's faults at the feet of its non-professional cast, as the very experienced Gomis fails to make this derivative but potentially insightful drama as engaging as it really needs to be. Review

Ultimately, it's another biopic that plays like a trailer for a visit to wikipedia. Review

Viewers weaned on the FX heavy, cattle-prod bluntness of The Conjuring and its ilk may find Still/Born too quaint and dated to have an effect, but for those of us who appreciate a more nuanced approach to screen scare-mongering, Christensen has subtly fashioned a successful new entry in the growing post-natal panic genre. Review

King Cohen is an in-depth and loving tribute to a true legend of low budget cinema. It's also one of the most entertaining filmmaking documentaries you'll ever see. Review

For a 90 minute documentary examining a 45 second sequence, 78/52 doesn't provide nearly as much insight as you might like, but if you're a fan of Hitch, there's enough to make it an entertaining if not educational experience. Review

Murder on the Orient Express is an absolute mess, but a mess can still be entertaining. Branagh's film however is simply a bore. Review

While ultimately Thelma doesn't quite succeed as a slice of allegorical sci-fi in the manner intended, Trier's thoughtful approach, the stunning visuals that adorn the narrative, and an endearing central performance by Harboe, who does great work in communicating the confusion and frustration of her character, make it the most rewarding film of its type since Carrie. Review

Better Watch Out might be the blackest Xmas horror to date, and it's a more than welcome addition to a growing sub-genre. Review

Haaga's film is a misanthropic look at the American underclass; one whose ultimate message amounts to the sort of advice a drunken frat-boy might give to a love-lorn dorm-mate - Man up bro! A nuanced look at the battle of the sexes this ain't. Review