Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Watching Johnson in this role, it's impossible not to grin throughout Central Intelligence, even if it does run a good 20 minutes too long and features two endings too many. As buddy movies go, it's no The Nice Guys, but it's certainly not Ride Along 3. Review

The Neon Demon is pornography without the sex, designed to engorge or moisten the loins of arthouse fans. Refn's past work has merely hinted at his ability to produce something that combines this much substance, style and sleaze. Review

The father/son casting may seem a gimmick, but it adds an extra layer of discomfort to the tension between the two characters, and a late emotional breakdown by John Henry in his father's arms will have the toughest of male viewers reaching for the Kleenex. Review

The cast assembled here is one of the most impressive ensembles you'll see all year, but save for the bubbly Caplan and the always alive Radcliffe, there's a palpable lack of enthusiasm on display. The horsemen share no discernible chemistry, and Eisenberg delivers every line as though his director is pointing a gun at his head out of shot. Review

Independence Day: Resurgence is one of the laziest, most cynical blockbusters to arrive in a year that's had more than its share of such tiresome fare. No doubt this will be huge, and it's set up for an immediate sequel. Anyone know the Mandarin for "Save your money!"? Review

Cruz (and equally her director) makes such little effort to convincingly portray this unfortunate victim of statistics that it's impossible to view the film as anything other than exploitation of the most tasteless kind. Review

Combining the tough, violent crime thrillers of 1970s Italian exploitation cinema with the gloss and sophistication of modern day European TV, Suburra is intelligent but explosive, a feast for the synapses and the adrenaline. Decades after Coppola and Scorsese mined such territory, the Italian crime saga has made a triumphant return to the old country. Review

For most of its running time we're witnessing a protagonist attempt to deconstruct and reassemble a narrative, and while this may test the patience of casual viewers, anyone with a passing interest in the mechanics of storytelling will find Fast's debut a fascinating and immersive watch. Review

English author Helen Walsh's filmmaking debut The Violators is not only one of the best movies made by a novelist, but one of 2016's best British movies, boasting one of the year's finest central performances to boot. Review

On paper, Gods of Egypt's conveyor belt of cinematic insanity should be a winner, but save for a few moments of respite courtesy of Yung and Boseman, the only actors who seem conscious that they're in a trainwreck, it's about as much fun as dragging a sphinx across the desert. Review

Swedish history buffs will likely face-palm at this glossy representation of one of their country's most important and iconic figures, but those less intimately invested will find The Girl King an entertaining, if often exasperating, period romp. Review

There's no doubt Garrone could do some interesting work with the larger canvas provided by English language cinema, but Tale of Tales is a waste of resources for all involved, and there's no fairy tale ending for the viewer. Review

Just as it seems Bang Gang is celebrating sexuality, the film takes a regressive, conservative turn in its final act. Were it not for the nudity, you could imagine Husson's film being shown in Catholic run schools - "And that's why you should never, ever have sex before marriage," a priest might remark to his class as he ejects the DVD. Review

There are no extended shootouts - this isn't an action movie by any means - but every time a bullet is fired the consequence is made explicit; this is a film more concerned with the gruesome aftermath of violence than the cinematic thrills of the act itself. Review

Despite a run-time of 135 minutes, the film somehow never manages to find time to develop any of its characters. Review

This just might be Elisabeth Moss's best performance to date. All snot and runny mascara, she resembles a clown hit by a car and left for dead in the rain. We'd give her a hug if we didn't believe she'd stab us in the back. Review

Yonebayashi's movie may not stand up to the classics of the studio, but if Ghibli is to carry on in some form or other, we're in safe hands on this evidence. Review

If you can accept the printing of a dubious legend and embrace your white privilege, Race has enough to keep you entertained, but this is a story that needed to be told from an African-American perspective with no concessions to the fragility of white guilt. Review

Go With Me is a movie that skillfully uses what could be dismissed as clichés and tropes in its narrative to allow for a subtle exploration of its characters' motivations, never bragging about its sly commentary on and deconstruction of its genre. It plays like a companion piece to Jeremy Saulnier's Blue Ruin, but it's ultimately the more rewarding of the two. Review

The problem with Me Before You's stance on euthanasia is that it constantly tells us how much pain Will is in, but never dares to back this up visually, making it all too easy for those who oppose the practice to dismiss the film as an offensive and demeaning take on life for the disabled. Review

Watching someone play the game itself would probably constitute a far more rewarding experience than having to endure the movie, and at least you could ask the gamer to explain what exactly it is you're watching; this isn't entertainment, it's homework. Review

Shane Black is back to doing what he does best, a buddy action comedy, with characters of his own imagining, and the result is one of the most deliriously enjoyable movies to come out of mainstream American cinema since... well, since Iron Man 3. Review

I've long been on the fence with regard to the validity of Beckinsale's talents as an actress - her filmography is loaded with stinkers - but her career-best performance here suggests the problem lies with her choice of roles. This almost feels like a debut, giving us a side of the English actress we've rarely seen before as she rampages through this film like a force of nature. Review

Watching talented movie stars embrace and enjoy their roles as much as the actors appear to here always provides a degree of entertainment, but there are far better movies out there you could invest your own savings in. Review