Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

I'm not saying a buddy cop movie has to rely on foul language and hard hitting violence. With a great script and top notch performances, this template can survive in the PG-13 world. Ride Along, however, has neither of these required elements and badly needs an extra bit of edginess to paper over its cracks. Review

Imagine a hybrid of Species and Starman directed by Tarkovsky and you'll have some idea what to expect, though the film will certainly surprise. Review

Attempting to get to grips with the film's narrative is likely to leave you with a prolonged migraine and you’ll find yourself asking a lot of questions of the film. Review

The downside of Sen's film is its over reliance on dialogue to propel the investigation, as is often the case with the detective genre, and the movie begins to sag somewhat in the final act, once the novelty of its outback setting begins to wear thin. Review

The idea that vampires would be the most cultured people alive, thanks to having so much time on their hands, is an interesting concept that's briefly touched upon here but Only Lovers Left Alive is one for Jarmusch completists and teenage Goths only. Review

Volume Two is a grim look at the effects on an animal denied its carnal rights. Review

Volume One is the most exhilarating two hours of cinema I’ve seen in some time, an assault on the senses that moves at a blistering pace. Review

If you wish to hear Moriarty singing the Irish folk song, On Raglan Road, you'll be satisfied. If it's a laugh fest you're after, The Stag fails to deliver. Review

All the goodwill generated by The Book Thief's performers can't paper over the cracks in its plot though. Review

With a considerable slice of the movie featuring Theodore lying in bed or sitting at his desk in conversation with the voice of Samantha, Her feels like an adaptation of a stage play, one that could give August: Osage County a run for its money for an absence of cinematic storytelling. Review

I doubt we'll see a more visually impressive film in 2014. Adam Stockhausen's production design and Bob Yeoman's cinematography combine to create the illusion that we're not looking at a flat screen but rather gazing into a cube. Review

If you've ever had a bizarre inkling for prison time, Starred Up will certainly change your mind. You will, however, leave the film wishing you could spend more time on the inside with these characters. Review

Clooney does his best to turn this story into a Kelly's Heroes style caper but the script is devoid of any of the required dramatic elements. Review

It may at this point seem like I hated Dallas Buyer's Club but the uncomfortable truth is that it's a quite entertaining film, thanks mainly to the outstanding central performances of McConaughey and Leto. I'm not saying avoid Dallas Buyer's Club, but be aware you're being spun a false yarn, and leave the tinfoil hat at home. Review

The biggest crime of Robocop is that it fails to simply live up to its title. The fun of the original was in seeing how a robotic cop would perform on his beat but we don't get any of that here. Review

I can't help but suspect I read Stalingrad in an altogether different manner than its makers intended but I thoroughly enjoyed it, though certain aspects left a troubling taste in my mouth. Review

The story is a lot more straightforward and unoriginal than you're initially led to believe by Denis's chopped up narrative and by the film's conclusion you're left asking "Is that it?", thanks to being teased throughout that you were being fed something a lot more substantial. Review

Watching writer-director Alain Guiraudie's Stranger by the Lake, I couldn't help but relate to those old ladies. For all the film's controversially explicit sex scenes, I was most struck by the scenic beauty of the film's lakeside location. Review

It's impossible to take this bunch of halfwits seriously as special ops soldiers. Wahlberg, Kitsch and Hirsch come off like three surfers on a paintball excursion while Foster seems to think he's playing a psychopath. Review

While the film may be disingenuous with regard to its romance, its still an enjoyable diversion, thanks mainly to O'Dowd's Celtic lech, Novak's lovable camp Persian, and the film's infectious salsa dancing scenes. Review

The characters of Out of the Furnace suffer from a combination of over-writing and under-development. Bale... Review

That Awkward Moment is a film only a date rapist could appreciate. Review

Whenever Stallone and De Niro are onscreen together it enters the realm of broad comedy but most of the film is a melancholy tale of regret and the search for redemption. This would be fine if the script was up to scratch but Grudge Match is as lazily written as its poster is badly photo-shopped. Review

None of these "shocking" plot twists carry any dramatic weight, though, as they revolve around characters we have no investment in. Review