Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Bloodlines pales in comparison to the sort of films it's attemping to evoke, and never manages to generate the sort of ticking clock tension such films thrive on. Review

Such details take us out of the film at key points, which is a shame as Unmoored is an otherwise tense and paranoid thriller with a protagonist we can sympathise with if not entirely condone. Review

In its home stretch, The Exorcist: Believer comes up against the problem of trying to present an exorcism in a novel fashion. At this point it's like trying to make a shark movie. Review

Like the worst superhero movies, much of When Evil Lurks seems more interested in laying down a path for possible further instalments than in keeping focus on telling its own story. That said, now that the rules have been established, perhaps a sequel could be better able to focus on the sort of outlandishly violent thrills that make up the highlights of Rugna's frustrating film. Review

While two of the segments are unremarkable, none of them could be considered duds and two are among the series' best offerings. Review

The Creator looks impressive but has a cavity in its chest where a human heart should be beating. Review

If you're already onboard with the unique delights of Italian genre cinema of this era you'll embrace the madness on display here. Review

It all leads to a rather convenient and clichéd climax, and by that point you'll have had to suspend a lot of disbelief to stay onboard with Saturn Bowling's frustrating narrative. Review

Ultimately it's the lack of scares that prevent Nightmare from living up to its name. There's too much exposition, too much time spent explaining backstories and not enough spent on constructing tense set-pieces. Review

For a movie about stocks and shares, Dumb Money is more thrilling than it has any right to be. Review

Duffield makes great use of editing, camera movement, blocking and framing to pull off some nerve-wracking set-pieces. Review

Plenty of filmmakers have managed to pull off the trick of combining arthouse with grindhouse, including Cassavettes' own parents, but perhaps the trick is to have an equal appreciation for both forms. Review

Despite its title, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster perhaps isn't angry enough, but it provides enough jolts to spark new life into a classic tale. Review

For the most part, Hellraiser is a gritty, kitchen sink thriller with a very British aesthetic. Review

The Wicker Man is a movie that benefitted greatly from both chance and improvisation. Review

El Conde is the first misstep in Larraín's prolific career, but a movie made by a filmmaker of his talent is always going to have at least one redeeming feature. Here it's the gorgeous vespertine cinematography of Edward Lachman, who utilises the same lenses employed by Gregg Toland in his collaborations with Orson Welles. Review

In a scene reminiscent of Ken Loach at his best, the villagers gather at a local hall to trash out the issue of the immigrants. Review

McCormack delivers a striking star-making turn that sees him turn on the charm while also coming off as a little creepy. Review

I doubt too many will be clamouring for a followup, as despite its theme, this first entry is far from elevated horror. Review

Yuval Adler and Luke Paradise's film owes much to the likes of Collateral and The Hitcher, but it lacks the style of the former and the suspense of the latter. It's really only held together by Cage's crazy glue. Review

With delicious ambiguity, Song occasionally teases a more traditional romance lurking under her film's mature surface. Review

It shouldn't feel revolutionary that a movie dare to portray a disabled person as layered and difficult to read, yet this is how it feels to watch Park act as a curious blend of antagonist and saviour. Review

Viewers who work with such vessels and form attachments may disagree, but the subplot does occasionally threaten to sink what is otherwise a melancholy thriller about a generation of men struggling to find a place for themselves in a post-war Britain. Review

The showy direction Fuqua opted for in the previous two instalments felt jarring when set against Washington's calm portrayal of an aging and gentlemanly killer. He appears to have matured as a director in the intervening years, and his studied approach here is more befitting a series centred on a man who can't move as quickly as his adversaries but is always two steps ahead. Review