Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

As he has done so often, Hill takes a b-movie plot and elevates it with A-plus direction and actors that fit squarely into their character templates while adding humanity, or in several cases here, inhumanity. Review

Cinematographer Scott McClellan shines his lights into the creases in Czerny's troubled brow like a spelunker finding his way through a dark cave, searching for the source of his unspoken psychological torment. Even the most committed atheist will be convinced that this is a man living in mortal fear of God, or something else. Review

Most of the cast don’t seem to be taking this seriously either, but they are at least having more fun than the audience. Review

A movie that looks far more polished than its relatively minor budget should allow. King devotees should look out for several references to his work peppered throughout. Review

But thanks to the performances of Lowden and Capaldi, Davies makes it clear that while Sassoon may be laughing on the outside, he's burdened with an eternally tortured soul. Review

We've seen both The Innocents' story and its stereotypes before, but it's undeniably well made. Given its budget, the visual effects are so impressively realistic that they might easily be overlooked. Review

The violence is so grim and mean-spirited (though dogged by the terrible CG) that by the end you may be rooting for the sinister government forces who seem correct here in viewing Charlie as a threat. Chances are you won't make it to the end however, as the movie is so dull you'll probably have nodded off to the dead zone by the hour mark. Review

Close to 40 years may have passed since the original, but Top Gun: Maverick is content to be a sequel in the traditional sense, picking up the story rather than rehashing it for a new generation. Review

It's testament to Yeoh's talent that despite her glamorous reputation, she becomes a relatable avatar for everyone's mum. Every now and then the Daniels will pause the onslaught of quirkiness to put Yeoh centre stage, and she delivers a remarkably moving performance that will have everyone in the audience wondering if their own mother is living the life she really wants. Review

The Sadness's biggest problem is that it doesn't give us anyone to care about. Neither Kay nor Jim are anything other than cardboard cut-out protagonists. Review

The actors do their best, God love them. Review

What keeps Wild Men afloat are the various comic vignettes involving our heroes and their pursuers. Most of the laughs come courtesy of Bjorn Sundquist as the local aging Sheriff, who pours disdain on the various lifestyles he encounters and fails to comprehend. Review

With its pedestrian pacing and an over-reliance on characters explaining the plot, The Twin never quite manages to make anything exciting from its various borrowed ingredients. Despite a fantastic setting, Mustonen rarely builds much in the way of atmosphere. Review

Solalinna is a revelation in the dual role of the sad-eyed Tinja and her monstrous doppelganger. Bergholm and writer Ilja Rautsi ensure that their young protagonist is relatably childlike. Review

That movie climaxes with an action set-piece, but the laughs continue right through the action and it never outstays its welcome. The same sadly can't be said for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Review

If it never lives up to its premise, it does at least provide the occasional well-executed, economical set-piece, and its unconventional heroine offers something different. Review

If Choose or Die's plot is simply a line to hang its set-pieces on, at least those sequences are imaginative. Meakins cleverly manages to expand his film's world while working to a tight budget by having some sequences play out in the form of 8-bit video game imagery. Review

Along with a host of talking heads from the movie and music worlds of both Europe and the US, Tornatore adds some cinematic flourishes, skillfully editing footage of Morricone conducting an invisible orchestra in his apartment with clips of his many live performances in prestigious global venues. Review

Amleth's story may be a tale as old as time, but while the story beats are familiar, the level of filmmaking on display here is an all too rare treat. Review

As a depiction of one of the war's most intriguing operations, Madden's film lacks the oomph factor that a Christopher Nolan might have brought, but it succeeds as a story of a group of smart people getting together to outwit an imposing enemy, with a formidable cast bringing these unsung heroes to life, or indeed death. Review

Vanderbeque's performance is supernaturally good, a testament to Wandel's skill as a director. Review

Present in almost every frame of the movie, Vartolomei is tasked with carrying the film and delivers what should be a star-making turn in French cinema, if not beyond. Review

Arnold's direction and Russell Metty's cinematography add a touch of class usually absent from such fare, with the pair making great use of negative space to create suspense sequences as shadows creep up on unsuspecting victims. Review

Courtesy of Clifford Stine, a veteran of King Kong, it's the special effects that steal the show as clever use of the matte process brings the monoliths to life. Review