Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

It's a movie that follows a tried and trusted formula - take two talented actresses, provide them with a worthwhile script, and find interesting but meaningful ways to shoot their interactions. It sounds simple, and Finley, Cooke and Taylor-Joy certainly make it look simple, but it takes real talent to make a movie that feels as effortlessly composed as Thoroughbreds. Review

A Quiet Place may be headlined by one of Hollywood's biggest stars, but it's a b-movie of the best kind, one that gets into its advertised premise quickly, does its job of inching the viewer closer and closer to the edge of their seat, and gets out without a fuss, leaving us thirsty for more adventures in its world, and more from its talented director. Review

Western is a compelling tribute to our ability to find a soulful connection that transcends the obstacles of language and culture. Review

MacDonald's writing and directing is equally adroit. Review

Were you to edit out everything Ebersole and Hughes have created from scratch for their film, leaving just the talking heads and archive footage, Mansfield 66/67 would prove an informative look at a key figure of mid twentieth century Americana. In its present form, it's a disrespectful piece of snark art that leaves a bitter taste in the viewer's mouth, one which will likely enrage anyone with a genuine affection for its subjec... Review

Greenop's film benefits from talented performers and a captivating backdrop, but it fails to exploit either, resulting in a film that begins as an intriguing psychological thriller, only to climax in a tiresome rehash of horror tropes. Review

Flynn perfectly embodies a young man who has found himself thrown around various systems all his life, any independent spirit he may have once had long since crushed. Review

Pacific Rim Uprising isn't a film I could recommend to anyone over the age of 12, but I found it far more bearable than most modern franchise action movies. It's also that rare Hollywood film that does exactly what it says on its tin, delivering on its promise of huge robots punching giant monsters through skyscrapers. Kids from Tokyo to Taiwan, and maybe even Texas this time, will love it! Review

Anyone over the age of 12 will struggle to endure its insufferable, soulless cavalcade of colour and commercial culture, while anyone younger will struggle to make sense of references aimed at their parents. Review

Had Soderbergh remained focussed on his film's initial theme, Unsane might have created a wider Get Out style conversation around the ethics of commercialising the care industry. As it is, most viewers will leave Soderbergh's film asking questions about minor unexplained plot points. Review

This Tomb Raider has a compelling figure at its centre, played by an actress who throws herself into the role with an infectious glee, but aside from a couple of bouts of exciting action, it struggles to find anything of interest for her to do, and the script is sorely lacking in some much needed humour. Still, there's enough to suggest that with a more cogent story, the Nordic duo of Uthaug and Vikander may have laid the founda... Review

For now it's simply an endurance test that had me constantly checking my watch and wishing I could time travel to its closing credits. Review

Halfway through Mary Magdalene I began wishing I had some algebra to distract me from the dramatically inert, plodding story unspooling on screen. Review

Gringo however has a lot more in common with a Netflix original, boasting an impressive cast in a blandly shot and misfiring drama, and if Amazon had sent it straight to their streaming service, nobody would be calling it cinema's loss. Review

Wonder Wheel isn't the worst movie Allen has ever made, but it might be the worst he's ever written. Thank Italian cinematography God Vittorio Storaro then that it's one of the best looking movies Allen has delivered in years. Review

It's a film that inspires outrage from its audience at the treatment of its protagonist, but it never asks us to pity her. Strong and defiant throughout, if brittle within, Marina is a figure of inspiration, and you don't leave the film feeling sorry for her, rather you exit wishing you had an ounce of her fortitude. Review

While its probably too light on action and explicit thrills to fully sate fans of more bombastic sci-fi, and lacking enough originality to earn classic status within the genre, Annihilation does enough with its melting pot premise to please an audience somewhere in the middle-ground, and hopefully Netflix's recommendation algorithm will lead its viewers on a path of sci-fi discovery of their own. Review

Each viewer will have their own opinion on what's best for the young man, but thanks to Jandreau's endearingly captivating performance and Zhao's compassionate approach, you'll be rooting for him all the way regardless of his decision. Review

The Cured plays best when it's dealing with the relationship between Senan and Abbie, the latter torn between her liberal, accepting nature and her need to keep her son safe. Keely effectively evokes sympathy as he conveys his character's self-doubt regarding the effectiveness of his cure and his fear of regressing to his infected state. Review

While it may be a damning indictment of the regressive gender politics of her country, Surya's film is a visually splendid tribute to its natural beauty. Review

The more plot twists it throws up, the more we find ourselves scratching our heads at how it consistently contradicts itself and appears to be making up its plot on the fly. Review

The contemporary audience for Schrader's work may be a fraction of that of his '70s prime, but his words still affect us, perhaps now more than ever. As long as he keeps penning sermons, we'll keep listening. Review

Unlike most thrillers, with their wooden stock characters, the people Shigemori encounters over the course of his investigation are just that - people. No matter how small a role they play, Kore-eda makes every single character feel like a living, breathing person with their own story playing out offscreen... Review

Less successful is the mute aspect of Leo's character, which does little but add running time to an already snail-paced narrative, as our hero communicates by writing down notes and asking strangers to speak into voice recognition devices. Review