Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

The first two acts are riveting, thanks mainly to the stellar performances from Tao and Jingdong, but the movie capsizes under the weight of their absence from the final act. Review

This brand of humour will prove impenetrable to some, and those lured in from the mainstream by the presence of household names like Farrell and Weisz will likely recoil at the darkness on display, but if you can tune into Lanthimos's nihilistic wavelength, this is a comic treat like few others in recent memory. Review

The Hallow bravely puts its monsters front and centre, but does an effective job of building up to their appearance to a degree sufficient enough for us to accept them without unintentional laughter. The old-school effects bring these fanged fairy folk to life in a way CG simply can't. Review

If you're looking for an involving narrative, you're better off sticking with Man on Wire, but as a cinematic experience, The Walk is a visual treat. Shame then that it's such an aural travesty. Review

Writer-director Ramin Bahrani is one of American cinema's best kept secrets. With Spiderman and General Zod headlining his latest, maybe Bahrani will finally take his place at the head table of adult American drama. Review

Panahi packs an awful lot into his movie - satire, pathos, charm, discontent and bubbling rage. If it means we get more movies like Taxi Tehran, perhaps more filmmakers should have such restrictions placed upon their craft. Keep the meter running Jafar! Review

The verisimilitude of this world is convincing enough as to be thoroughly immersive and engaging. The film and Labed's performance leave us wanting to follow Alice on further journeys. You could do worse than stowing away on the Fidelio for its 97 minute trip. Review

The question of whether or not this is a price worth paying to maintain the integrity of a sport is never addressed here, presumably because such a debate would add a layer of nuance that might detract from the sub-standard thriller Frears and Hodge have fashioned, one that ultimately fails because it can't decide who, between Armstrong and Walsh, is the film's hero. Review

There are few things more compelling than watching someone who is really good at their job, and seeing Watney apply scientific ingenuity to every problem posed by a planet whose dirt was never meant to be trod on by human feet is genuinely awe inspiring. Review

Anyone who has ever experienced the stress of maintaining a full-time job while dealing with personal issues will sympathise with the plight of Mia Madre's protagonist. As with life itself, Mia Madre doesn’t climax with a happy ending, but its final image is one of comfort. Review

Suffragette follows the template of the many quasi-feminist exploitation movies released by American International in the early '70s. Add a bluegrass score and Pam Grier, and this could have been directed by Jonathan Demme in 1971; and it's all the better for it. Review

Once you accept that Mississippi Grind doesn't have an original thought in its head, you can settle back and enjoy it as a somewhat superior buddy movie, albeit a highly derivative one. The opportunity to see Mendelsohn stretch himself, playing a character more pathetic than petrifying, justifies the admission price alone. Review

Horror is a genre David Gelb doesn't seem comfortable with, failing to generate any tension or suspense, while even the de rigueur Blumhouse jump scares fall flat due to poor editing. Review

In Kurzel's hands, Macbeth resembles a two hour promo for a rugby final, or a Guinness commercial directed by Zack Snyder; all sound and fury, signifying nothing. Review

As a story of a talented woman who comes to realise she's been given a job for reasons other than her professional skill, Sicario serves as an allegory Blunt, and so many, too many, female stars can sadly identify with. Review

With a use of shadow and chiaroscuro that invokes the atmospheric productions of Val Lewton, Kurosawa-esque diagonal lines of action, and a sense of depth to rival Kubrick, Horse Money is a masterclass in shot composition, the latest in a growing number of recent movies to revive the 4:3 Academy ratio. Sadly, that doesn't hide the fact that it's essentially a series of beautifully framed shots of its mumbling protagonist. Review

While it's a scenario we've seen countless times before, several factors make Tangerines taste as fresh as its titular fruit, and writer-director Zaza Urushadze proves that the world is a big enough place to provide enough variations on a theme for a long time to come. Review

James Dean's films haven't aged well, and Dean even comments here on how he feels East of Eden is too over the top. That's not a criticism you can level at Life, a movie so subtle many may find it alienating, but through DeHaan we get to see Dean as the melodramatic cinema of the '50s never allowed us to - an Ordinary Joe. Review

July Jung makes an impressive writing and directing debut, displaying maturity in her avoidance of any showy camerawork, allowing the faces of her characters to communicate story and mood. We eagerly await her next work. Review

If you plan to go see Everest, it may be best to leave at the point where its protagonists reach the summit of the titular mountain, as it's all downhill after that. It's a movie of two halves - one an involving and inspiring tale of human triumph, the other a dull, by the numbers disaster flick. Review

The movie manages to juggle several moods without ever feeling tonally confused. It's funny, it's scary, and in its exploration and exploitation of senility, it's at times deeply upsetting. Shyamalan reminds us he never lost confidence in his abilities, even if we did. Shame on us. Review

While his previous recent non-comedic dabblings, Matchpoint and Cassandra's Dream, have been misfires, Allen finally gets it right with Irrational Man, his darkest film to date. Review

The initially intriguing setup gives way to a crude 'bad behaviour' comedy, trading on the gimmick that we don't see women indulge in such filthy antics too often in American cinema. Greer will have to wait a little longer for that breakout role. Review

The sight of Tom Hardy attempting to out-act himself is just about enough to hold your attention for a good portion of the film, but after a while the lack of substance begins to weigh heavy and the strings become all too visible. East End? More like dead end! Review