Movie reviews of Hamish Calvert

Stuber is a harmless attempt at creating a fresh take on an old genre.

Conjuring up an entertaining and equally as intense watch Dauberman will be successful in securing some screams and squirms from his audiences.

Ultimately although the film shows promise in its opening scenes it simply can’t deliver the scares, fun or emotion nessecary to make a memorable monster movie.

These sequences are hypnotising thanks to how meticulously executed they are. They often boast beautiful visuals, brutal violence or exciting creativity too, creating a true spectacle of cinematic action. It’s some of the surrounding factors that stop this entry from excelling fully, namely some misplaced humour and poor character work.

The likeable cast excel in delivering the clever comedy provided whilst the screenwriters expertly balance this with the accompanying drama, overcoming a cinematic challenge that many struggle to achieve.

The ambition of this project has to be admired and the attempts to please several different audiences is admirable. There are some excellent moments littered throughout this film but they’re all too fleeting to enhance the quality of the film as a whole.

The cast make for a captivating ensemble who brilliantly bring this real life horror story to the screen with Efron’s leading turn drawing almost all of the attention.

So whilst at times inconsistent with its tone of injecting comedy into its quite serious setting Long Shot takes just that, but it’s a long shot that pays off.

However, despite this and a slightly directionless beginning Tolkien does make for a satisfying cinematic journey when it arrives at the culmination of its narrative.

The solid main cast deserve better from their writers as the generic screenplay fails to inspire any actual scares or worthwhile family drama.

So with the cast delivering performances of such a high quality across the board and the surprisingly involving screenplay The Fight packs more of a punch than you might have first expected.

Avengers: Endgame is a shocking, joyful and heartbreaking triumph that will forever be a milestone of crossover and superhero cinema.

With a strong emphasis on small town politics and paranoia this mystery won’t have the scale to intrigue some audiences but those willing to go with its slow burn will be satisfied come the credits.

The solid foundations and creative potential The Dead Center harbours will be enough for some but its lack of character and originality will be its death sentence for many.

It’s narrative impressively showcases relationships and romance through the lens of several different personalities, intensities and circumstances providing an entertaining and affecting entry into the genre.

The greater focus on dialogue & characters rather than plot does have its benefits for the picture.

It truly captures and understands the reality for countless young people growing up today and tells their story in a hilarious, heartwarming and at times harrowing way.

Thunder Road is deeply moving and darkly funny, it’s brilliantly unconventional tone won’t be for all audiences but those that do connect with it will relish in its touching drama and bizarre comedy.

Rose-Lynn is a challenging and complex character to have at the helm of the narrative but she’s why it’s so good.

Its remarkable authenticity is complemented by a superb cast of mostly unknown performers whose lack of fame serves the film very well. Blending difficult drama and effortless humour Mid90s establishes itself as a notable coming of age story and a strong start for Hill’s directorial career.

Whilst not necessarily gripping, Gloria Bell still boasts a richly compelling tone, laced with natural humour and authentic drama.

The Perfect Date is the latest in a long line of Netflix conveyor belt productions with its cookie cutter narrative ticking all the expected boxes. However, with its magnetic cast, Marono in particular, it avoids ever becoming a boring watch and offers enough to compel its audiences to a satisfactory level.

Whilst as cheesy as they come, Shazam! fully embraces its genre truly feeling like it’s leapt off the pages of its comic book origins.

Happy as Lazzaro is a well executed film boasting a truly curious narrative. It’s most certainly a complex film but for some it will be lacking in actual physical narrative with not a enough happening for them to fully engage with.