LAST NIGHT IN SOHO REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Edgar Wright is better known for his comedies, including the Cornetto Trilogy which featured the films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, and starred Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. However, with his latest film, Last Night In Soho, Wright has created a twisted and riveting thriller.

For sweet-natured, 1960s-obsessed Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), dreams really do come true when she gets accepted into fashion school in the bustling heart of London’s West End. But big city life proves a rude awakening for this small-town girl, and when her rowdy student halls become too much for her to take, she rents a room in the attic of the matriarchal Miss Collins (Diana Rigg, in her final film role). That night, in her new bed, Eloise finds herself inexplicably transported back to 1966 and into the body of an ambitious young singer named Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy). But just as she starts to get used to her nocturnal time travels, Eloise slowly begins to uncover the terrifying reality of swinging 60s London.

Those expecting Last Night In Soho to be a comedic take on the horror genre like Shaun of the Dead will probably be disappointed as the former is more serious and, at times, is genuinely scary, making it a perfect film to watch during Halloween. 

Since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, Last Night In Soho has divided critics Wright’s “stylish and ambitious” filmmaking skills but said that the film struggled to maintain its thrilling early momentum. Because of this, I lowered my expectations, however, I was pleasantly surprised by Last Night In Soho. While I agree that the story is complicated, I found it to be a gripping thriller for the majority of its 116 minute runtime, with McKenzie and Taylor-Joy impressing in their roles as Eloise and Sandy. Last Night In Soho is undoubtedly Wright’s most visually stunning film and is filled with bright and vibrant cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung. This is clearly a film made to be watched on the big screen and Wright’s love for cinema and for the era of the 1960s are clearly explored.

An issue with Wright’s films is his treatment of female characters, with all of his main characters being portrayed by male actors. Most of the women in his films are love interests for the male main characters, including Kate Ashfield’s Liz in Shaun of the Dead, Rosamund Pike in The World’s End and Lily James’ Deborah in Baby Driver, are examples of this. However, with Last Night In Soho, Wright has made his first film with two female main characters, Eloise and Sandy, who are both interesting individuals and brought to life through the captivating performances by McKenzie and Taylor-Joy. The former portrays Eloise as an ambitious fashion designer who is has a secret sixth sense. However, she comes to London wanting a fresh start but is startled to discover the real horrors that lurk within the capital city, including a creepy taxi driver and a group of mean girls who are studying at the same university as Eloise who shortly leaves campus and moves into an old house owned by a seemingly sweet old woman, Miss Collins. However, on her first night, Eloise finds herself transported to Soho in the 1960s through the body of an aspiring singer, Sandy. Taylor-Joy shines as Sandy, a stand out scene sees her singing Petula Clark’s Downtown. Another impressive performance is delivered by Matt Smith as Jack who is charming at first and promises to help Sandy in her singing career, however, it doesn’t take long for the charm to fade and for the darker side of his personality to come through. In her final film role, the late Dame Diana Rigg delivers an unforgettable performance as Miss Collins. 

Last Night In Soho is Wright’s most divisive film yet as there will be those left puzzled by what they just watched and with more questions than answers, however, others will find it to be a riveting and twisted thriller. Although I’m aware of the film’s issues, including a confusing story and lack of Wright’s trademark humour, this didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying what he’s made with Last Night In Soho. Wright succeeds in capturing the darker sides of London and creates a creepy atmosphere from the moment Eloise arrives in Soho. 

The timing of Last Night In Soho’s release couldn’t be more perfect. It was originally meant to be released in October last year but was postponed after the United Kingdom went into another lockdown, following the spread of the coronavirus. While a lot of films have skipped a theatrical release and gone straight to home release, Wright prioritised a cinema release and it’s easy to see why. Last Night In Soho is a film made to be watched on the big screen, especially during Halloween. 

With Last Night In Soho, director Edgar Wright has created a dark and twisted thriller with Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy shining in their roles.

8/10

FREAKY REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Writer/director Christopher Landon is best known for combining the classic Bill Murray comedy, Groundhog Day, with the famous serial killer films, Friday The 13th in his films, Happy Death Day and its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U. The films followed a college student who is murdered on the night of her birthday and begins reliving the same day repeatedly as she tried to find her murderer and prevent her death. Both films were successful at the box office, with critics describing it as “darkly humorous sci-fi spin on slasher conventions”. Landon’s latest film is Freaky, however, is it as entertaining as his previous films?

Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the latest target of the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), the town's infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When the Butcher's mystical dagger causes him and Millie to magically switch bodies, the frightened teen learns she has just 24 hours to get her identity back before she looks like a middle-aged maniac forever.

With Freaky. Landon brings the body swap antics from the 2003 Disney comedy, Freaky Friday, with the thrilling serial killer action from Friday the 13th. This results in a thoroughly entertaining film, filled with gruesome murders and amusing physical humour. 

Like Happy Death Day, Freaky never takes itself too seriously which makes it all the more fun to watch. However, those who are squeamish will probably want to avoid this as it’s very violent with characters being killed off in gruesome and stomach churning ways. The opening sequence introduces viewers to the Blissfield Butcher who kills off a small group of teenagers using a wine bottle, a toilet lid, a tennis racquet and by impaling one of them. It’s a great way to start the film as it fully captures the Butcher’s violent and murderous personality. Following the intense opening, Freaky introduces Millie who is a shy and insecure teenager, with her long, blonde hair hiding her face. She has two friends, Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich) and has a crush on Booker (Uriah Shelton). Millie is also bullied by popular mean girl, Ryler (Melissa Collazo) and her teacher, Mr. Bernardi (Alan Ruck). These characters later become the Butcher’s next victims who, because he’s trapped in Milly’s body, takes advantage of his new body. Although Milly is shocked to be in the body of a serial killer, she too makes the most of her new found strength by standing up to one of the bullies. 

After performing as a mascot during a game at school, Milly encounters the Butcher whilst she’s waiting for her mother, Coral (Katie Finneran) to pick her up. The Butcher stabs her with a mystical dagger that causes them to switch bodies. The scene where Millie first wakes up in the Butcher’s body is one of the funniest in the scene, with Vaughn delivering one of his most amusing performances. It would have been easy to have delivered an over the top performance that could have come across as caricatured and irritating, fortunately, that’s not the case here. Vaughn’s performance is similar to Jack Black’s in the recent Jumanji films, Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, The Next Level. Newton is equally as impressive, both as the shy and quiet Millie and the serial killer trapped in her body. It can be challenging trying to convince as an entirely different person stuck in the body of someone else, however, both Vaughn and Newton succeed. As Millie’s best friends, O’Connor and Osherovich provide memorable supporting roles. 

Freaky was first released in cinemas in the United States in November last year. Since then it’s received a mostly positive response from critics who described it as an “entertaining slasher with a gender-bending, body-swapping twist”. Eight months later, with cinemas finally reopened in the United Kingdom, Freaky has been released. Although there’s a lot of films currently showing in cinemas, including the riveting thriller, A Quiet Place Part II, uplifting musical, In The Heights and intoxicating Danish drama, Another Round, I think that Freaky is definitely worth seeing at the cinema as it provides 101 minutes of much needed escapism through bloody and gruesome murders and physical comedy. 

7/10

A QUIET PLACE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

If you know me, you'll know that I'm a wimp when it comes to horror films. However, when I saw the trailer for A Quiet Place, I knew I had to see it. The trailer showed a family who lived in silence, in order to hide away from monsters who hunt by sound. The thought of having to live in total silence really interested me as we live in a world that is filled with sound. It's hard to imagine a world without sound, however, John Krasinski's directorial debut helps us to picture it. At the time of writing this review, A Quiet Place has received positive reception from both critics and audiences. Could this really be one of the best horror films?

Two parents, Lee (Kransinski) and Evelyn (Emily Blunt) Abbott  do what it takes to keep their children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe), and soon to be newborn safe in a world full of creatures hunting every sound they can hear. Not a sound can be heard from the family hiding in silence, but all it takes is one noise and everything can go wrong. The family are mourning the loss of the youngest child, Beau (Leon Russom), who, after discovering a loud toy rocket, is tragically killed in an instant by an monster. With a newborn baby on the way, the family must take extra precaution in order to keep themselves safe.

Although I haven't seen many horror films, I have to say that A Quiet Place may be the best yet. A lot of criticism I've heard aimed at horrors is that they show 'too much violence and gore' rather than focusing on its story. They're more interested in scaring its audience rather than making a good film. Fortunately, the same cannot be said for A Quiet Place. The premise is simple and easy to follow. Make a sound and you'll be killed. The story focuses on the family of four, soon to be five, which includes teenager, Regan, who is deaf. Lee spends a lot of time trying to fix her hearing aid so she can listen out for the monsters. Because of Regan's hearing impairment, the family are able to communicate through sign language and they've come up with various ways to prevent noise: walking barefoot slowly on sand and using lettuce leaves as plates and eating with their bare hands. Lee has also discovered that, when covered by the sound of waterfall, they are able to speak normally without the monsters hearing them. This makes them a respectable family as they make smart decisions and have learnt how to live without the monsters discovering them. A lot of horror films tend to feature characters that stupid decisions and, because of this, we find it hard to root for them. In the beginning, when poor Beau is killed, I did wonder why Evelyn didn't carry her son home, however, she questions herself later on in the film. A few people did question certain aspects of the film, however, I think that's what I liked most about A Quiet Place as the story was so thought provoking. I'm sure a lot of viewers were wondering if they would be able to survive in a world without sound, I certainly was.

Like I mentioned earlier, this is Krasinski's directorial debut and it's an impressive one at that. Since it began in 2005, he has become best known for portraying Jim Halpert in the 'mockumentary'-based comedy, The Office. I was a fan of the series when I first began watching it a few years ago and, to be honest, I never would've guessed that Krasinski would be a talented horror director. He knows how to grabs an audience's attention and never let it go until the end credits. The story is unpredictable throughout and we never know who is going to survive and who isn't. As well as directing, Krasinski gives his best dramatic performance yet. Although he has managed to protect most of his family, he is still terrified and works hard to make sure everyone is safe.

As well as Krasinski, the performances are all great. Blunt is one of my favourite actresses and I'm yet to see her give a disappointing performance. I do think that her this may be her best performance so far. We learn early on in the film that she's pregnant and, of course, the thought of going into a painful labour and bringing a crying baby into the world is a scary thought. Her best scene is when she's in the bath tub and, although she's in excruciating pain, she is trying her hardest not to make a sound. It's an incredibly tense scene and works because of Blunt's brilliant performance. It's not surprising that both Blunt and Krasinski work well together and make a convincing couple, considering they're married with two children in real life. The two share a heartfelt scene where they slowly dance to music that's playing in their earphones. Both Jupe and Simmonds are brilliant as the two children, especially Simmonds who, like her character, is deaf in real life. I'm glad Krasinski chose a deaf actor as it makes the performance all the more convincing. 

A Quiet Place is not for the faint hearted. There's jump scares throughout and the film has its fair share of violence and gore. A scene involving a character and a nail that's sticking out on one of the stairs is painful to watch. If you're squeamish, I'd suggest giving this a miss. Because I'm not the biggest horror film fan, I did find A Quiet Place tough to watch. My heart was racing throughout, however, that's the sign of a great horror film. Because its only 90 minutes long, it moved at a brisk pace, however, it ended very quickly. At the time of writing this review, a sequel has been announced. Whether it'll be based on the same family or a different set of characters, I'm not sure. In all honest, I hope it focuses on the same family as the ending leaves us questioning. I would also like to see Krasinski return to direct as he really captured the dark and intense tone and I don't think any other director will be able to create a sequel that is half as good as what he's achieved here. 

Overall, A Quiet Place is probably one of the best horror films we've had in a while as it features a compelling and thought-provoking premise, smart characters and strong performances from its cast. John Krasinski proves he's more than a character from a popular sitcom and showcases his talent as a director and an actor.

8/10

ANNIHILATION REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Science fiction can mean different things to different people. There are those who associate the genre with space adventures as seen in the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises that feature a lot of special effects and action. Science fiction can also mean films that focus on though-provoking ideas and tell compelling stories. Alex Garland previously directed the 2014 feature, Ex Machina, which was described as sci-fi but focused more on the idea of artificial intelligence. It received critical acclaim with many praising Alicia Vikander's performance as the A.I., Eva. Now, Garland has returned with his latest feature, Annihilation. Based on Jeff VanderMeer's book of the same name, Annihilation features a lot of interesting ideas and a leading performance from Natalie Portman and also starring Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez and Tuva Novotny. 

Lena's (Portman) husband, Kane (Isaac), disappeared a year ago. However, she is shocked to discover him at home, however, he's not the same. He can barely speak and becomes very ill, leading them both being sent to a facility. This is where she meets psychologist, Dr. Ventress, who explains that her husband was part of a team that went into explore The Shimmer, a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don’t apply. Lena puts her name forward for an expedition into The Shimmer to try and find out what happened to her husband. Joining her are Ventress,  a paramedic named Anya Thorensen (Rodriguez), a physicist named Josie Radek (Thompson) and Case Sheppard (Novotny) who is a surveyor and geologist.

Despite having a wide cinema release in the United States and Canada, Annihilation was released on the streaming site, Netflix, earlier this month. It's hard to understand why this decision was made as Annihilation is one of those films that would look a lot better on the big screen, due to its stunning visuals and impressive special effects. Back in December last year, it was announced that due to the clashes between Scott Rudin, the producer, and David Ellison, a financier at Paramount, and the shift in Paramount's leadership, a deal was struck with Netflix handling international distribution. According to this deal, Paramount will handle the US and China release, while Netflix will begin streaming the film in other territories 17 days later. Garland revealed he was disappointed by this decision stating that Annihilation was 'made for cinema'. He doesn't see anything wrong with Netflix necessarily and says that one of the big pluses is that it goes out to a lot of people and there's no need to be worried about making money at the box office during its opening weekend. To those who get an opportunity to see Annihilation on the big screen should take it as I can imagine it's a rewarding experience. I enjoyed watching it at home but it's hard to say whether I would've enjoyed watching it at my local cinema.

While Annihilation is a science-fiction feature, it can also be described as an adventure, drama, mystery and thriller all wrapped into one. Having all these genres can mean problems with the tone of the film, however, Garland successfully blends them together and Annihilation never loses its dark, bleak and mysterious tone. Annihilation succeeds mainly because it focuses on ideas and telling a captivating story. Just like Portman's character, Lena, we are as curious and interested in The Shimmer as she is. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about the goings on in this mysterious land. It's only towards the end of the film that we realise what's going on and the explanation for Kane's unusual behaviour. I think that's what I liked most about Annihilation was that it told a smart and though-provoking story without losing my focus. It is hard to say whether it will appeal to everyone. Those hoping for plenty of action are better off looking elsewhere as it's not that kind of film and those who aren't comfortable with violence should avoid watching this. There isn't much violence, however, there are a few intense scenes that involve characters being killed in gory ways. 

As Lena, Portman gives a strong leading performance. We follow her story and we respect her decision to journey into The Shimmer as she wants to find out what happened to her husband. Annihilation cuts to scenes of her in a room where she is being interviewed by a man in a contamination suit, Lomax (Benedict Wong), who is a scientist. This takes place after Lena has returned from The Shimmer and, because of this, we think that she is the only one that survives the expedition. However, it isn't until the ending that we realise that something isn't quite right with Lena. It's an impressive performance from Portman and one that further proves she's capable of handling roles outside of franchises such as Star Wars or Thor. Jason Leigh gives a solid portrayal of the psychologist who leads the expedition and makes most of the decisions. Thompson recently made an appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, ironically replacing Portman as Thor's potential love interest. As Radek, Thompson gives an understated supporting performance. Many may know Rodriguez from the sitcom, Jane The Virgin, where she played the titular character. However, as Thorensen, she proves she's capable of handling dramatic roles which is proven in one intense sequence where she accusses Lena of killing one of the team members. Isaac reunites with Garland after they previously collaborated on Ex Machina and, despite his scenes being limited, he gives a very good performance. During filming for Annihilation, Isaac was also filming Star Wars: The Last Jedi which was on an adjacent studio set and had the same trailer for both films and would often record scenes for both films on the same day.

When I heard that Annihilation was being released straight to Netflix, I wasn't that interested in seeing it, however, after seeing all the positive reviews that it's received, I knew I had to watch it. Fortunately, Annihilation didn't disappoint. It backs up its impressive visuals and genre thrills with an ambitious and strange exploration of challenging and though-provoking themes that will certainly have viewers pondering about long after the film has finished.

8/10

MOTHER! REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Director Darren Aronofsky is known for his psychological horrors such as Black Swan and Requiem For A Dream, and his latest film, mother! may be his most controversial work yet. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in early September and received both cheers and boos. While most critics went on to deem it a 'horrific masterpiece', some were not so appreciative of what Aronofsky had created. However, it is those films that were initially deemed controversial and disturbing that have gone on to become iconic and known as masterpieces, including Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (which Aronofsky found inspiration from for this film). I think that, because of this, we should be giving mother! a chance and congratulating Aronofsky for having the guts to make something directors would be too scared to even try and make into a film. Yes, it is violent, disturbing and hard to watch at times but the same can be said for the aforementioned films. mother! isn't suitable for all audiences but those who love and appreciate dark, disturbing thrillers such as The Shining and Rosemary's Baby will find something to appreciate in mother!.

The plot follows a young woman, 'mother', (Jennifer Lawrence) whose tranquil life with her husband, 'Him' (Javier Bardem), at their country home is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious couple, Man (Ed Harris) and Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer). Their personal family drama spills over into the house leading to the death of their son and a memorial service held at their house. After the guests leave, the couple who own the house end up at the center of a cult that turns their home into a warzone.

I think it's best to go in to mother! totally blind as that is what Aronofsky wanted for his audience. He barely gave any details about the plot and even the trailer raised more questions than answers. However, I think that this was a good strategy as it intrigued audiences and persuaded them to see it. Another marketing scheme included uploading mother!'s posters to Aronofsky's Twitter account. The first poster was a painting and showed Lawrence's character holding out her heart. However, Aronofsky soon pointed out there were hidden Easter Eggs and clues in the poster, vital to the film's plot. Those who are interested in watching mother! should think twice as it involves a lot of violence, especially in its third act. It's one of those films that is definitely not for the faint hearted. 

For his cast, Aronofsky has chosen four of the best actors working today including Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris. Both Lawrence and Bardem have received Academy Awards in the past for their impressive performances, Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook, Bardem for No Country For Old Men. Both Pfeiffer and Harris have also been nominated for Oscars in the past. All four actors give impressive performances but none more so than Lawrence. I have supported Lawrence and seen her films ever since she gave her breakthrough performance in The Hunger Games in 2012 and she is yet to give a disappointing performance. Her ability to become her characters amazes me and the same can be said for her role as mother. mother! is shown from her character's point of view and the camera follows her around the house. This was achieved by having a cameraman walk closely behind her which meant that all the actors had to rehearse every step and movement. We feel mother's pain of having strangers in her house and we are also annoyed at her husband for not sending people away. Their house goes from being a peaceful paradise to a claustrophobic, living hell as more and more guests turn up, eating their food and literally breaking and destroying their house. This is all shown brilliantly in the third act as mother desperately walks through the house. She can barely breathe as she is surrounded by people and, because we have developed a connection with her, we can barely breathe either. It's incredibly intense. 

The main reason why the characters are all unnamed is because they're all religion-based. As Aronofsky explained, the husband is named Him in the closing credits and is the only character with a capital letter in his name because he's meant to be God. This is proven in the climatic scene when he says 'I am I'. Religious people will know that this is a line God uses in his scripture. The title, mother!, refers to Mother Nature, whom Lawrence portrays and the other characters are based on biblical characters. The couple are Adam and Eve and their sons are Cain and Abel. The house itself is Earth and we see mother's connection with it as she see visions of a beating heart. Although I'm not religious, I really appreciated Aronofsky's metaphors and allegories for how we're treating Mother Nature. As of right now, the world is in a bad state and I don't think we're doing enough to help save it. Many people may be offended by the violence aimed at mother but I can definitely see Aronofsky's message. Mother Nature has given us this beautiful world but we're destroying what she created through climate change and pollution. Hearing mother cry, 'I gave you everything! You gave it all away' is heartbreaking and it truly made me think about how we're destroying the only home we have.

mother! has been one of my most anticipated films of this year and it certainly exceeded my expectations. The evening before its release last month, I accidentally saw a spoiler which put me off watching it. However, I knew I had to watch it, mainly for Jennifer Lawrence's captivating and intense performance. Although I normally don't like these type of films, I thoroughly appreciated all the hard work that went into creating it. This is the second film of Aronofsky's I've seen (the other being Black Swan), however, I can definitely say that he is one of the most creative and visionary directors working today. I'd say that the the intensity and disturbing tone of mother! is similar to that of Requiem For A Dream. Overall, mother! is a thought-provoking product of a singularly ambitious artistic vision. 

9/10

ALIEN: COVENANT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 1979, director Ridley Scott shocked audiences when his second feature film, Alien, was released. I don't think anyone was prepared for the level of horror that awaited them as they sat down to watch an alien invasion movie. The film surrounded a crew aboard a spaceship and are hit with disaster after an alien bursts out of one of the crew member's chest and starts killing the entire crew. Almost four decades later, Alien is regarded as a sci-fi/horror classic and it shows one of Sigourney Weaver's career defining performances as Ellen Ripley. Because it was a box office success, James Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens, was released with Weaver reprising her role as the brave and fierce Ripley. Despite both films proving to be a hit with both audiences and critics, the following sequels, Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection were not best received. After the release of the latter, people assumed that that was the end of the Alien films. Fortunately, they were wrong and Scott began developing a prequel to Alien in the early 2000s. In 2012, Scott's prequel, Prometheus, was released and, whilst it lacked in the alien department, it was still full of thrills and dark and tense moments. It also explained the origins of the human race and began to explain where the xenomorphs came from. Prometheus ended with archaeologist, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and android, David (Michael Fassbender), on their way to find out why the Engineers created them and then tried to destroy them. Now, five years later, the follow-up, Alien: Covenant has been released and it gives more background on the xenomorphs.

Alien: Covenant is set in the year 2104, a decade after the events of Prometheus and opens on board the titular ship which is in the middle of journeying to a new remote planet, Origae-6, with about 2,000 colonists and a 1,000 embryos, which is monitored by the android, Walter (Fassbender) who resembles David but is an improvement on the latter. Unfortunately, disaster strikes, waking the crew up early and resulting the death of its captain (James Franco). As the crew repairs the damages, a transmission is intercepted from a nearby planet. Oram (Billy Crudup), who is second in command, makes the decision to visit the planet, despite Daniels' (Katherine Waterston) objections. When the crew lands, the planet seems perfect but it doesn't take long for things to take a dark and violent turn. 

Despite Prometheus receiving a mostly positive reception from both critics and audiences, most complains were about the lack of aliens. Those who complained will not be disappointed here. Within hours of landing on the planet, two members of the crew are inadvertently infected with an alien spore that kills them, after one bursts out of the back of one crew member while the other escapes through the mouth of another. Alien: Covenant has a high level of violence and gore so those with a weak stomach may want to give this film a miss. The intensity increases and, just when you think everything is okay, Scott shocks us by using unpredictable twists and jump scares. Like in most of the films in the franchise, no one is safe and people die in shockingly violent ways. Once again, Scott has succeeded in crafting a horror film.

Unfortunately, where he is less successful is the characters. In my opinion, in Prometheus, I think that the characters were more memorable because of the actors portraying them and their performances. The stand-outs for me were Rapace, Fassbender and Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers, who monitored the situation. Of the three, Fassbender is the only one to return, however, Rapace's character, Dr. Shaw, is frequently mentioned. Waterston gives a strong performance as Daniels who, despite her initial fears, remains brave and doesn't stop at trying to kill the monstrous neomorphs (which are forerunners to the xenomorph). Waterston previously appeared in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and proves her ability to play two completely different characters. Hopefully, these roles will get her more recognition as I think that she's an underrated actress. Solid supporting roles come from Crudup as Oram and Danny McBride as Tennessee, who is the chief pilot. For those seeing Alien: Covenant for James Franco, you're going to be disappointed.

Fassbender made David an interesting and mysterious individual, however, in this sequel, we see a different side to his character. We learn that he is manipulative and, ironically, has more human emotions than the humans themselves as he almost tears up when he talks about Shaw. He is unpredictable and we never know what he is going to do next. Fassbender also successfully achieves the task of portraying two different characters at the same time. Walter is a more mature, friendlier version of David. The relationship between the two androids is interesting to watch. David's evil actions leads to a brilliantly choreographed fight that results in a surprising twist.

Much like Prometheus, Alien: Covenant features some impressive visuals. When the crew arrive on the planet, the dark and grey setting implies that it's far from the paradise they had hoped for. As the intensity increases, the setting becomes darker, 

At the time of Alien: Covenant's release, Scott announced that there will be a sequel that'll lead into Alien. I won't reveal anything but Alien: Covenant does end on a cliffhanger, indicating there is still more to come. 

While I don't think it's as good as Alien, Aliens or Prometheus (which I enjoyed more than most), Alien: Covenant isn't as bad as Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. It's a welcome return to the 'Alien' franchise and is full of thrills and dark and intense moments. 

7/10

ALIEN REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 1979, director Ridley Scott's second feature film, Alien, went on to become a science fiction classic and showcases one of Sigourney Weaver's most iconic performances. The film's title refers to a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature that stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship. Despite the limited use of special effects and $78million budget, Alien still generates a lot of tension throughout and never fails to be anything less than a horrific yet thrilling alien invasion motion picture.
A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in Scott's sci-fi/horror classic. On the way home from a mission for the Company, the Nostromo's crew is woken up from hibernation by the ship's Mother computer to answer a distress signal from a nearby planet. Capt. Dallas's (Tom Skerritt) rescue team discovers a bizarre pod field, but things get even stranger when a face-hugging creature bursts out of a pod and attaches itself to Kane (John Hurt). Over the objections of Ellen Ripley (Weaver), science officer Ash (Ian Holm) lets Kane back on the ship. The acid-blooded incubus detaches itself from an apparently recovered Kane, but an alien erupts from Kane's chest and escapes. The alien starts stalking the humans, pitting Dallas and his crew (and cat) against a malevolent killing machine that also has a protector in the nefarious Company.
Back when Alien was first released in 1979, sci-fi films were really popular. The trend started with the first Star Wars film, A New Hope, which was released in 1977 and, by the time Alien was released, anything connected to space and/or aliens was guaranteed to raise interest. Because of this, it's no surprise that Alien became a huge success both with audiences and at the box office. It received over $80 million and was one of the highest grossing films of 1979.
It's not hard to understand why Alien is regarded as one of the best sci-fi films ever created. Ridley has crafted a unique sci-fi film that's unlike anything that has been seen before. Because it was incredibly dark and tense, it stood out alongside other sci-fi films that had been released such as Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, which also dealt with an alien invasion, albeit in a family friendly way. However, Alien is not suitable for the whole family. The characters featured in this film have to deal with an unstoppable alien and must beat the odds of surviving. People do die in this film in incredibly violent and gory ways. Scott shocked his audience by showing an alien burst out of Kane's chest. The violence doesn't end there, though. Throughout the film, Scott doesn't hold back and the shocking deaths made it a more memorable film. It's because of Alien that many filmmakers have tried to create an alien invasion film that's just as thrilling, however, nothing has ever come close to capturing the pure fear that Alien left you with. It's hard to believe that this is only Scott's second feature film (his debut was 1977 The Duellists). It was because of Alien and his 1982 film, Blade Runner, that Scott has gone on to become one of the most successful directors working today.
In addition to being one of the first films to blend sci-fi with horror, it was also one of the first films to feature a female protagonist. While Ripley does become a heroine in the climax, for the majority of the film, she's just one of seven crew members trying to survive this horrifying situation. Despite this, Weaver makes Ripley a brave and fierce individual who isn't afraid to stand up for herself. However, Scott initially planned a different fate for Ripley at the end of Alien. The ending shows Ripley being the sole survivor after she jettisons the alien from the spaceship. She records a message describing her traumatic ordeal and sets off to return home to Earth. While this was a great ending, mainly because it shows Ripley ability to defend herself, Scott had planned a much more darker ending where the Alien kills Ripley by biting her head off and, in the escape shuttle, sits in her chair, and then starts speaking with her voice in a message to Earth. Apparently, the production company, 20th Century Fox, wasn't too pleased with such a dark ending, and only allowed the additional scene if the Alien would die. In my opinion, I'm glad that this wasn't the ending as I think that it might have had a negative reaction on audiences. Having Ripley as the hero of Alien was an interesting twist. In 1979, viewers automatically assumed that Skerrit's Captain Dallas would fill that role. Not only because he had top billing but mainly because he was a man.
Despite Weaver gaining most of the attention and being the stand-out performance, there are still some solid portrayals from the cast. The two most recognisable names are John Hurt and Ian Holm who both went on to have successful careers in film. Despite having his on-screen appearance being limited, Hurt still makes the most of his role. For the chestburster sequence, Hurt stuck his head, shoulders and arms through a hole in the mess table, linking up with a mechanical torso that was packed with compressed air (to create the forceful exit of the alien) and lots of animal guts. The rest of the cast were not told that real guts were being used so as to provoke genuine reactions of shock and disgust. It's one of Hurt's most memorable roles purely due to this scene. Holm's character is Ash, who is the ship's science officer and, later on in the film, is revealed to be an android. Despite the Alien being the main protagonist, we see a darker side to Ash towards the end of the film. It's a great performance that features a twist I don't think anyone saw coming.
Performances aside, the design of the Alien is impressive. It doesn't take long for the Alien to grow into a towering creature and its razor-sharp teeth are enough to provoke fear in anyone. Because computer generated imagery was very limited in the late 1970s, Scott opted to find an actor who would fit in the Alien suit and that was Bolaji Badejo who, at the time of filming, was a graphic artist and was discovered at a pub by one of the casting directors. He was 7 foot 1 inch tall with thin arms which is just what the directors needed to fit into the costume. He was sent for Tai Chi and Mime classes to learn how to slow down his movements. A special swing had to be constructed for him to sit down during filming as he could not sit down on a regular chair once he was suited up because of the Alien's tail. The creature is never filmed directly facing the camera due to the humanoid features of its face. Scott, determined at all costs to dispel any notion of a man in a rubber suit, filmed the beast in varying close-up angles of its ghastly profile, very rarely capturing the beast in its entirety.
Scott has successfully crafted a blend of science fiction and horror that works exceptionally well and has lead to it becoming the biggest alien invasion-based franchise ever created. This is truly a dark film that never fails to grip us and isn't anything less than intense. It's because of this, and Weaver's strong leading performance, that it's gone on to become a classic.
This is a must-see for those who are fans of science-fiction, horror and films that involve an alien invasion.
Overall, Alien blends science-fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
8/10

LIFE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Judging from the premise, you'd be right to assume that Life is basically a modern day Alien but with better special effects. It's impossible to ignore the similarities between the two films. However, Life still manages to be an incredibly dark and tense science fiction film. 

Life tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. The crew includes: Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds); David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal); Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson); Ekaterina Golovkina (Olga Dihovichnaya); Sho Murakami (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare). As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences, the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected and their mission soon turns into a kill-or-be-killed situation. 

The film has an optimistic opening with the crew successfully receiving a sample from Mars that could prove there's life on earth. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for things to take a disastrous turn when one of the crew members is left injured by the extraterrestrial being (named 'Calvin' by a schoolgirl who won a competition) while another is killed in a gruesome way. This leads to the remaining crew having to make quick and drastic decisions while trying to avoid being killed by 'Calvin'. 

Speaking of which, Calvin's appearance is hard to describe. It looks like a giant starfish that moves like a squid. It kills its victims in a truly gory way so if you're squeamish, I would suggest you avoid watching this. In Alien, the members of the crew were killed off-screen, however, director David Espinosa takes a different approach and shows us each victims death. This is where most of the horror comes from. While the characters aren't fully developed, it's not hard for us to feel for them. The crew clearly have a close bond and seeing different people being killed not only affects the audience but the character themselves. For instance, there's one scene where Jordan is watching Golovkina who is being attacked by the alien from the other side of the door. Despite his efforts, he is unsuccessful and watches as her dead body drifts away. This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the film. 

The performances are solid all round. The three 'leads', Reynolds, Gyllenhaal and Ferguson give strong performances. Despite his limited time on-screen, Reynolds manages to bring comic relief with his one-liners and also proves he's capable of handling a dramatic and tense role. I'm yet to see Gyllenhaal give a bad performance and I still can't understand why he hasn't been awarded with an Oscar. While his performance here isn't worthy of any awards, it still proves his versatility as an actor. Since making her breakthrough appearance in the fifth Mission: Impossible film in 2015, Ferguson has come a long way and has given strong supporting performances in films such as the Oscar-nominated Florence Foster Jenkins and The Girl on the Train. However, in Life, she proves she capable of handling a leading role and portrays Miranda North as a brave individual. If there's an Ellen Ripley-type character in this film, it's her. Life succeeds in featuring a diverse cast. Yes, the leads are portrayed by two Americans, however, the supporting roles are all worthy of a mention. Dihovichnaya, Sanada and Bakare all portray their characters as memorable individuals. I have read some reviews stating that the characters are hard to connect with as they're not given much background. While it is true that the characters are thinly written, they're still human beings in a nightmare-inducing situation so it's hard not to care for them. A character doesn't need to be fully developed in order for the audience to feel for them. All of the actors give good enough performances that I believed their emotions and the struggle they felt at losing a friend.
I've also seen a few complaints about the script but I think that writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have crafted a thrilling sci-fi horror. Despite the characters being thinly written, both Reese and Wernick have created a great mix of smart characters who remain strong and vigilant throughout. I doubt the filmmakers were thinking of creating a film that is just as good as Alien, I think that their main intentions were to create a film that has a equal blend of science-fiction and horror and thrills its audiences for the 103 minute runtime. And, fortunately, they have succeeded. 

Life is at its most dark and intense in its final climax with the two remaining survivors who have obviously been effected by this whole traumatic experience. However, they still remain strong and soon come up with a plan. Unfortunately, this involves one of them remaining behind in space with the alien while the other escapes to earth and warns them of the dangerous extraterrestrial being. What I liked most about this was that the ending had a clever twist that I honestly didn't see coming. It's very ominous and provokes thoughts from the viewer and makes them wonder: what happens next? I don't think there'll be a sequel but it's fun to think of the events following Life's ending.

While Life isn't the best science-fiction film to be released, it's far from a bad film. For those looking for a film that mixes the two genres of sci-fi and horror really well, don't mind a scare or two and can handle heavy violence, look no further than Life.

7/10