I suppose such ugly subject matter deserves such an ugly film, but it’s disappointing nonetheless in the case of Snowtown, the unrelentingly grisly first-time feature from Australian director Justin Kurzel that struggles to build an emotional rapport with its audience.

True story or not, screenwriter Shaun Grant’s dramatic retelling of the famed “Body in Barrels” murders is in desperate need of a sympathetic character who can uphold a sense of humanity, [...]

So much is said in Sylvain Chomet’s bittersweet French animation The Illusionist, yet few words are ever spoken. The beautifully hand-drawn characters speak in a form of French gibberish, none of which is subtitled for English-speaking audiences, and none of which needs to be. Much like 2008’s similarly silent WALL-E, Chomet’s film understands that the human condition is a universal language, one that can be fully expressed [...]

In a world where retaliation is king many cruel things abound – from those believing they have all the power and from those trying to teach them otherwise. Conflicting opinions of what is right and wrong often create cause for argument, and when put into context under extreme circumstances you create a much stronger story. That’s what In A Better World gives us – a somewhat subtle confrontation of mindsets [...]

If Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar winning wartime thriller The Hurt Locker illustrated how “War is a drug”, Danish filmmaker Janus Metz Pedersen’s gripping documentary Armadillo proves it.  Showing incredible courage and devotion to his craft, Pedersen and his talented cameraman Lars Skree put their lives on the line to document the ongoing war in Afghanistan, where the Taliban still maintain a strong and deadly presence.

As general popularity of cinema decreases over time because of inflation in costs and the emergence of pirating, many local theatres are forced out of competition and cinephiles are denied the chance to further their education. This stretches out as far as Uruguay, where the love for film is rich but support for their cinemateca is less than what’s necessary to keep it afloat. As this Montevideo theatre faces eviction, [...]

Food is at the centre of a fugitive case in the South Korean mystery-drama The Recipe, making it a drawcard for foodies and crime buffs alike.

Interestingly, however, the focus of  Anna Lee’s debut film doesn’t lie with the manhunt itself. After mass-murderer Kim Jong-gu is executed, TV producer Choi Yu-Jin (Ryu Seung Ryong) discovers that the fugitive was apprehended while eating a bowl of sumptuous soup. Doenjang to be [...]

A symphony of snores could be heard throughout the cinema during Kristian Petri’s poorly plotted and limply performed Bad Faith, a reassuring sign that I wasn’t the only one who found this supposed crime thriller from Sweden not in the least bit thrilling.

In this world, there are a few things we can be sure of: death, taxes and… the existence of trolls?

Well, that’s the truth according to André Øvredal, the Norwegian filmmaker responsible for the horror mockumentary The Troll Hunter. And by trolls, he doesn’t mean the ones with the fluoro tuff for a hairdo, but the really ugly guys with three heads and beyond-gross excrement. It’s either going to scare the [...]