Starburst

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating Title/Year Author
4/5 The Columnist (2020) Martin Unsworth With remarkable performances from all involved, The Columnist is a Dutch treat well worth seeking out. If Hollywood tries to remake it, you will all be forgiven for the evil comments. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 There's No Such Thing as Ghosts? (2019) Martin Unsworth Unfortunately, once the cat and mouse chases come to an end, the story descends into the silliness of its own mythology. It's above-par silliness, at least. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 () Martin Unsworth While it might not be the hairy wolf we're used to, I Am Lisa has plenty of bite and will resonate with much of its audience. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 Sky Sharks (2020) Martin Unsworth Like the bastard son of Iron Sky and Dead Snow, Sky Sharks has Nazis at its heart, but in a way that allows the audience to have a little fun. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 () Martin Unsworth They're Outside is one of the most effective faux-doc/found footage films bolstered by the performances and engaging script. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 () Martin Unsworth Playhouse is Fionn and Toby's debut feature and certainly shows plenty of flair, we'll certainly be interested to see what they come up with next. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 () Martin Unsworth The Horror Crowd is an enjoyable, well put together documentary that makes for an easy watch. It might not to teach you how to make it in the industry, but it will hopefully make you feel that you're not alone if you try. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 The Honeymoon Phase (2019) Martin Unsworth The climactic reveal would have been enough a payoff without heightening the reality at that point. That said, it's a solidly entertaining film that highlights the darker side of relationships. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 Unhinged (2020) Paul Mount Crowe is a huge and unstoppable force of nature here. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 () Joel Harley The Faceless Man is a tremendous directorial debut, a lean, mean work of Ozploitation, bursting with energy and defiance. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
1/5 The New Mutants (2020) Paul Mount The New Mutants is a flat and pointless film we really need never concern ourselves with again. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 () Martin Unsworth This is probably Troma's pièce de résistance, a film in which all the elements come together to create one marvellous magnum opus. The satire, gross-out humour, use of Shakespeare and complete irreverence work perfectly. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 The Swerve (2018) Martin Unsworth Although The Swerve isn't a traditional horror film, it is nevertheless deeply disturbing and will resonate with viewers, regardless of gender. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 Blinders (2020) Martin Unsworth The climax takes things to an unforeseen level and makes up for the familiar beats along the way. You might not be so quick to strike up a conversation with that stranger after this. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 Av: The Hunt (2020) Martin Unsworth It's a brave and affecting movie that, while it can't be seen as enjoyable, is certainly impressive and hits more than a few nerves. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 A Ghost Waits (2020) Martin Unsworth The climax may not be for some people, but is deeply emotional and beautifully affecting. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
2/5 Hall (2020) Martin Unsworth The attempt to escape for mother and daughter is the real plight, and there are some tense moments, but there's very little to build on as, while the infected pose a risk of becoming violent, we only see it briefly and they can be mostly stepped over. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business (2020) Martin Unsworth It might not be a heart-warming, rags-to-riches story, but the sobering truth is nonetheless entertaining and enthralling. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 Skull: The Mask (2020) Martin Unsworth A costume party massacre is a particular highlight. With fantastic performances all round, this is fun, gory ride. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 () Martin Unsworth Dark Place is patchy, but at 75 mins, nothing outstays its welcome, making it a powerful and challenging watch. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 Immortal (2020) Grant Kempster Less a fully formed feature and more a curiosity for fans of the genre, Immortal is well executed despite what appears to be a low budget and does the best it can to squeeze everything it can out of the script and the cast. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 Attack of the Unknown (2020) Martin Unsworth It may feel as though the most generic cop thriller has been edited into a cheap knock-off of Independence Day at times, but it's all harmless fun. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro (2019) Chris Jackson Engaging, thoughtful and heartfelt, Nail In The Coffin is a worthy examination of both a legendary figure in the wrestling world and the man behind it. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
2/5 Widow's Point (2019) Rich Cross The glimpses of ghoulish spectres, ghostly hands reaching out to grasp unsuspecting flesh, and the eerie sounds of disembodied voices: all of this is competently done, but none of this build-up is particularly scary. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
2/5 Aquaslash (2019) Martin Unsworth It plays like an extended segment from a Final Destination film. Even at just over hour, the story is stretched thinner than the girls' bikini straps. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
3/5 Two Heads Creek (2019) Martin Unsworth The satire of racist attitudes beats you around the head, but thanks to the blood-soaked climax, Two Heads Creek ends up being a crowd-pleasing beast. If nothing else, you'll have an appreciation of the music of Aussie legend Norman Rowe. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
4/5 () Ed Fortune Wolff does such a good job of playing an out-of-his-depth weirdo that we don't care too much about him. EDIT
Posted Sep 4, 2020
2/5 An American Pickle (2020) Nick Spacek While it looks lovely, An American Pickle is ultimately out of step with the times in which it finds itself. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
5/5 La llorona (2019) Jack Bottomley La Llorona is a twist on the legendary tale and figure, one which haunts viewers not with blood, guts and jump scares but with the omnipotence of history and the pain of its many victims. Incredible. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
3/5 Monstrous (2020) Joel Harley Well-acted by its two stars and written with deliberation and pace (by Shields herself, no less), this is a thoughtful character study and a slowly unfolding mystery - a more serious version of Creep, but without all the found footage and peachfuzz. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
4/5 The Oak Room (2020) Martin Unsworth The Oak Room is no facsimile and always feels its own beast. The direction is taut, building the atmosphere gradually until the tension is practically smothering during the denouement - a final shot that rivals Blood Simple for satisfaction. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
4/5 Mortal (2020) Ed Fortune Mortal is an antidote to the superhero blockbuster, but it could have been so much more. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
3/5 A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio (2019) Ed Fortune If you're the sort of person who likes their scary stories short but doesn't spend their time at movie festivals or scouring YouTube, then this is what you want. We hope to see more stuff like this in future. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
4/5 Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss by Passing Through the Gateway Chosen by the Holy Storsh (2018) Laura Griffiths It's a morbid concept but so ridiculous, particularly in the film's final act, it works EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
2/5 Centigrade (2020) Jorge Ignacio Castillo Allegedly inspired by real events, Centigrade portrays some decidedly uncinematic aspects of the ordeal, like tedium, yet it doesn't go as far as to become unsavoury. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
3/5 Random Acts of Violence (2019) Rich Cross The killings... are unflinchingly nasty, and there's bucketloads of gore on screen. Sadly, those elements of the screenplay intended to address the issue of artistic culpability, or an obsession with perpetrator over victim, never really gel. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
3/5 Project Power (2020) Paul Mount Disappointingly bland, Project Power will just about pass muster until we can get back into the cinema to see how the big boys do this sort of stuff with much more flair. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
5/5 Relic (2020) Jack Bottomley Relic is a tormentingly emotional experience but come the gruesomely unexpected, unusual and shattering conclusion, you're left reeling by an ending that will stay with you long after and perhaps forever more. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
4/5 She Dies Tomorrow (2020) Nick Spacek She Dies Tomorrow aches with tension and possibility, and maintains that through to the last frame, refusing to let the viewer off with easy answers. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
4/5 Uncle Peckerhead (2020) Nick Spacek There's a ton of heart in Uncle Peckerhead, thanks to the fact that the music sounds like a real band. It's catchy, kind of like a mix between the bouncy underground pop of Lemuria, mixed with Green Day's stadium punk rock. EDIT
Posted Aug 27, 2020
4/5 Tenet (2020) Laura Potier Tenet is technically excellent and challenging, pushing boundaries and subverting expectations with the director's usual elegance. EDIT
Posted Aug 21, 2020
4/5 Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) Andrew Pollard A poignant, action-packed tale of discovery that lays bare what makes the Man of Steel tick. EDIT
Posted Aug 21, 2020
10/10 The Possessed (1965) James Evans Displayed in crisp black and white, The Possessed is a remarkably beautiful film. The cinematography by Leonida Barboni is often extraordinary, and the unhurried direction from Luigi Bazzoni and Franco Rossellini allows it to shine. EDIT
Posted Aug 19, 2020
3/5 Animal Crackers (2017) Jack Bottomley Animal Crackers is not perfect but it's a good directorial debut for Sava that is ultimately fun and offers families a wacky afternoon's viewing, with an uplifting final note and, in these tough times, that's a good thing to strive for and achieve. EDIT
Posted Aug 7, 2020
5/5 Host (2020) James Perkins Host is a well-crafted, anxiety-inducing thrill-ride from start to finish - and the fact that it was all made during quarantine is a technical marvel in itself. EDIT
Posted Aug 4, 2020
4/10 The Fairy Princess and the Unicorn (2019) James Hanton It is well-meaning entertainment fodder for very young viewers, and to a certain extent that's okay. EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2020
2/5 Peripheral (2018) Daniel Goodwin The script shimmies into Cronenberg/Raimi terrain throughout the second act and momentarily improves, but instead of running fearlessly in this exciting new direction, it backtracks onto a more budget-friendly path. EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2020
4/5 The Rental (2020) Jack Bottomley Franco and Joe Swanberg's screenplay is a beautifully shot, Vacancy-like voyeurism thriller which drips into a tech-savvy slasher, and Franco's direction allows much of the drama to initially stem from real life tensions and friction among friends. EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2020
4/5 Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020) Jack Bottomley Great fun and infinitely superior to even some cinema-released shark flicks. Bonus points too, for co-starring a heroic shark called Sally! EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2020
5/5 The Pool (2018) Joel Harley The Pool is a brutal, intense journey from start to finish. All without actually going anywhere. EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2020