Film Reviews by AER

Blue Heron is one of the best indies I've seen at the cinema in 2026. What begins as a conventional coming-of-age tale (still a very touching, astute one) morphs into an investigation at the two-thirds mark. Such a change in the narrative is a really brave move but here it works smoothly and convinces. This is largely thanks to a compelling story where all the elements come together to form an utterly immersive and engrossing drama. A young boy (the eldest of four) becomes restless and yearns to pull away from his family, this embodies itself as misbehaviour or depressive immobility. It's all enhanced by its fantastic setting on Vancouver Island. A triumph for the Canadian and Hungarian film industries. 10/10.

With a funny cod-Creole voice that makes him sound like a three-year-old Seagal came back this this low-grade Dirty Dozen-style movie which features a submarine for a few moments. It mostly cribs a major plot hook from The Manchurian Candidate and despite this it's still dead in the water. Quite simply, it's Poundland, Expendables. Which was even sub-Poundland by vol 4.

What is more interesting about Submerged is the supporting cast of Brits who are mainly known for London gangster movies - Vinnie Jones (who adds much needed energy), Gary Daniels (who doesn't do any martial arts ), PH Moriarty, and an weirdly cast Nick Brimble as the baddie. Viewers may get a kick from seeing William Hope from Aliens in a supporting villainous role. This largely shit though. Directed by Anthony Hickox who's done a few better films that this.

Following closely in the wake of the very similar Ready or Not 2, THEY WILL KILL YOU has little else to offer besides the gilding of the lily. It's not very funny but some of the action is entertaining, along with some of the plot flourishes that have been grafted onto a pretty standard stalk and kill template. The influence of Old Boy and John Wick can be acutely felt at times too. Fun, well-made yet disposable. It was good to see 90s heroines Heather Graham and Patricia Arquette in large(ish) roles. I barely recognised Ms. Graham! James Remar provides the voice of 'The Head'....

A simple yet somehow complex look at kids that were put on the scrapheap by the school system. The progress class at a Liverpool high school are taken on a day trip to Conwy Castle in North Wales and they are encouraged to behave. However, the stern Mr Briggs (Alun Armstrong) has come along to keep law and order restored. However, it would seem that he has some lessons to learn himself. Amazing performances from the entire cast of young kids (recruited from the Liverpool Everyman Youth Theatre Group), this is a great place to start if you want to get into the Play For Today series. This was written by Willy Russell (Educating Rita / Dancin' Thru The Dark).... etc.

Crazy how I'm a big Jim Jarmusch fan yet it's take until now for me to check out Stranger Than Paradise. I can firmly say that this is one of his finest and funniest. Loved every minute of this tale of hapless companionship. Why don't we see the central trio in films anymore... Look out for crazy cameo by Rammellzee in it.

One thing a film with dinosaurs shouldn't be is dull. Somehow Hollywood manages it time after time with lame Jurassic Park sequels. Primitive War seems to exist to solely make the movies of the said franchise look good. Awful script, sleepy acting and terrible CGI may be forgivable if there was even an ounce of personality to the script, but nope the plot and the actors deliver phoned-in performances. Pity Jeremy Piven.

The worst Australian (disguised as an American) film I've seen in a lonnnnnng long time.

Toothless.

Nico aka Above The Law is Steven Seagal's earliest leading role and he started off and stayed crap for a long time. His sometime director friend Andrew Davis handles the action well, they are above average for middling 80s fare like this but the script and Seagal's acting is whiffy. Seagal plays a cop looking for justice when some C4-smuggling high rollers are given a pass by high-ranking CIA officials led by a shadowy Henry Silva. Laugh and gawp at Seagal's lame fighting skills and wonder to yourself how this guy climbed to the top of the action pole in Hollywood for a minute in the early 90s... Andrew Davis also directed Under Siege and The Fugitive. An inauspicious debut.

Gods and Monsters is a well-acted but has some erratic plot developments near the close which derail it somewhat. Imagining a friendship between British filmmaker James Whale and a his gardner., this a strong (largely two-hander) for Ian McKellen and an experimental Brendan Fraser. James Whale was best known for directing Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, he was also a flamboyant homosexual who had been blackballed by the industry. He is attracted to the heterosexual yardman at his large Beverly Hills home and endeavours to establish a friendship despite their differences. It's in the later stages when the friendship comes to head where this film develops a taste for the overdramatic and the story might give you whiplash. It's a shame because the acting is seriously good.

In these more informed times, this is a MAGA fantasy film with an over-simplified take on world politics. Basic, dead behind-the-eyes, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, and definitely one for Bourne Identity knock-offs. I mean, what else was I expecting from a film called AMERICAN ASSASSIN? A bit more thought, balance and less racial profiling would have been welcome.

This looks like it was brought to us by Fox News and Donald Trump's publicity department.

Nemesis is another low-grade sci-fi set on a derelict industrial estate in a tropical country. Much like Cyborg the only active ingredient is a lot fire. The actors are DOA and even stalwarts like Tim Thomerson & Brion James are saddled with bad dialogue and terrible characterisation. How can a film like this have confused plotting? Blame the editing, blame the low sound mix, blame the sad sack hero Olivier Gruner... I have a sense of humour but this was just dull... Strangely all the men have women's names and vice versa... It's funny seeing Fender (Vincent Klynn from Cyborg) referred to as Michelle. Look out for Thomas Jane in a really early role.

A Glitch In The Matrix serves as a gateway to the theories of parallel realities, the simulacrum theories made popular by Baudelaire and The Matrix movies. Phiilip K Dick's lectures come under the spotlight and several disguised talking heads share their ideas but a documentary like this is always a zero sum game. It's indulgent and relies on talking heads as opposed to discussion. Interesting visuals and movie clips help pass the time, but ultimately watching this will make you no wiser.

Meandering first hour left me impatient for this one to land, but once it got going it had some excellent set-pieces. It centres around the reluctant assassin premise only the twist here is the killer's handler begins to act as protector and friend. Unusual with an abrupt ending. I will watch again, now I know what's instore. But was a little underwhelmed to start with.

I generally love Icelandic cinema and this was one of the hold outs from the international breakouts that I still had to see. Wish I hadn't. Rekjavik 101 is a tedious sex comedy with shrill, repetitive performances from an overqualified cast which includes Victoria Abril! Lame, flaccid, largely unfunny.

Director Mark Jenkin has a unique approach to filmmaking - implementing old tech hardware and dubbing the sounds on later, his movies are certainly an acquired taste. Rose of Nevada is his third feature and you should know what to expect - stilted acting and a liberal respect of linear coherent narrative. If you don't mind the mysterious nature of its storyline and are happy to piece it all together afterwards, The Rose of Nevada really is something special. It's a timemachine/ghost story that falls somewhere between Jenkin's relatable BAIT and his elusive arty ENYS MEN. At a glance, the plot may look like a Cornish Event Horizon but it's so much more... :)

A waxwork museum of a biopic of one of the 20th centuries finest poets/novelists, Sylvia Plath. Daniel Craig overacts as her Ted Hughes and Gwyneth Paltrow is strangled by a repetitive script which leaves her in a loop of jealousy and depression. It's disappointing considering this was directed by Christine Jeffs who's debut 'RAIN' (2001) was really promising. Dead behind the eyes. Criminally boring.