'THE HAPPIEST SEASON' - FILM REVIEW


Who doesn’t love a good, romantic, Hallmark-esque Christmas movie? There are so many classics, and they’re all cheerful, fun and heartening in the best ways - reminiscent of a comfy warm hoodie or a lovely hug with a favourite friend. However, (unlike most of my favourite friends) they also tend to be incredibly heterosexual: and by ‘tend to be’ I mean they all, indispensably and irrefutably, are. Thanks to writer and director Clea Duvall, along with a star-studded cast including Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Aubrey Plaza and more, a queer and quintessential holiday heartwarmer was born. It feels incredibly shocking to say that ‘The Happiest Season’ is the first of its kind, but despite LGBT+ cinema becoming a lot more prevalent, especially recently, this festive delight indeed takes that honour. And although that means there is absolutely no bar for it to break in terms of competition it is still, in all of its warm, sapphic sentimentality, unparalleled. Bringing all of the usual Christmas cheer but making it a heck of a lot more queer.





Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) are your archetypal, loved-up, Christmas movie couple, and when Harper invites Abby to her stay with her family for Christmas Abby is all in - Even after Harper reveals that she is not out to her family yet, and Abby is forced to play the role of her straight, orphan roommate. ‘The Happiest Season’ perfectly toes the line between its heavy subject matter - the difficulties of coming out and being a lesbian in a heteronormative society - and the joyous and witty feeling of a well-written and genuinely funny Christmas comedy (I mean, Kristen Stewart trying to believably play a straight girl is comedy enough in itself). It’s a rollercoaster of emotions that will make you laugh and cry and yell and want to fall in love and be unapologetically yourself for the rest of your life.


The great thing about ‘The Happiest Season’ is that It’s a lesbian film made by a lesbian - something cinema is seriously lacking - but it puts across really important elements of the LGBT+ experience to any audience member of any sexuality. Coming out is really, really hard. There’s an incredible scene where John - a standout character played by the wonderful and quick-witted Daniel Levy - talks about how different coming out is for everyone, and what an emotional experience it is. Having such a topic discussed in such a typically heterosexual style of film is a sort of groundbreaking, meaningful contrast. The idea that straight people will see this film and be so beautifully offered that glimpse into one of the most difficult aspects of the lives of queer people creates a feeling that is something I can’t even explain, one of extreme gratitude for the casual representation of the struggles queer people go through, whilst also being an uninhibited and constant reminder that their struggles do not define them.



This is a charming film with a beautiful message; and it’s delivered with a perfect amount of gay jokes, quirky characters and genuine humanity.  I can only hope that it becomes a Christmas staple for every household, gay and straight alike. I think if there’s one thing we can all agree on this holiday season, it’s Aubrey Plaza in a suit.


FINAL DESTINATION: RANKED



The Final Destination franchise has become iconic for all of its glorious goriness, and after five films (And hopefully a sixth one on the way!)  The series has definitely developed a strong and well-deserved place as a staple of horror cinema. But which is best? After rewatching the whole series over a few days, I decided to sit down and try and work that out. After I'd got over my fear of chairs. And computers. And, well, everything - I guess that's what intaking over 7 and a half hours of Final Destination style bloodshed will do to you.


5. THE FINAL DESTINATION



The fourth instalment in the series, 2009’s ‘The Final Destination’ has the air of a horribly average Final Destination film in the middle of a rebellious stage of teen angst and identity crisis. It’s all rock music, Mortal Kombat-Esque X-ray effects and an incredibly disappointing race track opening sequence, which  -  despite its seemingly good setting, what can't go wrong at a high-speed car race? - falls miles away from the brutality, intensity and sheer shock factor of some of the other films setups. It relies heavily upon its special effects to create some really gory deaths, such as the absolutely brutal mall explosion and escalator meat-grinder scenario, but a lot of them fall flat (both literally and figuratively) in a 2D setting as it is clearly much geared towards its original 3D release - a LOT of splattered blood and explosions. In fact, capitalising off of the 3D craze of the time seemed to be this film's whole purpose - who cares about plot when you can really see someone’s head explode right?


All of this combined, as well as its bland and uninteresting cast of entirely forgettable characters, some of (if not the) worst deaths in the whole franchise - getting crushed by an old guy's bath? Seriously? - and an absolutely terrible ending which feels entirely distant from the rest of the film and just a shoddy attempt to wrap everything up after a very intense buildup (which seems to be a common theme with a lot of this film's death sequences)  places this film at the very bottom of the grouping. It’s not terrible, and unlike its inexplicably missing number, it doesn’t deserve to be ignored entirely - even if only for the racist guy burning to death - but it's a far cry from its predecessors and the final film which followed it.


4. FINAL DESTINATION 



Putting this one so close to final destination 4 feels like some form of blasphemy - because this film is really good.  And of course, the film that kicked it all off - ’Final Destination’ was a shock to the system when it came to the traditional horror slasher idea that to have scary and gory deaths you needed some form of a scary and gory killer - this release proved that idea wasn’t necessary at all and that maybe the scariest killer of all is simply just an entity - Death itself. Arguably the most plot-heavy instalment to the series (as one would expect, really), Final Destination established the rules and regulations of the films’  universe - basically just the idea that death has a design, and he really doesn’t like when you fuck it up.


In amongst setting the stage for itself and the films to follow, Final Destination still managed to throw in some impressive deaths, including the actual premonition at the start - that plane explosion is brutal and plays on a lot of peoples fears, something which this film does well. Unlike other films in the series, this one isn’t too bizarre yet, so between the use of various everyday objects and long sequences leading up to ultimately some grizzly deaths, it definitely creates a kind of fear that other horror movies can’t with the idea that there is not one singular threat, everything is a threat - and that really works for it. It’s not as fun or gory as some of the others, focusing more on that scare factor, but it’s still a fantastic introduction to the formula that the whole series follows and puts across a very thought-provoking ideology on the concept of death and the value of life - this is one clever film, and it being this low is simply only because of how well its successors built on the groundwork it laid out for them.


3. FINAL DESTINATION 2




The opening car crash sequence is immaculate - perfectly realistic but with that eerie and outlandish Final Destination edge to it, it stands head and shoulders above every other initial disaster the series offers. It wastes no time having to create any form of setup or lore too - it just jumps straight into some crazy, crazy deaths that only get better as the film goes on and with some gnarly sequences that, unlike in The Final Destination, really pay off. The dynamic of them not knowing each other before the pile-up is an interesting take, and leads to a super diverse group of people, but on occasion often leads to less of an emotional grit as none of these people share an emotional connection besides fear of death. The return of Clear Rivers is a nice callback to the first film as well, giving this instalment a lot to praise.


Unfortunately - perhaps down to the film having three writers, more than any of the others in the series - the plot feels a little convoluted. There’s a super confusing rule about how new life can beat death which, quite frankly, never made much sense to me - as well as a peculiar ending that leaves the two main characters somehow having escaped death, making them the only people in the series to do that, with no real explanation. (In a special edition of Final Destination 3 a newspaper article reveals they did die eventually, but it still doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.) 

Finally, there is the disappointing revelation that Alex - the protagonist of the first film- who safety proofed his house, survived being electrocuted, crushed by a train and tons of other crazy shit throughout the entirety of the series’ previous entry - ended up being killed offscreen by nothing but a falling brick. The definition of a letdown.


So overall, these things earn this film a disappointingly low ranking - but its dark yet goofy spin on the Final Destination formula is solid, and watching a dude get sliced into three pieces by a fence is insane - so despite it being lower on the list, don’t pass it up.


2. FINAL DESTINATION 5




The final instalment in the franchise has everything you could want from a final destination film. There’s a shockingly dramatic opening sequence in true Final Destination tradition and some of the goriest and most suspenseful deaths of the whole series. It’s definitely one of the better films in the series if you’re into it for the gore factor but plot-wise it leaves something to be desired.


Maybe that’s because this has been done 5 times now, it’s hard to create something fresh and in the defence of this film, it did an incredible job at trying - both with a really interesting twist on the rules that you can take a life in place of your own, which added a whole other dark spin to the typical formula, and of course the incredible twist at the end, which truly blew my mind and was the reason the 5th and final film made it this high on my ranking  - the whole film is a prequel to the events of Final Destination one, subtle hints are dropped but it’s almost impossible to know this until the very end when the two survivors are boarding a plane and the realisation - quite literally - blows up in your face. It is insane, and a fantastic end to the series that reverses all of the damage done by its mediocre 4th instalment with its intense series of completely jaw-dropping moments - I have genuinely never felt suspense like watching the Gymnastics scene in this film - it is a brilliant final film which sums up and showcases some of the best things about the Final Destination films - the incredibly crazy deaths.


1. FINAL DESTINATION 3



Perhaps an unpopular opinion, many seem to view this film as the moment the Final Destination films started to go a bit wrong - presumably due to the aforementioned complete and utter disaster that was the film that followed. But honestly, for me, Final Destination 3 has so many quirks and clever elements that elevate it just above every other entry in the franchise. It’s opening sequence, a rollercoaster crash, is enthralling and shocking in true final destination fashion and the fairground setting is really cool, especially when it comes to the true standout aspect of the film, much like the ‘signs’ referenced in final destination 2, photos taken at the fairground depict hints to the way each survivor is going to die. It’s a really fascinating aspect to the film which helps keep the formula fresh, and watching them try and figure out what the hints mean is captivating. It’s just such an intriguing element.


Another bonus is that this film is led by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who is - as always - incredible) and just overall has a really interesting cast of characters. Ian Mckinley is still one of my favourite characters in the whole series (even if his whole personality is just a bad impression of JD from Heathers). Final destination 3 did a really solid job of balancing plot and gore - unlike some of the other instalments you actually feel for the characters while they’re dying brutally, and I’ll be damned if I’m not still terrified of tanning beds. I just really like how impactful this one is, and it works incredibly well as a standalone film, unlike the others in the series, which sort of come to rely on the no-plot-crazy-deaths gimmick a lot more.


 


LITTLE WOMEN - FILM REVIEW




It is not a new concept to bring Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel to the screen. Countless TV and film adaptations have been attempted in the past - some doing well, others... not so much (1978 Miniseries, I’m looking at you.) The newest take on this literary classic, however, stands head and shoulders above all others and comes in the form of a feature film adapted and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Greta Gerwig. 


“Little Women” is Gerwig’s second venture behind the camera following 2017’s ‘Lady Bird’ - A touching ode to her hometown of Sacramento which earned her Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. As someone who was positively blown away by Gerwig’s directorial debut, I had incredibly high hopes for her attempt at this well-renowned story and I was certainly not disappointed. It is clear to see that this is one of - if not the best - representations of the adventures of Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg to ever be brought to our screens. But what is it that makes Gerwig’s version thrive where others have failed?


The short answer: everything. Gerwig has absolutely left no stone unturned in this pitch-perfect period adaptation. Feeling as fresh as ever, despite being almost word for word to the original text.





Little Women is 2 hours and 15 minutes of beautiful filmmaking, with shots framed like warm paintings, a lively and perfectly paced score and costumes that despite being authentically period look comfortable and modern. Not to mention the incredible cast including Saoirse Ronan, one of the most talented actresses around at the moment, who truly shines as the feisty and emotional Jo March. Especially working alongside Timothee Chalamet - who also worked with Saoirse and Greta on Lady Bird (creating incredible chemistry as Jo and Laurie) - as well as Meryl Streep as Aunt March and the fantastic Florence Pugh, who’s portrayal of Amy gives a whole new perspective and insight on the character that other adaptations have missed entirely. Truly impeccable casting that allows a modern audience to connect more than ever with these iconic characters. 


In adapting a book like this, there is always the danger of it turning into something that feels more like a GCSE English lesson as opposed to a truly entertaining film, but despite its age, there is so much potential in this source material. The core themes of the novel: Wealth, War, Feminism and Family, are things that are as relevant now as they have ever been - and Gerwig’s acknowledgement of this is where her strengths lie, and what enabled her to turn this film into something incredibly close to the novel, yet with a new lease of life that keeps the March sister fire burning still in the 21st century, 150 years after they were originally introduced to the world. 


Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is heartwarming and at times heartwrenching, emotional and inspiring. It radiates positive energy that will make you want to follow every dream you've ever had. A timeless adaptation of a timeless classic that truly allows to ring true the words of the heroine herself:

"No one will ever forget Jo March"








TENET - FILM REVIEW



An ambitious and revolutionary director, Christopher Nolan is no stranger to the kind out-of-the-box thinking that elevates your typical action film into a ground-breaking blockbuster- and, although it’s no ‘Inception’ , the action fuelled, mind boggling ‘Tenet’ is an unrelenting and fulfilling reminder of the pure scale and extent of an excellent cinematic experience.

Stylish shots and slick action sequences as well as a standout, stunning score tie the whole thing together to create the immense and seemingly limitless world of Tenet,  which follows a CIA agent simply named ‘The Protagonist’ (John David Washington) as he works to prevent World War Three. It is, at its heart, a globe- travelling, chaos-causing, bond-esque spy film – but when it comes to Nolan, nothing is to be taken at face value. Trading in the overused clichés to create a threat so large out of something thought to be so well understood - Nolan’s one true cinematic love: Time.





Time is a huge factor in so many of Nolan’s films. From Memento to InterstellarDunkirk to Inception:  it’s clear this is a notion he loves to tangle with – and Tenet only takes that to a whole other level. Twisting the way we think about time and physics entirely, the ambitious plot is unlike anything I’ve ever seen presented on screen before. At times its fast-paced nature can be too much whilst trying to keep up with such a complex concept, but to quote some wisdom passed down to The Protagonist – “Don’t try to understand it, just feel it.” – and that is the way Tenet is best enjoyed.


Backwards car chases, bungee jumping up buildings and a huge fiery plane crashes, undoubtably Nolan’s vision will not be compromised. The sheer sense of power that Tenet radiates bursts right off the silver screen with every single word, punch and piece of music. It has its complexity and complications, sure, but it’s all worth it for those moments where the penny drops and it all clicks into place with a singular word, action or shot. With incredible performances all round from the likes of Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki - ‘Tenet’ is an action film like no other, and a crucial message in a time that so desperately needs it of just how stunning and remarkable film can be.


‘TENET’ IS IN CINEMAS NOW

PARASITE - FILM REVIEW


The newest film from writer-director Bong Joon

Ho has taken the world of cinema by storm after
debuting at 2019's Cannes film festival to an overwhelmingly positive reaction - one that was well deserved. 'Parasite’, which follows a poor Korean family as they attempt to infiltrate their way into the lives - and house -  of a much wealthier family, is one of the best pieces of cinema in recent years.

It is a perfectly paced, beautifully shot and an incredibly compelling social commentary
on the effects of class divide that descends from a lighthearted comedy to something
much darker so fast you barely even notice until it’s too late - a sharp and striking reality
that gives this film an uncomfortable yet necessary edge. The visceral uneasiness of Parasite
is almost tangible, there’s intensity in the simplest of scenes and yet sometimes an eerie calm
that seems to only exist to make you worry for the next moments, whatever they may be. 


Every single aspect of the film is framed in the most impeccable way to keep you on the edge
of your seat, not just watching but feeling the story that Joon Ho is trying to tell here - and
it is one spectacular story, riddled with an awareness that transcends the boundaries of
Country and Language. It’s no surprise the critical acclaim it has received - although the irony
is not lost on the fact that these award shows are often judged and attended by the privileged few
that parasite makes effort to call out - but this can’t take away from the achievements of this
masterpiece, including making history at the Oscars by being the first foreign film to win Best
Picture.

‘Parasite’ will make you laugh, it will make you angry, it will make you downright heartbroken at
times. Whatever way it does it, one thing is for sure: This incredible social satire will - much like
its namesake - work its way into your head so intensely it’s truly impossible to forget.

PARASITE IS IN CINEMAS NOW