Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Ultimately, the lesson of Blinded by the Light is that culture is a conversation, not a monologue. If that isn't a message for 2019, I don't know what is. Review

Though implementing Reygadas' ongoing obsession with the natural and material world his characters' inhabit, it's essentially a straightforward relationship drama, though nothing about its particular relationship is remotely straightforward. As its relatively petty human drama unfolds against the backdrop of a cattle ranch, it often resembles an episode of Dallas directed by Terrence Malick. Review

At two hours and 20 minutes, and with its generic narrative beats, Midsommar isn't so much elevated horror as elongated horror. Review

It's also a rare teen horror that boasts likeable characters, which goes a long way to making us care about whether the assembled kids actually make it through the night. Review

At over three hours its rambling nature will at times test your patience, and the small screen may have proved a better fit for this story, but despite Schilling's limited take on his character, it's just about a rewarding experience in the end. Review

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a second-rate superhero movie occasionally interrupted by a charming teen comedy. Review

If Computer Chess was Bujalski's Nashville, Support the Girls is his Come Back to the 5 & Dime, a female ensemble drama with genuine heart and characters that all feel fully realised no matter how little screen time they might be offered. Like the employees of Double Whammies, you should prepare to be touched. Review

If you're a fan of this franchise, you'll be relieved that Mancini has held onto the bulk of its rights, as this awful reboot certainly won't be your new best friend. Review

Brightburn is a movie about a 12-year-old sociopath, aimed at 12-year-old sociopaths, and it often feels like it was made by 12-year-old sociopaths. Review

In Fabric is by no means a mainstream movie - it's quite, quite mad, and unlike anything else you'll see in 2019 - but thanks to its cringe-comedy, it may be Strickland's most accessible work to date. Review

Save for its all-star cast and some insufferably smug meta commentary that comes off as fan service for Jarmusch buffs, The Dead Don't Die slots in anonymously among the shambling horde of cynically produced zom-coms, which at this point are really beginning to stink. Dawn of the Dead? More like Yawn of the Dead. Review

His staging of the movie's brief action set-pieces is geographically confusing while the rest of the drama is shot in the bland manner of a TV movie. Despite the authentic locations, the film never really establishes a sense of place. Review

Yesterday is an affront to the many filmmakers who over the years have had their requests to use the music of The Beatles turned down. Review

Having a thriller play out on a computer screen is another way for a filmmaker to fashion a gripping story on a limited budget, and maybe that's the route Pirozek should have gone with this particular tale. Review

Dignity be damned; such unbridled trash is a joy to watch. Review

Like its central character, Thunder Road is a hot mess - a mix of sloppy storytelling and over-emotional drama, but also moments of genuine human insight - but isn't this what directorial debuts are for? I suspect Cummings' next work will be more structured, but let's hope it's also as soulful as this blubbering bow. Review

For Toho Studios, watching what Hollywood does with their creation here must be akin to watching a nanny-cam livestream of your dog being abused by the neighbour who agreed to look after it while you're away. Review

It's an intriguing setup, but despite the contributions of no less than four screenwriters, the film struggles to find anything novel or interesting for Amy and Molly to come up against. Review

What makes Sunset such a rewarding experience is the incredible immersiveness of its world building. Review

Had Finkiel's film dropped its own stoic mask earlier and embraced such emotion from the off, Memoir of War may well have been a more rewarding experience than the intermittently impactful film we're presented with here. Review

Too Late to Die Young is low on plot but heavy on establishing an immersive sense of time and place. Review

John Wick 3 trades the style, wit and sophistication of its predecessors for garish lighting, sub Takashi Miike edgelord violence and a postmodern takedown of the Walter Hill inspired world it so meticulously constructed. Review

Beautifully shot by cinematographer David Gallego and with a rousingly evocative score by Leonardo Heiblum, Birds of Passage adds a touch of South American magic realism to a gritty crime drama, making it the freshest take on the gangster narrative to arrive in decades. Review

Late Night seems to exist in both an alternate future where women host late night talk shows and in a past, more conservative era of comedy. It's a mess. Review