Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Kingsman seems designed to appeal to that faction of society that lies a few layers beneath the lowest common denominator. Review

Ultimately there are a few too many predictable double-crosses and more false endings than a Peter Jackson trilogy, but Avery's confident and ballsy direction will surely mean his future lies in making Hollywood movies as opposed to imitating them. Review

Though the film ultimately falls short, there are undoubtedly signs of progress from McMahon. Review

Cooper delivers a career best performance in the role of Kyle, beautifully under-playing the part and effectively capturing the frustration of balancing a sense of duty with a belief that no end game is in sight. Review

The film's early ambiguity is delicious and allows us to step into Strayed's hiking boots, but the more answers Wild gives us, the further we drift behind Strayed, until ultimately she's a distant speck on the California landscape. Review

Writer/director Chazelle was previously best known for some unremarkable genre screenplays but his own background in music means we're in safe and confident hands here as he immerses us in the backstabbing milieu of the conservatory, where being told you're not good enough hurts like few other truths, a blow to both your planned career and your greatest love. Review

Valdivia's film is clearly a comment on his country's political situation, but where most state of the nation movies are overblown and grand-standing, he keeps things confined to one house, one family, one mother, his drama quietly bubbling like an unattended pot of chili. Review

This is one remake I can't recommend, but we're all the masters of our own fates. If you're considering seeing The Gambler, maybe a coin toss should decide yours. Review

If you were a teenager between the mid '90s and mid '00s, Beyond Clueless will provide a mildly entertaining trip down memory lane, but for most it's a celebration of a cinematic movement that left us with very little worth celebrating. Review

Combining modern technological concerns with a retro '70s sci-fi aesthetic gives Ex Machina a timeless quality that means it should be viewable a decade from now without losing any of its appeal. Playing out like an adaptation of some newly discovered Isaac Asimov novel, Garland's film is intelligent without being heady, and should satisfy hardcore sci-fi buffs and casual viewers alike. Review

The first Taken worked because it was a bunch of French filmmakers having fun with the xenophobia inherent in so much American action cinema. In that movie, and its awful first sequel, Neeson was a nasty old man running riot through Europe fists first on a relentless quest to save his daughter from dodgy accented baddies. Review

Whether you ultimately decipher the film's chaos or not, you'll find Enemy one of the most atmospheric thrillers of recent years. Review

Typically restless, Chandor is already working on his next movie, a drama set against the backdrop of the 2010 BP oil spill. At this point in their careers, most directors would still be finding their feet, but three films in, Chandor has already established himself as one of American cinema's most interesting voices. Commendably, it's a voice he never feels the need to raise. Review

Keaton is fantastic, as is the rest of the cast, with Norton pocketing every scene he appears in as a hyper-real version of his own notoriously pompous persona, but the material they're given to work with is tired and stale. Review

It's this ambiguity, this politically correct attempt to ground a story of epic fantasy, that really irked this reviewer. Review

With some liberal trimming, Into the Woods could have been an entertaining piece of seasonal entertainment, but ultimately its narrative, like its protagonists, becomes lost in the woods. Review

There's a potentially great film to be made from this story - one that explores the meaning of art, the contrast between the taste of critics and the general public, and the explicit sexism that pervaded American society for most of the 20th century - but this isn't it. Review

As a director, Angelina Jolie displays an eye for a set-piece, with an opening aerial battle that makes you wonder if the Force Awakens producers should have hired her instead of JJ Abrams, but her flair for the dramatic is at times counter-productive to her story-telling. Review

Watching him speak about his craft for 100 minutes here certainly had me convinced that there was nobody better to adapt William Peter Blatty's book into the beloved film that continues to resonate almost 50 years after its debut. Review

Subtlety is becoming a lost art in American cinema, even in indies, so it's refreshing to find yourself manipulated by a puppeteer with no visible strings on display. If Miller has a weakness, it's his inability to create an interesting female character, but don't let that stop you seeking out this frosty chiller. Foxcatcher is an old school character drama of the best kind. Review

Thankfully, the confused political message doesn't slow down what is an enjoyable, old school genre piece, elevated by a fantastically assembled cast of international character actors. Review

Like the films of Sofia Coppola, this is a portrait of average American teens drawn by a filmmaker who had a far from average upbringing. The kids are alright Jason, leave them be. Review

The fantastic location could be straight out of a movie starring Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee, but the film's noisy approach owes more to the crash bang wallop films of James Wan than the brooding gothic classics of James Carreras, polluted by poorly telegraphed cheap jump scares and sub Elm Street dream imagery. Review

If you want to learn about James Brown, buy one of his records. You'll get the man straight away. Despite its 2.5 hour running time, Get on Up provides little insight. Review