Movie reviews of Garry Arnot

It Chapter Two is definitely a more accomplished piece of work. Muschietti still doesn’t conjure up the dread or tension we’ve come to associate with the genre, but his vision is inventive, and the strong performances ensure that the film steers well clear of the sewers. Review

Unlike what we’ve come to expect from him, this is sentimental cinema and as sweet as a five-dollar shake. A brilliant film made by one of the world’s biggest film fans…and a must-see for everyone else. Review

Crawl has a simple yet extremely suspenseful narrative, kept afloat by a tenacious performance from Kaya Scodelario. It might not be quite as snappy as the blood-thirsty alligators that swim in its murky waters, but Aja’s fun survival flick has a lot of bite! Review

Sons of Denmark is a harrowing yet thrilling directorial debut from Ulaa Salim, smartly immersing its audience in a morally duplicitous epic, urging us to choose sides when it’s never really clear who to root for. Review

Thirty is a profound arthouse debut from Kostova, studying the juxtaposition between the versions of ourselves we present to the outside world and the harsh reality of our inner self. Review

Athale expresses a degree of talent in the story set-up and establishes a sense of suspense through the music and camerawork, but the film suffers greatly from an inconsistent tone. Review

The Tobacconist is a stunning piece of work, and Leytner achieves an unusually understated tone for a project that spans a multitude of complex topics. Review

Shot through a grainy haze of nostalgia, the narrative borrows tricks from the early work of Guy Ritchie to create a sense of fun in the rhythm of the piece. Review

Poulton and Savage’s collaboration is technically well crafted and undoubtedly well-acted, but even with the Oscar-winning Olivia Colman in its corner on fine fighting form, the venomous Them That Follow isn’t quite a cult classic. Review

Brilliantly handling its complex issues of race and psychological trauma, Farming makes for uncomfortable yet essential viewing, marking a striking directorial debut from Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Review

Tapping into today’s societal expectations and the anxieties that can come with them, Palo’s narrative has a Fleabag-esque quality to it which is very much assured in its own absurdity. Review

On the surface, the premise is fascinating, and it’s adapted from what should be an edge-of-the-seat tale of intensity. However, much like Kaj himself, once the cool façade is gone and the 70s sheen is scratched away, the film becomes boring and meaningless. Review

Sporting an exuberant soundtrack and a consistently funny script, Doff delivers a solid indie debut. Review

My Friend the Polish Girl is seductive and darkly satirical, cleverly posing as cinéma-vérité shockumentary. Showing the grim realities of making ends meet in modern-day London, Alicja Dabrowska excels in a cat-and-mouse plot where it’s never quite clear who is really in control. Review

The characters we follow are brilliantly naïve and still have a lot to learn as they transition to the next chapter of their lives, but they’re presented in an assured and confidently hilarious directorial debut from Wilde who has clearly done her homework. Booksmart passes with flying colours. Review

Rocketman is unapologetic in its glittering portrayal of its showstopping protagonist. It’s an unabashed and refreshingly truthful cinematic celebration of one of Britain’s most beloved talents. Review

Amplified by an electric soundtrack that doffs its baseball cap to the likes of techno and happy house, Beats is a taut yet transcendent time capsule of a movie. It’s a rhythmic celebration of our formative years, capturing the reckless essence of youth itself. Review

Wild Rose is a soulful celebration of a daydream believer, boosted by a thumping soundtrack and a superb turn by Jessie Buckley, who flaunts her raspy vocals in the leading role. Review

The tagline reads ‘fall, get back up’ but Hill has pulled off a masterstroke trick first time off the ramp. Review

Though it’s always refreshing to see a writer-director with such ambitious visions, and Lupita Nyong’o is great in the complicated central role, the film ultimately falls foul to its own convoluted high-concept, sending Peele into a sophomore slump. Review

It’s a strange but solid foray into the crime genre for Laurent, who cleverly zones in on the rich subtext rather than the, quite frankly run-of-the-mill context of the story. Taking Pizzolatto’s gritty Lone Star material, she crafts a brooding and bruising slow-burn drama. Review

Silva’s social satire is more subtle than it is shocking, but it is sharply executed nonetheless. Bolstered by the magnetism of the leads, including the ever-charismatic Caleb Landry Jones who threatens to steal every scene he’s in, it’s a rollicking romp laden with sobering smarts and drunken R.E.M. karaoke. Review

Everybody Knows subtly draws the audience into its intimate drama, and brilliantly illustrates how simmering perennial grudges threaten to boil over in times of strife. Review

Often engaging but never exhilarating, Winterbottom’s meandering road movie never really settles into gear. Review