Metro (UK)

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
4/5
On the Basis of Sex (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Solidly and sincerely directed by Mimi Leder, it's a must-see for any mother and daughter, reminding you how incredibly far female equality has leapt and bound within a single lifetime.
Posted Feb 20, 2019
2
3/5
Cold Pursuit (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Viewers will either hop aboard the black comedy or make like Laura Dern (here playing Neeson's wife) and exit early.
Posted Feb 20, 2019
3
5/5
Capernaum (Capharnaüm) (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Deep breathing is required to get you through some of the movie's tougher scenes but, as a whole, it's a testimony to human resilience and the astonishing power of hope.
Posted Feb 20, 2019
4
3
Justice League (2017)

Rebecca Lewis

Ezra Miller and Wonder Woman can only do so much to save a film of stilted dialogue, bad direction, inexplicable angles and a plot that quite frankly is boring.
Posted Feb 14, 2019
5
4
The Hate U Give (2018)

Rebecca Lewis

It is at times tough to watch and never shies away from showing other points of view, often using black comedy to do so
Posted Feb 14, 2019
6
3
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Rebecca Lewis

What follows is a story that any passing Queen fan already knows, and the problem arises in that the script never delves deep enough to escape what is essentially a Wikipedia entry.
Posted Feb 14, 2019
7
3/5
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Given our current level of #BrexitShambles despair, it's a timely tonic to have a film extolling hope in an age when 'hearts are hollow and the land is lost and leaderless'.
Posted Feb 12, 2019
8
3/5
Instant Family (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Don't expect any real grit, though: the Hollywood ending slips down as easily as warm chocolate sauce.
Posted Feb 12, 2019
9
A Private War (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

[Rosamund Pike] more than proves herself a powerfully convincing choice. Edgy, jittery and raw, she seems to channel [Marie] Colvin with an uncanny physical portrayal of a woman afraid of dying young and of growing old.
Posted Feb 12, 2019
10
4/5
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

It's unclear if this is about how the genders play differently, toxic masculinity or growing up. But it's still tons of fun, if a little forgettable.
Posted Feb 6, 2019
11
5/5
If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

The plot could be straight out of a soap opera but, as its Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay suggests, the script offers something far more textured and complex
Posted Feb 6, 2019
12
4/5
Green Book (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

There are a few cheesy moments as the two men learn life lessons from each other but the acting is a joy, the co-stars coaxing complexities from their characters.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
13
4/5
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

The heart is strong with this franchise and given there are 12 books in Cressida Cowell's original multimillion-selling series, I doubt it's actually the last we'll see of Hiccup et al.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
14
5/5
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

A poignant and tender caper that doesn't sugar-coat its protagonists with redemptive Hollywood schmaltz, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a dirty martini of a movie you'll want to savour.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
15
3/5
The Mule (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

While it's a little clunky, with Earl's casual racism likely to trouble some, it's gently paced and the script is wryly amusing
Posted Jan 22, 2019
16
4/5
Vice (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

It's an exhilarating explosion of a biopic.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
17
2/5
Destroyer (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Directed by Karyn Kusama, it's a grim watch, which proves perversely compelling - up to a point.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
18
2/5
Glass (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

M Night Shyamalan's trilogy isn't a shattering disappointment, Glass is so out to dazzle you with its convoluted universe-folding that it becomes a turn-off.
Posted Jan 16, 2019
19
4/5
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

It's not a perfect film, as you'd expect from a debut, but it's a gutsy and gorgeous landmark.
Posted Jan 16, 2019
20
3/5
Beautiful Boy (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Beautiful Boy is just all too pretty and weirdly unemotive. It's less a satisfying movie than a beautifully burnished actors' showcase.
Posted Jan 16, 2019
21
3/5
The Front Runner (2018)

Anna Smith

Not Reitman's most exciting work but still a watchable political thriller.
Posted Jan 9, 2019
22
4/5
Stan & Ollie (2019)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

It's the bittersweet bromance between Stan and Ollie that provides the story's beating heart. This tribute may beat to a well-worn narrative drum but it's sure to extract both a tear and a smile.
Posted Jan 9, 2019
23
4/5
Colette (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

This pansexual period biopic is remarkable, captivating and utterly fascinating.
Posted Jan 9, 2019
24
4/5
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)

James Luxford

An endearingly honest, darkly comic account of one man overcoming his past.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
25
3/5
Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)

James Luxford

The plot is ludicrous, and talks about the internet like a confused grandmother trying to send an email, but if you're looking for Mr Bean-like laughs you've come to the right place.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
26
5/5
A Star Is Born (2018)

James Luxford

Filled with great music, a captivating romance, and fine performances, A Star Is Born is ... an enthralling meditation on how the entertainment industry makes casualties of so many of its stars
Posted Jan 8, 2019
27
2/5
The Happytime Murders (2018)

James Luxford

In the end, The Happytime Murders offers what's in the trailer, and very little else.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
28
3/5
The Festival (2018)

James Luxford

It takes a little while to get going, but once it does The Festival is a funny take on a British summer institution.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
29
2/5
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

James Luxford

Characters are barely developed, their motivations seem flimsy, and the film's third act (set in a cavernous private mansion) is plain ridiculous.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
30
3/5
Breaking In (2018)

James Luxford

Quick, disposable entertainment that leaves you wanting to see Union given a meatier action role.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
31
3/5
Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

James Luxford

A pleasant if unremarkable family film that will do just enough to keep young fans happy.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
32
4/5
Journeyman (2017)

James Luxford

A moving tale of love and conflict, told by two wonderful British actors.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
33
3/3
Wonderstruck (2017)

James Luxford

Wonderstruck is absolutely gorgeous, but doesn't have the substance to back that up.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
34
2/5
Proud Mary (2018)

James Luxford

The idea of Henson as a cool action hero is something most movie fans can get excited for, but she needed a much better film than this.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
35
2/5
Mary Magdalene (2018)

James Luxford

A well-constructed drama, but one that will inform rather than inspire.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
36
1/5
Peter Rabbit (2018)

James Luxford

A 24 carrot flop
Posted Jan 8, 2019
37
4/5
You Were Never Really Here (2018)

James Luxford

The dark heart of Lynne Ramsay's latest may be too brutal for some, but You Were Never Really Here is a terrific piece of film making
Posted Jan 8, 2019
38
2/5
Wonder Wheel (2017)

James Luxford

If matters outside of film making mean this is one of (Allen's) final movies, it's a flat note to go out on.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
39
4/5
I, Tonya (2018)

James Luxford

A delightfully acerbic look into a poisoned American Dream, where adulation is worth going to prison for.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
40
5/5
Lady Bird (2017)

James Luxford

Lady Bird is a film that describes the joys, mistakes and dramas of teenage years more eloquently than anything you might see this year.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
41
1/5
Life Itself (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Half an hour in (if you're generous) and you'll realise you don't give a hoot about any of them. Avoid.
Posted Jan 3, 2019
42
5/5
The Favourite (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

This is The Crown like you've never seen it before.
Posted Jan 3, 2019
43
2/5
Welcome to Marwen (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

It's a fascinating, multi-dimensional true story whose compelling complexities get frustratingly smoothed out... Engaging on the eye but, ultimately, something of a misfire.
Posted Jan 3, 2019
44
3/5
Lizzie (2018)

James Mottram

Retelling the story from the female perspective, it's rather sterile at times, hampered by flaccid pacing. But Sevigny is unforgettable as Borden.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
45
3/5
Papillon (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Both men put in good work but their bromance never convincingly ignites in this solid but anonymous effort by Danish director Michael Noer.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
46
3/5
Bumblebee (2018)

James Mottram

Backed up by some terrific visual effects, which crucially never overwhelm, the performances are also credible. When Steinfeld looks at Bumblebee, you believe her attachment to him. Now if only Michael Bay had tried that.
Posted Dec 19, 2018
47
5/5
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Emily Blunt sails serenely down from the sky on the end of a kite, she makes this role her own.
Posted Dec 13, 2018
48
3/5
White Boy Rick (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Thought-provoking points about racial injustice are raised, only to be sketched over by the script. Still, where White Boy Rick hooks you in is as a family drama.
Posted Dec 5, 2018
49
3/5
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Essentially a love letter to Redford's own screen career, it helps if you share his twinkle-eyed nostalgia for roguish criminals.
Posted Dec 5, 2018
50
5/5
Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Stanfield effortlessly negotiates the crazy tone, engaging you so fully you want to marry him. It's a match made in movie heaven and this is one of the standout films of the year.
Posted Dec 5, 2018