“Eminem has built a career on two of the most noxiously mundane personality traits under the sun: hating his mom and hating his ex. But, as 8 Mile reminds us, it takes true talent to make such slim pickings into art.”

“A thousand-yard stare into the dark soul of the US healthcare model, Tobias Lindholm’s The Good Nurse portrays its real-life serial killer subject as a symptom of a greater, prosaic evil.”

“More impotent rant than bittersweet nostalgia trip, How To Get Ahead In Advertising tries whacking all the ills of consumerism into its star’s highly capable mouth, in an oddly solipsistic farce that seems unsure of its message.”

“It’s really the story of all combat sports through history, whether the slave-gladiators in Rome, or the immigrant Jewish boxing champions in early 20th-century America, or black and Latin and Asian fighters more recently. Mendoza saw fighting as an expression of Jewish strength and survival, as part of our 'biblical genetics.'“

“What really intrigues me about the drag culture before Stonewall is the tenacity and “the balls” of these brave artists to defy the raids of the moral militia.”

“Combining familiar procedural tropes of suspense and gore with the uncomfortable reality of life under the Islamic Republic of Iran, Holy Spider transcends the usual settings of the police station, courts and media, extending its remit of guilt and complicity to the societal and cultural norms that could create a serial killer.”

“Without further ado, the winners of Manchester Film Festival’s 2023 Screenplay Competition…”

“Comparable to Sherlock in its magical-realist depiction of the criminal justice system, Luther posed a stark and insanely camp contrast to contemporary drama on either side of the Atlantic, particularly its stars’ meatier turns in The Wire and The Affair. And now, like a weird, creepy middle school ex popping up at your workplace, it is back.”