On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: ‘Serenity’ is working towards the unexpected (and unnecessary?) (Includes first-hand account)

    Living in a small town is great – except when it’s not. With fewer people populating the area, you’re more likely to know your neighbours but must also be more careful not to make too many enemies. It can be annoying when everyone knows everyone else’s business… but occasionally beneficial. On the one hand, busybodies inquire about things that don’t concern them; on the other, news travels so fast you can act on an opportunity or avoid something harmful before it’s even decided. Serenity is about a fisherman who’s been looking for peace for a long time, but a carefully watched series of events is about to push him further from its embrace.

  • Review: ‘Glass’ does some self-reflecting before unleashing the beast (Includes first-hand account)

    “Good things come to those who wait.” Unfortunately this hasn’t always been true when it comes to movies. Sometimes, the passage of too much time can cause a continuation to feel silly or unnecessary. This can especially be a problem if the original actors are not available… or sometimes even if they are. One of the key steps to a late follow-up is acknowledging the amount of time that’s passed and at least vaguely filling in the gaps. It took M. Night Shyamalan 19 years to get here, but after the surprise ending of Split revealed it was the unexpected sequel to Unbreakable, he’s now delivered the final installment in the long-rumoured trilogy, Glass.

  • Review: ‘Destroyer’ is a game changer for Nicole Kidman (Includes first-hand account)

    There’s nothing like a good mystery that keeps diving deeper into the narrative before finally revealing the truth. This is often the trademark of a good, gritty, detective-driven crime drama in which you have to understand the past in order to understand the present. Everyone has secrets if you look hard enough and some of them may be worth killing over — the key is recognizing the difference. Destroyer is a complex story that blends the then and now to find an elusive bank robber and murderer.

  • Review: ‘Lifechanger’ finds discomfort in habit (Includes first-hand account)

    Many cultures have their own mythologies that pass from one generation to the next. Their origins are long since forgotten, but the legend lives on — first through word of mouth, then written recordings and finally film adaptations. Throughout Europe, the legend of the changeling says they can take the form of a child who wanders across their path, tricking their loved ones until it’s too late for rescue. Navajo people tell of skin-walkers, which are beings with the ability to take another individual’s form and persona. In Lifechanger, no one is quite sure what is happening but it’s definitely out of the ordinary.

  • Review: ‘Welcome to Marwen’ makes it easy to get lost in the fantasy (Includes first-hand account)

    Traumatic experiences can leave mental and physical scars that may never be healed. As a result, people find coping mechanisms to help them get through day-to-day living and deal with more significant spells of feeling overwhelmed. These devices are not always tangible to others, but the only thing that matters is that it helps the survivor get through whatever difficulty they’re feeling. In Welcome to Marwen, a man’s strategy for dealing with the world after a brutal attack is to build his own mini world, which in turn produces a safe environment for him and art to be enjoyed by everyone else.

  • Review: ‘Champions of Magic’ have nothing but fun up their sleeves (Includes first-hand account)

    There’s something inherently fascinating about magic. For some, particularly the younger members of an audience, it’s the thrill of being mystified by a spectacular act. For others, it’s the challenge of trying to figure out how a particular feat is accomplished. Regardless of what attracts someone to the show, it’s likely to be an enjoyable experience you’ll talk to friends about, describing the element you liked most and/or debating how you think it was done. Champions of Magic is an international show touring the world, and amazing audiences with their talent and wit.

  • Review: ‘On the Basis of Sex’ follows a modern-day suffragette (Includes first-hand account)

    If everyone accepted everything as it is, there would never be any change. It’s thanks to those who oppose the status quo that the world has the opportunity to become better for everyone. Whether it’s proposing new ideas or revolutionizing old ideals, the trailblazers light the way for everyone that follows. These principles couldn’t be truer than when reviewing the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Determined lawyers, political activists and ordinary citizens fought across the country against race and gender discrimination, and now the fight continues for the LGBTQ community. But change had to start somewhere and Ruth Bader Ginsburg is shown leading the way in On the Basis of Sex.

  • Review: ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ is an impassioned & significant film (Includes first-hand account)

    Having one’s finger on the pulse of a nation, or even a large segment of it, is a difficult task and can be even harder to comprehensibly articulate. From the ‘50s to the ‘70s, James Baldwin‘s prolific writing and countless television appearances were expressing the plight of black America in a manner that was gaining increasing attention. He likely hoped by this time his work would be a snapshot of a former country and its hardships, but unfortunately it is as relevant now as it was then. Adapted from Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name, If Beale Street Could Talk is a passionate love story interrupted by a gross injustice.

  • Review: ‘Aquaman’ is king of the DCEU (Includes first-hand account)

    DC has been trying to follow in Marvel’s cinematic footsteps for years, but they’ve been unable to find the same level of success. In spite of their television shows doing relatively well and gaining significant followings, their films have always been lacking. However, they may finally be moving in the right direction. Parts of Justice League were passable and Wonder Woman blew everything else they’d done out of the water. Now, after introducing several characters in the big screen team-up, it’s time for them to helm their standalone pictures. First up is the king of the sea, though that’s not his title when this movie starts — at first, he was just Aquaman.

  • Review: ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ is a heartwarming holiday delight (Includes first-hand account)

    While some movies provide meaningful commentary on the current state of affairs, others are pure escapist films designed to take audiences away from their problems and remind them of the good things in life. The former certainly has value, but sometimes you just want to enjoy watching a picture without having to think too much about it — especially around the holidays. Disney is very good at making these types of movies and this time they’ve reached into their library of classics to revisit a beloved character. The title, Mary Poppins Returns, speaks for itself as everyone could use a little extra care.

  • Review: ‘The House that Jack Built’ is purposely divisive & provocative (Includes first-hand account)

    A bold act may be interpreted as a display of courage, a deed inspired by an inflated ego or a means of agitation. The motivations can be as important as the action itself, though one often overshadows the other — particularly when the product is offensive. But if the goal is to evoke a reaction, there is no more certain avenue than depicting a heinous feat with graphic detail. Arthouse cinema’s enfant terrible, Lars Von Trier, has been doing exactly this for years, but The House that Jack Built may double as one of his most self-reflective films as well.

  • Review: ‘The Quake’ combines predictability with some added intensity (Includes first-hand account)

    Sequels in the disaster movie genre are infrequent since the same region being hit by a comparable catastrophe or the same person being caught in another calamity is a hard sell for audiences. Moreover, unrelated movies have enough trouble not duplicating each other’s pictures so the prospect of the same team trying to make two distinct films in this category is discouraging. With so many obstacles with which to contend, it’s not surprising so few filmmakers attempt a follow-up to even successful blockbusters. Nonetheless, Norwegian writers John Kåre Raake and Harald Rosenløw-Eeg have opted to put the protagonist from The Wave at the centre of another impending natural disaster in The Quake.