On Screen

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

  • Review: ‘The House with a Clock’ will start new generation of horror fans (Includes first-hand account)

    Some of the key elements of young adult fiction is the adolescent protagonist makes mistakes that can be attributed to their immaturity, while also finding the strength to triumph over whatever villain or personal obstacle is at the tale’s centre. This formula is so generic, it allows for any number of narratives in any number of genres, meaning it never gets old because you never have to tell, read or watch the exact same story twice. Thus, even though The House with a Clock in its Walls features some aspects seen in other tales, it is its own picture.

  • Review: ‘The Predator’s only problem isn’t its name (Includes first-hand account)

    There is a prevailing sentiment that any contact with an alien race will be generally unfriendly and probably violent. The expectation is that there will be no interest in making peace or sharing knowledge; instead, there will be a war over resources and in spite of advanced alien technology, humans will prove triumphant via their sheer will to survive. One can only hope that if there is intelligent life out there, they don’t access our entertainment and judge our species inhospitable. Thirty years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a movie about a space warrior that came to Earth to earn his stripes. More have come since and now they’re back in The Predator.

  • Review: People really should exercise more caution around ‘The Nun’ (Includes first-hand account)

    While the individual movies in The Conjuring franchise have varied in quality, most horror fans can agree that they’ve introduced audiences to some of the creepiest creatures in recent years. Your skin may still crawl when you remember small hands clapping behind Lauren’s haunted mother and plunging her into darkness. Or perhaps Annabelle’s unsettling and unseen movements across the room still gives you goosebumps. The latest spectre to instill fear in the hearts of moviegoers was a ghoulish woman in a habit with demonic eyes. The Nun sets out to answer the question, where did she come from?

  • Review: ‘Mile 22’ is a flawed but rewarding tactical operation (Includes first-hand account)

    While popular genres and interests come and go in waves, there appears to be a current focus on elite military personnel. These men and women carryout covert missions, supported by the best technology and often under the agreement that if caught, they do not exist. TV series and films have been tapping into this fount of gritty and riveting stories, both fiction and non-, for a few years now. Mile 22 is the latest, which turns 16 Blocks into a military operation on foreign soil that requires the transporters cover a little more ground.

  • Review: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is a funny escapist comedy (Includes first-hand account)

    Meeting your significant others’ family and/or friends is generally a sign the relationship is getting more serious; the gravity increases when the introduction requires large, ticketed transportation. However daunting this encounter may seem, it can be even more so if you gradually discover you know very little about these people and consequently how to ensure they like you… because whatever happens here could mean relaxed or dreaded family gatherings going forward — if there even is a next time. In Crazy Rich Asians, a young woman makes the trip to meet her boyfriend’s family for the first time without knowing she’s about to enter the inner sanctum of a Chinese dynasty.

  • Review: ‘Skyscraper’ is so big it misses out on the details (Includes first-hand account)

    Endangered family members have been a motivating factor for action heroes more than once — it’s one of the many reasons these ties to loved ones are generally considered a weakness and frequently leveraged as such. But it also makes for a great ticking clock narrative in which the protagonist must complete some task by the deadline in order to save them… though the villain’s demands are often ignored in favour of a plan that results in the rescuing of loved ones and the death/apprehension of the bad guy. The latest movie star to take on this role is Dwayne Johnson in Skyscraper.

  • Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ delivers fun in multiple sizes (Includes first-hand account)

    One of the last times anyone saw Ant-Man, he was 65′ tall and swatting at Spider-Man as Captain America and Iron Man battled over who should sit at the head of the Avengers table in Captain America: Civil War. There’s been some amusing conversation about where the tiny superhero was during the epic stand-off with Thanos and his cronies in Avengers: Infinity War part one, but no definitive answers. Since Germany, Scott Lang has simply been off the grid. But he’s finally resurfaced and he’s brought a friend in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

  • Review: ‘The First Purge’ gets at the heart of the horror (Includes first-hand account)

    According to this franchise, in the near future the United States will condone one night of complete lawlessness. For 12 hours, every American citizen has the right to do whatever they want, including rape, murder and steal. But how could such a heinous event be permitted, let alone supported, by not only the people but their government? We’ve seen a family held hostage in their home, people wandering the streets in masks brutally killing anyone they encounter, disgruntled employees taking revenge on their bosses… and armed military units using the event as cover for the genocide of hundreds of lower income citizens. The First Purge is the story of how it all began.

  • Review: ‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ overshoots the target (Includes first-hand account)

    Drug trafficking in the United States has been a hot button issue for decades, particularly when discussing the Mexico-U.S. border. However, in the last year, the border has become an even greater topic of contention as illegal migrants rose to the top of the list of “threats” to combat. While the real-life motives for this mimic a South Park rant, there could be legitimate reasons for the perimeter to become an increased concern — one of which is explored in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the sequel to the gritty cop movie.

  • Review: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ must find a way to rise again (Includes first-hand account)

    Many people are fascinated by dinosaurs as they’ve fostered their interest from childhood into adulthood with the help of TV shows, science exhibits and movies. They are mesmerized by their enormous size, likeness to contemporary beasts and thorough extinction of their pre-evolutionary form, which leads to an unquenchable curiosity of what it would be like to see them in person — or even live amongst them — beyond the obvious blood-curdling fear. Thus, Steven Spielberg‘s dinosaur theme park was destined to be an immediate hit and is now in its fifth iteration, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

  • Review: ‘Incredibles 2’ used its time away wisely (Includes first-hand account)

    Fourteen years ago, before Marvel had taken over the world of superhero cinema, audiences fell in love with a family that had extraordinary abilities. And then they went back underground and many doubted they’d ever be seen again. Finally, writer/director Brad Bird announced he was ready to return to their story — literally — as the sequel picks up exactly where the first film left off. It’s been a long wait, but Incredibles 2 (which could have also been named “The Rise of Jack Jack”) was certainly worth it.

  • ‘Solo’ swaggers with the best in the galaxy (Includes first-hand account)

    More than 40 years ago, audiences were introduced to a loveable scoundrel whose chauvinist charm won hearts and fearless audacity earned envy. Han Solo’s love affair with Princess Leia, almost lifelong friendship with Chewbacca and affection for the Millennium Falcon are just some of his most recognizable traits. But he was already an established pilot and smuggler when he made his entrance into the Star Wars universe, so little was known about his past. Although where Han came from was not a question on the tip of many tongues, it is an answer his fans may find interesting. Thus, the latest standalone film in the franchise, Solo: A Star Wars Story, goes back to the hero’s beginnings.