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 Strangers: Prey at Night’ is a massacre instead of thriller (Includes first-hand account)

    In the movie industry, “leaving well enough alone” isn’t a phrase that carries much weight. Even when it seems like they’ve struck lightening by achieving an acceptable level of acclaim or success, it’s just a reason to recycle and repeat. Usually this happens in the form of a remake or an immediate sequel, capitalizing on whatever formula worked the first time around. However, occasionally (though more frequently as of late), someone decides to continue a story years after the original. The narrative time that’s past is often comparable to the gap between films and in most cases the original characters return for another go. The latest follow-up to an older movie is The Strangers: Prey at Night.

  • Review: ‘Death Wish’ leaves the difficult questions to the professionals (Includes first-hand account)

    Vigilantism is a divisive topic — even one person can have multiple opinions that place them on both sides of the argument. Is it ever acceptable for someone to act as judge, jury and executioner? Is it okay in some instances, but not others? What responsibility does the justice system have to hold vigilantes accountable? What about their part in creating vigilantes? Are superheroes, who are essentially taking the law into their own hands, also vigilantes? There’s a lot of room for discussion and film is the ideal playground to explore these grey areas. Currently, the issue is being tackled in the remake of the 1974 film of the same name, Death Wish.

  • Review: ‘The Party’ is a master class in acting (Includes first-hand account)

    Secrets, doubts and resentments have a tendency to bubble up in social gatherings — particularly those with a wide range of personalities. One person’s confidence is another’s betrayal; one person’s certainty is another’s fear; and one person’s joy is another’s irritation. As the night wears on and alcohol flows more freely, many things are said that can never be taken back. Confrontations are messy, but someone generally insists on pursuing them to “clear the air.” And then everyone goes home, perhaps a little sadder and/or a little wiser. Thus, we have The Party.

  • Review: ‘Red Sparrow’ won’t be soaring on its laurels (Includes first-hand account)

    The Cold War was widely thought to have ended in the early ‘90s, but as recent events have shown the rivalry between the United States and Russia is still very much alive. Thus, a story about Soviet spies, espionage training camps and double agents is not as irrelevant as it may seem. Moreover, audiences’ attraction to spy pictures has not waned as evidenced by the continued success of the James Bond franchise and the more recent arrival, Atomic Blonde. But how does a slow-burning, female-led mystery fit into this landscape? Red Sparrow is about to find out.

  • Review: ‘Early Man’ has fun with one of the world’s oldest sports (Includes first-hand account)

    Since no one could have physically lived through the ancient past, particularly the start of humankind, it’s challenging to envision what life could’ve been like then… but it can also be fun to imagine the innovative ways people may have used the things around them to enjoy some of life’s current luxuries. The Flintstones was the prime example of this as prehistoric man co-existed with dinosaurs and built a pretty “high-tech” city, complete with amenities and primitive versions of various electronics. The latest imagining comes from the very talented team at Aardman Animations, as they present Early Man.

  • Review: ‘Black Panther’ excels by not compromising (Includes first-hand account)

    Even though Marvel Studios launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its better-known properties, they haven’t been afraid to take a chance on less mainstream characters. One of the reasons is each franchise is approached in a manner that best suits its unique personality. Of course, there are numerous similarities that can be seen across any number of stories, but it’s the elements that make them different that appeal to audiences (and make the many team-ups more attractive). All superheroes battle villains, but it’s how they do it that creates fans. Black Panther is the latest protector to get his own theatrical release and they didn’t cut any corners.

  • Review: ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ should’ve stayed bound and gagged (Includes first-hand account)

    The ultimate chapter in a trilogy dubbed the “anti-Twilight,” which titillated any reader who could tolerate E.L. James’ abysmal prose, is finally getting its big screen debut. Over three years, the controversial yet sultry adaptations of Anastasia Steele’s unsolicited sexual awakening and subsequent taming of the bully Christian Grey has unfolded in the shadow of jealous lovers, past and present. In spite of being made under the guidance of different directors and screenwriters, a lack of consistency was never going to be the series’ biggest problem as Fifty Shades Freed so plainly demonstrates.

  • Review: ‘Hostiles’ weaves a complex story in an equally complex setting (Includes first-hand account)

    The United States of America is a country born from conflict, so it’s not surprising that many of the films set in the 19th century reflect the countless struggles experienced by people gaining and losing land. In Westerns there’s frequently a backdrop of war, but also clashes with the indigenous people, which contribute to the tense, and generally violent, atmosphere. However, it’s not often that these encounters are used to tell a story in which an aggressive character evolves, gaining depth and respect as the narrative unfolds. Hostiles is one of these rarities, taking audiences through a perilous journey of racism and redemption.

  • Review: ‘Paddington 2’ continues to bring out the best in everyone (Includes first-hand account)

    For several years now, studios have been reaching into the past for inspiration with varied results. Trying to recreate the magic of something to which people may already have an emotional attachment is a difficult task as nostalgia is a powerful drug. Yet, occasionally they prove successful and the final product strikes just the right balance of respectful and fresh. This was the case with the first Paddington film, in which the most loveable bear in a pea coat finds a home in London. Now, in Paddington 2, the delightful cub’s happiness is threatened when he’s framed for a crime.

  • Review: ‘I, Tonya’ is a gritty story that no one could’ve expected (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s not often a scandal becomes engrained in pop culture or someone’s name becomes a verb. Conversely, these situations are almost always more complex than anyone realized and the “truth” is rarely an absolute. The curiosity of the public lends the central figures their 15-minutes of fame before they’re replaced by the next sensational news headline, but that doesn’t always mean they’re forgotten or that their stories are complete. Figure skating champion Tonya Harding’s legacy went from the first woman to complete a triple axel in competition to the woman who tried to handicap her biggest competitor — I, Tonya tells her tale.

  • Review: ‘Phantom Thread’ stitches a bizarre story of love and obsession (Includes first-hand account)

    In the last couple of decades, award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis has been clearly selective about the roles he accepts. As a result, it now seems he’s reached the moment in his career where his mere involvement in a picture makes it a must-see film. It also doesn’t hurt that the few projects he does agree to are frequently helmed by acclaimed directors and/or populated by other first-rate actors. Day-Lewis’ latest endeavour puts him at the centre of fashion in 1950’s London in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Phantom Thread.

  • Review: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ is what fans didn’t know they wanted (Includes first-hand account)

    Now that Disney is releasing a Star Wars movie every year for the foreseeable future, it’s somewhat hard to believe there were so many years between films prior to their purchase of Lucasfilm. Yet in spite of the many decades that have passed since audience’s first ventured to “a galaxy far, far away,” their appetites for sci-fi adventures and the Skywalker saga have not waned. With new creators taking the helm, and advanced technology and special effects techniques supporting their visions, the results have been magnificent — and they’re only getting better. And now we have the second picture in the latest trilogy, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.