Anya Taylor-Joy

  • 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: ‘Split’ is an invigorating thriller that restores Shyamalan’s rep (Includes first-hand account)

    If there’s one thing that can be said about writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, it’s that he has interesting ideas. Not all of those concepts have translated into good films, but there have been some clear winners within the dozen titles listed on his IMDB page. He’s spent his 25-year career trying to keep audiences on their toes, while also telling engrossing stories. His penchant for a final twist has become a signature and therefore the burden falls on him to truly make it unexpected. It’s been nearly two decades since he delivered one as shocking as the final reveal in Split, which has been almost as long in the making.

  • Review: ‘Morgan’ treads in the deep before moving to shallower territory (Includes first-hand account)

    While early scientific advancements are often made in the name of helping people, it doesn’t take long for those same discoveries to be manipulated and applied to more experimental endeavours that are simply meant to satisfy curiosities rather than serve the greater good. Or, as is often the case, a military-purpose is determined and the finding is taken in never-intended directions. While those very close to the project may retain an emotional attachment, the decision-makers tend to be more aloof and concerned with the bottom-line. In Morgan, these two positions clash over the survival of a synthetic being.

  • Review: ‘The Witch’ is creepy in ways totally unrelated to the title (Includes first-hand account)

    In spite of deep religious beliefs, fear and superstition was arguably an equal if not greater influence on the lives of early settlers. It’s one of the key reasons witch hunts have a significant role in American history. It was simpler to assign responsibility for unexplained and/or devastating events to an evil entity (Devil) or his servant than to endure it without recourse. By ridding themselves of the so-called perpetrator, they presumably remove the possibility of recurrence. In The Witch, an innocent lie snowballs into indefensible condemnation and self-fulfilling prophesy.