Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: a tale of wonder and transformation deflated by flat characters and boring plot
Hayao Miyazaki, “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” / “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”
Tag: Fantasy
Mary and the Witch’s Flower: visually attractive but otherwise a flat effort
Hiromasa Yonebayashi, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” (2017) A visually very attractive family movie, clearly
My Neighbour Totoro: charm can’t compensate for a thin plot and weakly developed themes
Hayao Miyazaki, “My Neighbour Totoro” (1988) The film that brought Studio Ghibli to an international
The Space Between Us: short film treatment with sketchy plot and underdeveloped characters
Marc S. Nollkaemper, “The Space Between Us” (2015) In a future post-apocalyptic world, where the
Nosferatu (dir. R Eggers): lavish remake in need of better script with sympathetic characters
Robert Eggers, “Nosferatu” (2024) Incredibly the years 2023 and 2024 saw two remakes of F
French and French-language Films
Bernadette: fluffy satirical comedy saved by good actors
Léa Domenach, “Bernadette” (2023) Any time Catherine Deneuve takes on a film role is reason
Exhuma: Korean shamanism and colonial past explored in supernatural horror thriller
Jang Jaehyun, “Exhuma” (2024) It starts innocently enough when a newborn boy contracts a mystery
British Films | North American Films
Love Lies Bleeding: interesting character study left bleeding at the end
Rose Glass, “Love Lies Bleeding” (2024) A surprisingly entertaining film, spoilt only by a cartoonish
Dream Scenario: wacky fantasy comedy satire on social media fame and post-modern cultural values
Kristoffer Borgli, “Dream Scenario” (2023) This psychological fantasy comedy film is as oddball as they
British Films | North American Films
Poor Things: a male-centred fantasy of a child-like heroine’s sexual liberation and personal empowerment
Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things” (2023) A visually sumptuous feast, set in an alternative late Victorian