British Film Critic

Instagram: @britishfilmcritic

Name: Joe
Residency: United Kingdom

About:
In short, I’m a very passionate cinephile who’s always looking to share my thoughts, debate my takes and spread my love for cinema with as many people as conceivably possible – expect consistent reviews, director insights, franchise/genre rankings and everything in between.

Favorite Films:
Pulp Fiction (1994), Moonlight (2016), & La Double Vie de Véronique) (1991).

Favorite Directors:
Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, & Richard Linklater.

Favorite Actors:
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, & Ethan Hawke.

British Film Critic

Instagram: @britishfilmcritic

Name: Joe
Residency: United Kingdom

About:
In short, I’m a very passionate cinephile who’s always looking to share my thoughts, debate my takes and spread my love for cinema with as many people as conceivably possible – expect consistent reviews, director insights, franchise/genre rankings and everything in between.

Favorite Films:
Pulp Fiction (1994), Moonlight (2016), & La Double Vie de Véronique) (1991).

Favorite Directors:
Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, & Richard Linklater.

Favorite Actors:
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, & Ethan Hawke.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

I’ve seen many call this one of, if not the best movie sequel of all time, and after rewatching it, I’m honestly not in a position to deny that.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Captures the essence of the source material in almost every way, setting a bewildering standard for fantasy worlds to come and setting the framework for what was still one to come in the coming films.

Shame (2011)

Michael Fassbender is an actor I’m incredibly familiar with, and yet the performance he puts forward in this film is like nothing I had ever seen of him before.

Django Unchained (2012)

There is absolutely no denying that witnessing almost 3 hours of unabashed black vengeance in its purest form is one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever experienced on screen.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Perhaps it’s the sheer simplicity of them, or the unmistakable significance of them being some of the first mainstream films to delve into what was at the time very taboo territory.

Army of Shadows (1969)

Is it indeed the glum acceptance that resistance is futile, or it is a melancholy commemoration of those whose achievements in fighting the Nazis go unrecognised to this day?

The New World (2005)

It’s aggressively immersive in a way that feels unparalleled by possibly any other filmmaker working today, inundating you with the nuances and idiosyncratic beauty of the natural surroundings.

Lady Vengeance (2005)

This film is able to maintain an almost infinite level of detail and narrative depth, expanding on its world, its characters, and its history so concretely by moving a mile a minute

Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo’s dense atmosphere does the film a lot of favours, made so visceral by the combined efforts of the performances, cinematography, and, perhaps most notably, Bernard Herrman’s fantastic, hypnotising score.

Miami Vice (2006)

Colin Farrell does in fact pull off his mullet, extraordinarily well in fact. Him and Jamie Foxx make for such a suave, killer duo, and practically every scene they have together is a real pleasure to watch.

Paris Is Burning (1990)

Bursting with life, bursting with character, bursting with cutting social commentary, bursting with energy – and so, so much more.

Dunkirk (2017)

Nolan’s dependence on practical effects brings a new level of tangibility to each sequence, making each event more immersive, visceral and tense.

Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac feels slightly apart from a lot of Fincher’s other films to me, primarily in that it’s darkness is often much more subtle and, frankly, much more sinister.

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

The suaveness he brings to the screen is almost irresistible, and the arc given to his Luke is something that not only really impacted me, but honestly shocked me too.

Thief (1981)

Caan just brings so much energy, unexpected like-ability and humanity to the character, letting much more on about his character than is typical of these neo-noir protagonists.

8½ (1963)

8½ didn’t quite hit me emotionally as much as I wanted, I practically have solely great things to say about this film, because it is, with no doubt in my mind, just that – a great film.

Children of Men (2006)

It is the depiction of humanity at their absolute worst and at their absolute best, it is the implicit detail within every scene, line of dialogue and shot, and it is everything in between.

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

I honestly haven’t encountered a film with this much honesty, this much untamed emotion, and this much vulnerability with its characters since Magnolia.

25th Hour (2002)

25th Hour’s direction as a whole came as a bit of a shock to me, first and foremost because this feels like the least ‘Spike Lee’ film I’ve seen of his to date.

Lost Highway (1997)

Lost Highway only reminded me just how visceral, mind-bending and captivating Lynch’s work truly is, and now I genuinely cannot wait to complete his filmography.

Cape Fear (1991)

Scorsese tries his luck with a Hitchcockian thriller that, despite the aforementioned diversity of his films, feels so distinct from the rest of his filmography.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

If you want a patient, calm, visually astounding revisionist Western that carries the genre onto the 21st century, then this is the film for you.

The Departed (2006)

This film has made something absolutely certain to me: Scorsese is, without a doubt, one of the best filmmakers of all time, and definitely one of my favourites.

Magnolia (1999)

A film that upon a second viewing, has not only taken my top spot for ‘best Paul Thomas Anderson film’ but has made it way right up into my top 3 of all time.

Good Time (2017)

The Safdie Brothers’ direction of the film is pretty spectacular, really capturing the essence of a gritty crime drama, blending seamlessly with the brutal nature of the subject matter.

Spirited Away (2001)

When I said Spirited Away was beautiful on more levels than simply its cinematography, I wasn’t lying, but when I say this film is visually beautiful, I mean it is something else.

Blow Out (1981)

The film’s script is undeniably excellent – not only is the premise clever and thoroughly intriguing, but the writing also allows for a lot of political subtext, giving an extra layer of depth to the film.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

I’m pretty impartial when it comes to genres, although my relationship with horror films isn’t exactly perfect, and so going into this horror thriller, I was hoping for the best, and I pretty much got it.

American Psycho (2000)

Eerie, unnerving and even outright terrifying, yet, balanced in a way that feels effortless and even harmonious, it is unjustifiably and completely inappropriately hysterical in parts

Before Sunrise (1995)

You, the viewer, also begin to fall in love with these characters: their quirks, their flaws, their intelligence, their insights, their chemistry and everything in between.

Chinatown (1974)

Constantly escalating and keeping you on your toes with a spiralling, complex narrative and riveting characterisation, this is a classic that is well deserving of its recognition.

La Haine (1995)

La Haine is, put simply, a masterpiece, and everything I could have wanted it to be, and so so much more, easily making one of my all-time favourite films.

The Shape of Water (2017)

The themes and messages of this film are handled perfectly, keying in on the universality of compassion and decency, the abhorrence of ‘othering’ and the importance of being seen and heard.

Heat (1995)

Anyone would have expected a powerhouse pairing of De Niro and Pacino to result in something fantastic, and that is just what Heat delivers,

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Daniel Day Lewis delivers one of the best performances I have ever seen: he is absolutely terrifying, treating every line of dialogue as if it’s his last.

Blue Velvet (1986)

The sense of mystery is perpetual throughout, and, like almost all of my favourites, the narrative complexity exponentially increases as the film goes on.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

There’s a driving, burning and melancholic feeling all throughout the film, heavily felt through the dialogue, performances and often very cleverly through the direction.

La La Land (2016)

Damien Chazelle has inarguably proved himself as one of the best directors of our generations, constantly conveying his versatility and passion for his craft.

Casino (1995)

This film really is Martin Scorsese at his peak, uniting all the best parts of his productions, with Schoonmaker, Richardson, De Niro, and Pesci all coming together and bringing their absolute best.

The Truman Show (1998)

On its surface level alone, there is more than enough to keep you entertained and engaged in The Truman Show, but it’s the subtext beneath everything that really makes the film so great

Se7en (1995)

Having now seen Se7en, I am more than comfortable proclaiming it to be the filmmaker’s masterpiece.