“Shaved Heads, Big Boots and Anarchist Rebellion” – Rebel Dykes (BFI Flare 2021 Review)

Posted by Leoni Horton - March 18, 2021

There is nothing more powerful in this world than a woman who doesn’t give a single **** about what other people think of her. A group of such like-minded and incredible women lay at the heart of Harri Shanahan and Sian Williams’ feature documentary, Rebel Dykes. The film centres on a community of lesbians coming

“My blood and sweat’s enough” – Mogul Mowgli (Blu-ray Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - February 19, 2021

Just when his career seems to be taking off with a European tour, New York-based, British-Pakistani rapper Zed develops an autoimmune disease. He returns home to London to see his family who he hasn’t seen in a long time. As his body breaks down, making him weaker, he tries to reconnect with his past, his

”You’re The Acceptable Loss” – County Lines (Film Review)

Posted by Maria Lattila - November 30, 2020

Henry Blake’s debut feature film is a fiery and devastating look at grooming and its effects on both the children and parents affected. Packing a mighty punch, Blake shows considerable talent and passion, but the film also feels peculiarly cold at times. Inspired by real events and based on Blake’s own short film from 2017,

The Woman Who Fell To Earth – Friendship’s Death (LFF Review)

Posted by Andrew Gaudion - October 18, 2020

Film theorist Peter Wollen made a number of films in his life with his wife, fellow film academic Laura Mulvey. There was only one he made as a solo filmmaker, and it is that film that has been given a new lease of life as the latest 4K restoration from the BFI. 1987’s Friendship’s Death

“Where Do Lost Girls Go?” – Shirley (BFI London Film Festival Review)

Posted by Maria Lattila - October 8, 2020

Josephine Decker’s follow-up to Madeline’s Madeline will not be for everyone. In fact, many will without a doubt find Shirley off-putting and too fractured to be impactful. Starring Elisabeth Moss as the titular character, this is regardless a fascinating journey into a creative, obsessive, and dark mind of the famed horror author. Young couple Fred

“We Have To Stick Together” – Mangrove (LFF Review)

Posted by Maria Lattila - October 7, 2020

Steve McQueen has done it again. Perhaps the most significant and consistent modern British director, McQueen once again brings us a riveting, vital piece of filmmaking, this time telling the true story of the Mangrove Nine. As it so often is with McQueen’s work, Mangrove is timely and powerful, without ever regressing to speaking down

“Absence Is a Funny Thing” – The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Film Review)

Posted by Tom Beasley - December 6, 2019

The film world is currently listing its best movies of the decade and so there is, inevitably, a lot of love for Damien Chazelle's delightful La La Land. With that in mind, now is a great time to experience French New Wave figure Jacques Demy's masterful 1960s musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which was perhaps

“I need him like the axe needs the turkey” – The Lady Eve (Film Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - February 12, 2019

As a subgenre of romantic comedy, writer and director Preston Sturges really was the master at creating screwball stories. For The Lady Eve Sturges plays on the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, even including snakes in the mix. Sturges’ 1941 classic ticks every box on the ‘screwball comedy’ list. With a dominate main female

“Rarely a happy moment” – Joy (London Film Festival Review)

Posted by KatieHogan - October 16, 2018

The need and want for a better life is something everyone craves. Some will do almost anything for what they believe is a better. But after getting to where you want to be, sometimes it’s hard to admit, the grass is always greener. Director Sudabeh Mortezai focuses on the sex trafficking in Europe, a never-ending

Girlfriends at the Movies – An Overview of BFI’s Film Season

Posted by KatieHogan - March 30, 2018

In the spirit of International Women’s Day (8th March) and it being the month to celebrate women, what better time to shine the spotlight on the BFI’s latest season, Girlfriends. Friendships, specifically, women’s friendships and how they are portrayed on screen, have been explored, dissected, examined, repeated across the film world. The latest season, which