Bending time and space has long been a subject that has fascinated audiences. There is something about the ability to travel through time that greatly appeals to us, after all who doesn’t like the idea of being able to relive amazing moments, find out the winning lottery numbers, redo past mistakes or to influence maybe even all of history?

Not only that, but there is something about the often labyrinthine plots, complex narratives and intriguing paradoxes created that also captures the audience’s imagination. Films which bend the rules of the universe as we know it are films that challenge us and open our minds to amazing possibilities beyond the reality that we know.

Infinite time loops which go on forever and ever, past and present versions of ourselves, missions to save loved ones or solve crimes, missions to save the entire world – films which bend space and time have infinite possibilities….

Infinite time loops which go on forever and ever, past and present versions of ourselves, missions to save loved ones or solve crimes, missions to save the entire world – films which bend space and time have infinite possibilities….

Infinite time loops which go on forever and ever, past and present versions of ourselves, missions to save loved ones or solve crimes, missions to save the entire world – films which bend space and time have infinite possibilities….

1. Donnie Darko (2001)

Director Richard Kelly had previously directed short films before taking on Donnie Darko, his feature length debut. Donnie Darko had a disappointing performance at the box office earning $7.5 million against its $4.5 million budget and was considered a flop. However, the film received critical acclaim and has gone on to attract a cult following. It also won over twenty awards at various festivals and still frequently features on critics’ best of lists.

The film follows the titular character as he tries to deal with his doomsday related visions. One night Donnie sees a giant demonic rabbit named Frank who tells him that the world will end in twenty-eight days. After this, Donnie returns home to find that a jet engine has crashed into his bedroom. Now Donnie must try and work out what is real and what isn’t and whether the world is really going to end or not.

In 2009, a sequel to Donnie Darko was released. It was critically panned, and fans of the original were strongly against it. Kelly himself spoke out against the sequel saying, “I had nothing to do with it. And I hate when people try and blame me or hold me responsible for it because I had no involvement. I don’t control the underlying rights. I had to relinquish them when I was twenty-four years old. I hate when people ask me about that because I’ve never seen it and I never will.”

2. Predestination (2014)

Written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, Predestination is based on the 1959 short story All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein, with many of the lines of dialogue lifted faithfully from the novel. The film follows a temporal agent who has been given one last assignment – to travel back in time and prevent someone who plans to set off a bomb in 1975 New York.

Predestination premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest Film Festival and then went on to be released at the beginning of 2015. The film was well received, winning multiple awards and was seen as a strong addition to the time travel genre. Predestination was estimated to have made just under $5 million against its budget of $5.4 million.

For those who haven’t read the source material, Predestination packs a punch that audiences won’t see coming. With that in mind, some may assume that the film might not watch as well on a second viewing however co-director Michael Spierig recommends watching the film again and thinks that it actually works even more effectively on a rewatch. He said, “I think the second viewing is better simply because some things are obvious. The second time around you really see the tragedy of it all. And you see the cynicism of the bartender character as well. So, I think the second viewing is so much more interesting knowing the outcome.”

3. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a loose sequel of the novel of the same name by Yasutaka Tsutsui. The novel has been previously adapted numerous times, including as a television series, a television film and as a live action adaptation. The film follows Makoto, a high school girl who discovers that she can travel in time and decides to use it to her personal advantage, unaware that her actions are affecting others as well.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was released to positive reviews and won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, as well as other numerous awards. The film’s success was surprising given its limited release and limited marketing. However, the film soon gained momentum due to its positive critical response and word of mouth. Film goers reportedly maxed out some theatres, with some even standing to be able to watch the film. After this, the film was more widely released.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who although had directed other works previously, was seen as having broken through with this film. Hosoda spoke of how important personal development is in his films and how he especially sees that in this film with its coming of age elements and realisations for the main character.

4. Arrival (2016)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Eric Heisserer, Arrival is based on the 1998 short story, Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. Arrival premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was well received both critically and commercially.

When twelve extra terrestrial spaceships descend on Earth and hover silently over different locations, linguist Louise Banks is called in with her team to try and interpret and decipher the complex language that the aliens are trying to communicate with.

Arrival grossed over $200 million at the box office against a budget of $47 million and was nominated for multiple awards. It received eight nominations at the 89th Academy Awards and won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. Arrival was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best films of 2016.

5. Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Directed by Terry Gilliam, Twelve Monkeys was inspired by the 1962 short film La Jetee which was directed by Chris Marker. The film was adapted to a feature screenplay by David and Janet Peoples. Although Gilliam was quickly chosen to direct and Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis were signed on, Universal took a long time to sign off on Twelve Monkeys due to the extensive cost of Waterworld.

Twelve Monkeys was released to critical acclaim and grossed over $168 million against its $29.5 million budget. The film was nominated for various awards and won awards at the Saturn Awards, the Golden Globes and Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Twelve Monkeys has gone on to achieve a cult following and following the release of The Zero Theorem in 2013, many claimed that Gilliam had meant for Twelve Monkeys to be part of a trilogy with The Zero Theorem completing the trilogy and 1985’s Brazil as the first instalment. However, Gilliam has laughed off the claims and said of them. “Well, it’s funny, this trilogy was never something I ever said, but it’s been repeated so often it’s clearly true. I don’t know who started it but once it started it never stopped.”

Animated films are often thought to be aimed at a younger audience and in particular children are seen as the main consumers of the genre. Whilst a massive part of the market and genre does create and produce films that are family friendly, there are also many animated films which cater to a much older audience. Not only that, but the preconception of an animated film being bright, colourful and light-hearted are turned completely on their head in these films which are often much darker – not only in tone but also visually.

The animation genre is comprised of many incredible films. Some of these films will be very well known by audiences, however there are a number of other animations which whilst less familiar, are still just as worthy of attention from audiences.

1. Waking Life (2001)

Waking Life follows a young man who is in a persistent dream like state as he observes and participates in a number of philosophical discussions with different individuals. These discussions address a myriad of interesting and intriguing issues, including free will, our relationships with others and the meaning of life.

Waking Life is an experimental film which was written and directed by Richard Linklater. The film was shot with live actors and then entirely rotoscoped using a team of artists who used computers to draw stylised lines and colours over each frame of the film. Linklater would later use rotoscoping again for his 2006 film A Scanner Darkly.

Imagine that you are at a party full of people from all different walks of life. At this party, people approach you one by one and pull you aside where they then share with you philosophical thoughts and ideas about everything from what it means to dream to what it means to be human. As these people talk to you, the room is forever changing, pulsating and shifting. Your eye is not only drawn to the person to whom you are talking to but also to the environment around you. All these things add up to what it is like to view Waking Life, a film that the audience experiences as well as watches.

2. Song of the Sea (2014)

Song of the Sea follows brother and sister Ben and Saoirse when they are sent to live with their grandma in the city after their mother’s disappearance. When they resolve to return to their old home by the sea, Ben soon begins to realise that the folktales that his mother used to tell them are not just stories and that his sister Saoirse is even more immersed into this mystical world than he could have ever imagined.

Song of the Sea was directed by Tomm Moore and written by Will Collins. The film used hand drawn animation and took around five years to complete. Song of the Sea had a limited release but received critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.

One of the best elements of Song of the Sea is that throughout the film, the audience feels as though they are swept along in the adventure and mystery with Ben and Saoirse. This feeling of being immersed in the events is also exacerbated by the beautiful and breath-taking animation. Song of the Sea crafts a story that resonates with the audience because we all know what it is like to have family and even more than that, what it is like to sometimes have mixed feelings towards that family. The family dynamic is something that feels very relatable and the added intrigue of the folktale elements make the film even more appealing.

3. Tekkonkinkreet (2006)

Orphaned street kids Black and White are inherently different. Whilst Black is more streetwise and tough, White is much more childish and innocent. They both live in Treasure Town and consider the city as their own. When entrepreneurs arrive in the city with the intention of tearing down the city to replace it with an amusement park, Black and White decide to try and stop them, whilst also dealing with the yakuza who are attempting to take over Treasure Town.

Tekkonkinkreet was adapted from the manga series of the same name and all three manga issues were adapted into this feature length version. The film was directed by Michael Arias and was praised as a must-see film for fans of anime.

Tekkonkinkreet does feel that it might be quite a divisive film, but that is only because the animation is very unique and original – traditionalists may just find it too distinctive. That being said, for fans of anime in all its forms, this film is definitely one to add to the watchlist. Tekkonkinkreet world builds in a fascinating way and the use of inventive camera angles and awesome swooping shots makes it even more eye catching for the audience.

4. Mind Game (2004)

Mind Game follows twenty-year-old Nishi who dreams of becoming a comic book artist. Nishi has a crush on his childhood girlfriend and fantasises about declaring his love for her. But when an encounter between Nishi and the yakuza goes horribly wrong, Nishi finds himself in a strange sort of limbo.

Mind Game was adapted from the manga of the same name and directed by Masaaki Yuasa in his directorial debut. Upon its release, Mind Game won several accolades and is now considered a cult favourite.

If you want to watch a film that truly explores and pushes the boundaries of animation, then Mind Game is an absolute must see. Mind Game is a film that is highly experimental in nature and again feels like a film that audiences not only watch but experience. Mind Game is a strange and surreal film and it is hard to put into words the abstract and insane content, just go and watch this film.

5. It’s Such A Beautiful Day (2012)

It’s Such A Beautiful Day is divided into three chapters and follows a stick man named Bill who is struggling with the symptoms of an unknown neurological illness. The film follows him as he struggles with his failing memory and attempts to put his shattered psyche back together.

It’s Such A Beautiful Day was written, produced and directed by Don Hertzfeldt, who also stars in it. The three chapters of the film were originally released separately as shorts before being compiled into a feature. The film had a limited theatrical release before being released on to streaming services. It’s Such A Beautiful Day received wide critical acclaim and is considered by some to be the best animated film of all time.

It is hard to imagine anyone coming away from this film and it not having a profound effect on them. It’s Such A Beautiful Day depicts mental illness in such a resonate way, that even if you have no experience or familiarity with such an illness, somehow you find yourself empathising and relating. All the quirks of what it means to be human, all the awkward interactions and thoughts that we may have – they are all here in this film and Hertzfeldt’s unique and simple animation brings it all to life wonderfully.

A year of film may not be over yet, but at this halfway point critics and audiences alike look to the films that they have both enjoyed and disliked the most so far. 2020 is an incredibly unique year for film. Due to the pandemic, theatres across the globe were forced to close, the film industry came to a standstill and as a result many films have had to either postpone their releases indefinitely or have been released digitally instead of theatrically.

Celebrating the best that film has to offer and the films that we enjoy most is always more enjoyable, however that does not mean that we cannot recognise films that have disappointed audiences and critics or are weaker.

1. Fantasy Island

Would you visit a place where your wildest fantasies could become reality? On Fantasy Island, a remote and luxurious resort, the mysterious Mr Roarke makes the secrets dreams of his guests come true. But when the guests’ dreams begin to turn into horrific nightmares, they must solve the mystery of the island in order to escape with their lives.

The film, which is a re-imagination of the 1977 television series of the same name, was produced by Blumhouse Productions and was also known by the title ‘Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island’ in some territories. Fantasy Island was directed by Jeff Wadlow, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with Chris Roach and Jillian Jacobs. Fantasy Island was a box office success, grossing over $47 million against a budget of $7 million, however it was critically panned and currently holds one of the worst Rotten Tomatoes’ scores of the year at 8%.

Fantasy Island was primarily criticised for its lack of appeal to audiences. The film is not a true enough adaptation to appeal to fans of the television show but is also not scary enough to interest horror fans. Instead, Fantasy Island exists in a strange in between where the scares are merely pedestrian, and the story is a devolution of the television show’s ideas.

2. Dolittle

In nineteenth century England, Dr John Dolittle lives in a stately manor in the company of his many exotic animals. Having only the animals for company after the death of his wife, Dolittle speaks to them on a daily basis. But when the young Queen Victoria becomes gravely ill, Dolittle is sent on a mission to retrieve the cure along with the help of his menagerie of animals and a young self-appointed apprentice.

Dolittle, also known as The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, was directed by Stephen Gaghan who also co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The film is a reboot of the original 1967 film Doctor Dolittle.

Dolittle underwent three weeks of reshoots after initial test screenings showed poor results. Unfortunately, the reshoots did little to improve Dolittle which was a box office bomb as well as being panned critically.

Dolittle was criticised for being weak in almost every aspect with critics highlighting a poor script, poor visuals and the story being stale and boring. It was noted by many that this family film would only really appeal to an incredibly young audience and that the comedy was clinically unfunny in every sense.

3. Coffee & Kareem

When twelve-year-old Kareem’s mother starts dating police officer James Coffee, Kareem devises a plot to break them up. However, his attempt to hire criminals to take Coffee out go awry and Kareem accidentally exposes a secret network of criminal activity. With his family now in danger, Kareem must team up with his arch nemesis Coffee to take the criminals down.

Coffee & Kareem was directed by Michael Dowse and written by Shane Mack. The film was digitally released on to streaming platform Netflix in April. Coffee & Kareem was received negatively by critics and criticised for a number of issues.

Coffee & Kareem takes the buddy-cop comedy genre and turns it into an R-rated film. However, in this case, the R rating relies heavily on the character of Kareem whose foul and sexualised language was off putting for a lot of audiences considering that the character is only twelve years old. Away from that, the film was also criticised for being unoriginal and using lazy plot twists. Overall, Coffee & Kareem was viewed as a complete misfire – a comedy which was neither funny nor original.

4. 365 Days

Massimo, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family, kidnaps a woman named Laura after seeing her on a beach years earlier and becoming obsessed with her. Massimo tells Laura that he will hold her captive for 365 days in the hope that she will fall in love with him during that time.

365 Days was co-directed by Barbara Bialowas and Tomasz Mandes, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with Tomasz Klimala and Blanka Lipinska. The film is a Polish erotic thriller and was based upon the first novel of a trilogy by author Blanka Lipinska.

The film was released theatrically in Poland and grossed $9.5 million at the box office before being released digitally on to streaming service Netflix, where it has gained global attention and has frequented the most viewed films in numerous territories.

Despite its popularity, 365 Days was critically panned and is rated as one of the worst films of the year so far with a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Unlike other films that have been deemed as amongst the worst of the year so far, 365 Days was not merely be criticised for common other issues such as poor writing and poor characters etc. Whilst yes, the film certainly does suffer from those issues as well as a myriad of other problems, more importantly the film has been criticised for the way that it has romanticised and glamorised kidnapping, rape, and violence against women.

365 Days presents the kidnap and prisoning of a woman as a sexy situation, and violence and non-consent as foreplay. The film suggests that consent can be obtained retroactively, and that rape might be acceptable if the woman enjoyed it or is attracted to the man in question. There is no need to explain why this is completely unacceptable and thus 365 Days more than earns its place as one of the worst films of the year.

5. Bloodshot

After soldier Ray Garrison is killed in action, he is brought back to life by a team of scientists who enhance his body using nanotechnology. Now a superhuman killing machine and with no memories of his former life, Ray trains with a group of similar elite soldiers. However, as Ray’s memories begin to flood back, he realises that he may actually be part of a bigger conspiracy.

Bloodshot was based on the Valiant Comics character of the same name and is intended to be the first instalment in a shared cinematic universe based on Valiant Comics. Bloodshot is the feature length directorial debut of director David S. F. Wilson and was co-written by Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer.

Bloodshot grossed $30 million against a budget of $45 million and received mixed reviews from critics. The film was one of the last films to be released theatrically before the COVID-19 pandemic closed theatres. As a result, Sony released the film digitally on demand less than two weeks after its theatrical release.

Bloodshot received negative reviews mostly in part to its attempts to replicate other big superhero films and in doing so both completely missed the mark and felt unoriginal. The big action set pieces do bring some joy for audiences, but there is nothing much else to excite or interest the audience. The script often falls flat, and the story’s plot twists are predictable and boring.

The thriller genre, like so many other genres, is an incredibly broad genre with multiple sub genres to explore. Thrillers are often categorised by their ability to keep an audience guessing, to sustain a level of tension and intrigue throughout and sometimes they may even keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

As audiences look to streaming services more and more to find films to watch, it can be hard to sift through the hundreds and hundreds of films on offer on multiple platforms.

In the case of the thriller genre, streaming giant Netflix offers some great films that may have flown under the radar for audiences but are certainly films that fans of the genre should try.

1. The Interview (1998)

This Australian film has often been referred to as “the Australian Usual Suspects.” The film follows a man who is arrested and taken in for questioning, but as the interview unfolds it becomes more and more apparent that everyone is playing their own game.

One of the standouts of this film is seeing Hugo Weaving in one of his most under seen roles. He is great in this and his Australian accent is impressive, never dropping once. He plays his character perfectly so that the audience is never quite sure of what his intentions are. One of the most intriguing parts of the film is watching his character unfold.

The other characters are all police officers and are really interesting and at times the audience will almost be unsure of where their sympathies should lie. This all plays into the film’s overall message on the nature of truth and responsibility – who is guilty? And what does being guilty really mean? The Interview also looks at the nature of a police interview and challenges its audience on the morality, or possibly immorality, of it.

The Interview is a film full of twists and turns. It also has an interesting visual style, it’s very muted and grey throughout which enhances the story. This is a film which is a great example of an effective lower budget film with minimal locations and is a must see for fans of Hugo Weaving.

2. The Invisible Guest (2016)

The Invisible Guest, ‘Contratiempo’ in its original language, is a Spanish mystery thriller which sees a young, successful businessman wake up in a hotel room next to his lover who was murdered whilst he was unconscious. The room is locked with no signs of anyone entering or leaving the room. Thus, begins one fateful night where the man’s lawyer must build a case to prove his innocence.

The Invisible Guest is engaging and intriguing throughout and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Some of the twists you can see coming and some you definitely can’t, but it is fun trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. There are multiple facets to the story, but unlike similar films, the audience is never in fear of getting confused or struggling to keep up.

The Invisible Guest is a murder mystery and thriller all rolled into one. It is very self-contained and so audiences will be satisfied with the ending and not left with a myriad of questions. This is a film that audiences could watch again in order to look out for all the little clues that they may have missed the first time.

3. Hush (2016)

Maddie Young is a deaf writer who lives in an isolated house in the woods, with only her cat for company. When a masked killer begins a campaign of terror against her one night, Maddie must fight for her life in silence.

Hush is an incredibly effective film because it plays on several of our innate fears – being isolated and cut off from everyone else, being very vulnerable and having your home, a place which should be your sanctuary and where you feel safest, invaded. Hush also uses what has proved to be a very successful film device in films and that is sensory deprivation.

Though Hush has a plot not unlike many other films, and that audiences will be very familiar with, Hush’s use of a deaf protagonist does mark it out as slightly different. Hush is engaging and tense throughout and will keep audiences on the edge of their seat.

4. The Guilty (2018)

If you want to watch a film that effectively shows how only a few key elements can make a great film then you should definitely check out The Guilty (‘Den Skyldige’ in its original language). This Danish thriller is low budget, set in one location and predominantly has one actor on screen throughout, and yet this film is just as tense and riveting as a big budget thriller.

The Guilty follows a police officer assigned to the emergency call dispatch unit. When he answers a call from a kidnapped woman, suddenly he is thrown into a race against time to find her and her kidnapper. The story unfolds through a series of phone calls, which may sound pretty dull but quickly this film becomes very engaging. What then transpires is not only incredibly tense, but also very thought provoking.

The Guilty has moments that will shock the audience and it also raises interesting questions about human nature. The film shows the incredibly difficult job that the emergency services undertake every single day and showcases the stress that those workers can find themselves under. Most of all, The Guilty challenges certain preconceptions that we may have – the concept of guilt and of being guilty is really opened up for discussion here and brings the title of the film into a startling and revelatory light.

5. Blue Ruin (2013)

Living on the beach and out of his car, Dwight Evans is an outsider cut off from life. When Dwight learns that the man who was sent to prison for murdering his parents is set to be released, he decides to exact his revenge – no matter the cost.

The revenge thriller is a well populated sub-genre, but Blue Ruin manages to bring a unique perspective. Often in films such as these, the lead character will embark on a killing spree aided by some kind of supreme fighting skills and impressive weaponry. In Blue Ruin, Dwight is a completely ordinary guy – he is not skilled in combat and he doesn’t own any weapons. Dwight basically relies on blind luck and opportunism to acquire weapons and to exact his revenge. As you can imagine, there are some messy results. But if you want to see a revenge thriller much more grounded in realism – basically if an average Joe wanted to take revenge on someone, then Blue Ruin is the perfect film to see this.

Blue Ruin is a low budget film that is stripped back of any flashiness and over the top action. It often has minimal dialogue and relies completely on the investment in the characters. This is an interesting watch for audiences looking for a nihilistic and introspective thriller.

A year in cinema brings audiences a plethora of films to choose from. Whether you are a horror aficionado, a drama devotee or a lover of the latest big blockbuster – there will be a film that suits your cinematic taste buds. And in this day and age, being a cinephile could not be easier with a number of streaming platforms available as well as being able to see films at your local theatre.

That being said, there are always a number of films that fall beneath the radar or that will not reach the same size audience as bigger films are able to. Often that is due to marketing budgets and restraints, but for whatever reason – there are films that go overlooked in any given year of film that are worthy of recognition.

1. Tigers Are Not Afraid

This Mexican drama from director Issa Lopez mixes elements of crime, horror and fantasy. Tigers Are Not Afraid is reminiscent of Pan’s Labyrinth in the way that it mixes the real world with the fantastical. In fact, Guillermo del Toro himself is a fan of the film and named it in his best of the year of its release. But in the case of this film, the story follows a group of orphaned children who are trying to survive on the run from the cartels that murdered their parents.

As you might expect, Tigers Are Not Afraid is a very bleak, violent and brutal film. The fantasy elements are much like Pan’s Labyrinth in that they are left completely up to the audience to decide whether they are really happening or simply symbolic of the horrors of real life.

Tigers Are not Afraid is a very raw film – much of it is filmed handheld and the child actors are children who had not acted previously, thus their performances are very fresh and energetic. The young actors have very adult dialogue and themes to deal with, and so their performances are certainly worthy of praise. Juan Ramon Lopez is particularly noteworthy as Shine, the leader of the orphaned children.

Tigers Are Not Afraid is a film that, even given its clear inspirations from Pan’s Labyrinth, feels very unique and unlike any other film released recently. Though it is often a harrowing and difficult watch, it is definitely a film that addresses important issues and themes and is worthy of being seen.

2. One Cut of the Dead

If you are a fan of the zombie genre and looking for a slightly off piste film to add to your collection, then you might want to check out One Cut of the Dead.

One Cut of the Dead is a low budget, Japanese zombie comedy film. It follows a film crew who are making a zombie horror film at a deserted WWII underground facility, when they are attacked by real zombies. Rather than try and escape, the director decides to keep the camera rolling.

One Cut of the Dead took awhile to gain a theatrical release and by the time that it did, it already had a cult following. The film has earned critical praise and is one of the small amount of films with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

One Cut of the Dead is a genuinely meta and satirical film, and most audiences may be surprised with where the film takes them. This film will also really appeal to anyone interested in filmmaking or has experienced filmmaking first-hand, as there will be much that rings true for filmmakers. One Cut of the Dead is a unique and spirited film with a fresh take on the zombie genre – something that is hard to achieve in such a crowded and popular genre.

3. Beanpole

Beanpole won the Un Certain Regard Best Director Award and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was also the Russian entry for Best International Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards, though it did not make the final list of nominees.

Beanpole is set just after the Second World War and follows two young women, Iya and Masha, as they try to rebuild their lives amongst the resulting chaos of the war. It soon becomes clear that the horrors of war do not end with peacetime.

Beanpole is a complex and thought-provoking film that deals with a myriad of issues and ideas. At its centre, it is a study of the effects of PTSD and the aftermath of the war. But Beanpole is also a character study of both Iya and Masha and the meaning of female friendship. Beanpole also looks at hopelessness and what that means to different people.

As you might expect, Beanpole is not an easy watch and does feature some harrowing scenes, but it is unlike any other film of its ilk from recent times. Beanpole feels unique and resonant, whilst providing much food for thought for audiences.

4. Transit

This German drama from director Christian Petzold follows a refugee’s attempt to flee a fascist state by assuming the identity of a deceased writer. But the man finds his attempts made even more complicated by the people he meets along the way. The film is based on a 1944 novel by Anna Segher, but interestingly, although the setting feels somewhat timeless, the film is set in the modern day.

Transit is a quiet and contemplative film. It has a sort of dissonance to it, a detached air – and the audience must decide whether to engage in the film’s existential qualities or it may very well leave you behind. That is not because the film is necessarily hard going or difficult to understand, but because it is just as much about things unsaid as things said – small looks and glances, and multiple meanings in one uttered word.

Transit is engaging and intriguing, with some scenes feeling particularly fascinating and inviting. The film is a great example of a unique adaptation, and benefits from further thought and discussion to truly appreciate.

5. Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi was the Polish entry for Best International Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards and made the final shortlist of nominations, being pipped to the post by Parasite.

Corpus Christi follows a young man named Daniel who wants to become a priest. Unfortunately, due to his criminal conviction, Daniel is unable to do so. Upon his release from a juvenile detention centre, a case of mistaken identity leads to Daniel taking over duties at the local parish. The local community is still reeling from a recent tragedy and this charismatic and unique young man may be the best hope that they have to begin healing. However, Daniel’s past threatens to catch up to him…

Corpus Christi could almost sound comical from its description, but no make mistake – this is a sometimes violent, often bleak and always serious film. It is washed in muted tones, never too bright or too warm which certainly reflects the film tonally.

One of the strongest aspects of the film is the central performance from Bartosz Bielenia, who plays Daniel. He has a unique look, almost like a young Christopher Walken and his performance is electrifying.

Corpus Christi deals with themes of guilt, forgiveness, ethics and of course religion. It raises interesting questions and would be a great film to watch and then discuss in a group. It is a well-made, well performed and well directed film with an ending that really packs a punch.

The Netflix algorithm, which decides what films appear on your recommendations, home screen and when you search in different film genres, is an incredibly smart machine that is always learning and updating. However, it would be impossible for Netflix to display its entire library of films to you and so that inevitably means that there are some films that will go under the radar for audiences.

In the case of the sci-fi genre, Netflix offers some great films that may have flown under the radar for audiences but are certainly films that sci-fi fans should try.

1. Another Earth (2011)

On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, the lives of two strangers become irrevocably intertwined after tragedy strikes. Rhoda Williams is a bright young woman who aims to study the cosmos at MIT’s astrophysics program and John Burroughs is an accomplished composer who is about to have a second child with his wife. Beginning an unlikely affair, the two must decide which path to choose when one of them is given an opportunity to travel to the other Earth.

Mixing realism with sci-fi, Another Earth is a film where the gritty realism of day to day life and the consequences that can come with it are intertwined with a vividly sci-fi element. As the audience watches the two different characters’ lives implode in different ways, proceedings are grandly watched over by the other Earth – always visible in the sky, a stunning image which gives a deeper meaning to everything that unfolds. In fact, the visuals are highly appealing in this and particularly striking in their comparisons – the dreariness of the rundown house and candid shots captured guerrilla style compared to the other Earth which looks awe inspiring.

Another Earth is a philosophical, soulful and thought-provoking film which explores grief and responsibility in a really intriguing way.

2. The Endless (2017)

The Endless was a film of almost mythic qualities before it was released to a wider audience, with rumblings of an amazing low budget sci-fi film that sci-fi fans were going to love – if only they could find a way to watch it. Luckily, the film was then released on to streaming services.

The Endless follows two brothers, Justin and Aaron, who are struggling to find closure after escaping from a UFO death cult called Camp Arcadia ten years earlier. Their recollection of the events differs greatly, with Justin believing that the cult was dangerous whereas Aaron remembers the group as a friendly commune. When they are sent a cryptic video message, they are inspired to revisit the camp. As the camp members prepare for a mysterious upcoming event, the brothers try to uncover the truth behind the camp.

The Endless is a film that is really impressive from a filmmaking perspective – made on hardly any money, the directors wrote, starred in, filmed and produced the film. The passion and commitment behind the film is admirable, and they will certainly be filmmakers to keep an eye on in the future.

The Endless is an example of a low budget sci-fi film which has a really cool premise and demonstrates how low budget does not have to mean low quality. This is also a film which is also baffling at times, weird, strange and even slightly Lovecraftian, and it will provoke discussion and debate amongst anyone who watches it.

3. Circle (2015)

Fifty strangers awake to find themselves trapped in a large, mysterious room. Organised into a circle, they quickly realise that one of them will be executed every two minutes or if they attempt to leave the room. Soon, it becomes clear that the group can control who will die next and alliances begin to form based on their judgements of those around them.

Circle is a sci-fi film with a very simple concept and yet it is intriguing, engaging and incredibly thought provoking. Circle presents the audience with impossible questions – if faced with your own mortality, could you choose someone else to die? And on what basis would you choose them? Are there people that are more deserving to live than others? The audience cannot help but think about what they would do in the same situation and this makes the film thrilling throughout.

Circle, for the most part, is a one location film. Though this location is a darkened room, it still feels futuristic and appealing. Circle is a film which successfully marries together topical and current moral dilemmas and ideas with a sci-fi concept, and the result is a compelling film which shows that sci-fi films do not need to be filled with action to be really watchable.

4. I Am Mother (2019)

After a catastrophic event, a futuristic bunker is automatically activated to help repopulate earth. Inside it, a robot named Mother grows a human embryo. Years later, a teenage girl is being raised in the bunker by Mother. They have a special bond, but that bond is soon threatened when a stranger from the outside arrives, throwing everything that the girl believes is true into doubt.

I Am Mother is a thought-provoking film that aims to compete with its big budget counterparts and does so admirably. The production design is particularly noteworthy, and every scene is interesting and engaging.

Newcomer Clara Rugaard more than holds her own next to Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, and will be someone to look out for in the future. The film only has three characters and uses these characters well – they are not given big action sequences rather they rely on the narrative and dialogue to carry the film, something that big blockbuster sci-fi films often fall back on.

I Am Mother is the debut feature from Australian director Grant Sputore, and it is an impressive first feature. The film is ambitious, and the premise is intriguing. I Am Mother is definitely a film for sci-fi fans who enjoy slightly more nihilistic films, especially those focused on technology.

5. The Unthinkable (2018)

In 2005, Alex lives with his mother and father in a small village. He only has one friend, a girl named Anna who he is secretly in love with and he frequently has to withstand verbal attacks from his overly aggressive father. Ten years later, Alex is living in Stockholm when a series of explosions rock the city. Soon, it becomes clear that Sweden is in imminent danger and Alex finds himself returning to his home village in search of Anna and to try and make amends with his father before it is too late.

This Swedish thriller disaster film is filled with muted tones and an often-grey palette, so even though it is categorised as a big disaster film, actually The Unthinkable is more reminiscent of a Nordic noir in style and tone.

The Unthinkable was one of the most successful crowdfunded films of all time, raising just over $2 million and is one of the Swedish film industry’s biggest film exports.

The Unthinkable begins in a very understated, quiet and solemn way. It revolves around family and family dynamics and it feels very serious and thoughtful. There is minimal dialogue and sweeping aerial shots of the Swedish countryside in the midst of winter. Then the film switches gears, as the disaster elements start to happen and these build up and up, resulting in some incredible action sequences and visual effects. The visual effects are even more incredible when you consider the film’s budget and they could easily rival a Hollywood blockbuster.

“And the Oscar goes to…”

The most prestigious award of Oscars’ night is unsurprisingly also one of the most disputed. Even for years after, what film won and whether it should or shouldn’t have is widely debated. And in the case of films that are ultimately deemed ‘unworthy,’ the criticism surrounding their win can often overpower all other elements of the film.

Sadly, many ‘Worst Best Pictures’ as the films come to be known as, are actually pretty great films in their own right and do not deserve the negativity that their wins generate. The problem is that these films are judged against the other nominees from their years and in this case, they can appear to be weaker films. Another problem surrounding Best Picture winners is simply the passing of time – what was seen as a brilliant film in the forties or fifties may indeed not have aged well and so is viewing badly by modern audiences.

Judging Best Picture winners in their own right can reveal that these films are far better than their reputation would suggest and that these films are worthy recipients of the award.

1. The King’s Speech (2010)

The King’s Speech was to the Academy voters as catnip is to cats. Namely it’s a British, historical drama, and this genre of film often goes down very well at the Academy Awards. At the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, The King’s Speech won four awards including Best Picture. It was up against 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter’s Bone. The King’s Speech also earnt Colin Firth his first Academy Award, as he picked up the award for Best Actor.

Since its Best Picture win, The King’s Speech has often been mentioned when discussing unworthy recipients of the award. Many believe that the film’s greatest draw is the central performance by Firth, and that bar that, the film doesn’t have much going for it. But The King’s Speech should be praised for far more than great performances.

The film not only boasts a number of technically brilliant elements, including the use of wider than normal lenses to convey and evoke the King’s feelings of discomfort and constriction, but The King’s Speech also communicates an incredibly universal and important message – we all have a voice and we all deserve to have that voice heard. Often, we may feel that it is a struggle to be heard or to express our emotions, and The King’s Speech is a film that shows that struggle playing out in a relatable and inspirational way.

2. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Best Picture winners featuring Russell Crowe in a leading role are like buses, you wait for ages and then two turn up at once. Following on from Gladiator winning Best Picture the previous year, A Beautiful Mind won the award at the 74th Academy Awards. It was up against Gosford Park, In the Bedroom, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Moulin Rouge!

A Beautiful Mind, though well received critically, was the subject of some controversy due to its portrayal of John Nash and his family, which some deemed inaccurate and inappropriate. The filmmakers responded to this by saying that the film was only a representation of Nash’s life, not a retelling.

Since A Beautiful Mind’s Best Picture win, the film has predominantly been seen as one of the weaker Best Picture winners, not due to it necessarily being an unworthy winner, rather that it is one of the more forgettable winners of the award. However, this is a slightly unfair way to think of the film. A Beautiful Mind is one of the most watched biopics of all time and has been praised by many for its portrayal of mental illness – something that so many films get wrong.

3. Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Viewed by many as one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture at the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, triumphing over Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, and The Thin Red Line.

Shakespeare in Love has also been the subject of controversy due to it being widely believed that its Best Picture win was engineered by its producer Harvey Weinstein who went on a blitzkrieg campaign of lobbying and bullying to ensure the film’s success. Regardless of why and how it won, it is felt that Steven Spielberg was robbed, and that Saving Private Ryan deserved the win. In fact, in a recent poll, many Academy members named it as the film they most regret nominating.

Sporting wonderful costumes, a breakthrough performance by Gwyneth Paltrow and a witty script by Tom Stoppard, Shakespeare in Love may be one of the slightly more ‘frothy’ Best Picture wins, but it is also one of the most accessible for audiences who had not already seen it. This accessibility should not be underestimated, as Shakespeare in Love is a period film that has a timeless and easy watch quality to it.

4. Titanic (1997)

Titanic has often been the subject of vitriol amongst film fans and audiences – a strange phenomenon when Titanic is one of the most successful films of all time. Someone must have liked it, because not only was it the first film to gross over one billion dollars, it also won eleven Academy Awards. Titanic won Best Picture over As Good As it Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting and L.A Confidential.

Recently, the Academy announced a new award that would see one of the most popular films of the year awarded an Academy Award. This announcement was met with much negativity and the idea was quickly quashed and withdrawn. Perhaps this can give us a clue as to why Titanic is often criticised. Titanic was not only a critically acclaimed film but was also hugely commercially successful. From that, we can certainly say that it was a popular film.

Regardless of whether you like the film or not, Titanic is a film that deserves its recognition and deserves to be praised rather than criticised. Not only did it pair together two great young actors, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, in the inception of a fantastic partnership that would see them go on to make several films together. Titanic was technically astounding, employing special and previously unseen techniques on pre-production, production and postproduction.

5. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

This is another film that is widely considered to be one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time. The Greatest Show On Earth was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two – Best Story and Best Picture. It was up against High Noon, Ivanhoe, Moulin Rouge and The Quiet Man.

The Greatest Show On Earth is a film that may very well suffer from simply being what would be called ‘a film of the time’ and the fact that it has possibly not aged well is why it is frequently cited as an unworthy Best Picture winner. As at the time of its release, The Greatest Show On Earth was incredibly popular and well liked amongst audiences.

The Greatest Show On Earth may not be a film that audiences look to now as a great film, but there is one thing that film fans can certainly thank The Greatest Show On Earth for, and that is inspiring the young mind of one of the most popular filmmakers of all time. Steven Spielberg credits the film as one of the major inspirations that led him to pursue film. In his remake of The War of the Worlds, there is a scene that shows two children channel surfing and The Greatest Show On Earth is being shown.

Though many predicted it could happen (and many hoped that it would), it was still a massive surprise when Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the recent 92nd Academy Awards. Parasite immediately made history by becoming the first international film to win Best Picture as well as being the first South Korean film to receive recognition from the Academy. As well as winning Best Picture, Parasite also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film.

Parasite has also won other numerous accolades, including the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Parasite was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. The film stars Choi Woo-shik, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam, Cho Yeo-jeong, Song Kang-ho and Lee Sun-kyun.

Parasite originally premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Palme d’Or with a unanimous vote – the first film to do so since 2013’s Blue is the Warmest Colour. After its release, Parasite went on to gross over $206 million worldwide, becoming one of South Korea’s highest grossing films.

As with any film that wins Best Picture, Parasite will be thoroughly analysed and critiqued by audiences to determine whether it is a worthy winner. Previous recipients of Best Picture have been found wanting and declared as unworthy – so, will Parasite join those unlucky films?

After viewing Parasite, it would be very difficult to class it as an unworthy winner as Parasite is such a well-made, complex and watchable film. Perfectly calibrated and choreographed, every frame of Parasite is perfect and precise. There are so many small details in this film, from its symmetry to its social commentary, that it is a film that audiences should definitely deem a worthy Best Picture recipient.

1. Talented ensemble cast

Though it can happen, it is slightly unusual for a Best Picture nominee not to also have at least one acting nomination. Parasite did not gain any acting nominations at the Academy Awards. While this could be seen as a negative, suggesting that the performances in Parasite are not as good as the other nominees, this may actually be to do with the fact that there is not one performance that outshines another in this film – rather the cast all make up one of the best ensemble casts of all the Best Picture nominees demonstrated by the film’s Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Each cast member perfectly portrays their role and encapsulates their character with aplomb. This is what helps elevate the film even more – the audience is not straining to see the character through the actor as can sometimes be the case with other films. Great characters are another facet of what can make a film appealing, and Parasite reminds us that these characters do not even need to be particularly likeable. In truth, there may not necessarily be one character that we are really rooting for in Parasite. But in that is a cleverness that means that audiences are invested in all the characters’ outcomes and it is also shows how they are all intricately linked.

2. It marks an important step forward for diversity

Parasite made history when it became the first foreign language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Not only was this an incredible achievement in general terms, as it is for any film that wins the accolade, but Parasite’s win was even more phenomenal because of what it represents.

There has been much talk and many headlines that have lamented the lack of diversity at awards shows, and in particular the Academy Awards, with hashtags such as #oscarssowhite trending. There was a lack of nominations for minority groups at the 92nd Academy Awards, and many believed that this meant that a foreign language film would never be able to scoop the top award.

Parasite’s win has propelled foreign language films into the spotlight. Audiences who have never even considered going to see a foreign language film are now lining up to get tickets to go and see the film, as well as now seeking out other foreign language films to watch. This type of visibility can only be a great thing, allowing audiences to experience other cultures which in turn leads to acceptance and visibility.

3. It seamlessly blends genres

These days almost every film can be called a combination of genres or categorised into a sub-genre – romantic comedy, psychological thriller, action horror to name but a few. Films may even begin as one genre before evolving into a different one. This blending of genres is certainly familiar to audiences, but this method is not always done seamlessly. Ideally blending genres should be something that happens smoothly and coherently, in a way that means that it is not too jarring for the audience or that it makes the film feel disjointed. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and the result can be a film that ends up being quite disorientating and confusing to watch. Alternatively, the mix of genres can be something that audiences find disagreeable and becomes an issue for which the film is criticised for.

Another example of a Best Picture nominee that mixed genres was Jojo Rabbit, a film that began very much as a satirical comedy but that later evolved into a much more dramatic and emotional film. Some audiences criticised this evolution of genres and felt that the change was too abrupt. This was not the case however for Parasite.

Parasite is a film that has been called a mystery thriller, a family drama, a tragicomedy, a black comedy, and a contemporary horror. The truth is that Parasite is all these subgenres and possibly even a few more. And what is also true is that Parasite involves dozens of tonal and genre shifts, but these shifts are done flawlessly and even though audiences will no doubt notice some of them, they are not jarring in any way. Parasite’s transitions between multiple genres is an integral part of the film, mirroring the transitions of the characters and of life itself. Blending genres is something that Bong often does in his films and is a trademark of his filmmaking.

4. It has universal themes that resonate with all audiences

Class struggles, the divide between rich and poor, family ties and ambition are just a few of the themes shown in Parasite – a film which is rich with both overt and underlying themes. And these themes are most certainly universal, not only to individual audience members but to audiences from around the world. Though Parasite has many trademarks that can be attributed to it being a South Korean film, it also feels like it could be set anywhere in the world. Bong recently talked about how Parasite could easily be set in London, after he saw how expensive it was to buy a house there, or in New York because there were so many homeless people and yet others lived in million-dollar apartments.

Parasite also uses its characters to further express its socioeconomic themes and class themes. Neither the poor nor the rich family are made out to be the villains of the piece. Though the poor family are essentially conmen, they are not bad people and though the rich family are privileged, they are not evil or cruel. In this way, Bong lets the audience ruminate on both how we view people and how we treat others based on our preconceptions of how they should fit into society.

As well as the more obvious themes, there are the clever underlying themes used by Bong that also help illustrate the film’s overall themes. For example, throughout there is the theme of the importance of our senses and in particular the sense of smell – something that becomes a key part of the film in the third act.

5. Incredible cinematography

There is one particular sequence in Parasite that can be found at the end of the first act. It is a montage that lasts for around five minutes and is made up of over fifty different shots. During this montage, the audience is given a story within the story and shown multiple Easter eggs and small, rich details that propel the story forward without any unnecessary scenes or expository dialogue. That is just one example of many of how Parasite uses incredible cinematography.

Cinematography is also used to reflect the film’s themes. Scenes with the rich family are flooded with natural light and sunshine, whilst scenes with the poor family are much darker and use artificial light. This was done to show the difference between the families’ situations – the rich family can afford to live in a beautiful house on a hill with floor to ceiling windows whereas the poor family live in a sub level basement apartment. The rich family can see the sun all day whilst the poor family only get glimpses of it.

Light is used to great effect throughout the film to reflect the families’ differences. Another scene which depicts this is when the members of Ki-taek’s family have to run through a rainstorm back to their house from the Park’s home. As they run back to their apartment, the streetlights gradually change from the expensive LED lights of the wealthy neighbourhood to the poor neighbourhood’s red lamps.

Parasite’s cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo and Director Bong worked together closely to produce a film that uses so many elements of cinematography in a way that is so effective and impressive. From mirroring shots to the almost balletic rhythm of certain sequences, from sharp angles to smooth parallels – Parasite more than deserves its Best Picture win for its cinematography alone.

6. The storytelling

Parasite may have picked up the Best Picture award, but it also won Best Screenplay. This is testament to the intriguing story that Bong came up with, as well as the fantastic screenplay co-written by him and Han Jin-won. A great screenplay is the first step to producing a film with compelling storytelling, and Bong further enhanced this with great direction.

Parasite has three very clear acts, which makes it a fluid and coherent watch for the audience – even though multiple events are happening with multiple characters all the time, the audience is never too far removed from the core of the story. Bong keeps the audience at the heart of what is going on, yet he also keeps the audience guessing with twists and turns. To use these two contradictory methods in harmony with each other is an extremely clever feat of storytelling, and the result is a film that is endlessly engaging.

7. The sharp social commentary

Intricately weaved throughout Parasite, is a compelling message of social commentary. At its heart, Parasite is a parable about the struggle between classes and the ever-growing divide between rich and poor. Bong has used similar themes in all his previous works, but Parasite was a unique filming experience because Bong had never focused any of his stories on a rich family before as well as a poor one, preferring to just follow the lives of poorer characters. Bong explained, “This is our first time filming rich characters. Even in Mother and The Host, my films have always featured poor characters. This was our first time filming a rich family and a rich house. Even Captain America…he was dressed in rags in Snowpiercer!”

Bong also drew directly from his own experiences – he too tutored a for a rich family whilst in college. He said of the film, “The sequence that depicts when he enters the house was pretty similar to what I experienced. I grew up in a middle-class family that’s in between the poor and the rich family in this film, but despite that, when I first entered, I had this very eerie and unfamiliar sense of this house. Actually, they had a sauna on their second floor – at the time it was quite shocking to me!”

The social commentary of Parasite is also at the very heart of the film in regard to the title of the film itself. Who or what we believe to be the ‘parasite’ can speak to how society treats certain individuals – is the parasite the poor family? The rich family? Both? Or is Parasite a reference to something else entirely?

Bong uses Parasite as a way to express his observations of the class divide in his home country and how it is something that only seems to be getting worse rather than better, but the truth is that Parasite is probably relevant to almost every country in the world. Bong said, “I think that this film is talking about something that we all feel, and we are all aware of, but we just never talk about. That’s what it is showing on the big screen.”

Though it is always preferable to celebrate and recognise the films that audiences and critics enjoyed and rated highly in any given year, inevitably along with the best films of the year lists will come the worst films of the year lists too.

Film is, and will always be, subjective. And so, box office ratings and reviews may not always be the best signifier of what any one person will enjoy or on the flip side, hate. That being said, there are certainly films where the general consensus is that of derision and so the films in question are often ones that do fall below the standards expected from audiences and critics.

2019 saw a number of films that disappointed audiences and that did not live up to their potential. These films spanned many genres and showed that even well-established actors and directors were not immune from producing bad films.

1. Polar

A wannabe Quentin Tarantino/Frank Miller inspired film that is an insult to the genre. It is so stupidly unintelligent that it is cringeworthy to watch at times. The plot is weak, the writing is full of embarrassing exposition and the acting is awful. Mads Mikkelsen, who by all accounts is a great actor, looks completely bored in a tedious role which ticks every trope in the book.

The plot is repetitive and just feels like a series of a different ways to shoot someone’s brains out all over the wall. Imagine if you gave a group of particularly immature and violently minded teenage boys a film budget and Polar is what they would probably come up with. Perhaps it can be argued that Polar is meant to be received as pure trashy entertainment, but it fails even as that. If you want to watch a film that has multiple close ups of a corpse’s erection, then this is the film for you.

2. After

Based on the popular book series, After already had a legion of fans ready to adore the adaptation of their favourite novel. But what about everyone else? Would they be able to enjoy After regardless? And therein lies one of After’s biggest problems – it doesn’t know who its target audience is meant to be.

Yes, of course the readers of the novel form a part of the target audience, but they are going to watch it regardless. After follows students in college and deals with sex and relationships, so in that way it suits a more mature audience. But the romance is so insipid and silly that it feels more like the film is aimed at younger teenagers. Neither of these aspects marries up properly, so overall After seems slightly inappropriate for the younger audience and a bit too silly for an older audience.

The characters are terrible. Every one of them is a stereotype – the good girl, the bad boy, the nice boy, the bad girl, the suffocating parent, the absent parent, blah blah blah. Sometimes stereotypes cannot be avoided and are inevitable, but none of the characters had any depth. It was difficult to root for anyone or to be invested in them.

The main plot point of the film is the supposed ‘intense’ romance between Tessa and Hardin, an attraction that cannot be denied or contained. That’s all well and good – until it becomes clear that that the chemistry between the actors is not really that strong. It is also a problem if the romance comes out of nowhere, with little build up.

Throughout After, the disappointing trope of the nice girl falling for the bad boy is at the forefront of all that is happening. If this film ends up mainly being enjoyed by a younger audience, then it feels like it is setting an uncomfortable precedent for its young viewers. Putting that issue aside, Hardin’s ‘badness’ appears to be based on little else than his tattoos and penchant to be quite moody.

After does boast some nice shots, and a surprisingly emotional end scene, which could have almost saved the film, but overall After is just not strong enough in any category to elevate it from ending up on lists such as this.

3. In the Tall Grass

There may be nothing obviously wrong with the performances, cinematography or technical aspects of In the Tall Grass – those are all fine. No, the main issue with In the Tall Grass is that the film’s premise hinges on one very particular and major element. And that element is this – can grass ever really be that scary? And unfortunately, the answer to that is no grass is not scary. It’s not scary at all. And then later on, another nature-based element is added in an attempt to ramp up the scares. This time we must ask ourselves – is this rock scary? And again, the conclusion is no it is not.

If faced with the situation that the characters in the film found themselves in, then the nature in question probably would be terrifying but on screen and as a horror film concept, In the Tall Grass just comes across as laughable. As a breeze ripples across the vast field of rich, green grass, it’s just very pretty and scenic. It’s not like the scene in Jurassic Park where the grass is moving because there are velociraptors in it – now that was pretty scary! But more importantly, because the core premise of the film doesn’t work, the rest of the film just feels pointless and silly. In the Tall Grass completely fails as a horror film because it is not in the least bit scary.

Based on the novella by prolific horror author Stephen King, In the Tall Grass may work well on page but it doesn’t translate well to the screen. Even more common horror tropes like the creepy kid fell flat (because the kid was actually quite cute). And the gore felt like a desperate attempt to somehow make this film worthy of a horror tag.

4. Rambo: Last Blood

Sylvester Stallone is adept at getting a lot of leverage from his film franchises (Rocky being the perfect example) and so why not return yet again with another popular character? Wouldn’t it be nice to give John Rambo a proper send off and wrap the character up? Well yes it would, so it is a pity that Rambo: Last Blood does nothing of the sort. And shock horror, it even leaves the door open for another film – Rambo: Last Blood One Last Time anyone?!

Mindlessly gory and ingloriously mind numbing, Rambo: Last Blood fails on almost every level. The script is clunky, the characters are boring and the entire film appears only to be setting up to the violent climax at the end. A finale that is reliant on CGI gore and brutality.

If Stallone is intent on giving audiences more from the characters that they know and love, then everyone should cross their fingers and hope for more Balboa and let Rambo be at rest forever.

5. Serenity

So, you have just watched the trailer for this film and now for fun, think of an unexpected twist that might happen during the film. No matter what strange or out there twist you come up, it is incredibly unlikely that you will guess what actually happens – and that is not meant in a good way. It is like someone had the skeleton of a really clever and intriguing premise for a film and then put it into the completely wrong setting, wrote a questionable script and then somehow made Academy Award winning actors look like amateurs.

In a crowded film market chock full of remakes and sequels, perhaps Serenity is the unique and original film that we all need. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that this is the only worst films of 2019 list that Serenity has ended up on. At least Serenity will provoke discussion, if not a lot else.

Is it a bird?! Is it a plane?! No, it’s another superhero film landing at a cinema near you! The last decade saw a massive influx of films in the superhero genre and audiences were treated to numerous films and franchises. Some of these films saw audiences introduced to new and lesser known characters and some of these films gave audiences more from the most recognised superheroes and super villains. Either way, by the end of the decade most regular cinema goers could name their favourite superhero and their favourite superhero film – something that would have been much harder in previous film decades.

There has been some controversy regarding the superhero genre, and in particular there are some who find its current dominance of the box office rather distasteful and disappointing. Indeed recently, director Martin Scorsese compared Marvel films to theme parks in a disparaging comment. But difference of opinion and taste in films and genres is nothing new in cinema and it cannot be denied that the superhero genre has produced some incredible films in the last decade.

10. Wonder Woman (2017)

Hailed as the saviour of the fledgling DCEU, Wonder Woman garnered so much attention and positivity that it was even discussed as a possible Academy Award contender.

The film also set a number of box office records at the time, grossing over $820 million at the box office and becoming the fifth highest grossing superhero film of all time at the domestic box office. It also helped push the DCEU past the $3 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

Wonder Woman also had a significant cultural impact. The film, which was directed by Patty Jenkins, was praised for being a box office smash and superhero film that was directed by a female director and it has been said that Wonder Woman has led the way for female directors in the genre. As well as this, Wonder Woman raised issues regarding feminism. Whilst many see the film and character as a feminist icon, just as many see both as a step back for the feminist movement. Whether see agree with the former or the latter, it can be agreed that Wonder Woman prompted discussion and debate.

Wonder Woman 1984, the sequel to Wonder Woman, is set to be released later this year. Patty Jenkins has returned to direct as well as co-writing the screenplay.

9. Chronicle (2012)

Directed by Josh Trank and based on a story by Trank and writer Max Landis, Chronicle is a superhero film with a difference. Using found footage, Chronicle feels really unique and original when compared to a lot of other recent superhero films. The premise is simple, but incredibly effective and the three central performances are excellent.

Chronicle keeps the audience guessing, you may think that you know what is going to happen, but a stunning finale blows all expectations out of the water. When compared to some other big budget superhero films, Chronicle may seem somewhat of an underdog. But Chronicle is a worthwhile addition to the superhero genre and certainly worthy of recognition.

Chronicle grossed over $126 million against its $12 million budget. There have been talks of a sequel ever since the film’s release back in 2012. Trank and Landis worked on the script for the sequel until 2013 when it was revealed that 21st Century Fox had hired new writers to write the sequel. As of August 2019, development of the sequel entitled Chronicle 2: Martyr was put on hold indefinitely.

8. Fast Color (2018)

Fast Color takes on the superhero genre via the smaller and lower budget scope of independent film, and it works just as well. With a strong focus on women, Fast Color captures the importance of family, familial relationships and the bonds of love, whilst also depicting a mysterious and intriguing dystopian world where water is in short supply.

Visually, Fast Color is really strong and the lower budget doesn’t stop there being some stunning sequences involving superpowers. Whilst, as one might expect, these effects do not rival the big budget, blockbuster superhero films, the visuals are still striking and just as effective. The film also features strong performances, especially from Gugu Mbantha-Raw who plays central character Ruth. All these elements were enhanced by a really strong score, which elevates all the emotions that the film evokes.

Fast Color was well received critically and as of 2019, a television series based on the film is currently in development. The television series is being developed by Amazon Studios and will be by Juvee Productions, of which Viola Davis is one of the producers.

7. Deadpool (2016)

The character of Deadpool was first introduced to audiences in the X-Men film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The character’s portrayal in the film was widely criticised and so writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick worked with Ryan Reynolds to adapt the character more faithfully. Tim Miller was brought on to direct and Deadpool was born. This adaptation which saw the much-loved character making sarcastic quips and breaking the fourth wall was a smash hit with audiences and the film grossed over $782 million at the box office. Deadpool was the highest grossing R rated film of all time until it was surpassed by Joker in 2019.

Deadpool’s use of breaking the fourth wall, its humour and a great performance by Reynolds really makes Deadpool stand out amongst dozens of other films in the genre. There are lots of other superhero films that are funny, lots of other superhero films that feature a great central character but none of them feel like Deadpool. Deadpool also had a big cinematic impact in that it showed that there was a market for massively successful R-rated films and that superhero films could be R-rated and still be successful. And as such, Deadpool definitely belongs on this list.

Deadpool was such a big success that a sequel, Deadpool 2, was released in 2018 and grossed even more money than the first film. A third film is currently in development.

6. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

Director Edgar Wright’s adaptation of the comics was an irreverent, funny and visually cool film that may have lost money at the box office but was well received critically and has since garnered a cult following.

The 2010s gave audiences a myriad of superhero films, from bright, big budget blockbusters to darker takes on our favourite characters. With its quirky style and onscreen graphics, Scott Pilgrim vs The World doesn’t really feel like any other superhero film in the genre, which is what makes it so appealing. The film was perfectly cast, featuring a number of recognisable actors as well as up and coming actors such as Brie Larson (who would go on to star in her own superhero film) and Anna Kendrick, it has a great soundtrack and its re-watchability factor is incredibly high – Scott Pilgrim vs the World can be watched countless times and still be enjoyable.

Though fans of the film would love a sequel, everyone involved in the first film has categorically stated that there will never be a sequel.