Side Effects

Having already decided upon a perhaps premature retirement from film making, prestigious director Steven Soderbergh has released his 'last' film following his surprising 2012 hit, 'Magic Mike'. Side Effects follows the story of Emily (Rooney Mara) who due to her increasing depression following her husbands (Channing Tatum) return home from prison, is given a new drug to help cure her, little to her knowledge however the drug has unexpected side effects.

 Sustaining a high amount of intensity throughout the film, Side Effects proves to be a hugely enthralling drama concerning a subject matter which is both interesting and intelligent. With the background business of drugs being relatively illusive, by tackling this topic the film showed to be instantly engaging. This comes with thanks to the fantastic acting talent on board with Rooney Mara giving an excellent performance ( the best of the year so far) as a complex woman in disarray who is doctored by Mr Banks, played by Jude Law, who also gives a performance of similar credibility. As the plot continues and becomes entwined with one of a legal lawsuit, the story only becomes increasingly engrossing as realistic twists make the occurrences more complex than originally perceived.

 Side Effects never falls into being ridiculous despite coming dangerously close at times due to certain rushed and contrived events occurring in the films final act. Consistently 'upping itself' as the film progresses, Side Effects never becomes boring despite its bulky material and whilst perhaps you may have to stretch your imagination a little at the films conclusion, this doesn't prevent it from being a hugely enjoyable and surprising drama.

8.5/10- A gripping drama which delivers in spades.

Calum Russell

Insidious: Chapter 2

Arriving seemingly unnoticed in 2011, Insidious was quickly picked up by horror fans and film fans alike after receiving an oddly positive reputation for a low-budget horror flick. Directed by the once unpredictable (but now certifiably impressive) James Wan, Insidious brought something that few other horror films had ever brought before...a good story; and was quickly brandished with a future sequel after being the most profitable film of the year. Now in 2013, straight off the back of the hugely impressive 'The Conjuring', Wan returns to direct the second in the soon to be franchise, as Insidious: Chapter 2 hails its audience with intelligent and vast storytelling leaving us drooling for more.

 Being very much another chapter in the 'Insidious story' the sequel continues straight where the first one left off, cleverly explaining the cliff-hanger left at the end of its predecessor before delving into Joshes (Patrick Wilson) past in order to severe links with the 'spirit world' and return to normal family life. Doing a fantastic job to immediately immerse the audience within its fanatical world of horror, Insidious: Chapter 2 benefits hugely from not being a simple product of its predecessor. Instead of delving into the horror of the unclear and convoluted 'further' the sequel prefers to flesh out the films mythologies with the continuation of a gruesome story touched upon in the first. Through this story a more sophisticated source of scares emerges within a story-line which is uncomfortably realistic and unnerving, playing with its mythology and planting its feet on the ground to provide a slightly more believable tone.What remains however is still a largely ludicrous plot whereby rules are consistently broken and new ones are made in a flash. With this the audience becomes restless and some scares soon become a source of comedy instead of horror, being marginally less scary than its popular predecessor. 

Insidious: Chapter 2 is not a breakthrough in the horror genre, but its franchise soon will be with the vast expanse of possible story which this sequel has laid down. Explaining the bizarre goings on in the first film, Insidious Chapter 2 veers away from the frigid story-line and finds its unique tread, fleshing the mythology out as it truly creeps under your skin and effortlessly plays with the ordinary and  makes it terrifying. 

7.5/10- A surprisingly ambitious sequel with gusto and intelligence.   

Calum Russell

You're Next

Aside from the over used found-footage sub-genre, the home invasion horror film is perhaps the most popular and has no doubt been murdered over the years through ridiculous plot lines and lame jump scares. You're next is the latest in the genre, made over 2 years ago and released only in small scale film festivals, this independent production hopes to rekindle the flames of the home invasion genre.

With events proceeding in the typical fashion, the Davidson family, brought together in full from an eager Mother, find themselves under attack from masked men and they soon have to battle for survival. Thankfully the plot is much thicker than described containing many plot twists as well as terrifying set pieces and violence to appeal to its audience. Seeming to tire early on as we are introduced to the family, the film soon builds in speed and intensity as the story strengthens and events become ever more enticing, even during this slightly lazy introduction we're cleverly introduced to the realistic characters and their intelligent interactions, all whilst the mysterious tale develops underfoot. Most obvious at the beginning and perhaps expected of a small independent production, the acting is questionable from a small minority of the cast, leading to laughable moments of stupidity in the opening minutes, this however flattens out as the film progresses. Once this cumbersome introduction has past, You're next proves to be highly entertaining and surprisingly hilarious, effortlessly blending dark comedy with terrifying sights. Led by feminine heroine Erin, played by the fantastic Sharni Vinson, we see a side to the genre that is rarely witnessed and it was welcomed with open arms; a strong and heroic female lead that shows both brains and brawn's never being reduced to a misogynistic topless wreck. Using violence and gore sparingly and only when necessary to truly get the audience whopping with gross delight, You're next is one of the most inventive horror films in years, setting itself apart from the crowd by simply being hugely enjoyable and
showing impressive feats by being simultaneously hilarious and terrifying throughout.

8/10- Amazingly fun and wholesomely original, You're next is a breath of fresh air.

Calum Russell

We're the Millers - In a nutshell

 Original comedies are relatively hard to come by in Hollywood's current state what with sequels and remakes being a primary source of content. Consistently being a refreshing experience, a new comedy release introduces us to new unpredictable characters within a similarly unpredictable story, something which new release We're the Millers does admirably. Seeming like cliched comedy from the exterior, the film has far much more to offer being surprisingly funny and appropriately heartfelt. Small time drug dealer David (Jason Sudeikis) is forced to create a fake family, compiled of stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston), homeless rebel Casey (Emma Roberts) and enthusiastic 'loser' Kenny (Will Poulter) in order to smuggle huge amounts of drugs across the U.S border. Whilst We're the millers is for the most part a largely enjoyable film, the humour comes periodically in varying doses with only a handful of truly showstopping jokes. The majority of these jokes comes from the innocently bizarre actions of the young boy played brilliantly by Will Poulter who uses excellent comedy timing as well as comical facial expressions to create many moments of hilarity. The plot is vastly different being hugely predictable from the very beginning following the typical, linear formula of Hollywood, ending inevitably with whimsical and cheesy style. Plenty of jokes fall flat, coming most prominently from the bland characteristics of Davids boss, Brad (Ed Helms), however there's enough originality and comedic flare in We're the Millers in order to have an enjoyable time at the cinema.

6.5/10- Aside from occasional pop culture references and whimsical drama this is a surprisingly effective comedy.

Calum Russell