pepreviews

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

If anyone can make a real-life based courtroom drama film interesting, it is Aaron Sorkin. This film tells the story of the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, USA and the trial of the seven men held responsible that follows. The cast boasts many big names, from Eddie Redmayne to Yahya Abdul MateenContinue reading “The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)”

Queen and Slim (2019)

An incredible feature film debut from both director Melina Matsoukas and screenwriter Lena Waithe, Queen and Slim tells the romantic-crime-road-trip story of an African-American couple whose first date is interrupted by an unnecessary police stop. It is an incredibly contemporary film that tells a story that could be behind any of the headlines that we see comingContinue reading “Queen and Slim (2019)”

The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020)

Armando Iannucci takes the Charles Dickens’ novel to the big screen in a joyous whirlwind of fun and laughs. The ensemble cast of British actors, including Hugh Laurie, Benedict Wong and Peter Capaldi, is led by Dev Patel in the starring role, and he is fantastically charming and entertaining as the leading man. The filmContinue reading “The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020)”

i’m thinking of ending things (2020)

Adapted from the book by Iain Reid, i’m thinking of ending things mixes melancholy, surrealism and absurdity in a story about a woman meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time whilst also seemingly battling suicidal thoughts. As soon as you think that you have a handle on what is going on, something even weirderContinue reading “i’m thinking of ending things (2020)”

The Farewell (2019)

It is wonderful to see another successful film with an all Asian cast after the success of Crazy Rich Asians. The true story of a Chinese family keeping the truth of her cancer from their matriarch is heart-warming, beautiful and funny. It centres around the main character of Billi, played by Awkwafina, who learns that herContinue reading “The Farewell (2019)”

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2020)

Delayed by the very pandemic that the nation’s grandfather warned about in his last documentary programme Extinction: The Facts, David Attenborough’s self-professed ‘witness statement’ is an essential watch. Using the familiar beautiful sights of Blue Planet and Planet Earth, along with archive footage of Mr Attenborough’s adventures through the years, he uses his life as a case study forContinue reading “David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2020)”

Onward (2020)

Disney Pixar continues to make family friendly and moral-teaching films that are full of humour and heart. Perhaps Pixar’s attempt to build on Frozen’s success, family and magic are the key themes of Onward. It takes a look at the impact of technology on the magic of the world that elves Ian (Tom Holland) and BarleyContinue reading “Onward (2020)”

Chemical Hearts (2020)

The film follows the story of a boy who falls in love with a girl who is stuck in the memory of her dead ex-boyfriend. Initially, it seems to be a familiar teen love story that is trying to have a deeper meaning than it actually does. There’s some awkward dialogue and it takes aContinue reading “Chemical Hearts (2020)”

The Two Popes (2019)

One of Netflix’s several Oscar nominees this year, The Two Popes looks at the real-life story of Pope Benedict and Pope Francis’ friendship during their consecutive reigns. There is a very documentary, fly-on-the-wall feel to the whole style of the film with the close-up camera angles during conversations, and disarming moments of pop music and jokes whichContinue reading “The Two Popes (2019)”

Secret Society of Second-Born Royals (2020)

Disney+ has released its newest original movie in association with Disney Channel and it is its most diverse and modern movie yet. It starts out having everything you would expect from a Disney Channel Original Movie: a generic social message about rebelling, some cheesy dialogue and some generic, basic music. But there is less cringeContinue reading “Secret Society of Second-Born Royals (2020)”