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 Shadows reviews  
Trailers and other previews... | ||
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C O M I N G S O O N to the UK & US... | O N T H E H O R I Z O N can’t hardly wait... |
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15 Jan:
 BLITHE SPIRIT
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN 
STARDUST 
LOVE SARAH
RETALIATION
IMPERIAL BLUE22 Jan:
BREAKING FAST29 Jan:
ANOTHER ROUND (Den)
SOUND OF METAL
THE LITTLE THINGS*
THE NIGHT*5 Feb:
LITTLE FISH*
MALCOLM & MARIE* 12 Feb:
FRENCH EXIT*
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH*
THE LITTLE THINGS*
THE WORLD TO COME*19 Feb:
BLITHE SPIRIT
I CARE A LOT*
THE MAURITANIAN*
TO OLIVIA*26 Feb:
THE FATHER*
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH*Mar-May:: 
APPLES* (Geo)
BLACK BEAR
CICADA
THE DISSIDENT
LIMBO
MINARI
THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS* (It)Delayed:
DEERSKIN (Fr)
DREAM HORSE
MARTIN EDEN (It)
TWO OF US (Fr)
WILD MOUNTAIN THYME
WILDFIRE* seen, reviews under embargo C O M I N G U P . . .
N O U K R E L E A S E D A T E . . .
SHADOWS FILM FEST |
NOTE: Even when cinemas are open in the US and UK, distributors are reluctant NO TIME TO DIE 
dir Cary Fukunaga; with Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen 20/UKrelease UK/US 2.Apr.21? Making a Bond movie seems to get more complicated year by year, and this one certainly went through some messy gyrations, including a false start with Danny Boyle. But Cary Fukunaga is a terrific filmmaker who should be able to bring something fresh to the franchise, and it will be interesting to see Craig reconnecting with figures from his previous 007 adventures. It's not only about the action - the story needs to be clever and engaging, and the characters just a little bonkers.
A QUIET PLACE PART II 
dir John Krasinski; with Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, Lauren-Ashley Cristiano, Wayne Duvall, Okieriete Onaodowan 20/USrelease US/UK 23.Apr.21 The first film was 2018's best break-out surprise, and it didn't scream out for a sequel, so let's hope Krasinski has found somewhere inventive to send these characters. Blunt, Jupe and Simmonds are so good that the idea of watching them do pretty much anything makes this a muse-see, and the trailer hints at some intriguing big twists, plus added Murphy and Hounsou. It's hard to imagine that this will be better than the original, but we can hope.
BLACK WIDOW 
dir Cate Shortland; with Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Ray Winstone, William Hurt, O-T Fagbenle, Robert Downey Jr 20/USrelease US/UK 7.May.21 Marvel finally gives Johansson the spin-off she deserved way back when she first played this character a decade ago. Of course, after the events of Endgame, it's unclear how this movie will fit into the over-arching Avengers story - a prequel? flashback? alternate reality? game changer? Whatever, the presence of powerhouse costars like Pugh and Weisz bodes very well indeed. As does the quirky hiring of Aussie director Shortland, gifted at making wrenching indie dramas. Bring it on.
FREE GUY 
dir Shawn Levy; with Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aaron W Reed, Alex Trebek 20/USrelease US/UK 21.May.21 There's a high concept behind this action comedy, which is about an average guy (erm, Ryan Reynolds) who discovers that he's a player in a startlingly violent videogame. It's not particularly clever, and Shawn Levy is the kind of director who emphasises the goofiness. He also keeps the audience entertained, so let's hope this is a guilty pleasure. if it's more than that, it's a bonus.
CHAOS WALKING 
dir-scr Doug Liman; with Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen, Nick Jonas, David Oyelowo, Cynthia Erivo, Demian Bichir, Oscar Jaenada 21/Canrelease US/UK delayed The premise for this film is tricky to get your head around: it's set in a dystopian future in which there are no females and all living creatures can hear each others' thoughts in a blur of imagery and noise. Then a mysterious woman arrives. Doug Liman is a cool choice as director (see Edge of Tomorrow), and the cast is a superb mix of actors. Best of all is the fact that there are so few expectations for this film - everything is unknown. Unless, of course, you read the source Patrick Ness novel The Knife of Never Letting Go.
THE FRENCH DISPATCH 
dir Wes Anderson; with Timothee Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, Edward Norton, Elisabeth Moss, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban 20/USrelease US/UK delayed Wes Anderson assembles his starriest cast yet, which is saying something, for this collection of stories from a fictional magazine in a fictional French town. Anderson is terrific at weaving story strands together in a way that's entertaining, moving and often hilarious. And these actors are bound to have a lot of fun with the quirky characters he creates. And Anderson is great at making sure the audience has fun watching them.
ANTLERS 
dir Scott Cooper; with Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan, Cody Davis 20/USrelease US/UK delayed This looks like an intriguing shift in direction for writer-director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), dipping into creepy horror alongside producer Guillermo del Toro. The low-key cast adds even more interest, avoiding starry leads for actors who are much easier to identify with as things turn seriously creepy in a rural Oregon community. And of course del Toro's visual effects experience clearly comes in handy when the monsters appear.
DUNE 
dir Denis Villeneuve; with Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling 21/Canrelease US/UK 1.Oct.21 Delayed an entire year by the pandemic, this looks like it will be a proper cinematic epic that deserves to be on the biggest screen possible. Frank Herbert's novels are so dense that they're difficult to adapt (of course, David Lynch made a thrilling attempt in 1984), and Villeneuve is a great choice as director, with his character-focussed approach and striking visual skills. The eclectic cast is properly exciting too, a superb mix of established actors among some bright young stars.
Also on my want-to-see list... 
Winter: PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY
AMERICAN DREAM
BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR
Spring: GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
SPIRAL
Summer: JUNGLE CRUISE
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU
RESPECT
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Autumn: THE BATMAN
HALLOWEEN KILLS
Release TBC: THE GREEN KNIGHT
SONGBIRD
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE
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Release dates: British film release schedules are much more fluid than American ones, so please be patient as I try to keep up with UK distributors. I'm working to keep this list up-to-date as they keep trying to outfox me. I'm sure it's personal. Embargoes: Britain's Film Distributors Association asks us to hold reviews until the week of release, and some distributors are even more restrictive. Normally, once the film is shown to a paying audience, either on release or at a festival, the full review can appear on the site. © 2021 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME | REVIEWS | NEWS | FESTIVAL | AWARDS | Q&A | ABOUT | TALKBACK | ||
• OUTSIDE THE WIRE. MLK/FBI. BOY FEELS: HIGH TIDE.
ARE WE LOST FOREVER. THE EXCEPTION. CAGED. SYNCHRONIC.
HOSTS. THERE IS NO EVIL. APPLES. GUNDA.
IDENTIFYING FEATURES. FRESHMAN YEAR. ALONE. THE NIGHT.
ESCAPING FREEDOM. ECHO BOOMERS. BAD TRIP. WENDY. FIRST KISS.
