The world of local filmmaking has a new emerging star. Fresh off her win at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) FIWI Short Film competition, Sabrina Thomas is embracing the success of her directorial debut, Shattered, which earned...
Many entertainment duos are destined to go down in history, such as Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Ity and Fancy Cat. Their names will resonate for years to come. However, for the modern era, we have the antics of Tom Hardy and his...
With a few unnerving grins and some jump scares, the original Smile made quite the impact in 2022. The story of a cursed entity tormenting its hosts to their breaking point continues in Smile 2 with an all-new victim. Set less than a week after...
They may not be feature length, but making a short film is no small feat. Bringing a concept from script to screen takes tremendous focus, which can sometimes take a village to get it done right. So when it came to telling an origin story for...
On any given day, strolling down the 7 Mile Beach in Negril reveals the usual beach bars and jerk grills. But once a year, tourists and locals enjoy an exclusive selection of films at the Skylark Film Festival. Hosted for the fifth year at Skylark...
As children, we’re often told not to talk to strangers, the fear being that with our underdeveloped brains and naive sensibilities, we won’t be able to distinguish duplicity from sincerity. In Speak No Evil, parents Louise and Ben seem to have...
With a film franchise spanning almost 40 years, it’s safe to say the general public is pretty well aware of the Transformers. The characters of Optimus Prime and Megatron lead their warring factions in a bitter conflict, leading to the destruction...
Lydia Deetz has a problem. After escaping the clutches of a predatory trickster demon in Beetlejuice, she’s lived a full life. She’s been married, then divorced, then widowed, and became a mother to her very own moody teenager. When we meet her,...
It started out simply enough. Two women, down on their luck with bills to pay and barely scraping by, find themselves in the presence of billionaires and others in high society. With a pair of cocktail dresses and a dream, they managed to snag an...
It was meant to be a lovely afternoon between dad and daughter. The pair were all set to enjoy a concert for pop sensation Lady Raven. Riley, ecstatic to see her favourite artiste, and her father, Cooper, elated to see his daughter’s smile....
Almost half a century has passed since a xenomorph hunted down the last survivors of the Nostromo. With its unique design, a horror icon was birthed and spawned sequel after sequel, each to varying degrees of success and quality. The new film is...
Borderlands is a beloved franchise with a violent, colourful world that puts players into the mix as they dive into the chaos, dishing out incredible mayhem.The games are funny, and epic, so it only makes sense that they be the subject of the...
I’ve never read Harold and the Purple Crayon. To be honest, I never knew of the character’s existence until this film adaptation came about. I know little of the history, nor could I tell you what to expect from the stories Harold is a part of. Yet...
In my review for Twisters, I praised the film for delivering an outlandish production with over the top action that was refreshingly set in the real world. Now, with Deadpool...
In a time when your average blockbuster centres around the fictitious and the fantastic, a film about devastating winds is a breath of fresh air. There are no space aliens, witches, or super people bringing along the burden of dull lore and...
In the last 14 years, Gru has certainly been through a lot. The reformed super villain put aside his dastardly ways to become a family man, and now sits pretty with three “gworls”, a wife, and a bouncing baby boy. Life couldn’t be better for the...
When it comes to film festivals in Jamaica, you’re likely to find them held in the usual spaces. Kingston is the place to be for JAFTA’s The Shot List, and for the annual staging of GATFFEST. On the west coast you can find film fanatics at the...
In a little over a year, the Jamaican short film A Shade Of Indigo has come a long way. Beginning its journey with a debut showing at the 2023 staging of The Shot List film festival, the story of a young girl’s struggle with self-acceptance and the...
A sequel to Inside Out doesn’t fill me with instant excitement. The idea of returning to a film so creative and thoughtful feels like a set-up for disappointment. Then again, Riley, the young girl whose innermost thoughts and feelings are at the...
After months of secrecy, an under-construction cinema, and teasers on their social media pages, Palace Amusement finally unveiled their newly renovated 4DX cinema at their Carib 5 location. For those not in the know, 4DX is an immersive cinematic...
Lovers of film found common ground this past Sunday at the third staging of The Shot List. The transatlantic collaboration between JAFTA and We Are Parable continues, giving patrons a day to appreciate the short film offerings from across the...
When 2024 began, I did not anticipate writing reviews for two films about imaginary friends. Certainly, the subject matter has overwhelming potential, but after the release of the underwhelming Imaginary, IF was not exactly on my most anticipated...
The original Planet of the Apes carries some formidable weight. A sci-fi classic that stands the test of time, and a tough act to follow. Yet followed it was by a series of prequels that bring forward their own emotionally charged stories, and...
It’s long been understood that sex sells. The marketing of Challengers seems to evoke that adage as philosophy. The scandalous love triangle at the centre of the film is touted as the draw for audiences, and for once, the film delivers as...
Every time you see an action movie, or even just a movie with action elements, what you’re seeing is the underrated field of stunt work. People devote so much to the craft of film-making, they’re willing to suffer actual bodily harm. While they...
