The Cynical Cinephiles

Director: Cathy Yan Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor After a definitive break-up with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Robbie) soon discovers that without the protection of the Clown Prince of Crime, many criminals in Gotham want her dead, namely the fearsome Black Mask (McGregor). As she strives for survival, Harley gains some unexpected allies in the form of three deadly women - Huntress (Winstead), Black Canary (Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Perez). Having emerged as the standout character in 2016's critically panned Suicide Squad , Margot Robbie returns to the role of Harley Quinn. Harley's first appearance in the DC universe was largely defined by her turbulent relationship with Jared Leto's Joker, but Birds of Prey and Robbie (who served as a co-producer on the film and has been championing its existence for years) is intent on giving the character her own identity. Having ...

Director: Mike Flanagan Cast: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis Over 30 years since the events that took place at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (McGregor) has turned to alcoholism to repress his trauma. However, when the True Knot led by Rose the Hat (Ferguson) start feeding off the "shine" of innocents, Dan is approached by Abra (Curran), a teenager afflicted with the shine, to put a stop to the cult. Director Mike Flanagan, best known for his work on horror films such as Hush and the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House , faces a near-impossible challenge; adapting the work of Stephen King whilst also crafting a sequel to Kubrick's masterpiece that is considered one of, if not the most, revered horrors of all time. Flanagan rises to the occasion and handles the material with a sensitive maturity, never forgetting to indulge in the horrific fun of it all or deny the audience a fresh and compelling story. Expanding the story be...

Director: Sam Mendes Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Richard Madden During World War I, Lance Corporals William Schofield (MacKay) and Tom Blake (Chapman) are tasked with delivering a message calling off an attack that will lead to the deaths of thousands of British soldiers. Although not evident from the film's first trailer, 1917 has since made its one single tracking shot appearance the centre of its marketing and has been the primary point of discussion surrounding the film. Director Sam Mendes envisioned this technique for the film during the earliest stages of development and incorporated the idea into the script. To bring his extraordinary spectacle to the big screen, Mendes underwent a lengthy pre-production process and recruited legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose years of experience in the industry have seemingly led up to this. There isn't a moment in the duo's journey whe...