HIGH RISE REVIEW - The undoubtedly talented cast and director struggle with a difficult source material

3/5

I am a massive Ben Wheatley fan. I loved "A Field in England" and "Kill List" is incredible. His direction doesn't disappoint here, he films with his usual style, building dread, focusing on horrific images, on the face of it, High Rise looks like a good fit.

The cast perform well. Tom Hiddleston anchors the film as we follow his decent into the deranged world inside of the high rise. He doesn't have a great deal to do in all fairness but he does it well. Luke Evans may split opinion in this film, it is an all out performance, a decent into madness. He is utterly believable as a man on the edge of violence and madness.

With the good out of the way, the bad: this film is crazy, too crazy. Watching "A Field in England" I thought I was prepared for the madness that Wheatley brings but I wasn't. This left me wondering why, and the reason is the lack of coherent plot. SPOILERS AHEAD The tower falls apart due to rolling black outs, which lead to parties, which lead to a mini class war. But all happens so fast and without any sort of explanation that it left me feeling a little cold towards the whole thing. Too little time is spent on the fall, with a good portion of the film taking place after the building's inhabitants have completely lost any sense of civilization. Which brings me to my second problem, the film feels a little too long. There are countless scenes of depravity which do begin to drag.

For a long time the novel, which this based, was deemed unfilmable and you can see why. There are so many characters and plots overlapping that there isn't enough time to fully develop either but damn it Ben Wheatly and screenwriter Amy Jump give it their best shot.

All in all this is another example of Wheatly's directing ability even if the chosen material wasn't right.

DISCUSSION - Carol is the best character in The Walking Dead

A lot of people will say Rick, and Rick is a great character, there is nothing like seeing Rick go off the rails but Carol is the most rounded and interesting characters on the show.

Take last nights episode as an example, the range showed by Melissa McBride was impressive giving life to all sides of Carol's character so much so that you almost thought she had finally snapped under the pressure. I do not believe another character (besides Rick and perhaps Daryl) could carry an intimate episode like this. And it isn't the first time she has done so, think back to a few seasons ago to The Grove, what an episode that was!

I think what has made Carol so great is the evolution she has gone through, from when we first met her as a scared, quiet woman under the control of an abusive husband through to a woman who will do whatever is necessary at the prison, to the now slightly conflicted, stern leader. In a world where strong women characters are said to be missing, isn't Carol the perfect example of one? And not your typical tom boy strong character that can "hang with the guys" but a believably resilient but at times vulnerable woman who is dedicated to her friends. This is a great example of a three dimensional character that has been allowed to grow organically and it is all the better for it.

THE WITCH REVIEW - A disturbing, atmospheric horror masterpiece

4.5/5

This film was a masterclass in slow burning horror. It builds a world and sucks you in, slowly building at atmosphere of dread that stays with you long after the final credits roll.

The whole film is beautifully shot, even with the majority of it being grey and muted in colour. The decision to film in the old 1:1.66 aspect ratio was inspired as it adds to the feeling. The camera lingers longer than it should, giving the impression you are watching what you shouldn't be seeing. You can measure how effective a horror is by the impression it leaves on you after the film and I can say I haven't stopped thinking about this.

The acting surprised me. I wasn't expecting it to be this good. Ralph Ineson is perfectly cast, gruff, imposing but surprisingly vulnerable, such a good performance. But the star is Anya Taylor-Joy. She anchors the film as the conflicted child. Teetering on the edge of womanhood and rebellion, she treads the line with such honesty it keeps the film ticking.

The film also marks Robert Eggers as a director to look out for. Not since viewing Ben Wheatley's "A Field In England" have I been so excited by a director. The feeling of dread he creates in The Witch is relentless. Every scene I felt tense, not for jump scares, but for what is going to happen. He will be a big name soon, watch this space.

Now comes to a final point, this isn't for everyone. I think the way it has been advertised to show it as something it isn't. The language used is old fashioned English, there aren't jump scares, no teens running around, this is no slasher, and IT IS ALL THE BETTER FOR IT.

This is a stylish, horrible, horror masterpiece. It will have you tense throughout and leave a long impression.