Sight and Sound articles

Reviews

Islands: Sam Riley is superb as a burned-out tennis pro in this slippery summer noir

In what might be his best acting role since Control (2007), Sam Riley stars as a tennis coach at a Fuerteventura resort who gets wrapped up in an absorbing missing person mystery.

By Tom Charity

Islands: Sam Riley is superb as a burned-out tennis pro in this slippery summer noir

Reviews

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues: the rockers reunite for a self-congratulatory meta-sequel

By Leigh Singer

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues: the rockers reunite for a self-congratulatory meta-sequel

From the Sight and Sound archive

“Consistently convincing, generally hilarious”: This Is Spinal Tap reviewed in 1984

By Kim Newman

“Consistently convincing, generally hilarious”: This Is Spinal Tap reviewed in 1984

Festivals

Left-Handed Girl: a Taiwanese comedy with a wild, whirling sense of momentum

By Adam Nayman

Left-Handed Girl: a Taiwanese comedy with a wild, whirling sense of momentum

Festivals

Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s creation plays like a grand gothic fairytale

By Catherine Bray

Frankenstein: Guillermo del Toro’s creation plays like a grand gothic fairytale

Festivals

Sacrifice: celebrity-stuffed eco-satire takes aim at the virtue signalling of wealthy elites

By Adam Nayman

Sacrifice: celebrity-stuffed eco-satire takes aim at the virtue signalling of wealthy elites

Festivals

A House of Dynamite: Kathryn Bigelow’s terrifying nuclear threat thriller might be her best work yet

By John Bleasdale

A House of Dynamite: Kathryn Bigelow’s terrifying nuclear threat thriller might be her best work yet

Festivals

Father Mother Sister Brother: Jim Jarmusch’s low-key family anthology speaks from the heart

By Nicolas Rapold

Father Mother Sister Brother: Jim Jarmusch’s low-key family anthology speaks from the heart

Festivals

The Smashing Machine: Dwayne Johnson is a knockout in Benny Safdie’s un-sensationalist MMA fighter biopic

By Jessica Kiang

The Smashing Machine: Dwayne Johnson is a knockout in Benny Safdie’s un-sensationalist MMA fighter biopic

Festivals

La Grazia: less is more in Paolo Sorrentino’s quietly powerful political drama

By John Bleasdale

La Grazia: less is more in Paolo Sorrentino’s quietly powerful political drama

Reviews

Paul & Paulette Take a Bath: a picture-perfect tour of Paris’s ugly past

By Catherine Wheatley

Paul & Paulette Take a Bath: a picture-perfect tour of Paris’s ugly past

Festivals

No Other Choice: Park Chan-wook’s murderous thriller is goofy, grisly and perverse

By Nicolas Rapold

No Other Choice: Park Chan-wook’s murderous thriller is goofy, grisly and perverse

Festivals

After the Hunt: Luca Guadagnino’s overworked campus drama is designed to provoke but ends up feeling dated

By Jessica Kiang

After the Hunt: Luca Guadagnino’s overworked campus drama is designed to provoke but ends up feeling dated

From the Sight and Sound archive

“The bleakest portrait of a marriage since Bergman”: The War of the Roses reviewed in 1989

By Anne Billson

“The bleakest portrait of a marriage since Bergman”: The War of the Roses reviewed in 1989

Festivals

Two Seasons, Two Strangers: an elegant, sensitive celebration of introverts

By Jessica Kiang

Two Seasons, Two Strangers: an elegant, sensitive celebration of introverts

Reviews

Caught Stealing: Darren Aronofsky takes a fresh approach with a thrilling crime caper

By Philip Concannon

Caught Stealing: Darren Aronofsky takes a fresh approach with a thrilling crime caper

Reviews

Dracula: It’s hard to resist the irreverence of Radu Jude’s overstuffed vampire parody

By John Bleasdale

Dracula: It’s hard to resist the irreverence of Radu Jude’s overstuffed vampire parody

Reviews

The Life of Chuck: a soft-edged, big-hearted Stephen King adaptation

By Roger Luckhurst

The Life of Chuck: a soft-edged, big-hearted Stephen King adaptation

Reviews

Bulk: Ben Wheatley creates a thrilling experimental film about a failed experiment

By Anton Bitel

Bulk: Ben Wheatley creates a thrilling experimental film about a failed experiment

Reviews

Young Hearts: a sincere but conventionally told story of queer young love

By Danny King

Young Hearts: a sincere but conventionally told story of queer young love

Reviews

Motherboard: Victoria Mapplebeck’s decades-spanning document of single motherhood finds beauty in the passage of time

By Saskia Baron

Motherboard: Victoria Mapplebeck’s decades-spanning document of single motherhood finds beauty in the passage of time

Reviews

Together: Alison Brie and Dave Franco find funny, skin-crawling horror in a love that binds

By Nicolas Rapold

Together: Alison Brie and Dave Franco find funny, skin-crawling horror in a love that binds

Reviews

Weapons: a gruesome puzzle box horror of jolts and jump scares

By Kim Newman

Weapons: a gruesome puzzle box horror of jolts and jump scares

Reviews

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore: an engrossing study of deaf activism in Hollywood

By Peter Adams

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore: an engrossing study of deaf activism in Hollywood

From the Sight and Sound archive

Subversive spirit and satirical energy: Sense and Sensibility reviewed in 1996

By Claire Monk

Subversive spirit and satirical energy: Sense and Sensibility reviewed in 1996

Reviews

The Kingdom: coming-of-age meets crime drama in this thoughtful Corsican thriller

By Kate Stables

The Kingdom: coming-of-age meets crime drama in this thoughtful Corsican thriller

Reviews

The Naked Gun: delightfully stupid cop caper resurrects the Hollywood comedy

By Jason Anderson

The Naked Gun: delightfully stupid cop caper resurrects the Hollywood comedy

Reviews

Savages: eco stop-motion captures the vitality of the Borneo forest

By Nick Bradshaw

Savages: eco stop-motion captures the vitality of the Borneo forest

Reviews

Dreams (Sex Love) second look review: vividly captures the dizzying highs and lows of first love

By Joseph Fahim

Dreams (Sex Love) second look review: vividly captures the dizzying highs and lows of first love

Reviews

Late Shift: strained workplace drama is carried by Leonie Benesch as a dangerously overworked nurse

By Philip Concannon

Late Shift: strained workplace drama is carried by Leonie Benesch as a dangerously overworked nurse