Reviews

According to Ray Kroc, played by Michael Keaton in this telling of how McDonalds turned from the most popular burger joint in San Bernardino to a worldwide empire, the one thing you need to pull off that kind of business success is not talent, but persistence. **The Founder is another portrayal of the everlasting debate about who really gets the credit for something revolutionary – those who have the talent and genius to develop the initial idea, or those who have the persistence to execute it. We saw the debate arise in **The Social Network, and this is a very similar telling of a story where being the creative talent behind something doesn’t always mean coming out on top, especially if there’s a shrewd businessman waiting in the wings to take your idea for themselves. ...

**Don’t Breathe is the second feature film from Fede Alvarez, whose debut feature was the reboot of the Evil Dead franchise, and is produced by horror legend Sam Raimi. Evil Dead was a fantastic return to that dreaded cabin in the woods, albeit extremely gory, graphic and with as little CGI used as possible to heighten the realism, and one of the best horror films in recent years. Therefore, the next film from Alvarez would always have a lot to live up to. Don’t Breathe does a brilliant job of cementing Alvarez’s role in the world of horror cinema, and proves he is definitely not a one hit wonder. ...

**Gone Girl is the adaptation of the thrilling and bestselling novel of the same name from writer Gillian Flynn, who also compiled the screenplay. Starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, and directed by one of the kings of thrillers, David Fincher, it tells the story of an American sweetheart in a tense marriage who goes missing mysteriously, the finger being pointed at her husband and the twists and turns that reveal what really happened to ‘Amazing’ Amy Dunne. ...

**Santa Clarita Diet is Netflix’s latest venture into the land of the sit-com, and it comes with a large dose of blood, guts and vomit. Starring and executive produced by Drew Barrymore, Santa Clarita Diet follows Sheila (Barrymore), her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and their 16-year-old daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) as they attempt to uphold a regular family lifestyle upon learning that Sheila is now a zombie. As the show speeds through Sheila’s transformation into the undead without any explanation whatsoever, we are quickly thrown into the situations that follow; these include simultaneously trying to be a good parent and killing people to feed your hunger for human flesh, a husband having masculinity issues because his wife can kill people whilst he struggles with the idea, or attempting to maintain a healthy sex life with a woman who just yesterday ate another man’s testicles. ...

Blue Jay is a short and sweet love story that depicts thirty-somethings Jim and Amanda, old flames who have, after many years, bumped into each other in a supermarket in their hometown. It follows them over the course of one night whilst they explore old memories and their past lives together whilst sharing new ones. Jim, played by Mark Duplass (who also wrote the film), is an unemployed handyman who has come back to his hometown whilst he figures out the next stage in his life. Amanda, played by American Horror Story‘s Sarah Paulson, is married to a much older man and step-mother to two boys only half her age, and is back in town to visit her pregnant sister. ...

**The Neon Demon is the latest film from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, best known for his stylish yet extremely gritty thriller **Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. Far from his other works, The Neon Demon focusses on the dark side of the fashion and modelling industry and its effect on women. Elle Fanning stars as the youthful and naturally beautiful Jesse, a 16-year-old girl who has recently moved to LA to pursue a career in modelling after the death of her parents. ...

Netflix’s take on Lemony Snicket’s **A Series of Unfortunate Events is a melancholy masterpiece, that stays true to the source material and brings the original books to life. Centred around three young orphans, the story takes us through their journey after the recent death of their parents, whilst they try to find a suitable home and parental guardian, all whilst attempting to free themselves from the abominable Count Olaf, a horrid man hell-bent on getting his hands on their inherited fortune. ...

Released in 2016 and directed by Jodie Foster, **Money Monster tells the story of how an unbearable host of a financial TV show and his crew are taken hostage by an angry young man who’s investment went south after following their advice. George Clooney plays said obnoxious host Lee Gates, and is supported by Julia Roberts in the role of director Patty. As the film opens, we see a normal day in their life, full of witty exchanges and well executed, though at times cliche, smarm and swagger from Clooney as the star of the show. ...

It’s the film that’s already swept the Golden Globes and picked up a massive 14 Oscar nominations, but is La La Land really worth all the hype? Damien Chazelle‘s follow up to the glorious **Whiplash, La La Land is a throwback to classic musical cinema with a somewhat modern filter, and follows the romance of Emma Stone‘s struggling actress Mia and Ryan Gosling‘s talented jazz pianist Seb against the backdrop of a hazy, sunny, shallow LA. ...

**Victoria caused quite the stir when it was released; following in the footsteps of Birdman, but taking the idea to a whole new level, this German masterpiece tells the story of one night in the life of one girl, in one city, and in just one take. Whereas Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu‘s Birdman gave the illusion of one take by using long sweeping shots, Sebastian Schipper‘s Victoria achieves it fully and completely, with one camera following our protagonist as she leaves a Berlin nightclub, meets a group of strangers, and embarks on a thoroughly unexpected evening. ...