Somnium - Film Review

 

Racheal Cain's directorial debut, Somnium, is an interesting piece that tries to blur the line between dream and reality, but one that pushes the science fiction and horror elements into the background far enough that those coming looking for something special might be left a little disappointed.

Somnium tells the story of Gemma (Chloë Levine), a young woman from a small town in Georgia who moves to LA to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She moves her small pile of possessions into a run down apartment, and begins hunting for jobs, both acting and not. Her desperate need for work eventually leads her to Somnium, a building with a help wanted sign hanging out front. With no knowledge of what the place does, she walks inside and manages to sweettalk herself a job; she's desperate for money after all, so why be picky about where you're working?

Gemma learns that Somnium is a special sleep therapy centre where people pay to be put into sleep states for weeks at a time and to have the staff at Somnium pump their brans with specially crafted dreams. The aim is to shape their perception of reality and give them their desires, whether that's money, fame, or love. What does this mean, do these dreams become fake memories, does it drive their new waking life like hypnotic suggestion, does it alter reality? The film never really goes into this, nor does it explain how a small four person team in a kind of old looking private clinic in LA has such advanced, potentially world changing technology. All that Gemma, and the audience, need to worry about is her night shifts baby sitting the sleeping patients.

Whilst spending her nights alone in the clinic with the sleepers, Gemma focuses her days on her own dream, and attends auditions. From what we see of her she's a great actress, and her auditions go well, but ultimately don't seem to go anywhere, and she's soon running out of money, and losing out on hope. She finds potential help in the form of Brooks (Jonathon Schaech), an older man 'in the business' who says he can help her career. The initial reaction of expecting Brooks to be some kind of predator, either trying to pressure Gemma into sex or some other dark path, never really materialises, and the film instead leaves you to make up your own mind about whether or not he should be trusted.

During these scenes Gemma begins to notice strange noises in her apartment, and begins to see a monstrous, twisted figure in the dark rooms of Somnium in the deep of night. Sadly, these elements are mostly secondary for much of the film, and whilst Gemma's journey and experiences in LA are entertaining enough, and played wonderfully by Levine, they're not exactly what the film was selling itself on in trailers. I was honestly pretty surprised and disappointed at how few and far between the horror elements were in the actual film, and pretty much ever moment in the trailer is what you get in the final film. It feels like Somnium sold itself as a horror piece, only to pull the rug out and give viewers a drama instead. 

There are some great performances in Somnium, and the film is both competently written and shot, but when I spend the entire film thinking 'the horror stuff must be coming soon' only for the end credits to roll I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed. And maybe that's just me, and other people will get on much better with it than I do; especially if you know these elements are going to be light going in. Somnium labels itself as a science fiction film, but the sci-fi is more of a seasoning to the main course.

Somnium is available on digital download now.

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The Innkeepers - Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

 

I've not seen many of Ti West's movies, and The Innkeepers was my first experience of his work when it was first released. At the time the film didn't really click with me, and I filed it away until I watched his truly horrifying The Sacrament, a film that's so realistic in its horror that it sent shivers down my spine. When Second Sight announced that they were releasing a new 4K UHD Limited Edition version of the film I thought that perhaps now might be a good time to give it another try, to see if perhaps my views on it have chanced in the near decade and a half since its release. 

The Innkeepers takes place in the real life Yankee Pedlar Inn, though in a dramatized version of it that sees the old building on the edge of going out of business. Despite having been around for decades, illustrated in a great opening sequence showing the building's evolution over the years, not many people are staying there, and the place is only a week away from closing for good. The place is operating with a skeleton crew of two, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healey).

The two of them have been largely bored at work, especially as there are only two guests in the building, and have been spending their time looking into the reported haunting inside the Inn. Years ago a bride took her own life in the hotel, and people have reported strange events ever since. Armed with an EVP recorder, a rather shoddy website, and the desire to catch something cool, they spend their shifts trying to contact the spirit walking the halls of the Yankee Pedlar. However, when spooky events begin to finally happen it sets them on a path that will put their lives in danger.

Horror is a broad genre, one that can do slow burn, that can be fast paced, it can have buckets of blood, or it can leave things to your imagination. You're never quite sure what you're going to get just from the label 'horror', and for much of the runtime of The Innkeepers I'd struggle to really consider it horror. Perhaps one of the best films to compare The Innkeepers to would be Kevin Smith's Clerks, a film with very little plot, that focuses on a handful of characters, and is mostly two people standing around chatting. The Innkeepers follows this mould, with the casual conversations between Claire and Luke being much of the focus of the movie. 

Whether you consider this comparison to be a good thing or not would depend on your tastes, as the person who I first watched the film with loved both of those films, and I didn't really like them much. For me, too much of The Innkeepers was given over to personal relationships, meandering moments, and humour that didn't quite land for me. Yes, the characters are nice enough, with Sara Paxton doing a wonderful job in the lead role, but when 80% of the film feels like a relationship drama rather than a horror it's not really enough to keep me fully invested.

When the horror does appear on screen it felt a little too late to really salvage the experience for me. Spooky dead people suddenly appearing on the screen to make Claire scream and run away and not much more, after an hour of build up, honestly left me feeling a little short changed. I don't know why I felt like this, as some of my favourite horror films feature their main antagonist or object of fear very little, films like Alien, Jaws, or Sinister. But where I think perhaps those work more for me than The Innkeepers is that those films felt tense throughout, they had atmosphere, and characters were engaging. The Innkeepers has almost no tension, the film isn't all that visually engaging, and none of the characters are really memorable or all that entertaining.

I really hoped that by giving the film another chance I'd finally click with it, that I'd see what made a lot of people give it high scores and praise; but I guess The Innkeepers just isn't a film that does what I need. That's not to say it's bad, there's a lot of decent moments, a strong cast, and good dialogue. It's a competently made film that it's absolutely possible to love, so don't let my bad experience with it stop you from giving it a watch.

Alongside the film the new release comes with a slew of extra features. There are two audio commentary tracks for the movie. The first one features Ti West, who wrote, directed, and edited the film, along with Producers Larry Fessenden and Peter Phok, and Sound Designer Graham Reznick. The second commentary has West joined by actors Sarah Paxton and Pat Healey. The tracks are both decent, and offer different insights into the film. The second track has a bit more of a relaxed feel to it, with the cast reminiscing on what it felt like making the film, where as the other has more technical details and behind the scenes facts. There are also several new interviews, including Ti West, Pat Healey, Larry Fesenden, Director of Photography Eliot Rockett, Composer Jeff Grace, and Line Producer Jacob Jaffke. A behind the scenes featurette and a trailer round out the on disc features. As with other Second Sight Limited Editon's, The Innkeepers also comes with a slipcase featuring new artwork, 6 collectors art cards, and a 120-page book with essays and writing about the film.

The Innkeepers wasn't quite to my taste, but it's a competently made film that many will enjoy. The film has a strong fanbase and has been popular for well over a decade, and if you're one of those fans this new release makes for an excellent new edition packed with brand new extras.

The Innkeepers Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray is available now from Second Sight.

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40 Acres - Film Review

 

There's a big focus on post-apocalypse media lately (not a surprise when the world seems to be hellbent on getting to that point), and whilst a lot of these stories throw in some vaguely fantastical element, such as the undead, a rage virus, or fungus zombies, 40 Acres instead takes a much more subdued and realistic approach to the end of the world. The result of this is a film that might feel less overtly bleak or fatalistic than others, it's one where when the awful things do start to begin they hit all the harder because it's not monsters that these people need to fear, but very real, very familiar violence.

40 Acres tells the story of the Freeman family, headed up by Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler), and her husband Galen (Michael Greyeyes), who met whilst serving as soldiers years before. A number of years ago, a fungal spore spread across the world, affecting crops and plants the world over. This resulted in mass starvation, war, and civilisation falling apart as farmable land became the most valuable resource. Hailey and Galen have an isolated farm in Canada, where they live with their children, Emmanuel (Kateem O'Connor), and Raine (Leenah Robinson), who Hailey and Galen brought together from previous relationships respectively; and Danis (Jaeda LaBlanc) and Cookie (Haile Amare), who they had together. 

With their farmland a valuable resource, and their only means to survive, Hailey and Galen has used their military training to secure the farm, and to raise their four children to be fighters. Despite this ability to survive, demonstrated with a brutal opening sequence showing what happens when raiders come to call, their life leaves them isolated and alone. Whilst Hailey is content with this, needing only the infrequent interaction with a friend over the radio, her son Emmanuel has reached the age where he needs other people. 

When news hits the Freeman's that some of the surrounding farms inside their trading network have gone silent, and that a roving gang of cannibals might be to blame, the family must come together to defend what they have. But when Emmanuel discovers a beautiful young woman just outside their fence, asking for help, it sets the entire family on a dangerous path. 

As the name of the film implies, 40 Acres is slightly more than just a post apocalypse home invasion story. Following the American Civil War, freed Black slaves were promised 40 acres of land and a mule as a form of reparation for how they were treated. This promise was largely a lie, and is part of a larger system of failed promises, broken systems, and outright cruelty that have been used to target people of colour in the US. With the name of the film in mind, it's easy to also spot that the vast majority of the film's cast are people of colour, with the Freeman family being of both Black and Canadian Native descent. In contrast, every single one of the raiders and cannibals who appear in the film is white, with the only good white person being Hailey's friend.

The film isn't overtly about racism or colonisation, but the themes are very much there. The people we're watching are suffering at the hands of brutalist white people, who've come for their land and resources, and will literally use up these people's bodies to keep themselves going, treating them as little more than meat to be consumed. I think writer/director R.T. Thorne made a very deliberate choice in this, and to toss many of the racist stereotypes that were used against Black and brown people over the centuries back onto the white oppressors. The white man is the one that is violent, that eats humans, that doesn't want to build their own society but will come and invade yours. I can't help but feel that 40 Acres has a lot to say, and that much smarter people than myself will be able to watch the film and pick out all kind of nuance and clever details that I certainly missed.

Outside of the themes of the film, 40 Acres is a damn fine film. The Freeman family makes for interesting protagonists, and watching their dynamic and the cracks that form from that makes the film very engaging. You can't argue that Hailey and Galen have kept their family alive by raising them like soldiers, but you can also see how it's creating some divisions, such as Raine not being allowed to read a certain book because she wasn't told to read it, or Emmanuel being a young man with no chance of finding love because he's never allowed to leave. The family dynamics have no clear right or wrong, as you can see why the parents have done what they've done and approve of some of it, whilst also understanding why the children are pushing back. 

The cast present this wonderfully, particularly Danielle Deadwyler and Kateem O'Connor, whose mother son relationship is the central piece of the film. Each of them delivers strong performances, with Deadwyler being the stand out as an incredibly intense mother who you'd never want to cross. She brings intense grit and determination to the role, and you believe that she used to be a soldier; yet despite this you can also see a large amount of both love and guilt shining through. The film touches upon a troubled past between Hailey and her son, giving us a couple of flashbacks that informs a lot of their relationship with very little, and it makes you re-evaluate much of what you've seen between the two of them. 

40 Acres doesn't try to break the post-apocalypse mould, and a lot of what you get here you'll have experienced before; but I also feel that it's not trying to do this. Instead, it's telling a familiar story through a different lens. It has interesting themes and commentary that can be largely overlooked in favour of a fairly by the numbers movie that will still entertain, or it can be examined in greater depth to give viewers an experience that sets it aside from others in the genre. How much you get from the film will depend on you to a certain extent, but if you go in willing to see more, and to learn, 40 Acres becomes a wonderfully inventive and memorable addition to the genre.

40 Acres is in UK cinemas now, and available to download digitally today.

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Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection - Film Review

 

Who is Cliff Twemlow? I'm not really expecting you to know the answer to that question; I myself didn't know who Cliff Twemlow was until the release of the documentary film Mancunian Man, but having learned more about him through that documentary and the other films currently on offer from Severin Films I can't help but feel he's a man that people should be aware of. Perhaps the most shocking part of learning about Twemlow is finding out how prolific the man was, something explored in the documentary Mancunian Man, which is definitely the best place to start with this substantial collection. Due to the collection not having a physical release here in the UK, I have only had access to some of the films in the set, and so unfortunately, cannot comment on all of them, or their special features.

Mancunian Man tells the life story of Twemlow, beginning with his humble background as a working class child in Manchester, growing up in a city where men were taught to be tough and that violence was a part of life. This was something that had an effect on Twemlow, driving him towards bodybuilding and boxing, and eventually working as a bouncer in the city's night clubs. However, it seems that Cliff retained something of a gentle, caring heart, and despite his physical prowess was a much liked member of his local community. Writing about his life as a bouncer, Twemlow released the book Tuxedo Warrior, which was optioned as a film.

Despite the book being about his time as a bouncer in Manchester, the film that was produced shifted the setting to Africa, and focused on diamond smuggling. It was a huge departure from the source material, but Twemlow was offered a small role in the film and the opportunity to travel to Africa to see the film being made. Thus began a new obsession in Twemlow's life, movie making. Inspired by his time on the Tuxedo Warrior movie Twemlow tried to have another of his books made into a film, an animal themed horror story called The Pike, which was close to being produced with big names attached, but fell through when investors became nervous about the quality of the huge animatronic fish created for the production.

With the desire to make movies, but no way to get a bigger budget production made, Twemlow took a chance when VHS camcorders hit the market and VHS sales were sweeping Britain. Together with some friends, Twemlow created the film G.B.H. Grievous Bodily Harm, which told the story of a bouncer in Manchester who's dragged into a world of crime and murder. Filmed across the city, often without permission, and released quickly and cheaply, the movie ended up being a huge success, in part for being on the Video Nasty list, and Twemlow's career as a director began.

Over the next decade Twemlow would produce several more films, often with Twemlow in the role of writer, director, composer, and actor. With a staple group of actors, some of whom began their careers under Twemlow, Cliff Twemlow had a tumultuous career, with most of his films being made at a loss, not being released, or falling apart mid production. Despite this, the passion to make movies never left him, and you can see that in his work collected here. This new collection not only offers an amazing insight into a man whose life feels too fantastical to be truly real, but brings many of his films to audiences for the first time. 

The Mancunian Man documentary is perhaps the most fascinating part of this collection, and in some ways learning about Twemlow and his life were more entertaining than the films he made. Learning how these films came to be is often interesting than the films, as Twemlow's scripts tend to have meandering, sometimes confusing plots, but hearing the actors in the movies talk about how they got to be present for the US invasion of Grenada whilst making one of the films and just incorporated it into the movie, or how Twemlow had a supernatural hitman driving a bright orange rental van because the company let him keep it for a year if he put it in the film make for more entertaining stories.

After watching Mancunian Man it's best to make your way through the other films in order as you do get to see an evolution of Twemlow's style, and a general upward swing in quality amongst all those involved. There are some actors in his first film who are literally just people he knew who he gives a few lines to that are pretty shakily delivered, but these same actors manage to do decently a few films later, having honed their craft by working with Cliff for so long. 

G.B.H. Grievous Bodily Harm is a cheap movie. It's made with a very basic camera, filmed by people who don't really know what they're doing, just trying their best; and this does show through in much of the movie. The acting is pretty wooden at times, or very arch at others, with the actors trying their best but doing nothing new or interesting. Whilst there are some confusing choices in the script, scenes that probably shouldn't have been included, the basic story structure isn't terrible, and it's clear that Twemlow has been inspired by other crime stories, as well as the world he's seen from his time as a bouncer. Whilst the film isn't going to become anyone's favourite thing by a long margin, as a historic piece it does make for some entertaining viewing, seeing how a group of fairly ordinary people decided one day to make a film, and how despite the flaws and the obvious seams, created something that, thanks largely in part to the Video Nasties scare, ended up becoming a piece of British film history. 

After the relative low budget and guerrilla style filmmaking of G.B.H. Grievous Bodily Harm it's surprising to see something a big leap in Twemlow's next two films, Target Eve Island, and The Ibiza Connection. Both filmed on location outside of the UK, and made with much higher quality equipment, these two films still have the feel of a low budget movie, but they at least don't come across as something made on a home camcorder down the local park. Target Eve Island is Twemlow's attempt at a spy movie, one that thanks to reshoots, scenes where Russian agents forgot their accents, script re-writes, and additional scenes being made years later, never quite makes complete sense. The basic story is decent enough, but it's definitely a film that begins to fall apart when you stop to think about it. The film is made more entertaining after watching the documentary thanks to the background influencing the production (being there during a military operation), and this really does feel like the point where Twemlow's films become a little more watchable.

One of the films that I found most surprising was The Hitman, sometimes called the delightfully more ridiculous The Assassinator, a film that felt like quite a step up compared to the earlier ones. Yes, there were some moments in the story that felt a little bit silly, such as the lead character assassinating a man with a very convoluted device that still needed him to be there are use instead of setting up and leaving, or some bad dubbing that sounded so off at times, but the story is pretty solid, and the acting from the lead is perhaps the best in all of his Twemlow appearances. Whilst the story is very similar to something like Commando, there are still some delightful twists in the narrative that I think shows Twemlow putting more thought into the scripting process; and a final scene that leaves the film with a 'what the fuck?!' moment.

Firestar: First Contact takes Cliff Twemlow to space, and feels a little like the real world equivalent of when a long running franchise decides to make a space sequel. With the most expense on a Twemlow film being travelling to the Carribbean (something the documentary makes out as being a disaster), it's a little shocking to see so much money spent on sets, models, and alien costumes, for a science fiction movie. Twemlow has tended to keep his films fairly grounded, with even those with fantastical ideas being kept in relatively recognisable settings, so seeing his attempt at something more akin to Alien is a genuine delight, even if the film itself isn't the greatest.

There are a few extra films included in the collection that aren't really Twemlow projects, though they do involve him. There's the hour long Fitness Over 40, an exercise self help video for those over 40 looking to keep fit. Twemlow is not the focus of this film at all, and is just one of several people who are used to demonstrate various exercises, weightlifting, and workouts that viewers can emulate. It's not a particularly interesting or engaging piece, other than to see it in the context of where Twemlow was in his life and career at that point, and perhaps as an insight into early 90's keep fit videos. Similarly, there's The Art of Nude Massage, another home video release, this time designed to show people how to engage in some basic sensual massage techniques. Twemlow appears in the first segment as one of the two people taking part in the massage, and consists mainly of him laying on a bed whilst a naked woman rubs his back. Like the other film, it's an interesting look at instructional videos at the time, and it does feature Twemlow, but it's not really anything that involves him a great deal.

Whilst I only had access to digital screeners for some of the films, the physical release does come with some extra features, such as promo reels, deleted scenes, gag reels, and some behind the scenes pieces that add some extra insight into the movies. For those who are interested in the physical version, the blu-ray set is region free, and so imported versions of the set will work on UK devices. For those that are unable to access the physical edition, however, the digital versions of Twemlow's work will be available in the UK.

Is the set worth it? I can't say. I found the documentary hugely interesting, and watching the movies after having that context made them feel like interesting, niche parts of British film history that were sometimes entertaining, but other times a little boring. The quality on each film varies, and whilst I wouldn't rate any of them particularly high, they proved to be entertaining ways to pass the time even at their worst. I'm glad I took the time to learn about Cliff Twemlow, to watch some of his work, and I'd definitely be interested in seeing the ones that I wasn't sent preview copies of. 

For those with an interest in film history, with a love of low budget movies, or even those who know about Twemlow thanks to having seen one of his films when it was first released into corner shop VHS rentals, read one of his novels, or simply heard the legend, this set makes for a fantastic way to discover a man whose life should probably end up as a movie.

Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection is available on Blu-ray in the US, and select films from the collection on Amazon Prime UK from 28th July.

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When Evil Lurks - Limited Edition 4k UHD Review

 

Possession horror has long existed in pop culture, with one of the most famous being The Exorcist, a film that not only took the world by storm, but influenced multiple imitations. The genre has evolved over the years, but as the rules of possession have become normalised, and the use of the possessed as villains, such as in the Paranormal Activity franchise, the genre has felt somewhat stale for a while. 2023's When Evil Lurks, however, might be one of the best examples of how to shake up the genre, and how to deliver one of the most shocking horror films in years.

The film begins with brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimi (Demián Salomon) hearing gunshots in the forest near their remote farm house in the dead of night. The next day, the two of them head out to investigate, only to find the remains of a body that they at first think might have been killed by a wild animal, but soon conclude was hacked to pieces by a weapon. Along with the corpse are pieces of some old device that seems vaguely familiar to Jimi, and a folder with documents related to a nearby family.

Heading over to the family, the brothers find an old woman and her youngest son, who say they were waiting for the dead man in the woods, a 'cleaner', to come and deal with her eldest son, Uriel. The Cleaner was coming to kill Uriel, as he has become a 'rotten', someone possessed with the spirit of a demon whose influence can spread like an infection if not eliminated the right way. With no indication that another cleaner will ever be sent, the two brothers help local farmer Ruiz (Luis Ziembrowski), load Uriel into the back of his truck to transport him far away from their community. However, when Uriel falls off the truck at some point along the way they declare the problem solved and return home.

Despite removing Uriel from the community, the next day the demonic influence begins to appear, coming after those who were near Uriel, causing violence, death, and horrors in its wake. Now Pedro and Jimi must grab their family and try to escape, avoiding taking the demon's taint with them. But as twisted, dark forces pursue them, it looks like they may never be able to escape.

When Evil Lurks does something that not many horror films do, it doesn't explain everything to the audience, but allows the characters to understand the rules. Writer/Director Demián Rugna drops us into a situation where we have no idea what a 'rotten' is, yet our protagonists understand as soon as the word is said. They know what they should and shouldn't do around one, how its influence spreads, and as we see them try to react to the situation, and deal with these very specific steps we're left in a position of being a few steps behind, and that unknown makes things frightening. A lot of US productions will have things spelled out to characters very early on, the rules of the evil they're dealing with, and we learn along with them, here, we learn by seeing how afraid these people are, and how certain things they do doom them.

The film is also incredibly well structured when if comes to its more overtly horrifying moments. The film doesn't do cheap scares, there's no moments of a cat suddenly jumping into frame with a hiss to frighten us, instead the moments that make you yell out loud are earned, they're important to the story that's happening, and the brutality of them leave you questioning if you actually saw what you saw. I'm trying to be vague, as there are several moments in When Evil Lurks that are genuinely amazing that you do not want to be spoilt for, but I will say that the violence, the gore, and the shocks of the film are often foreshadowed, and it's waiting for that hammer to fall that makes the moment when it does the more shocking. 

Rugna also doesn't hold things back in regards to who the evil forces in his story go after. There are no safe characters here, adorable children aren't safe just because of who they are; and at times it does feel like Rugna is going out of his way to deliver as shocking and awful an experience as possible. There are a few moments in the movie that had me yelling expletives out loud because I couldn't believe the film had the nerve to go where it did, to be as brutal as it was, but these moments were justified by the narrative, and whilst this might be one of the more disturbing horror films I've seen in a long while it never once felt like torture porn, a splatter movie, or an exploitation piece. Instead, When Evil Lurks feels like a very tonally dark movie about how brutal and destructive true evil is, and how no one would be safe in its presence.

As well as a script that packs in the horror and shocks, When Evil Lurks is an exceptionally pretty film to look at, one steeped in atmosphere. The cinematography is fantastic, particularly in the night scenes where light is avoided (one of the rules of dealing with demonic forces being not using electronic lights), where light sources and the interplay of shadows are an important element that help to shape the scene. It's these quieter, visually darker moments that are some of the most beautiful and haunting scenes of the movie, and the ones that will stick with you alongside the shocks. 

Alongside the movie, the new Second Sight release also comes with some extra features, including an audio commentary from Spanish cinematic and literature lecturer Gabriel Eljaiek-Rodriguez, interviews with cast and crew such as Demián Rugna, Ezequiel Rodríguez, Actor Demián Salomón, and a video essay from Mike Muncer, host of the award winning Evolution of Horror podcast. The Limited Edition also comes with six collector art cards, a 120 page book filled with essays and writing on the movie, and a slipcase.

When Evil Lurks is a film that I missed when it was first released, but was immediately drawn to when I saw the trailer; and Demián Rugna has been on my radar since seeing parts of Terrified, as such, this new release was the perfect opportunity to discover his work. And I am glad that I did. This film impressed me very quickly, and I found myself both wanting more, and wanting to stop the film in equal measures. Rugna has crafted a film that will horrify you, yet you'll become fascinated with, a narrative of the nature of evil, how the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and why you should never think that anyone is truly safe when dealing with the forces of hell.

When Evil Lurks Limited Edition 4k UHD collection is available from Second Sight on 28th July 2025.

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Talk to Me - Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

 

The best horror films have something to say, they draw upon important themes and even traumas that have a connection to the creators, and Talk to Me is no exception to this as it explores teenage isolation, grief, connection, and how social media and technology has changed the way people respond in terrible situations.

Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, first time feature film directors who created a strong following online with their YouTube channel RackaRacka, Talk to Me is an independent Australia horror film that took the world by storm in 2023; and now it's available in a new Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release from Second Sight Entertainment that's packed full of special features and additional content that makes it a must buy for any fan.

Talk to Me tells the story of Mia (Sophie Wilde), a 17-year-old teen who's still dealing with the complex grief and trauma of losing her mother to an apparent case of suicide two years prior. Distanced from her father, Mia has formed a strong connection with her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen), her mother Sue (Miranda Otto), and younger brother Riley (Joe Bird), having become almost a member of the family herself.

When the teens discover a viral video of teenagers using a strange ceramic hand to get high and 'channel spirits' their interest is piqued, especially when they notice that some of the kids in the videos are from their area. Reaching out to some friends they manage to get invited to a party where local teens Hayley (Zoe Terakes) and Joss (Chris Alosio) have arranged for the hand to be used. Apparently the embalmed hand of a psychic medium, those who take hold of it and speak the words 'talk to me' will be able to see a spirit, and by saying 'I let you in' the spirit will be able to possess them, resulting in a euphoric feeling once the experience is over. However, there are rules attached to the game, including that the possession cannot go on for more than 90 seconds.

Finding escape from her trauma in the experience, Mia becomes focused on the hand, and wants to experience it again. Arranging for a private party at Jade's house, a small group experiments with the hand, allowing various spirits to possess them. When Riley wants to have a go Jade refuses to let him, stating that it might be dangerous for him. However, when she leaves the room Riley appeals to Mia to let him try, who agrees. When Riley begins to channel the spirit of what seems to be her mother Mia pushes the game too far, allowing the possession to go on too long with disastrous and terrifying consequences. 

Talk to Me covers a lot of ideas, all of which are central to the story yet never dominate the narrative. For example, social media and technology play a large part, with the teens learning about the hand via viral videos, and the film makes a point of showing how when dangerous or terrible things happen people will use their phones to film it, almost as a way of detaching themselves from the moment in order to avoid the emotions they might be going through. Yet the film isn't a condemnation of technology or online culture, and you can choose to ignore these themes if you want to.

The film also touches upon addiction and drugs with the hand acting as the stand in. The way that the hand gives a rush of euphoria once it's been used, and the way people keep coming back to it is a very overt allegory, and the sudden shocking turn it takes with Riley is making clear parallels to when drug taking can go bad. But, but making these comparisons via the means of the supernatural it once again makes this less overt, and Talk to Me avoids the pitfall of becoming a film about drugs or addiction. It also doesn't take a strong moral stance on either side of the issue too, neither condemning drug use nor glorifying it, simply showing how it can be used as an escape from trauma and pain by some.

Perhaps most personal to the filmmakers though, as is talked about in both their audio commentary and hour long interview that's included on the disc, is the theme of connection. One of the brothers tells a story about being in a car accident, of being in hospital battered and bruised, and being unable to stop shaking. No matter what the doctors tried nothing could stop him shaking, until his sister took hold of his hand and it ended. In that moment of pain and trauma it was the human connection with someone that he loved that he needed. This is something we see throughout the movie with Mia. She's pulled away from her father, she's trying to form a connection with Jade and her family, but none of it is really helping with the pain of losing her mother so tragically; so it's when that connection with her is teased to her that she has to take it, no matter the risks because that's the one connection she's desperately needed for two years. It's an incredibly personal and tragic theme, one that I think most people will be able to connect with in some way.

It's not just the story and the messages that makes Talk to Me such a great film though, as the Philippou brothers manage to craft a film that looks absolutely fantastic. The film has a very grounded and realistic look to it that I can't help but think comes from the brothers experience with their YouTube channel RackaRacka, and making low budget features. The film has a grounded quality to it even with the fantastical visuals and visually creative choices the two of them that gives the film an eerie, dream-like feel at times. It doesn't have the glossy feel of a big budget American horror film, and the indie roots helps to make it stand out amongst the other horror films released at the time.

It's central cast also help with this, being formed largely of unknown actors. The young cast do a fantastic job, and it's shocking that the studio took a million dollars away from the Phillipou's budget on their insistence on casting Wilde in the lead role once you see just how nuanced and incredibly well delivered her performance is. The film has some shocking visual moments and some scares, but for the most part it relies on the main cast to convey everything and to draw the audience into the story, and each one of them steps up wonderfully. I love the way that Mia and Riley have this sibling love between them, it was great to see how Hayley is largely putting on a front and how they change when things go bad, and Miranda Otto delivers some heart breaking moments. 

Alongside the film the new release is perfect for those who were enamoured with the film and want to learn more. This was me the first time I saw the film, and I literally said to one of my partners that I'd love to listen to commentaries on the film, to see interviews with the creators, and to learn more about this world that was created so wonderfully; and this new release gave me exactly what I wanted. There are two audio commentaries on the disc, one with the directors who go into a lot of detail on the genesis of the film as well as the way it was made, and the other featuring writers and horror fans Emma Westwood and Sally Christie, who cover more of the cultural impact of the film from an outside perspective.

There are also extensive special features, including a sit down interview with the Philippou's that racks up close to an hour that goes into the film and how it was made in great detail that was incredibly entertaining and informative. There are also new interviews with the films producer Samantha Jennings, cinematographer Aaron McLisky, and previously released cast and crew interviews. There's also a short video essay on Talk to Me and it's themes by Kat Ellinger, deleted scenes, and some archival behind the scenes features.

I came to this release having already watched and enjoyed the film but wanting to know more about it, and everything that Second Sight has added to this release did that for me in huge amounts. I loved listening to the Philippou's talking about their filmmaking with such incredible passion, and it made me appreciate the film even more. Talk to Me feels like one of those sleeper hits, one that is only going to be more and more beloved as the years go by, and I'm sure that his new release is going to make many new fans. 

Talk to Me is out now on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Second Sight Entertainment. 

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The Nice Guys - 4K UHD and Blu-ray Review

 

It's been almost a decade since The Nice Guys first hit screens, teaming up the unlikely duo of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as mismatched private investigators on a deadly case in 1970's LA. I'm not sure why, but the release of this new 4K UHD release was the first time that I'd heard of the film, it having managed to slip under my radar since it's release. Despite this, the trailer looked great, it had people OI enjoy watching in the lead roles, and it was from a director whose work I've liked, so I decided to give it a chance; and boy was I glad I did. And if you're like me, and have never seen The Nice Guys this release gives you the perfect excuse to do so.

The Nice Guys follows shady private investigator Holland March (Ryan Gosling), a recently widowed single father who takes crappy cases from retired clients that doesn't require much effort on his part. When he's hired by a woman who claims to have seen her dead niece, the porn actress Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio) alive days after her death it puts in on the trail of a young woman named Amelia (Margaret Qualley). At the same time, thug for hire Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), gets hired by Amelia to get 'some creep' off her tail; a job that leads to Healy beating up March. 

Thinking that the job's done, Healy is surprised when armed criminals come after him wanting to know where Amelia is. Realising that there's more going on than there first appears, and knowing he doesn't have the skills to track Amelia down on his own, Healy hires March to help him get to the bottom of things. Now the two mismatched investigators are plunged into a world of pornography, corruption, and murder as they try to find Amelia before she becomes the latest victim in a mounting conspiracy.

The Nice Guys sets out its tone pretty early on, with an opening scene that draws you in but leaves you feeling baffled as a kid steals his fathers porno mag to ogle at photos of Misty Mountains, moments before her car ploughs through their house and she's left dying on the ground, naked, and posed the exact way she was in the magazine with cryptic dying words of 'how do you like my car, big boy?'. The film instantly mixes together bizarre comedy and dark mystery; something the film will manage to balance throughout its runtime as you find yourself trying to figure out answers one moment, and laughing out loud the next.

The casting of the lead actors goes a long way to making this tone work well. Crowe is the straight man of the two, with a role that's much more serious than Gosling; though that doesn't mean Crowe doesn't get to crack out some of the best comedy of the film. He brings a grittiness to the film that stems from his world weary air and sense of a man ground down to almost nothing. Gosling's March is similar in a lot of regards, he's a man recently widowed, trying to figure out a way to balance the need to raise his daughter with his desire to drown his sorrows. However, compared to Healy he comes across a lighter, more playful, largely thanks to his daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) and the dysfunctional by delightful relationship they have.

Angourie Rice is perhaps the most surprising member of the main cast, and in one of the best decisions of the filmmakers, the most competent detective of the three of them. Barely in her teens, March tries desperately to keep Holly away from the world in which he works, but thanks to her refusal to be shut out, she becomes embroiled in the case. Which is kind of a good thing as she manages to find leads, make connections, and even saves the day more than once. The injection of the kid sidekick into the buddy cop formula could have been a disastrous decision, but luckily Shane Black is a deft hand at it (he did give us Riggs and Murtaugh after all), that it instead becomes the missing piece to the dynamic that makes The Nice Guys a stand out of the genre.

The film's supporting cast all do a wonderful job at keeping the film feeling fresh an interesting, whether it's the terrifying villain John Boy (Matt Bomer), Amelia, her mother, the criminal after them (one of which is played by the always perfect Keith David), or the kid on his bike that's one of the best random sources of information I think I've seen in a film with a brilliantly delivered performance that makes his minute of screentime one I'll remember for years. 

The Nice Guys is both a wonderful deconstruction of the detective buddy cop story and a love letter to it. The choice to set the film in the 1970's, a decision that came after a number of attempts to make the story work in the modern day, feels like the perfect choice, making the movie into a timeless piece of throwback fiction that can send up the era it's set in in such a way that the movie feels like it'll never become dated. 

Shane Black has had a lot of hits in his career, but I've also found some of his newer work to have been a little disappointing. Having not enjoyed Iron Man 3 as much as most people did, and having loathed The Predator (the film had nightmare studio interference to be fair), I had begun to think that perhaps Black had lost his touch a little. However, The Nice Guys, which came out between the other two, reminds me why I love some of his other work, and why if given the right material certain directors can deliver magic.

The Second Sight release comes packed with extras that makes this edition stand out. Alongside brand new artwork the limited edition comes with some other extra physical pieces, including some gorgeous character art cards, and a book filled with essays on the film. On the disc there's the expected audio commentary, with Shane Black and co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi. Unlike most commentary tracks, however, this one includes moderator and The Nice Guys fan Priscilla Page. This is the first time that I'd heard a commentary structured this way, and it was a great choice. You get the usual effect of the crew reminiscing about the film and enjoying watching it again, but there's also someone there with a lot of knowledge and researched points to keep things flowing and to keep the conversation fresh. I honestly hope to see more like this in the future.

Alongside this, there's also new interviews with Shane Black, Producer Ethan Erwin, and Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot. There are also archival interviews with cast and crew, a new video essay on the film and Shane Black by Leigh Singer, a making of feature, and trailers. As susual, Second Sight seem to have gone out of their way to include as many older pieces as possible, but have also tried to give long time fans some new extra features to make this release worth taking a look at.

Having missed The Nice Guys when it was first released I am so glad that I was able to discover it now; though I am annoyed that I missed out on having this film in my life for a long time already. Perhaps it's been too long for a sequel to this, but if the film continues to find new fans and its audience grows maybe we'll get lucky enough that this can be the start of something that will be as fondly remembered as other iconic buddy cop movies. Even if that doesn't happen, The Nice Guys, remains a brilliant piece of movie history.

The Nice Guys 4K UHD Limited Edition and Blu-ray Standard Edition is released on 16th June 2025 courtesy of Second Sight 

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Queer East Festival 2025: Edhi Alice - Film Review

 

Trans people have been moved into the spotlight in the last decade, though not always by choice. Media, politicians, and celebrities have frequently framed trans people, and often the rights and freedoms of trans people, as the hot button topic, pushing us as an 'issue'. As such, it's become increasingly rare to see trans voices actually be given the chance to talk honestly and freely, as we're either forced to defend some small part of our existence, such as toilet access, against a panel of transphobes (purely for 'balance' of course), or we're simply not included at all. Edhi Alice, one of the films at this year's Queer East Festival, centres the experiences of two trans women in South Korea, allowing them to share their stories.

The documentary is really a film in two halves, with the beginning of the film focusing on Alice, a lighting director for Korean film, with the latter part of the film shifting to follow Edhi, a younger trans woman who's navigating her family life and her choices to go through with gender realignment surgery. Because of the structure of th Edhi Alice it's easy to forget that you're going to be following two people, and when the shift in focus comes it does create a slight tonal change that leaves the film feeling a bit disjointed, and more like two shorter films that have been stitched together.

'I'm Alice who is living in the present,' is one of the first things we hear when we meet Alice, a trans woman who's navigating life after coming out as trans. It's a small introduction, and one that doesn't seem to convey much at first glance, though I think that it manages to show the audience a lot about the woman we're going to spend the next hour with. Alice's comment about living in the present almost seems to be her wiping away a past that never felt right to her, yet unsure about her future as a trans woman, forcing her to only be able to live in the present. Alice's story seems to be one that's slightly sad. Over the course of the film Alice tells the audience about how she's been victimised in her work, losing jobs because bosses don't like trans people. She had a marriage that didn't work out, she lives alone in a small apartment, she dreams of being able to dance, and there's a heart breaking scene where she laments being excluded from women's spaces.

There seems to be a trend in documentaries about trans people, where our stories are depicted as either joyous or tragic. Films will either focus on the elation and euphoria that comes when a trans person is able to live freely as themselves, or it will show the tragedy that often comes with being trans in a world so hostile to us. Alice's story comes across as a balance of the two. She makes it clear that in many ways transitioning saved her life, made her so much happier than she was before having to pretend to be someone she's not. But there are quiet moments where you can also see the sadness and trauma that she carries with her.

More so than the second half of the film, Alice's story is one that highlights the tragedy of transphobia. We don't see her experience overt transphobia, there's no scene of her being thrown out of somewhere, of being abused, but you can see the pain of those moments with her in the way she falls back into herself when she's on a film crew in a women's bathhouse, thinking about the fact that despite being a woman she doesn't feel like she belongs there. She want's to dance, to be able to feel comfortable and free enough in her body to express joy in the simple act of dancing, but when she begins her lessons she's stiff, she's holding herself in tight, afraid to draw attention or stand out. These are moments that immediately stood out to me because they're things that I recognised well.

But this isn't to say that there's no joy to be found here, or that Alice is a tragic figure. As the documentary follows her she begins dance lessons, seeking to meet her dream she always saw as being impossible, of being able to put on a dance performance. Whilst she begins very shyly, and you can see that she feels out of place, as time goes on you begin to see a change in her as she becomes more confident and comfortable

I think a lot of trans people will relate with Alice quite a lot, we'll recognise the moments of joy and comfort she finds in getting to be herself, but we'll also recognise the fear and the pain. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trans people who carry trauma with them because of how we've been treated by society simply for being trans; especially those who transitioned older, or are more visibly gender non-conforming. There were times watching Alice where I simply wanted to reach out and give her a hug, to tell her that she wasn't alone, that despite the toughness of being trans there's still a lot of beauty in this world and a community that loves her, despite not having ever met her. Her story draws you in and I think it will probably make a lot of cisgender people watching the film question how tough life is for the trans community.

Edhi makes for quite a contrast to Alice in some regards, and where Alice comes across as introverted, Edhi is extroverted, where Alice seems somewhat alone and uncomfortable in her body, Edhi seems more relaxed and happy. It's a sharp contrast between the two, and there were a few times when the sudden shift in who we were following and the change in their attitudes made the split narrative structure feel somewhat a bit too jarring. It's perhaps a personal issue, but I can't help but feel that going back and forward between the two women and their experiences would have helped the film flow better.

Edhi is younger than Alice, and works for a local LGBTQ+ centre, where she counsels other queer and trans people, using her own experiences to help them navigate their world. We learn a little about her past, more than Alice it feels, and learn that she went through military service before coming out as trans, and about how she came to understand her gender identity through experiences in gay male spaces when she believed that perhaps that was also her own identity. 

Compared to Alice, Edhi seems to have a little more of a stable familial life. Alice spoke little about her family, and when she did it came with the sense that they weren't really in her life anymore. Edhi, in contrast, sees both of her parents a lot, helping her father on his remote farm, and wanting to build a comfortable house for her and her mother to live together in, and she also has a very close relationship with her nephew, who she loves as if he was her son. Family seems to be a  very important part of her life, and they seem to bring her a lot of happiness, even if her parents don't quite understand every aspect of her identity or her life as a trans woman.

There's a moment in the film when her father talks about her as if she's his son, using male pronouns to describe her, and there's a scene where Edhi is talking through her upcoming gender surgery with her mother, something that's been building for years for her, and her mother seems incredibly uncomfortable, asking her about regrets, and safety. The film seems to highlight a generational difference in how family react to someone being trans. Her parents are supportive, even if they occasionally say the wrong thing, and there are some parts where it's hard to tell if their comments are based on fear or discomfort; but they at least love their daughter and still have her in their lives. Her nephew, on the other hand, has no qualms about his aunt at all, and we hear how when she came out to him and told him about her transition he literally didn't really care much. We know children are so much better at accepting things than adults, and are much better at understanding than people give them credit, and that's demonstrated here.

A big part of Edhi's journey over the course of the film is focused on her upcoming gender realignment surgery, or bottom surgery. Edhi travels to Thailand for the procedure, and the film crew get to follow her as she readies herself for the operation, as well as through her recovery. We get to experience some intimate moments with her, seeing her deal with the worry that comes before surgery, as well as the physical and emotional pain of the recovery process. The film is respectful in not showing anything graphic or embarrassing for her, but it's still incredibly personal as we're there for her through dilation procedures, seeing the tears running down her face as her body processes the painful new sensations.

On the surface, Edhi Alice is a decent, if not slightly oddly structured look at the lives of two trans women in South Korea. It's a decent movie, one with very endearing and charming leads who you can't help but become invested in. However, looking at it with a step back, and as a trans person, there are some things that I'm a little unsure of; though I'm not sure if this might be baggage that I myself am bringing to the film. Alice seems to be framed as the more sad and lonely of the two women, whose life as a trans woman is harder, whilst Edhi seems to be the opposite. Alice is less conventionally feminine of the two, and there's a point in the film where she discusses the fact that she chose not to get facial feminisation surgery. I've seen some reviews of the film where people have used some more negative words to describe Alice, talking about how she doesn't 'pass' as much as Edhi, and I can't help but wonder if perhaps this was something that the film may have been going for. Is it trying to show that trans women who can better pass as cisgender and more conventionally feminine have an easier life, and if so, are they simply highlighting this as a common experience, or are they pushing the idea that trans people need to pass?

This somewhat ties into another thought that I had about the film, namely its large focus on surgery. Alice says that she has no interest in things such as facial feminisation surgery, but felt the need to have bottom surgery as soon as she could. She talks about how changing her genitalia made her feel more comfortable in herself, and more a woman. Similarly, Edhi's journey across the film seems to be her getting bottom surgery, her last big goal of her transition. The film seems to have shades of transmedicalism, where it could be seen as pushing the idea that surgery is the main goal for trans people, or that it's the thing that finally makes someone trans. Again, I don't know if this is intentional on their part, purely by chance, or me reading too much into it.

Edhi Alice is a lovely insight into the lives of two women who I'd have liked to have seen more of. I wanted to see more of Edhi's home life, of her work at the LGBTQ+ centre, and new outlook on life post surgery. I'd have also have liked to have seen if dance was something that Alice continued to pursue, and if she found ways of becoming more comfortable and happy in her life. Despite being over two hours long Edhi Alice also felt very light in places, and I can't help but feel some of the long sequences of silently following our two women could have been better spent on more meatier subjects or moments that gave us better insight. Whilst Edhi Alice is a great film in itself, I also feel that there are places where I'd have liked to have seen something a little different, but despite these flaws it offers a great look into the lives of two trans woman in South Korea.

Edhi Alice is playing as part of the Queer East Festival 2025. To find out more about Queer East click here.

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Queer East Festival 2025: Rookie - Film Review

 

Queer East is a cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities. Their sixth edition runs from 23 April to 18 May 2025 in venues across London, exploring notions of what it means to be queer and Asian today.

The festival was established in response to the systemic lack of Asian representation on the big screen, onstage, and behind the scenes. Global events over the past few years have once again reminded us that fair and authentic racial and sexual representation is crucial for our society. The richness of Asian and queer heritage forms a vital part of this country’s identity. Through a diverse and forward-thinking programme, the festival aims to amplify the voices of Asian communities and challenge the conventional norms, labels, and stereotypes associated with queer Asian portrayals.

Working collaboratively with allies across the film, arts, and cultural sectors, they hope to join the forces bringing about change in screen culture and to enable an open space for everyone to explore the contemporary queer landscape across East and Southeast Asia.

On her first day at a new all girls Catholic school Ace (Pat Tingjuy) finds herself something of an outcast. She has no friends in the school, she feels slightly awkward and out of place, and she's already annoying the school's star volleyball player Jana (Aya Fernandez). However, she soon catches the eye of the coach Jules (Agot Isidro), who sees something special in Ace. Learning that Ace used to play basketball, she gets Ace to agree to try out for volleyball instead, promising her that if she can help get the team to the championships she'll try to convince the nuns to make a basketball team; something the nuns have refused to do as it 'makes girls gay'.

Despite some difficult first days on the team, Ace has some one on one training with Coach Jules and demonstrates some decent skills. This fails to warm her up to Jana though, who still views Ace as someone who just walked onto her team and got all of her attention. During a weekend training camp the two of them learn more about each other, and realise that they actually make pretty decent friends. As that friendship blossoms into something deeper, the two of them have to deal with the challenges they face as a young queer couple in a competitive, and sometimes hostile world. 

Rookie begins less as a romance movie, and feels like a teen drama for the first half of the film, and the way the story is presented it's very unclear if this would in fact become a romance piece, or if this would present a more stark series of events. Part of that feeling came from the fact that there's no indication of when the film is set. The teens don't have smart phones, there's no real background technology like computers or television, there aren't even any vehicles to date things. The film has a somewhat timeless quality to it that allows it to occupy this space where it could be set anywhere within the last forty years. 

The lack of knowledge of the time, as well as myself having little real knowledge of queer rights in the Philippines, meant that I was unsure if I would be watching a film in which our protagonist would be facing ostracization for being a member of the queer community. Luckily, Rookie is pretty far from being a dark film, even if it does tackle some darker subject matter from time to time. Instead, it's a rather sweet story about two girls falling in love with each other and learning to find happiness in the world around them.

As someone who's not always a fan of romance movies I appreciated that Rookie doesn't lean too heavily into the tropes of the genre, and doesn't try to make itself too cheesy. There's an element of the 'enemies to lovers' romance sub-genre at play in Rookie, but even then it's feels like small nods. Ace and Jana don't really hate each other, and even when Jana is being the 'bitch' archetype of the popular girl who's been pushed to the side for the exciting new person, she never comes across as cruel or unpleasant. It helps that we see some insight into her home situation and learn that she's facing some difficulties with her father that might be leading her to take out that frustration on Ace. Perhaps the most on the nose 'enemies to lovers' moment is when the two of them are assigned a double bed at volleyball camp rather than a bunk bed, and have to share. However, it never really plays into the story, and there's none of the expected 'made to share a bed' scenes that romance stories can sometimes play with. 

Instead of making the romance overt it was almost subtle, and whilst it was obvious that Ace had feelings for Jana very early on it wasn't until the two of them were sitting close to each other, limbs gently touching, sharing longing stares, that I even knew Jana shared similar feelings. It came both as a surprise, but also felt wonderfully natural, and there were a couple of times where they'd lean in close to whisper something to each other that I'd be urging them on to say something romantic, or perhaps even steal a kiss. 

The first real romantic moment that comes in their relationship is their school prom, where Jana tells Ace that she needs to ask her before someone else does; resulting in Ace quietly claiming Jana as 'mine'. You feel so excited to see the two of them step out in public together, to get their romantic date, that you forget what their school is. It's not until Ace is being denied entry by one of the nuns for being 'immodest' and 'inappropriate' for wearing her fathers suit, and told that no queer dates are allowed, that the reality of the moment hits home. The quiet disapproval that they receive from the religious school staff is one of the challenges that they have to face as they come together, the strange looks, or pointed comments about how they're sinners.

Unfortunately for them, and the rest of their teammates, this isn't the only conflict in the film, as we learn that the team's physical therapist Kel (Mikoy Morales) has been sexually assaulting all of the girls on the team. It's a very dark topic, but director Samantha Lee handles it with extreme care, and Rookie addresses the issue in a careful way. It's a storyline that builds across the film, and one that a darker movie could have dedicated more of it's time to, or had as something that caused more trauma and hardship for the characters, but it ends up being dealt with quickly and well, even if not perfectly.

This plays a little into my only real problem with the movie, it's too short. The film sits at 95 minutes, which doesn't make it short by any means, but it does also move with a pretty quick pace. Ace and Jana start to come together as a couple quickly, yet we never slow down to really spend much time with the two of them just being girlfriends. The girls decide to do something about their abuser, and the school gets rid of him in the next scene. Even the subplot about Ace not feeling comfortable in the small, revealing volleyball uniform gets resolved within five minutes. Rookie crams a lot in, and none of it is bad, but it does mean that there are times where you end up wanting more. I don't know if a longer runtime would have helped, perhaps giving us a chance to have those quieter moments or to allow stories to spend more time taking place, but I certainly would have been happy to have had the film sitting closer to the two hour mark.

But that's my only real complaint. The script has some lovely moments, and the characters all feel pretty genuine and realistic. Ace and Jana are played wonderfully by Tingjuy and Fernandez, and their chemistry feels very relaxed yet compelling. Even the volleyball league story is engaging and gets you interested. Everything just works for Rookie, to the point where it became one of those films where I'm sad it's over when the credits final roll. As the first film from the Queer East Festival that I got the chance to sit down and watch it felt like a fantastic introduction, and I can only hope that more of their programme is like this.

Rookie is playing as part of the Queer East Festival 2025. To find out more about Queer East click here.

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