Empire Magazine

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
4/5
Cold Pursuit (2019)
A typically taciturn turn from Neeson is surrounded by a colourful cast, gallows humour and complete disrespect for cinematic stereotypes.
Posted Feb 20, 2019
2
4/5
Capernaum (Capharnaüm) (2018)
With two astonishing child performances, Capernaum is a real heart-breaker. It can make Ken Loach look happy-go-lucky but it's a gripping, sympathetic cry for the dispossessed.
Posted Feb 19, 2019
3
3/5
On the Basis of Sex (2019)
It's not a hugely innovative biopic, covering just a short period of Bader Ginsburg's extraordinary career, but this is still a vastly inspiring account of the fight for equality.
Posted Feb 19, 2019
4
3/5
Jellyfish (2018)
Jellyfish is a familiar but compassionately drawn portrait of hardscrabble lives, centred by a terrific performance by Liv Hill.
Posted Feb 16, 2019
5
3/5
Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno (2017)
6
4/5
Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
What could have been a simple retread or by-numbers continuation instead throws itself headfirst into time-twiddling absurdity. High art? No. A total blast? You bet.
Posted Feb 13, 2019
7
3/5
Instant Family (2018)
8
3/5
A Private War (2018)
Despite often being hard to watch, this is Rosamund Pike's best work yet.
Posted Feb 12, 2019
9
4/5
Rope (1948)
10
4/5
The Bed Sitting Room (1969)
Exactly as dark and surreal as you would imagine a post-apocalyptic black comedy by Spike Milligan would be.
Posted Feb 8, 2019
11
4/5
AmƩrica (2018)
A moving story of intergenerational family love and loyalty, made with affection, light and incidental humour - as much as with melancholy.
Posted Feb 8, 2019
12
4/5
The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
A well-constructed plot that's both playful and thematically significant.
Posted Feb 6, 2019
13
3/5
All Is True (2018)
14
5/5
If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)
15
3/5
Boy Erased (2018)
16
4/5
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
17
3/5
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
When Alita pirouettes into action, Rodriguez doesn't fail to deliver.
Posted Jan 31, 2019
18
2/5
Escape Room (2019)
Escape Room is like The Crystal Maze with more death. It's fun at the start then loses its way, but it'll do until 'Flossing: The Movie' comes along.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
19
4/5
Love Sonia (2018)
An excoriating, urgent look at the sordid world of global sex trafficking, anchored by a head-turning performance from newcomer Mrunal Thakur.
Posted Jan 28, 2019
20
4/5
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
21
4/5
Green Book (2018)
A supremely likeable film. Its message might seem obvious and its template overcooked, but it boasts a warm heart, with two astoundingly good lead performances to guide it home.
Posted Jan 28, 2019
22
4/5
Burning (Beoning) (2018)
Slow and difficult to get a hold on, Burning emerges as a brilliantly made one-off; puzzling, intelligent and ultimately mesmerising. And Jong-seo Jun is a revelation.
Posted Jan 28, 2019
23
3/5
DreamWorks Animation's most heartfelt series bows out with a beautifully designed finale, but the long-awaited emotional goodbyes for its beloved central duo don't quite soar.
Posted Jan 28, 2019
24
3/5
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
With the finest source material around given a modern zing, this teen comedy is somehow tried and true, but fresh all at the same time.
Posted Jan 27, 2019
25
4/5
26
3/5
Baby Boom (1987)
A fine multi-layered romantic comedy with delightful, laugh-out-loud turns from the two leads.
Posted Jan 25, 2019
27
3/5
Irma La Douce (1963)
Lemmon and Maclaine fail to reproduce the chemistry from The Apartment but this slight film is not as ignorable as reputation suggests.
Posted Jan 25, 2019
28
2/5
The Cutting Edge (1992)
If there were a special Academy Award for Contrived Premise, this picture would be a hot favourite to scoop the statuette.
Posted Jan 24, 2019
29
4/5
On Her Shoulders (2018)
30
3/5
Bergman: A Year in a Life (2018)
31
3/5
The Mule (2018)
So insubstantial it may not actually exist, The Mule is very much the latest in a long line of minor Clints. But it might help pass the time on long journeys.
Posted Jan 24, 2019
32
4/5
Green Card (1990)
It's funny, sweet - and utterly lop-sided.
Posted Jan 23, 2019
33
2/5
London Unplugged (2018)
The overriding feeling is of a film school degree show: good intentions and the odd impressive moment, but little that ultimately delivers.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
34
4/5
The Raft (2018)
An absorbing portrait of a bold (or foolhardy) historical experiment that hits many of today's hot-button topics, dominated by a compelling and complex central figure.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
35
4/5
Destroyer (2018)
A grim, dour dive into one LA cop's unravelling, which centres on a truly transformative performance from Nicole Kidman.
Posted Jan 22, 2019
36
4/5
Monsters and Men (2018)
37
4/5
Beautiful Boy (2018)
A based-on-fact family drama whose truths may hit too hard for some, but are worth suffering if only to witness TimothƩe Chalamet's performance.
Posted Jan 15, 2019
38
4/5
Blackmail (1929)
A little clunky at times for contemporary audiences but still manages to truly perturb.
Posted Jan 9, 2019
39
3/5
Glass (2019)
40
4/5
41
4/5
A New Leaf (1971)
This character study should not be as funny as it is.
Posted Jan 8, 2019
42
3/5
Volcano (1997)
None of it makes a hell of a lot of sense and the supporting cast are wallpaper thin, but Volcano is at least hot on entertainment.
Posted Jan 7, 2019
43
4/5
Brexit (2019)
44
4/5
The Front Runner (2018)
A sharp-witted and wide-reaching account of a bright political hope's fall from grace, with an impressive ensemble cast and a great performance from Jackman.
Posted Jan 7, 2019
45
4/5
Stan & Ollie (2019)
Coogan and Reilly's performances are among the best either has ever given. This film, which pays wonderfully funny tribute to two comic legends, richly deserves them.
Posted Jan 7, 2019
46
3/5
The 12th Man (2018)
47
4/5
RBG (2018)
48
4/5
One Cut Of The Dead is a true original, a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse drama and much more besides.
Posted Jan 3, 2019
49
2/5
Life Itself (2018)
Despite good moments and an ambition to reach for the profound, Life Itself settles for trite, sentimental and patience testing. A killer cast deserve better.
Posted Jan 3, 2019
50
3/5