Broker: Movie Review

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu

Moving on from Shoplifters but straying into similar thematic territory, Kore-eda Hirokazu's Broker deals with yet another version of the Japanese family and the problems they face.

In this latest, Song Kang-ho and Gang Dong-won play partners of a gang who take babies dumped by their mothers in a church box and try to rehome them for money. But when one mother gives up her child and then comes back, she works out what is happening - and demands to be let in on the action.

However, on their tail are two detectives determined to end their group.

What could so easily have been overplayed in Broker actually ends up being quite poignant and skillfully crafted, a story with subtlety where heart ache lies.

It helps that in Broker there's humour scattered throughout, but the time spent with this family as they head to try and sell the child actually is given space to feel organic and natural throughout, with a grounded and human performance from Parasite's Song Kang-ho leading the way.

It would be very easy to overplay the elements of Broker, given how a story about those on the fringes would be ripe for exploitation and over-sentimentalism. But it's clear Kore-eda Hirokazu has done his research on adoption and the effect on others - it's heartbreaking to see scenes of rooms filled with children waiting, with statements such as the fact there's no hope for a boy over 7 years old packed with both poignancy and veracity.

At the centre of it all though is a trio of performances that work through nuance and which grow organically during the film. Each dynamic works as the different groups fracture and the truth comes to light.

Carefully shot and sensitively constructed, Broker moves past it to deliver something bathed in sadness and packed with wiser cooler heads. It works through its non-judgement and demonstrates Kore-eda Hirokazu has the power to deliver a film about human connection where there potentially could have been nothing but darkness.

The Banshees of Inisherin: Disney+ Review

Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
Director: Martin McDonagh

Reuniting his In Bruges co-stars Farrell and Gleeson once again, director Martin McDonagh hopes to recapture some of the cinematic magic of before in this tale of male friendships gone awry.

On the island of Inisherin off the coast of Ireland in 1923, Farrell's Padriac is a simple man, one who lets the animals into the home he shares with his sister, and who likes to catch up with his friend Colm (Gleeson) for a pint or two in the local.

Despite the conflict going on on the nearby mainland, where bombs go off without warning, Padraic isn't concerned with anything major. But his world is rocked when, one day without warning, he's shunned by Colm who refuses to speak to him again.

It seems without discernible reason, but as Colm stands firm, the standoff between the men escalates to horrifically catastrophic consequence...

There's no easy way to say it - The Banshees of Inisherin is a disappointment compared to the other black humour you'd be expecting from a reunion of this cast and director. While initially offering moments of dark humour, the film actually lends itself to a truly sad atmosphere which hangs around unexpectedly and casts a pall over proceedings.

Farrell looks like a wounded puppy throughout, as he tries to desperately to get his mate back; Gleeson by contrast is mean and malicious without provocation, curt and rude. Yet curiously, while McDonagh has you siding with one, he can masterfully turn it around in the latter part of the film as you find your allegiances switching unexpectedly throughout.

But The Banshees of Inisherin's appeal actually lies in its supporting cast.

Whether it's an examination of purgatory and not being able to move on, or a dissection of male friendship dissolving is all up for debate. What's not up for debate is the fantastic performances given by Keoghan and Condon, who are both trapped for different reasons and have their own dark moments of the soul to address. To say more is to spoil the film, but both these actors deserve accolades for their supporting roles.

Which is why it's curious that The Banshees of Inisherin doesn't quite feel like the homerun it should be.

Whether it's the near 2 hour run time that feels its weight as time goes on, or the unnecessarily edgy storyline thrown in for scandal's sake, there's something about all the elements which sadly doesn't gel as well as often as it should.

It may provoke debate over its message, and be better examined within its context, but on screen, while Farrell and Gleeson make for shocking sparring partners, it's not entirely clear what these moments of vulnerability and poignancy should cohesively congeal toward.

Scream 6: Movie Review

Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Dermot Mulroney

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett 

Legacy is a major theme in this latest iteration of the Scream franchise, a film that in many ways copies from the template of the second film in its meta touches and one that also has fun twisting up its tropes and situations while dialling up the gore.

In this latest, which picks up after the end of 2022's Scream, Melissa Barrera's Sam Carpenter is dealing with the fallout of her near-murder and the revelation that she's the daughter of the original Scream killer Billy Loomis.

While Sam's stuck in dead-end jobs and therapy, her sister Tara (Wednesday's Jenna Ortega) is trying to move on with her life, in college in New York and determined to live a little. 

However, when Ghostface seemingly strikes again in New York, the half-sisters are forced to rethink their life choices - and decide on fight or flight as the victim circle draws ever closer in.

Relocating to New York and moving the action out of Woodsboro is a smart and wise move by the makers of this latest Scream film.

If anything, bringing Ghostface to the streets of New York - and specifically a bodega set piece - adds a danger to the character that's been lacking for some time. It really signals how the filmmakers are looking to add an edge by bringing him into the real world. Much like in the actual NY people can just get randomly stabbed and attacked in a shop with serious consequence, the film tries to give weight to its murders with the horrific sound of the slicing and the bigger deaths (as per sequel rules) are more graphic throughout. (Certainly Ghostface with a shotgun is a thrilling update of the character and his menace)

However, that frisson of difference is somewhat jettisoned by a third act reveal that just falls back on all the worst excesses of the series and is all the worse for it.

By trying to shoehorn in commentary on social media character assassination, elements of coping with trauma, way too much meta film talk on the rules of the franchise/ sequel and discussion of legacy, Scream VI does teeter dangerously close to over-stuffing. Yet it manages to offer some solidly entertaining set pieces - including a Weeping Angels inspired subway sequence - before lapsing into the usual dumb tropes of the genre. (Certainly the twisty opening and breathtaking reveal shows how much the film wants to wrongfoot its audience).

Ultimately though it's Barrera and Ortega's film to win - and both do it with different approaches.

For Ortega it's the mix of her deadpan and stronger character that help, but for Barrera it's a more complex approach as she grapples with her own nature - certainly the franchise has never had a lead whose desire to kill is as strong as its antagonist, and it remains to be seen if the franchise delves deeper into this.

Ultimately, Scream VI is still very much the usual carnival haunted house horror ride - but by writing it larger on a bigger canvas and injecting some much-needed danger and horror into Ghostface (aside from the final revelations), this remains a horrific treat that has some killer edges and a lack of filler - despite its 2 hour run time.

Kayak VR: Mirage: PSVR2 Review

Developed by Better Than Life
Published by
Platform: PSVR2

For those of us who've endured an appalling summer with closed beaches and little chance to get out on the water, Kayak VR: Mirage on the PSVR2 offers a welcome relief - and also a chance to get some exercise.

Kicking off in a kayak in a swimming pool, you can get used to the physics of the game and also get some idea of what's needed via the various subtleties of the Sense controllers.

But it's not until you really head out into the offered waters that Kayak VR: Mirage comes to life.

Reflecting lights on the water, the way the ripples pass by you and the beauty of the four locations on offer - with their day and night and differing weather options - mean Kayak VR: Mirage is the kind of game that goes for fidelity and simplicity in its execution and achieves it easily.

With options to race, there's also a speedier way to play the game, but in truth, doing so robs Kayak VR: Mirage of the effort and beauty put in by the developers.

The controller-less Tour Mode is one which really relaxes you as you get guided tours of the areas you're floating on. It's a way to sit back and marvel at the physics of the water, the relaxation vibe of the route and whatever surrounds you.

With gentle resistance built into the controllers when you're rowing, and immersive headset tech working to make you feel like you're there, Kayak VR: Mirage really does make the most of what the new technology has to offer.

It's beautiful to look at, peaceful to be part of - but don't be surprised if your arms feel a little worn out after you've been for a blat on the water. There's still a workout element here to be had (complete with family members scoffing at you as flail in the front room) but this is perhaps the most calming and enjoyable VR outing you'll ever experience.

No Man's Sky: PSVR2 Review

Developed by Hello Games
Published by 
Platform: PSVR2

There's a section of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams that explains how "space is big. Like really big."

So it is that this passage from the Book in the adventures of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect is called to mind when firing up Hello Games' No Man's Sky. With its promise of almost 19 quintillion planets to explore and a universe out there waiting for you, it's no wonder that many were salivating at the thought of this deep-space wandering.

And the game's even bigger with its PSVR2 launch, with the ability to take you into the spacecraft and the world itself so completely thrilling. The Fractal update which provides the VR2 support makes the game feel larger than it did at its initial launch, which is saying something.

Equipping your multi tool and using a HUD display requires the use of the Sense controllers takes a bit of getting used to, but No Man's Sky in VR2 is more about the experience and the thrilling visuals as you explore and build on the world. It's immersive as it should be, but also enticing and engaging as you discover more and more.

Initially, you find yourself dumped on a planet, with your ship slightly in tatters and your equipment needing an upgrade and serious repair before you can even head off into the stars. Your only tool to help with such a thing is a mining gun that helps you take out elements from the world around you so that you can craft your way off the rock. But, as you go around blasting resources and claiming them as your own, you have to be careful as flying sentinels circle your every move, and will attack if you're being greedy.

There's a line to tread between altruism and avarice in No Man's Sky, and how you decide to do it will define your game. No Man's Sky is epic and lonely but a deeply spiritual experience.

Mixing in elements of BBC computer game Elite with Destiny's UI, No Man's Sky is an interesting game that will give you as much as you're willing to give into it. Hopping planets in systems and scanning everything as you go will take patience and won't be for everyone; meeting new animals and scanning them gives you money, feeding them makes them happy - and gives you nothing except a warm feeling in your spacesuit.

Exploring a planet will show off new terrain, full of flora and fauna and occasionally monoliths and educational plinths that give you insight into the language. Yes, No Man's Sky is that kind of game - a sort of space set hippy-dippy dive into 2001: A Space Odyssey territory. If you want to see things around, then you can. But there's no obligation to catalogue everything on the worlds and outside of mining resources to get you what you need to get back into space and head into the centre of the universe, it's unclear what the game aspires to definitively other than to provoke a sense of wonder.

There's a side story involving the history of the universe that adds a portentous mythical depth to proceedings and which helps you understand the world you live in. It also aids trading partners and your standing with aliens if you partake and it's been nothing but beneficial so far.

Trading and meeting aliens within space stations is all part of the game as well. Unlike Elite's desire to have you listen to the Blue Danube, docking is all automatic and landing all taken care of. This is not a game that relies on fiddly mechanics to fly and a lot of the game will require you to do so - yet, for all the time you spend in space, alone, there's little when leaping from one to the next to do except simply sit back and watch it happen. It's a confused experience, yet bizarrely one that gets the mundanity of space travel spot on. It's a game that has an inherent spirituality in between its peaks and its troughs - and yet despite all that, it feels slightly alone in the cosmos.

From trading and grinding, to revisiting the scene of your death to re-claim all of your gear (the game operates on a Dark Souls death experience that needs you to go back to where you died), there's more than enough to keep you occupied. 

At the end of the day, No Man's Sky is an experience. It's a game that requires a grind and requires patience as you negotiate the worlds out there, chart uncharted waters and worlds and meet and greet the aliens. It's about you - and it's about what you put into it of yourself.

And yet, despite all of that, for pure escapism and for pure creativity, No Man's Sky achieves and exceeds expectations. It's about rhythms of life, and of going with the flow - and currently, the gentle mood and just being out there is personally speaking to the gamers.

Horizon: Call of the Mountain: PSVR2 Review

Developed by Guerrilla Games

Published by Sony Interactive
Platform: PSVR2

One of Sony's major launch titles, Horizon: Call of the Mountain is the biggest promoter of what the PSVR2 can do and what AAA games should be aiming for.

Within minutes of beginning the game, it's clear what Horizon: Call of the Mountain wants to do - it wants to once again build the world of the Horizon series and yet provide something deeply immersive that truly soars visually when it needs to.

You play as Ryas, a disgraced Shadow Carja warrior, who begins the game being escorted down a river as the prehistoric dinosaur machine robots walk through the foliage around you. Within moments Guerrilla Games shows off the scale of this title as one of the game's largest creatures, a Tallneck stomps past and above your character, forcing you to crane your neck to see its monstrous scale and  leaving you visibly gasping.

But things quickly go wrong, and suddenly it's down to Ryas, as he seeks a pardon for his crimes, to deal with a new threat to the kingdom - and yes, Aloy makes an appearance.

Climbing mountains as winds whistle around you, and wooden panels creak, the game borders on the vertiginous and you don't really want to look down - unless you want to marvel at the scope and scale of what the developers have done. (You'll have plenty of time to do this - there's a lot of climbing in this game.)

Adding to the thrills and making use of the haptic feedback is fighting which like the original game relies on you stringing a bow, and firing at machines as they attack. It takes some time to master but is adrenaline-filled and thrillingly immersive.

While the floating hands still seem a bit strange (and always have in the VR world), the game gives you a workout by having you move hands around, pass up and down rocks - and weirdly, will let you cross your hands over and upside down in ways that truly defy physics.

With the use of an instinct option and a fairly guided climbing route, the game's a little about holding your hand along the way, and not quite as open world as the Horizon: Zero Dawn series is.

With the option to grab a bow from over your shoulders and an endless supply of arrows, combat is still satisfying, but is also comparatively harder in the VR world as you're trying to aim carefully to ensure each arrow does maximum damage. It's here the game delivers the adrenaline.

Compelling and a fascinating expansion of the world, Horizon Call of the Mountain appears to offer the very pinnacle of what PSVR2 can do - and is an essential launch title and a tantalising promise of what is to hopefully come.