Film Archive

9th February 2024
The Iron Claw review: From toxicity to tragedy
Traditional ideas of masculinity are critiqued through the true story of a legendary professional wrestling family in one of the most devastating films of the year

8th February 2024
The best films of 2023
What’s more prestigious than the Oscars? Our Film Section’s 2023 round up. It’s a list directors can only dream of being a part of

8th February 2024
The Holdovers, surrogate families and a cinematic trip to Leeds
As The Holdovers gains in the awards conversation, writer Will Ardley recalls a cinematic voyage to Leeds for Alexander Payne’s latest

6th February 2024
Uncut film takes: Amber Heard belongs in Aquaman 2
As this winter saw the release of Aquaman 2, we examine the public image of the unfireable Amber Heard and Hollywood’s double standards of damnation

4th February 2024
Opinion: Any self-respecting feminist shouldn’t be rooting for Barbie
As Barbie misses out on big category nominations at the Oscars, the misplaced passion of its supporters signals a worrying shift for feminism

31st January 2024
Preview: Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme arrives at HOME Cinema
The 20th edition of the JFTFP promises to bring the wonderful, varied world of Japanese cinema to Manchester. We chat with festival director Junko Takekawa as she discusses the unique films on the programme

30th January 2024
Let’s break down the 2024 Oscar nominations
The Oscar nominations are finally here, so let’s see who the frontrunners are, and who missed out

29th January 2024
The End We Start From review: Quietly moving, powerfully provocative
Mahalia Belo’s depiction of an ecological crisis is grimly realistic but Jodie Comer’s portrayal of the challenges of womanhood steals the show

29th December 2023
Promising Young Woman didn’t deserve a release, nevermind an Oscar
As Saltburn dominates FilmTok, Emerald Fennell’s misguided feature debut is once again back in a spotlight that it never deserved

26th December 2023
The film is called Priscilla, why is everyone talking about Elvis?
Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla is due to be released in January, but why are we only talking about who plays Elvis?
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19th December 2023
You’re dreaming of a Black Christmas: How to subvert the slasher
This 1974 horror classic is credited with creating many of the genre tropes but is it actually a lot more subversive than people think?

14th December 2023
Wonka review: An almost tearful ending if it wasn’t for that Oompa Loompa
Relive your 00s childhood and become drawn in by chocolate-themed musical numbers as we watch Willy Wonka fight to make a name in Paul King’s chocolate world

14th December 2023
Napoleon review: An absurdly vacuous account of a legendary figure
At times humorous, uncomfortable, and bizarre, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is a triumph in marketing but a disaster in biography, characterized most glaringly by a serious of obtuse characters, bewildering editing, and alienating narrative choices

11th December 2023
A gift guide for film lovers
As Christmas comes around once again, these are the gifts you should be getting for the cinephiles in your life

6th December 2023
Anatomy of a Fall review: Justine Triet’s forensic deconstruction of a marriage
This Palme D’or winning courtroom drama has a restless screenplay that holds the audience by the scruff of their conflicted neck to uncover all the messy details as commanding lead Sandra Hüller is put to trial over the mysterious death of her husband

4th December 2023
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes review – Ambitious adaptation deftly translates book to screen
The latest and final instalment in The Hunger Games series has just arrived but does it live up to the book?

3rd December 2023
Monster review: Powerful identity tale meets bureaucratic comedy | LIFF 2023
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest film returns again to themes of childhood and family, but this time round does all of its story strands mesh well together?

30th November 2023
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review – An action packed adventure from Aardman Animations | MAF 2023
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget previewed at Manchester’s Animation Festival for a special Gala screening alongside an exclusive Q&A with Aardman studio

29th November 2023
Thanksgiving review: A sumptuous seasonal slasher
Director Eli Roth serves a fresh take on holiday horror in this long gestated slasher which weaves consumerism and comedy into the mix

28th November 2023
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes review – Dystopia as a hard-hitting critique of the modern world
It isn’t what’s on the big screen which makes the most powerful impression; it’s the film’s grim use of dystopia and its trivialisation of political violence