The Grinch

He’s green, he’s hairy and he’s in a bad mood; he’s The Grinch.

This revamped version of a classic Christmas tale, let’s the animation do the talking, as CGI takes the responsibility of creating the magically splendid winter wonderland that is the Whoville The Grinch knows and hates.

Benedict Cumberbatch swipes the infamous green bodysuit from under Jim Carey’s (2000) feet as he takes on The Grinch’s persona, voicing the character with an intense concoction of sarcastic skepticism with a dash of Grooge-ish hate.

The Grinch, as always, is accompanied by his loyal dog, Max, who provides many a comedic scene throughout the film, as well as creating multiple heart-melting moments using those all-powerful puppy eyes, which somehow look even more menacing through the art of animation.

Christmas cheer may be The Grinch’s worst fear, but this reimagination of a Dr. Seuss’ classic is bound to make even the grumpiest of hearts grow three times in size.

The Shape of Water

An aquatic quest that dives into unchartered waters.

Whilst working night shifts as a cleaner at a high-security government laboratory, Elisa (Sally Hawkins) discovers the unthinkable as she stumbles across a water-born creature like no other.

As a mute, the character of Elisa has zero dialogue throughout this frighteningly original plot, making the quiet silence of the film uniquely eerie whilst still unfathomably intriguing.

Despite this lack of verbal discourse, the film does not suffer from a lack of communication due to the addition of subtitles.

Director, Guillermo Del Toro, is able to further instigate a sense of context by surrounding the main character with a support system of actors, thereby adding both authenticity and understanding.

Though the film is excellently produced and artistically executed, the plot itself baffles in its direction with its haphazard storylines which gives way to disorientated confusion.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Justice has never looked better in the headlights.

After her daughter was raped, murdered and then burnt, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) takes the law into her own hands when she puts up three controversial billboards questioning the local police forces’ lackluster investigations.

Though the film is incredibly serious in its nature, the ludicrously wonderful levels of sarcasm and general humor injected into the script provide ample relief for what is a painfully heart-wrenching tragedy.

At the heart of this comic relief are Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson (Chief Willoughby) who take the craft of acting to a new level, with beautifully sensitive performances that give their characters a quiet sensitivity which is echoed throughout the storyline of the film.

Regardless of this films inherent delicacy, as a stand-alone piece of cinema, it is a spectacular culmination of small-town community and human compassion.

Snatched

Amy Schumer is the unlikely daughter of Goldie Hawn on a holiday they’ll never forget.

Dumped by her boyfriend and eager for travel, Emily (Schumer) finds herself with a spare ticket for an Ecuadorian adventure, so decides to enlist her mother (Hawn) as her plus one; what could possibly go wrong?

Though an unlikely pairing, Schumer and Hawn gloriously unite to provide audiences with a comedic journey like no other. From escaping boobs to drunken shenanigans, not a minute goes by without a laugh, or at worst, a face-palm.

The plot, whilst obviously and completely ridiculous, manages to successfully convey its story whilst providing the much needed comic relief and a worryingly accurate representation of a mother-daughter relationship, which is unwavering in its honesty.

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea for its excessive use of dry humour, but it certainly checks most of the comedy genre boxes.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

A classic tale is turned into an epic adventure as Guy Ritchie sprinkles it with a little magic.

Though born into royalty, Arthur is brought up in poverty following his parents demise at the hands of his uncle, which leaves him unknowingly carrying greatness upon his shoulders.

Guy Ritchie does what he does best, casting his unique style into the direction of this film; as the plot builds, so does the speed of the action, exhilarating with such vigour, you leave the cinema feeling slightly windswept. But to counteract this feeling of excitement, Ritchie slows down scenes to highlight his classic slow-motion angles, creating stand-out moments at the heart of the action.

The soundtrack, too, is unnervingly accurate, keeping the audiences’ emotions in check throughout the action and into the emotion; as if you’d expect anything but brilliance from the director behind the Sherlock Holmes films.

Though having to withstand David Beckham’s attempt at ‘acting’ for  potentially the longest three minutes of our lives, the rest of the cast exceeds all expectations, showing of their numerous talents and living up to their household names.

Moonlight

Moonlight is a film like no other in its ability to break down the walls of minority America through its open controversy.

Chronicling the life of Chiron, a black man reared in 1980s Miami, this film questions the most innate insecurities of American culture, from racial prejudice to homophobia. 

Spanning three generations, the film follows Chiron as he combats childhood to adolescence, and through to adulthood. 

Though difficult to watch at times, the film is an important documentation of a society that is often forgotten and disregarded. It not only condemns the victimisation of Black America, but also its validity.

The way in which the camera captures each aspect of this story is exceptional in that it is inclusive of audience perception and enables emotional connection on a level that can only be considered thought-provoking.

With a story as socially important as this one, it is a welcome surprise that comic relief is sought in moments of despair, as we, the audience, watch this young and disadvantaged boy turn into a loving and somewhat misunderstood man. 

Split

When one man has twenty three personalities living inside him, it’s not surprising that things get a little weird.

Kevin (James McAvoy) is a man with an army of personalities within him, and each one is as eager to reach the surface as the next. Despite his efforts to conceal these alter-egos, eventually the most powerful of the personalities are brought forward, leading him to discover a very dark side of this traumatic ‘illness’.

The premise of the film is one befitting to the horror genre; it’s just a shame that director M. Night Shyamalan didn’t fulfil its potential. The very idea of twenty-three personalities residing in one body is thought-provoking in itself and enough to entice any audience. But what starts out as an interesting concept soon spirals out of control as the screenwriters get carried away with themselves with the inclusion of an animalistic twenty-fourth personality, which quite frankly does nothing but cheapen this film’s potential brilliance.

Whilst the story does lose itself in a ridiculous turn of events, there is one saving grace that makes this film almost worthwhile a watch and that is the acting. James McAvoy, as you may expect is more than perplexing in his role, or should I say roles. Not only does he step into each character with ease, but he owns each one as though they are completely different entities.

Hidden Figures

Three remarkable women struggle to get their voices and more importantly, their minds, heard in an era where everything is against them, including the colour of their skin.

In 1962 John Glenn was the first man to orbit the earth, but that wasn’t the only first for NASA or indeed the USA that year. Three African-American women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson also made history by achieving the impossible; they were allowed to use their brains to accelerate the space race and break the stigma surrounding the civil rights movement in America.

True stories are often the hardest to depict on the big screen, for the simple reason that you must do the story the justice it deserves. Hidden Figures is not only a fitting immortalization of an awe-inspiring story, it is quite possibly one of the most powerful cinematic experiences one can behold, it is just a shame it was not in existence at the time it was needed.

No film can be a success without the triumph of its actors, and this film is no exception. It is rare that you find an actor that can fill a room with their presence alone, it is near impossible to find three in the same film. But Taraji P. Henson (Katherine), Octavia Spencer (Dorothy) and Janelle Monae (Mary) all perform with such ease that they send shivers down the spine.

1960s America is not the easiest of sets to compose and yet the production team have managed to create authenticity throughout. From intricately detailed costumes to cars that cast the mind back, every detail of this film has been thought of and executed to perfection.

The Secret Life of Pets

Ever wondered what your pet does when you leave? Well wonder no more, because Universal Studios have devised a cunning plan to answer this long overdue question; they’ve made a tear jerkingly funny animation to stub the curiosity of pet owners everywhere.

Unfortunately if you’re under the illusion that your pets just sit and anxiously await your return then you are mistaken. From head banging poodles to villainous bunnies, this film is about to break every pet induced stereotype that has ever crossed your mind.

But before we delve into the weird and wonderful world of the inner most workings of your pets mind, let us first grasp the concept behind this storyline.

This story begins in the heart of New York City – Manhattan – with none other than the epitome of pets; a dog. A dog called Max.

Max lives in an apartment block, an apartment block where apparently everyone has a pet (who knows maybe it’s a part of the initiation trails to get a tenancy agreement or something…). So, as if you hadn’t already guessed, this film essentially revolves around the secret life of the pets in this apartment block, all of which are coincidentally friends, shocker, right?

Max is unlike most pets in the block; he genuinely wants to do nothing else but await the return of his owner, but unfortunately for him his world is turned upside down when said beloved owner brings home a new addition to the family, a very unwelcome addition in Max’s opinion. That’s right, it’s another dog. A dog which is about to get both of them in a whole heap of trouble.

At this point I’d like to say the storyline was seamless in its execution, but that would be more than a lie; it would be a crime against film lovers everywhere. Now I’m not saying its not a good film, its just not exactly coherent. And by that I mean, well I guess there’s no other way of putting it; this film is undeniably weird. Funny, but weird.

Just to give you an idea of the bizarreness that has been incorporated into this motion picture I want you to imagine the end scene of Grease, but acted out by sausages. Sounds odd, right? Well I’m sorry to break it to you but that actually happens, and it happens in this film, with no real explanation. But at least now we’re prepared for the upcoming Seth Rogan film Sausage Party.

All I can really say about this film is you’ll love it, but prepare to be amazed.