Film review archive

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M — 1128 results

• La Maternal (2022)

  Review preview for La Maternal

  Nothing in Palermo’s film is sugar-coated, although a sweetness runs through it.

  Drama about a teenager who becomes unexpectedly pregnant and is sent to a centre to live with other expectant youngsters.
• Matilda (2017)

  Review preview for Matilda

  Aided by colour coding of the costumes - red unsurprisingly stands for danger - Uchitel and his cinematographer Yury Klimenko maintain a heightened sense of emotion.

  The story of the tsar-in-waiting's romance with a ballerina.
• The Matrix (1999)

  Review preview for The Matrix

  Visually it is astonishing, not only because of its effects and techno trickery, but cinematically the Wachowskis are so audacious.

  Visually dazzling sci-fi thriller. Re-released in 4K restoration.
• The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

  Review preview for The Matrix Reloaded

  The second in the trilogy is less innovative and more windy in the speechifying department.

  Neo must save the underworld city of Zion from destruction by the machines.
• The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

  Review preview for The Matrix Resurrections

  When I finished watching it I was already looking forward to seeing it again, again.

  To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.
• The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

  Review preview for The Matrix Revolutions

  The Matrix Trilogy began with such energy and originality... now it seems more like an expensive video game.

  Final instalment of The Matrix Trilogy, in which The Machines attack Zion and Neo fights Smith.
• The Mattachine Family (2023)

  Review preview for The Mattachine Family

  This is one of those very Californian tales in which the problems that most people in the world have to deal with simply don’t exist.

  Thomas and Oscar have spent a year as foster parents to a wonderful child, a calling that's shown them new dimensions of what 'family' can mean. However, when the young boy is reunited with his birth mother, the couple's differing views on what the experience meant come into focus.
• A Matter Of Life And Death (1946)

  Review preview for A Matter Of Life And Death

  Undoubtedly one of the best films ever made.

  A wartime aviator begs a celestial court to let him escape death so he can be with the woman he loves. Out on re-issue in cinemas.
• A Matter Of Trust (2022)

  Review preview for A Matter Of Trust

  Besides the always outstanding Trine Dyrholm, Sofie Juul Blinkenberg is the revelation of this film because her scenes dip the screen into a clear virescent pool of elemental longing for unspoiled credence.

  Five stories on interpersonal trust and unspoken truths intertwine.
• Maurice (1987)

  Review preview for Maurice

  What's really revolutionary about this film is the way Ivory photographs male bodies.

  A young man has to come to terms with his sexuality.
• The Mauritanian (2021)

  Review preview for The Mauritanian

  Despite Rahim's excellent work, the real standout here is Benedict Cumberbatch.

  A detainee at the US military's Guantanamo Bay detention centre is held without charges for over a decade and seeks help from a defence attorney for his release.
• Max (2002)

  Review preview for Max

  Has a dark, post-Apocalyptic feel to it, with a vibrant artistic life.

  A friendship between an artist and Hitler as a young man.
• Max Reload And The Nether Blasters (2020)

  Review preview for Max Reload And The Nether Blasters

  An undemanding, thoroughly entertaining romp.

  A small town video game store clerk must go from zero to hero after accidentally unleashing the forces of evil from a cursed Colecovision game.
• Max Winslow And The House Of Secrets (2019)

  Review preview for Max Winslow And The House Of Secrets

  Sydne Mikelle is good in the role and does her best to keep her character believable until the closing scenes, when that would be beyond the ability of most seasoned thesps.

  Five teenagers compete to win a mansion owned by an eccentric billionaire. The night takes a dark turn when they become trapped and are forced to face off against a super computer who has gone rogue.
• May (2002)

  Review preview for May

  The film stitches together a remarkably good cast, a witty and knowing script, and some great cinematography.

  A socially awkward veterinary assistant with a lazy eye and obsession with perfection descends into depravity after developing a crush on a boy with perfect hands.
• Maya The Bee: The Golden Orb (2021)

  Review preview for Maya The Bee: The Golden Orb

  There are some truly egregious puns, which some (mostly adult) viewers will despair of whilst other (mostly younger) viewers will consider to be the best thing ever.

  When Maya, a headstrong little bee, and her best friend Willi, rescue an ant princess they find themselves in the middle of an epic bug battle that will take them to strange new worlds and test their friendship to its limits.
• Mayhem (2017)

  Review preview for Mayhem

  The scenes of conflict are well handled; it's actually hard to depict completely untrained, inexperienced people attacking each other in a realistic way, and director Joe Lynch achieves this without ever compromising on the fun of it all.

  A lawyer betrayed by a colleague fights his way up the building to try and see the boss while it's under quarantine due to a virus that makes everybody lose their inhibitions.
• Mayhem! (2023)

  Review preview for Mayhem!

  Despite the speed of the action and the variety of locations across which the film takes place, not a single shot feels rushed or incidental.

  A professional boxer, recently released from prison, is forced to break probation and flee to a faraway island in Thailand. He starts a family there, only to have to deal with blackmail.
• May December (2023)

  Review preview for May December

  The balance held between creepiness and fascination, sheer fun and lingering disturbance is held throughout.

  20 years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.
• Ma Belle, My Beauty (2021)

  Review preview for Ma Belle, My Beauty

  This complex story is driven by its characters and blessed with a trio of impressive but unshowy performances.

  A surprise reunion in southern France reignites passions and jealousies between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.
• Àma Gloria (2023)

  Review preview for Àma Gloria

  One of the most moving portraits of childhood seen recently on the screen.

  Six-year-old Cléo loves her nanny Gloria more than anything. When Gloria must return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, the two must make the most of their last summer together.
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2021)

  Review preview for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

  It's fine swansong, though the extent to which critics have read it as an expression of Boseman's own feelings about his cancer does him a disservice. This is carefully crafted work and a demonstration of his talent.

  Sparks fly during the recording of a song by a famous blues singer.
• McLaren Animation 1 (2007)

  Review preview for McLaren Animation 1

  Overall, the shorts in this programme are lacking a bit in imagination, with The Accident, by Sara Nesturuk, being the only one to transcend the genre.

  Short animation showcase.
• McQueen (2018)

  Review preview for McQueen

  McQueen was an artist who designed dresses that became living sculptures

  Fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s rags to riches story.
• McVeigh (2024)

  Review preview for McVeigh

  Ott’s interest is not in creating an accurate depiction of exactly what happened in the run-up to the Oklahoma City bombing, but rather in exploring the thought processes behind it.

  Over days and nights, McVeigh eats, sleeps, watches the news, meets a girl… all while inside his mind brews an unthinkable plan that will forever change the collective American psyche.
• MDMA (2016)

  Review preview for MDMA

  Angie's relationship with best friend Jeanine (Francesca Eastwood) is beautifully developed.

  Facing culture shock after being accepted at a prestigious university, a young woman from a tough background survives by develop a drug business.
• Meadowlarks (2025)

  Review preview for Meadowlarks

  It is all very gently done.

  Four siblings, torn apart by the Sixties Scoop, reunite for one week.
• The Meaning Of Hitler (2020)

  Review preview for The Meaning Of Hitler

  Epperlein and Tucker’s kaleidoscopic investigation into the past and our future takes us on the road of history to the state of the world at this moment in time.

  Historians and writers explore what Hitler means in the current waves of white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and the weaponisation of history and weigh in on the lasting impact of his virulent ideology.
• Meanwhile (2024)

  Review preview for Meanwhile

  Gund’s poetic approach enables this documentary to go where others could not, to capture the existential effects on people of colour of day to day life in a white supremacist culture.

  A poetic, non-linear journey that explores the impact of white supremacy on connection, relationships, and life.
• Meanwhile On Earth (2024)

  Review preview for Meanwhile On Earth

  There’s a sweet, melancholy flavour to Clapin’s work.

  Siblings Elsa and Franck were very close. Since Franck disappeared during a space mission three years ago, Elsa has struggled to move on with her life. Until one day she is contacted by an unidentified life form.
• Mean Girls (2004)

  Review preview for Mean Girls

  There are some funny moments along the way and Lohan is good.

  Teen comedy, where the new girl on the block tries to fit into an image-obsessed high school.
• Mean Streets (1973)

  Review preview for Mean Streets

  A powerful experience, brimming with raw talent.

  Trouble brews for a smalltime hood in Little Italy.
• Meat The Future (2020)

  Review preview for Meat The Future

  The sort of documentary which may well increase in value with the passing of time.

  A documentary about meat produced without the need for animals.
• Mediha (2023)

  Review preview for Mediha

  Through it all, Mediha remains a marvel, finding the inner strength to be there for her brothers at the same time as steeling herself to try to identify her kidnapper.

  Mediha is a member of the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority. She’s also the survivor of an ISIS-orchestrated genocide in 2014. Through video diaries, Mediha provides an intimate account of her grief and trauma.
• Mediterranean Fever (2022)

  Review preview for Mediterranean Fever

  It might be that my empathy was miscalibrated that day, but I came out of Mediterranean Fever feeling worse than when I went in.

  Drama charts the unlikely bond between two very different Arab family men living in the Israeli port city of Haifa.
• Medusa (2021)

  Review preview for Medusa

  At the genre level, Medusa is failing. Simply put: it's not scary.

  A woman who is part of a gang who hunt those who transgress their religious ideals, finds her values changing dramatically after she is injured.
• Medusa Deluxe (2022)

  Review preview for Medusa Deluxe

  While the choreography of all this is audacious, Hardiman is equally interested in dialogue. He loves an intricately worked sentence as much as a finely coiffed barnet.

  A murder mystery set in a competitive hairdressing competition.
• Meek's Cutoff (2010)

  Review preview for Meek's Cutoff

  Along with her eye for composition, Reichardt also deserves praise for the focus on the smaller period details.

  Drama tracks a wagon train on the 1840s Oregon Trail.
• Meeting Gorbachev (2018)

  Review preview for Meeting Gorbachev

  Herzog's film does not follow the documentary conventions - would you expect anything different from him?

  Werner Herzog interviews Mikhail Gorbachev and captures the human side of a world leader as he recalls his relationships with Reagan and Thatcher, his beloved wife Raisa and his dashed dream of lasting change.
• Meet Me In The Bathroom (2022)

  Review preview for Meet Me In The Bathroom

  Southern and Lovelace stick to a fashionable, tastefully minimalist aesthetic, but they play it too safe – this is a film that deserves maximalist energy.

  An immersive journey through the New York music scene of the early 2000s. Set against the backdrop of 9/11, the film tells the story of how a new generation kickstarted a musical rebirth for New York City that reverberated around the world. Inspired by the book by Lizzy Goodman
• Meet The Fockers (2004)

  Review preview for Meet The Fockers

  As painful as a kick in the pants.

  Comedy sequel sees clash of the in-laws.
• Meet The Parents (2000)

  Review preview for Meet The Parents

  The farce is underplayed, which is exactly right.

  Stiller's would-be husband discovers his potential father-in-law is a nightmare.
• The Meg (2018)

  Review preview for The Meg

  CGI shocks don't shiver your timbers because you've been here, seen that, and what's left is betting on who's next for Meg's brekky

  The biggest shark in the history of scary movies surfaces and you can guess what happens next. Wear a wet suit.
• Megalomaniac (2022)

  Review preview for Megalomaniac

  It’s a film shot mostly in shadow, in the long-neglected house or in the narrow confines of locker rooms and toilet blocks at the factory.

  A film about the weight of patriarchy and the illusion of Manichaeism.
• Megalopolis (2024)

  Review preview for Megalopolis

  It is described simply as “A Fable”, but there is nothing simple about this over-ambitious allegorical sprawl.

  Power play and corruption unfold in a futuristic city.
• Megamind (2010)

  Review preview for Megamind

  Megamind’s developmental path is less about following a cookie-cutter moral compass than it is about good old-fashioned character development.

  In order to restore the balance of good vs evil, a genius supervillain is forced to create a formidable foe.
• Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus (2009)

  Review preview for Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus

  Though the effects in this film are uniformly awful, it's hard not to love a scene in which a giant shark leaps out of the water and grabs a plane for its dinner.

  What it says on the tin. Now with added Eighties pop star.
• Mega Time Squad (2018)

  Review preview for Mega Time Squad

  Van Dammen has bitten off much more than he can chew and lacks the experience to spit some of it out, but it's largely his ambition that makes things interesting.

  A petty drug dealer with a once in a lifetime opportunity to pull off a big score unexpectedly gains the ability to bend time.
• Mekong 2030 (2020)

  Review preview for Mekong 2030

  An eclectic but, generally, engaging mix.

  An anthology film comprising five short stories that envision the future of the Mekong River from different cultural perspectives.
• Mektoub, My Love: Canto Due (2025)

  Review preview for Mektoub, My Love: Canto Due

  When the twist, or better said, something actually resembling a plot, arrives, it is too late and the mechanics of it are too illogical, while the ending comes abruptly.

  Third in the Mektoub, My Love trilogy sees a soap star and her husband thrown into the mix.