Skip to main content

Film review archive

You can also browse our DVD archive and short film archive.

W — 687 results

  • Wasted On The Young (2010)
    Review preview for Wasted On The Young

    Really quite an old fashioned film about what happens when an ugly incident transforms the dynamic within a high school that seems entirely free of adult influence.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    After a girl is attacked at a party the social fabric of her high school begins to crumble, with dangerous consequences all round.
  • Wasted Time (2014)
    Review preview for Wasted Time

    Leiper's performance is perfectly judged and holds the rest of the film together.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    An innocent young man confesses to a crime so his family will be cared for, but things don't go to plan.
  • Waste Land (2010)
    Review preview for Waste Land

    Walker's documentary is moving, life-affirming and challenges what you think you might know about these people who pick through the rubbish.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    Portrait of garbage pickers in Rio who participated in a project with artist Vik Muniz.
  • The Watch (2012)
    Review preview for The Watch

    Can anything save this film? No.

    Donald Munro · 1 out of 5
    Members of a neighbourhood watch scheme attempt to see off an alien invasion.
  • The Watcher (2000)
    Review preview for The Watcher

    Money is wasted on explosions and stunts when it should have been given to a script doctor.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 2 out of 5
    A serial killer plays murder games with burnt-out FBI agent in Chicago.
  • Watchers Of The Sky (2013)
    Review preview for Watchers Of The Sky

    There is quite a lot of onscreen reading to be done as well as watching but the passages of Lemkin that Belzberg chooses are always well-illustrated either by the animation or archival footage.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    An exploration of genocide and attempts to criminalise it internationally.
  • Water (2005)
    Review preview for Water

    Visually awesome, panoramic, brilliantly acted and bursting with beautiful poetry and imagery.

    Chris · 4.5 out of 5
    The final part of Mehta's elementary trilogy about India.
  • Watercolors (2008)
    Review preview for Watercolors

    There is no light or shade in the script, creating a stiltedness due to a lack of humour and and blind focus on drama.

    Hannah Clark · 2 out of 5
    Exploration of first love and sexuality as a teenager in America.
  • Water For Elephants (2011)
    Review preview for Water For Elephants

    The film’s an unashamedly full-on exercise in manipulating your emotions, giving you an event every five minutes and keeping Kleenex in business.

    Jeff Robson · 3 out of 5
    An old man recounts his experiences with a travelling circus in the 1930s – and his love for the ringmaster’s wife.
  • The Wave (2008)
    Review preview for The Wave

    The message is clear and the message is strong: How To Build A Fascist Movement works.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 4 out of 5
    A high school teacher demonstrates with his class the true meaning of autocracy.
  • The Wave (2015)
    Review preview for The Wave

    This is a film that should be watched on as big a screen as possible, but even on a smaller one, the tsunami is stunning.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Seismic rumblings in the Norwegian fjords threaten to start a chain reaction that will destroy the local area.
  • The Way (2010)
    Review preview for The Way

    Quirky, moving and reflective, The Way also offers a long-overdue opportunity for a true screen icon to deliver a star turn.

    Jeff Robson · 3.5 out of 5
    An American optician is prompted by family tragedy to undertake the ‘Camino’ pilgrimage to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela.
  • The Wayward Cloud (2005)
    Review preview for The Wayward Cloud

    After seeing this film, you will never look at watermelon the same way again.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    During a drought, the people of Taipei develop an obsession with watermelon.
  • The Way Back (2010)
    Review preview for The Way Back

    The story is a singular achievement, but the film is overly episodic.

    Andrew Robertson · 3 out of 5
    Soldiers escaping from a Siberian gulag decide to walk all the way to India.
  • The Way He Looks (2014)
    Review preview for The Way He Looks

    By sporadically renouncing traditional reverse shots, Ribeiro gives us an impression of what it is like to be denied a certain gaze - but the director uses this effect with caution.

    Sophie Charlotte Rieger · 4 out of 5
    Story of a blind teenager who yearns for independence.
  • A Way Of Life (2004)
    Review preview for A Way Of Life

    A resonant debut.

    The Dude · 4.5 out of 5
    A heartbreaking slice of teenage confusion in Wales.
  • Way Of The Morris (2011)
    Review preview for Way Of The Morris

    Though a little slow in places and modest in ambition, Plester's film is a real charmer.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    A personal journey into one small village's experience of the Morris dancing tradition and the losses of the First World War.
  • The Way We Dance (2013)
    Review preview for The Way We Dance

    With candy colours and high energy blasting it along, director Adam Wong and writer Chan Tai Lee bring a sugar rush of enthusiasm to the teen dance genre.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    A student joins a hip hop club. On finding that her moves are too hot for others to handle, she is encouraged to explore martial arts.
  • WAZ (2007)
    Review preview for WAZ

    Shankland dispenses with subplots almost as quickly as bodies, but his debut rattles along at a nice, taut pace.

    Richard Mellor · 2.5 out of 5
    A detective caught in a battle of wits with a killer is forced to pay for his past failings.
  • W.E. (2011)
    Review preview for W.E.

    Watching the film, which refreshingly tells the story from Wallis's perspective, you begin to wonder what on earth Madonna was thinking when she decided to tack on a framing device involving a modern Manhattanite's abusive relationship.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
    Romantic drama spread across two time periods to tell the story of Wallis Simpson's love affair with Edward VIII.
  • Weapons Of Mass Deception (2004)
    Review preview for Weapons Of Mass Deception

    This is probably the closest to the truth we will ever get to what really sparked the war in Iraq.

    John Gallagher · 3 out of 5
    Documentary lifts the lid on media coverage of the conflict in Iraq.
  • The Weather Man (2005)
    Review preview for The Weather Man

    A look at the commonest fear nipping at the heart of Middle America. Not the war in Iraq, nor terrorism, but the breakdown of the family unit and how - and, indeed, if - people can cope with it.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    How to make a fractured family work without falling apart.
  • A Wedding (1978)
    Review preview for A Wedding

    Altman handles it all beautifully, with his trademark 'hands off' direction and overlapping dialogue capturing the mood perfectly.

    Gary Duncan · 3 out of 5
    Trouble at a high society wedding.
  • The Wedding (2004)
    Review preview for The Wedding

    The Wedding is a delightful satire on Polish marriage traditions but much of what it features is so universal that people all over the world will be able to identify with it.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A wedding reception where everyone has a secret descends into dark farce.
  • Wedding Crashers (2005)
    Review preview for Wedding Crashers

    Will have you laughing until you're sore.

    John Gallagher · 4 out of 5
    A womanising duo, who specialise in trawling weddings, take on their last, hilarious challenge.
  • The Wedding Date (2005)
    Review preview for The Wedding Date

    The concept is fruitcake flimsy, decorated with sweet nothings and garlanded with small talk that would make Bridget Jones cringe.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 2.5 out of 5
    A girl hires an escort to pose as her boyfriend at her sister's wedding in an attempt to irritate her ex.
  • Wedding Daze (2006)
    Review preview for Wedding Daze

    The movie is so rotten, so lazy and so ineffective - it can only lower the IQ, or raise the critical barrier for anyone who sees it.

    Scott Macdonald · 1 out of 5
    Hopeless romantic comedy about imperfect beings.
  • The Wedding Dress (2003)
    Review preview for The Wedding Dress

    The tension could have been heightened even more if the ending hadn't been so abrupt.

    David Stanners · 3.5 out of 5
    A beautiful woman struggles to come to terms with her life, after being gang raped just before her wedding.
  • The Wedding Invitation (2017)
    Review preview for The Wedding Invitation

    It is thoroughly endearing: a Jane Austen for modern times, exploring women and friendship in a way we rarely get to see on screen.

    Jane Fae · 4 out of 5
    Three women try to find dates for the wedding event of the year.
  • The Wedding Ringer (2015)
    Review preview for The Wedding Ringer

    Painfully unimaginative

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 1 out of 5
    Two weeks shy of his wedding, a socially awkward guy enters into a charade by hiring the owner of a company that provides best men for grooms in need.
  • Weekdays (2005)
    Review preview for Weekdays

    The dialogue is sparse and when the characters do speak, it's clunkily written, laden with insipid profundities, and often badly delivered.

    George Williamson · 2.5 out of 5
    An unknown woman goes about her daily life - clubbing, fucking and lunch with grandma.
  • Weekend Of A Champion (2013)
    Review preview for Weekend Of A Champion

    This film shows better than any documentary on the development of safety gear for drivers, cars and roads could ever do why the changes in the sport were necessary.

    Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
    Portrait of Jackie Stewart on the weekend of his victory at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.
  • Weepah Way For Now (2015)
    Review preview for Weepah Way For Now

    Mimi Rogers is on the kind of form we haven't seen from her in over 20 years.

    Jennie Kermode · 2.5 out of 5
    Two sisters face life's ups and downs as they prepare for their latest music tour.
  • The Wee Govan Pipers (2015)
    Review preview for The Wee Govan Pipers

    All of the children are endlessly charming, to the point where one wonders what has been edited out.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    The story of a group of young Scottish, Nigerian and Chinese pipers from Govan.
  • The Weight (2017)
    Review preview for The Weight

    Though Crawford is ostensibly the lead... it's really Brackin who carries the film.

    Jennie Kermode · 2.5 out of 5
    A divorcee's love for her missing ex-husband pulls her into a small town crime ring when the sheriff refuses to search for him.
  • Weiner (2016)
    Review preview for Weiner

    He seemingly lets the camera into almost every nook and cranny, so that a picture emerges of not only him but the media goldfish bowl people like him inhabit.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
    Documentary about mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner.
  • Weirdsville (2007)
    Review preview for Weirdsville

    Instantly forgettable but enjoyable enough.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    The unlikely lives of Canadian junkies.
  • Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
    Review preview for Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

    Lawrence just stands there, showing about as much emotional range as a Cabbage Patch doll.

    Jennie Kermode · 1 out of 5
    Comedy about a talk show host and his glamorous new fiancee attending a family reunuion in America's Deep South.
  • Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael (1991)
    Review preview for Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael

    Ryder conveys alienation with an authenticity that puts the rest of the movie to shame.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 2 out of 5
    A small town prepares for the return of a local girl made good, while a girl becomes convinced she is her secret daughter.
  • Welcome Mr Marshall! (1953)
    Review preview for Welcome Mr Marshall!

    A lot of the film's subversiveness comes from the juxtaposition between what the narrator says (and you can almost hear the chuckle in Rey's voice) and what we see.

    Rebecca Naughten · 4 out of 5
    A small Spanish village is thrown into disarray by the news that a delegation of Americans is on its way, bringing the possibility of untold riches.
  • Welcome To Dongmakgol (2005)
    Review preview for Welcome To Dongmakgol

    On every level, Dongmakgol (forget the Welcome) is an intelligent, heartening, beautifully acted and convincing anti-war film.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 4 out of 5
    Soldiers from opposing armies in the Korean War take refuge in a peaceful, isolated hill village.
  • Welcome To Hollywood (2000)
    Review preview for Welcome To Hollywood

    This shows what can be done with a low budget, imagination and balls.

    Trinity · 3 out of 5
    Mockumentary about an actor and director aiming to find 15 minutes of fame in La La Land.
  • Welcome To Leith (2015)
    Review preview for Welcome To Leith

    Unsettling, probing and smart, they may only be looking at a town of 24 but this film has implications for people across the world.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
  • Welcome To Me (2014)
    Review preview for Welcome To Me

    There have been bad films. There have been terrible films. And then there's Welcome To Me

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 1 out of 5
    When Alice Klieg wins the Mega-Millions lottery, she immediately quits her psychiatric meds and buys her own TV talk show.
  • Welcome To Mooseport (2004)
    Review preview for Welcome To Mooseport

    A middle of the road rom-com, with decent laughs sprinkled throughout.

    David Stanners · 3 out of 5
    Small town comedy romance, featuring a former US president pitted against a blue collar worker for mayor.
  • Welcome To New York (2014)
    Review preview for Welcome To New York

    Ferrara invests it all with the pseudo-docu urgency of something ripped from the headlines.

    Richard Mowe · 3 out of 5
    The story of a powerful man and his potentially dangerous sexual appetites.
  • Welcome To Pine Hill (2012)
    Review preview for Welcome To Pine Hill

    Harper's strong, understated performance brings dignity and humour to the role.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    A man facing terminal illness is determined to live and die on his own terms.
  • Welcome To The Punch (2013)
    Review preview for Welcome To The Punch

    This fine array of actors is charged with safeguarding a plot as weak and confused as a newborn kitten.

    Max Crawford · 3.5 out of 5
    When his son gets in trouble, a retired criminal is forced to return to the city where a detective is still determined to catch him.
  • Welcome To The Rileys (2009)
    Review preview for Welcome To The Rileys

    While this might sound like a trite story of redemption, it’s one infused by both a unique aesthetic and compelling central performances.

    Nick Da Costa · 4 out of 5
    On a business trip to New Orleans, a damaged man seeks salvation by caring for a wayward young woman.
  • Welcome To Woop Woop (1998)
    Review preview for Welcome To Woop Woop

    As a celebration of outback vulgarity, you could do worse.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 2 out of 5
    A con artist on the run in the Aussie outback finds a town whre they hate to see you leave.

News and features

Paul Rowley on moving to New York, the Pulse massacre, and Gays Against Guns

Going ape Antonin Niclass on character creation, empathy and animated short Into The Forest

Freeform Will Niava on grief, new immigrant experiences and Jazz Infernal

In silence Emir Kumova on child marriage in Türkiye, moral challenges and making The Witness

Taking a ride into liminal spaces Katharine Round on making documentary Ghost Town

Flying blind Michael Woloson and Scott Tinkham on improvisation, experimental writing and Littermates

In deep water Dominic Curran on internet overexposure and A Little Learning Is A Dangerous Thing

More news and features

Festival coverage

Festivals
Cannes festival coverage, 2026

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Cheltenham International Film Festival, the Leeds International Film Festival, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights.



We're looking forward to the French Film Festival and DOC NYC.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Belfast Film Festival, Halloween Frightfest, the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Newfest, the London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and Grimmfest.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.