Fantaspoa — A–Z of films

Abruptio...stands out because of its format but has a strong narrative and smart ideas behind it.

Whilst the film may appear chaotic, there’s real artistry behind the scenes, and not just when it comes to special effects.

Smarter than most films of its ilk and refreshingly free of misplaced sentiment.

Plotting is kept fairly simple to leave room for the sprawling fights and some spectacular action set pieces.

In long, slow takes, Sorogoyen lets the tension build, one situation after another seeming as if it might spill over into violence.

What really holds it all together is Hawco’s down to earth performance as a detective striving to retain his focus on the practical side of the job.

Viewers can expect to find their sympathies shifting over time, and to disagree as to who deserves sympathy in any given moment.

A small scale triumph.

It’s cleverly written, beautifully performed and quite unforgettable, and yet I hesitate to recommend that anybody watch it.

Much tighter and less purely whimsical than it looks on the surface.

There are a lot of cute ideas here which don’t all successfully come to fruition but which entertain nonetheless.

Cerezo and Gómez remind us that we are living through some of the strangest days our world has known right now.

Where it could easily have been gimmicky or relied on comedy, instead it achieves something magical and illuminating.

A lot hinges on Hasson’s performance, and she carries the film’s tonal shifts well.

Give Me An A is a vital piece of filmmaking.

Good Boy addresses a commonplace kind of horror which we too often fail to spot even when there is every opportunity to see it coming.

What’s remarkable is that director Mike Cheslik manages to sustain this for so long.

A tale that has a textured solidity, a mythological weight.

The film is often more interesting as a study of privileged people’s beliefs than as a portrait of Charles himself.

By the time that West is ready to show his hand directly, most viewers will be so wrapped up in Linoleum that that details will scarcely matter.

As engaging as it is ridiculous.

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.

Warm-hearted, atmospheric and joyously, ridiculously gory when occasion calls for it.

It’s a slight thing but nicely delivered.

Ryan Stevens Harris’ Moon Garden invites viewers to explore not only another world but a very different perspective.

Mother Superior often puts style over substance, but that style is a real treat for fans of the Gothic.

What begins as a collection of seemingly disconnected events gradually coheres with something of the chilling quality of an early Kiyoshi Kurosawa film.

Next Exit shines because of its finely crafted script and the performances of its two leads, who work wonderfully together.

With a huge, raggedy string score by Daniel Reguera, the film is big on atmosphere and never gives one the sense that its protagonists wield much control over their destinies.

Although multiple directors were involved, it maintains impressive consistency in both style and tone, each of them adding their own quirks and flourishes without anything jarring.

The easy flow of de Araújo’s film and the intensity of its characters makes it easy to miss just what an impressive achievement it is at a technical level.

Power slips from one character to another with disconcerting ease, and as the story progresses, what might seem confounding, a product of myth or dream or hallucination, takes on an abject clarity.

One of the year’s most delightful hidden gems.

Pleasingly disconcerting.

A story which is, ultimately, about learning to think differently, to change the way that we direct our attention and resources in order to open up the possibility of renewal.

Silva brings an unusual level of sensitivity to an action role.

A platform for some considerable talent both behind and in front of the camera, which will leave you wanting more.