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Reviews by Darren Amner

Order by: Date, A–Z

  • Whiteout (2009)
    Review preview for Whiteout

    Whiteout should have been great; unfortunately it's god awful.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A US Marshall hunts a murderer in Antarctica on the even of a six month night.
  • Jennifer's Body (2009)
    Review preview for Jennifer's Body

    Jennifer's Body is a sexy, smart mouthed horror that cannot be knocked for ambition or cleverness.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A provocative cheerleader becomes possessed by a demon and starts killing her male classmates.
  • I Sell The Dead (2008)
    Review preview for I Sell The Dead

    Monaghan and Fessenden are cast perfectly and have a great onscreen rapport, reminding me of a re-vamped Abbott and Costello.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A grave robber looks back on the life he has led and the unburied bodies that haunt his memories.
  • Hardware (1990)
    Review preview for Hardware

    There is plenty of gore to enjoy and the visuals are captivating in an artsy cyberpunk kind of way.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    British futuristic sci-fi horror on a tight budget.
  • The Living End (1992)
    Review preview for The Living End

    This film will only appeal to Araki fans who wish to discover his roots.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    People with HIV, from very different backgrounds, go on the run.
  • Pink Panther 2 (2009)
    Review preview for Pink Panther 2

    Steve Martin is actually quite good at times, but he's let down mostly by a wafer-thin script and misguided direction.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    The bungling inspector investigates the theft of some historical artifacts.
  • Pink (2008)
    Review preview for Pink

    Predictably, as the ending arrives we learn absolutely nothing or witness anything different that we didn't see coming halfway through.

    Darren Amner · 1.5 out of 5
    A modern fairy tale about a woman who sets out to find love.
  • Chéri (2009)
    Review preview for Chéri

    The script is, at times, very funny, though the use of a very droll narration is unnecessary.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    An retired courtesan embarks on a passionate love affair with the son of a former colleague.
  • The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee (2009)
    Review preview for The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee

    Wry, funny and emotionally-charged.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A wife who moves to a retirement community with her much older husband, finds herself on the verge of a breakdown.
  • Just Walking (2008)
    Review preview for Just Walking

    A stylish femme-thriller with good twists and turns.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    An ex-con plans to get her own back on her thug of a husband by ripping him off.
  • High Life (2008)
    Review preview for High Life

    Olyphant has a great seductive charm and impeccable comic timing.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    Drug-addicted petty criminals try to pull off a major heist.
  • The Beast Stalker (2008)
    Review preview for The Beast Stalker

    A lot of credit must go to Director Dante Lam who helms this movie with real confidence, using nice directorial flourishes, tight pacing and tense action pieces.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    A cop responsible for a child's death, recklessly tangles with a kidnapper despite the possible consequences.
  • Marin Blue (2008)
    Review preview for Marin Blue

    Filmed with limited resources, Marin Blue is a great festival entry, with a lovely dreamlike feel.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Story of an unusual romance between a narcoleptic woman and a man who can't recall his past.
  • Adam Resurrected (2008)
    Review preview for Adam Resurrected

    The characters in this film suffer torment and pain, much like the audience.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A vaudeville star - forced in a concentration camp to act like a dog - is haunted by his past.
  • Strength And Honour (2007)
    Review preview for Strength And Honour

    More raging dull than raging bull.

    Darren Amner · 1.5 out of 5
    A bare-knuckle boxer is forced to step back into the ring.
  • Blood Car (2007)
    Review preview for Blood Car

    Blood Car is as silly as it sounds, part satire, part-horror and as cheap on thrills as it is on budget.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Troma-esque weirdness as a vegan invents a vehicle more reminiscent of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. Minus the crap Broadway songs, of course.
  • Franklyn (2008)
    Review preview for Franklyn

    Gerald McMorrow has conjured up a film that spans many genres, coupling inventive storytelling with a strong visual aesthetic.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    Futurisic thriller which paints a picture of London in which there is no separation between Church and State.
  • Love Live Long (2008)
    Review preview for Love Live Long

    Figgis plays with colour, angles, split screens, and frames his film as artfully as possible.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    A Gumball Rally driver forms a potentially dangerous relationship with a mysterious woman.
  • Uprise (2008)
    Review preview for Uprise

    Feels like an overlong short film.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A man meets a pregnant woman in a hospital... but have they met before?
  • Eldorado (2008)
    Review preview for Eldorado

    Lanners' script is witty and moves at a steady pace.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    A car dealer and a hapless burglar go on a road trip across Belgium.
  • Brideshead Revisited (2008)
    Review preview for Brideshead Revisited

    A pleasant way of spending a couple of hours but by no means the masterpiece the filmmakers and fans hoped it would be.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    A man reflects on his conflicting passions for a brother and sister whose lives were dominated by Catholic guilt.
  • Good Dick (2008)
    Review preview for Good Dick

    Good Dick is for romantics who like their movies sprinkled with something a little different.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Offbeat romance between a damaged young woman and with Marianna Palka and Jason Ritter.
  • The Black Balloon (2008)
    Review preview for The Black Balloon

    A wonderful family drama.

    Darren Amner · 4.5 out of 5
    An insightful family drama, about a young man who must deal with more than his fair share of troubles, like his autistic brother. Also, young love and being a new boy in school.
  • Hot Tamale (2006)
    Review preview for Hot Tamale

    Uninspiring soap melodrama.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A man set on a career in salsa goes on a road trip that leads his path to cross with criminals.
  • Lars And The Real Girl (2007)
    Review preview for Lars And The Real Girl

    Turning its back on cheap laughs the film contains bountiful amounts of humanity.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A quiet young man falls in love with a woman who is perfect in every way - except that she's inflatable.
  • Virgin Territory (2007)
    Review preview for Virgin Territory

    Littered with sexual innuendo that is about as funny as drowning kittens.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    A young buck in mediaeval Italy tries to rescue his love from the clutches of a dastardly Tim Roth... at the same time as avoiding the plague.
  • Shanghai Kiss (2007)
    Review preview for Shanghai Kiss

    Expecting a frothy no-brain rom-com, Shanghai Kiss gives you so much more.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    Journey of self discovery for Chinese-American actor in Shanghai.
  • 27 Dresses (2008)
    Review preview for 27 Dresses

    Heigl delivers a star-making turn and easily carries the film.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A perpetual bridesmaid is torn between loyalty to her sister and passion for her sister's fiance.
  • Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)
    Review preview for Lost Boys: The Tribe

    As Edgar Frog Feldman is back to his wise-cracking best.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Vampire sequel, sees a boy try to hunt down the leader of the pack after his sister falls for a local bloodsucker.
  • Death Defying Acts (2007)
    Review preview for Death Defying Acts

    Zeta-Jones is adequate... but she and Pearce have zero romantic chemistry together.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Harry Houdini falls for a gypsy 'psychic' in an Edinburgh-set period romance.
  • Frontier(s) (2007)
    Review preview for Frontier(s)

    Ridiculous lines and arrogant, heartless protagonists leave you feeling you have seen this type of film many times before.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Thieves on the run fall prey to vicious neo-Nazis. Plus read our .
  • Kokoda: 39th Battalion (2006)
    Review preview for Kokoda: 39th Battalion

    Biting and gripping Grierson doesn't skimp on the gore and displays war how it really is, grimy, gritty and extremely bloody.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Australian forces clash with the Japanese during the Second World War.
  • Prison Break: Season 3 (2007)
    Review preview for Prison Break: Season 3

    I feel that after all this time I have been part of the escape team

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    Plenty of cons, lots more pros.
  • When Evil Calls (2006)
    Review preview for When Evil Calls

    If Evils calls, my advice would be not to pick up.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Clowning around with people's wishes.
  • Chapter 27 (2007)
    Review preview for Chapter 27

    Leto is a great actor and gives his all when playing this much-loathed individual but what works against him is a lacklustre script and direction.

    Darren Amner · 1.5 out of 5
    The days leading up to the assassination of John Lennon.
  • ER - The Complete 11th Season (2005)
    Review preview for ER - The Complete 11th Season

    This show has great drama, writing and it’s as funny as it is moving.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    More trials and tribulations in the emergency room.
  • Never Back Down (2008)
    Review preview for Never Back Down

    Has all the ingredients of a fun Friday night out.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A teenager joins a secret school fight club and starts training in martial arts.
  • Weirdsville (2007)
    Review preview for Weirdsville

    Instantly forgettable but enjoyable enough.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    The unlikely lives of Canadian junkies.
  • Day Watch (2006)
    Review preview for Day Watch

    A unique brand of storytelling from a Russian perspective.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    The forces of good and evil battle over a device with the power to save or destroy Moscow.
  • The Deaths Of Ian Stone (2007)
    Review preview for The Deaths Of Ian Stone

    The pace moves quickly and splices together some good scares, gore and action.

    Darren Amner · 3.5 out of 5
    Waking up each morning is murder for a man facing multiple existences.
  • Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)
    Review preview for Wrong Turn 2: Dead End

    Director Joe Lynch has tried hard to make this movie special in its own right and delivers probably the best direct-to DVD sequel I have seen to date.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    Reality TV contestants fight for survival out in the woods.
  • Restraint (2008)
    Review preview for Restraint

    Ambitious, intriguing storytelling.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    A young couple on the run take a stranger hostage, but have they picked the wrong stranger?
  • Society (1989)
    Review preview for Society

    If there is one reason to see Society it’s for the special effects make-up, which is outstanding, if a little warped.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    A young man suspects that the reason his upper class neighbours avoid him is because he's adopted, but the truth is still more disturbing. Gore galore.
  • Sex and Death 101 (2007)
    Review preview for Sex and Death 101

    Essential viewing.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    A man's life is turned upside down after receives an email listing all his sexual conquests... including those he hasn't had yet.
  • P2 (2007)
    Review preview for P2

    Certainly worth a watch but not worth braving the cold for.

    Darren Amner · 2.5 out of 5
    A workaholic woman gets stalked in parking garage on Christmas Eve.
  • Never Forget: A New Musical Based On The Songs Of Take That (2007)
    Review preview for Never Forget: A New Musical Based On The Songs Of Take That

    Brocklehurst script oozes romance, despair and humour with equal aplomb.

    Darren Amner · 4 out of 5
    Stage show about a Take That tribute band.
  • Party Animals (2007)
    Review preview for Party Animals

    The script is witty and engaging and the actors involved give very credible performances.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    A look at Westminster from the ground up.
  • One Last Dance (2005)
    Review preview for One Last Dance

    One Last Dance tries to be too clever for its own good, attempting to explore a mixture of themes that don’t blend together well.

    Darren Amner · 2 out of 5
    An assassin hunts a child-kidnapper.
  • The Amazing Grace (2006)
    Review preview for The Amazing Grace

    Colouring the palette with romance and sad music is no distraction and only adds to the fact that this film is deeply unfulfilling.

    Darren Amner · 1 out of 5
    The story of what inspired John Newton to write the hymn Amazing Grace.
  • Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
    Review preview for Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

    An affectionate, touching piece.

    Darren Amner · 3 out of 5
    Documentary about the ground-breaking TV channel.

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