Reviews by David Graham

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  The Purge (2013)

  Review preview for The Purge

  For all its flaws, The Purge is for the most part an exciting and thought-provoking thriller.

  A family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legal.
• 
  Epic (2013)

  Review preview for Epic

  The early stretch strikes a nice balance between surprisingly mature human scenes and the soaring spectacle of the Leaf-people’s lives.

  A teenager shrunk to the size of the leaf people in her father's garden must fight evil forces to save the world.
• 
  Knightriders (1981)

  Review preview for Knightriders

  Knightriders represents the venerable director’s most personal and intimate work.

  The head of a mediaeval re-enactment troupe begins to lose his grip on reality.
• 
  Chimpanzee (2012)

  Review preview for Chimpanzee

  Disney's predictable attempt to impose a narrative and to anthropomorphise the animals leads to some stodgy story-telling.

  An orphan chimp struggles to survive and gradually grows in social status.
• 
  Dead Man Down (2013)

  Review preview for Dead Man Down

  Dumb Men Dead would be a more apt title.

  A woman seeking revenge seduces a crime lord's lieutenant.
• 
  All Stars (2013)

  Review preview for All Stars

  All Stars is a well-intentioned addition to its genre but fails to transcend its trappings.

  Two kids plan to stage a dance show to save their youth club from closure.
• 
  21 & Over (2013)

  Review preview for 21 & Over

  If you can find humor in casual racism, drunk driving and people being gored by marauding buffalo, this may be the film for you.

  Turning 21 the day before a vital medical school interview, our hero pops out for just the one beer, with predictable consequences.
• 
  I'm So Excited (2013)

  Review preview for I'm So Excited

  The sexual and gender politics that course through Almodovar's best work are in evidence here but there's a distinct lack of focus, leaving the film a somewhat forced flight of fancy.

  When a plane is imperilled the passengers try to forget their plight but in the process discover the dangers of openness.
• 
  Oblivion (2013)

  Review preview for Oblivion

  The slow-burning two-hander first half gives way to a revelation-heavy final hour, where every new sub-Shyamalan surprise only confirms how much Oblivion is ripped off from superior sci-fi that knows its game better.

  One of the few humans left after alien atacks on Earth begins to question his misson.
• 
  Dark Skies (2013)

  Review preview for Dark Skies

  A surprisingly engaging mystery thriller, anchored by convincing performances and a confident build-up of suspense.

  Something is haunting the Barrett family residence and it seems to be after the Barretts themselves.
• 
  G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

  Review preview for G.I. Joe: Retaliation

  It’s all likely to bore even the teenage boy target audience who’ll have outgrown the eponymous toys by the time they might stand a chance of being diverted by this tripe.

  The GI Joes face a double thrat - from COBRA and from their own government.
• 
  The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

  Review preview for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

  An odd mix of affectionate satire and jarringly brutal slapstick, the former more successful than the latter except for when an unhinged Jim Carrey is on the prowl.

  A magician tries to salvage his flagging act with a daring stunt when facing off against a rival
• 
  The Tall Man (2012)

  Review preview for The Tall Man

  Laugier's ambition remains commendable, but his execution is questionable, leading to a frustrating if occasionally intriguing experience.

  A mother tries to unravel a legend of a child abductor after her child goes missing.
• 
  Maniac (2012)

  Review preview for Maniac

  It’s flashy and glossy where the original was fetid and grubby, winking at the audience where Lustig wallowed in the misery to memorable effect.

  First-person perspective chiller about a serial killer with a fetish for scalping.
• 
  Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)

  Review preview for Oz The Great And Powerful

  An uneven mix of kiddie whimsy and intense fantasy.

  When a stage magician finds himself magically transported to the land of Oz he must work hard to convince three dubious witches of his talents and save the troubled kingdom.
• 
  Sawney: Flesh Of Man (2012)

  Review preview for Sawney: Flesh Of Man

  Sawney is a fairly accomplished first feature that at least has the good sense to revel in its silliness without resorting to self-indulgent irony.

  As detectives hunt for a serial killer, a tabloid crime writer uncovers the truth about the cannibal clan responsible for increasing disappearances, but he doesn't know their darkest secret.
• 
  Lore (2012)

  Review preview for Lore

  Where it would have been easy to soften Lore, Shortland refuses to get sentimental, keeping us hanging on the edge with her as events grow more traumatic.

  Teenager Lore and her four younger siblings are left to fend for themselves after her Nazi SS parents are taken into Allied custody.
• 
  Lords Of Salem (2012)

  Review preview for Lords Of Salem

  Lords Of Salem is probably the director's most (ahem) 'mature' work yet - that being said, maybe next time he should give someone else's script a chance.

  Three radio DJ are drawn into danger after listening to a mysterious record.
• 
  Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

  Review preview for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

  It might not be designed to win any of this season's awards or linger in the memory, but this is a hell of a lot more fun than other recent fairy-tale reboots.

  The famous brother and sister team take revenge for their childhood trauma.
• 
  The Bay (2012)

  Review preview for The Bay

  There's some fun to be had among the commotion of the outbreak, but it all seems too stretched to really bite deep as either satire or schlock.

  Chaos breaks out in a small town in the wake of an ecological disaster.
• 
  Mama (2013)

  Review preview for Mama

  While there are plenty of lush gothic flourishes, there are also too many ridiculous horror tropes, but the quality of the acting - especially from child leads Megan Charpenter and Isabelle Nelisse - leads to several genuinely emotional scenes that distin

  Two feral children recovered from the forest are placed in the care of their aunt and uncle. But something has been caring for them, and it wants them back.
• 
  The American Scream (2012)

  Review preview for The American Scream

  Stephenson's eye picks up all kinds of telling detail to build a life-affirming picture of these individuals' heroic foolhardiness.

  Three Massachusetts families pepare haunted houses for Halloween.
• 
  Warm Bodies (2013)

  Review preview for Warm Bodies

  Warm Bodies overcomes any cynicism horror fans might harbor towards it through genuine affability and winning performances.

  When a zombie falls for a human, there could be consequences for all the living dead.
• 
  Santa Sangre (1989)

  Review preview for Santa Sangre

  Santa Sangre is suffused with rare heart and a sense of aching melancholy, and not a minute of its two hour run time is wasted.

  Upon leaving a psychiatric hospital, a young man becomes the arms of his mother, whose own were cut off by his philandering father, as she embarks on a campaign of holy retribution.
• 
  Bullet To The Head (2012)

  Review preview for Bullet To The Head

  Bourbon Street and its surroundings have rarely seemed so authentically seedy.

  A New Orleans hitman and a Washington DC detective join forces to get revenge on the man who killed their partners.
• 
  The Last Stand (2013)

  Review preview for The Last Stand

  Schwarzenegger wisely tones down his previous big-screen persona and slips into a sort of late-in-the-day charm.

  A small town sheriff is the only one who can prevent the leader of a drug cartel from escaping justice.
• 
  House At The End Of The Street (2012)

  Review preview for House At The End Of The Street

  The fact that this isn't the screamer it appears to be is both pleasantly surprising at the outset and deeply disappointing by the end.

  Moving in next door to a house where a girl murdered her parents proves a bad idea.
• 
  Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)

  Review preview for Texas Chainsaw 3D

  Often a rollicking good time in spite of itself.

  An unknowing descendant of the orginal Sawyer clan goes to visit the old house she's inherited.
• 
  Day Of The Dead (1985)

  Review preview for Day Of The Dead

  It's rare for such a talky movie to be so exciting, but the wired performances combine with the visceral effects and confident direction to create an utterly absorbing experience.

  Trouble flares in a small military base where some of the last survivors of a zombie apocalypse are holding out as scientists search for a solution.
• 
  Southern Comfort (1981)

  Review preview for Southern Comfort

  The oppressive atmosphere of the swamp and the tension between the frustrated alpha males are so thick right up to the final frame you could cut the air with one of their knives, while the trauma of the experience lingers long after the credits roll.

  National Guardsmen on an remote exercise run into trouble on the bayou.
• 
  Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979)

  Review preview for Zombie Flesh Eaters

  Although the editing sometimes jars, Fulci juggles smooth, elegant camera moves with nimble handheld work to get the balance of dramatic build-up and visceral action just right.

  A woman searching for her father stumbles on an island of the undead.
• 
  Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

  Review preview for Dawn Of The Dead

  Dawn Of The Dead is an astounding work that holds up to this day.

  During a zombie apocalypse, a small group of survivors seeks refuge in an abandoned shopping mall.
• 
  Cruising (1980)

  Review preview for Cruising

  Aided by a bug-eyed, intensely committed turn from Al Pacino, Cruising is a startling and haunting film.

  A detective goes undercover in New York's gay S&M scene to try and catch a serial killer.
• 
  Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

  Review preview for Cannibal Holocaust

  Cannibal Holocaust is perhaps the ultimate example of a film that eats itself; it will be debated and misunderstood for years to come.

  A rescue team recovers found footage shot by a documentary team that set out to investigate lost cannibal tribes.
• 
  The Man With The Iron Fists (2012)

  Review preview for The Man With The Iron Fists

  A hugely likeable caper.

  A humble blacksmith must defend his village when the arrival of treasure hunters leads to trouble.
• 
  Combat Shock (1984)

  Review preview for Combat Shock

  Praised in some quarters for young writer/director Buddy Giovinazzo's virulent veracity, it's the sort of unapologetic scuzz-fest whose ultra-low budget becomes a serendipitous badge of honour.

  A Vietnam veteran struggles to cope with post-traumatic stress.
• 
  Bully (2011)

  Review preview for Bully

  Hidden camera footage provides especially distressing evidence of the extent of the physical abuse.

  A documentary about some of the devastating effects of school bullying in the US.
• 
  Monstro! (2010)

  Review preview for Monstro!

  Uninspired, with an anticlimactic siege proving too little, too late to save this lumpen garbage from sinking to the depths.

  A trio of man-eaters encounter a deadly creature from the deep.
• 
  Compliance (2012)

  Review preview for Compliance

  This may not be a traditional horror film but it burrows into your brain and under your skin in the same way as the most disturbing genre flicks.

  A drama based on the real life case of fast food restaurant employees who abused vulnerable young people on the orders of a stranger on the phone who claimed to be investigating shoplifting.
• 
  Here Comes The Boom (2012)

  Review preview for Here Comes The Boom

  Mixed messages and crass stereotyping combine with an underwhelming script to add up to a pretty lightweight experience.

  A teacher takes up mixed martial arts to try and raise the money to save extra curricular activities at his school.
• 
  Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

  Review preview for Silent Hill: Revelation

  It's the incoherent plotting and pitiful support acting that really sink Revelation.

  When her father disappears, a young woman is drawn into a nightmare world - literally.
• 
  Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

  Review preview for Resident Evil: Retribution

  Audiences really need to wake up and put the nail in the Anderson Evil coffin once and for all.

  Series heroine Alice fights for a resistance movement as the deadly T virus spreads around the world.
• 
  For A Good Time, Call... (2012)

  Review preview for For A Good Time, Call...

  Despite being occasionally misjudged, Travis' film maintains its sparkle and warmth thanks to its outstanding leads and sparky script.

  Odd couple flatmates get into the phone sex business in a cheerfully smutty comedy.
• 
  Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

  Review preview for Paranormal Activity 4

  The by-now customarily abrupt ending is one of the most infuriating the genre has slapped an audience in the face with to date.

  The arrival of mysterious new neighbours unsettles a suburban family.
• 
  Killing Them Softly (2012)

  Review preview for Killing Them Softly

  It's hard not to recommend Killing Them Softly as there is plenty of Tarantino-esque vim to its icy world of contracts and crims, but the mix of styles and muddled message ultimately rob the film of greatness.

  Things turn nasty when the mob feels cheated over a gambling racket.
• 
  Tower Block (2012)

  Review preview for Tower Block

  Skins star Jack O'Connell burns up the screen as an initially reprehensible chav terror, all wide-boy grimaces and in-your-face intensity, his gradual evolution into honorable pack-leader etched with care and nuance where it could have been clumsy and cli

  The life and times of the last occupants of Tower Block 31.
• 
  ParaNorman (2012)

  Review preview for ParaNorman

  Overall the characters fail to transcend their archetypes, despite Kodi Smit-McPhee anchoring the film with real emotion.

  A misunderstood boy is the only one who can save his town from an ancient curse.
• 
  Premium Rush (2012)

  Review preview for Premium Rush

  The real strengths of this picture lie in the zippy camerawork and asphalt-shredding location work, the sheer speed at which Manhattan moves tangible in every frame.

  A bike messenger is pursued by a corrupt cop.
• 
  Dredd (2012)

  Review preview for Dredd

  Pete Travis works hard to bring John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra's apocalyptic vision to life.

  In the violent dystopia of Mega City One, only the judges can keep order.
• 
  Cockneys Vs Zombies (2011)

  Review preview for Cockneys Vs Zombies

  The real comedic heart of the film is with the still-kicking Brit-veteran oldies.

  Bank robbers fight their way out of zombie-infested London.