Reviews by Donald Munro

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  The Hitcher (1986)

  Review preview for The Hitcher

  For all that the Hitcher is an ambiguous horror film it is also a spectacular piece of Eighties action cinema.

  A thriller about a hitch-hiker with murderous intent.
• 
  Nikita (1990)

  Review preview for Nikita

  The techniques Besson uses are are simple and easy to understand. They are blended together with finesse.

  A convict is given a new identity and trained as an assassin.
• 
  Red Sun (1971)

  Review preview for Red Sun

  Terence Young brings a number of elements from Japanese cinema into the film.

  In 1870, a gang robs a train and steals a ceremonial Japanese sword meant as a gift for the US president, prompting a manhunt to retrieve it.
• 
  Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer (2024)

  Review preview for Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer

  Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer shines a light into the Behavioral Science Unit and onto psychological profiling.

  The story of Ann Burgess, a specialist in the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit who transformed the way authorities look into serial murders.
• 
  Poolman (2023)

  Review preview for Poolman

  The only mystery is why anyone would stay to the end of Poolman.

  A hapless dreamer and would-be philosopher spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block in sunny LA. When he uncovers a water heist, he does what he can to protect the city.
• 
  Boy Kills World (2023)

  Review preview for Boy Kills World

  The film goes at it with all the manic intensity of an old Saturday morning kids TV show: Wacaday cruentus.

  A dystopian fever dream action film that follows Boy, a deaf mute with a vibrant imagination. When his family is murdered, he is trained by a mysterious shaman to repress his childish imagination and become an instrument of death.
• 
  The End We Start From (2023)

  Review preview for The End We Start From

  If you take it for what it is rather than what it was marketed as, The End We Start From is an interesting watch.

  A woman who along with her newborn try to find their way home as environmental crisis that submerges London in flood waters and sees a young family torn apart in the chaos.
• 
  Ink & Linda (2022)

  Review preview for Ink & Linda

  An enjoyable and informative fly on the wall documentary.

  A documentary chronicling the unexpected kinship between a dancer in her 70s and an urban artist in his 20s as they take over Los Angeles with their movement street art.
• 
  Art Talent Show (2022)

  Review preview for Art Talent Show

  What makes Art Talent Show special is the way it captures human moments: a snippet of interpersonal communication in a meeting; a conversation; someone stretching off and doing a little half-hearted dance after a long day.

  Documentary about life in an art academy.
• 
  Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences (1972)

  Review preview for Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences

  The latter two thirds of the film are a perfectly paced sequence of fights and interludes.

  A lonely, clifftop mansion is attacked in no-holds barred massacre.
• 
  Yakuza Wolf (1972)

  Review preview for Yakuza Wolf

  With its sensationalist approach it is always trying to out do its predecessors.

  The son of a murdered crime boss exacts his revenge by pitting two rival clans against each other.
• 
  Blue Giant (2023)

  Review preview for Blue Giant

  When Blue Giant steps away from anime cliché it puts its foot straight into light entertainment.

  When a student receives a saxophone as a gift, he starts practising immediately, and finds himself drawn into the world of jazz.
• 
  Devil Girl From Mars (1954)

  Review preview for Devil Girl From Mars

  Part of the charm of Devil Girl From Mars is how seriously the movie takes itself.

  An uptight, leather-clad female alien, armed with a ray gun and accompanied by a menacing robot, comes to Earth to collect Earthmen as breeding stock.
• 
  WW2 - Saving Norway's Gold (2022)

  Review preview for WW2 - Saving Norway's Gold

  It is not just the bare facts that are explored but the personalities of those who were involved. Throughout there are little touches of comic flair.

  A documentary series about how the Norwegian government, through a covert operation, managed to smuggle 49 tons of gold out of the country during Nazi Germany's invasion of Norway in April 1940.
• 
  There's Something In The Barn (2023)

  Review preview for There's Something In The Barn

  The script is funny and knowing but it wavers between a straight out kids' movie and horror aimed at an older teenage audience.

  An American family fulfils their dream of moving back to the old country after inheriting a remote cabin in the mountains of Norway.
• 
  Dark Winds (2022)

  Review preview for Dark Winds

  Despite the somewhat formulaic plot - the twist and turns are what you would expect and where you would expect them - the pacing of the narrative makes Dark Winds very watchable.

  Two Navajo police officers in the Southwest US in the Seventies are forced to challenge their own spiritual beliefs when they search for clues in a double murder case.
• 
  The Island Of 30 Coffins (2022)

  Review preview for The Island Of 30 Coffins

  Makes much more use of cinematic techniques than the first adaptation.

  A woman re-examines her past in an effort to make sense of the mysterious death of her newborn son.
• 
  Evangelion: 3.0 1.01 Thrice Upon A Time (2021)

  Review preview for Evangelion: 3.0 1.01 Thrice Upon A Time

  It is not the innovative experience that some have made it out to be.

  The fourth and final instalment of the Rebuild of Evangelion. Misato and her anti-Nerv group Wille arrive in Paris, a city now red from core-isation. Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower.
• 
  RoboDoc: The Creation Of RoboCop (2023)

  Review preview for RoboDoc: The Creation Of RoboCop

  This has been a huge undertaking on the part of Eastwood Allen and Christopher Griffiths.

  A journey into the making of the seminal sci-fi movie RoboCop (1987).
• 
  Queens (2018)

  Review preview for Queens

  The writers have a clear idea of where they are starting and where they want to get to. What they don't always have is a good way to go between the two.

  At a stag night involving one of the largest crime families in Israel, assassins kill all the men. The women, who have lost their status and power all at once, are thrown into a new reality in which they must fight for their place in the male world of the temple only power.
• 
  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.
• 
  The Lesson (2022)

  Review preview for The Lesson

  Landsman's performance as Lianne stands out. Her portrayal of poor body image insecurity and feelings of lack of recognition builds into something more complex and subtle than just angry youth.

  A teacher and a student engage in an emotional conflict in a fight for justice.
• 
  Labyrinth Of Peace (2020)

  Review preview for Labyrinth Of Peace

  Everything oozes care and quality.

  A series set in 1945. Finally, there is peace in Europe. In Switzerland too, a whole generation breathes a sigh of relief as it faces a new and hopeful future. Peacetime, although long awaited and promising, also holds unforeseen challenges.
• 
  The Traveller (2019)

  Review preview for The Traveller

  Cantona is a good choice of lead. He has the presence to be able to just be still or just be quiet.

  A detective travels around France investigating cases which nobody has been able to solve.
• 
  Cursed Films (2020)

  Review preview for Cursed Films

  The archive footage is well chosen and the interviews are concise.

  A documentary series which explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood's notoriously cursed horror film productions.
• 
  Blackport (2021)

  Review preview for Blackport

  It should add up to a fast paced, racy show, but it's all a little lacklustre.

  A young married couple see their livelihoods threatened when the government starts enforcing restrictive fishing quotas after they have built up a small fishing empire in a village.
• 
  Dough (2021)

  Review preview for Dough

  The thing that will keep you watching Dough is the cast and performances.

  One woman finds a bag of money buried in the ground while another is hunted by criminals in this mini-series about robbery, money laundering and running a bakery.
• 
  Hostages (2022)

  Review preview for Hostages

  The contemporaneous footage helps build an easily understood timeline of events, from the excesses and cruelty of the Shah's reign to the immediate effects of the crisis on both American and Iranian politics.

  November 4, 1979, Iranian student activists stormed the US embassy in Tehran, taking over 60 Americans hostage. A 48-hour sit-in to protest imperialism, turned into an international crisis and 24/7 media event which would last for 444 days.
• 
  Paris Police 1900 (2021)

  Review preview for Paris Police 1900

  The series is largely shot from a static perspective using framing and composition to imply movement, much in the same way as would be done in a comic or graphic novel.

  Paris, France, 1899. The corpse of an unknown woman is found in the river Seine. The investigation will push a young ambitious inspector to discover a heavy state secret.
• 
  Red Light (2020)

  Review preview for Red Light

  The relationships between the the three central characters are well realised, especially by Van Houten and Reijn who've worked well together before.

  A series following three women who lose themselves and find each other in the world of prostitution and human trafficking..
• 
  Neon Genesis Evangelion

  Review preview for Neon Genesis Evangelion

  It was pretty standard fare for anime. But there was something lurking below the surface, like a thought you can't get rid of.

  A teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots.
• 
  Piranhas (2019)

  Review preview for Piranhas

  The thing that makes Piranhas watchable is the performance of its star, Francesco Di Napoli.

  Criminal children seize power in a world without a future.
• 
  Neither Wolf Nor Dog (2015)

  Review preview for Neither Wolf Nor Dog

  Simpson has a particularly good eye for landscape and colour.

  A Lakota elder takes a journalist on a road trip.
• 
  All Is True (2018)

  Review preview for All Is True

  Elton has free reign to give life to just about any flight of fancy, but what he produces is quite ordinary.

  A look at the final days in the life of renowned playwright William Shakespeare.
• 
  The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

  Review preview for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

  Although The Lego Movie 2 is fun it relies on too many throwaway jokes and references, some of which are unfortunately repeated ad nauseum.

  It's been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: Lego Duplo invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.
• 
  Assassin's Creed (2016)

  Review preview for Assassin's Creed

  This film is not worth seeing. The costumes, special effects and a brilliant cast can't save it.

  Two factions struggle for control of mankind's destiny.
• 
  Hamish (2016)

  Review preview for Hamish

  Hamish provides an interesting and enlightening insight into a culturally important man.

  A documentary portrait of Hamish Henderson, poet, soldier, intellectual, activist, songwriter and leading force in the revival of Scottish folk music.
• 
  Triple 9 (2016)

  Review preview for Triple 9

  The film is confused about what it is trying to be - is it a high octane thriller, a gritty police drama or a tragedy? It certainly isn't all three.

  A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.
• 
  Tokyo Tribe (2014)

  Review preview for Tokyo Tribe

  Like rap without rhythm, Tokyo Tribes is missing something vital: plot and characters.

  Hybrid of Yakuza gang action and hip-hop musical.
• 
  The Smuggler (2014)

  Review preview for The Smuggler

  The Smuggler blends scatological humour, brutal violence and a few scenes that will put you right off your popcorn into something that is actually rather good.

  A naïve drug mule in police custody who’s swallowed heroin pellets fights the urge to expel the evidence as mobsters and corrupt cops close in.
• 
  A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence (2014)

  Review preview for A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence

  Often highly amusing and thought provoking... always gorgeous to look at.

  Two travelling salesmen undertake a magical mystery tour of suffering, indulgence and melancholy as they attempt to sell novelty items to strangers and bring a little cheer into their lives.
• 
  Patema Inverted (2014)

  Review preview for Patema Inverted

  The film is brilliantly animated with some stunning surreal perspectives.

  A subterranean princess' world is literally turned upside down.
• 
  Nightcrawler (2014)

  Review preview for Nightcrawler

  Although far from subtle, the metaphor of man as corporation is skillfully hidden behind black comedy, intense action and artful cinematography.

  A young journalist embraces corruption as he becomes the star of his stories.
• 
  Serena (2014)

  Review preview for Serena

  The film spirals towards the inevitable like a Greek tragedy written in crayon.

  Melodrama about a logging magnate who discovers his wife can't have children.
• 
  The Battles of Coronel And Falkland Islands (1927)

  Review preview for The Battles of Coronel And Falkland Islands

  The depiction of The Battle of Coronel is truly gripping.

  Silent-era econstruction of two decisive naval battles from the First World War.
• 
  The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

  Review preview for The Fault In Our Stars

  The problem is that it's not just sugar coated, it's frosted and sprinkled.

  Teenagers who meet through their cancer treatment embark on a journey together.
• 
  Long Distance Information (2011)

  Review preview for Long Distance Information

  Long Distance Information depicts that phone call so well, the stilted awkwardness as you ask about things you don't care about.

  A phone call reveals the difficulties of estrangement within a family.
• 
  Cutting Loose (2011)

  Review preview for Cutting Loose

  Cutting Loose has a certain style and flair that brings out the artistry of hair dressing.

  Prisoners move toward rehabilitation and struggle with their hopes and dreams in the run up to the annual Scottish Prison Service hairdressing competition.
• 
  Post Tenebras Lux (2012)

  Review preview for Post Tenebras Lux

  In some ways it brings to mind the psychopathological novels of new wave science fiction.

  Juan and his family live in a country house, where they enjoy and suffer a world apart. No one knows if these two worlds are complementary or if they strive to eliminate one another.
• 
  Bullhead (2011)

  Review preview for Bullhead

  As a study of damaged masculinity and sexuality, Bullhead has a lot more depth than the crime thriller it started off as.

  A young cattle farmer is drawn into a dangerous deal.