Reviews by Jennie Kermode

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Blind Ambition (2021)

  Review preview for Blind Ambition

  Co-directors Robert Coe and Warwick Ross use their simple premise to explore wider subjects.

  The story of four Zimbabwean men who form their country’s first Wine Tasting Olympics team and the mission that drives them to compete.
• 
  A Blind Bargain (2025)

  Review preview for A Blind Bargain

  Cinematographer Fransisco Bulgarelli captures the angles perfectly: the theatrical glides, the lingering gaze, the suddenly intimate close-ups on faces when we don’t know whether to expect comedy or violence.

  A reimagining of the Lon Chaney classic in which a desperate young man strikes a dark deal with an unhinged doctor, offering his mother as a subject for the physician's twisted experiments.
• 
  Blind Cop 2 (2024)

  Review preview for Blind Cop 2

  Director Alec Bonk knows the language of tough guy action films perfectly, and star George Fearing has the physique to make it work.

  When an influx of illegal weapons trafficking explodes onto the scene, a grieving blind police officer must purge the city streets or risk mass chaos breaking loose.
• 
  Bliss (2021)

  Review preview for Bliss

  Bliss is one of those films whose craft may not immediately be apparent to the average viewer, but it’s a beautifully constructed piece of work.

  Two sex workers meet in a Berlin brothel. In a place where the female body is a commodity, they experience moments of happiness.
• 
  Blizzard Of Souls (2019)

  Review preview for Blizzard Of Souls

  Strip away the national trappings and this is an old, old story, but director Dzintars Dreibergs, despite working with a tiny budget, tells it well.

  Dramatisation of the autobiographical experiences in the unforgiving First World War of teenager soldier Artūrs Vanags.
• 
  The Block Island Sound (2020)

  Review preview for The Block Island Sound

  Despite its initial openness and the length of time it takes for subtle clues to build into something on which theories can be built, it's dramatically consistent throughout and very effective at mood-building.

  A mysterious force lurks off the coast of Block Island, curiously influencing the surrounding town and wildlife.
• 
  The Blonde One (2019)

  Review preview for The Blonde One

  Marco Berger's beautifully crafted film explores what it means to live undercover in a proudly straight environment.

  Two new flatmates experience a mutual attraction, but can they make it work or is getting involved in this situation asking for trouble?
• 
  The Bloodhound (2020)

  Review preview for The Bloodhound

  Where previous versions have been inflamed with passion, this is icy cold, showcasing a different, more commonplace and obviously miserable form of mental illness.

  A visit to a wealthy and reclusive friend lands a young man in a world of fear and despair.
• 
  Bloodsisters: Leather, Dykes And Sadomasochism (1995)

  Review preview for Bloodsisters: Leather, Dykes And Sadomasochism

  Where it really delivers is in capturing a hidden history.

  Eight self-described leather dykes discuss queer politics, power and self-determination.
• 
  Bloodthirsty (2020)

  Review preview for Bloodthirsty

  There's an all too familiar kind of horror here which makes the first half of the film an uneasy watch.

  A young musician who suffers from hallucinations is persuaded to record an album in a remote location by a producer with an agenda of his own.
• 
  Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection (2025)

  Review preview for Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection

  Once you get know the work of this plucky Mancunian producer, it's hard not to fall in love with it.

  A collection of films produced by Cliff Twemlow, plus a documentary about his life and work.
• 
  Blood Covered Chocolate (2022)

  Review preview for Blood Covered Chocolate

  Light plays with contrast but knows when to step back and simply let the camera rest on Klug’s face.

  When a recovering drug-addict named Massimo is bitten by an ancient, shapeshifting monster, he must fight to save his girlfriend Tien from the same bloody fate.
• 
  Blood Feast (2016)

  Review preview for Blood Feast

  2016’s Blood Feast rises to the challenge with aplomb.

  A museum security guard and restaurateur prepares a cannibal feast in honour of the goddess Ishtar.
• 
  Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death Of Al Adamson (2019)

  Review preview for Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death Of Al Adamson

  A touching story of commonplace horror wrapped up in the trappings on Tinseltown, this is a thoroughly researched and carefully assembled piece of work that will intrigues fans of the director and newcomers alike.

  A documentary about the uncommon life and unthinkable murder of the legendary no-budget exploitation filmmaker and the communities he inhabited in Seventies California.
• 
  Blood For Dracula (1974)

  Review preview for Blood For Dracula

  The film has that trademark combination of high artistic ambition and crude pornographic content, sometimes charming or am,using, sometimes repellent.

  An ailing vampire count travels to Italy with his servant to find a bride.
• 
  Blood From Stone (2020)

  Review preview for Blood From Stone

  There's an echo here of the kind of love that endures through everything, which is rather less poetic and rather more burdensome when one has to live with it.

  A vampire's failure to adapt to the modern age creates danger for him and the former partner he doesn't want to let go.
• 
  Blood Machines (2019)

  Review preview for Blood Machines

  Narratively slight but stylistically lush.

  Two space hunters are tracking down a machine trying to free itself. After taking it down, they witness a mystical phenomenon: the ghost of a young woman pulls itself out of the machine, as if the spaceship had a soul.
• 
  Blood On Her Name (2019)

  Review preview for Blood On Her Name

  Lind is compelling in the lead.

  A woman's panicked decision to cover up an accidental killing spins out of control when her conscience demands she return the dead man's body to his family.
• 
  The Blood On Satan's Claw (1971)

  Review preview for The Blood On Satan's Claw

  It touches on an underlying anxiety in British society as few other films have done.

  In 17th Century England, the children of a village slowly convert into a coven of Devil worshipers.
• 
  Blood Paradise (2018)

  Review preview for Blood Paradise

  Winter is a competent lead (as well as doing half the other jobs involved in production) and keeps Robin believable despite all the absurdity around her.

  A crime writer visiting a retreat encounters a collection of unusual people who may be more dangerous than they seem.
• 
  Blood Quantum (2019)

  Review preview for Blood Quantum

  There's some interesting material here but there's also much that's mediocre.

  The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi'gMaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are strangely immune to the zombie plague.
• 
  Blood Shine (2025)

  Review preview for Blood Shine

  There is visceral violence in Bennett and Brooks’ film, an explicit study of some of the dynamics of self harm, at times eroticised, and a lot of blood. Still, it is essentially a character-driven piece.

  In her remote country home, a religious zealot takes a young filmmaker captive, claiming her sadistic rituals will change him into a god.
• 
  Blood Vessel (2019)

  Review preview for Blood Vessel

  This is a B-movie, there's no denying that, but it's a B-movie made with love and no small measure of skill.

  Somewhere in the North Atlantic, late 1945. A lift raft adrift at sea, and in it, the survivors of a torpedoed hospital ship: With no food, water, or shelter, all seems lost - until an abandoned German minesweeper drifts ominously towards them, giving them one last chance at survival.
• 
  Blowin' Up (2018)

  Review preview for Blowin' Up

  A refreshing look at the realities of a world that most people have strong opinions on but few really know much about.

  In a courtroom in Queens, women facing prostitution charges may earn a chance at redemption thanks to an experimental programme. Documentary.
• 
  Blueback (2022)

  Review preview for Blueback

  Robert Connolly successfully delivers a story which has enough nuance to keep adults from getting bored whilst remaining accessible to younger viewers.

  The story of a child who befriends a magnificent wild blue grouper while diving. When she realises that the fish is under threat, she takes inspiration from her activist mother, and takes on poachers to save her friend.
• 
  The Blues Brothers (1980)

  Review preview for The Blues Brothers

  Comes close to redefining cool.

  Two sometime blues musicians and petty crooks aim to put on the biggest show of their lives to raise the money to save the orphanage where they grew up.
• 
  Blue Iguana (2018)

  Review preview for Blue Iguana

  Rockwell could have played this role in his sleep but makes as effort nonetheless, and Schwartz holds his own.

  Two small time US criminals get out of their depth after being persuaded to travel to England to steal a mysterious package.
• 
  Blue Moon (2021)

  Review preview for Blue Moon

  Chitu gives a quietly dignified performance, gradually letting us see Irina’s strength through her resilience.

  A young woman struggles to access higher education and escape the violence of her dysfunctional family.
• 
  Blue My Mind (2017)

  Review preview for Blue My Mind

  An astonishing debut.

  When a teenager who has trouble with her parents moves to Zurich with them, she starts to walk on the wild side.
• 
  The Blue Rose (2023)

  Review preview for The Blue Rose

  Baron, who at just 18-years-old is a prodigy by anyone’s standards, weaves a tapestry of Lynchian threads through this gorgeously presented film but ends up with something which works on its own merits.

  Two rookie cops are determined to solve a seemingly clear-cut homicide, only to find themselves in an alternate reality of their worst nightmares.
• 
  Blue Sunshine (2023)

  Review preview for Blue Sunshine

  Blue Sunshine was made by a woman who has been through it herself, and that shows in every fibre of the film.

  A high school teacher undergoes transition to her new life while working in a conservative small-town school.
• 
  Blue Velvet (1986)

  Review preview for Blue Velvet

  One of the great masterpieces of modern cinema

  A young man befriends a woman in trouble and discovers a sinister side to life in his small town.
• 
  #Blue_Whale (2021)

  Review preview for #Blue_Whale

  This is a decent little thriller which benefits from very strong design.

  Researching the death of her younger sister, a schoolgirl comes across a sickening social media game that encourages youths to take horrific self-harm challenges. Aiming to hunt down those responsible for her sister’s death, she registers for the game, opening a doorway into the cruellest of hidden online worlds.
• 
  Blush (2021)

  Review preview for Blush

  The focus on bright colours and sparkles makes it easily accessible to young viewers.

  The animated tale of a stranded horticulturist-astronaut who meets an ethereal visitor on a desolate world.
• 
  The Boat (2023)

  Review preview for The Boat

  Morgan understands the importance of restraint and gives the audience room to interpret unfolding events for themselves.

  When a father discovers that his youngest daughter has the early symptoms of a devastating disease, he is faced with a decision.
• 
  Bobi Wine: The People's President (2022)

  Review preview for Bobi Wine: The People's President

  Though we spend a good part of the film inside offices or private homes, there is also a lot of footage from the streets, where passions run high.

  A documentary about how Ugandan opposition leader, activist and musical star Bobi Wine took on the regime led by Yoweri Museveni, the person who led the country for 35 years.
• 
  Bob And The Monster (2011)

  Review preview for Bob And The Monster

  Bob And The Monster takes an affectionate look at rock and a fresh look at drug addiction.

  Musician Bob Forrest talks about his days with Thelonius Monster and his struggle with heroin addiction.
• 
  Bob Spit - We Don't Like People (2021)

  Review preview for Bob Spit - We Don't Like People

  Undoubtedly among the most impressive of this year’s animated works.

  A Brazilian punk comic book legend comes into conflict with his creator.
• 
  Body Blow (2025)

  Review preview for Body Blow

  Immersive and intense, the more so because of its roots in a brutal history of gaybashing by Sydney cops.

  An undercover cop finds his commitment to the force tested when he falls for a young twink deep in debt to a vicious drug lord in this kinky neon-noir.
• 
  The Body Fights Back (2020)

  Review preview for The Body Fights Back

  With so many issues at play it would be impossible to go into depth on them all, but Vosumets provides a solid introduction, giving viewers the insight they need to go off and find out more.

  A feature documentary about five people navigating the paradoxes of diet culture.
• 
  Body Melt (1993)

  Review preview for Body Melt

  A hilarious tribute to the best-loved cliches of the genre.

  Mad scientists perform crazed experiments on unwitting Aussie suburbanites.
• 
  Body Of Our Own (2026)

  Review preview for Body Of Our Own

  Filmed over seven years and edited down to just 25 minutes, Body Of Our own is observational in style but full of condensed meaning.

  A documentary following three hijra women though a series of transitional life experiences.
• 
  Boiled Angels: The Trial Of Mike Diana (2018)

  Review preview for Boiled Angels: The Trial Of Mike Diana

  Biafra brings real energy and passion to the job, helping to make this a film that’s consistently gripping and never gets dry even when dealing with legal details.

  A look at the politics and courtroom shenanigans behind the first ever US conviction of an artist for obscenity.
• 
  Boil Alert (2023)

  Review preview for Boil Alert

  Stitching together the various pieces of Layla’s journey are sequences which use dance to explore wild landscapes, adding a different dimension to the film.

  Activist Layla Staats shows the faces and personal stories behind the struggle of First Nations reserves to access a basic human right: drinkable water.
• 
  Bokeh (2017)

  Review preview for Bokeh

  Monroe, who seems to get better with every film, is excellent here.

  A young US couple visiting Iceland wake up one day to discover that everybody else has vanished.
• 
  Bombshell (2019)

  Review preview for Bombshell

  Bombshell is a finely crafted film which benefits from one of the best acting ensembles of the year.

  A group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.
• 
  Bones And All (2022)

  Review preview for Bones And All

  The balance of subjectivity and object status becomes important in a story whose protagonists are always potentially dangerous to one another.

  Maren, a young woman, learns how to survive on the margins of society.
• 
  Bone Lake (2024)

  Review preview for Bone Lake

  Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan plies her trade with a style and verve which elevate this far above the 1980s straight-to-VHS erotic thrillers that it superficially resembles.

  When two young couples are mistakenly double-booked into the same vacation rental their romantic weekend becomes a twisted maze of sex, lies, and survival.
• 
  Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (2024)

  Review preview for Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.

  Bonhoeffer struggles with his faith, but less in the manner of a great thinker and more in that of someone who writes quotes for inspirational posters.

  As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is caught up in a plot to assassinate Hitler, facing an ethical quandary as he strives to prevent genocide.
• 
  Booger (2023)

  Review preview for Booger

  A poignant study of the grieving process, Booger uses horror elements to explore disorientation and the acute insecurities that emerge from being suddenly alone.

  After she's she's bitten by her dead friend's cat, Booger, a woman's life starts to get stranger every day: she's hungry for canned fish, she keeps swallowing her hair, and her predator instincts are out of control.