Reviews by Paul Risker

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Bad Attitude: The Art Of Spain Rodriguez (2021)

  Review preview for Bad Attitude: The Art Of Spain Rodriguez

  Coming in at a short 71 minutes, Stern captures Spain’s creative energy and charisma.

  Legendary underground cartoonist Spain Rodriguez is profiled in this intimate portrait by his wife, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Susan Stern.
• 
  The Choral (2025)

  Review preview for The Choral

  The power of The Choral is that it evokes smiles and laughter in opposition to the oppressive reality of these war years.

  A Yorkshire village’s choral society finds its ranks depleted as men head off to war... leaving it forced to change its rules.
• 
  Cicadas (2025)

  Review preview for Cicadas

  The director drops her audience into the lives of these two women and lets the rhythm of their lives guide the narrative.

  A woman whose marriage is crumbling and is struggling to care for her ageing parents has an encounter with a single mother that leads to an unexpected bond.
• 
  Dog Eat Dog (2016)

  Review preview for Dog Eat Dog

  The threadbare plot relies on the performances and writing to underpin this narrative simplicity.

  Two former convicts are torn between going straight and returning to their old lives.
• 
  Elsinore (2026)

  Review preview for Elsinore

  Scott’s beacon of light is swallowed up by Stone and Beresford’s heavy-handedness.

  Account of Ian Charleson’s life, capturing the moment when he faced his own mortality as he prepared to play Hamlet at the Royal National Theatre.
• 
  Everest: The Other Side (2026)

  Review preview for Everest: The Other Side

  While there are undeniably parts built for the big screen spectacle, which are juxtaposed with an emotional weight, the film's rudimentary form is the enemy within.

  Follows two mountaineers as they attempt to climb and ski the direct North Face of Mount Everest.
• 
  Free Fire (2016)

  Review preview for Free Fire

  The director resembles a sniper who remains unseen, but whose presence can nonetheless be felt.

  A meeting between two gangs in a deserted warehouse turns into a shootout.
• 
  H Is For Hawk (2025)

  Review preview for H Is For Hawk

  An early piece of Levienaise-Farrouch's score profoundly conveys the dance between beauty and sadness or beauty and pain.

  After a woman's father dies, she takes solace in training a goshawk.
• 
  Is This Thing On? (2025)

  Review preview for Is This Thing On?

  What should have been a pleasant, even a heartwarming and humorous story about the way life knocks us down and asks if we're able to pick ourselves up, is crippled by a screenplay that sets itself up to fail.

  An ageing financier faces divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife confronts sacrifices made for their family, and they are forced to navigate co-parenting.
• 
  I Am Not A Serial Killer (2016)

  Review preview for I Am Not A Serial Killer

  I Am Not A Serial Killer strikes rhythmic beats with precision as the story progresses.

  A teenage sociopath tries to hunt down a killer.
• 
  I Play Rocky (2026)

  Review preview for I Play Rocky

  Anchored by Anthony Ippolito’s performance – he not only bears a striking resemblance to Stallone, but his physical and verbal mimicry is uncanny.

  Sylvester Stallone, then a failing actor, writes the ultimate underdog story and must fight for his chance to play the role of a lifetime - Rocky Balboa.
• 
  Jay Kelly (2025)

  Review preview for Jay Kelly

  It cannot be denied that Jay Kelly is interested in exploring the human condition through the lens of fame and fatherhood, but the romantic, sentimental, and saccharine tones come with a risk.

  Famous movie actor Jay Kelly and his devoted manager Ron embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey. Both are forced to confront choices they've made, their relationships with loved ones and the legacies they'll leave behind.
• 
  Klara And The Sun (2026)

  Review preview for Klara And The Sun

  Rarely does a character jump off the screen in the way Klara does. Ortega is luminous in the role.

  An Artificial Friend is desperate to find a loving home.
• 
  A Long Winter (2026)

  Review preview for A Long Winter

  Worse than incomplete, Haigh's film lacks a fully developed soul. This is in spite of striking aesthetic moments and sharply written scenes complemented by strong performances from the cast.

  Returning to his childhood home deep in the mountains, Mike is drawn back into the quiet rituals of family life as the clan prepares for the winter ahead.
• 
  Magnus (2016)

  Review preview for Magnus

  Ree embraces the music as a collaborator, a voice that can channel the feelings of both the character and the story.

  Documenting the 'Mozart of Chess'.