The Wee Review
The Wee Review is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this
publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following
Tomatometer-approved critic(s):
James Hanton, Kevin Wight
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
2
Alice (2022)
What could have worked as a dark and edgy revenge thriller gets stuck between two modes of storytelling and does justice to neither.
Posted Jan 25, 2022
2
4
Neptune Frost (2021)
This is a frantic, untamed ocean of ideas, visuals, sound and fury, and the water is lovely.
Posted Jan 24, 2022
3
5
Hatching (2021)
A coming-of-age horror fable with a dextrous multi-purpose metaphor at its core, it comes across as E.T. repurposed through the prism of Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber
Posted Jan 24, 2022
4
2
Dual (2022)
The intentional flatness, and arid, deadpan humour ensure some mileage early on, but narratively it's revealed to be something of an empty shell.
Posted Jan 23, 2022
5
3
Call Jane (2022)
It's a clear-eyed, direct work that remains affecting even if it flattens its dramatic sensibility into one specific character arc.
Posted Jan 22, 2022
6
5
This is in no way an 'anti rom-com'. It is romantic, but in the sense of excellent poetry and the reasonable chance of early death.
Posted Jan 21, 2022
7
3
Sweet Thing (2021)
It's rare for a film dealing with such subjects to fall on the side of optimism, naively misty-eyed or not.
Posted Nov 17, 2021
8
2
France (2021)
A strangely dialled-down affair that does nothing except cement Léa Seydoux as one of the most decorous weepers in cinema today.
Posted Nov 16, 2021
9
5
Petite Maman (2021)
An incredibly charming and benign ghostly fable that speaks volumes in measured whispers about death, grief, and acceptance.
Posted Nov 9, 2021
10
3
The Divide (La fracture) (2021)
Engrossing [The Divide] certainly is, but it feels strangely contra to how seriously Catherine Corsini takes the shattered edifice of French politics.
Posted Nov 7, 2021
11
2
Dead & Beautiful (2021)
Taiwanese vampire drama turns out Taipei negative.
Posted Nov 7, 2021
12
3
In its star it has an instinctive performer who finds empathy and truth in a character that could have been simply a blunt instrument.
Posted Oct 11, 2021
13
4
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
An urgent, brutal, and harrowing vision of war through the eyes of a child, made by a filmmaker of rare vision and talent.
Posted Sep 28, 2021
14
3
Martyrs Lane (2021)
Wears its bleeding, compassionate heart on its sleeve, and benefits immeasurably from superb central performances
Posted Sep 13, 2021
15
2
Yakuza Princess (2021)
One of those unfortunate movies where an enticing title fails to translate into onscreen satisfaction, Yakuza Princess is just unspectacular in every department.
Posted Sep 13, 2021
16
4
Superhost (2021)
At a lean 85 minutes this stylish, witty, and mordant little horror never comes close to outstaying its welcome.
Posted Sep 2, 2021
17
4
Jakob's Wife (2021)
A tart comedy-horror about the limitations placed on women, and how they're often viewed solely in terms in relation to others; principally as a wife or a mother.
Posted Aug 19, 2021
18
2
Prophecy (1979)
[Frankenheimer] had a far better eye for the industrial and cultural conflict of the setting, than the screaming, the wailing, and the gnashing of ursine teeth.
Posted Aug 16, 2021
19
3
Running Against the Wind (2019)
Very flawed, but heartfelt, visually gorgeous, and suffused with an almost guileless earnestness.
Posted Aug 8, 2021
20
4
Pariah (2011)
Pariah doesn't strain towards unnecessary drama, finding a sweet spot of unvarnished verisimilitude.
Posted Aug 1, 2021
21
4
As far removed from standard martial arts action fare as it is possible to be while remaining within the genre. It is quite possibly Sammo Hung's finest.
Posted Jul 22, 2021
22
1
Vanquish (2021)
A deathly dull, visually repulsive, and stylistically bereft stinker that lacks even the good grace to be unintentionally hilarious.
Posted Jul 21, 2021
23
3
Kandisha (2020)
Kandisha is a satisfying modern slasher... if more than a little indebted to one particular modern classic.
Posted Jul 19, 2021
24
2
Plurality (2021)
This twisty, but highly silly Taiwanese effort, like its protagonist, wears many faces throughout, to wearying effect.
Posted Jul 18, 2021
25
3
An uneven but still consistently entertaining work from Chow Yun Fat's pre-Hollywood era.
Posted Jul 18, 2021
26
3
For the Sake of Vicious (2021)
Unlike the marauding goons piling through Romina's doors and windows, Carrer and Eveneshen burst in, do the job, and take no prisoners along the way.
Posted Jul 14, 2021
27
4
Werewolves Within (2021)
[Has] a nonchalant quality that undercuts any pretensions towards real horror and makes the stakes feel slight, but wrings genuine joy and affection from threadbare tropes.
Posted Jul 13, 2021
28
2
The Call (2020)
Beyond the well-sampled wellspring of '80s nostalgia, there is little to stay on the line for.
Posted Jul 9, 2021
29
4
Alone (2020)
Look past the generic title and the back-of-a-fag-packet plot synopsis and you'll find one of the purest and finest genre exercises in recent memory.
Posted Jul 6, 2021
30
3
Son (2021)
It ultimately loses sight of its strongest assets, but at its best, there's a confident manipulation of character and tone.
Posted Jul 5, 2021
31
2
An Unquiet Grave (2020)
A noble failure - albeit, one that indicates that better things are to come.
Posted Jun 25, 2021
32
4
Vicious Fun (2020)
Easily succeeds in being more than a high concept and a grab bag of references and, crucially gets the balance between laughter and gore... spot on, often simultaneously.
Posted Jun 24, 2021
33
4
There are tighter, more complete works in [To's] extensive filmography, but PTU would make a great introduction to his style.
Posted Jun 23, 2021
34
1
The Superdeep (2020)
Cold War body horror is a congealed homage to many far better films
Posted Jun 17, 2021
35
3
Flashback (2020)
There is no little pleasure in trying to solve the puzzle of Fredrick Fritzell, even if that is all he ever is.
Posted Jun 3, 2021
36
4
Caveat (2020)
Crushing atmosphere and some exquisite moments of sheer, primal terror will linger a lot longer than some mild disappointment in its storytelling.
Posted Jun 1, 2021
37
3
Skull: The Mask (2020)
Brazilian slasher throwback that makes mincemeat of its plot as well as its victims.
Posted May 30, 2021
38
3
PG: Psycho Goreman (2021)
It would be wrong to use the word wholesome, but it really is fun for all the family, in its own sick little way.
Posted May 17, 2021
39
5
One of the finest and most compelling depictions of espionage ever put on screen, featuring perhaps Richard Burton's greatest performance as its self-destructive anti-hero.
Posted May 16, 2021
40
4
Fried Barry (2020)
A meandering alien odyssey that churns Under the Skin, I, Lucifer, and Enter the Void through a grindhouse blender. It reeks of 2am slots at all-night festivals.
Posted May 5, 2021
41
2
Watchable but forgettable low-budget thriller falls victim to both pandemic and zombie fatigue.
Posted Apr 25, 2021
42
2
Fear of Rain (2020)
There is a real lunatic appeal to the ludicrous lengths the story [explores]. Yet it holds itself back at every turn, leaving it too late for genuine impact.
Posted Apr 22, 2021
43
2
Alone (2020)
A toothless American version of a film that itself is no more than mildly diverting, Final Days is likely to come and go largely unnoticed.
Posted Apr 7, 2021
44
2
Russian Raid (2021)
What starts off as interesting enough as various fighting styles clash becomes a meaningless morass of broken bones and bullet wounds.
Posted Mar 19, 2021
45
3
Slaxx (2020)
It's a gonzo good time, even if some of its themes clash with its execution like tweed against velour.
Posted Mar 16, 2021
46
3
A Ghost Waits (2020)
It doesn't quite deserve the critical lionisation it's received in some quarters, but it's a curious and charming romance with an inquisitive metaphysical heart.
Posted Mar 5, 2021
47
3
The Last Ones (Viimeiset) (2020)
For the most part, [Veiko] Õunpuu is more successful in building mood and characters that become more complex as they're boiled like frogs.
Posted Mar 5, 2021
48
3
Spring Tide (2019)
49
5
Limbo (2021)
[Ben] Sharrock directs with grace and patience, the film's pace portraying the sense of an indeterminate period stretching out before its protagonists.
Posted Mar 5, 2021
50
4
Victim(s) (2020)