Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Genre: Thriller
Certification: 12A
Duration: 107 minutes
Directed by: Peter Berg
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin, John Malkovich, James DuMont, Gina Rodriguez
KRS Releasing Ltd

This biographical disaster thriller is based on the April 2010 explosion of the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon about 60km southeast of the Louisiana coast in the US, in which 11 workers died and 17 others were injured.

The same blowout that caused the explosion also led to  a huge offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the world and the largest environmental disaster in US history.

The film, directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Lone Survivor, Battleship),  chronicles the courage of those who worked on the rig and the extreme moments of bravery and survival.

Mark Wahlberg plays the lead role of electrical engineer Mike Williams, and Kate Hudson plays his wife. Her role is her first on-screen pairing with Kurt Russell, her adoptive father, who plays the part of Jimmy Harrell, the offshore installation manager on the rig and Wahlberg’s boss.

Gina Rodriguez landed the role of Andrea Fleytas, who noticed a blaze at the rig and tried to contact the Coast Guard, while John Malkovich plays a BP representative who underestimates the dangers of working on the rig.

The film, which was shot on location in Louisiana, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation after the screening.

Critics praised the picture, especially the acting and the thriller aspect. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote: “The actor [Wahlberg] is a believable everyman engineer in a harrowing, courageous account of the 2010 oil rig tragedy – and the corporate greed that caused it.”

Chris Hewitt of Empire Magazine described the film as “an efficient and no-nonsense depiction of the worst disaster in US oil drilling history, buoyed by excellent performances.”

The Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus reads: “Deepwater Horizon makes effective use of its titular man-made disaster to deliver an uncommonly serious –  yet still suitably gripping – action thriller.”

The film will be released in many countries on Thursday and Friday, including Malta.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Empire Magazine: 4 stars

Don’t Breathe (2016)
Genre: Horror
Certification: 15
Duration: 88 minutes
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Katia Bokor, Daniel Zovatto
KRS Releasing Ltd

The horror film revolves around three friends and thieves – Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto) – who break into the houses of wealthy people.

They hear of a blind veteran who won a major cash settlement following the death of his only child. Thinking he is an easy target, the trio invades the man’s secluded home in an abandoned neighbourhood. But they find themselves trapped inside and they must fight for their lives.

The film received very positive reviews, with the director, Fede Alvarez, earning plaudits.

Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian, in fact, wrote: “Fede Alvarez’s simple housebound horror film is sparse on dialogue but its editing and sound design lend to a slow roll of dread that makes it a triumph.”

Dennis Harvey of Variety described the film as “a muscular exercise in brutal, relentless peril that should please genre fans”.

Made on a $9.9 million budget, the film has so far earned $120.3 million in box offices worldwide.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Empire Magazine: 4 stars

Julieta (2016)
Genre: Drama
Certification: 15
Duration: 99 minutes
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Michelle Jenner, Rossy de Palma, Adriana Ugarte, Emma Suárez
KRS Releasing Ltd

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s 20th film is based on three short stories from the book Runaway by Alice Munro.

After a chance meeting, middle-aged Julieta (Emma Suarez) learns that her long-lost daughter has resurfaced in Madrid. This begins a painful reflection by Julieta into her chequered past, flashing back to the moments of pain that defined her current life.

The film drew praise from critics in Spain,  with the Spanish edition of Vanity Fair also called it “the most Almodóvar film by Almodóvar”.

Julieta also had a warm reception at the Cannes Film Festival and from French critics. The film went down well with British and American critics.

Anna Smith of Empire found the film to  be “a slick, stylish melodrama with an involving story and a cracking cast”.

Mark Kermode of The Guardian wrote: “Told in flashback over 30 years of guilt and grief, this tender melodrama is Pedro Almodóvar’s best film in a decade.”

The film has been selected as the best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Empire Magazine: 4 stars

Morgan (2013)
Genre: Sci-fi
Certification: 15
Duration: 92 minutes
Directed by: Luke Scott
Starring: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie, Toby Jones, Michelle Yeoh, Brian Cox, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Giamatti
KRS Releasing Ltd

The son of director Ridley Scott, Luke, makes his directorial debut with a science-fiction horror film.

Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a bioengineered child who exceeds the wildest expectations of her creators.

When she attacks one of her handlers, a corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) visits the  top-secret facility where she's kept to assess the risks of keeping her alive. But the girl breaks free and starts running amok.

The film received mixed reviews, with most saying that it did not develop its original concepts.

Chris Agar of Screen Rant wrote:

“It toys with some interesting concepts, but Morgan ultimately favours generic action over developing its core ideas into something more fascinating.”

Helen O’Hara of Empire Magazine quite agrees: “It’s well designed and shot, but in service of a story that never coalesces into something intelligent or compelling.

Ratings
IMDB: 6.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 39%
Empire Magazine: 2 stars