Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Genre: Crime
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kenneth Branagh, Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi
Duration: 114 minutes
Class: 12A
KRS Releasing Ltd
Actor-turned-director Kenneth Branagh is at the helm of the new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel.
The first film, released in 1974 and directed by Sidney Lumet, starred an A-list cast, with Albert Finney leading the cast as Hercule Poirot. Branagh’s film is not shorn of stars, with the director himself taking on the role of Poirot. Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe and Judi Dench are among the main protagonists.
The plot remains the same: a lavish trip through Europe that quickly unfolds into a race against time to solve a murder aboard a train. Everyone is a suspect when Poirot arrives to interrogate all passengers and search for clues before the killer can strike again.
The film was partly shot in Malta. In an interview earlier this year, producer Matthew Jenkins said the opening scenes were shot in Valletta, which serves as a background to Jerusalem, where Poirot is on holiday, and Istanbul, where he travels to begin his investigations.
The film will be released in the UK and Malta on Friday and in the US on November 10. No reviews are available yet.
Ratings
IMDB: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
Empire: N/A
Happy Death Day (2017)
Genre: Horror
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton, Jason Bayle
Duration: 96 minutes
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd
Jessica Rothe must figure out who is her murderer in Happy Death Day.The US slasher film, directed by Christopher Landon (Disturbia, Paranormal Activity) revolves around Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), a blissfully self-centered collegian who wakes up on her birthday in the bed of a student named Carter. As the morning goes on, Tree gets the eerie feeling that she has experienced the events of this day before.
When a masked killer suddenly takes her life in a brutal attack, she once again magically wakes up in Carter’s dormitory room unharmed. The frightened young woman must thus relive the same day over and over until she figures out who murdered her.
The film, which has been described as a mix between Groundhog Day and Scream, received generally positive reviews.
Jeffrey M. Anderson of Common Sense Media wrote: “Though it obviously borrows from Groundhog Day, this gleefully silly slasher movie has a playful spirit, likable characters, and even some half-decent life lessons.”
Chris Agar of Screen Rant was of a similar opinion. He wrote: “Happy Death Day is a fun, if silly, blending of various genre tropes that is fuelled by a strong lead performance from Rothe.”
Rothe was, in fact, praised by a number of reviewers.
The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “Happy Death Day puts a darkly humorous sci-fi spin on slasher conventions, with added edge courtesy of a star-making performance from Jessica Rothe.”
The $4.8 million Universal production has fared very well at the box office, as it grossed $68.5 million worldwide since its opening in the US on October 13.
Ratings
IMDB: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
Empire: N/A
Jigsaw (2017)
Genre: Crime/Horror
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Starring: Matt Passmore,
Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie, Hannah Emily Anderson, Laura Vandervoort
Duration: 91 minutes
Class: 18
KRS Releasing Ltd
Matt Passmore is on the hunt for a ‘dead’ serial killer in Jigsaw.Lionsgate's Jigsaw brought the Saw franchise back to the big screen after a seven-year hiatus.
Directed by German-born Australian directors the Spierig brothers (Undead, Daybreakers), the film picks up over a decade after the death of the eponymous Jigsaw killer. But after a series of murders bearing all the markings of the killer, law enforcement officials find themselves chasing the ghost of the killer, and they become embroiled in a new game.
The film received mixed reviews. Kim Newman of Empire magazine wrote: “If you don’t like Saw, this isn’t going to change your mind – but it’s skilful, satisfying schlock and respectful of its fanbase. And the final death is a show-stopping coup de grace.”
Others were much less impressed. Emily Yoshida of Vulture magazine said: “Watching Jigsaw go about his torture business is about as interesting as watching a child burn ants – a dumb and ugly waste of energy, resources and time.”
It seems, therefore, that many were those who wasted their time last weekend as the $10 million budget film topped the US box office and had a global intake of $25,750,000 on its opening weekend.
Ratings
IMDB: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 39%
Empire: 3 stars