Phoenix FM Film Reviews

This week Mark reviews:

The Fall Guy - A down-and-out stuntman must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s blockbuster film.

The End We Start From - A woman tries to find her way home with her newborn while an environmental crisis submerges London in floodwaters.

Mean Girls - Cady Heron is a hit with the plastics, an A-list girl clique at her new school. But everything changes when she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

This week Mark reviews:

I.S.S. - U.S. and Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station watch as conflict breaks out on Earth. Soon, they each receive orders: take control of the space station by any means necessary.

Last Summer - Anne, a brilliant lawyer, lives with her husband Pierre and their two daughters. When Pierre’s son Theo, from his first marriage arrives, Anne finds herself engaged in a passionate relationship with Theo.

The Three Musketeers: Milady - D’Artagnan is forced to join forces with Milady to save his love Constance, who was kidnapped before his eyes. But war is declared and Athos, Porthos and Aramis have already joined the front.

This week Mark reviews:

The Book of Clarence - Struggling to find a better life, Clarence is captivated by the power of the rising Messiah and soon risks everything to carve a path to divine existence.

Fallen Leaves - In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles – from lost phones to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.

Swede Caroline - Caroline readies herself for the annual vegetable growing championships. But shortly before the big event her prized marrow plants are stolen.

This week Mark reviews:

Back To Black - The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Next Goal Wins - Football coach Thomas Rongen is forced to take a job managing the American Samoa national team, a team known as the worse in the world after they lost 31-0 to Australia.

The Color Purple - Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

This week Mark reviews:

Scoop - How the BBC obtained the bombshell interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Suzume - 17-year-old Suzume meets a mysterious young man. Following him to an abandoned building she helps him close doors from the other side that are releasing disasters all over Japan.

The Trouble With Jessica - Sarah and Tom are in deep financial trouble. Their situation takes a terrifying nosedive with the shocking behaviour of uninvited dinner guest, Jessica.

This week Mark reviews:

Kung Fu Panda 4 - After Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, while a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

Eileen - A woman’s friendship with a new co-worker at the prison facility where she works takes a sinister turn.

Wish - A young girl named Asha wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her.

This week Mark reviews:

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

Robot Dreams - In New York City, during the 1980s, a robot and a dog become friends. They go on adventures together, but also get into some serious misfortunes together. This is their story.

Anatomy of a Fall - A woman is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

This week Mark reviews:

Drive-Away Dolls - Jamie regrets her breakup with her girlfriend, while Marian needs to relax. In search of a fresh start, they embark on an unexpected road trip to Tallahassee. Things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals.

Monster - A mother demands answers from a teacher when her son begins acting strangely.

Anyone But You - After an amazing first date, Ben and Bea’s fiery attraction turns ice-cold when they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do for their friends, they pretend to be a couple.

This week Mark reviews:

Ricky Stanicky - When three childhood best friends pull a prank that goes wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble. Twenty years later, they still use the non-existent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behaviour.

Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World - An overworked and underpaid production assistant has to shoot a workplace safety video commissioned by a multinational company. But an interviewee makes a statement that forces him to re-invent his story to suit the company’s narrative.

Dream Scenario - A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

This week Mark reviews:

Dune: Part II - Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremon while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Femme - Jules is targeted in an horrific homophobic attack, destroying his life and his career. Some time later he encounters Preston, one of the attackers, in a gay sauna. He wants revenge.

Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande - A documentary about the band Cymande, the unsung heroes whose music brought a message of peace, love and funk. Long after they stopped playing their music travelled beyond Britain’s shores and helped shaped other music and genres.

This week Mark reviews:

Memory - Sylvia is a social worker who leads a simple life and structured life. This is blown open when Saul follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.

Perfect Days - A janitor in Japan drives between jobs listening to rock music.

The Last Rifleman - A World War II veteran escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey to France to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

This week Mark reviews:

Bob Marley: One Love - Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.

The Taste of Things - Esteemed cook Eugenie and her husband Dodin create fine gourmet for an exclusive club.

How To Have Sex - Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday – drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.

This week Mark reviews:

The Iron Claw - The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the 1980s.

Gassed Up - Ash, who is trying to earn money to raise his 14-year-old sister and send his mother to rehab, gets caught up with an organized crime ring led by a young and charismatic Albanian immigrant.

The Settlers - Chile, 1901. Three Horsemen set out to secure a vast property. Accompanying a British soldier and an American mercenary is mestizo marksman Segundo, who comes to realise their true mission is to “remove” the indigenous population.

This week Mark reviews:

American Fiction - A novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

The Zone of Interest - The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Hoss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.

Orion and the Dark - A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.

This week Mark reviews:

All Of Us Strangers - A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbour as he then discovers that his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years ago.

The Eternal Daughter - Returning to a hotel now haunted by its mysterious past, an artist and her elderly mother confront long-buried secrets in their former family home.

This Blessed Plot - When Lori, a young Chinese filmmaker, arrives in the small English village of Thaxted, she discovers it’s a place where the dead surround the living and the border between the two is easily crossed.

This week Mark reviews:

The Holdovers - A cranky history teacher at a private school is forced to remain on campus over Christmas with a student who has no family plans.

The Kitchen - In a dystopian London, Izi lives in a social housing community known as The Kitchen. As the police try and force out the remaining tenants, Izi meets 12-year-old Benji, who is struggling to find his way in the world after his mother’s death.

The Marvels - Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.

Inside The Mind of Coffin Joe - Cultural icon, anti-establishment statement, sadistic lord of carnival horror! With his iconic long fingernails, top hat and cape, Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe) was the creation of Brazilian filmmaker José Mojica Marins, who wrote, directed and starred in a series of outrageous movies from 1964 to 2008.

This week Mark reviews:

Poor Things - Bella Baxter is a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter.

The Exorcist: Believer - When two girls disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, the father of one girl seeks out Chris MacNeil, who’s been forever altered by what happened to her daughter fifty years ago.

The Boys In The Boat - During the American Depression-era, the University of Washington’s rowing team complete to win their place at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

This week Mark reviews:

Priscilla - When teenage Priscilla meets Elvis, the man is already a rock and roll superstar. But he becomes someone else entirely unexpected in private moments.

Society of the Snow - The flight of a rugby team crashes on a glacier in the Andes. The few Passengers who survive the crash find themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments to survive.

One Life - Nicholas Winton looks back at his life when he saved hundreds of Central European children from the Nazis on the eve of World War II.

Phoenix FM film critic Mark Searby joins presenter Spencer Carter to countdown their favourite films of 2023.

This week Mark reviews:

The Boy And The Heron - A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother, ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.

Maestro - Chronicling the lifelong relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Coh Bernstein.

Ferrari - Set in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari’s auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.

This week Mark reviews:

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget - Having pulled off an escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new threat, and Ginger and her team decide to break in.

Passages - A gay couple’s marriage is thrown into crisis when one of them impulsively begins a passionate affair with a young woman.

The Great Escaper - Bernard Jordan escapes from his care home to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France.

This Week Mark reviews:

Wonka - With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for it’s chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

May December - Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.

A Haunting In Venice - In post-World War II Venice, Hercule Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a séance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.

This week Mark Reviews:

Candy Cane Lane - A man is determined to win the neighbourhood’s annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an Elf to help him win. But the Elf casts a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, which brings chaos to the town.

The Mean One - In a sleepy mountain town, Cindy’s parents are murdered and her Christmas is stolen by a bloodthirsty green figure in a red Santa suit.

Genie - Bernard is a workaholic who enlists the help of a magical genie in-order to help win his family back before Christmas.

This week Mark reviews:

Napoleon - French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is on a relentless journey to power. However, his addictive and volatile relationship with his wife Josephine might just derail his world domination.

Girl - The curious relationship between a girl and her mother is threatened by the hostile community around them.

The Retirement Plan - When Ashley and her young daughter Sarah get caught up in a criminal enterprise that put their lives at risk, Ashley turns to her estranged father, who is currently living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands.

This week Mark reviews:

Saltburn - A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.

Santa Claus: The Movie - The legend of Santa Claus is put in jeopardy when an unscrupulous toy manufacturer attempts to take over Christmas.

Gran Turismo - Jann Mardenborough plays the computer game Gran Turismo. When he makes it through to the world finals of the game, he is then given a shot at competing in real-life race cars. Along for the ride is a failed former race car driver and an idealistic motorsport executive.

This week Mark reviews:

The Killer - After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.

Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose - When famed paranormal psychologist Dr. Nandor Fodor investigates a family’s claim of a talking animal, he uncovers a mysterious web of hidden motives where everyone is a suspect in his relentless pursuit of the truth.

Seaside Special - A documentary about the seaside town of Cromer in Norfolk as it prepares for it’s annual end of pier variety show, which is performed twice a day for three months every summer. Filmed in 2019 and set amongst the backdrop of clashing views within the community about Brexit.

This week Mark reviews:

Bottoms - Two unpopular queer high school students start a fight club to have sex before graduation.

Cobweb - An eight-year-old boy tries to investigate the mysterious knocking sounds that are coming from inside the walls of his house, unveiling a dark secret that his parents have kept hidden from him.

The Royal Hotel - Backpackers Hanna and Liv take a job in a remote Australian pub for some extra cash and are confronted with a bunch of unruly locals and a situation that grows rapidly out of their control.

This week Mark reviews:

Pain Hustlers - Liza dreams of a better life for herself and her daughter. She gets a job at a bankrupt pharmacy company, and Liza’s guts catapult the company and her into the high life. But this puts her in the middle of a criminal conspiracy.

Talk To Me - When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed - A documentary about renowned actor Rock Hudson which examines his public character as a “Ladies Man” compared to his very private life as a gay man.

This week Mark reviews:

Killers of the Flower Moon - Members of the Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking a major F.B.I. investigation.

It Lives Inside - An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.

The Meg 2: The Trench - A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.

This week Mark reviews:

Daliland - In 1973, a young gallery assistant goes on a wild adventure behind the scenes as he helps the aging genius Salvador Dali prepare for a big show in New York.

Shortcomings - Follows a trio of young American urbanites – Ben, Miko and Alice – as they navigate a range of interpersonal relationships while traversing the country in search of the ideal connection.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - During the 90s, a new action of Transformers – the Maximals – join the autoboots as allies in the battle for Earth.

This week Mark reviews:

Blackberry - The story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.

Joy Ride - Four Asian American friends travel to China to help one of them find her birth mother.

Golda - Golda Meir, also known as the ‘Iron lady of Israel’, must face intense scrutiny and responsibilities to her decisions during the Yom Kippur War.

This week Mark reviews:

The Creator - Against the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.

Reptile - Tom Nichols is a hardened detective. He is assigned a case where a woman has died in mysterious circumstances. He suspects everyone, but this case is not as it seems and begins to dismantle the illusions of his own life.

Flora And Son - Single mum Flora is at war with her teenage son Max. In trying to find a hobby for Max, Flora rescues a guitar from a dumpster. She discovers that one’s person’s rubbish and can be a family’s salvation.

This week Mark reviews:

The Lesson - A young writer takes a tutoring position at the estate of a legendary writer.

Junk Head - In a distant future, humanity has lost its ability to reproduce. An expedition is sent to an underground city where artificial humanoids are still fertile.

The Flash - Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without superheroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.

This week Mark reviews:

Bolan’s Shoes - Penny and Jimmy are brother and sister. They grew up in a children’s home after they were involved in an accident after attending a T-Rex concert. Decades later both of them must come to terms with what happened on that fateful night.

Return To Seoul - A twenty-five-year-old French woman returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.

Rally Road Racers - Racers compete in a high-stakes rally along the famous Silk Road trade route.

This week Mark reviews:

Past Lives - Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea to America. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.

No Hard Feelings - On the brink of losing her home, Maddie finds an intriguing job listing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying.

Smoking Causes Coughing - A group of vigilantes called the “Tobacco Forces” is falling apart. To rebuild team spirit, their leader suggests that they meet for a week-long retreat, before returning to save the world.

This week Mark reviews:

And Then Come The Nightjars - An unlikely friendship develops between a Devon farmer and a vet who is assigned to cull his precious heard during the foot & mouth epidemic.

Apocalypse Clown - When a mysterious technological blackout plunges Ireland into anarchy and chaos, a group of failed washed up clowns are forced to traverse the country for one last shot at their dreams.

War Pony - Interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

This week Mark reviews:

The Blackening - Seven Black friends go away for the weekend and end up trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. Will their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies help them stay alive? Probably not.

Fool’s Paradise - A fool for love becomes an accidental celebrity only to lose it all.

Mob Land - A sheriff tries to keep the peace when a desperate family man robs a pill mill with his brother-in-law, alerting an enforcer for the New Orleans mafia.

This week Mark reviews:

Strays - An abandoned dog teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner.

The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan - D’Artagnan arrives in Paris trying to find his attackers after being left for dead. He aligns himself with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three musketeers of the king, as they fight for the future of France.

Book Club: The Next Chapter - A new journey awaits the four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had.

This week Mark reviews:

Haunted Mansion - Single mother Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest and a historian to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after discovering it is inhabited by ghosts.

Puffin Rock and the New Friends - Following the disappearance of the final Little Egg of the season, Oona and her friends embark on a race against time to try and save it before a big storm hits Puffin Rock and puts the island in danger.

Pretty Red Dress - Follows a South London family and how one red dress is the centre of their lives.

This week Mark reviews:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Four teenage mutated turtle brothers must work to earn the love of New York City while also facing down an army of mutants.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves - A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic. But things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Polite Society - Ria Khan believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends’ help, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

This week Mark reviews:

The Beanie Bubble - Ty Warner was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women grew his idea into the biggest toy craze in history.

Beau Is Afraid - Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic odyssey back home.

Baato - Every winter Mikma and her family travel by foot from their village deep in the Himalaya of Nepal to an urban market to sell local medicinal planets. This year, construction of a highway to China has begun, this aids Mikma and her family’s journey. But at the same time, they know life will never be the same again.

This week Mark reviews:

Barbie - Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.

Oppenheimer - The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret - When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret navigates new friends, feelings and the beginning of adolescence.

This week Mark reviews:

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning: Part One - Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

A Kind of Kidnapping - A young, broke couple kidnap a sleazy politician who decides that he can spin the story to his own advantage.

Pinocchio A True Story - Young Pinocchio runs away from his genius creator Jepetto accompanied by the horse Tibalt. Pinocchio sets out to see the world but along the way joins with a travelling circus run by a notorious hustler.

This week Mark reviews:

Elemental - In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fire-y young woman called Ember realises how much she has in common with go-with-the-flow water guy called Wade. But they are from two different backgrounds.

Wham! - Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! Career, from 1970s best friends to 1980s pop icons.

Skinamarink - Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished.

This week Mark reviews:

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.

Hello, Bookstore - In the shadow of the pandemic, a small-town rallies to protect a beloved local bookstore.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On - Marcel, a mollusc, is trying to find his family. He enlists the help of a filmmaker to track them down.

This week Mark reviews:

Asteroid City - World-changing events spectacularly disrupt the itinerary of a Junior Stargarzer/Space Cadet convention in an American desert town circa 1955.

Stars At Noon - A young American journalist stranded in present day Nicaragua falls for an enigmatic Englishman who seems like her best chance of escape. She soon realizes, however, that he may be in even greater danger than she is.

Pearl - In 1918, a young woman on the brink of madness pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation and lovelessness of life on her parents’ farm.

This week Mark reviews:

Greatest Days - When Rachel wins a competition to see a reunion tour for a band she loved as a teenager, she looks to take her best friends from twenty five years ago. But time has moved on and they have all lost touch. But can one last night listening to the music of their youth rekindle their friendship?

Champions - A former minor-league basketball coach is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realises that despite his doubts, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined.

Inland - Tom is struggling to find who he really is after the mysterious disappearance of his mother. He seeks out the help of his father, but things start to take a dark turn within the quiet village they live in.

This week Mark reviews:

Chevalier - Joseph Bologne was the illegitimate son of an African Slave and a French plantation owner. He rose to great heights in French society as composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges, before an ill-fated love affair.

Love Without Walls - Forced out of their home to face life on the streets, young lovers Sophie and her singer/songwriter husband Paul must fight to keep their love, dreams and music alive.

65 - An astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone.

This week Mark reviews:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Miles Morales catapults across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-people charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.

Cocaine Bear - An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teenagers converge on a Georgia forest where a huge black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant - During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of gruelling terrain.

This week Mark reviews:

The Little Mermaid - A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a Prince.

Master Gardener - A meticulous horticulturist is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate and also pandering to his employer, a wealthy dowager.

1976 - Chile, 1976. Carmen heads off to her beach house. When the family priest asks her to take care of a young man he is sheltering in secret, Carmen steps onto unexplored territories, away from the quiet life she is used to.