Quickshot Movie Reviews

20/08/2026

The End of Oak Street ★★★★½

Director: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery

This one really surprised me.

The End of Oak Street absolutely nails its atmosphere. From the opening moments there’s this constant feeling of tension hanging over everything, and it rarely lets up. The setting feels like a character in itself, and the film does a fantastic job of making you feel like something could go wrong at any moment.

The characters are really well handled too. I actually cared about what was happening to them, which makes the action hit so much harder when things start escalating. There are some genuinely brilliant sequences here, and when the film decides to go for it, it REALLY goes for it.

The story isn’t perfect, and there were a couple of moments where I wanted a little more explanation or development, but it never stopped me being completely invested.

What impressed me most was how well it balances atmosphere and action. It doesn’t sacrifice tension just to throw another big sequence at you—the two actually complement each other.

Definitely one of those films where I went in not knowing exactly what to expect and came out seriously impressed.

Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★☆
Action: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★★½

Final thoughts: This is what Jurassic World should have been—dinosaurs vs people, with the dinosaurs winning for the most part!

The End of Oak Street is really well made and surprisingly heartfelt in places. I genuinely cared about the characters, which made the danger feel that much more effective. There were audible gasps from the audience during more than a few moments, and I was right there with them.

Fantastic atmosphere, great action, dinosaurs actually feeling dangerous again, and characters I wanted to see survive. This is definitely one of those films I could happily go back and watch again.

4.5/5

07/08/2026

Ice Cream Man (2026) ★★☆☆☆

Director: Eli Craig
Starring: Noah Jupe, Bill Hader, Emily Hampshire, Peter MacNicol.

This may seem harsh, but they got this one way wrong.

I was genuinely excited for the concept. An A24 horror about kids turning into zombies and causing absolute chaos sounded like something I’d be completely on board with. Instead, I found myself checking my watch and came closer to walking out than I ever have before—and I never do that.

The gore is easily the film’s strongest aspect. When it goes for it, it really goes for it, with some wonderfully gruesome practical effects. Unfortunately, they’re let down by some noticeably poor CGI that sticks out like a sore thumb and takes you out of the moment.

The biggest disappointment is the story. It feels unfocused and never capitalises on its brilliant premise. The characters are thin, the pacing drags, and by the time it tries to pull everything together, I’d already lost interest.

A24 rarely miss for me, but this one absolutely did. It had all the ingredients for a memorable horror-comedy and somehow managed to melt into a forgettable mess.

Atmosphere: ★★★★☆
Characters: ★★☆☆☆
Gore: ★★★★★
Story: ★★☆☆☆
Overall: ★★☆☆☆

Final thoughts: Great gore and an unsettling atmosphere can’t save a story that never gets out of first gear. I wanted a film where zombie kids ran wild and all hell broke loose—instead, this one falls flat and scrapes its knee. Definitely one for the accident book. Very disappointing.

28/07/2026

The Odyssey (2026) ★★★½☆

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal.

Christopher Nolan delivers exactly what you’d expect—an absolutely massive cinematic experience. The Odyssey looks incredible on the biggest screen possible, with breathtaking practical set pieces, stunning locations, and an atmosphere that completely pulls you into its mythological world.

The action is fantastic and feels genuinely physical. You can tell so much of what you’re seeing was created for real rather than relying on CGI, which gives every sequence a weight that modern blockbusters often miss. The cast is excellent across the board, even if some characters don’t get as much room to breathe as I’d have liked.

Where the film lost me was the storytelling. There were quite a few moments where major events or character decisions just… happened, with very little explanation. I never felt completely lost, but I did find myself wanting the film to slow down and let some of its biggest moments land.

Ironically, despite feeling like it rushes through parts of the story, it also feels overlong. I think trimming 30–40 minutes could have made it a much tighter, more impactful experience.

Characters: ★★★☆☆
Action: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★☆☆
Overall: ★★★½☆

Final thoughts: The action is spectacular, the atmosphere is immersive, and the practical filmmaking deserves huge credit. It’s undeniably epic, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that too much happened without enough explanation. A leaner edit would’ve elevated it from a very good film to a great one for me.

16/07/2026

Minions vs Monsters ODEON Cinemas

30/06/2026

Until they run out of dosh presumably 😅 what can I say… I grew up watching these guys do stupid things and I will continue to regress watching them do stupid things 🤣 ODEON Cinemas

25/06/2026

01/05/2026

Another horror. Now with Witches 😅

23/04/2026

Musical biopics seem to be popular.

This is the latest and focuses on the king of pop ODEON Cinemas

16/04/2026

Another horror, another demon 😈 ODEON Cinemas

10/04/2026

Another biopic about a band from the isles of Britain

ODEON Cinemas