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Balloon (2018) Review – A Remarkable True Escape

In one sentence: Balloon tells the astonishing true story of two families who attempt to escape across the Iron Curtain in a homemade hot air balloon. Mark Twain once said “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t”and no quote could ring truer for German…
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Savages (2025) Review – When Animation Takes on Deforestation

In one sentence: Savages is a stop-motion animated film that turns deforestation and overconsumption into an expressive and striking narrative. We hear a great deal about how overconsumption drives deforestation and climate change, but the makers of My Life as a Courgette bring this urgent issue to the screen in an unexpected and striking way;…
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Troll (2022) Review – A Nordic Legend Goes Large

In one sentence: Troll is a Norwegian creature feature that brings ancient folklore and large-scale action together in a dramatic, monster-driven narrative. Cinema has always had a fondness for creature features and the ongoing success of the Kong and Godzilla franchises proves that audiences still enjoy watching things get bigger, louder and more destructive. Norway…
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I’m Your Man (2021) Review – Can Love Be Engineered?

In one sentence: I’m Your Man is a German romantic sci-fi that explores love, companionship and what it means to choose the right partner. There are films that announce their genre clearly and then there are films like I’m Your Man; gentle, curious and impossible to pin down. Starring Dan Stevens and Maren Eggert, this…
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The Ugly Stepsister (2025) Review – A ‘Grimm’ Retelling of Cinderella

In one sentence: The Ugly Stepsister is a reimagined Cinderella story that delves into beauty standards and unrealistic expectations we have on ourselves and others. We all know Cinderella, or at least we think we do. The story has been told, retold, animated, modernised and Disneyfied so many times that it feels impossible to find…
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Touch (2024) Review – A Story That Reaches Across Time

In one sentence: Touch follows Kristófer, an elderly widower who, after difficult medical news as the Covid pandemic begins, travels to London to search for his long-lost love, Miko. In a cinematic landscape crowded with sequels, prequels and remakes, it is easy to feel disheartened by the lack of originality. Then, every so often, a…