One gets the sense of a filmmaker who is bored with his material rather than being entranced by it.

In its best moments, Free Fire makes Tarantino appear restrained in comparison.

High-Rise is a grand but ultimately unsatisfying failure.

[xrr rating=2.5/5]A Field in England is a singular experience, a historical drama that could also be classified as a horror movie or a druggie head trip. It looks great in crisp black and white and features one of the most astonishing mushroom-induced trips ever filmed. However, it is also an extremely confusing feature saddled with a script filled with non-sequiturs …

[xrr rating=3.25/5]A deep, keening moan wreaks havoc in the first shots of Sightseers. Close-ups of a countryside trip are mapped out on a genuine, physical map, fingers wrapping yarn around thumbtacked destinations to sketch out routes. The fingers belong to Tina (Alice Lowe), a weathered but chipper thirtysomething preparing to go on holiday with her new boyfriend, Chris (Steve Oram). …

[xrr rating=2.25/5]You want to root for a director like Ben Wheatley. He makes films using relatively miniscule budgets but infuses them with enough style that you’d never know the difference. His playfulness toward genre demonstrates a deep knowledge of film history and a respect for the conventions he bends and reshapes. But after modest yet enthusiastic attention for 2009’s Down …

Down Terrace Dir: Ben Wheatley Rating: 3.5/5.0 Magnolia Pictures 89 Minutes Movies have a tendency to emphasize the allure of the gangster lifestyle. It’s as if every filmmaker is Henry Hill in Goodfellas announcing a lifelong ambition to don a sharply cut suit and stride confidently into neighborhood dominance. Even if a film condemns operating on the other side of …