Film Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Copyright: Paramount Pictures

I can only describe a film like 10 Cloverfield Lane as a classy thriller horror. I say classy because it does provide a certain level of style and commitment that elevates it above what most other three-man movies with a story vaguely similar to this one.

As a spiritual successor of Cloverfield which has nothing to do with the previous film aside from the idea that regular people are placed into unexpected, enormous and outwardly danger, the film comes with the burden or recognition and expectations. But, in spite of this, the �sequel� works pretty well in its narrow (literally and figuratively) playing field. Of course, the original Cloverfield did not have John Goodman, an actor who can make all the difference for a movie.

Here, Goodman didn�t have to swoop in and save the day because the rest of the film is solid. Its director, Dan Trachtenberg created his first-time feature-length but he found his bearings rather well, keeping things minimal much in the same way as the plot � the film covers a Michelle, a young woman who is in a car crash, after which she wakes up in an underground bunker, where a man claims the world is under a total chemical or biological attack. The woman and the captor/savior, along with a young man, are locked in the bunker.

From the initial premise, the film quickly develops several narratives, but the two are important: a lifeboat scenario mixed in with an investigative sub-plot. In the confinement of the bunker, Goodman was able to show off his talent, but so was Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the relentless Michelle. Their interplay works exceedingly well when the tension is cranked up and this is the primary driving force of the film.

Through its short run-time, Trachtenberg is able to keep a steady hold of the reigns and steer 10 Cloverfield Lane into a satisfying conclusion (along with a very J. J. Abrams touch to its finale, which was included in the production). As a small horror/psychological thriller, the film attained its maximal potential.

Film Review: Warcraft (2016)

Copyright: Universal Pictures

Great young directors will often be provided with a chance to enter the realm of huge Hollywood blockbusters and showcase their ability to tackle projects on this scale. Duncan Jones, whose talent after films like Moon is indisputable, got his break with the first feature-length movie adaptation of the Warcraft video game franchise.

Jones should have said no, but he instead tried to do the best he could, which wasn�t that great when all is summed up. In the film, the beginning stages of the orc invasion of the realm of Azeroth begins, all masterminded by Gul'dan � if this doesn�t mean a lot to you, you probably won�t enjoy the rest of the action-packed film which is not that action packed. 

Lead by a weird assembly of actors, some of which are both very good and poorly cast, which is presented perfectly with the case of Ben Foster, the Warcraft film is lacking clear direction and some final sense of purpose. 

Instead of being an epic fantasy film, it feels like an epic pilot episode for a new TV show. In the dynamic of the film, the perspectives are switched between human side and the orc side, showing a series of both internal and external power struggles, all of which kind of make no sense in the global scheme of things.

Visually, things never stop looking great, in spite of some plastic-looking props that are painfully not made out of metal. Here, some magic of being in the realm of Azeroth is there, cropping up periodically, but it is not enough. Unlike the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, the film has a hard time making the audience believe that it�s worlds are not only CGI stages filled with Styrofoam weapons. The plot suffers from the very same thing and this is not improved by the �it shall continue� ending.

I�m not sure who pulled whom and who much during the decade-long production of this movie, but in the end, everyone came up short. Warcraft is not a boring experience � however, it does its source material and creators no justice whatsoever.

Film Review: Midnight Special (2016)

Copyright: Warner Bros. Pictures

Jeff Nichols is an authentic voice in the American movie industry. His relatively small body of work includes brilliant films like Mud and Take Shelter which offers a colorful (even though rarely cheerful) setting where he is free to explore the thing that really fascinates him: family. In his latest film Midnight Special, the same process is present, but this time, the setting is way beyond anything he created before.

On some levels, the story about a boy who is clandestinely escorted by his father and his friend who believe he possesses a supernatural power plays out as a vintage adventure film. Close Encounter of the Third Kind is a logical choice for a connection, but Midnight Special works on an entirely different tune. While the 1970�s Sci-Fi classic provided a sense of wonder and amazement, the same is practically non-existent here. 

Instead, in its place feelings like abandonment and desperation take root. The film doesn�t especially try to capitalize on them but adds them as passengers on the journey taken by the characters. This makes the film a very somber and ghostly experience, something that cuts deep and offbeat in the tech thriller and chase segments which showcase what the government is trying to do to find and stop the main characters. I certain that there was a predefined dynamic how this should have played out, but the movie almost certainly doesn�t hit that mark, whatever it might have been.

The same goes for the cult moment the film presents, especially in its beginning. The boy is seen as a prophet by a group of people who function as a cult, while his parents are also members � it�s unclear if the cult grew around the boy, even though the film addresses this at one point.

It is possible that the same factor also threw off Michael Shannon, who plays the boy�s father. Shannon, an otherwise terrific actor, performs here as if he is playing a Biblical character � determined to a level of madness, full of rage and desperation. While in theory, this is in line with the rest of the plot, in practice looks weird and distracting, leaving Shannon as the ultimate sports dad who is trying to keep it cool even though he is boiling on the inside.

Midnight Special is a compact mystery science fiction, but also the weakest film made by Nichols to date. There is some family themes in it, but nothing that the director really could have used in his own distinctive style.

Crowdfunding Push: Dreaded Light

A new feature film is currently in the pre-production phase in the UK and it is looking for funding. However, the Dreaded Light comes with a slightly different way of finding the funds for this project. Led by Mark MacNicol, an industry veteran, here's some additional info about it:

A recently widowed father is struggling to cope with his grief as well as his two teenage daughters. The youngest has developed a fear of daylight � The eldest died when she was a baby.

Aside from a horror plot, the film provides an interesting, investment-like process for those who want to support it.

We applied for and received clearance on to a programme called Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme �SEIS�. It�s designed to give flagging industry sectors like film a boost. As a result any investment in Mark�s new feature film is very low risk thanks to a 70% refund (regardless of the film making a profit or not) by combining SEIS 50% with the film fund of 20%. In summary we�re giving you the opportunity to potentially make a profit, support the arts (in particular the struggling film sector) and also have some fun too. In addition we�re giving young people from socially excluded areas work experience on the film.

This means that potential funders can help make Dreaded Light happen while at the same time they end up making an investment. I always thought that was a sorely needed alternative in the independent movie-making industry and now it seems it is slowly becoming reality. If you might be interested in the project, check out the film's website here.

Crowdfunding Push: The Toymaker

There is a strange and inherent magic in the notion of toys, no matter where they come from, to whom they belong or what price tag they might once carried. A new mixture of a documentary and an animated feature desires to explore the idea of toys and how they made an impact on a man who produces them. 

This film is called the The Toymaker and it's currently in the final stretch of its crowdfunding. Here's how the movie presents itself on its official IndieGoGo page: 

THE TOYMAKER is a full-length film that mixes documentary, fiction and animation. It's about the life of the musician, collector and awarded Venezuelan toymaker Mario Calder�n. THE TOYMAKER is a true story, told by Mario and his toys. It is a travel back to childhood and memory, a mix of Toy Story and Buena Vista Social Club. THE TOYMAKER is a story about the importance of keeping alive our inner child.

The footage of the film looks really polished and the idea behind the film is rock-solid for a whimsical piece like this one. Currently, the crowdfunding attained slightly over 20% of its target with two days to go. Even though the project will likely not hit its target, this is a flexible campaign and the Toymaker deserves to happen.

Check out its IndieGoGo page here and see how you can help it out!

Film Review: The Nice Guys (2016)

Copyright: Warner Bros. Pictures

This film tries to follow in the footsteps of those comedy films which try to extract the hardboiled detective and place it into the weird and wacky world of show business. While they�re funny, they also utilize real violence to create a mix most similar to a black comedy, but not quite there when it comes to satire or cynicism (which these lack).

Every couple of years, one or more movies like that come along and replace the previous reigning king. That is why Get Shorty, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and other ones like it always tend to stick around for a somewhat prolonged period of time, mostly by being inflated in value mainly by the audience which digs the violence-fame-jokes mix-up.

The Nice Guys is a perfect representative of this trend and like most, it tries to innovate the form at least a little. In this case, there are two hardboiled detectives, here private investigators, who are working on a case of a missing porn actress in LA in the late 1970�s. 

 First, one is really a classic thug PI and is played by a very aged and worn Russell Crowe while the other is an alcoholic dandy (yes, this 19th-century expression does really apply to him) played by increasingly uninteresting Ryan Gosling.

They set off to get to the bottom of the case while they encounter a colorful range of character, most of whom either hurt them or the opposite happens. Directed by Shane Black, it�s basically Kiss Kiss Bang Bang all over again, only Robert Downey Jr. got transformed into an overweight Crowe and a boring Gosling.

The plot is convoluted and fails to make any impact on the viewer, especially when it mutates into a lame conspiracy that just goes nowhere even in the most basic terms of showing the key villain and their henchmen. As if Black struggled with the exposition, mainly which character should he show for how long, the film tries its best to be dynamic and fun but manages to do this only in snippets.

The rest of the movie is dragged down by weird side-stories and unclear goals of anyone involved, especially when the daughter of Gosling�s character enters the plot as an important element. Here, Shane struggles to even adequately present her age, interest, and ultimate motivation, aside from the most obvious of protecting her dad, even though she is (apparently) 13-years old.

Elements like this are all over, making the film strange in a not-that-good way. Essentially, every big scene is a gamble where the viewers can get a funny interaction, something random that likely includes Gosling screaming in a fake high-pitched voice or just something that tries to develop a backstory and mystery but ends up looking weak and anemic. Even a few dream sequences that come completely from the left field and seem like they belong in movies like John Dies at the End also just drag on pointlessly.

Being a Hollywood private detective is certainly very interesting, but The Nice Guys make it look like something boring, strange and tedious.

Film Review: Money Monster (2016)

Copyright: TriStar Pictures

We all got hurt in one way or another by the recession of 2008/09. While reasons for the crash are beyond most of us, many instinctively blamed the trader/broker/banker characters of the world, especially the US.

The same sentiment was founded on numerous elements, but the biggest cornerstone was the idea that those behind the reigns of this failed venture did not suffer when the excrement hit the fan.

Money Monster draws most of its energy on this premise and wants to serve one back to the financial community and at least in this fictional domain, make them sweat for what they have done and continue to do. But, no one can threaten them financially, so here a man decides to move his vengeance to the realm of bodily harm.

Directed by Jodie Foster, this thriller follows a single day in a studio where a money advisory TV show, led by Lee Gates (played by George Clooney) becomes a victim of a viewer who lost all of his money on one of Gates� suggestions. Armed with a handgun, he places a bomb on Gates and demands that the network finds out what really happened (the official story blames the loss on a glitch in an automated trading algorithm).

Films like this one and, for example, John Q could be placed in a genre of their own which could be called Righteous Hostage Takes. But, instead of providing anything of any marginal value, Foster�s film once again shows that the US consciousness is still terrified of a potential 1917 Tsarist Russia scenario, where the downtrodden masses take to arms and end a lineage of wealth and power that began when Mayflower made landfall centuries before.

In the movie, Foster tries her best to show that the victim and the unwitting accomplice (Gates) can work together for the greater good, fighting the real evil as they finally make it out, emerging from the shadows. But, below this Kumbaya story, there a deep-rooted anxiety which inexplicably seeps out from the fa�ade � the slaves are getting restless, they sense a disturbance in the force of wealth, so let�s serve them fantasies that are both satisfying (the bad bankers get what�s coming to them) and pacifying (we are all victims, after all).

It�s possible that I�m reading too much into all of this, but it�s difficult to enjoy this film on any level without accepting that there are bucket loads of emotional charge that cannot be properly directed, so it�s left to kind of eat its own tail and try to implode. On moments, a solid cast and unexpected snippets of events, like the appearance of the girlfriend of the hijacker, do provide a bit of freshness. However, aside from this, Money Monster remains just another piece of faulty financial flag-waving with a simple message:

�Do not rise up dear oppressed peasants. There�s still plenty cake left for you to eat.�

Film Review: Green Room (2015)

Copyright: A24

When Jeremy Saulnier made Blue Ruin he showed that he has the chops to make specific and very driven visions which are both familiar and deeply authentic. In Green Room, Saulnier got a chance to try and catch that AAA production wave and make a horror thriller with a great cast and a very original (yet easily relatable) setup.

Immediately, it�s clear that he successfully resisted all the temptations that mostly boil down to dumbing down of his vision. In the process, he didn�t quite make a perfect masterpiece which Blue Ruin (almost) is but still showed that he�s a force for the future of a type that is sorely needed. Often labeled in other reviews and media in general as punks vs. neo-Nazis, Green Room basically is this � after they book a gig at the wrong club in the woods and there open a wrong door, a DIY punk band ends up being under siege by a gang of murdering white supremacists.

Afraid and confused, the band members try as best as they can to stay alive and find a way out of the hell they�re in. Headed by Anton Yelchin, the acting cast is effective on both sides of the Nazi-punk divide. Aside from the tragically lost Yelchin, Joe Cole of the Peaky Blinders looks and feels good on the big screen, as does Alia Shawkat, while the Nazis have Macon Blair and none other than the legendary Patrick Stewart (which sadly didn't do anything overly interesting with his big poppa Nazi character). As the plot develops into a new version of Assault on Precinct 13, the action becomes gory and ultra-violent in a flash of an eye.

Here, like in Blue Ruin, the director demonstrates the ability to shock in a very casual manner, a thing he shares with Denis Villeneuve, another great director who used this idea recently in Sicario. But, Green Room has the advantages of being less about firearms and more about blunt or sharp instruments. Like the clash of these two very different mindsets, the physical representation of their conflict is very raw and visceral.

Of course, none of this makes the film perfect. At moments, it meanders heavily, especially in the second half, where its killer pacing gets a bit toned down. This is mainly seen in the Nazi side of the story, where there�s a lot of talking and planning and people management, but the end purpose is not overly clear. The same is true for the �mystery� of the initial killing which is completely uninteresting when it is compared to the main plot of the band�s survival. I guess this side plot looked better in the script.

But, regardless of this pacing slowdown, Green Room is a very fresh and engaging film. It works as a novel horror and a psychological thriller equally well, but even more importantly, now that Saulnier got his AAA production experience, who knows what gems we might expect from him in the future.

Gaby's Revenge Full Season Review (2016)

The thing which impressed me the most about the web series Gaby's Revenge is the ease with which it develops emotional connections. Like a neural network where nodes connect to other nodes and create a dense mesh so does this series place its characters in a living, breathing universe, where every action has a reaction.

Inside of it, the things people experience are not plot devices that simply take place and then disappear. Instead, like in the real world, they interact with each other, expanding a single event into a complex and tragic story of violence, family, and loyalty.

The creator of the series, Jonathan Vargas, pushes a clear vision for the episodes. The series consists of five individual episodes and they all differ greatly in tone, length, and exposition of the key plot elements.

The series begins simply by showing Gaby, a haunted contract killer who works, as the series puts it, as a freelancer for both the mob and the government agencies. She is under a huge amount of stress, especially because of a job that went haywire, so she decides to visit her family and try to get some bearing on her chaotic and exceedingly dangerous life. Gaby arrives at her family home, where she is greeted by her mother and her sister Angie.

However, the happy reunion is tainted by the news that her sister is struggling because of a false rumor started about her. Enraged by it, Gaby slowly but surely enters a mental place where only exceedingly bad things can happen and soon enough, they do. When I wrote the review of the pilot episode, I wished for darker things and I sure got them, but also something more important than that.


There are two main drives that power the show through the episodes. First one is the simple need to see how the story ends and how the events will lead back to one another. But, more than this, there is an emotional interconnectedness that I mentioned at the beginning. With it, Vargas manages to provide the viewers with a single character, paint him or her with a single brush, but then, later on, provide a new perspective on the same person. A bully can become a loving brother, a kingpin can turn out to be a rational man, and an assassin�s handler can be a surrogate parent. Like the very specific MagChop art the series features in its pilot, at first, the connections are random and irrelevant, as if they are simply splattered on the canvas. But as you immerse yourself in it, the art form begins to take shape.

All of this takes place in a very subtle manner and it doesn�t devalue the main plot or take anything away from it. It uses the noir setup and the thriller elements to tell a drama about pain, hurt, and suffering dealt out to those who don�t deserve it, but still are left with the gaping wounds, no matter if they�re physical or emotional. In some better reality, they victims would not get to suffer and would just relinquish this life, but in our world, Vargas tells us, people live one, struggling with the person�s they have to become because of those wounds. The whole acting cast, especially Amanda Ortega, carries this difficult setup with a lot of styles and their presence never breaks the pace that the series sets.

On some level, Vargas must have understood this while he made the series, which is why he utilizes the action elements with constraint and precision. From a cinematic perspective, this could have been the spot where some heavy stylization could have been used to make the viewing an even more smooth experience. Action scenes and limited production potential often are a big challenge, even for some big film companies. Here, an approach like the one used in Steven Soderbergh�s The Limey could make the series an even stronger neo-noir piece.

But, this is a minor observation and doesn�t really impact the current show. The main appeals of Gaby�s Revenge lie in the character development and their backstories which slowly fall into place, creating a sad but heartfelt painting of ordinary people in situations where there�s no good choice. The series shows that Vargas can grapple with plots that are both serious and complex; hopefully, he�ll get a shot at something bigger in the same thriller-like genre.

Crowdfunding Push: Lucifer Rising

There are several staples of the horror genre, but one of the most basic one, the idea of the Devil (or some of his many alternative names) was somewhat disregarded over the past couple of years. Now, however, a crowdfunding campaign for a film by P. Vincent DeMartino seems determined to change this and do it with a movie called Lucifer Rising.

Here�s what the official Indiegogo page of the film states about the project and its purpose:

Since the dawn of time man has been locked in an epic battle of good and evil. You do not have to be a Biblical scholar to understand that we may very well be living in End Times. Based on actual events and Biblical Prophecy, Lucifer Rising takes you on a powerful journey into the shadowy practices of Satanism and their evil plans to bring about the rise of Lucifer's New World Order. Presented by Luna Rossa Entertainment, Lucifer Rising is one of the most anticipated Supernatural Horror films in years. Based on actual events and Biblical Prophecy, Lucifer Rising has been likened to The Exorcist and The Omen for its horrifying content. Simply stated, you will never view the world the same once you have experienced, Lucifer Rising. 

Judging by the material that is available at this point, Lucifer Rising is really serious about following in the footsteps of the classic horror films its lists as its role models. The test footage is clean, concise and quickly sets up the eerie atmosphere ideal for this type of a film. With the vintage story of the prince of darkness himself (or itself), the movie has all that it takes to become a solid horror, created as a very welcomed change compared to the current mainstream trends in this genre.

Additionally, the film comes with a really well-thought-out campaign that clearly marks out its goals and provides cool perks for its backers, like branded clothing and planned VIP parties. All of this showcases a serious commitment to the project and a solid chance for a fine film at the end of the road.

The campaign started hours ago and just began to collect its funds. Check it out on its Indiegogo page and see how you can help make Lucifer Rising into a future horror classic.

Coming Soon: The Magnificent Seven

As the release date of September 23rd edges closer, the public interest for The Magnificent Seven only appears to grow. Recently praised for a very diverse cast, the film's director Antoine Fuqua played down this idea, saying that everyone simply worked hard on the movie. His last remake, The Equalizer did not fair that well with me, so I'm hoping that he's back to his sharp self with this one.

Check out the official trailer for The Magnificent Seven below.

Crowdfunding Push: Blackpoint's Daughter

In a previous couple of years, some fantastic Neo-Westerns were made all over the world. With films like Bone Tomahawk, Das finstere Tal and The Salvation, it is clear that this genre is currently attracting excellent filmmakers. Now, a director by the name of Marika S. Cotter needs help in finishing her project in the same domain called Blackpoint's Daughter. Here is what the film�s Indiegogo page states:

Blackpoint's Daughter is a soulful Neo-Western set deep in the haunting wilderness of the Santa Lucia Mountains. It's about the daughter of a hitman who must embrace her violent roots in order to save her sister from a deranged crime boss bent on revenge.

Being that this is a full-length film, Cotter divided the project into phases and this is the first one. Currently, the campaign generated about one-third of the targeted funds with one day to go. Check out Blackpoint's Daughter official Indiegogo campaign and see if you can help out.

Coming Soon: Dunkirk

If war is hell, then the Battle of Dunkirk was a special kind of hell, which saw thousands die in a small patch of land in France as BEF and their allies desperately tried to evacuate by sea as many soldiers from the mainland Europe as possible.

Now, Christoper Nolan is making a film simply called Dunkirk which will showcase the evacuation. The movie promises to deliver a war epic hopefully in the footprints of modern films like Fury and it comes to the theaters in summer of 2017.

Have a look at a short trailer that recently came out.

Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Copyright: Paramount Pictures

This film has the drive, the familiarity and it has just enough unique charm to make it a great family adventure set in the Star Trek universe. Jason Lin, its director, must have a very in-depth knowledge of the popcorn genre and how the same can be rehashed to seem new and exciting.

But, Lin is not a snake oil salesman and there are no cheap gimmicks in the film. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung wrote the film as if they made a very long episode of the original TV show, making the plot simple and self-contained. Star Trek Beyond begins when a lonely shuttle reaches the Federation�s newest and biggest space station Yorktown. Its single crew member pleads with the authorities to come to the rescue of the stranded ship and the captain and the crew of the Enterprise takes up this challenge.

When they arrive at their destination, a very cruel fate awaits them. Just like that, Lin takes Enterprise and does horrible things with it, making the process of the ship breaking apart a very visceral feeling. The Enterprise goes down and the crew scatters across the unknown planet. In a TV show, this would be one of those episodes where the crewmembers are left stranded on some strange and dangerous world, but here, there are no cheap locations here. Instead, the full force of AAA production is there to support the film and all of its glorious action scenes.

The casualty of this approach is the loss of the contemplative nature of Star Trek, but to be honest, J.J. Abrams is the surgeon who removed that part when the reboot began. The same is true when it comes to the ever-important (at least to Trekkies) lore. Now, there are just a couple of throwback moments referencing the original cast and practically nothing more.

The film ends as a satisfying blockbuster experience which went nowhere in terms of any intellectual or emotional ideas. At the completion of the story, the actors might have very well taken out bottles of Coca-Cola and revealed that the entire film is one giant commercial. But, Lin did the film in such a splendid manner that the lack of any substance really does not make a huge difference to the overall fun experience it provides.

Coming (Not So) Soon: Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island is not going to be hitting the movie theaters anytime soon (the release date is in 2017), but the film does look both impressive and kind of idiotic at the same time. So far, it looks like the producers decided to combine the notion of King Kong with the first part of the Predator series and then put in a big chunk of Aliens from 1986, mainly with the current military aspect of the film. This will make the film either pretty fun or intensely bad.

Check out Kong: Skull Island trailer below.

Film Review: High-Rise (2015)

Copyright: StudioCanal

Ben Wheatley knows films. His Hit List is a marvelous noir movie, developed and executed in a manner that should have made Wheatley rich and famous in a more just world. After it came out in 2011, this relatively young writer, director, and producer continued working on edgy films that only rare individuals thought they completely understood.

Now, he has branched out to the domain of big budgets and celebrity actors, while at the same time hooking a chain tied to a great literary name to his film. High-Rise is to Wheatley what The Brothers Bloom was for Rian Johnson and Godzilla was for Gareth Edwards. All of these directors showed immense talent and ability to make small films where they attained a huge level of control. Their first film on an AAA budget, however, ended up as something not exactly spectacular. 

In High-Rise, Wheatley had to fight expectations, but also a story by J. G. Ballard, one of the best writers of the 20th century and a man who is righteously adored by millions of smart people. The tale is a metaphor for the social divisions that were boiling up in the 1970�s UK and the film follows the same narrative. In it, the main character is Dr. Robert Laing, played by Tom Hiddleston, who arrives at an ultra-modern, self-sustained (regarding regular modern needs like schools and supermarkets) residential tower. He begins his new life there, but soon the structure of both the tower and the tenants begins to splinter towards a horrific end.

Wheatley went for the Stanley Kubrick approach, shooting the High-Rise using very sterile shots that were meticulously set up. His cast works well with the environment, especially the main actor and Luke Evans as his violent and volatile counterpart. But, like the shots, the film remains strangely sterile as well, working like a clock mechanism but lacking its Cuckoo bird or something else to give it either some flavor or some edge.

Unlike his other equally strange films, the director tried to use the idea of decadence as the main emotional hook. But, this concept is very troublesome for the centerpiece element of any movie, mainly because a setting needs to be shown as true initially and then slowly slide into its dark corners. Here, all of the characters are repulsive from the get-go and get very little sympathy from the audience. This might be intentional, but it makes the transition as something the audience cares little about. A social message, if there is any, wasn�t really adapted for the time 40 years after the novel was written.

It�s good to know that Wheatley broke into the big league, but the High-Rise is not something that will provide him with many impressed fans, while Ballard aficionado can only be modestly happy that this film got made. If Johnson and Edwards are a good reference point for his future, Wheatley migth soon be getting his first offers to begin working in the Star Wars franchise.