Dan Says its Alright

  There are three main reasons somebody would go to see A Quiet Place : Day One. 1. They are a fan of the first two movies in the series. 2. They dug the apocalyptic alien invasion vibes of the trailer. 3. They enjoyed director Micheal Sarnoski's previous (and only other) film Pig. It is the third group who are most likely to be satisfied. Lupita Nyong'o stars as Sam, a terminally ill cancer patient on a last visit into New York when a meteorite shower brings the "Death Angels" to Earth and all of a sudden making a noise equals meeting a grizzly end. Given her situation Sam reasons that the bliss of one final slice of pizza is worth more than a few hours/days/weeks living in pain and fear so sets off towards Harlem and her favourite pizzeria. On the way she encounters Eric (Joseph Quinn) who, in shock and thousands of miles from his family in the UK, needs a goal to focus on and resolves to help her achieve her dying wish whether she wants him to or not.  These even...

  Another month, another legacy sequel although, in fairness, Twisters doesn't share any direct connection to its 1996 predecessor Twister. Well, they are both set in Oklahoma and heavily feature spinning wind but if you're waiting for a Laura Dern cameo then keep waiting. It is though, about as 90's as a modern film can be. There's ridiculously cheesy dialogue about people wanting to make a difference and tornados "coming for everything we love". It's as all American as can be with blaring country music and star spangled banners flying over rodeos. It's a little bit sexist, with the female lead, on more than one occasion, screaming as she shelters from the wind with a big tough man standing between her and the worst of it. It really does capture the spirit of the decade. The story follows Daisy Edgar Jones as Kate Cooper, a meteorological whizz kid who is tempted back into the field by a friend and fellow survivor of a disastrous encounter with a torn...

  First things first, the marketing team for Longlegs  have played an absolute blinder. In a world of trailers that give away entire films they stuck to atmospheric teasers and, crucially, kept Nicholas Cage's titular serial killer more or less completely in reserve. A brave decision that allows the films choice of slowly revealing one of the most disturbing antagonist of recent times to have maximum bite. The film follows timid FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) who, upon revealing herself to potentially be physic, is seconded to a long unsolved serial killer case that involves multiple families being butchered in apparent murder suicides. The only connections are the murder dates and cryptic letters left at the scenes by someone named "Longlegs". Once Harker gets involved the long cold case comes to the boil and she discovers she herself may be linked to the killer. Anyone who has seen director Osgood Perkins previous work will know the son of Norman Bates has his own ...

Half way through the year check up time. As ever, this isn't a definitive list of the best films of the year as only things I've seen in the cinema are eligible. Take the numbers with a pinch of salt, I have almost certainly changed my mind by the time you read this. 31. The Strangers: Chapter 1 2008's The Strangers was a generic home invasion slasher film that had some novelty value and has some how managed to gather something of a cult following. This reboot has none of the novelty and twice the banality. If you find people walking slowly, talking softly and wearing stupid masks scary then prepare to be terrified. If not, prepare to fall asleep as the only frightening thing here is the threat of parts 2 and 3 to come. 30. Something in the Water People stranded in the water at the mercy of sharks has been done a hundred times but seldom has it been as lame as this. It's impossible to tell if the excruciating bridal party stranded at sea are a tedious attempt to poke fu...