Blunt Reviews Presents: Inside Out (2015)

Inside Out sees Pixar back on top form with one of the best animated films I’ve seen in recent years. It would be a lie and an understatement if I were to say anything less than this film is expertly executed. Every single element is polished and perfected so it feels like an intricate clockwork mechanism that runs smoothly. It’s intelligently written, beautifully animated, and most importantly it’s though provoking. Behind glossy animation there are a number of weighted themes explored, so it’s no surprise it made a twenty year old such as myself cry multiple times. In short: brilliant.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Ex Machina (2015)

Alex Garland writes and directs what can best be described as a haunting science fiction masterpiece. I knew very little upon watching this, and soon found that it is a masterclass in science fiction cinema, built on poignant and intriguing subject matter, accompanied by a sharp screenplay. The performances are solid, with Alicia Vikander once again proving that she is an immense talent that can carry a film to new heights. What I liked best is that the delivery is so smooth and stylish, building a sense of claustrophobia, whilst asking questions as to what it means to be human.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Beasts of No Nation (2015)

If the Academy wants to ignore this film for whatever bizarre reason then they can continue being morons, because this was an utterly compelling piece of film. Even from the outset this is a gritty drama that completely immerses the audiences into a world of conflict and uncertainty, in one of the most naturalistic films I can remember seeing. Idris Elba is superb as ever, with the young Abraham Attah giving an outstanding performance in the lead role. It’s from Attah’s performance that the film explores key themes like maturity and the social construction of childhood. Nothing short of brilliant.