From directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, and with voice acting from Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo and Disney’s very own good luck charm Alan Tudyk, Encanto follows the story of Mirabel who is attempting to save the miracle that gives her whole family magical powers… except her.

Featuring catchy original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, it’s easy to see why Encanto has been nominated for Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Animated Feature at the 2022 Oscars.

Disney has developed a reputation for hidden details in their animations and Encanto is definitely no exception. From the small details that make every frame so interesting, to the monumental secrets that change entire meanings or reference so Disney’s wider catalogue of animated releases, these are the 10 Things You Might Have Missed in Encanto. Spoiler alert!

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10. Bruno in the Background of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

Even if you haven’t seen Encanto yet, the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has been almost unavoidable as it has made it to number 1 in the charts in both the UK and the US.

In the film itself, the song is the first time we get a really good look at Bruno.

Most obviously, he is seen in the flashback of Pepa and Felix’s wedding and when Camillo changes into his likeness, but many have missed the real, present-day Bruno!

During Dolores’ rap verse, Bruno can be seen walking along the upper level of Casita. And Dolores, who can hear him, stops Mirabel from seeing him by pulling her away from his direction. Right at the end of this verse, you can see Bruno bobbing his head along to the song whilst stood behind Dolores.

9. The Family’s Clothes Correspond to Their Gifts

The clothing animation in Encanto not only sticks to traditional Colombian design, but there are patterns on the family’s clothes that reflect their gifts: the hem of Abuela’s dress shows the mountains around the Encanto, Bruno’s ruana features hourglasses, Pepa’s dress has suns on the neckline, Julietta wears an apron that also has a pestle and mortar on the chest, Dolores’ dress has patterns that resemble soundwaves, Camillo’s ruana is patterned with chameleons, Antonio’s waistcoat features multiple animals (although he only wears this in promotional posters), the hem of Luisa’s dress includes dumbbells, and Isabela’s dress is covered with orchids, which is Colombia’s national flower.

Even those who married into the family have hidden messages in their clothing, with the triangle pattern on Felix’s guayabera mirroring Pepa’s sun design and Augustin wearing a flower for Isabela, one sock which features weights for Luisa and the other sock that replicates Mirabel’s dress.

Mirabel’s outfit is arguably the most interesting as it’s fully embroidered with references to her whole family, including the candle for Abuela, Camillo’s chameleon, Isabela’s flowers, Antonio’s animals, Luisa’s fist holding a weight, music notes for Dolores, a rain cloud with a sun behind it for Pepa and a breadbasket for Julietta.

Featuring empowering representation and with strong messages regarding the importance of family, the Spy Kids franchise is something of a staple of its generation; a film brimming with famous names and faces who zillenials still point at in any other film and say “Hey! They were in Spy Kids!”.

In this edition of Ranked, we here at The Film Magazine are looking back on the four entries of Robert Rodriguez’s cult family franchise to judge each in terms of quality, longevity and nostalgia. These are the Spy Kids Movies Ranked.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with more lists like this one.

4. Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011)

Easily the worst in the Spy Kids series is 2011 franchise comeback vehicle All the Time in the World.

It is easy not to associate this film with the first three in the franchise since it came out so much later and focuses on a different family (sort of). All the Time in the World follows Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni’s (Daryl Sabara) Aunt Marissa (Jessica Alba) and her family as they try to stop The Time Keeper from speeding up time to the point of it running out. Ironically, for a film about not wasting time, it feels like a massive waste of it.

So much of this film simply doesn’t make sense – the idea of time speeding up being completely forgotten about until the moments in which it’s convenient to the plot; Marissa’s husband is a spy hunter; and Ricky Gervais plays possibly his most annoying role ever (and that’s saying something).

There are a couple of redeeming moments of nostalgia – such as the returns of Carmen and Juni, some of their iconic catchphrases and the smallest Machete cameo – but beyond that, All the Time in the World feels like a bad rehash with a lot more fart jokes thrown in, which must have been even worse in the 4D smell version that was shown in cinemas.

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3. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)

Just because this is next on the list doesn’t mean its anywhere near as bad as Spy Kids 4. In fact, The Island of Lost Dreams is a great watch.

This 2002 Spy Kids sequel takes place on an island invisible to the outside world where genetic scientist, Romero (Steve Buscemi), keeps his giant hybridised animals that were born of a freak accident with a growth serum. For 2002, the animation isn’t terrible and many of the hybrid animals still look realistic by today’s standards, as do the skeletons that reanimate on the island.

This is also the first film to include the Giggles family who, despite being framed as rivals to the Cortez family, actually become quite beloved characters by the end of the third film. We are also introduced to Carmen and Juni’s Grandparents (Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor) who bring a new facet to the Cortez family and help with finding the kids.

Spy Kids 2 is a perfect sequel as it takes what was good about the first film – the star studded cast, family values, and a kid-friendly spy concept – and expands them to create something that is similar to the original but with a new and interesting plot. Oh, and it features one of the best lines in cinema history…

“Do you think God stays in heaven because he too lives in fear of what he’s created?”

Although it was directed by a relatively unknown director, George Scribner, Disney animation heavyweights such as Glen Keane, Ruben A. Aquino, Mike Gabriel, Hendel Butoy and Mark Henn each leant a hand in making this film, helping to grow the anticipation for Oliver and Company even before its release.

On top of the animators, Oliver and Company featured musical and acting greats like Billy Joel, Bette Midler and Cheech Marin, each bringing their iconic sounds to this romanticised presentation of New York City.

Released only a year before the revolutionary and some would say studio-saving animation The Little Mermaid however, Oliver and Company (and so many of Disney Animation’s 80s films) faded into the background as the so-called Disney Renaissance roared into view.

In this Top List, we here at The Film Magazine are analysing everything from the animation style to the music on offer in this overlooked 1988 release, to offer to you 5 Reasons Why Oliver and Company (1988) Is an Underrated Animation Classic.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter to never miss another list like this.

1. The City Scape

Oliver and Company is jam-packed with iconic New York imagery from the very start to the very end, with the opening song being played over the New York skyline and yellow cab-lined streets, and ending in very much the same fashion.

Of course, cities have been in Disney films before, but they are always set earlier in the 20^th century and beyond, so Oliver and Company really brought the classic Disney animation into the modern world by setting itself in the contemporary United States. This is clearly a stylistic choice too, as New York’s iconic line-up of major brands are showcased throughout – from the well-known Coca-Cola billboards to the McDonald’s restaurants around the city. This was the first time known brands were included in a Disney animation, but it wasn’t done for the purpose of a cash grab and was only used to build a more authentic picture of modern day New York.

Overall, the setting for the film ends up making you feel nostalgic for 80s New York City, even if you’ve never been.

2. The Classic Animation Style

At the time of Oliver and Company’s release (1988), classic animation was the only type of animation that Disney was putting out. But since the turn of the century, this style has slowly been eradicated from our screens. So for most people, this now much older style of animation brings them the nostalgic feeling of watching their childhood favourites.

There is some “computer-assisted imagery”, seen most prominently in a subway chase scene, but generally Oliver and Company is one of the last of a dying breed of Walt Disney Animation releases in that it is a hand drawn feature.

It’s a romantic style for a romanticised portrayal of one the world’s great cities, and the perfect way to make a fairy tale location from a city often maligned for its trash and congestion.

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Klaus is a 2019 animation directed by Spanish director Sergio Pablos and distributed by Netflix. It features the voices of stars such as Jason Schwartzman, Joan Cusack and J.K. Simmons, and was produced by Pablos’ own animation company Sergio Pablos Animation Studios. The story follows Jesper’s (Schwartzman’s) trials and tribulations of being a postman on an island that doesn’t send letters, his unlikely friendship with a woodsman (Simmons), and how the duo transform the gloomy, feud-ridden island into a place of joy through delivering presents. It was a nominee for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2020 Oscars, and won the equivalent award at the 2020 BAFTAs.

It has been lauded by many as one of the great animated films made outside of the Hollywood studio system in the past ten years, but what makes Klaus so special? In this Movie List, we’re looking at this Christmas themed animated feature to offer 5 Reasons Why Klaus (2019) Is an Amazing Christmas Film.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.

1. The Animation

In an age of animation inhabited almost exclusively by 3D releases, 2D animation is a breath of fresh air. With both 2D and 3D animation styles being blended together, Klaus is full of added depth but stays true to its nostalgic and unique art style.

Smeerensburg, where the film takes place, is inspired by German Expressionism in its design, both in terms of the buildings and the town’s inhabitants. The colour scheme also plays a large role in the atmosphere building throughout the film; Smeerensburg’s first appearance is dark, grey and rundown, but as time goes on, warmer tones begin to take over, especially in scenes of isolated happiness such as during the first present delivery.

Unlike the bland and corporate offerings of some of the US’s biggest animation studios – Illumination Entertainment, Warner Animation Group, etc. – every aspect of Klaus’ animation really adds to the emotional weight of its story, helping it to connect with audiences young and old.

2. It’s an Original Look at Santa’s Origin

The origin of Ol’ Saint Nick has been revisited time after time, both in literature and on screen, so to have a film in 2019 have a fresh take on the beginnings of Santa is already impressive, but to then have it be emotional, comical and magical takes the film to the next level.

The story behind why Klaus makes toys is enough to reduce any adult to tears, but then the comical edge of Jesper’s struggles with the actual delivering of the presents helps to ease the emotional tension. Jesper’s involvement in the story is actually very important, since it finally gives credit to postal workers – the ones who work extra hard to deliver the Christmas presents over the holidays.

Vitally, this change in perspective and in tone doesn’t kill the magic of Father Christmas, as despite the legendary figure’s disappearance, he still delivers presents every year.

From Carrie (1976) to Doctor Sleep (2019), dozens of directors have been inspired by King’s weird and terrifying stories. In this Top List, we have delved into the deep back catalogue of King film adaptations to select the Top 5 Scariest Stephen King Adaptations of All Time.

Because this is a scariest and not a best list, much celebrated King adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile will not be included.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.

5. 1922 (2017)

Dir. Zak Hilditch

Coming in at number five on this list is a good old fashioned haunting story, based on King’s novella of the same name published in the collection “Full Dark, No Stars” in 2010. This unnerving story, released by Netflix, follows Wilf (Thomas Jane) as he plans to get his son, Henry, involved in the murder of his wife Arlette over her wanting to sell their farm. The murder goes well, but the men start to grow apart as Henry attempts to start a new life with his girlfriend and Wilf spirals into insanity, plagued by the rats that are feeding on his wife’s corpse.

The slow-burning nature of this film builds tension, and despite the fate of Wilf being almost inevitable from the start, his spiral makes it almost impossible to look away.

With King’s signature subtle supernatural flare, this film makes for an incredibly creepy watch.

4. Misery (1990)

Dir. Rob Reiner

As Stephen King adaptations became increasingly popular throughout the 80s, it was clear that when the author published “Misery” in 1987, it wouldn’t take long for it to be made into a film.

This Columbia Pictures adaptation centres on famed writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan); best known for his novels about a character named “Misery Chastain”. After writing the final instalment of his series, he crashes his car on the way back to New York and is taken in by a nurse called Annie (Kathy Bates). He is bedridden, and Annie, who claims to be his number one fan, nurses him back to health. He allows her to read the new book and after she finds out the ending, she begins to show how easily obsession can become insanity.

What sets this film apart from the others on this list and many of Stephen King’s stories is that it doesn’t involve so much as a hint of the supernatural. This is a very real story of something that could viably happen to anyone if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, making this not only one of the most iconic King adaptations ever made but possibly the most realistically scary film on this list.

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Se7en (1995)
Director: David Fincher
Screenwriter: Andrew Kevin Walker
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow

25 years ago, the world was introduced to one of the most intense thriller crime dramas of all time, David Fincher’s Se7en. It was a film that had all the makings of a classic, from a powerful narrative written by Andrew Kevin Walker to extraordinary acting by the likes of multi-time award winners Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow. Yet, in the year of its release (1995), it was only ever nominated for one Oscar and one BAFTA; so what was it missing? Is it possible that we’ve been over-hyping this popular film ever since? Or does Fincher’s calling card release just get better and better with age?

Warning: Major Spoilers

Se7en follows William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a soon-to-be retired cop who is partnered with David Mills (Brad Pitt), a cop new to the city. Together they investigate a serial murder case in which each death is modeled on one of the seven deadly sins. After the first five killings, the murderer known as John Doe (Kevin Spacey) turns himself in and promises to take the detectives to the final two bodies. In the film’s final twist, it is revealed that Doe has murdered Mills’ wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) out of envy (the 6th sin) and now expects Mills to kill him out of wrath (the 7th). Mills is torn by the moral conundrum, but ends up taking Doe’s life despite Somerset’s warnings, the film concluding with Mills being taken away as Somerset finally leaves the force.

This brief story-beat outline is indicative of a sublime narrative that is anchored by the threatening and ever-thoughtful representation of the film’s antagonist. One striking aspect of John Doe’s methods is that he never directly kills anyone, he forces them to kill themselves. The point he is trying to prove is that these sins are killing these specific people, and in every case he is proven to be correct, except one. That “one that got away” for Doe is Sloth, which makes for the most terrifying scene in the entire film. The build up is Fincher at his very best, low lighting and tense silence enveloping the drama as a squad of enforcement officers move through a building, the scene playing with expectations as one suitable conclusion is met, only for one of the greatest jumpscares in film history to come out of nowhere. It’s a scare that works time after time, and imbues Se7en with the terror of its subject matter from there on out. The narrative, in of itself, is utterly watchable, but the ways in which each murder is presented is particularly noteworthy, each scene adding a new level of depth to which characters each sin is effecting and how.

An unlikely highlight of Se7en is the relationship that develops between Somerset and Mills. They become unlikely friends in pursuit of this demonic villain, despite their differences, and it is immediately apparent that they are seemingly the same type of man, just at different points in their lives. This building of trust, signified most effectively when Mills’ wife tells Somerset of her pregnancy, is intricately woven throughout the fabric of the piece through well-timed jokes and an otherwise intelligent use of dialogue. Together, we see them build a case and a mutual respect, bringing the finale with added weight of personal investment between the two officers, as well as every other character involved. It isn’t realised how important their relationship and trust is to the story until each is heartbreakingly destroyed at the end of the film when the secret of Tracy’s pregnancy is forced front and centre in a conclusion about as immaculate in direction, screenwriting and performance as any in recent decades. Here, Spacey’s sinisterly calm delivery is enough to send chills down anyone’s spine as it carries an undertone of pleasure for the acts he has committed and disdain for the people he has killed. His behaviour towards Mills is even creepier the second time watching, as you now know that despite Pitt’s brilliantly angry and belittling demeanour, Doe has the upper hand.

It is clear, even after a quarter of a century, that Se7en absolutely holds up. Whether you’re watching it for the first time or you’re watching it for the 25th, there’s something unique and special to be found, from impeccable acting and imaginative and sinister scenarios, to genuinely chilling moments of horror and (in an even deeper way) an almost forced introspection on your own “sins”. Above all, it is a journey that is simply unforgettable, a great release from a director who has since had many more. Se7en, at 25 years old, feels as fresh and significant as ever, all the while reminding us that it’s what you do with the most simple aspects of filmmaking that make or break a truly great silver screen story.

20/24

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The Devil All the Time (2020)
Director: Antonio Campos
Screenwriters: Antonio Campos, Paulo Campos
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Hayley Bennett, Kristin Griffith, Eliza Scanlen, Harry Mewling, Mia Wasikowska

Religion-fueled thriller The Devil All the Time has managed to capture the attention of an unusually wide audience for a story set in the bible belt of the United States. This gritty southern tale from the book of the same name by Donald Ray Pollock, and adapted by director Antonio Campos (Christine, 2016) and brother Paulo Campos, has become something of a cultural must-watch due to its long list of popular cast members – Bill Skarsgård, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, more – and its relative accessibility on Netflix. Readers of Pollock’s rich and layered novel will understand the difficulties that the screenwriting duo faced when adapting “The Devil All the Time” into a feature film – not least its complex presentation of intertwining stories set over a number of decades, as well as any number of incredibly violent moments – yet the two New York born brothers have managed to forge a fresh take on a familiar old film genre that, despite feeling laborious at points and certainly being more of a slow-burner than you may expect, will leave you guessing at every twist and turn.

Set across a number of decades in the mid 20th century, The Devil All the Time begins in 1950 Ohio with traumatised ex marine Willard Russell (Bill Skarsgård) and the story of how he meets his wife Charlotte (Hayley Bennett). From there, the film chronicles their bringing of a son into the world (Arvin, played by Michael Banks Repeta, and later Tom Holland) while integrating a number of secondary narratives that will come to mean more as the story unravels, time bringing each of the separate stories together as The Devil All the Time eats more and more into its 2 hours and 18 minutes runtime. Religion is the central theme of the movie, and is vital to each of the storylines and their connections to one another, but like all good films of the religiously fueled bible-belt thriller sub-genre, the presentation of faith is much darker here than in many other forms of media. Here there’s manipulation, delusion and abuse aplenty, with death (through many means) never being too far away.

Death, especially of a gruesome nature, is commonly revisited throughout The Devil All the Time, it being intrinsically linked to the religious turmoil of blind faith and corrupt powers. The deaths that have a sacrificial feel end up leaving a bitter taste in your mouth, as do the murders of a serial killing couple that bullet point the central action with their own unique storyline and legacy within the universe itself. Even the deaths that are presented as justifiable are drenched in a sense of regret and sadness, each being committed as a response to insanity and inhumanity in a fearful rather than righteous manner. It’s a genuine strong point of the adaptation, as whether a death comes from murder, suicide or illness, the film never fails to land a punch to the gut, each character being fleshed out more than enough to make you at least feel for their passing.

Perhaps due to this commitment to character development and the inherent complexity of the story, Campos’ adaptation does, for large periods, feel as if it is filling time with blank space. For someone fresh to The Devil All the Time, for example someone who hasn’t read the novel, there are plenty of details that feel irrelevant, especially early on, and after about one hour of runtime the film does begin to drag, so much so that the eerie settings and impeccable acting at times become difficult to remain focused upon. There is, of course, retrospective value to most of these moments, and fans of the novel will no doubt be pleased to see at least the attempt at fleshing out characters who are given more time in the original material, but from a purely entertainment perspective, this could have benefited from shaving 20 minutes or so from its eventual runtime.

Despite the promise of its cast and its clearly talented director, as well as the popularity of its original material, The Devil All the Time is, then, a slight disappointment overall, though much of this is owed to the complexity of the adaptation process. The original novel offered something unique, challenging and potentially very cinematic, but the depth of Pollock’s work proved to be restricting in this instance, The Devil All the Time still presenting an interesting story with strong performances and a thought-provoking thematic exploration of religious ideologies, but ultimately running for too long and at too slow of a pace to attract those more accustomed to fast paced narratives and all the expectations that come with a thriller of this type.

16/24

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriters: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman
Starring: Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Amara Karan, Waris Ahluwalia, Natalie Portman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray

“Yes, the past happened. But it’s over, isn’t it?” – one of the many very poignant lines in Wes Anderson’s emotionally charged The Darjeeling Limited.

Made in 2007, The Darjeeling Limited was Wes Anderson’s fifth feature film and included all of his now well known tropes, whether they be in the story, the visuals, or the soundtrack. This beautiful showcase, centered on the mourning of a loved one, is encased by a vibrant presentation of Indian culture that makes for not only one of the most typically Wes Anderson offerings of the filmmaker’s career, but a truly stunning film in its own right.

A year after the death of their father, three brothers – Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) – meet in India in order to go on a spiritual journey together by means of the Darjeeling Limited train. From the get-go it is clear that the three brothers have trust issues, and thus begins conflict by means of secrets and fights. Along their journey, the trio are kicked off the train, attend a funeral, have a few near misses of going home, briefly visit their mother, and finish their journey on a new train, all to cast off their father’s prized baggage. The tale is, of course, told in the screenwriter-director’s familiar idiosyncratic style.

Wes Anderson is a true auteur, particularly when it comes to visuals, and The Darjeeling Limited is no exception. From the opening scene, the film bombards you with Indian culture, starting by zooming through the streets in a rickshaw, then filling each frame with colour once on the titular train – the uniforms of those on board being particularly detailed and bright – and later juxtaposing the colour palettes of two funerals to create a genuine sense of catharsis. This is a tale of learning to grow after experiencing loss, and the colour palette is just as important to this journey as much of the dialogue. In Wes Anderson’s films, it is usually pointed out how unnatural the dialogue is between characters, and in this case this is notably used to create a world that feels slightly apart from our own, as if the characters are fulfilling an otherworldly obligation to their father and themselves. Filling such a well built and realistic setting with seemingly emotionally flat people makes the film all the more intriguing.

It is, of course, difficult to reference the visual style of Wes Anderson’s work without making note of his unique camera movements and framing. Here, every shot is carefully framed and filled with necessary information, the only camera movements seeming to come in harsh, notable zooms that reflect realisation or growth, or indicate comedy, with even tracking shots being kept to simple, steady presentations of information. Anderson has an unmistakable visual style, but in The Darjeeling Limited and the director’s other critical hits, the most memorable aspect of this style is how it always works to emphasise the people at the heart of his stories, the characters often being at the centre of frame, the workings of set, colour palette and other elements of visual design operating together as merely a backdrop.

The soundtrack of The Darjeeling Limited follows this aesthetic very closely too, mostly utilising traditional Indian music to ingrain the audience deeper into the setting of the film and emphasise the fish out of water aspect of the protagonists’ journeys.

The Darjeeling Limited, despite featuring the now iconic disconnected acting and far from naturalistic visual style, is an incredibly emotional journey for both the audience and the characters. Each character is going through their own private struggle as Francis is still healing from an almost life-ending car accident, Peter is coming to terms with becoming a father, and Jack is still getting over his break up from a toxic relationship, yet they each share the universal pain of losing a loved one; Anderson making the characters, their problems, and their coping mechanisms very relatable and their journey all the more riveting for it.

Wes Anderson’s fifth offering remains, even now at over a decade old, a truly beautiful film in every aspect. It is hearty, filled with visual splendor, offers a bittersweet aftertaste in conjunction with the filmmaker’s usual style, and is one of the best releases of his notable career. The Darjeeling Limited is a great film in every respect, one that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

21/24

Following Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and her team as they encountered the most life threatening alien species to ever be conceived while on their deep space exploration mission, the first instalment offered the perfect mix of science fiction and horror. As the franchise evolved and changed, so did Ripley, her teams, and the dreaded Xenomorph (all of which were replaced for later prequels), the series embracing more ancient mythology and elements of action as it moved through decade after decade.

Now over forty years removed from its initial Ridley Scott directed entry, the Alien franchise has seen six feature releases in total, the on-screen talents of the likes of Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Bill Paxton, Pete Postlethwaite, Charles Dance, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Katherine Waterston and Michael Fassbender each contributing to a unique and iconic universe, Ridley Scott, James Cameron and David Fincher being among those who helped to create it.

A franchise with pointed commentary confronting militaristic regimes, Alien has proven itself to be meaningful as well as visceral experience for audiences across many generations, and that is why in this edition of Ranked we’re looking at all six of its films to rank each from worst to best based on artistic merits and cultural significance.

Make sure to let us know your opinion in the comments, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for more updates on articles like this one. 

6. Alien: Covenant (2017)

The final prequel and most recent instalment in the series, Alien: Covenant is easily the worst of the lot.

Slammed by audiences and given little leeway by critics, Covenant was the 2nd Alien prequel to be far from what people had come to expect from the franchise, though this one was notably worse, Prometheus at least hosting an element of mystery and a genuine intention to revive the mythos of the universe.

Alien: Covenant follows a completely new team in their pursuit of a “new earth”. When the team end up on the Engineers’ home planet by accident, they are found by a David android who turns out to have killed all the Engineers and is now helping the Xenomorph to evolve. Together, David and the Xenomorph murder almost the entire team.

This film’s twist ending of the evil David replacing the “good” David is entirely predictable, and the ship flying off filled with alien embryos doesn’t at all match up with how the first Alien film starts. This needless inclusion, which contributes at least some of the Xenomorph’s evolution to a humanoid being, removes the unknowable horror of the Xenomorph by reducing its other-worldly evolution to a farmable commodity that humanity itself is partially responsible for.

There are a few cases of cash-grabbing in the Alien franchise, but none are more on the nose than this entry, Alien: Covenant taking away from the incredible story already established across the other films and contributing almost nothing of worth.

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5. Alien 3 (1992)

Alien 3, while having some astounding points and truly creative elements, still manages to fall short in many aspects.

Taking place directly after Aliens; Ripley, Newt, Hicks and Bishop crash land on a prison planet and only Ripley survives. An alien egg manages to get aboard and a face hugger quickly gets to a dog, the Xenomorph killing prisoners soon thereafter. The plot is very much a rehash of the first two films, only this time in a new place.

The twist of Ripley having an alien queen inside her is interesting but felt very much like a set up for Resurrection, rather than a needed contribution to this film. On top of this, director David Fincher decided against using the iconic puppets of the first two films, instead utilising relatively primitive CGI which was not at all realistic enough and therefore ruined any sense of immersion.

With director and studio at loggerheads over the direction of the film, many believe that Alien 3 could have been much stronger had Fincher been given the control he was given over later, more critically successful films like Fight Club and Seven.

The Invitation (2015)
Director: Karyn Kusama
Screenwriters: Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi
Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michiel Huisman, Tammy Blanchard

“I am different. I’m free. All that useless pain, it’s gone. It’s something anyone can have Will, and I want you to have it too.” Usually it would be lovely to hear of someone’s happiness and have that happiness wished to you… that is, of course, unless the “useless pain” is about your young son’s death and the person saying it to you is your ex-wife who disappeared for two years to join a cult in Mexico.

2015 psychological thriller The Invitation proves that you don’t need a cult following in order to be an incredible cult film. When Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his new partner Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) get invited to a reunion by Will’s ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new partner David (Michiel Huisman), Will’s main concern is how he will cope with returning to the house where his and Eden’s child had died two years before. More than the pain of past tortures however, he’s met with an awkward night of old friends, cults and mass murder steeped in all of the strong calling cards of the genre: blood, suspense and jump-scares.

As with any well made psychological thriller, like The Shining (1980), a major credit to this film is its sound design. With perfect awkward silences and use of white noise, the movie truly draws you into Will’s headspace and the tense atmosphere in the house right from the get go. The most notable scene to use this sound design comes at the beginning of an awkward dinner, with up-close chewing noises, muted voices and slowly heightening white noise. It becomes easy to associate with Will’s paranoia and mounting discomfort. The sound design even bleeds into the dialogue delivery, with many conversations becoming background fodder when Will becomes distracted by the “not quite right” goings on around the house, and creates the impeccable tension in a number of whispered scenes in which Will and Kira attempt to escape the horror-filled location. This incredible sound design, coupled with a minimal soundtrack composed by Theodore Shapiro (who has composed for films such as The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013))truly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even the title sequence of the film, as Will and Kira drive up to the house, has hauntingly eerie music paired with disorientating visuals, a moment that helps to truly set the tone for the film and can be easily likened to the title sequence in the Oscar-winning horror Get Out (2017). These sounds and their delivery make the film an enjoyably tense watch, as every psych-thriller should be.

Due to the film being heavily reliant on tone rather than narrative, along with the sound design comes some astounding cinematography. Often utilising shadow more than highlights, cinematographer Bobby Shore, whose other works include Bang Bang Baby (2014) and Stuber (2019), shows just the right amount while keeping much in the dark. An early example of this comes in Sadie’s first appearance on screen; throughout the film, many moments with her are steeped in shadow to visualise the lack of clarity we have about her character, but when Will first sees her at the end of the corridor blocking the light from the room behind (and half naked), the audience are shown that the cinematographer has the concept of “shady person, shady shot” down to an art. As well as this, the film gets slowly darker as it progresses, because even though more light is being shed on the situation, the atmosphere begins to fill with fear and doubt – by the film’s climax the characters are in complete darkness, fighting for their lives.

On top of these amazing visuals and acoustics, the film’s emotionally difficult narrative adds another layer of immersion. The strange behaviour of everyone involved is slowly explained by the well placed flashbacks about the death of Will and Eden’s son, and the timings of each flashback are shown to be caused by a physical trigger such as Will remembering Eden’s suicide attempt when he goes to the sink during one particularly tense moment. This illustrates a depth of knowledge on the director’s part about trauma and how the mind works around it, even going so far as to reflect the types of reactions people often have to those with trauma through the way each of the friends act around the protagonists. Here, the story captivates and gets you emotionally involved, with the relatability upping the integrity of the film overall.

As a whole, The Invitation is a lesser known psych-thriller that absolutely deserves more love than it gets, its final reveal broadening the situation in a way similar to the ending of Us (2019). If you are a fan of Jordan Peele, then this film will be an exciting indie for you.

18/24

Written by Sophia Patfield

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