We’re living in the Golden Age of Irish Horror and we’re dead excited about it. Throughout October we’re celebrating Samhain with interviews, reviews and retrospectives, that show how Ireland has risen to the top of the horror hierarchy. Genre crossovers have been attempted to varying success throughout film history. Sometimes, a screenwriter or director’s experimentation…
A writer, actor and comedian, Dublin’s own Hannah Mamalis is no stranger to the festival circuit. On stage, she’s performed here at Dublin Fringe, First Fortnight. For film, her short film Baby Steps has taken off in recent months, showing in Sweden, in Belfast, across the Republic and now at home in the Dublin International…
Director: Thea Sharrock Starring: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Anjana Vasan, Timothy Spall Running Time: 100 minutes The invention and innovation of Wicked Little Letters is mostly found in its titular titiliating missives. In Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman and a brightly engaged supporting cast, the foul language and brutal insults of the poison pen letters that…
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael Running Time: 142 minutes Yorgos Lanthimos’ rise to the status of a relative household name, awards darling and crowd-pleaser is an improbable one. Absurd and sadomasochistic dark comedies (in Greek) aren’t generally building blocks to beloved box office success,…
Director: Aki Kaurismäki Starring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen Running Time: 81 minutes Romance on the big screen, really any feeling, is defined by heavy flourishes, bold gestures, soaring, sweeping expressions that burst through the film, so heavy they are with feeling. It reflects how we feel, but it tends not to come out that way…
One of the most recent and well-received additions to the festival calendar in the fair city of film is returning this winter and it’s getting bigger and better. Going into its 3rd year and its 4th festival, the Dublin International Comedy Film Festival promises some much needed winter levity with a packed programme of films,…
Apocalypse Clown – not the name your ex is under on your phone, but the upcoming comedy that’s sold out its premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh – has a release date across the UK and Ireland this autumn. Vertigo Releasing and Wildcard Distribution have announced that George Kane’s end of the world clown comedy…
A pair of Irish monster movies swing for gore and gáire to contrasting results this month. Unwelcome takes too long to grab us Director: Jon Wright Starring: Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, Colm Meaney, Jamie Lee O’Donnell, Chris Walley, Kristian Nairn Running Time: 104 minutes Describing the plot of Unwelcome, Jon Wright’s long-cooking follow up to…
Director: Gerard Johnstone Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Jenna Davis, Ronny Xin Yi Chieng Running Time: 102 minutes Director Gerard Johnstone was hand-picked by renowned horror producer James Wan to take the directorial wheel for M3GAN. This was based on the New Zealand filmmaker’s proven ability to blend elements of fright and fun in the…
In 2018, director Natasha Waugh and writer Jonathan Hughes worked together on short film Mother, an offbeat, darkly funny tale of a matriarchal kitchen appliance. Their latest film, La Tumba is similarly smart, taking what seems like a pure comedy premise and delivering a sincere, emotional story. Featuring lovely performances by the leads, Eloisa Etxebarria…
