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 Shadows catches up ’25Reviews of films I only managed to see late in the game...
On this page:
THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND |
HALLOW ROAD |
THE MASTERMIND |
SPLITSVILLE
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| See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 6.Dec.25 | |||||
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The Ballad of Wallis Island Review by Rich Cline | 
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 dir James Griffiths prd Rupert Majendie scr Tom Basden, Tim Key with Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carey Mulligan, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Luka Downie, Steve Marsh, Kerrie Thomason release US 28.Mar.25, UK 30.May.25 25/UK BBC 1h39 SUNDANCE Is it streaming? |
 A particularly warm and witty script cuts through the serious themes that run through this charming British comedy, which places a group of terrific characters in a quirky isolated location. The offbeat premise sets up a wonderful series of humorous moments that hinge on endearingly awkward interaction between people who connect unexpectedly. And the gorgeous songs by actor-screenwriter Tom Basden bring out big emotional beats that resonate strongly. Arriving on remote Wallis Island, musician Herb (Basden) is welcomed by chatterbox Charles (Key), a longtime fan hosting a special gig. Charles particularly loves Herb's early folk-rock work alongside Nell (Mulligan), and he has used his lottery winnings to reunite Herb and Nell to play especially for him. But Herb hasn't seen Nell in a decade, and is thrown by his feelings when she arrives with her husband Michael (Ndifornyen). Rehearsing brings up old issues, but they also recapture their camaraderie. The question is whether they can work together without falling in love again. Herb is only doing this to fund the next album in his now much more commercial career, so revisiting these old songs makes him second-guess everything. Basden and Mulligan have terrific chemistry as friends with a lot of history between them. Their duets are beautifully expressive, allowing old feelings to creep in. By contrast, Key is hilarious as the ubiquitous Charles, who has a goofy joke in reaction to virtually anything said to him. He also can't help but tear up hearing Herb and Nell sing together again, because there's a reason why he's doing this. Charles has travelled the world, but seeing his heroes sing together is more powerful to him than standing in front of a famous landmark. There's also another engaging romance in Charles' crippling shyness when it comes to asking out the sparky local shopkeeper (Clifford). But the central themes centre around Herb, a complex man struggling to reconcile who he was with who he wants to be. The film is a wonderful reminder of how important it is to remember and celebrate your past while also having the nerve to move proactively forward with life. These ideas emerge in astute ways throughout Basden and Key's script, finding raw moments of truth. Funny, bittersweet and beautiful, this is a small gem of a film that deserves to become a cult classic.
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Hallow Road Review by Rich Cline | 
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 dir Babak Anvari scr William Gillies prd Ian Henry, Lucan Toh, Richard Bolger, Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian with Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell, Tadhg Murphy, Stephen Jones, Paul Tylak release UK 16.May.25, US 31.Oct.25 25/Ireland Universal 1h20 Is it streaming? |
 Director Babak Anvari crafts a wonderfully creepy atmosphere for this eerie horror thriller, claustrophobically centred on a couple racing through the night to help their daughter. Essentially an extended Twilight Zone episode, the simple premise is stretched out by Kit Fraser's inventive cinematography and a moody score by Lorne Balfe and Peter Adams. Meanwhile, the two lead actors keep emotions high as the situation spirals beyond their control. At 2.30am, paramedic Maddie (Pike) and her husband Frank (Rhys) are awoken by a frantic call from 18-year-old daughter Alice (McDonnell), saying she has hit someone on a road running through a dark forest. Earlier in the evening, she had stormed out during dinner after a nasty argument. As they drive to her, Maddie guides Alice to perform CPR on the badly injured young woman. When they learn that Alice never called emergency services, Frank insists that he will take the blame when they arrive. But a mysterious couple gets to the scene before them. Anvari bookends the film with very different imagery of this creepy forest, nicely creating an unsettling tone, but everything else is seen through the parents' perspective. It's a superb depiction of their helplessness in this situation, as their fragile connection is based on the phone signal. Both Pike and Rhys are essentially the only actors on-screen, and they create vividly distinct people in the rational Maddie and the controlling Frank. Both struggle with balancing their parental concern with the realities presented to them. Along the way, the most intriguing moments involve moral dilemmas, as Maddie and Frank both grapple with what they know is right and wrong. Maddie speaks from experience (later recounted) about how escaping justice can cause crippling guilt, while Frank just wants to make everything right for his little girl. So it's frustrating that these ideas are allowed to spiral in circles without reaching a final kick that might provoke some deeper thoughts about the themes. Instead, the film distills itself into a chilling horror, leaving us freaked out but unchallenged.
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The Mastermind Review by Rich Cline |
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 dir-scr Kelly Reichardt prd Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani with Josh O'Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann, Jasper Thompson, Sterling Thompson, Eli Gelb, Cole Doman, Javion Allen, Matthew Maher release US 17.Oct.25, UK 24.Oct.25 25/US Mubi 1h50 CANNES • LONDON Is it streaming? |
 Set in 1970 Massachusetts, this inventive heist movie has a jazzy vibe, written and directed by Kelly Reichardt to focus on the characters rather than the plot. Everything is remarkably understated, often playing out in silence, which adds both humour and tension as events continually spiral in unexpected directions. And the knowing human story pulls us in deeply thanks to an especially warm performance by Josh O'Connor. With his wife Terri (Haim) and two busy sons (Jasper and Sterling Thompson) as distractions, struggling architect James (O'Connor) cases the local museum. His parents (Davis and Camp) worry about his aimlessness, but he's actually plotting to steal several paintings in broad daylight with three cohorts (Gelb, Doman and Allen). Then cops begin sniffing around, as does a local gangster (Maher), and Terri is furious that the family might be in danger. James urges her to have faith in him. But he decides to lie low with his friends Fred and Maude (Magaro and Hoffmann). It's fun to watch various things go wrong from the start, largely due to members of this ragtag crew, forcing James to improvise new paths through his carefully crafted plan. The cast beautifully underplays each scene, anchored by O'Connor as a thoughtful, likeable guy whose life didn't go as he hoped. We may not be able to identify with his turn to criminality, but we definitely understand his need to bolster his self-confidence with a daring sidestep. All of the performances have a witty edge to them, grounded in earthy authenticity and complex interaction. Beautifully shot by Christopher Blauvelt and skilfully edited by Reichardt, the warm narrative unfolds with a continual stream of twists, augmented by pointed period details like the ever-present Vietnam War in newspapers and televisions in the background. Because he seems so quiet and passive, everyone underestimates James, but his brain is meticulous, both in planning and responding to surprises. So as it progresses, the film shifts into something we don't expect, more provocatively ironic and introspective, digging into meaningful ideas about the nature of ambition and opportunity.
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Splitsville Review by Rich Cline |
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 dir Michael Angelo Covino scr Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin prd Emily Korteweg, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Ryan Heller, Jeff Deutchman with Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino, Simon Webster, Nicholas Braun, O-T Fagbenle, Charlie Gillespie, David Castaneda, Nahema Ricci, Tyrone Benskin,Jessika Mathurin release US 22.Aug.25 25/US Neon 1h44 CANNES Is it streaming? |
 This engagingly smart comedy takes on a taboo with witty, unflinching humour. Director Michael Angelo Covino and cowriter Kyle Marvin are exploring ideas of fidelity, jealousy and guilt by piling a whole range of issues onto a group of sparky and very expressive characters. It's a refreshing look at the unpredictable nature of emotional connections. And the straightforward, grown-up approach makes this film a thoroughly enjoyable ride. When Ashley (Arjona) tells her husband Carey (Marvin) that she wants a divorce, he's devastated. He turns to his best friend Paul (Covino) and his wife Julie (Johnson), who further throw him off him by telling him their relationship is open. So when Paul is away at work, the expected happens between Julie and Carey. And Paul freaks out. Traumatised, Carey goes home and suggests that he and Ashley open up as well. But things only get increasingly complicated between these long-time friends, especially as this begins to involve a much wider circle of people. Paul's reaction leads to an extended scrappy fistfight that's hilariously messy, tipping so far over the top that it's downright ridiculous. But it establishes a knowing undercurrent as the narrative evolves in amusingly entangled directions. More and more wonderfully colourful people become intertwined with these couples in rather absurd ways. Performances are bright and likeable, even when these people do stupid things. And the actors find all kinds of layers in the characters that reveal underlying truths from surprising angles. While much of this plays out in blackly comical ways, the narrative itself is actually rather serious, taking some intensely emotional twists and turns along the way. And for all the wildly untidy relational carnage, there are lingering feelings of love everywhere that make the ongoing interaction even trickier. It's nice to see a film that takes a freshly atypical approach to the bonds between people who care for each other, even if it ultimately confirms the things we always suspected.
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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL © 2025 by Rich Cline, Shadows
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