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The director thinks they're Fellini and apes him mercilessly, but...they're not. This is another dull film that trudges along painfully with its own sense of self-importance slowly pushing it towards the end. Josh O'Connor, a selling point for me, schlubs along, mopes and sulks and smokes in a monotone performance that's unbecoming of him. It's a pretentious mess aspiring for resonance, which it doesn't deserve.

After the funny and freewheeling "The Favourite" and the bonkers, imaginative and visionary "Poor Things", the director retreated back to the deadpan, low-key and monotonous style of "Killing of a Sacred Deer", assembling a cast of the best, most wonderfully idiosyncratic film performers and made them all act as if they'd been lobotomised, draining them of every aspect that has always made them interesting to watch. This is an overlong, stilted, stultifying film that bored me stiff. Bradshaw does it again!

Loved this film. Great review, Peter!

Would you review Armageddon on year in a July perhaps.

thanks for the Flathead review- Pete-----the old guy loved "sounds like Dylan"

Great review of a standout if divisive film. I am glad you got it. Longlegs is a satisfying addition to dark, thriller, horror cinema, as are Oz Perkins and Mika Monroe. I loved it.

A very difficult and harrowing watch but an excellent film. Thanks for highlighting it, Peter.

"emotionally reticent but beautifully presented" ah, those were the days of youth

the word cantankerous should be more commonplace. A veritable smorgasbord of your skills to be enjoyed in this post

It was doing so well until the very final frame when it managed to completely ruin the moodiness it had so impeccably been building!

It's happened again. I'm sure I hit save on a comment and it's not there anymore. Pretty sure there wasn't any profanity etc for CZcams to delete it..

What are your thoughts on the film armageddon.?

I thought it was derivative tosh. Marginally enjoyable tosh, but tosh all the same. It's subjective, of course, but I really don't understand how anyone versed in, and with a love for, horror cinema could enthuse about it.

I was anxiously awaiting your review of "Longlegs". Relieved that you're much more positive than the put-down printed on Guardian's page. "The Film Explainer" sounds like worthy of going hunting for!

My anticipation for Longlegs was off the scale ramped up by its superb marketing. Trust me I wasn’t disappointed by this masterclass in dread. The tension throughout was palpable gobsmacked by the grotesquerie on display. Committed performances throughout but predictably Cage steals the show. In kabuki style makeup, his performances is a mash-up of Tubbs (League of gentleman), Marilyn Manson and as Guillermo de Toro observed Tiny Tim. Cage’s performance is infused with a primal anger that transcends camp. It’s operatic possessing a bizarre grandeur as we watch in disbelief as he goes not only over the top but also over the distant peaks. Longlegs is near humourless, no silence of the lambs sardonicism, stark in its depiction of liminal interior/exterior lives and landscapes, and drab in its palate but gee whizz it grips like an anaconda.

Have you seen the movie Armageddon from 1998 do you hate it or do you find it enjoyable.

But do you prefer Borowczyk's or Bonello's La Bete?

I thought I commented on this, mustn't have saved it.

Just seen it tonight, totally trash, loved it, love you mia

Thanks for your wonderful review , sounds like one to add to my list ❤

I really tried to watch this but an hour in, I felt it was rapidly spiralling towards its own ileum. Maybe I'll re-start when less tired and recovered from a cold.

Pity as the production values are clearly high, it looks good and has some very good actors in it. Another excellent review.

your the same critic who reviews on the guardian!

Do you like the 90s action films the rock, Independence Day, con air, bad boys, true lies and starship troopers.

A mesmerizing nightmare of a film - and a superb review!

Best Korean movie of the year!

I love it Pete when you hate a film! This sounds a real turkey...😡

Sleep was fantastic! Really like the ambiguous ending. It's tragic we lost Lee Sun-kyun.

Peter! Peter! Peter! 🎉🎉🎉

Wow, that was 4 stars out of the blue. Color me intrigued. I remain sceptical, will give it a go on your recommendation, however. More discoveries, please Peter. They are so sweet.😀

You really kept it succinct. The less words wasted on this, the better.

Even if this weren't a small-minded cheap shot at something so much bigger, better, and more exciting, it's still a reminder that comedy (and romantic comedy at that) is hard to get right. Even Pretty Womam worked so well as a rom-com most of us were able to put aside its (highly) dodgy scenario. It reminds me how good Nora Ephron was in coming up with 2 highly successful rom-coms, and what a loss she is.

Nice review Peter, thanks. Surprised you didn't sneak in the great Buster Keaton sight gag in the alleyway.

I figured out it was Rufus Sewell as soon as he started saying " it's not true it's not true" wow Bravo to Rufus and to makeup

This is an older movie your reviewing hey that means you could go back and review some action films like the rock, Independence Day, Rambo, con air, bad boys and terminator.

Isn't it _extremely_ questionable getting a child to cry like that for a movie.

1. Compromising to fit in at work 2. Compromising to fit in in a relationship 3. Compromising to fit in with a community In each part there are those being compromised but also those 'inflicting' the compromises. 1 and 2 made the most sense to me. 1. All the personal compromises of work, eg not having children might have been (even) more obvious if the Jesse Plemons character was a woman, but men are involved having children too - for now at least :-) 2. How much we want to change others, and how much we are willing/desperate to change in a relationship to please another. If you/I just cut out your/my liver then we will finally be happy. Put like that it's almost a fairy tale. 3. This didn't resonate anywhere near as much as the other two personally; maybe I'm just not community-minded enough :-)

One of the reasons the film feels long is that the clearest, most accessible and mainstream story comes first, and then the second two are as weird and cryptic as Lanthimos' older work. I dare say that as a greedy philistine, I could quite happily just watch a 90 minute cut The Death of RMF on its own. Best Actor nod for Plemons, please.

Great review, Mr. Bradshaw! I have always enjoyed your reviews even before discovering your youtube channel - just reading them online. But seeing you and hearing you it's definitely better. Your vocabulary and choice of words are always mesmerizing. You're a wonderful critic and it's a pleasure to hear you talk about movies. I think just even hearing you talk about entomology, accounting, mechanics and pretty much everything else, I'll enjoy it very much! I wish you all the best and keep up the great work. You're fantastic! Greetings from Romania!

Mesmerising art drama A d o r e Greetings from Croatia Very like yours rewiew...my english not good.. Peter and mark kermode...apsolute colours my life

That was a very fine review of a very fine film.

This is a masterful review in both in content and presentation. I hope you do a full-length weekly podcast of film reviews, top ten films and interviews with stars.

Not having seen M, the review reminds me of the equally lurid Starry eyes from 2014. Another tale of literally monstrous ambition, this excellent and disquieting dark, slasher gem has body horror, self-doubt and satanism, what’s not to like? From the trailers for MaXXXine I deduced the film would be an homage to De Palma. With Ti West at the helm a director whose body of work is impressive has struck gold with the Maxine trilogy. His reverential love for cinema like Tarantino makes their films a joy to watch for cineastes. Mia Goth its titular star whose performances are always riveting reminds me of De Palmas one time muse Nancy Allen. One reviewer describes M as ‘Brian De Palma meets Skid Row. Keep up the good work and looking forward to your review of the uber-hyped Longlegs.

Brilliant review, great film. Night Moves and The Parallax View are also terrific films from that era with an acute feeling of obsession and paranoia.

Going to see this week ! Thank you for this review

Great wordy review. Thanks

Love this film. How FFC just knocked this out in between the two Godfathers is stunning! The Tony Scott remake, Enemy of the State, is surprisingly good, too and well worth a watch (after watching The Conversation).

This movie seems to anticipate something any sports fan can tell you that they couldn't have told you in 1974...contrary to our expectations, technology frequently cannot help us cross the barrier between certainty and uncertainty. 'Smoking Gun' photos are often too grainy and blurred to be of any use; recording equipment doesn't make the words we think we're hearing any more audible than a tantalising whisper. The 'truth' and 'reality' can remain stubbornly elusive despite our technological genius.

I saw 'Kinds of Kindness' last evening. Although there were many amusing and interesting sequences I felt that the film was too long and my patience was tested, a bit. At the end the audience left immediately and I was the only one to wait to the end of the credits, also part of the film, of course. Although the film seeks to depict First World despair, should I destroy my car, or cruelly mutilate my dog, or just cut out my liver, its pretty useless after all, I think, in the end, that it succumbs to despair. I'm sure Lanthimos and his co-writer need a rest now.

Love Mia, can't wait