Neon Camera Reviews

Little Women  By Emily Hubbard Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women sets the gold standard for classic novel retellings 4.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥.5 Directed by: Greta Gerwig Starring:  Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timoth é e Chalamet Where to find it: Netflix No Copyright Infringement Intended  Whenever a film adaptation of a classic novel is announced, there always seems to be a certain sense of doubt surrounding the eventual quality of the finished product. This overwhelming feeling of nervousness is largely due to many on-screen retellings being ultimately disappointing, with previous iterations of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, Little Women, being no exception. It seems though, that on Hollywood’s 17 th try (yes you heard that right) at adapting the much-beloved story, they finally got it right. Little Women is at the forefront, and arguably created the blueprint, for coming-of-age stories and tells the tale of the March sisters; Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Amy (Fl...

Hawkeye (Episodes 1 and 2) By Emily Hubbard Marvel's latest Disney + offering hits the bullseye  4/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥 Created by: Jonathan Igla Starring: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, and Vera Farmiga Where to find it: Disney +  No Copyright Infringement Intended To be brutally honest, when Marvel Studios began announcing their slate of Disney + shows, Hawkeye probably wasn’t high on most people’s anticipation lists. The main reason for this is the underutilisation and lack of character development Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton has received in the MCU thus far but add Hailee Steinfeld and a heavy influence from one of Marvel’s best-received comics to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a hit show. As previously mentioned, the 6 episode series, Hawkeye, is loosely adapted from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s critically acclaimed 2012 comic run of the same name, with its influence being felt almost immediately in the show’s HBO style opening credits. Set two years af...

tick, tick...Boom! By Emily Hubbard  An ode to musical theatre lovers that cements Andrew Garfield as one of the greats. 4.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥.5 Directed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, and Robin de Jesus Where to find it: Netflix  No Copyright Infringement Intended  Oscar’s season is once again upon us, meaning it’s time for studios to release the films they think have the best shot at winning, or at least being nominated for, one of the prestigious golden trophies up for grabs. Streaming giant Netflix has offered up one of this year’s stronger contenders in the form of Lin-Manuel Miranda directed tick, tick…Boom!, a musical drama that showcases the extraordinary talent that is Andrew Garfield, whilst simultaneously acting as an ode to theatre lovers everywhere. tick, tick…Boom! follows Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield), the brilliant mind behind the musical that changed theatre, Rent, who tragically died on the eve ...

Ghostbusters: Afterlife  By Calum Whitfield  A fun, if a little derivative, sequel/reboot. It doesn’t surpass the original, but it has enough nostalgia and quality to be a worthy addition to the franchise. 3.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥.5 Directed by: Jason Reitman  Starring: Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Paul Rudd Where to find it: In Cinemas Now  No Copyright Infringement Intended The original Ghostbusters is one of my all-time favourite films. Ghostbusters 2 was an ok follow-up; the remake was a disappointment. Needless to say when I saw they were having another go at the franchise I kept my expectations fairly low. But with much of the original cast returning to their roles as well as seeing it was Jason Reitman, son of the original film’s director Ivan Reitman, at the helm, I became a bit more invested in the concept. Misplaced optimism? Thankfully not. Ghostbusters: Afterlife jumps straight in with a figure attempting to capture a nasty-looking ghost o...

Revenge  By Calum Whitfield  An extreme tale of violence that pulls no punches ultimately carries a strong message of empowerment in the guise of exploitative entertainment. 4/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥  Written and directed by: Coralie Fargeat  Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincente Colombe, and Guillaume Bouchède Where to find it: Shudder No Copyright Infringement Intended  Revenge (2017) is a French film that fits in with the often distasteful subgenre of rape-revenge films. Often, films that fit this genre are violent to the extreme with little artistic merit, seemingly existing simply to see how much they can disgust their audiences, but there are those that go beyond. Which category does Revenge sit in though? The plot of Revenge concerns Jen, a young American woman whose boyfriend, wealthy (and married) businessman Richard takes her to his secluded desert retreat for a romantic weekend ahead of his annual hunting trip. When his hunting buddies show...

Red Notice  By Emily Hubbard  Netflix's latest star-studded action-comedy fails to live up to its predecessors  2.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥.5 Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot  Where to find it: Netflix  No Copyright Infringement Intended  In stark contrast to the unprecedented drought of last year, 2021 has left film lovers spoiled for choice when it comes to new releases. Despite the initial excitement this prospect heralds, it does, however, mean that audiences have frequently been required to carefully pick which of the abundance of new content is worth their precious time. Red Notice, unfortunately, is not. The title of Netflix’s latest big-budget release refers to a global alert issued by Interpol to find and arrest an individual, a Red Notice, and follows the unlikely pairing of John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) an Interpol agent, and widely renowned art thief Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) as they attempt ...

The Death of Stalin  By Emily Hubbard  Armando Iannucci once again proves his status as the best political satirist of our generation  4/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥 Directed by: Armando Iannucci Starring: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jason Isaacs Where to find it: Netflix No Copyright Infringement Intended  When thinking of films that centre around the death of one of the world’s most notorious and cruel dictators, the usual genre that springs to mind is dark, gritty, and depressing dramas, not black comedies. It should come as no surprise, then, that the person helming this project is one of the most talented political satirists around today: Armando Iannucci. Famed for his role in creating some of the world’s finest of the genre, including The Thick of It, and its American spin-off, the multi Emmy-winning Veep, it’s fitting that Iannucci would be the creative mind who would rise to the challenge and create a film that ends up being an utterly hila...

Eternals By Emily Hubbard Chloé Zhao’s mature take on the superhero genre results in a movie packed with stunning cinematography and strong characters, but its exposition-filled story is sure to divide fans. 3.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥.5 Directed by: Chloé Zhao Starring: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Lauren Ridloff, Kumail Nanjiani, et al Where to find it: In cinemas now No Copyright Infringement Intended 2021 has been a packed year in the world of film, with studios releasing project after project to make up for the lack of content in 2020, and Marvel Studios is no exception to this onslaught of releases. Eternals marks the MCU’s 3 rd cinematic release of the year (7 th overall release including shows released on Disney +) and with so many titles under their belt, it should come as no surprise that the studio responsible for some of the highest-grossing movies ever made felt it was time to break away from the mould they created and produce a film that is as divisive as it...

Arrival By Emily Hubbard Denis Villeneuve creates a different kind of alien invasion film that'll have you pondering life's biggest questions  3.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥.5 Directed by: Denis Villeneuve  Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker  Where to find it: Netflix No Copyright Infringement Intended  Sci-Fi accounts for a large percentage of films released in the modern age of cinema. Whether they’re about superhuman beings or extra-terrestrial visitors, audiences can’t seem to get enough of movies focused on other-worldly stories. This fact, however, has made it increasingly difficult for directors to make original content that stands out from the rest of the pack, yet it’s a feat Denis Villeneuve has managed to achieve in the form of his first venture into the genre; Arrival. Even before seeing any footage, the premise of Arrival is intriguing, opting to mostly replace the instant violence and hostility audiences are used to seeing in alien invasion...