Reviews

Being a bit derivative is the least of the problems faced by Netflix’s recent acquisition from Tracy Letts and Joe Wright, leaving you asking the question: how can these people possibly be responsible for this film?  

Alexandre "Crawl" Aja's latest is a small-scale, one-woman, one-location sci-fi thriller that shoots for lean, tense claustrophobia but is surprisingly - or perhaps unsurprisingly given it's Netflix - flabby around the middle.  

Desperately heartbreaking, this little gem is something of an unsung minor masterpiece, and possibly a perfect movie for these trying times.  

The VAVA VA-LT002 4K HDR ultra-short-throw laser projector promises big-screen images from limited space, along with a sound system and smart platform. Is this new beamer a bargain?  

HBO scores another gem whilst Kate Winslet reminds us just how impressive an actress she is, so don't be put off by the title, this is well worth investigating.  

Picking up where Biohazard left off, Resident Evil Village builds upon this very welcome return to form, dipping back into the classics from this now 25-year-old series to add a little more action to its survival-horror origins.  

The PS5 takes a step foward in gameplay for an absorbing, immersive and challenging experience as you battle through a time loop on a mysterious planet in this exclusive space-based third person shooter.  

The wireless earphone market is the current audio gold rush and Bowers & Wilkins has entered the market with its customary thoroughness. Does the PI7 do enough to tempt you away from the AirPod?  

One of the greatest Leone movies, greatest Eastwood movies, greatest Westerns, and greatest films of all time enjoys a stunning 4K Blu-ray release in the US courtesy of Kino Lorber.  

Given a brief theatrical - and even IMAX - release back last autumn, Honest Thief makes its home debut as an Amazon Original, and is another harmlessly entertaining Neeson action thriller.  

Netflix's latest superhero show comes from Steven S. DeKnight (Netflix's Daredevil), adapting Mark "Kick Ass" Millar's graphic novel saga that charts generations of a dysfunctional superhero family.  

REL gives its Serie Tx subwoofer range an overhaul, with the flagship T/9x offering a redesigned and more discreet cabinet, inside which you'll find a new 10-inch driver and beefed-up amplification.  

Reportedly proving another hit for HBO Max, the modestly budgeted reboot of Mortal Kombat is equally modestly dumb fun, but really could have done with paying closer attention to the excellent animation, Scorpion's Revenge.  

The clone troopers are back. If you've got a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The Bad Batch.  

A modern spin on the classic tale, making for another solid quality Apple TV+ production.  

Elipson’s latest speaker takes the company in a wholly new direction but is this blast from the past exactly what you need in 2021?  

Astell & Kern’s take on a more affordable portable player still packs a hefty specification but does it do enough to impress?  

A movie that features a hectic Furby chase, a screaming gibbon, a Dog Cop, sock puppets, evil robots, good robots, dinosaurs and Olivia Colman. Are you sold yet?  

Remaking Steven Seagal's Hard to Kill, this stunningly generic, woefully scripted and ambivalently acted feature follows in the awesome tradition of Chris Pine's in-name-only Jack Ryan adaptation, Shadow Recruit, but it has some nice bang bang.  

The Polk React Soundbar offers two-channel audio and Amazon Alexa built-in, plus affordable upgrade options with the wireless React Subwoofer and SR2 surrounds.  

With a brace of Oscars tucked firmly into its belt, Chloé Zhao’s moving film chronicling the post-recession experience of transient workers in the US comes to the UK via Disney+ Star.  

Obviously completely coincidentally released just days after the utterly unplanned and unscheduled Oscars ceremony, this straight to video mess wastes Anthony Hopkins AND Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Anson Mount, in what would have been better as a Seagal / Van Damme flick.  

The Bartok is - by some margin - the most expensive digital product we’ve ever tested but is the very first rung on the dCS ladder. Can it possibly deliver on the premise?  

After the insanity of GvK, we go back to the one that started it all, Gareth Edward's 2014 version of Godzilla, and find a new appreciation.  

Helm Audio resurrects an older idea with the promise of some new engineering from THX, is this what your headphones have been waiting for?  

What could have easily felt like the backdoor pilot for a WWII Wonder Woman series that it started its life out as, actually turns into a pretty heartfelt Dirty Dozen/Inglourious Basterds ensemble.  

The highest grossing film of 2020? This Chinese blend of 300 and Black Hawk Down satisfies as an epic scale depiction of this WWII prelude.  

Arrow delivers another show-stopping 4K Box Set, with Donnie Darko the latest to earn a glorious upgrade in a 2-disc Limited Edition complete with both cuts on separate discs in native 4K with Dolby Vision.  

The second Marvel serial to come to Disney+, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows potential but little novelty in its first episode. UPDATED FOR THE COMPLETE SEASON  

More than just a disaster movie in space, Stowaway strips back the Apollo 13 formula to focus on dramatising an ethical thought experiment.  

Although newcomers may find the lite version - The Hunger Games - robs this 2000 cult classic of some of its originality, it's still got some bite, earning a lavish Arrow box set which throws in both cuts, and both cuts of the sequel for good measure.  

The Samsung HW-Q800A is the company's latest mid-range soundbar, with support for eARC, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Amazon Alexa built-in.  

A new look, a new ratio, and the superior R-rated longer cut - after the success of Zack Snyder's Justice League maybe there's no better time to reassess the deeply flawed Batman v Superman.  

The Michi X3 is the smallest member of the Michi range but it still makes for a big and impressively specified amp. Is it the one to beat?  

The LG G1 is a direct replacement for the outgoing GX and offers a near-identical performance and design. The main differences are a new WebOS and menu design as well as the OLED Evo panel. So, is it a revolutionary performer or a small evolution of the technology? Let's find out...  

Coming in at an appropriate time, Netflix’s giant bug-infested rom-com spreads its hopeful message about getting out there and starting to live life again. Which makes it a shame that it feels like an automatic painting-by-numbers machine.  

Now a double BAFTA winner, Emerald Fennell’s fierce revenge comedy showcases Carey Mulligan in one of her best performances to date.  

Amazon knocks another Exclusive out of the park with this absolutely unmissable drama; a heartbreakingly authentic look behind the curtain of hearing loss with a powerhouse performance from Riz Ahmed.  

Neil "The Descent" Marshall's latest finally lands on UK shores soon as a Shudder exclusive and in the meantime as a general digital purchase and, either way, it suffers from feeling like a pretty cheap and amateurish effort.  

Unlike its predecessor, Advent Children, this surprisingly exciting Final Fantasy entry is a great jumping-in point for newcomers and a fabulous 4K release.