Kumari Tilakawardane

Kumari developed an unhealthy obsession with The Godfather at much too young an age. Realising she was unlikely to forge a career as a gangster, she turned her attention to the fruitful pastime of studying movies.

She has been reviewing movies for a number of publications over the years, joining AVForums in 2015 and enjoying a more diverse range of movies than ever before.

When she's not watching movies and generally ripping them apart, she enjoys drinking tea, making sarcastic comments and watching sport.

View:
Panels
Magazine
List
  • Movies & TV Shows

    15

    One Night in Miami (Amazon) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    One Night in Miami (Amazon) Movie Review
    One Night in Miami takes some artistic liberties with its portrayal of a real historic meeting of minds but grounds itself so forcefully in politics and humanity that it forms what might well be one of the most realistic and striking films of this year.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    4

    Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix) Movie Review
    A wonderful addition to Netflix’s slate of films, a fitting tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, and a welcome break from the wall-to-wall Christmas romcoms dominating the homepage at the moment.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    8

    The Prom (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Prom (Netflix) Movie Review
    With a cast list boasting more stars than the crisp December sky, The Prom should really be more entertaining than it is.  
    5
  • Movies & TV Shows

    12

    Mank (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Mank (Netflix) Movie Review
    Fincher's deep dive into the life of Hollywood screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, who clashed with volatile genius Orson Welles on his magnum opus, is a beautiful film about the Golden Age of Hollywood.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    20

    Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix) Movie Review
    Based on a controversial best-seller by J.D. Vance, Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy is ostensibly a true story, though the film goes out of its way to make it seem like pure cinematic fiction.  
    4
  • Movies & TV Shows

    39

    Small Axe: Mangrove (BBC) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Small Axe: Mangrove (BBC) TV Show Review
    Both timely and timeless, Steve McQueen's Small Axe is an important piece of British culture and it feels it at every turn in this first film-sized TV chapter, Mangrove.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    36

    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix) Movie Review
    Like it or not, it’s pretty much the most wonderful time of the year. Even through lockdowns, a pandemic and worldwide upheaval, Christmas does not care about your melancholy. Not keen on all this Christmas spirit and seasonal magic? You should probably steer clear of Jingle Jangle, which is not merely just a Christmas film, but also a musical to boot.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    19

    The Undoing (Sky/Now) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Undoing (Sky/Now) TV Show Review
    After the extreme success of Big Little Lies (well, the first season anyway), it was only a matter of time before some of BLL’s key players reunited to bring us another look at the sordid and murderous lives of society’s elite.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    140

    The Queen's Gambit (Netflix) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Queen's Gambit (Netflix) TV Show Review
    If you’re reading this thinking that a period drama series about a female teenage chess prodigy isn’t for you, hold on a second. The Queen’s Gambit might have a very niche premise, but you definitely don’t need to be a Grandmaster to be hooked…  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    40

    The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) Movie Review
    Though Sorkin’s ideology and politics and whatever else can feel a bit much at times, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is still a great watch and is a high-quality courtroom drama.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    3

    Blumhouse's Evil Eye (Amazon) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Blumhouse's Evil Eye (Amazon) Movie Review
    With a remote relationship between family members at its heart, Evil Eye is another timely addition to the Amazon Prime streaming collection.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    7

    Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone Season 2 (Sky/Now) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone Season 2 (Sky/Now) TV Show Review
    Season two of Jordan Peele's reboot comes at a time where every night the Ten O'Clock News feels a lot like an episode of The Twilight Zone.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    13

    Utopia Season 1 (Amazon Prime) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Utopia Season 1 (Amazon Prime) TV Show Review
    The latest US remake takes on the cult British classic Utopia.  
    6
  • Movies & TV Shows

    20

    The Third Day (HBO/Sky) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Third Day (HBO/Sky) TV Show Review
    Dennis "Utopia" Kelly's latest is another combination of horror, psychological thriller and comedy-drama, imbued with atmosphere and dread in a gloriously troubling way.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    11

    The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Netflix) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Netflix) Movie Review
    If you loved The Babysitter, no doubt you’ll be lining this one up in your Netflix queue anyway; just don’t expect it to live up to the highs of the first film.  
    6
  • Movies & TV Shows

    39

    Away Season 1 (Netflix) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Away Season 1 (Netflix) TV Show Review
    Given that we’ve all spent the last six months longing for a bit more space, Netflix’s drama about the first manned mission to Mars should really be something of a hit.  
    6
  • Movies & TV Shows

    13

    I Hate Suzie (Sky) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    I Hate Suzie (Sky) TV Show Review
    Billie Piper stars in a sharp, topical and joyously chaotic drama about the perils of modern female celebrity.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    128

    Black is King (Disney Plus) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Black is King (Disney Plus) Movie Review
    Death, taxes, and Beyoncé releasing content that more or less breaks the internet. This time it’s Black is King, released on Disney+ this week as an accompaniment to last year’s album The Gift.  
    10
  • Movies & TV Shows

    6

    How to Build a Girl (Amazon) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    How to Build a Girl (Amazon) Movie Review
    Amazon's latest, How to Build a Girl, is a truly fun watch, expertly told and beautifully acted.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    9

    Stateless (Netflix) TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Stateless (Netflix) TV Show Review
    You’ll want to look away, turn it off. It’s not comfortable viewing and it’s not something you’ll want to watch for fun. But you should probably watch it anyway.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    94

    Hamilton (Disney Plus) Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Hamilton (Disney Plus) Movie Review
    Symbolically released on Disney Plus for America’s Independence Day, Hamilton is an exquisite documentation of the stage show that loses nothing of the thrill of live theatre in its adaptation.  
    10
  • Movies & TV Shows

    3

    Holiday from Home: Top 10 Netflix Shows

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Holiday from Home: Top 10 Netflix Shows
    If we can’t jet off to sunnier climes just yet, why not enjoy a vicarious holiday right from your sofa? Here are ten Netflix options to help you see more of the world and remind you of that holiday feeling.  
  • Movies & TV Shows

    7

    Netflix's Wasp Network Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Netflix's Wasp Network Movie Review
    Olivier Assayas reunites with Carlos star Edgar Ramirez for this solid Netflix political thriller.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    29

    Netflix's Da 5 Bloods Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Netflix's Da 5 Bloods Movie Review
    A timely arrival to Netflix, Spike Lee’s new film Da 5 Bloods unravels the long-lasting violence and trauma of the Vietnam War, and is one of the best films he's ever done.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    31

    Amazon's Alex Rider Season 1 Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Amazon's Alex Rider Season 1 Review
    Two decades after the release of Stormbreaker, the first in Anthony Horowitz’s smash hit book series, teenage hero Alex Rider is getting a new on-screen image courtesy of Amazon.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    15

    Amazon's Little Fires Everywhere Season 1 TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Amazon's Little Fires Everywhere Season 1 TV Show Review
    Perfectly timed if it feels as though you’ve burned your way through everything else on streaming services during the hundreds of weeks of lockdown we’ve already had, Little Fires Everywhere stars Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon and is based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    14

    Amazon's Homecoming Season 2 TV Show Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Amazon's Homecoming Season 2 TV Show Review
    Can Kyle Patrick Alvarez's sophomore year of Amazon's Homecoming live up to Sam "Mr Robot" Esmail's impressive first season?  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    14

    Top 10 Netflix Food Shows

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Top 10 Netflix Food Shows
    Check out some of the best shows on Netflix to help expand your culinary repertoire whilst on lockdown.  
  • Movies & TV Shows

    8

    The Assistant Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Assistant Movie Review
    A subtle drama that gets under the skin of the #MeToo movement.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    24

    Top 10 Netflix Guilty Pleasures

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Top 10 Netflix Guilty Pleasures
    What better way to dull your stress and get that cosy feeling than by indulging in a few guilty pleasures?  
  • Movies & TV Shows

    20

    Jojo Rabbit Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Jojo Rabbit Movie Review
    Available now on Digital, Jojo Rabbit is easy to watch, light-hearted and whimsically enjoyable – perhaps a first for films about genocidal regimes.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    3

    Netflix's Love. Wedding. Repeat. Film Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Netflix's Love. Wedding. Repeat. Film Review
    Love, Wedding, Repeat is a bit charming and a bit funny and a bit heart-warming, but it’s mostly frustrating.  
    5
  • Movies & TV Shows

    5

    Netflix's Coffee & Kareem Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Netflix's Coffee & Kareem Movie Review
    Netflix’s latest offering to beam into your quarantine castle pairs a potty-mouthed kid with a dowdy cop. Is it a buddy movie? Is it a cop comedy? Is it a kids film? Who knows – but it comes together like chalk and cheese.  
    3
  • Movies & TV Shows

    34

    Vivarium Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Vivarium Movie Review
    Being trapped at home? Not very relatable… Vivarium lands on a variety of streaming platforms to buy or rent and provides some excellent - and topical - Friday night lock-in entertainment.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    52

    The Invisible Man Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Invisible Man Movie Review
    Elisabeth Moss puts in a tour de force performance in this nerve-racking and incredibly tense thriller.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    195

    Birds of Prey Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Birds of Prey Movie Review
    Birds of Prey is everything every superhero film thus far hasn’t been: it’s fun and colourful and silly and chaotic and, above all, about women.  
    8
  • Movies & TV Shows

    7

    The Grudge Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    The Grudge Movie Review
    In The Grudge, horrible things keep happening over and over again. But none so horrible as having to endure it.  
    3
  • Movies & TV Shows

    15

    Bombshell Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Bombshell Movie Review
    Meet the Fockers' Jay Roach has a film with a whole lot to say, although it doesn't always say it well.  
    7
  • Movies & TV Shows

    101

    1917 Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    1917 Movie Review
    Director Sam Mendes combines with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins to create one of the most ambitious and visually-arresting war movies to hit the big screen.  
    9
  • Movies & TV Shows

    34

    Cats Movie Review

    by Kumari Tilakawardane
    Cats Movie Review
    So, is Cats every bit as messy as its break-the-internet trailer suggested?  
    2

Filter Content

Content type
Minimum score

The latest video from AVForums

Is Home Theater DEAD in 2024?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us on Google News
Back
Top Bottom