JakeR8

Third time watching this now, and it’s just as harrowing as the first. I don’t think I’ve seen many films that feel quite as real as this one. The first 40 minutes almost play out like an episode of Coronation Street, a bunch of relatable working-class northerners just going about their daily lives. Even though you know the nuke is coming, watching people head to the pub and brush off the war updates on TV makes you start to think like them too. Then suddenly it happens. As Jimmy’s mate says: “Jesus Christ, they’ve done it.” What follows is truly haunting. A mix of still images, children and parents screaming, and long, silent scenes showing the aftermath. Burnt bodies. Dead animals. People sitting in shock, unable to speak or move. Everything about it feels terrifyingly real, which, as a fellow northerner, really hit home. No film I’ve seen captures the devastation a war can bring to everyday civilians quite like this. It’s no wonder it was dubbed “the night the country didn’t sleep” when it aired on the BBC. A must-watch, and one of the greatest anti-war films ever made.

It’s always great when a big budget blockbuster is actually, I love it even more when that big budget is used well. Project Hail Mary felt like a film that really respected cinema and the crafts that go into making a project this scale. Actually building the interior of the ship, having rocky be a physical puppet, not using green screen. These are the steps I want to take films make in this new age of ai and maximisation of profits. I haven’t read the book, so I can’t comment on it as an adaptation. But as a film, Project Hail Mary is as endearing as it is spectacular. Visually, in its grandest moments, it’s one of the most impressive films of the 2020s for me, which is no surprise when you see Greig Fraser as the cinematographer. Ryan Gosling was as charming and funny as ever, delivering one of his best performances to date. I mean come on, he really is one of the best around, not many can compare to this man’s filmography. The corniness of the dialogue worked for me. It never went too far, although maybe there could have been some deeper, more emotional moments, especially from Rocky (I’ve heard there were more in the book). Something did feel like it was missing, and maybe that was it. The balance between the fun, feel-good moments and the more grounded, poignant ones felt slightly off. But Overall, this is a brilliant film and one I think almost anyone can enjoy. Yes, it could have gone a little deeper, but maybe that’s the ceiling it was held under as an adaptation. Still, I loved it, like a warm hug. This is a film that reminded me why I love movies, and I hope it does the same for everyone else.