Veron The Reviewer

Never Rarely Sometimes Always  is a drama film directed by Eliza Hittman, starring Sidney Flanigan (in her first acting role) as Autumn, a teenager who finds out she is pregnant, and Talia Ryder as Autumn's cousin Skylar. The film chronicles Autumn's attempts to get an abortion, and does so in a very understated and intimate manner, focusing less on the ethical debate and more on the emotional journey Autumn goes on throughout the film as well as the close and supportive relationship between Autumn and Skylar. The film paints a very frank picture of abortion, with a very close attention to detail; the pacing is slow, but not once did I ever think that it was dragging its feet, as I understood that there was a deliberate sense of purpose to its pacing. The scene where Autumn has to answer a series of very personal questions is a particular highlight, as despite the scene moving slowly, it was gradually building towards an emotional payoff, and Flanigan's performance in that ...

The Nightingale , a thriller set in Colonial Australia (specifically Van Diemen's Land, present-day Tasmania), directed by Jennifer Kent (who also directed the brilliant horror film The Babadook),  and starring Aisling Franciosi as Irish convict Clare Carroll, Sam Claflin as British Colonial officer Hawkins, and Baykali Ganambarr as "Billy"/Mangana, an Aboriginal tracker. When Hawkins and two of his soldiers commit an unthinkable act of brutality against Clare and her loved ones, she sets off on a dangerous journey to hunt down the soldiers and get revenge. What I liked about the movie: the depiction of the horrors of colonialism from the perspective of Clare and Mangana, the acts of violence justified by bigotry (even Clare is quite bigoted towards Mangana for the early parts of the film), Clare's quest to get revenge having a very understandable and horrific catalyst, and the exploration of how violence can warp someone and how violence can be quite disturbing and u...

Brimstone  is a thriller set in the Wild West era, starring Dakota Fanning as Liz, a mute young midwife and Guy Pearce as a mysterious reverend whose arrival terrifies her. What follows is an exploration of the dynamic and shared history between the two, told out of order, punctuated by brutal acts of violence. What I liked about it: Intriguing unraveling of Liz's past and her connection with the Reverend;  A glimpse into the powerlessness of women in the Wild West; the film being divided into Four chapters, each revealing hints about their connection;  The performances by Dakota Fanning and Guy Pearce, especially the latter as the Reverend's depraved nature becomes more apparent as he commits increasingly disgusting actions;  The film was on a little on the long side, but there was never a dull moment because it was just so gripping throughout The film is marked by tragedy throughout, so that even with some catharsis towards the end, it ends on a fittingly tragic no...