Synopsis: Set in the distant future, the film follows Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a destiny beyond his understanding. His family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war on the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis, to secure supply of a precious resource known as ‘spice’.

Likes: It looks spectacular and epic: a properly big sci-fi movie. I’m sure it would have been a whole lot better to watch in a cinema as opposed to a small laptop screen with the soundtrack beautifully accompanied by baby gurgling, but I’m certainly not complaining.

Dislikes: It may have been in part due to the aforementioned distractions, but I didn’t find it easy to follow. I just about understood where we were by the end of the film, however between the numerous characters, the names of planets and the terms for the different inhabiting species, I spent a lot of the time trying to make sense of the dialogue. I haven’t read the book either which didn’t help.

I’m a big fan of director Denis Villeneuve so it’s disappointing this film didn’t do it for me. His films ‘Prisoners’ and ‘Enemy’ were both great and ‘Arrival’ is one of my favourite films, easily in my all time top ten. Dune: Part 2 is out later this year and despite my thoughts on part 1, I’m still looking forward to see how the story plays out.

Rating: 5.5/10

Synopsis: We meet our protagonist Pete on his way to celebrating his birthday weekend with old friends at a country estate. He is cautiously excited about reuniting with the uni crew but one by one, his friends slowly turn against him. Is he being punished, is he paranoid, or is he part of some sick joke?

Likes: This very British film will make you squirm with its perfect capturing of awkward social encounters. Billed as a comedy horror, (although I would describe it more as a psychological thriller), I enjoyed not knowing where it’s heading and like Pete, the audience are the butt of the joke right up to the final scene. Similar to my recent review of Uncut Gems, it’s a compelling and entertaining journey, but it’s also a tough watch at times. You won’t regret seeing it, but will be glad when the credits roll.

Dislikes: When the curtain is finally pulled back, it’s ultimately a bleak punchline. No one comes out a winner and you just feel a bit beaten down by it all. This sounds rough, but I enjoyed the ride and would recommend giving it a go.

Rating: 7/10

Synopsis: Romantic comedy starring Lily James as unlucky-in-love filmmaker Zoe documenting her childhood friend and neighbour Kazim's arranged marriage to a bride from Pakistan. She follows his journey from London to Lahore and as part of the process begins to challenge her own assumptions, wondering if she might have something to learn from this alternative approach to finding love.

Likes: It’s a sweet film with a lot of heart. Visually interesting seeing the stark difference between dreary London and the bright opulence of a Pakistani wedding. Emma Thompson plays Emma Thompson, which is… nice. It also has a lovely side-story about an estranged family member, ostracised for choosing their own path in love.

Dislikes: It’s just too formulaic. From the first minute you understand that the story will end when the main characters find a way to be together, and the 90 minutes in between are long and windy.

Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: Based on the videogame, Sonic the Hedgehog tells the story of the world's fastest hedgehog as he is forced to escape from his home planet and embrace life on Earth. In this live-action adventure comedy, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and local cop Tom (James Marsden), team up to fight the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his plans for world domination.

Likes: What’s there to say? A very easy watch, a few chuckles and I guess the cast look like they’re having fun.

Dislikes: I never owned any of the Sonic video games, but played them enough to understand the simple concept of collect gold rings, do a loop de loop, go fast. This is a cookie cutter adventure movie plot and the fact it featured Sonic felt almost incidental. I don’t hate it, but I very quickly forgot about it.

Rating: 4.5/10