Seasons and festivals are a major part of our usual film programme, so while we’re closed we’re putting together some specially-curated collections for you to enjoy at home.
We’re kicking off our New British Cinema season with a mini-season of films from director Ben Wheatley, one of the UK’s “most dazzling and prolific cinematic talents” (bfi.org.uk). Making a name for himself with low-budget indie features like Down Terrace and Kill List, he hit starrier heights with his J G Ballard adaptation High-Rise and frenetic bullet-fest Free Fire, which previewed at Phoenix back in March 2017 with Wheatley in attendance. Now, with the bright lights of Hollywood shining for him – he’s currently working on an all-action sequel to 2018’s Tomb Raider reboot, scheduled for release next year – we present three Wheatley classics for your delectation.
“★★★★ – chilling and transgressive” – Guardian. Much to the annoyance of her manipulative mother, introvert Tina (Alice Lowe) and her new caravan-enthusiast boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) embark on a round-Britain touring holiday, in Wheatley’s oh-so-black comedy of manners. But thanks to litterbugs, noisy teenagers, and other holidaymakers, it quickly turns into a cagoule-clad killing spree.
★★★★ – Empire. Evoking both classic British horror and Werner Herzog’s brand of metaphysical arthouse cinema, Wheatley’s “grisly slice of English civil-war psychedelia” (Guardian) sees a group of deserting soldiers forced into a search for magical treasure by a sinister and sadistic necromancer (Michael Smiley) they encounter as they flee the battle ground.
★★★★ – Financial Times. Premiering at the 2018 London Film Festival, Wheatley’s perfectly observed tragicomedy was picked up by the BBC and consequently never released in cinemas. The Bursteads have rented a swanky mansion for a big New Year get-together with 18 of their nearest and dearest. But when Colin’s (Neil Maskell) estranged brother arrives, long held resentment and bitterness surfaces.
Following the phenomenal success of Parasite, which became the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, we’ve put together a special “lockdown” season of six must-see South Korean films from some of the best directors in the business.
★★★★★ – Time Out. South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho will forever be part of the cultural zeitgeist thanks to the history-making Oscars success of Parasite earlier this year. Kim Ki-teak’s family are all unemployed and living in a squalid basement. When his son gets a tutoring job for the wealthy Park family, the Kims gradually infiltrate the lavish home.
“★★★★★ – A beautifully blood-spattered modern classic” – Guardian. An undisputable must-see, the middle of Park Chan-wook’s ‘Vengeance Trilogy’ weaves a web of conspiracy and violence, offering a breath of fresh air from formulaic Hollywood thrillers. Years before Parasite, Oldboy set the benchmark for South Korean cinema.
“★★★★★ – A superlative thriller and a deeply erotic character study” – Empire. A milestone of LGBT cinema in ultra-conservative South Korea, Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed erotic psychological thriller is a tale of deceit and desire set in the 1930s. When a pair of petty criminals attempt to con a Japanese heiress, feelings start to get in the way and it’s unclear exactly who is being conned.
“★★★★★ – a daring study of class conflict and sexual longing that blazes with mystery” – Telegraph. Director Lee Chang-dong explores toxic masculinity in this incendiary thriller. Budding writer Jong-soo is a loner, but he begins a relationship with old school friend Hae-mi. When Hae-mi returns from a trip away with Ben (Steven Yeun) in tow, Jong-soo’s suspicions spiral into paranoia and delusion.
“★★★★★ – Giant Korean pig plus Tilda Swinton equals glorious family adventure” – Guardian. Young Mija has been caring for her gigantic hippo-like pet Okja for 10 years, at her idyllic mountain home. But the hard-hearted CEO of a food tech conglomerate (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for the creature.
“The defining monster movie of the 21st century” – IndieWire. Lauded by the likes of Quentin Tarantino, The Host broke all box office records in South Korea on its release. The government appears powerless when, after toxic waste is dumped into the Han River, a squid-like mutant emerges from its depths and begins to attack people.
