Film

The Christophers

24/05/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) was once a successful and much-revered artist, whose early works exchanged hands for millions of pounds apiece. But after his residency on a TV art show, where he became known for tongue-lashing young wannabes, his star has declined somewhat – and lately he spends more time recording asinine Cameo messages than exploring what’s left of his artistic gifts.

Lori Butler (Michaela Coel) works as an ‘art restorer’ and has a knack for forgery – which is why she’s contacted by Julian’s estranged children, Sallie (Jessica Gunning) and Barnaby (James Corden), who think they may have a job for her. It’s come to their attention that their Dad has a series of unfinished paintings up in his attic – the titular Christophers – and the siblings also have a buyer in Las Vegas who’s ready to pay out an eye-watering sum for them… when they are finished. Sallie and Barnaby are wondering if Lori might be able to get her hands on said paintings and, er, hurry the process along. After all, octogenarian Julian has a life-threatening illness, so time is fast running out. And they’d be more than willing to cut her in for a share of the proceedings.

What’s more, Julian has been advertising for a new assistant…

Director Steven Soderbergh continues with the least convincing retirement in cinema history (this being his second film this year) but, when he’s capable of creating little gems like The Christophers, I’m not going to be the one to suggest he might take his foot off the accelerator. Essentially a two-hander, this has the pacing and eloquence of a piece of theatre, both McKellen and Coel playing roles that were specifically created for them by screenwriter Ed Solomon. McKellen is on exquisite form as the deliciously foul-mouthed, eternally grumpy Sklar, who never hesitates to say exactly what’s on his mind. And Coel handles the arguably trickier role of Lori with considerable skill, saying so much with a sidelong look or a brief gesture. It soon begins to emerge that Lori has her own reasons for having some skin in this particular game.

The Christophers cleverly nails the injustice of the contemporary arts scene – the ways that reputations can be fuelled and cancelled by simple twists of fate. There’s also an overwhelming sadness to the story as it begins to probe into exactly why those paintings were never finished. Both Gunning and Corden provide humour as Sklar’s offspring, or – as he likes to refer to them – his ‘heirs abhorrent.’ And I like that I really do not see where this is headed until we arrive.

It’s hardly the season for Oscar recommendations, but I’ve rarely seen McKellen in a more perfectly suited role than this. And if Soderbergh doesn’t watch out, people are going to get the impression that he’s still a gifted working filmmaker.

4.5 stars

Philip Caveney

Obsession

20/05/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Anyone familiar with WW Jacobs’ classic short story, The Monkey’s Paw, will have a fair idea of what to expect going into Curry Barker’s debut feature, Obsession – and if the film’s title is somewhat forgettable, this is nevertheless a nicely-made low-budget chiller, which manages to keep a few surprises tucked up its blood-spattered sleeve. 

Bear (Michael Johnston) lives alone in his late grandma’s house. Despite his dark good looks, he’s a bit of a loner – and the grisly demise of the cat that usually keeps him company suggests that the situation isn’t going to change any time soon. But Bear has a secret crush on Nikki (Inde Navarrette), a co-worker at the lowly musical instrument store where he earns a crust. He’s trying to work up the courage to ask her out, encouraged by another workmate, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson), but somehow Bear lacks the nerve to voice his true feelings to her.

And then, in a local curio shop, he buys a tacky little gizmo called a One-Wish Willow, intending to give it to Nikki as a silly birthday gift. The idea is to break the twig and wish aloud for your heart’s desire. In a moment of weakness, Bear uses the device to further his own aims, impulsively wishing that Nikki will love him more than anyone in the world . He soon comes to understand the old adage, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’  Because quite suddenly, Nicky does love him – obsessively, relentlessly, unpredictably – and she isn’t going to let anything stand in the way of her possessing him, heart and soul…

While it’s a familiar premise, Barker sets out his stall with skill, aided by two strong performances from the leads – particularly from Navarette, who can switch from sweet and shy to downright terrifying in the blink of an eye. Barker shot the film himself (he began his career making short online features) and has a great knack for capturing disturbing silhouettes. There are some adroitly-handled jump scares and I haven’t been so disturbed by a character’s grin since the Smile films.

There are also some interesting issues in the subtext: the way that couples influence each other; the jealousy that can be caused by other friendships; the awful void that can open up when a relationship has run its course and only one person is ready to make the break. Barker – who also wrote the screenplay – unleashes a whole series of tortuous events which build rapidly to carnage. I find myself thoroughly swept up in proceedings and am genuinely surprised when the final credits roll. One hour and forty-eight minutes have sped past seemingly in the blink of an eye.

Obsession makes another valuable addition to the crop of quirky horrors currently dominating the cineplexes – though I still think it would benefit from a more interesting title. One-Wish Willow, maybe?

4.4 stars

Philip Caveney 

Hokum

03/05/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

I emerge from Hokum thinking that this low-budget horror from Irish director, Damien MaCarthy, is aptly-titled. The term originated in American theatre in the early 20th century and is a combination of Hocus-Pocus and Bunkum. I have to say that the storyline here does not stand up to scrutiny – but nevertheless, I do find the result enjoyable, if occasionally confusing.

Ohm Baumann (Adam Scott, of Severance fame) is a successful author, currently putting the finishing touches to his bestselling ‘Conquistador ‘ trilogy. Indeed, the film begins with a short extract from the book’s planned ending, which could be best described as ‘flat.’ It’s also clear from early on that Ohm is being haunted by something from his past. Pretty soon, he’s left his native America and is driving through a remote part of Ireland, where’s he’s planning to visit the Bilberry Woods Inn, where his parents spent their honeymoon. He carries with him the ashes of said parents, which he is planning to scatter in the place where they were last happy. Next to a tree, apparently.

The hotel is one of those constructions that only exist in the minds of authors: dark, forbidding and peopled by a collection of odd balls that would have most travellers checking out without further delay – but Ohm is on a mission. He dutifully sprinkles the ashes of Mum and Dad, has an encounter in the woods with bearded weirdo, Jerry (David Wilmot), and then drinks a lot of whiskey whilst chatting to friendly bar steward, Fiona (Florence Ordesh). He outlines the ending of his new book to her, whereupon she charmingly tells him she won’t be reading it.

Mind you, Ohm is not the friendliest character himself, openly rude to pretty much everyone he meets and summarily insulting porter and wannabe author, Albie (Will O Connell), when he meekly suggests that Ohm might care to have a quick look at his manuscript. This kind of attitude is generally off-putting in a protagonist but somehow Scott manages to get away with it, eliciting laughs with his sneering comments.

But then there’s a dark development, after which Fiona goes missing – and Ohm becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her…

Hokum does a decent job of generating an eerie and unsettling sense of dread throughout, though I do occasionally find myself wishing somebody would turn some lights on. The inn, of course, harbours an open secret: the Honeymoon Suite (where Ohm’s parents stayed) is permanently closed to the public, because it’s haunted by ‘a witch’. Naturally, Ohm needs to get in there in his search for Fiona. If you can buy this premise, you’ll have a good chance of enjoying the supernatural shenanigans that ensue, though I do have some trouble with the very complicated geography of the various rooms, corridors and lifts that comprise the suite – and I can’t be the only one who’s puzzled when Ohm suddenly appears to be wearing a set of manacles. A later reference to the fact that his whiskey has been spiked with magic mushrooms feels like an attempt to cover up what is more likely a continuity error after some scenes have been edited out.

And perhaps most damning of all, the incident that has been haunting our antihero from the start – doubtless intended to be something of a revelation – is too broadly signposted to come as a surprise.

Hokum is another addition to the many decent horror films currently gracing the multiplexes, but it’s not really up there with the likes of Weapons, a film which manages to generate real terror without feeling the need to dim the lights at every opportunity.

3.6 stars

Philip Caveney

Undertone

21/04/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Undertone has been in the cinemas for a week now, but it’s been mostly restricted to a series of late-night showings – and I prefer to do my movie-watching in the daytime. Finally, here’s a rare chance to see it at 12pm and I’m glad to have the opportunity. Written and directed by Ian Tuason, this stripped-back Canadian chiller has been cleverly billed as ‘the scariest film you’ll ever hear’ and certainly what seeps into an audience’s ears is every bit as important as what they actually see onscreen.

Evy (Nina Kiri) is going through a difficult time. She’s trapped in her mother’s house in Toronto, craving alcohol and trying to deal with the discovery that she’s pregnant. Meanwhile, her mother (played by Michéle Duquet) lies in her upstairs bedroom in a comatose condition, nearing the end of her life. Luckily Evy has The Undertone Podcast to think about, which she records and presents with her friend, Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco), who is based far away in New York. The series is devoted to all things creepy – though Evy, despite being raised a Catholic, is a staunch disbeliever in the supernatural.

Justin reveals that he’s recently received a series of ten audio files from a man called Mike. They feature his wife, Jessa, who has started talking (and sometimes singing) in her sleep. The recordings all feature unsettling details and inexplicable sounds – especially when played in reverse – and, as the podcasters work their way through them, so Evy’s convictions start to crumble…

Made for just $50,000, Undertone has grossed millions in the USA and it’s easy to see why it has notched up yet another win for production company A24, who seem to have an uncanny nose for quality horror projects.

Set entirely in one house, the film starts with a series of tiny unsettling details – a light left on, a tap left running… but, as the story steadily unfolds, so these details become more overt, more sinister, until a sense of palpable dread has me in its tenacious grip. I listen intently to every garbled soundscape that pulses from the cinema’s Dolby speakers. (Unless you have an incredibly sophisticated sound system at home, don’t leave this one for streaming.) Furthermore, Undertone subverts all the usual clichés of the genre. Moments that appear to be building towards an inevitable jump-scare never come to fruition, Tuason preferring to leave viewers in a constant state of anxiety.

As the film’s final scenes build to an almost unbearable tension, I actually find myself holding my breath… and that’s when I’m hit by a revelation that I really don’t see coming. Undertone is an ingenious little movie that makes a big impact, but it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted.

4.4 stars

Philip Caveney

Amélie

17/04/26

Filmhouse, Edinburgh

With decent new releases a bit thin on the ground, it seems a propitious time for the re-release of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 masterpiece, Amélie, in a stunning 4K restoration. This gorgeous, swooning tale of love and intrigue is unlike any other film I’ve seen. Whimsical, wildly inventive and built around an astonishing lead performance by Audrey Tautou, it exudes charm and wonder in equal measure. It’s every bit as good as I remember and has me leaving like I’m walking on air.

When we first meet Amélie, she’s just being born – and the film speedily takes us into her childhood. She’s a complex creature, who, after the early death of her mother, longs for affection from her distant but well-meaning father, Raphael (Rufus). But the loss of his wife has plunged him into despair and he retreats into a world of his own, unable to give his daughter the affection she craves. Soon Amélie has grown to womanhood. She’s still looking for the love she’s missed out on and is now determined to create opportunities for others who may be in need of that precious commodity. She works as a waitress in a bar in Paris and it’s here that she quietly goes about the business of making magic (and sometimes mayhem) for the various people she encounters, building stories around them and quietly seeking ways to introduce some much-needed romance into their lives.

Her antics are closely observed by her elderly neighbour, Raymond (Serge Merlin), a man with brittle-bone disease, who has devoted his life to reproducing a famous painting, Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party. It’s a task he re-attempts every year, obsessed with getting it right. And what is it about one female character in the picture that so intrigues him?

Co-written by Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, beautifully filmed by Bruni Delbonnel, this is an object lesson in how to create memorable screen imagery – there are countless iconic shots here that wouldn’t look out of place on the walls of an art gallery. The story is wonderfully labyrinthine and the complex machinations that Amélie goes to in her quest to help friends and neighbours are delightfully offbeat. The protracted ‘will they, won’t they’ courtship she engineers with Nino (Matthew Kassovitz) could so easily be unbearably cute, but somehow Jeunet manages to inject everything with a Gallic edginess that keeps it all on track. Furthermore, not all of Amélie’s elaborate schemes go quite to plan.

Be warned. Watching Amélie comes with the distinct danger of falling hopelessly in love with it. If you didn’t see it first time around, then here’s your chance to catch one of the most original movies ever made. Miss it and weep.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

California Schemin’

06/04/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

There have been a lot of ‘based on a true story’ movies lately, but California Schemin’ is one of the most appealing I’ve seen in quite a while. Originally filmed as a documentary (2013’s The Great Hip Hop Hoax), the real-life events provide the basis for the directorial debut of actor James McAvoy. It must be said, he makes a compelling and thought-provoking transition to the other side of the camera.

It’s the early Noughties and Gavin Bain (Seamus McLean Ross) and his best friend, Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley), are working in a call centre in Dundee, where Billy’s flair for adopting different accents makes him the leading salesman. But the boys devote all of their spare time to creating rap songs, written by Gavin and performed as a duo, though Billy is clearly the more confident performer. Like a lot of kids, they dream of making it big in the music industry – but their approaches to record labels keep bumping up against the issue of their Scottish accents. When they travel to London to attend an open call for ‘new bands’ they are summarily dismissed as ‘the Rapping Proclaimers’ after performing just a few lines.

Then Gavin comes up with an audacious plan. Since everyone they speak to extolls the virtues of American rappers, why not become American? Fired up by the idea, the pair re-record their demos with their best attempts at US accents, even devising a backstory for themselves as Californians. Miraculously, the record labels they approach now show much more interest in ‘Silibil and Brains’ – and the next time they’re in London, the boys manage to blag their way into a rap club, where they perform an impromptu song onstage, which goes down a storm. Luckily for them, ambitious talent scout Tessa (Rebekah Murrell) happens to be in the crowd and invites them to come in to her office for ‘a chat.’

Almost before they know what’s happening, they’re signed for a hefty advance and are being lined up for some prestigious gigs, as well as a TV appearance. Billy suggests that they reveal their true identities to the world live on TV, exposing the music industry’s anti-Scottish bias, but Gavin is enjoying his newfound stardom a little too much and is not quite ready to blow the whistle…

There are strong performances from the two leads, while McAvoy provides a cameo as Anthony Reid, the no-nonsense head of Neotone Records, ironically a Scotsman himself. Lucy Halliday is appealing as Mary, Billy’s partner, who, stuck back in Dundee, can only watch in bemused wonder as the whole enterprise hurtles out of control.

As well as the sheer fun of the central premise, California Schemin’ also makes some interesting observations about prejudice, and the way so many people have preconceptions about the limitations of national identity. Why can’t somebody with a Scottish accent be a talented rapper? And why did the record company act in such a hostile way when the truth was finally uncovered? Co-written by Bain and Boyd, with Elaine Gracie and Archie Thompson, this is a whole ton of fun, best watched in amped-up Dolby stereo in the movie theatre of your choice. If you prefer streaming, you’d probably better warn the neighbours. It’s gonna get loud…

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. I think I feel a song coming on…

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney

The Drama

04/04/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) are a successful young couple based in Boston. The story begins with a flashback to their first meeting – an endearingly bumbling meet-cute in a coffee shop – but they have been together for two years now. They share a nice apartment, are both in secure jobs and clearly love each other deeply. So naturally they decide that it’s time to officially tie the knot. Like so many couples before them, they set all the wheels in motion: classes with a choreographer for that all-important first dance, test photographs to make sure they actually know how to smile convincingly, sample menus just to ensure that every bite on the big day will be perfect… and wine of course. Don’t forget the wine!

But things take an unexpected turn when, a few days before the wedding, they get drunk with their close friends, Mike (Mamoudou Athie), who is Charlie’s choice for Best Man, and Rachel (Alana Haim), who Emma has chosen as her Maid of Honour. Playing an impromptu game of ‘what’s the worst thing you’ve even done?’ Emma shares something that happened to her when she was just fifteen years old – something so shocking that it casts an immediate pall over the proceedings and starts Charlie wondering if he really does want to spend the rest of his life with this woman.

From this point, the whole enterprise begins to spin dangerously out of control and everything the couple does to try to limit the potential damage only makes it so much worse…

The Drama is aptly titled (how does production company A24 manage to unearth so many great projects?) because it focuses on the performative nature of the wedding experience and, no matter how many unexpected twists are thrown into the mix, this deliciously dark comedy never flags. Both Pattinson and Zendaya are great in the lead roles but the supporting cast also shine in their respective parts, particularly Haim, who is transformed by Emma’s confession into a sneering, vengeful version of her former self. There are some truly toe-curdling moments that actually have me wincing and offering silent thanks that my own wedding had none of the hurdles depicted here. The groom’s speech actually has me wanting to hide behind my seat.

Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, The Drama utilises a wonderfully fragmentary approach, cutting back and forth across Emma’s backstory, where she’s played by Jordyn Curet. That dark revelation has polarised audiences in the USA, where one newspaper has already awarded it a ‘no stars’ review – but to my mind, the way Emma’s childhood is revealed makes me totally understand what happened to make her act as she did. Also, I don’t believe in thought crime but I do believe in second chances.

We are also offered glimpses of Charlie’s dreams, and his dark imaginings as he contemplates what the future might hold for him. This is a smart, ingenious, low-budget film that delivers in just about every respect and, whatever else you think of it, I’m pretty sure you won’t be bored.

4. 4 stars

Philip Caveney

The Magic Faraway Tree

02/04/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

If you didn’t read The Magic Faraway Tree as a child, then you really did miss out. Mention the title to anyone who encountered it in their early years, and you’ll unleash a torrent of strange words, none of which will make much sense if you’re not au fait with the fantasy series. “Moonface!” they’ll exclaim. “Silky! The Slippery-slip! Pop-biscuits! Dame Slap!”

This adaptation (written by Simon Farnaby and directed by Ben Gregor) veers wildly from the original but still retains the heart of Enid Blyton’s beloved books. In this version, Beth, Joe and Franny (formerly Bessie, Jo and Fanny) are firmly Generation Alpha, unable to imagine a world without Wi-Fi, ear pods or mobile phones. So when their mum (Claire Foy) loses her well-paid city job and their dad (Andrew Garfield) suggests moving to the middle of nowhere to set up a pasta sauce business, they’re not exactly thrilled.

Teenager Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) is especially put out. Seriously? She’s expected to live here? There’s nothing but fields and trees. What’s she supposed to do? Middle child Joe (Phoenix Laroche) agrees with her: he’s reduced to pretending a plank of wood is a games console. Meanwhile Franny (Billie Gadsdon), a thoughtful child with selective mutism – no, that’s not in the original – is slowly starting to blossom. What’s behind her newfound confidence?

The clue is in the title. Despite warnings from a neighbouring farmer (Farnaby), Franny has ventured into the Enchanted Wood, where she’s encountered the folk of the Faraway Tree. Its trunk and branches house a multitude of wonderful characters – including Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Silky (Nicola Coughlan) and the Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns). Even better, there’s a ladder at the top, which stretches up through the clouds into a host of magical lands. No wonder Franny’s motivated to speak when she’s bursting with news of elves and pixies and the Land of Goodies. And of course, eventually, her skeptical siblings join her there…

Farnaby and Gregor have captured the essence of Blyton’s stories, the whimsical appeal of fairies, wishes and aeroplanes that get sleepy – but attempting to fit in every idea from the book makes the end result feel a little over-stuffed and it doesn’t help that there are also a lot of ideas that weren’t there in the first place. A sub-plot involving Jennifer Saunders as the children’s avaricious granny (who, for no discernible reason, boasts a dodgy German accent) feels somewhat superfluous. On the other hand, not enough is made of Rebecca Ferguson’s Dame Snap (formerly Slap) and her prison-like school. Ferguson gives this her best shot, but we’re barely in her presence for ten minutes before the adventure careers onwards.

But this is nonetheless a delightful children’s film, which littl’uns are sure to enjoy for its own sake, while their elders take the opportunity to drink a cup of acornade and revel in nostalgia.

3.8 stars

Susan Singfield

The Good Boy

26/03/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

The title of Stephen Graham’s new film has caused some confusion. The Good Boy is known as in some quarters as Heel, mostly to avoid being confused with another recent release, Good Boy, which is about a haunted dog – though in both films one of the ‘lead’ characters gets to wear a collar. Confused? Don’t be. Suffice to say this is a fascinating watch, whatever it’s called, featuring one of the darkest, most twisted storylines I’ve seen in a very long time.

Tommy (Anson Boon) is a toxic nineteen-year-old, who revels in drugs, violence and rampant sex, delighting in filming his exploits and posting them up on social media, where he’s attracting quite a following. Unluckily for him, his excesses have come to the attention of Chris (Stephen Graham) and, all too soon, Tommy wakes up on a mattress in the cellar of Chris’s remote detached house, chained in position and wearing the aforementioned collar. In his new home, he is compelled to obey his master’s every command. Should he misbehave, Chris is more than ready to dole out savage punishment – and he makes it clear from the get-go that he intends to show Tommy how a good boy behaves.

So, who is going to come to Tommy’s help? Certainly not Chris’s pale and wan wife, Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough), who appears to be broken by something terrible in her recent past. And certainly not Chris’s young son, Jonathan (Kit Rakusen), who looks and talks like a kid from an Enid Blyton novel and is very careful not to misbehave. What about the house’s most recent addition, hired cleaning woman, Rina (Monika Frajczyk)? Could she become Tommy’s ally? Or is she too caught up with family problems of her own? Besides, surely somebody has reported Tommy’s disappearance… won’t the police be looking for him?

The beauty of this film, written by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, is that I’m never entirely sure where the storyline is headed, right up to its final scene. Every time I think I’m close to working things out, it swings in an entirely different direction, which only serves to make it all the more intriguing. The three leads all play their roles compellingly, particularly Riseborough, who is obliged to remain mute for many of her early appearances, yet skilfully contrives to exude a palpable air of utter misery. Director Jan Komasa keeps everything on such a tight leash (we’re back to dogs again!) that the film has me in suspense from start to finish.

But what’s it about, I hear you ask? Is it just an unpleasant tale of sadism? No. It’s much more than that. The Good Boy challenges our preconceptions about right and wrong. It is about the power of the family unit – the ways in which it can exert both good and bad influences on those who are held within its tenacious grip. So many people attribute importance to their respective families and are often prepared to go to extreme lengths to ensure that the dynamic continues to function. Chris has clearly taken this approach far further than anyone ever should, but is there something at the heart of his methods that might actually… work?

Whatever your thoughts on the matter, The Good Boy is a powerful and highly original slice of contemporary cinema. See it if you can and draw your own conclusions. I guarantee, you won’t be bored.

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

25/03/26

Cineworld, Edinburgh

2019’s Ready or Not was one of those plucky little films that made a big impression. It introduced Samara Weaving as Grace, a young woman who unwittingly marries a Satanist (it happens) and then spends the rest of the film playing a bizarre game of Hide and Seek with her new husband and his family, all of whom are doing their level best to murder her with an array of vintage weapons. It was a deceptively simple concept, played through with great flair and absolute precision – and it worked like a charm.

Rumours of a sequel started soon after its release and now here it finally is, bigger, louder and (inevitably) bloodier than its predecessor. It picks up right where the last film finished off with a wounded and dishevelled Grace stumbling from a blazing building and being rushed to hospital. She’s had a close call but it’s all over now. Except, of course, it isn’t (that incredibly redundant 2 in the title is the clue).

She is soon informed that, because she’s managed to despatch an entire family in the Satanist hierarchy, she must now play the same game all over again, this time pitted against the heads of several different households. Whoever manages to kill Grace will be the new Satanic leader, taking over from Chester Danforth, played by esteemed horror director David Cronenberg. He’s glimpsed only briefly before he’s erased – as the rules dictate – by his two children, Titus (Shawn Hatosy) and Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar). And naturally, Chester’s twin kids both feel that they should be the one to inherit the kingdom.

To further complicate matters, Grace is now accompanied by her estranged younger sister, Faith (Kathyryn Newton), who has turned up at the hospital because she’s still listed as Grace’s next of kin. Now the two of them, handcuffed together, must take on seemingly insurmountable odds…

The old rule of sequels is as reductive as ever. Directors Guy Busick and R Christopher Murphy give it their best shot, working from a screenplay by Radio Silence (Marc Bettenelli-Olpin and Tyler Gilett), but they’re in a game of diminishing returns, no matter how much gusto they employ. Most of the running time features that kind of Sam Raimi-esque slapstick horror, where the impulse is to laugh out loud as people quite literally explode. The problem with that is that the reasons for Satanists exploding are quite convoluted and I’m still unclear about a couple of examples – but maybe that’s just me.

Both Weaving and Newton are strong in their roles and their habitual bickering as they flail from one disaster to the next is often more entertaining than the carnage. Elijah Wood gives the film one of its strongest cards as ‘The Lawyer,’ managing to stay straight-faced and erudite as the bodies pile up around him. The film itself runs out of steam long before its ridiculously protracted conclusion and the old adage about ‘less is more’ has rarely felt more apt.

This isn’t terrible, but neither is it a patch on it’s leaner, meaner progenitor. There’s already talk about a third instalment, but I sincerely hope that everyone has the good sense to leave it here. There are only so many exploding Satanists a fellow can take.

3 stars

Philip Caveney