About Me

I am a London-based film critic, on the search for new outlets for my work. I currently contribute to Irish film website Scannain, and am co-host of 'Culture Corner' on Radio Harrow. I also contribute to The 250 Podcast.

I am available for articles, reviews, interviews and festivals. I have previously attended and covered the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, and the Dublin International Film Festival. If any journalists, editors, producers etc. like what they see here, get in touch:

E: cynicalfilm@gmail.com

T/I: @CynicalFilm

Recent Work

#Review: Killers of The Flower Moon – Cannes Film Festival 2023

$200 million on a tale of systemic greed, murder and racism? That’s the Scorsese effect. Very clearly making one for him (He’s 80; they’re all gonna be for him from now on), and taking full advantage of Apple Films’ largesse, Martin Scorsese has crafted another late gem to sit alongside The Irishman as an unofficial pair of treatises on American regret. It boasts a hefty price tag, but you’ve got a lot of movie for your buck.

Adapted from David Grann’s non-fiction book (by Scorsese and Eric Rot

Selman Nacar on Hesitation Wound: Interview

We sit down for an interview with writer-director Selman Nacar to discuss Hesitation Wound, his day-in-the-life Turkish courtroom drama.

The Orizzonti strand at the Venice Film Festival is dedicated to highlighting the most interesting up-and-coming voices in world cinema. On the evidence of Hesitation Wound (Tereddüt Çizgisi), writer-director Selman Nacar is a voice worth hearing.

Hesitation Wound centres on Canan (Tülin Özen), a defence lawyer living and working in the Turkish city of Usak.

Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus: Film Review

Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus is an elegant and moving tribute to (and from) a world class musical talent.


When the death of Ryuichi Sakamoto was announced in March this year, his loss was rightly mourned by music fans around the world. Sakamoto ultimately succumbed to cancer but, taking a leaf out of the books of David Bowie and Leonard Cohen, he decided to leave a record of his work for the world to appreciate before he passed. Thus, we get Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, a simple but beautiful tribute

Coup de Chance: Venice Film Review

With Coup de Chance, Woody Allen proves he’s still capable of delivering a short and sweet charmer, even in a new country and language.


With Coup de Chance, Woody Allen proves that a change is as good as a rest. He fulfils a long-held ambition to make a film in France with a Francophone cast, and the gambit pays off. Despite the new setting (dictated by necessity as much as anything else), the familiar speech patterns, elegant settings and wry humour are firmly in place. Even the opening cred

#Review: The Killer – Venice Film Festival 2023

An assassin has to be a ruthless and efficient machine. No distractions, no, misgivings, no room for error. It’s a discipline that Christian (Michael Fassbender) reiterates time and time again in The Killer (His repeated mantra is, “Stick to the plan.”). The same rigorous efficiency applies to David Fincher. No matter what the film, whether the playful nonsense of The Game or witnessing the birth of the future in The Social Network, Fincher commits to bringing the story to life with precision an

#Review: Maestro – Venice Film Festival 2023

It takes creativity to talk about creativity. Leonard Bernstein was one of the most consistent and engaging creatives of the 20th century. As composer and conductor, his influence continues to inspire, and not just in the world of music. Maestro was a longtime project on Steven Spielberg’s roster but, while remaining a producer on the final film, he opted to hand over the reins of the film to Bradley Cooper. The success of his remake of A Star Is Born was due in no small part to his effortless b

Follow Me