Alex B Cann Film Column - Wuthering Frights 05/03/26

Before settling down to watch the Brits, and reminiscing about things being better in the days of Fleetwood & Fox hosting, John Prescott getting a soaking from Chumbawamba's drummer Danbert Nobacon, and Jarvis Cocker mooning on stage during Earth Song, I rewatched Sisu last weekend. It's a film I've seen several times, and it's unflinchingly violent, whilst being beautifully shot and brilliant!

"Sisu" has no direct translation from Finnish, but essentially means "a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds". It's a more stylish John Wick, set in the dying days of World War Two, and the Nazis' scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. It's fair to say they regret attempting to steal this man's gold. He's a one man killing machine! If blood-splattered action with a story is your thing, I highly recommend both this film and its sequel Sisu : Road To Revenge. Jorma Tommila is in remarkable shape, and as the Observer wrote at the time, this film is "cool, calm, and collected in its bloodthirsty repudiation of fascism and the authoritarian inhumanity at its heart". Wonderful stuff. Unlike the Brits (Geese? Who?).

"Wuthering Heights" is my surprise pick of the recent releases, having expected not to enjoy it very much. Martin Clunes is remarkable as Cathy's dad, the gothic cinematography is beautifully done, and a squelchy, earthy reimagining of the source material (full disclosure - I've not read the book!). It's one of the best films I've watched on the big screen in years, and I didn't expect to be writing that. A lot of reviews have slated it, but box office takings suggest audiences take a different view. The Yorkshire Dales has never looked as stunning on the big screen. Margot Robbie is ace, too.

And the big disappointment this week is Scream 7. Sometimes, you need to know when to let something go, and I'm afraid this franchise has now run out of road for me. The first quarter of an hour was great, and would have made an entertaining short story in its own right. Things quickly go downhill, though, and the ending has a very Scooby Doo 'old man in the amusement park' vibe to it. As my mate Will commented, "a bunch of stuff we've seen a million times before. Not even remotely self-aware. Wasn't making a point. No effort made to make the plot even vaguely make sense. And terrible scripting". All true. Less scary than an E-mail from HMRC.

Next week, I'll be getting round to reviewing Crime 101, plus a Baz Luhrmann Elvis In Concert film that looks as epic as its title, brand new horror Dolly (it's only 83 minutes...bonus!), plus The Bride! and Mother's Pride.

If you've seen something lately and want to let me know your thoughts, drop me a line! It's alex.cann@notreallyheremedia.com, and find me on Twitter/X, if anyone still uses that apart from bots extolling the virtues of voting a particular way (my handle is @alexbcann). Happy film watching!