Nick Bartlett

Freelance Writer

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Hard Boiled 4K Review (Arrow)

Even if you haven’t seen Hard Boiled, you’ve almost certainly seen the promotional image of Chow Yun-Fat, decked out in full tactical gear, shotgun in one hand, a very confused-looking baby in the other. It’s instantly iconic, equal parts absurd and deadly serious, and perfectly captures the film’s tone. This is action cinema pushed to its most operatic extreme, but with just enough self-awareness to prevent it from collapsing under its own intensity – never taking itself too seriously.

Salem's Lot Review (Arrow Films)

In his introduction to the paperback release of Salem’s Lot, Stephen King described his lofty ambitions for what was only his second novel: to combine the gothic terror of Dracula with the sensationalism of EC Comics and the naturalistic fiction of Frank Norris. The result is one of his most overt works of horror – a traditional vampire story transposed into small-town New England – and it remains one of his most genuinely frightening books.
The Custard TV •

More Than Cosy: The Quiet Brilliance of Foyle’s War.  - The Custard TV

It’s easy to see why the Foyle's War has acquired a reputation as being comfort television. Period costumes, polite dialogue, a softly spoken detective solving murders in a picturesque coastal setting – it all feels so familiar. However, now that the series is available on Netflix and mercifully uncensored, it’s easier to see that this reputation is wildly misleading. Beneath the polite manners, plummy British accents and idyllic rural setting lies one of the most interesting and morally layered procedural dramas that British television has ever produced.

The Magic Faraway Tree Review

Any adaptation of Enid Blyton seems a questionable prospect in the 21st century. Like Roald Dahl, her work has gone through re-evaluations in recent years, and even if the frequently xenophobic, sexist, and classist attitudes of her books weren’t an issue, her stories are so rooted in the past that any adaptation would face an uphill battle in order to remain faithful and still appeal to modern audiences, especially children. That The Magic Faraway Tree manages to feel both warmly nostalgic and...

Revisiting The Little Stranger (2018) - Horrified

The opening narration of The Devil’s Backbone establishes the central premise of the film with this question. A haunting and often philosophical exploration into what constitutes a ghost, Del Toro’s film features ghosts in different roles, as ominous harbingers of things to come, of protectors of the weak, and as avenging spirits. However, while the ghosts in Del Toro’s film do subvert expectations, they still fit with our preconceived ideas of what makes a ghost.

Does a horror film have to be scary? Revisiting The Awakening (2011) - Horrified

The Awakening (UK, Nick Murphy, 2011) has all the traits of a traditional ghost story: a ghostly child, a huge empty house, and a protagonist with a troubled past. Even the setting, just after World War One, is ideal territory for a chilling tale. However, unusually for a ghost story, the film actually suffers a little from the inclusion of genre tropes and is much more interesting when it digs a little deeper into the psychology of its characters.

Genuine Horror in Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Horrified

One of the first horror movie experiences of my life was sitting with my dad and watching the iconic An American Werewolf In London (John Landis, 1981) when I was far too young.I remember thinking how funny the opening was, how likeable both David and Jack were. They aren’t your typical heroes; they’re dorky, likeable and genuinely funny. I was utterly shaken by the suddenness and brutality of the first attack, and much of this is due to actually liking the characters.

From Beyond The Grave (1974) – Horrified

Amicus has always been a crueller studio than Hammer. I consumed so much horror in my youth and nothing gave me the unsettling feeling that Amicus did. Hammer Horror has some beautifully subversive, blackly comic moments, but by and large, they follow fairly traditional narrative beats. By the end, evil has been vanquished, (be it Dracula or Frankenstein) and some form of order has been restored.Amicus films are different. Especially in the portmanteau horror films, there is a gleeful malevolenc...

I Know Where I'm Going! Review (Criterion Collection)

It’s odd that one of the most understated Powell & Pressburger films is also one of their most timeless. The directing partnership is responsible for some of British cinema’s most indelible, visually striking films, but while their most famous films like The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus have an operatic, almost mythic detached quality to them, I Know Where I’m Going! is more personal, more playful, and infinitely more relatable.

Nightmare Alley Review (Criterion Collection)

Del Toro’s fascination with deception, storytelling, and performance is evident throughout the film. There are layers of cons at play – plans within plans – and he delights in depicting the art of the grift, from the showmanship of harmless illusions to the cruelty and emotional manipulation of “the spook show.” What del Toro repeatedly demonstrates is that the trick itself is less important than the presentation and patter that surrounds it. This is apparent in Pete’s demonstration of the mind-...
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