Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Recommended reading
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Poker Face.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and Miles Caton as 'Sammy' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
A fearsome Predator in the trailer for Predator: Killer of Killers.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, and more
Anthony Mackie as Captain America Sam Wilson, in a dark room holding his famous shield, in Captain America: Brave New World.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and more
Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 2 - 4)
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Alexander Skarsgård in Murderbot
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and more
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Movies to watch this week at the cinema: Kong: Skull Island, The Love Witch, and more

Features
By Total Film Staff published 6 March 2017

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Out on Friday 10 March

Out on Friday 10 March

Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson face a giant ape. Paul Verhoeven and Isabelle Huppert are at the top of their game. Samantha Robinson mesmerises as a witchy, seductive sociopath.

Yes, here's this week's new releases. Click on for our reviews of Kong: Skull Island, Elle, The Love Witch, Rules Don’t Apply, Dancer, Catfight, The Creeping Garden, The Chamber, and I.T.

For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island

When it comes to movie monsters, Kong is king. But in Skull Island, the Eighth Wonder of the World has competition from a tropical paradise full of mythical man-eaters. Not just the latest Kong re-imagining, Skull Island is also the second instalment in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, which will see Merian C. Cooper’s hirsute anti-hero throw down with Godzilla in 2020. In other words, there’s a lot riding on the mighty monkey’s shoulders.

Following a frankly bonkers prologue, the action jumps forward to 1974, where government officials John Goodman and Corey Hawkins assemble a ragtag party to survey the uncharted Skull Island.

Among the recruits:  a former SAS tracker (Tom Hiddleston), a photojournalist (Brie Larson) and a helicopter squadron led by the crazed Colonel Packard (Samuel L. Jackson). The intrusion doesn’t go down well with the island’s protector – 100ft ape King Kong. But with something even deadlier stirring in the earth, Kong soon becomes the least of their concerns. 

This isn’t the film you think it is. In contrast to its ultra-serious first trailer, Skull Island is fun – pure matinee pulp masquerading as modern blockbuster. At a time when producers have more franchise clout than ever, Kong is a rare director-driven effects movie.

Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kings of Summer) keeps proceedings energetic and fantastically absurd – the first time the island is glimpsed, it explodes on screen, obscured behind a Richard Nixon bobblehead. The action is slickly staged and thrillingly kinetic, with a pleasing tactility to the effects work, while the exotic location shoot pays dividends.

It’s a satisfying repositioning of Kong as monstrous lonely god. The first time we see him he’s framed to fright. But he’s also a sympathetic beast, Terry Notary’s mo-cap and ILM’s artistry working effectively in unison. Besides, there are also giant water buffalo, serene log creatures and Skull Crawlers – killer critters Kong has gargantuan beef with. If anything, more indigenous island life would have been welcome.

Likely there wasn’t time, given the enormous ensemble cast. Practically everyone gets solid screen time, even if it’s never enough to care when they die. Jackson is suitably intense as the Ahab-like military man, but it’s John C. Reilly’s stranded WW2 soldier who gets the most compelling arc, a heartfelt story underpinning his fruit-loop insanity.

Toby Kebbell draws the short straw with a character who may as well be called Private Cliché, while Hiddleston and Larson are curiously underserved by straight-laced dialogue and a noticeable absence from the action. The film also takes a few too many of its cues from Peter Jackson’s King Kong. Coupled with the Now That’s Vietnam Movies! compilation soundtrack, it never entirely forges its own identity. 

Kudos, however, to a franchise film that doesn’t go to agonising lengths to set up its sequel, outside of a crossover-teasing post-credits scene. Though with Kong and Godzilla existing on opposite ends of the tonal and aesthetic spectrum, reconciling the two will first require a battle of the behemoths behind the scenes. 

THE VERDICT: Derivative and a little dumb but consistently fun: there’s personality and panache to spare in this monster blockbuster. With reservations, Skull Island is a swinging success.

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts; Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins, Toby Kebbell, Terry Notary; Theatrical release: March 3, 2017

Jordan Farley

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Elle

Elle

Paul Verhoeven’s double-Golden Globe winner – his first feature in 10 years – starts with a rape. Just the sounds of an assault over a dark screen: cries, blows, the smashing of glass and crockery. The first image we see is the face of a handsome dark-grey cat, watching impassively. Then we see Michèle (Isabelle Huppert), prone and half-exposed on the floor of her sitting room, and a man all in black wearing a ski-mask.

Once her attacker is gone, however, she doesn’t weep or call the police. She sweeps up the debris, takes a bath – and calmly phones for a takeaway. Michèle, in short, may have been attacked, but she’s no victim. Anything but. She makes no attempt to curry sympathy – ours or anyone else’s.

The videogame company she runs with her close friend Anna (Anne Consigny) features princesses being penetrated by multi-tentacled trolls; when an employee accuses her of being too “literary” she retorts, “Maybe we’re two bitches who just got lucky.”

At a dinner party, her much-face-lifted mother announces her plan to marry her toyboy; Michèle waits for the polite congratulations to die down, then asks, “How do you manage to be so grotesque?” In between rapes – yes, there are several – she’s pursuing a loveless affair with Anna’s husband Robert. Finally coming clean to her friend, she matter-of-factly explains, “I needed to get laid.”

This is not, Verhoeven has insisted, “A rape comedy… There’s rape and there is comedy.” There is indeed, often of the blackest kind: witness the scenes between Michèle’s hopeless lunkhead of a son (Jonas Bloquet) and his awful girlfriend (Alice Isaaz). But equally there are moments of sly social satire – as when, at the start of that sophisticated Parisian dinner party, a devout guest asks if she might say grace. The reactions of her fellow guests, a mix of embarrassment and scorn, are a delight to watch.

As you’ll have gathered, Elle is no conventional rape-revenge thriller. Even after Michèle discovers who her rapist is – and you won’t have much trouble guessing – the relationship continues, growing ever more tortuous. We get a hint of an explanation for her emotional dysfunction when we learn about the horrific crimes committed by her father when she was a child. But here again the film doesn’t invite pity, and nor does Huppert.

It’s hard to think of another actress who could have played the role so fearlessly, and it seems Verhoeven initially planned to make this an American film, but could find no US actress who’d dare consider the role. It’s no loss. Not only is Elle among Verhoeven’s best films, it enshrines one of the finest performances Isabelle Huppert has yet given. And that really is saying something.

THE VERDICT: A complex film that sidesteps every cliché. Paul Verhoeven and Isabelle Huppert are at the top of their game.

Director: Paul Verhoeven; Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Christian Berkel, Jonas Bloquet; Theatrical release: March 10, 2017

Philip Kemp

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
The Love Witch

The Love Witch

This note-perfect homage to ’70s occult pulp combines sly satire with a sharp horror edge. Samantha Robinson mesmerises as Elaine, a witchy, seductive sociopath whose potion-toting, spell-casting search for love takes deadly turns that get townsfolk running scared.

Writer/director Anna Biller never lets deadpan fun drop into crude spoofing. Prepare to be bewitched, bothered and bewildered.

Director: Anna Biller; Starring: Samantha Robinson; Theatrical release: March 10, 2017

Kate Stables

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
Rules Don’t Apply

Rules Don’t Apply

Warren Beatty’s passion project about Hollywood billionaire Howard Hughes is more snapshot than biopic.

For one thing, Hughes (Beatty) is a supporting player in a sleek but scrambled ’50s romcom following the cute but flimsy romance between newbie actress (Lily Collins) and her ambitious driver (Alden Ehrenreich). Beatty’s fine, but this is no Hail, Caesar!

Director: Warren Beatty; Starring: Lily Collins, Haley Bennett, Taissa Farmiga; Theatrical release: March 10, 2017

Kate Stables

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
Catfight

Catfight

A blunt satire of America, as trophy wife Veronica (Sandra Oh) and struggling artist Ashley (Anne Heche) engage in repeated fistfights that devastate each other’s lives, while TV bulletins tell of a new president going to war in the Middle East.

The violence is cyclical, no one learns anything, and any points gained for absurdism are lost by landing too many punches square on the nose.

Director: Onur Turkel; Starring: Sandra Oh, Anne Heche, Alicia Silverstone; Theatrical release: March 3, 2017

Jamie Graham

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
The Creeping Garden

The Creeping Garden

Playing like a high-end school science video, this documentary dips into the curious world of plasmodial slime mould. Biologists and artists share what they’ve learned from working with the relatively under-explored near-fungal substance.

The genuinely fascinating result should be required viewing for ideas-seeking sci-fi writers. It’s a grower.

Directors: Tim Grabham, Jasper Sharp; Starring: Mark Pagnell. Heather Barnett, Bryn Dentinger; Theatrical release: March 3, 2017

Matt Looker

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
The Chamber

The Chamber

Debut director Ben Parker’s submersible survivalist thriller is an efficient plunge into tight-spot cinema. Characterisation runs thin, but the tension thickens as Swedish mini-sub pilot Johannes Kuhnke and a US black-ops crew get into trouble near North Korea.

Aiming straight for mounting dread, Parker gets the job done aggressively. Chances of him resurfacing with bigger projects look solid.

Director: Ben Parker; Starring: James Artaius, Christian Hillborg, Johannes Kuhnke; Theatrical release: March 3, 2017

Kevin Harley

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
I.T.

I.T.

Another blot on the CV for director John Moore (The Omen remake, Max Payne, A Good Day To Die Hard), this ludicrously overwrought techno-thriller sees Animal Kingdom’s James Frecheville use, yes, IT skills to drag the perfect life of Pierce Brosnan’s aviation tycoon into the wastebasket.

Set in a smart home but sincerely dumb, its only hope is that people buy tickets expecting a clown.

Director: John Moore; Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Anna Friel, James Frencheville; Theatrical release: March 3, 2017

Jamie Graham

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
Total Film Staff

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Poker Face.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and Miles Caton as 'Sammy' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
A fearsome Predator in the trailer for Predator: Killer of Killers.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, and more
Anthony Mackie as Captain America Sam Wilson, in a dark room holding his famous shield, in Captain America: Brave New World.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and more
Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 2 - 4)
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Latest in Movies
Jack Kirby Way/Yancy St. signs
A little piece of the Marvel Universe just became reality in honor of the Fantastic Four and their legendary co-creator Jack Kirby
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
After years of loveless Marvel and DC movies, I hope Superman and Fantastic Four prove romantic relationships are just as important as world-saving spectacle when it comes to superhero flicks
Jurassic World Dominion
Jurassic World Rebirth fans are debating the fates of fan-favourites Blue and Rexy after the new movie reveals dinosaurs have almost died out again
The Fantastic Four: First Steps promo image
After Fantastic Four hits theaters, we've got our longest wait for a new Marvel movie since the pandemic
Superman
DC fans have noticed there's a fun surprise if you Google Superman or Krypto
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn's Superman
James Gunn says he turned down directing Superman in 2018 because it would've been "politically messy" in the old DC universe
Latest in Features
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
After years of loveless Marvel and DC movies, I hope Superman and Fantastic Four prove romantic relationships are just as important as world-saving spectacle when it comes to superhero flicks
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay running with the Switch 2 upgrade
I wanted to make a beeline for Tears of the Kingdom's ending, but Zelda's Switch 2 upgrade has forced me to slow down
Heroes 3 screenshot
The greatest strategy RPG ever is making a comeback with the publisher behind Manor Lords, and I'm ready to relive my Behemoth-collecting 2000s
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) screenshot showing Darth Vader walking through a hangar flanked by two stormtroopers
I've spent 11 hours fighting AI in EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it's taking me back to the glory days of PS2 skirmish modes
Dollman is lost in thought in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
This is now a Dollman fan account: Death Stranding 2's puppet pal makes for my favorite PlayStation duo since Ratchet & Clank
Agent 47 on a mission in Hitman: World of Assassination
I'm loving Hitman: World of Assassination on Switch 2, but the game's always-online requirement is worse than ever
  1. A Gundam style mech in Mecha Break
    1
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  2. 2
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  3. 3
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  4. 4
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  5. 5
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...