Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom must make a devastating decision as they’re pursued by a mysterious military man.

When we first heard that Sony Pictures was developing a Venom movie back in 2016, we were very excited. This excitement only intensified when it was confirmed that the talented British actor Tom Hardy would be taking on the role of the ‘lethal protector’. 2018’s Venom began a new chapter in the Spider-Verse, allowing it to forge its own path. Fans quickly fell in love with the witty banter and the evolving bromance between Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote. With the Venom films delivering excellent scares and over-the-top action, along with showcasing their unique dynamic.

Across the two previous films, we’ve witnessed the relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom grow as they defined their own version of heroism. Venom’s monstrous appetite, combined with their hilarious exchanges, has led to some memorable character moments. Now, longtime producer Kelly Marcel steps up to conclude the Venom saga. This upcoming film promises plenty of intensity and a thrilling sci-fi monster invasion story, highlighting not only Tom Hardy’s performance but also his commitment to portraying Venom authentically.

Ever since his casting, Tom Hardy has professed his direct passion for the character of Venom, and this has been evident in his performances in 2018’s Venom and its sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Over these two films, Hardy has shown a considerable duel performance as both the ‘aww shucks’ Eddie Brock and the lizard lounge voiced alien symbiote Venom, and it’s made for a different take on the classic superhero genre. Both Brock and Venom have been through a lot together, and now they find themselves in the midst of a full-on alien invasion, sci-fi road movie, and it ups the ante for both characters. While Eddie and Venom have been one since the very start, it feels that in Venom: The Last Dance, we fully see Brock accept his role as the ‘lethal protector’ that he shares with Venom, and together, they have the chance to perform an action that could save the very universe itself.

The experience of watching Venom: The Last Dance makes you feel as if you’re watching a film that is all about highlighting the best parts of the Brock/Venom relationship, and the story encourages the fun nuisances that have developed throughout this narrative. The narrative truly goes from A to Z, and we get to see Venom at his best as he has one hell of a fun last ride alongside Brock. Director Kelly Marcel finds a great mix across drama, comedy and action set pieces of the picture while also finding new territory to explore with its heavy focus on a monster-led science fiction alien invasion narrative point. There’s a freshness to the story’s mechanics, and audiences who are looking for something different in the franchise will get it with this picture, not to mention that it has a standout cast of British actors leading the show with special applause needed to be delivered to both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rhys Ifans.

Venom: The Last Dance also strikes a new cord with its action sequences, and Marcel and Hardy definitely don’t hold back in giving the audience the monster movie they’ve been craving with plenty of head-biting and body shredding. The action goes for the R-rating here, and we get a full-on symbiote/alien battle in the third act that will make audiences sit up and go WHOA! The action is intense and schlocky, and it feels like a full-on symbiote battle royale, and Hardy throws his love of motorcycles into the mix for good measure. Added to it is a good dose of comedy, courtesy of Venom and Brock, and the ‘Venom Horse’ has to be seen on the BIG SCREEN! Massive monster fights only amplify the action of Venom: The Last Dance, which coupled with plenty of wisecracks, leads to all kinds of blockbuster fun, and the final showdown between Venom and his maker’s minions is a poignant and definitive statement on the lethal protector.

Through passion and creativity, hi-jinks and action, and a genuine love for one of comic book’s coolest ever monsters turned antihero, Eddie Brock and Venom have succeeded on the big screen. This final chapter, Venom: The Last Dance, is a fun round-up for the character and is the perfect send-off for the lethal protector and his own brand of superheroics.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Set in the 1960s, it follows the rise of the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members and their families, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a surrogate family for local outcasts into violent organized crime, threatening the original founder’s unique vision and way of life.

Writer/director Jeff Nichols has built an impressive list of credits with his stories that have captured a classic Americana feel, and now, with his sixth feature film, The Bikeriders, he adapts the true story of an Outlaw Motorcycle club to the big screen and how time and circumstance change its members as they search for desperate freedom. Based on the true story that acclaimed photojournalist Danny Lyon captured in his seminal work of the same name, The Bikeriders is a film that roars with attitude and aggression and places his audiences right in the centre of a ragtag club of outlaws who are determined to find their own sense of freedom. It’s a film that pulsates with a quintessential cool, and it is without a doubt one of the most stylish and raw pictures you’ll watch all year.

For Nichols, The Bikeriders has been his dream project that he has held onto for twenty years, and now, finally, he gets to bring this incredible world and its one-of-a-kind characters to the big screen. A passion in the truest sense of the word, Nichols brings an incredible sense of intimacy and understanding of this narrative and its players, and the result is a picture that is shaped by a director’s true vision and a desire to capture this outsider world properly. Adapting a non-linear narrative that moves back and forth between 1965 and 1973, Nichols draws on the distinctive viewpoint of Jodie Comer’s Kathy through the lens and eye of photojournalist Danny Lyons (Mike Faist). It’s through this unique perspective that audiences come to meet the Vandals MC, and their quest to ride the open road on their terms. Nichols crafts a film that is an intimate character study and an observation of a uniquely American subculture.

While The Bikeriders may be a picture of pure American masculinity and the rebels who make up the ranks of the 1%ers, its framing through a woman’s viewpoint leads to an incredibly nuanced and introspective story. Stepping into the role of Illinois native Kathy is English actress Jodie Comer, and she proves again why she is one of the most in-demand talents around. With her beehive hairdo, Chicago drawl and take-no-shit attitude, Kathy is our narrator to the events of this picture and sees a gathering of outcasts turn into something more sinister. Comer holds nothing back in her performance as Kathy, wife to the wayward and mysterious Benny (Austin Butler), who comes into conflict with the world of the Vandals and its commanding leader, Johnny (Tom Hardy). Comer uniquely captures the love/hate aspect of Kathy’s life in accordance with the Vandals, and her perspective on this story makes for an intriguing look at a captivating outsider world.

Playing opposite Comer is Austin Butler as Benny, a member of the Vandals MC and Kathy’s rogue husband, who is an outlaw biker through and through. Butler has proven that he’s a true acting chameleon with his performances, and here he is incredibly reserved and quiet. There’s an air of mystery and danger to Benny, and he’s hypnotic as this almost unknowable, beautiful rogue. Clad in denim and with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Benny is the bad boy of every woman’s fantasy, and he’s a damn flawless specimen as his glowing muscles flex while he nurses a bourbon in his hand. It’s easy to see why Benny is the object of desire for both Kathy and Johnny, but there’s also something sad about his hellion ways, for he might be a rebel without a cause, but there’s no knowing what he’s rebelling against.

The Bikeriders is brought full circle by Tom Hardy’s Johnny, the founder and leader of the Vandals, and he’s a commanding presence as this stoic and world-weary outlaw. Hardy’s performance as Johnny is powerful as he embodies both the stoic blue-collar truck driver by day and the dangerous leader of the Vandals by night. His character, Johnny, is like a commanding general but also weary of the challenges around him, realizing that he cannot forever live the life of an outlaw. His dynamic with Kathy and their conflicts over the future of the Vandals, especially Benny’s role, adds depth to the storyline. This role truly demonstrates Hardy’s talent, solidifying his position as one of the great actors of our generation.

The movie features outstanding performances, including Michael Shannon as Zipco, Boyd Holbrook as Cal, Damon Herriman as Brucie, Mike Faist as Danny Lyon, and Norman Reedus as Funny Sonny. Faist portrays real-life journalist Danny Lyon, a young reporter observing the outsiders and who documents the story of a group of men striving to find their place. Characters like Michael Shannon’s Zipco and Norman Reedus’ Funny Sonny are depicted as outcasts who don’t fit in with society and resort to mayhem, drinking, and violence. Their performances vividly bring to life these classic outlaw American characters.

However, the irony lies in the fact that their failure to belong in society has led them to the world of the Vandals, a place with stricter rules than the constitution. This paradox forms the core of the theme of belonging in the movie and Nichols’ exploration of it. Nichols delves deeply into the theme of belonging and acceptance, which forms the heart of the narrative’s impact.

The Bikeriders is a film that was meant for the big screen, and it’s truly a mesmerizing sight. The cinematography by Adam Stone and the gripping soundtrack of classic blues and rock tunes from the mid-1960s capture the grit, grime, and texture of these bar-hopping outcasts. Everything is captured on camera, making the experience of The Bikeriders feel all the more authentic. It portrays a classic kind of American masculinity, filled with aggression and violence, but also a hard-fought sense of honour, even if it’s a flawed kind. This film evokes an immediate kind of feeling, and I believe that those who were fortunate enough to see it on the big screen will be able to look back in twenty years and say they witnessed something truly special.

The Bikeriders is a powerful portrayal of a American subculture, capturing a unique time and place with swagger and attitude. This cinematic experience speaks to primal instincts and celebrates fearless freedom, and its story solidifies the idea that genuine freedom belongs to the fearless.

Image: Universal Pictures

The post ‘The Bikeriders’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the all-new trailer for The Bikeriders below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Set in the 1960s, it follows the rise of the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members and their families, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a surrogate family for local outcasts into violent organized crime, threatening the original founder’s unique vision and way of life.

This new trailer builds on the intensity and atmosphere of the previous trailer and throws audiences straight into the violence and escalation that surrounds the Vandals MC, an Outlaw Motorcycle club in mid-1960s Chicago, as its members find themselves in the midst of a dangerous and escalating war of criminality.

The Bikeriders has long been the passion project of Nichols (Loving, Midnight Special, Mud), and he’s laboured on it for more than a decade as he’s wanted to bring to life the wild times of celebrated photojournalist Danny Lyons (played in the film by rising star Mike Faist) to the big screen.

And damn, has he succeeded with audiences initially describing the picture as ‘Goodfellas with motorcycles’ and with the dual presence of Comer and Butler as grungy star-crossed lovers Cathy and Benny, and the intimidating gravitas of Hardy as Vandals MC President Johnny, you can bet that The Bikeriders is going to be a wild watch.

 

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Brace yourself for one wild ride when The Bikeriders arrives in cinemas on July 4.

The post Freedom comes with a price in latest trailer for ‘The Bikeriders’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

The rebel spirit throttles up in the all-new trailer for Jeff Nichol’s The Bikeriders, which adapts photojournalist Danny Lyon’s seminal book of the same name and explores the rise of an outlaw motorcycle club in the mid-1960s and the fury that comes with it.

Watch the all-new trailer for The Bikeriders here:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Kathy (Jodie Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who is married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Tom Hardy).

Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.

Building off of the first trailer that was released last year and declaring a new release date for June of this year, The Bikeriders is filled with masculine aggression that will kick audiences in the face as its band of outlaws takes to the road to life on their terms. With a solid cast including the likes of Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, The Bikeriders is a heavyweight film in the making, and its drama will hit hard.

This new trailer sheds light on the film’s club, the Vandals MC, and their origin as a meeting place for a group of motorcycle-riding outcasts to their turn to a burgeoning criminal enterprise, and it sure is going to be an emotional watch. Austin Butler again shows his range as young outlaw Benny, who is a straight-up rebel without a cause, and Butler is channelling a James Dean style in his portrayal. Juxtaposed to him is Jodie Comer as his lover and eventual wife Cathy, who falls for his bad boy swagger but soon falls victim to the cost of the club and the MC lifestyle and will do anything to help the two of them escape.

Central to the film’s narrative is the great Tom Hardy as the Vandals MC leader Johnny, who makes a hell of a transformative from a free-wheeling motorcycle rider to a hardened gangster and who commits 110% to the role. Hardy has a real Brando feel about him as Johnny, and he is sure is a wild one as he goes to extremes to prove his tough guy persona. And it ain’t gonna end pretty. Key to the narrative is the relationship shared between these three characters, and it’s sure to lead to plenty of dramatic tension.

There’s a host of fantastic new footage in this trailer, and set to the roaring soundtrack of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)’, the energy is taken to a new height. One of the coolest moments of the trailer is when Benny, having been beaten to an inch of his life, is assisted by Johnny and the rest of the Vandals, who roll up on their intimidating horde and make good on their threat. It’s a hell of a shot and primes the audience for what will come next.

Get ready for a wild ride when The Bikeriders arrives in cinemas on July 4.

Image: Universal Pictures

The post Freedom belongs to the fearless in Jeff Nichol’s ‘The Bikeriders’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the brand-new trailer for The Bikeriders here:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Kathy (Jodie Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who is married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Tom Hardy).

Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.

Adapted from the seminal photo book by journalist Danny Lyon, which charted the rise of the Outlaws MC in Chicago during the 1960s, The Bikeriders follows the rise of the Vandals, a mid-western motorcycle club that starts off as a collection point for a group of outsider bike lovers which soon turns into a dark and sister force. At its heart this is a story of three people Kathy (Comer), Benny (Butler) and Johnny (Hardy), and The Bikeriders is set to be an intense and dramatic watch for audiences.

With The Rolling Stones thumping rock track ‘Heartbreaker’ at its centre, this new trailer for The Bikeriders explodes like a Harley-Davidson running at 200 miles an hour. And it promises a hell of a watch. With Jodie Comer’s Kathy as the film’s narrator, Nichols crafts a film that is masculine and brutal in its narrative structure, and he plays off the brotherhood that is shared between Austin Butler’s Benny and Tom Hardy’s Johnny.

Butler is the rebel heartthrob with his James Dean bad boy swagger down cold as Johnny, and which draws him to Comer’s lost and impressionable Kathy. Benny is quick to anger and up for a scrap, and his focus is directed by the calculating, and intimidating leader of the Vandals, Johnny. Tom Hardy taps into his inner Brando for his role as Johnny, and he soon begins to take the club in a darker, more criminal direction that could spell doom for all of them.

Nichols is a filmmaker who, time and time again, with works like Mud, Midnight Special and Loving, has shown that he can craft amazing American hinterland drama, and The Bikeriders is a tale of the classic Americana outlaw spirit. There’s a cowboy edge to this picture, and it will end up being a wild ride for audiences.

Brace yourself for a rush when The Bikeriders arrives in cinemas on December 2.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to restart his life over in San Francisco. But he soon finds himself targeted by a sadistic corporation who seek to control the alien symbiote that has bonded with him. With his back against the wall and nowhere to run, Brock will have to unleash his inner monster to survive. But can he control the darkness within him….or will it devour him forever.

When I heard Venom was going to be coming to the big screen I was amped. He’s far and away my favourite Marvel villain of all time and knowing that we’d be getting a chance to see him unleashed in his full glory was a very exciting prospect. What made it even more exciting was that he’d be getting his own film, absent of a certain friendly neighborhood web slinger and that meant we’d get something that would be dark, brooding and packed out with plenty of evil moments.

And that’s exactly what director Ruben Fleischer delivers on here. Taking his cues from the Planet of the Symbiotes and Lethal Protector story arcs, Fleischer and his team craft a film that focuses in on all the things that make this big bad a whole lot of fun and he really takes his audience for a ride. Fleischer digs into the lore surrounding the symbiotes and the result is a menacing sci-fi horror roller coaster ride that spins its audience around.

And let me be clear that there can be no Venom without the thespian masterclass that is Tom Hardy.

When I saw the sentence that read ‘Tom Hardy will be Venom’ I was sold. No matter what the project is Hardy always gives 110% and that’s exactly what we get here. While he’s known for his complicated performances, in Venom Hardy opens himself up to the darkness of this savage alien evil. Describing himself as a lifelong Venom fan, Hardy was always determined to do the character justice and in my opinion he really succeeds in the tone, style and substance of his performance.

His approach to this dual presentation as both the scandalous Eddie Brock and his evil alien alter ego is a real thrill to watch and his Jekyll/Hyde performance leads to plenty of twisted moments. While his Eddie is an essentially ‘aw shucks’ good guy, with a few too many flaws and sense to find the truth, he takes the opposite route as the charismatically dangerous symbiote.

I really enjoyed watching Hardy’s journey as the two characters and how their thoughts and actions continued to rub up against one another. While Eddie does indeed find himself in a dark place this desperately flawed man continues to try to do the right thing despite Venom all the while continuing to direct him to make plenty of bad choices. There’s a sick sense of glee to all of Venom’s demands and as the movie moves forward its fun to watch the two of them influence the others actions.

When Hardy does transform into Venom he truly unleashes the beast and that’s when the action gets savage. Thanks to Hardy’s superb performance and Fleischer’s direction, and plenty of visual effects magic, we get to see a primal beast unleash his monstrous nature as he claws his way through a host of bad guys, while also enjoying a few ‘snacks’ along the way. I was really impressed in how the filmmakers embraced Venom’s alien agility and flexibility of movement and you buy into how lethal this symbiote can be.

In addition to the carnage that the character unleashes up on screen, Hardy also gets to have some fun in a very thrilling motorcycle chase. As a born petrol head who has an affinity for a whole range of bikes it was cool to see Hardy get to put the pedal to the metal and the result is one badass chase scene that uses the unique setting of San Francisco to great effect….as well as Venom’s spectacular range of powers.

I also have to heap praise on Hardy’s co-stars Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed. As Eddie Brock’s love interest Anne Weying, Williams portrays a character who is at odds with Hardy’s Eddie, but despite this you can still feel the chemistry between them and they make a great pair upon screen and she gets to experience the symbiote rush as well. And then there’s Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, a thoroughly twisted Elon Musk billionaire type who possesses a serious God-complex problem who takes your typical antagonist and elevates him to a higher level. This is thanks to the actors committed performance and an insane belief that his quest for a human/symbiote balance makes him all the more scary and a terrific nemesis for our villainous hero.

What I really dug about Venom was that it didn’t try to do what was expected and instead took risks and really made the effort to do something different.

You’re dealing with a character in Eddie Brock who is brought down pretty low and then finds himself bonded with a being of unimaginable power who has no time for any kind of moral integrity. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect setting for some out and out villainous fun. I definitely think so. Not to mention it’s a damn fun ride that puts the emphasis on the beat-em up fun and and a creature who has one serious appetite.

And while I have to remain quiet due to spoilers I will say that you’ll be dying for a sequel with the final shock that this film delivers.

Tom Hardy said he’d bring Venom to life and he certainly lived up to his word. This is a dark, dangerous action packed sci-fi/horror/supervillain extravaganza and Venom offers up a thoroughly great time at the movies. If you’re looking for a reason why villains get to have all the fun then you need to make an appointment to see Venom ASAP.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Here’s the official synopsis:

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to restart his life over in San Francisco. But he soon finds himself targeted by a sadistic corporation who seek to control the alien symbiote that has bonded with him. With his back against the wall and nowhere to run, Brock will have to unleash his inner monster to survive. But can he control the darkness within him….or will it devour him forever.

This new trailer for Venom absolutely blew me away with how incredibly awesome it is! Director Ruben Fleischer and mega star Tom Hardy are ready to take audiences to a whole new level with his new action film that is taking the hero out of the superhero genre and is instead leaving us with a story of the villain. And it looks glorious.

Following on from both the first look images, teaser and trailer, this new trailer takes audiences deeper inside the twisted world of the Life Foundation and its quest to bond human and symbiote, while also looking closer at the twisted duality of Eddie Brock/Venom as the man is forced to accept the monster and the extreme freedom and consequences that come with this kind of power.

Hardy gives an incredible duel performance here as both Brock and Venom and you can see him engaged in a range of emotions as he undergoes his transformation. While its evident that his human morality and basic sense of right and wrong comes into play here, Venom itself revels in all the bad that it can accomplish and likes the idea of taking Brock closer to its own edge.

Fans will also be excited by the prospect of seeing more than one symbiote and it’s sure to be a battle. The film has some incredibly ambitious action scenes that will really knock you back in your seat and the CGI looks to have truly brought Venom to life!

Get ready for one hell of a scary thrill ride when Venom arrives in cinemas on October 4 and remember…there’s no heroes this time.

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Master filmmaker Christopher Nolan is returning to the big screen with the phenomenal true story of courage in the face of overwhelming odds with Dunkirk.

The new trailer has just been released, and is a completely mesmerising watch. Check it out below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

May 1940. The British Army and their Allies find themselves surrounded on the edge of the French Peninsula under threat of annihilation by the German Wehrmacht. With mounting casualties, a miraculous operation codenamed Dynamo is utilised and everything from warships to motorboats is used to get the troops back home safely.

Joining Nolan in this courageous story is a group of Britain’s best performers including Sir Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Sir Mark Rylance, James D’Arcy and Harry Styles.

Dunkirk will be released in cinemas on July 20 in New Zealand and Australia, and on July 21 in the US and UK.

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In an 1823 expedition of the uncharted American wilderness, explorer and fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his hunting team. Surviving his ordeal, Glass sets out to get revenge on the men who murdered his son, and left him for dead.

With a few Golden Globe nominations under its belt, The Revenant is set for a very successful awards season in 2016. Here’s five reasons to watch this cinematic masterpiece:

5. Symphony of the wild

The Revenant is powered forward by a wondrous, and often dreamlike score from the talents who are at the top of their game: Bryce Dessner, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The musical palettes of these three composers help craft a score that moves from an ethereal dream-like quality to an adrenaline charging heavy sound that propels Glass’s quest for survival.

4. Tom Hardy – a portrait of humanity at its worst

Drenched in mud and blood, and bearing the scars of many failed wilderness campaigns is Tom Hardy’s John Fitzgerald – a character that dispels the worse sides of human nature. Miserly, cowardly, and without remorse for his actions, Hardy’s Fitzgerald is a direct contrast to DiCaprio’s stalwart, man of action, and their inevitable showdown is a bloody, nasty mess of two foes who have nothing left to lose.

3. Eye of the creator

Cinematographer Emmanual Lubezki demonstrates his masterful eye for beauty, capturing the wild landscape in such a way that audiences will become lost in its mesmerising imagery. The changing landscapes and seasonal shift from a rain clogged autumn to the snow laden winter effortlessly finds its way on screen, ensuring students of cinema and photography will come to hold The Revenant as one of the most beautifully captured films of 2015.

2. Cinema in its rawest form

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu has captured a rough and raw world completely bereft of civilisation, where man can only survive by his wits and willpower. Iñárritu spares his audience none of the brutality of this epic story, from the opening attack on a fur trading camp by Arikara warriors, which erupts in a hail of arrows and gunpowder, to the horrendous plight of Hugh Glass as he is mauled within an inch of his life by a Grizzly Bear. Iñárritu’s vision is large, but thankfully he had the heart, talent and experience to turn The Revenant into a watchable feast for the eyes.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio – a savage performance

At the heart of The Revenant is Leonardo DiCaprio, who gives his most savage and transformative performance yet. Though the role of Hugh Glass is a largely silent, there’s not one moment that the audience won’t be transfixed by DiCaprio and his impressive and convincing performance. There’s no doubt he will be a front runner during next year’s Oscar race, having already secured a Golden Globe nomination that’s his to lose.

Image source: 20th Century Fox.

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5. Everybody Has A Story About The Krays

‘Club owning’ gangster twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray were the kings of London’s East End during the 1960s, and director Brian Helgeland takes this into account with this dramatic masterpiece. His eye for detail is phenomenal, keeping everything in line with historical accuracy, including the fact that the Kray’s would routinely hold their meetings at their mum’s house where they could indulge in a good ol’cup of tea. It’s details like this that really brings the film to life, and intricately lures audiences to invest in the life of the notorious gangsters.

4.  Gangster Flair

While there’s been some stiff competition in cinema this year when it comes to slick costuming and impressive set design (The Man from U.N.C.L.E. springs to mind), Legend holds its own in the style stakes. From Savile Row suits and Chanel dresses, to the classic cars and glamourous nightclubs, the film’s art direction is something to be applauded.

3. Brian Helgeland: A Director In Control

Brian Helgeland is one of Hollywood’s greatest talents. The Academy Award winning screenwriter is one of the best wordsmiths in the business (L.A. Confidential, A Knight’s Tale, Man On Fire), not to mention an impressive director (42). However, Legend has really given Helgeland a chance to stretch his legs, having crafted what will undoubtedly become the new standard for gangster pictures. Helgeland’s direction and story structure is solid, drawing audiences in and leading them through this glamourous gangster life, while carefully weaving in crucial aspects of its seedy underbelly.

2. An East Eden Love Story

Part of what makes Legend such an entertaining and original gangster film is that it’s not framed as one. Instead, Helgeland tells his story through the voice of Frances Kray, the ingenue wife of Reggie Kray who is played by the delightful Emily Browning. While at first Frances finds herself in an East End gangster fairy tale, she soon learns about the terror and blood that has been shed to build it. Hardy and Browning’s chemistry is a compelling watch, and while the classic romantic tropes are certainly put to use, their character’s love story never prevents the plot from moving forward.

1. The Two-Faced Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy has reached a new career high with his portrayal of both Ronnie and Reggie Kray. A calm, dapper yet calculating gangster who desires respect above notoriety, Reggie Kray is a character we can’t take our eyes off. In Hardy’s capable hands, Reggie becomes someone we want to see at the top of the food chain despite his flaws. It’s too bad that his brother and partner in crime is a psychotic, mentally ill, and aggressively violent gangster that could ruin everything. Hardy’s portrayal of Ronnie is both masterful and wonderfully terrifying, and will be remembered for years to come.

Legend will be released in cinemas on October 8.

Image source: Studio Canal.

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