Phil de Semlyen
Critic Overview in Movies
71Avg. Critic Score
Critic Score Distribution
positive
299(58%)
mixed
213(41%)
negative
6(1%)
Highest Critic Score
Lowest Critic Score
20
Critic Reviews for Movies
Jul 29, 2026
Tony40
Jul 29, 2026
Unfortunately, that rich stew is here somehow rendered thin and flavourless.
Jul 28, 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day60
Jul 28, 2026
The fact that Peter is living in a different emotional multiverse from MJ is the movie’s strongest idea and frankly, more should have been made of it. Zendaya is fabulous, an energy force in her scenes with Holland, and Batalon is a blast as the ex-bestie who channels his Spider-Man obsession into an app that tracks his sightings. The trio’s scenes together are a delight. If only there were more of them.
Jul 27, 2026
WHAM! 10 Days in China80
Jul 27, 2026
10 Days in China is not made specifically for Wham! fans, although the gig footage showcases the band at their exuberant ‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘Freedom’-era peak. Where it really sings is in revealing the unexpected legacy of this legendary tour.
Jul 15, 2026
The Odyssey100
Jul 15, 2026
In standard 70mm, the voyage is breathtaking; in IMAX, you’re tasting the salt water. Even among all the truck flips, atomic explosions and rotating corridors of his back catalogue, this film is the apogee of Nolan’s ‘do it in camera’ ethos, and the sense that this was a shoot with no comfort zone pervades every frame.
Jul 8, 2026
Moana20
Jul 8, 2026
Even by the deadening standards of The Lion King and Mufasa, this animation-to-live action transplant has all the freshness of a washed-up marlin.
Jul 6, 2026
Minions & Monsters80
Jul 6, 2026
The ending goes a bit Monsters vs Aliens, delivering a generic payoff to all the Criterion Collection lunacy that came before. But for the most part, it’s pure giddy fun – and it may even spark a Letterboxd boom among the under-10s.
Jun 26, 2026
Blue Heron80
Jun 26, 2026
An obvious point of reference is Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin – and Lionel Shriver’s source novel – which charted the slow descent into despair for the parents of a troubled child. Blue Heron is a gentler, kinder film, introspectively exploring the nature of memory and the idea that trauma twists and manipulates it like heat warping a strip of celluloid.
Jun 24, 2026
The Last Viking80
Jun 24, 2026
Warmth, empathy and severed fingers in the same film? Scandi noir is back.
Jun 22, 2026
Nino80
Jun 22, 2026
Spiced up with some wry wit, cool music moments (Foals, Fontaines DC), a memorable cameo from Mathieu Amalric, and a touching-sexy use of Anaïs Nin erotica, this one’s a real keeper.
Jun 16, 2026
Toy Story 580
Jun 16, 2026
The message of finding balance between analogue and digital, old-school toys and tech, may seem woolly to some. But balance feels like the solution to this 21st century parental quandary – and maybe to Hollywood’s legacy sequel problem: play to your old strengths, but have timely purpose in doing so. Toy Story 5 strikes that balance nicely.