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‘Supergirl’ And The Freedom Of Not Being Perfect
Superhero stories have always been more forgiving of their male leads. Their flaws are built into their character and not often do they have to correct them before being considered heroic. Female superheroes have not always had that same freedom.
Joanne Baranga
1 day ago5 min read


On The Jesterification Of The British Working Class: ‘The Hunt For Shannon Matthews’ And The Media Stigmatisation Of Northern Identity
Photo by Umair Dingmar on Unsplash (licensed under the Unsplash licence) In the summer of 2025, the two-part documentary ‘The Hunt for Shannon Matthews’ (Ben Sheldon, 2025) was released – all about the staged kidnapping that put my hometown of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire on the map. I watched it, of course. My whole family did. I even made my boyfriend – privately educated and capable of pronouncing his t’s – watch it too. A sort of “look at this crazy place I call home” exercis
Maddy Maguire
7 days ago5 min read


‘The Piano Teacher’: Me-Core And The Death Of Popular Nuance
Photo by Julia Barrantes via Pexels (licensed under the Pexels Licence) Erika Kohut, the piano teacher, stands in her ultralong skirt and perfectly modest blouse, clutching the chest from which blood now oozes – a self-inflicted stab wound. She does not cry. She exits the concert hall in which she is set to perform and disappears into the streets of Vienna. The credits roll. Congratulations, viewer, you may now mark ‘The Piano Teacher’ (Michael Haneke, 2001) as watched on Let
Maddy Maguire
Jul 84 min read


Internet Lore And The Haunted Past In ‘Backrooms’
Upon the release of the ‘Backrooms’ trailer, excitement was entwined with concern online over how exactly it would be pulled off.
Hannah Tang
Jun 153 min read


Do I Love You, Northern Soul? (Indeed, I Still Do)
Through a combination of contemporary footage and archived material, present-day interviews and reflections, Northern Soul: Still Burning resurfaces the story of the underground scene as it erupted through (and beyond) the Northern towns of England.
India De Rocha Humberstone
May 234 min read


Never Had A Chance: In Conversation With Jazz Bhalla
Never Had a Chance is a gritty West-London crime drama which debuted at the UK Asian Film Festival on 9th May 2026. The Strand Magazine sat down with director and writer Jazz Bhalla to discuss his motivations behind making this story.

Hania Ahmed
May 227 min read


‘Never Had A Chance’ Has A Chance: Gritty West London Crime Drama Takes To The Screen at AFF 2026
Never Had A Chance is a gritty, west London crime drama that focuses almost entirely on the love story between Ravi and Sukhi, two Punjabi-British young adults, and the struggles and conflicts that result from Ravi’s quickly spiralling personal life.

Hania Ahmed
May 223 min read


‘Hokum’ Review: Damian McCarthy Is Making His Mark On Folk Horror
Hokum follows the journey of apathetic American author Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) to the rural Irish hotel where his parents once honeymooned.
Hannah Tang
Apr 273 min read


Who Is More To Blame? Reflections Of Thoughtcrime In 'The Drama'
The philosophical question, “Is a crime defined by the act itself, or by the mind that conceived it?” anchors The Drama (2026)
Luiza Helena Britton
Apr 274 min read


The Illusion Of Choice: Labour And Obligation In Mark Jenkin's 'Rose Of Nevada'
The Rose of Nevada doesn’t open simply; it instead offers glimpses at decay: rotting timber, lichen and images of a Cornish fishing town well past its prime. The opening scenes of the film offer a glimpse of the plot to come: a movie about time and what we owe to our community.
Arielle Sam-Alao
Apr 262 min read
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