Neil Smith

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Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX Magazine, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.

Latest articles by Neil Smith

Borderlands review: "A frenetic and disorderly shambles gamers are likely to loathe"

By Neil Smith published 8 August 24

review

It Ends With Us review: "A serious subject is sensitively handled with this Blake Lively drama"

By Neil Smith published 7 August 24

review

james mcavoy in speak no evil horror remake

James McAvoy and Speak No Evil director James Watkins say their upcoming remake is "a lot less explicit" than the original horror movie

By Emily Murray, Neil Smith last updated 18 July 24

Exclusive Exclusive | The team behind the horror remake teases how it differs from the critically acclaimed 2022 original

Exclusive

Longlegs review: "A little Nicolas Cage goes a long way in this deeply disconcerting experience"

By Neil Smith published 4 July 24

review

The Garfield Movie review: "Have the writers ever seen an actual Garfield comic strip?"

By Neil Smith published 20 May 24

review

Kevin Durand as Proximus Caesar in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review: "Offers spectacle and thrills, but lacks the smarts and ambition of its predecessors"

By Neil Smith published 8 May 24

review

The Idea of You review: "Anne Hathaway works overtime to give this rom-com even the appearance of substance"

By Neil Smith published 1 May 24

review

Taylor Swift during a performance on her Eras tour

Is it just me, or are concert movies better than the real thing?

By Neil Smith published 24 April 24

Opinion A Total Film writer on why cinemas are the new stadiums...

Opinion

Boy Kills World review: "A gleefully bonkers blend of The Hunger Games and The Raid"

By Neil Smith published 22 April 24

review

Rebel Moon Part Two – The Scargiver review: "Zack Snyder’s sci-fi epic stumbles towards the finish line"

By Neil Smith published 19 April 24

review

Sometimes I Think About Dying review: "Daisy Ridley demonstrates her star power"

By Neil Smith published 16 April 24

review

Challengers review: "A pulsating tale that's sure to get deuces flowing"

By Neil Smith published 12 April 24

review

Civil War review: "There's no shortage of horrors in this uncompromising drama"

By Neil Smith published 21 March 24

review

Drive-Away Dolls review: "Ethan Coen's frivolous frolic is a comedy steeped in déjà vu"

By Neil Smith published 21 February 24

review

Memory review: "Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard make a riveting duo"

By Neil Smith published 16 February 24

review

The 10 best adventure couples in movies, ranked

By Total Film published 13 February 24

Best List This Valentine's Day, we're celebrating the best adventure couples in movies

Best List

Kingsley Ben-Adir in Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Bob Marley: One Love review - "Lacks the great man's blazing charisma"

By Neil Smith published 8 February 24

review

The Iron Claw review: "Zac Efron's moment to shine"

By Neil Smith published 5 February 24

review

The End We Start From review: "Jodie Comer is a force of nature in this apocalyptic drama"

By Neil Smith published 16 January 24

review

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review: "The DCEU's last outing should have tried to make more of a splash"

By Neil Smith published 21 December 23

review

Rebel Moon Part One review: "Risks being subsumed by its own self-importance, but delivers bombastic mayhem"

By Neil Smith published 15 December 23

review

Godzilla Minus One review: "A gargantuan and resonant epic"

By Neil Smith published 28 November 23

review

Iman Vellani, Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris in The Marvels

The Marvels review: "A disjointed mini-Avengers that doesn't make a great deal of sense"

By Neil Smith published 8 November 23

review

Five Nights at Freddy's review: "Five nights too many"

By Neil Smith published 25 October 23

review

The Kitchen review: "A startling vision of the future troublingly close to our present"

By Neil Smith published 16 October 23

review

12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives

1
SteamWorld Heist 2 review: "While sillier than XCOM's po-faced sci-fi, its mechanics are no less serious"
2
Apiary review: "Puts novel twists on the worker placement genre"
3
Once Human review: "Like a crawling bus, its more original elements hide dull and generic ones"
4
Twilight Imperium review: "Magnificent peace, glorious war"
5
Cataclismo review: "Early Access will probably do it a ton of favors"

1
Borderlands review: "A frenetic and disorderly shambles gamers are likely to loathe"
2
It Ends With Us review: "A serious subject is sensitively handled with this Blake Lively drama"
3
Trap review: "M. Night Shyamalan drops the goofy twist for an intense thriller"
4
The Instigators review: "Matt Damon and Doug Liman reunite for a tremendously entertaining crime caper"
5
Harold and the Purple Crayon review: "Colorful, easy-to-enjoy fun – particularly if you're of crayon-using age"

1
The Umbrella Academy season 4 review: "Like any good family reunion, most frustrations can be waved away, at least in the moment"
2
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 8 review: "Excellent sequences can’t save a finale that’s all set-up and no conclusion"
3
Batman: Caped Crusader review: "A reinvention of a classic"
4
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 7 review: "Brutal, bloody spectacle and a chills-inducing ending, but a victim of the season's odd pacing"
5
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6 review: "More dragons and great performances bring new energy"