James Mottram

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NME, Radio Times, South China Morning Post, Total Film
For 304 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 64% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 33% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 3.6 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

James Mottram's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 69
Highest review score: 100 Whitney
Lowest review score: 20 The New Mutants
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 165 out of 304
  2. Mixed: 131 out of 304
  3. Negative: 8 out of 304
304 movie reviews
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    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    Ballerina
    Well made, but instantly forgettable.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 James Mottram
    Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
    The Final Reckoning brings both the Dead Reckoning storyline and the franchise as a whole to a satisfying close. As ever, Cruise is in peak condition, front and centre amid some looney stuntwork. If only his antagonist Gabriel was a more worthy opponent.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Sinners
    Sinners really comes to life via the musical numbers.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Opus
    Opus is as off-kilter as they come. Perfectly suited, then, to a man like Malkovich.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 40 James Mottram
    The Electric State
    You won’t be able to shake the feeling that there’s a lack of heart and soul here.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    A Real Pain
    A road movie that really makes you think about the stops it makes, there is real pain inside this film; Eisenberg and his cast do well to ensure you’ll feel every moment of it.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 40 James Mottram
    Captain America: Brave New World
    A few fights enliven proceedings, including one on a road lined with cherry blossom trees. But this is largely dull and disappointing.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Becoming Led Zeppelin
    True, Becoming Led Zeppelin is never going to do anything but celebrate, given it’s an authorised take on the band. But there’s warmth and good humour here.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    September 5
    A fresh spin on a difficult topic, it’s a high-wire walk that balances sensitivity and sensationalism. You won’t find a more compelling film this winter.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    The Monkey
    You’d be hard-pressed to call it moving, but at least there’s an emotional narrative that drags us through the grisly bits. Sick, dark and laugh-out-loud nuts.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Conclave
    What results is a film that both works as a finely-tuned thriller and a meditation on the Church’s place in today’s society.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Piece By Piece
    Neville’s film is so forward-thinking, it’s easy to forgive the more superficial aspects of the production.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    Smile 2
    Is it scary? Rarely, to be honest. But it knows how to twist the knife, at least.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 100 James Mottram
    A Different Man
    A Different Man is in essence a meta-movie, one that cunningly examines issues surrounding beauty and artistic creation.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Small Things Like These
    Mielants, who brilliantly conjures a dank, oppressive mood (even a shot of childhood fave Danger Mouse on TV fails to lift the spirits) skilfully avoids any overwrought confrontations; the film’s understated power only grows as it goes on.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    Apartment 7A
    A credible, if slightly limited, prequel that recaptures the atmosphere if not the originality of Rosemary’s Baby.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Speak No Evil
    All the cast play their parts, but an off-the-leash McAvoy is a joy to behold, channeling the same twisted energy he mined for his addict-cop in Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth. Touching on issues of class and the rich-poor divide, the result is a top-notch British thriller that’ll scare the bejesus out of you.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    Wolfs
    For those looking for an easy-on-the-eye, brain-in-neutral-thriller, Wolfs still hits the spot.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
    It’s just a pity that the storytelling sprawls all over the place, with some plotlines (like the Beetlejuice/Delores discord) failing to pay off. But mostly Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun afterlife frolic.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Blink Twice
    Kravitz, making her directorial debut, knows exactly how to drip-feed information, until it dawns on you that it’s all about to get very bad indeed.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 100 James Mottram
    Alien: Romulus
    Crafting a thriller that is tense and taut, Álvarez truly understands what makes an Alien movie breathe, while also expanding on the mythology of the series.
    • 26 Metascore
    • 40 James Mottram
    Borderlands
    But as the film lurches into the final third, there’s little emotional sustenance to keep you going. Just one yawn-worthy twist and some dud CGI. Avoid.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    I Saw the TV Glow
    Schoenbrun’s film never feels derivative; instead, there’s something fresh and exciting about it, despite the almost deliberate slow-burn feel to its pacing.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    The Instigators
    Sharply observed with a top-notch cast and a pleasing old-school vibe, The Instigators is tremendously entertaining.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Longlegs
    Perkins ensures everything services a story that comes armed with at least one almighty twist. Measured in pacing and tone, his film also feels extremely moody thanks to the overcast skies captured by cinematographer Andrés Arochi.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
    Murphy’s youthful cheekiness has long gone, stripping this sequel of some of its verve. But this is still an enjoyable, affable reunion: the heat is just about back on.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 80 James Mottram
    Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
    A rigorous and handsome drama, finely hewn by Costner and his cast, this is an absorbing ride into the Old West.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 James Mottram
    MaXXXine
    The final act loses its way, but in the main West wraps his slasher trilogy in satisfying style, putting a blood-soaked, Hollywood-branded bow on his eras-spanning saga.
    • 27 Metascore
    • 20 James Mottram
    Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
    To be fair, Blood and Honey 2 is actually a notch above its predecessor, if only because the production values are (relatively) higher. But despite a watchable turn from Chambers, this is largely Neanderthal filmmaking, even with hospital janitor Simon Callow offering up a Scottish accent and a lot of pointless exposition.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 40 James Mottram
    Bad Boys: Ride or Die
    The cast is given a boost by the star power of Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Paolo Núñez all reprising their roles as members of AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations), plus Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn joining as the ballsy US Marshall daughter of the accused Captain Howard. It’s just a shame they’re all woefully underused in a story that feels so same-old-same-old.
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