Nikki Baughan

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Empire, Screen Daily
For 166 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 63% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 34% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 5.6 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Nikki Baughan's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 71
Highest review score: 100 X
Lowest review score: 30 The Misfits
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 166
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 166
  3. Negative: 3 out of 166
166 movie reviews
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    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    The Devil Wears Prada 2
    The Devil Wears Prada has become something of a modern classic, thanks largely to its eminently quotable, whip-smart observations about the world of fashion and its enduring sense of style. It’s unsurprising, then, that this sequel (again directed by David Frankel) is cut from exactly the same cloth, deliberately designed to be a narrative retread – albeit with a few Gen Z updates – that should delight existing fans.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Mother Mary
    It’s a bold, gothic, compelling study of the cult of fame, the creative impulse, the fragile threads that bind. Every aspect of the film is carefully crafted and calibrated in service of Lowery’s distinctive vision, and, while it may prove divisive, it casts a hallucinatory spell.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    The Fox
    The Fox doesn’t go far enough, its sombre tone muting its fantastical elements, its weirdness not nearly weird enough to overcome its flaws.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Heel
    There’s something deeply compelling about this deliberately odd, carefully-calibrated neo-gothic fable, which suggests that rehabilitation can be found in the darkest of places, and that true freedom is simply a matter of trust.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
    Propulsive and entertaining, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has plenty to keep fans happy and a wider audience engaged.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    The Bride!
    Ultimately, The Bride! stays the course as exciting, exhilarating filmmaking, a bracing example of creators throwing convention aside and pushing their vision to the absolute limit. Mary Shelley would no doubt approve.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Yellow Letters
    Catak retains an effectively claustrophobic atmosphere and a tight focus on his characters and their issues.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Frank & Louis
    While Frank & Louis is narratively unsurprising, its strong performances and emotional authenticity give it undeniable power.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Extra Geography
    In their scenes together, Clear and Duggan spark beautifully, navigating their characters’ emotional highs and lows with a mix of caustic wit and often moving vulnerability.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Shelter
    The narrative is often nonsensical, and the dialogue can lean towards the risible, but the action is kinetic and Statham as watchable as ever.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Saccharine
    It all builds to a frenzied, nightmarish climax of greed, desire and full-tilt excess that takes a sharp-toothed bite out of society’s toxic obsession with women’s bodies, and should leave horror audiences hungry for more.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    undertone
    Exceptional sound design and a superb central performance from The Handmaid’s tale star Nina Kiri, who is almost entirely alone on screen, mean the film casts a compelling spell, even when the narrative begins to succumb to genre cliché in its final reels.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    The Incomer
    This intriguing feature debut from Bafta-nominated Scottish short filmmaker Louis Paxton makes effective use of its striking location and a trio of strong performances from Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    I Swear
    While this stirring dramatization of Davidson’s life hits conventional narrative beats, sensitive handling and a remarkable central performance from Robert Aramayo do heartwarming justice to a remarkable life.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
    Bold, bloody and blisteringly brutal, this exhilarating follow-up to last year’s 28 Years Later grabs its audience by the throat from the off and never loosens its grip.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 40 Nikki Baughan
    The Housemaid
    As was the case with the source material, however, glamorous visuals and a kitschy vibe aren’t enough to paper over a threadbare plot, thinly drawn characters, obvious dramatic beats and an ill-advised central conceit.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Goodbye June
    Underneath it all, superb performances from a stellar, experienced cast – confidently shepherded by debut director/star Kate Winslet – hit authentic, relatable notes, and save the film from sinking entirely into melodrama
    • 54 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Keeper
    It’s certainly got the Perkins style and plenty of genuine chills, but the journey is more satisfying than the destination.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    The Running Man
    This Running Man could have been a powerful anarchist fable for our turbulent times but fun as it is, it runs out of steam before making any lasting impact.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Belén
    It is ultimately a heartfelt, inspiring story about ordinary people who choose to stand up and make a change – and a reminder that, for so many women, the fight goes on.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Selena y Los Dinos
    While Selena’s raw talent and infectious personality are a huge draw, the film’s real selling point is its access to Selena’s family, open and honest in their recollections.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Love+War
    While her work certainly speaks for itself, it’s fascinating to hear Addario tell her own remarkable story.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    Black Phone 2
    It remains a superficial exercise in creepy fun, but – like so many horror sequels – retreading familiar ground proves an exercise in diminishing returns.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    The Fence
    Essentially a four-handed chamber piece of sorts, this adaptation deals with powder-keg themes of the colonial psyche, racial tensions and retribution, but ultimately proves too stilted and stagey to pack much of a punch.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Good Boy
    In lesser hands, this could have been merely a gimmick but, with his feature debut, director Ben Leonberg delivers an effective, genuinely unsettling chiller.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 40 Nikki Baughan
    A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
    This high-concept feature tries so hard to charm that it becomes an exercise in wading through sickly sweet treacle.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Rose of Nevada
    It effectively combines familiar genre tropes with Jenkin’s unique visual style and a resonant message of community.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Bonus Track
    The two actors manage to capture the vulnerabilities that come with opening yourself up to someone else, particularly at such a delicate age.
    • 94 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Blue Heron
    A lyrical study of the twisting nature of memory and the lasting impact of childhood trauma, Canadian filmmaker Sophy Romvari’s debut Blue Heron has an authenticity and sensitivity that steers it through occasional moments of narrative affectation.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    The Long Walk
    It’s one of the most powerful King features for some time.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
    Perhaps unsurprisingly – and intentionally – Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is a much gentler affair, intended to affectionately lampoon those ageing musicians who struggle to retain their creative spark and trade heavily in nostalgia. There is plenty of that here – the film essentially retreads old ground and gags – but the sharp wit of the original is sadly lacking.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Steve
    While the entire cast impresses, standout performances come from Murphy and Lycurgo. They make it clear that Steve and Shy are two sides of the same coin, both shaped by past trauma and finding it almost impossible to exorcise their demons.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    Cover-Up
    Cover-Up pays fitting tribute to a man who has made it his life’s work to seek out and expose the hardest of truths.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Dead Man's Wire
    Director Gus Van Sant turns this fascinating true crime story into both an entertaining period drama and an evergreen tale of ordinary men pushed into desperate acts.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 40 Nikki Baughan
    After the Hunt
    While it may wish to spark debate, the stance it takes on its messaging is troubling – particularly given a stapled-on coda that seems to suggest we should be putting all of this nonsense behind us.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    Bugonia
    It’s a serious message delivered in typically entertaining Lanthimos style and hammered home via a bravura climax which manages to be both gonzo and gut-wrenching in equal measure.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Friendship
    Part cringe-comedy, part diagnostic study of the modern pandemic of male loneliness, Friendship has several inspired moments, and strong performances from Robinson and Rudd. Ultimately, however, its determination to straddle both camps means it stretches itself rather too thin.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    M3GAN 2.0
    Returning director Gerard Johnstone does not feel the need to rewrite the code, delivering a tried-and-tested mix of action, effects and comedy. Yet the whole thing now feels overly self-aware, resulting in a lumbering actioner that lacks the novelty value of its predecessor.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    28 Years Later
    Danny Boyle’s long-awaited return to the franchise he created in 2002 may lack the immediate, visceral bite of his original 28 Days Later, but nevertheless brings a satisfying mix of old horrors and new ideas.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    How to Train Your Dragon
    Returning director Dean DeBlois (who helmed the animation alongside Chris Sanders, as well as its sequel) has retained the energetic spirit of the original, and he’s helped by some fantastic CGI and a game cast, both of which lean into the fantastical charm of this tale of a hapless young Viking who discovers he is something of a dragon whisperer.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    The Life of Chuck
    For the most part The Life Of Chuck remains a moving drama that comes close to capturing the infinite value of an individual life.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Tornado
    Scottish director John Maclean’s ambitious second feature is an intriguing blend of Western and samurai actioner — always close bedfellows — which makes the most of its untamed setting.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Pillion
    Open-minded audiences will soon realise that Pillion is not out to provocate, but to authentically and sensitively explore a side of gay culture little seen in mainstream film.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Bono: Stories of Surrender
    The result is an intense baring of the soul that is part performance, part confessional and all entertainment.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 40 Nikki Baughan
    Dangerous Animals
    Sean Byrne’s third feature is a messy mash-up of creature feature and serial killer movie whose psychological posturing and gory effects can’t hide the fact that it’s propped up by tired horror tropes.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    The Woman in the Yard
    A raw central performance from Danielle Deadwyler brings some depth to this Blumhouse thriller, which otherwise maintains a creepy atmosphere but mostly trades in familiar psychological horror tropes and an abundance of jump scares.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    Warfare
    Warfare certainly isn’t the first combat movie to take such an immersive approach to the subject, but what’s striking about this film is its overriding commitment to the truth as perceived by its real-life characters.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Long Day's Journey Into Night
    The festering resentment of things left unsaid fuels this play, and David Lindsay-Abaire’s unflinching, brisk screenplay traces the growing fissures in the family.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Ricky
    While this expansion of Frett’s 2023 short of the same name may, at times, feel like it’s being cornered into making a political statement, the nuanced central performance from Stephan James largely prevents the message from overwhelming the story.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Companion
    Companion looks fantastic. But, underneath that glossy surface, it makes some biting comments about power dynamics, free will, and what it really means to be human.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Inheritance
    This guerrilla approach, together with Dynevor’s committed performance, give Inheritance an adrenaline-fuelled agility that lifts it above the normal trappings of the genre.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    The Damned
    While there are perhaps a few too many jump scares, and an overwrought ending which takes some of the wind out of its sails, The Damned is powered to the finish by its creeping sense of dread.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    Get Away
    Get Away attempts to blend Withnail-like irreverence with Wicker Man-tinged folk horror but, while some of those elements hit their mark, the film’s tonal swerves undermine its more original aspects.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Daddy's Head
    Inevitably, this will mean it draws comparisons to The Babadook, the current high-bar for grief manifestation horror, but Daddy’s Head, which premiered at Fantastic Fest, is sharply drawn, well-shot, and genuinely unsettling in its own right.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    The Penguin Lessons
    In its determination to maintain a glossy, upbeat tone throughout — even when dealing with an event that, as a final sombre title card tells us, saw ‘over 30,000 people killed or disappeared’ — The Penguin Lessons proves to be neither fish nor fowl.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    The Return
    The film moves at a languid pace, with long periods of silence, and there’s not a great deal of action until a final cathartic orgy of violence. Yet this world is richly drawn.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Speak No Evil
    This remake of the 2022 Danish-language chiller maintains much of what made the original so effective but, in swapping that film’s shocking ending for a more audience-friendly take, loses some of its bite. Nevertheless, a striking performance from James McAvoy keeps things interesting.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Dìdi
    Drawing heavily from his own adolescence, director Sean Wang makes a beautifully-crafted feature debut, which manages to be both personal to his own specific cultural experience, and speak to more universal truths about walking that tricky path to adulthood.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Meanwhile on Earth
    Like I Lost My Body, Meanwhile On Earth is a moving elegy on the power of grief, and the lengths to which we are driven in order to feel whole. While it may not have quite the same visceral impact as Clapin’s animation, and culminates in a soft, somewhat-obvious ending, it nevertheless leaves its own mark.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    blur: To the End
    It’s a joy to see them performing energetic old hits like ’Popscene’ and ’Song 2’, and a privilege to watch them create their more introspective new material.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    The Convert
    The Convert promises the potential for plenty of fire and brimstone but, despite some committed performances, lacks the dramatic passion that would have really left a mark.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Touch
    Director Baltasar Kormákur and his actors err on the side of restraint, delivering a balanced, absorbing human drama.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    Hummingbirds
    The result is a vibrant, infectious and surprisingly hopeful portrait of a divided America, fuelled not by idealism but dogged determination.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Queendom
    As Gena attempts to live an authentic life in a place which is dangerously prejudiced against her, so Queendom takes shape as a damning portrait of state-sanctioned intolerance and suppression.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Nasty
    Nastase is a compelling, complex character.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Look Into My Eyes
    While Wilson stays resolutely — and perhaps for some frustratingly — neutral about whether that link is forged by lived experience or spiritual ability, her film can be read as a celebration of human empathy and the power of shared connection.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 40 Nikki Baughan
    Bad Boys: Ride or Die
    Ultimately, Ride Or Die is such a relentless bombardment of bombastic effects whipped up by a pounding soundtrack, rapid-fire editing and frenzied camerawork — which, at times, emulates a first-person video game — that it becomes exhausting, rather than exhilarating.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Big Boys
    Writer/director Corey Sherman’s understated screenplay, inspired by his own experiences as a young gay man, favours nuanced realism over high drama.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    June Zero
    This earnest drama wears its politics very much on its sleeve — and makes no apologies for doing so — although its intimate take on an overwhelming moment in history can make for some compelling drama.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    The Balconettes
    Nicole, Ruby and Elise are powerfully defiant just by refusing to be intimidated or shaped by patriarchal forces: an idea which rises above the outlandish events unfolding on screen to strike a universal, cathartic chord.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
    While any narrative nuance is left in the dust by the film’s singular focus on bloody retribution at all costs, it is one hell of a ride.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    The Idea of You
    This romcom offers a heady slice of appealing escapism fuelled by the chemistry between its two leads.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    Mothers' Instinct
    While a committed Chastain and Hathaway do their utmost to inject some gravitas into proceedings there are some moments which border on the absurd, particularly as it reaches its frenzied climax. Still, there is some fun to be found in the arch campness of it all and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the film looks gorgeous.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 30 Nikki Baughan
    Sleeping Dogs
    The result is a clunky, overwrought thriller which leans heavily on cliche.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Bob Trevino Likes It
    Any dramatic convenience can be forgiven as the platonic chemistry between Ferreira and Leguizamo feels natural, empathetic and genuine. And as they both begin to let down their guards, it’s a pleasure to watch them; so much so, in fact, that it doesn’t really matter that the characters in their orbit are far less vividly sketched.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
    Ariane Louis-Seize’s debut feature plays like a coming-of-age genre mash-up, and features a tortured blood-sucker protagonist reminiscent of Only Lovers Left Alive, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night or even The Hunger, although it is narratively and stylistically striking enough to make its own impact.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Timestalker
    Taking pleasure in subverting romcom tropes and boasting a satisfying attention to detail, Timestalker is a showcase for Lowe’s considerable talents on both sides of the camera.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Much Ado About Dying
    In its refreshingly frank look at the end of life, Much Ado About Dying becomes a thought-provoking study of what it means to live.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Eternal You
    Eternal You acts like a modern day Wizard Of Oz as it lifts the curtain on the intricate processes of bringing the dead to life.
    • 35 Metascore
    • 50 Nikki Baughan
    Argylle
    This tale of a bestselling spy novelist who finds herself embroiled in real life espionage has some fun moments, an impressive cast and explosive set pieces (not to mention some strong echoes of classic eighties adventure series Romancing The Stone) but, in its attempts to keep audiences guessing, ties itself up in knots.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Daughters
    Despite the sentimental score, which unnecessarily ramps up the emotion, Daughters is honest about the fact that this programme is not a magic bullet, just one important step on the road to change.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Between the Temples
    There’s a lightness of touch to the performances, with Silver encouraging his actors to improvise on-set. Events may have made Ben something of a sadsack, but Schwartzman ensures there is still a glimmer in his eye, a hint that his lust for life is simply dormant.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Amerikatsi
    This charming story . . . has a deft, audience-friendly lightness of touch, focusing on Armenia’s people rather than its difficult history. Nevertheless, it firmly makes its points about displacement, cultural cleansing and the difficulties of returning home.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    Good Grief
    The chemistry between these three is the film’s greatest strength, and Good Grief plays best as a love story between friends.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Your Fat Friend
    This engaging, eye-opening documentary follows Gordon over six years, as a book deal forces her to give up her anonymity and she further explores her own relationships with food, her family and society at large.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
    Beneath all of the visual razzle-dazzle and quick-firing gags, though, Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget is, fundamentally, a familiar, well-executed coming-of-age narrative, in which a youngster is compelled to spread their wings, and parents must learn to let them fly.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    The Kitchen
    While the subtle world-building may be more consistently impressive than the familiar narrative, The Kitchen nevertheless makes its points with style.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Pay or Die
    With the film reminding us that the American system isn’t only failing people with diabetes, the battle for affordable healthcare rages on.
    • 39 Metascore
    • 40 Nikki Baughan
    The Exorcist: Believer
    Exorcist: Believer has none of the creeping dread of the original.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Infested
    Debut feature director Sebastien Vanicek proves to be adept at wringing every drop of tension out of this slim narrative, elevating this B-movie creature feature to A-grade horror.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Ballywalter
    While the dramatic destination may be signposted fom the off, this well-observed debut from actor-turned-director Prasanna Puwanarajah handles its themes lightly, leaning into dark comedy rather than melodrama, and that approach, together with strong central performances, serves it well.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    In the Rearview
    Respectful, frank and moving, this is a small film with a devastating impact.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    The Peasants
    The Peasants again melds oil paintings (some 40,000 of them) over live-action footage of actors to become a dynamic, immersive drama that brings the pleasures and pains of the past to ravishing life.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 30 Nikki Baughan
    The Nun II
    Logic, though, is not at the forefront of The Nun II which, like its predecessor, attempts to force the fear through endless jump scares and bombastic music rather than take time to build any real tension.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Nikki Baughan
    One Life
    This is an undeniably moving story, and Winson — who died in 2015 aged 106 — a man worth honouring, but One Life comes across as an orchestrated tearjerker.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
    Its layered story, about a rich man and the extraordinary book that changes his life, is particularly well-suited to Anderson, who revels in such Russian Doll narratives and delivers the story as a dramatic reading, narrated by its characters.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Aporia
    Moshe is not the first filmmaker to grapple with theories surrounding the manipulation of the fabric of time but his intimate approach, coupled with strong performances, make this an intelligent homespun take on a familiar subject.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Nikki Baughan
    Joy Ride
    Joy Ride could easily have felt like a series of increasingly outrageous skits but, thanks to the chemistry between its leads and the tonal confidence of first time director Adele Lim, it ultimately lands as a raucously authentic comedy.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 70 Nikki Baughan
    Greatest Days
    It may be fuelled by the schmaltzy lyrics of a boy band, but this is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of female friendship.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 90 Nikki Baughan
    Barbie
    While Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach may couch this self-discovery narrative in powder pinks and unrelenting pep, their message is authentic and acerbic: an urgent feminist call to arms wrapped up in a hugely entertaining popcorn movie.
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