Monsters, Inc. (2001)
This was the fourth animated film from Pixar and is a winning and delightful Maurice Sendakian tale about the monsters in the closet and their friendship with a young girl
Fantasy
Monsters University (2013)
Pixar’s creative decline began they started making these sequels. A disappointing prequel to Monsters, Inc. that recycles the cliches of the Revenge of the Nerds films and is lacking in the humour or cuteness we expect
Monstrum (2018)
A South Korean attempt to make a Wu Xia film featuring swordsmen up against a hulking monster, which emerges as an impressive CGI creation
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The first of the Monty Python films, a wickedly funny, willfully nonsensical take on King Arthur and the knightly quest. Contains many classic Python gags
Monty Python’s The Life of Brian (1979)
The Monty Python team’s finest hour, a wickedly irreverent spoof on Christianity (or more so it followers) that contains some of their most side-splitting gags
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983)
The third and last of the Monty Python films, a variety of skits that are variously outrageous and frequently leave behind all good taste
Mood Indigo (2013)
Michel Gondry returns to the surreal whimsy of The Science of Sleep. A film where Gondry delights in visual nonsense and serving up all the appealingly capricious silliness he can muster
Moon Man (2012)
A children’s film that comes with a sweet simplicity and an enormous freshness, while the animation is rendered with a considerable beauty that makes it just as much a film for adults
Moonchild (1972)
A film about strange happenings at a mission where all the characters may be reincarnations. A film of the hippie era that gets lost in mysticism and trippiness
Moonwalker (1988)
A collection of Michael Jackson short pieces, leading up to the 25 minute Smooth Criminal segment where he transforms into a godlike being. Fascinating in its bizarreness
More Than a Miracle (1967)
A frothily whimsical Italian-made venture into Magical Realism with Sophia Loren as a peasant girl who connects with prince Omar Sharif amid romance and magical happenings
Mortal (2020)
The director of The Troll Hunter returns with a stunningly shot film with Nat Wolff a mystery man found by police who demonstrates increasingly more godlike powers
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
A Young Adult fantasy adaptation that fells a Harry Potter wannabe repackaged with the brooding teen romanticism of the Twilight series, all under a director whose indifferent handling fails to animate any of the material
Mortal Kombat (1995)
This film adaptation of the videogame is a lot of fun. The plot rehashes Enter the Dragon and offers up wall-to-wall action and exotic creatures. A directorial debut for Paul W.S. Anderson
Mortal Kombat (2021)
A reboot of the film series adapted from the popular videogame. Produced by James Wan, this emerges as a kinetic effort that has clearly designed to introduce an ongoing franchise
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
Sequel to the Mortal Kombat film. While the first film was fun, here all plot has been stripped away to just fight scenes such that the film blurs into a single shapeless action sequence
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021)
The second of the Mortal Kombat animated films, this introduces a bewildering array of characters from the games amid a high degree of violence and bloodshed
Mortal Kombat II (2026)
A sequel to the 2021 revival of the film series based on the videogame and a much more satisfying film. The first film was all origin story, but this plunges us into the actual kombat itself
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020)
An animated film revival of the Mortal Kombat videogame franchise. This conducts a reasonable reworking of the basics, while blowing you away with the ultra-violent excesses of the action
Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022)
The third of the Mortal Kombat animated films. This abandons inter-dimensional kombat and takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, focused around the blind swordsman Kenshi
Mother! (2017)
Darren Aronofsky’s surreal drama wildly divided critics and was a box-office flop. Naturally, what I thought the film was about was completely different to what Aronofsky stated it was about
The ? Motorist (1906)
Walter R. Booth was a British imitator of Georges Melies. In this early silent film, a motorcar travels so fast that it heads into orbit. Less sophisticated than Melies but this still has its charms
The Mouse That Roared (1959)
Peter Sellers comedy where the smallest country in the world invades the USA and ends up accidentally winning
MouseHunt (1997)
The directorial debut of Gore Verbinski, this harnesses Babe-styled animatronics to essentially create a live-action Tom and Jerry cartoon with two comic villains being outwitted by a seemingly unkillable mouse
Movie 43 (2013)
An anthology of comedy skits that sets out to be in as bad taste as possible – you are left astounded how far a film has to go to offend in this post-South Park era
Mowgli (2018)
A version of The Jungle Book directed by Andy Serkis with motion capture animated animals. This had its thunder stolen by the more high-profile Disney remake of 2016 but is worthwhile
Mr Destiny (1990)
A variant on It’s a Wonderful Life where James Belushi makes a wish and ends up in an alternate time living the live the life he never did all due to missing a baseball home-run
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (2007)
A family film in which Natalie Portman signs on as the assistant to Dustin Hoffman who plays the eccentric owner of a toyshop full of magical marvels
Mr Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)
A Hollywood copy of the British mermaid film Miranda in which dull middle-aged William Powell fishes up capricious mermaid Ann Blyth. This has an amiable charm
Mr Pye (1986)
In this charming tv adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s book, mild-mannered Derek Jacobi grows angel wings after doing good deeds and turns to mischief to find he is growing devil horns
Mr. Tree (2011)
Film about the life of a possibly handicapped man in rural China that takes a veer into total fantasy in the latter half. A head-scratching oddity that I failed to get a handle on
Mr Vampire II (1986)
The first of several sequels to the hopping vampire hit. While the original was an adept and clever blend of fantasy and comedy, this promptly heads for loud and noisy slapstick
Mr Vampire 4 (1988)
Fourth in the popular hopping vampire saga that spawned six films and an uncredited copycat series, all blending a manic mix of comedy, fantastique moves and Eastern beliefs
Mr Vampire (1985)
The Hong Kong hopping vampire film that produced a string of sequels. The original is the best, a clever, fast-paced blend of comedy, supernatural and traditional Eastern beliefs
Mr Vampire 1992 (1992)
The last of the popular Hong Kong comedy series about hopping vampires. While the other sequels became very silly, this goes out on an inspired final note
Mr Vampire III (1987)
The third in the popular series of Hong Kong comedy films about hopping vampire. As in the previous entry, a frenetic slapstick element dominates the proceedings
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)
The Lion King has to be one of the worst of the live-action Disney remakes. For some reason, Disney then went on to make this prequel that tells Mufasa’s story
Mulan (2020)
The Disney live-action remake of Mulan arrives mired in controversy. The film itself proves a solid production for the most part, although never soars as a work of fantasy
Mulan (1998)
A Disney animated film based on the Chinese legend of a girl who posed as a warrior. Unlike the similar historically-based Pocahontas, this emerges as well rounded and satisfying
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
David Lynch’a work of Hollywood noir in which novice actress Naomi Watts (in the role that made her name) is drawn into a surreal identity blurring mystery. As always with Lynch, this is baffling, weird and mesmerising
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Sequel to the 1999 The Mummy. Here Stephen Sommers amplifies everything in that film by a factor of ten where the constant bombardment by the spectacular reaches an point of absurd overkill
Münchausen (1943)
A fascinating, epically sized versions of the adventures of Baron Münchausen that was made by the Nazis. Produced on a massive with incredibly lavish sets and costumes
Munster Go Home (1966)
A film spinoff from tv’s The Munsters, a likeable knockabout farce featuring the original cast that takes the characters to England and has them enter a car race
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The first of the insipid Muppet movies made following Jim Henson’s death, directed by his son Brian. This twists the Muppets out of shape to fit them into a retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
The Muppet Movie (1979)
The first and best of the Muppet films where Jim Henson spins them off onto the big screen with charm and sly humour
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Another of the desultory 90s Muppet films, which fits them into a retelling of Treasure Island. Missing is the humour and creativity from back when Jim Henson was alive.
The Muppets (2011)
Surprisingly fun revival of the Muppets that reboots the series after the insipid entries of the last few years and succeeds by going back to recapture the sly double-level of humour that Jim Henson patented
Muppets from Space (1999)
The third and one of the better of the Muppet movies made following Jim Henson’s death. This tells the story of Gonzo’s origins where the film spoofs the then-hit of tv’s The X Files
Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
The Muppets were successfully revived in The Muppets; this is a lesser follow-up that leaves us with a feeling that the creative team used their best ammunition first time around
The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
The third Muppets film, the last Jim Henson would be involved with, this shows them putting on a Broadway show
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
The weakest of the Muppet movies where they are turned into the characters in a retelling of The Wizard of Oz
Murder Scene (2000)
Thriller that borrows the basics of Eyes of Laura Mars in which student Nicole Eggert begins to have clairvoyant visions leading her to an abducted girl
The Muse (1999)
Albert Brooks film with Sharon Stone as a Greek muse. This suggests a Woody Allen whimsy crossed with something of Robert Altman’s The Player and its satire on Hollywood with real-life celebrities playing themselves
My Demon Lover (1987)
The title sounds like that of an erotic horror film but all that we get is an inane teen comedy in which Scott Valentine transforms into a demon whenever he gets turned on
My Life as a Fairytale: Hans Christian Andersen (2001)
A Hallmark TV mini-series that purports to tell a biography of fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen only to freely rearrange or outrighly invent aspects of Andersen’s life
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
The most perfect of all Hayao Miyazaki’s anime. A work of absolutely magical charms in its bittersweet story about childhood, featuring an array of eccentric creatures
My Old Ass (2024)
At first glance, this film with its premise about a teenager meeting her future self seems too cute and lightweight, but to bear with it, it emerges as something extraordinary
My Winnipeg (2007)
Guy Maddin was hired by the Documentary Channel to make a documentary about his hometown Winnipeg and turns it into a surreal confabulation of fact and tall tale
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929)
The first film appearance of one of the great super-villains of pulp fiction. This was a silent film version with Warner Oland cast in the title role, making a rolypoly Fu Mancu in contrast to some of the other great actors in the part
Mystery Train (1989)
Dry, typically laconic trio of tales from Jim Jarmusch set around characters at a Memphis hotel. Included here for one episode featuring an appearance of the ghost of Elvis
Mythica: A Quest for Heroes (2014)
A surprisingly good Kickstarter effort where a group of fans have brought their love of Dungeons and Dragons to life. While low-budgeted, care has been placed into the characters and building the world
Mythica: The Darkspore (2015)
Mythica: A Quest for Heroes was a fan-made epic fantasy film made with creativity and professionalism; this sequel is slightly the lesser but still maintains the high degree of quality
Mythica: The Godslayer (2016)
The fifth of the surprisingly good Mythica fan-produced series that has consistently made a strong, rousing variant on the Epic Fantasy tropes on a low budget
Mythica: The Iron Crown (2016)
This was the fourth in the surprisingly good Mythica series of low-budget epic fantasy films funded via Kickstarter. This proves to be the best of the series yet
Mythica: The Necromancer (2015)
The third of the surprisingly good Kickstarter financed Mythica films. This has a changeover of directors and is slightly the lesser but still does imaginative things with a low-budget
Naked (2017)
Comedic variant on Groundhog Day where Marlon Wayans wakes up naked in an elevator on his wedding day and is forced to repeat the same hour over and over as he tries to get to the church
Nang Nak (1999)
Beautifully made Thai film about a husband whose wife dies in childbirth but where he refuses to let go of her ghost
Nanny McPhee (2005)
Emma Thompson written and starring adaptation of a series of children’s books comes across as a lesser copy of Mary Poppins. A film that feels like it should have been more than it ends up being.
Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang (2010)
I never much cared for Nanny McPhee. This is a sequel that replicates the original in fairly much the same amount mix of plot elements, slapstick sequences and nonsensical absurdism
The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey (1988)
The hugely underrated Vincent Ward makes a film about Mediaeval pilgrims travelling through time to the present. Shot in an series of extraordinary images that show how bewildering the modern world would be to them
Necromania: A Tale of Weird Love (1971)
In one’s efforts to track down all Edward D. Wood Jr’s films, one finally comes to Necromania, which was believed lost for many years … This turns out to be a pornographic film, consisting of little more than serial sex scenes, this far less interesting because it lacks all of Wood’s typical gaffes and ineptitudes
Nemesis Game (2003)
Frustratingly enigmatic film where student Carly Pope is drawn into a game of mysterious clues where people are being killed
The Neverending Story (1984)
A popular fantasy film of the 80s that sits just between the imaginative, particularly when it comes to some its creature effects and design work, and the mawkish. It also comes with an intriguing level of meta-fiction that delivers some odd messages
The Neverending Story III (1994)
Abysmal third entry in the series. The creatures lack any conviction and everything is wrecked by taking the story out of Fantasia back to Earth amid hip contemporary jokes
The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)
Sequel to The Neverending Story made with a better budget. This delivers some amazing sets and creature designs but is killed with a script that discards the metaphors and complex level of meta-fiction of the original
Neverland (2011)
Following Tin Man and Alice, another of Nick Willing’s ingenious rewritings and rationalisations of classic children’s tales in science-fiction terms. Here the essentials of Peter Pan are transported to another planet
The New Adventures of Pinocchio (1999)
Sequel to the 1996 CGI The Adventures of Pinocchio, this is a shabby and drearily made piece of filler that unimaginatively shuffles around the basic elements of the first film without making an effort at all
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988)
Ill-conceived US version of the popular children’s book character created by Astrid Lindgren. The result feels less a film as it does a kindergarten playground gone entirely out of control
The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)
A serial Tarzan adventure that stood outside the regular Johnny Weissmuller films. A producer formed a business partnership with Edgar Rice Burroughs and went to Guatemala to shoot
New Dragon Gate Inn (1992)
A classic Wu Xia/flying swordsman film from the genre’s 1990s’ heyday, a remake of one of the foundational hits of the genre. Produced by the legendary Tsui Hark
The New Legend of Shaolin (1994)
Hugely enjoyable entry in Hong Kong’s Wu Xia/flying swordsmen genre filled with wildly over-the-top moves
New York Stories (1989)
Anthology where directors Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Woody Allen each contribute an episode set in New York. Allen’s contribution in which a magician’s trick manifests a giant nagging mother in the sky is side-splitting
Next Door (2005)
Brilliantly twisted Norwegian film in the vein of Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and The Tenant about a man whose dealings with two girls living in the apartment next door starts blurring and shifting into some genuinely surreal and out there, not to mention perverse, territory
The Next Voice You Hear … (1950)
A film that could have only been made in the 1950s where the voice of God suddenly appears on the radio around the world. Starring later-to-be US First Lady Nancy Reagan
Nice Girls Don’t Explode (1987)
Charmingly nonsensical comedy variant on Firestarter where a girl’s dating life is a nightmare due to her causing things to spontaneously combust when she becomes emotionally aroused
Night at the Museum 2 (2009)
Sequel to the Ben Stiller hit offers more of the same with a bigger museum and more exhibits come to life but little else
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
The third entry in a franchise that seems to be stretching to find anything to do with its premise beyond the first film. Everyone involved seems to have only turned up to collect a paycheque and be going through the motions in a show that entirely coasts by solely on your familiarity with the characters
Night at the Museum (2006)
Popular family hit with Ben Stiller as a night watchman at New York’s Museum of Natural History who discovers that the exhibits come to life at night. More a cute idea than a full film, there is some fun to the characters and effects
Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948)
A classic work of Film Noir adapted from a Cornell Woolrich novel featuring Edward G. Robinson as a stage mentalist who suddenly finds he can predict the future for real
Night in Paradise (1946)
Overblown production featuring Turhan Bey as the storyteller Aesop engaged in a romantic adventure
Night Life of the Gods (1935)
A 1930s screwball comedy about the invention of a ray that can petrify people that is then used to bring statues of Greek gods to life
Night of the Flood (1996)
The novelty of a dance film about the end of the world in a giant flood
Nightbitch (2024)
This comes with the irresistible appeal of a premise where frustrated mother Amy Adams finds herself turning into a dog. A very interesting take on the problems of motherhood
Nightmare (1956)
An eerie work of film noir adapted from Cornell Woolrich in which Kevin McCarthy has a nightmare of killing a man and then wakes up and finds that details of his dream are starting to come true
Nightmare Alley (1947)
Classic film starring Tyrone Power as an ambitious carnival barker who has success with a mind-reader act. Filled with great film noir atmosphere and a doomed sense of fate at play
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Guillermo Del Toro’s remake of the 1947 film noir tale about a fake clairvoyant is an exquisite piece of mood and design
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton and Henry Selick combine on this stop-motion animated fantasy made in Burton’s characteristcially eccentric style, a beautifully stylised and dark fantasy in which assorted Halloween denizens invade Christmas
Nine Lives (2016)
Your mind struggles to process the premise of Nine Lives – where Kevin Spacey finds himself in the body of a cat. It seems a variation on the earlier Oh Heavenly Dog in which Chevy Chase was reincarnated as Benji. Some cute effects but what a lightweight effort for an actor of Spacey’s calibre
The Nines (2007)
Fascinating directorial debut from screenwriter John August that tells three stories about Ryan Reynolds who gradually makes mind-boggling discoveries about the nature of reality
Ninja Assassin (2009)
Produced by The Wachowskis who take the opportunity to reinvent the ninja film with the same flamboyant visuals they employed on The Matrix with exhilarating results