The British Filipino

Author’s note: After spending three months in America, I am back! I am currently working on a piece about the Broadway show Here Lies Love (which I saw twice in two weeks) and my relationship to it as a British Filipino. But for now, here's a piece about being a British Filipino, which I submitted for …

MANIC by Raina Greifer: hilariously heartfelt

The Camden People's Theatre is a charming building, where the alcohol is served by the same person selling tickets and pronoun pins sold to fund the theatre are similarly on tap. As I enter the space, I hand over my 'ticket', which is actually a playing card. 'So What' by P!nk blares through the speakers. …

King of Kings: Empire and Colonialism in Frictional Games’ Amnesia series

This was the dissertation I chose to submit for my BA in English. I received a 76/100 or a 1st Class mark for this essay, the highest mark in my cohort. At the time of writing, Amnesia: The Bunker was set to be released at the end of May, however, it was later postponed to …

The Good Person of Szechwan at the Lyric Hammersmith: gloriously contemporary

Author’s note: as of publishing this review (Friday 12 May 2023) the production finishes its run at the Lyric tomorrow. However, this review of the production will remain to represent my thoughts on the production and its importance in British ESEA representation. Following My Neighbour Totoro's spellbinding awards season - winning six Olivier Awards and …

Crash Landing on You Review : A Tale of Two Koreas

It is undeniably clear that South Korean culture has come to the forefront of the public consciousness. Bong Joon-Ho’s sensational Oscar-sweeper Parasite continues to pulsate through film criticism and discussion. K-Pop still attracts droves of adoring ‘stans’ in their millions. And with the quarantine keeping most of us home, alone, and mentally unstimulated, K-Drama is …

Amélie – Indulge and Savour

I had many opportunities to watch the film Amélie, but for the first decade-and-a-half refused to watch it on the basis of the movie poster being too scary. Looking at it now it bears a strong resemblance to the poster of the psychological horror “MAY” - both feature women with eerily light skin looking provocatively …

A Day at Brownsea Island

We boarded the first ferry to depart Poole Harbour at 10am, on the dot. The stand, bright yellow, bore cute cartoon red squirrels, which are the main attraction of Brownsea Island. Extremely elusive in Great Britain with their species sadly on the decline (likely due to the introduction of the American grey squirrel) , Brownsea …

Wild Rose – Vibrant Passion

I went into Wild Rose knowing next to nothing about it (which, purist though it may sound, I believe is personally the best way to see a movie). But from the beginning-I was entranced. In the lead role, BAFTA nominated rising star Jessie Buckley exudes purity as Rose-Lynn Harlan-brassy without being grating, endearingly selfish, and …

The House That Jack Built – Creative Purgatory

When I think about my viewing of The House That Jack Built, I think it can be best described as a filmic culmination of Lars Von Trier's career. It is no secret that Von Trier is a provocateur who is extremely aware of his status. The film features his usual decadent display of the grotesque, …

20,000 Days on Earth – Celebration of Creativity

When I first saw 20,000 Days on Earth, it was in a film class. At least from my recollection, it was the first film I watched from a wholly academically analytical standpoint, having launched into a condensed 1-year version of A Level Film Studies with gusto. My eyes drooping from a lack of sleep, and …