Daniel Allen
@danielallen.bsky.social
Creator, Cinematic Sense. Bylines: Loud and Clear, Little White Lies, Film Stories, The Quietus, In Review Online, The Film Magazine. Portfolio: https://muckrack.com/daniel-allen-30 Freelance inquiries: https://cinematicsense.home.blog/contact/
Today is the seventh anniversary of Cinematic Sense. To commemorate it, here is my review of The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson’s everlasting classic that is probably his best film…
Film Review: The Royal Tenenbaums Is An Everlasting Classic - Cinematic Sense
Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums is an everlasting, iconic classic about a dysfunctional family reconnecting.
cinematicsense.blog
Out in the UK today is the mockumentary satire LADY, starring a terrific Sian Clifford as an aristocrat seeking her artistic voice. My review for @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social from last year's #LFF...
Lady (2025) Film Review: Finding Your Artistic Voice
Sian Clifford is a tour de force in Lady, Samuel Abraham’s mockumentary satire about a filmmaker and subject finding their artistic voices together.
loudandclearreviews.com
TONY: Out in the UK today, and already out in the US, Matt Johnson serves up an Anthony Bourdain biopic that is also a remarkable coming-of-age story. My review for @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social...
Tony Review: Superb Coming-Of-Age Film
With Tony, his biopic about a transformative summer for a young Anthony Bourdain, Matt Johnson serves up a remarkable coming-of-age story.
loudandclearreviews.com
Will be covering #LFF once again this year. If you’re a publication needing coverage from the festival, I will be avaliable. See the header for my portfolio and contact details…
I was a fan of COOKIE QUEENS, the sweet documentary about the uber-competitive Girl Scout cookie season. Review for @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social …
Cookie Queens Film Review: Sweet Documentary
Alysa Nahmias’ Cookie Queens is a sweet, immediately charming documentary about Girl Scout cookies, growing up and entrepreneurship.
loudandclearreviews.com
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherfield is now on MUBI UK, and it is definitely worth watching. My review from earlier in the year for @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social...
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford: Film Review
Peter Mullan is brilliant in The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, an enjoyable character study of a man struggling to find his place in the modern world.
loudandclearreviews.com
For this month's Cinematic Sense newsletter, I paid tribute to both the influential Tony Rayns and, for Film of the Month, Sam Neill...
July 2026: A Tribute To Tony Rayns
This month, we pay tribute to both Tony Rayns and, with the Film of the Month, Sam Neill…
cinematicsense8.wordpress.com
For my Letterboxd, a review of Barry Levinson’s THE NATURAL, where I compare Robert Redford to Odysseus and call cinema a myth-maker. ‘How can you not be romantic about baseball?’ and so on… boxd.it/fuYYQB
A ★★★★ review of The Natural (1984)
This review may contain spoilers. Visit the page to bypass this warning and read the review.
boxd.it
Repurposed a Letterboxd essay I wrote last year about David Lynch’s THE STRAIGHT STORY, the passing of my father, and seeing American through its highways. Enjoy.
"I just hope I'm not too late."
On David Lynch's "The Straight Story"
oldfilmsflicker.substack.com
With the release of her latest album today, I looked at Charli XCX’s mockumentary THE MOMENT from earlier this year. A surface-level but still pretty effective satire where she seeks the end of the brat era… For Cinematic Sense.
The Moment Review: Charli XCX Seeks the End of Brat - Cinematic Sense
Charli XCX seeks the end of the brat era in The Moment, a surface-level mockumentary satire that is still pretty effective.
cinematicsense.blog
SOUND OF FALLING: Mascha Schilinski’s encompassing and ethereal drama follows four adolescent girls at a German farmhouse over the course of one century. My review for Cinematic Sense...
Film Review: Sound of Falling - Cinematic Sense
Mascha Schilinski’s encompassing and ethereal Sound of Falling follows four adolescent girls at a German farmhouse over a century.
cinematicsense.blog
The Odyssey: Yet another excellent, jaw-dropping blockbuster from Christopher Nolan. My review for Cinematic Sense...
The Odyssey Review: Another Excellent Christopher Nolan Film
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is yet another excellent film from the director – a jaw-dropping Ancient Greek epic with a lot of depth.
cinematicsense.blog
For Cinematic Sense, the David Lynch Retrospective is back with a look at TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, David Lynch's prequel/uncompromisingly dark account of Laura Palmer's final days...
David Lynch Retrospective - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me - Cinematic Sense
With Fire Walk With Me, David Lynch made a Twin Peaks prequel that was an uncompromisingly dark approach to Laura Palmer’s final days.
cinematicsense.blog
RIP Sam Neill. Will obviously be remembered for Jurassic Park, but he was also so good in The Piano and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Could do chilling horrors as well as warm comedies. A stately presence that will be greatly missed.
Luca Guadagnino's OpenAI film ARTIFICIAL has been dropped by Amazon, and it still hasn't found a new distributor. For Cinematic Sense, I talk about how bad that is, as well as the ramp-up of AI usage in the film industry and the worrying consequences...
Let's Talk About Artificial and AI's Takeover of The Film Industry
As Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI biopic is dropped by Amazon, let’s talk about the worrying AI takeover of the film industry…
cinematicsense.blog
Here is the latest edition of the Cinematic Sense Monthly newsletter. Featuring the rise of YouTube filmmakers on the big screen and some intriguing digital distribution methods...
June 2026: Like & Subscribe
This month, we look at YouTubers making a big splash on the big screen with horror movies, as well as some eccentric digital distribution methods…
cinematicsense8.wordpress.com
Steven Spielberg's new film Disclosure Day is out in cinemas today. And for Cinematic Sense, one of our guest writers, Thomas Tobutt, has written about how his previous alien films have evolved over the years. #DisclosureDay #Aliens
Steven Spielberg and the Evolution of His Alien Films - Cinematic Sense
As his new film Disclosure Day is released, let’s look at how Steven Spielberg has explored the extraterrestrial in his films…
cinematicsense.blog
For Cinematic Sense, the David Lynch Retrospective continues with Season 2 of Twin Peaks. Is it as good as Season 1? Definitely not. But it proves that the show is one of the most stylistically daring ever...
David Lynch Retrospective: Twin Peaks Season 2 - Cinematic Sense
Season 2 of Twin Peaks is not on the same level as the previous season, but it proves the show is one of the most stylistically daring ever.
cinematicsense.blog
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is now 40 years old. And for Cinematic Sense, our new writer, Sarah Cipes, has written about what John Hughes' '80s teen classic can teach us in 2026...
Ferris Bueller's Day Off At 40: What It Can Teach Us Now - Cinematic Sense
As Ferris Bueller’s Day Off turns 40, we look at why John Hughes’ movie remains so important and what it can teach us now.
cinematicsense.blog
Steven Spielberg's new film Disclosure Day is out in cinemas today. And for Cinematic Sense, one of our guest writers, Thomas Tobutt, has written about how his previous alien films have evolved over the years. #DisclosureDay #Aliens
Steven Spielberg and the Evolution of His Alien Films - Cinematic Sense
As his new film Disclosure Day is released, let’s look at how Steven Spielberg has explored the extraterrestrial in his films…
cinematicsense.blog
For Cinematic Sense, the David Lynch Retrospective continues with our first trip to Twin Peaks. Lynch and Mark Frost's mystery series quickly became a phenomenon when it first aired. Based on Season 1, it is not hard to see why...
David Lynch Retrospective: Twin Peaks Season 1 - Cinematic Sense
David Lynch’s mystery series Twin Peaks quickly became a sensation when it aired. Watching the wonderful first season, it is not hard to see why.
cinematicsense.blog
For @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social, my review of the really good character study, The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford... loudandclearreviews.com/fall-sir-dou...
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford: Film Review
Peter Mullan is brilliant in The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, an enjoyable character study of a man struggling to find his place in the modern world.
loudandclearreviews.com
New review for Cinematic Sense: Here comes THE BRIDE! Maggie Gyllenhaal adapts the Bride of Frankenstein by throwing practically every idea at the wall. The result is a fascinating failure... cinematicsense.blog/2026/06/08/f...
Film Review: The Bride! Is A Fascinating Failure - Cinematic Sense
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride of Frankenstein reimagining throws practically everything at the wall, but ends up feeling undeveloped.
cinematicsense.blog
For Cinematic Sense, my review of Julia Loktev's epic (and absolutely vital) documentary about dissident Russian journalists, MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW (available now on MUBI)... cinematicsense.blog/2026/06/05/f...
Film Review: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air In Moscow
Julia Loktev’s epic journalism documentary My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow is gigantically dense, staggering and vital.
cinematicsense.blog
For Cinematic Sense, I catch up on some 2026 UK releases. My reviews of Paolo Sorrentino's La Grazia, volcanic documentary Pompei: Below The Clouds and the Brendan Fraser-starring Rental Family... cinematicsense.blog/2026/06/02/f...
Film Review: La Grazia, Pompei: Below The Clouds, Rental Family
Reviews of La Grazia, Below The Clouds and Rental Family, three generally good films...
cinematicsense.blog
For Cinematic Sense, the latest newsletter has it all. #Cannes fallout! New Oscar rules! Old Westerns! And William Wyler directs my Film of the Month... Click below to find out more, and make sure you subscribe. cinematicsense8.wordpress.com/2026/05/29/m...
May 2026: An Un-Fjord-Gettable Month
This month’s Cinematic Sense newsletter has it all. Cannes fallout! New Oscar rules! Box office talk! Old Westerns! And William Wyler directs our Film of the Month…
cinematicsense8.wordpress.com
It's been 36 years since David Lynch won a Palme d'Or and divided #Cannes with Wild At Heart. For Cinematic Sense and the David Lynch Retrospective, I look at this Wizard of Oz-inspired road trip crime film that remains a daring pulse of energy... cinematicsense.blog/2026/05/21/d...
David Lynch Retrospective: Wild At Heart - Cinematic Sense
David Lynch’s Palme d’Or winner Wild At Heart is a lover’s road trip movie - and a daring pulse of energy.
cinematicsense.blog
Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is great. Its score is iconic. But did you know about the rescored soundtrack from Radio 1 and Zane Lowe? For Cinematic Sense, I examined this alternative version and why it was worth it (at least in theory)... cinematicsense.blog/2026/05/15/f...
Remembering The Time When Drive Got A Rescore - Cinematic Sense
Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is great. Its score is iconic. But did you know of its rescored soundtrack filled with new songs?
cinematicsense.blog
#Cannes2026 starts today. And so here, in case you missed it yesterday, is my preview of the festival for Cinematic Sense... #Cannes #FestivalDeCannes #CannesFilmFestival cinematicsense.blog/2026/05/11/c...
Cannes 2026 Preview: The Essential Films to Watch Out For - Cinematic Sense
This year’s Cannes includes films from Pedro Almodovar, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Hirokazu-Kore-eda. But who will win the Palme d’Or?
cinematicsense.blog