It is about time for another one of my round ups of films that have been released at the cinemas this year and are now already available on demand.

Firstly, we have a couple of films that have had a simultaneous theatrical release and can still be found at some cinemas. Pawn Sacrifice (available on Amazon Prime), is largely set in 1972 and centres on chess genius Bobby Fisher (Tobey Maguire) as he faces the Russian master Boris Spassky (Liev Schrieber) during the height of the cold war. A potentially interesting subject is bogged down with dull flashbacks to Fisher’s childhood and unnecessary sub plots. Despite the good cast that also includes Michael Stuhlbarg and Peter Sarsgaard, this is pretty tedious stuff. I can understand why it has taken so long to be released here after it premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Eat Locals is a British comedy horror, the directorial debut of actor Jason Flemyng. Despite a number of well known names in the cast, such as MacKenzie Crook, Nick Moran and Ruth Jones, this has obviously been produced on a shoestring budget. The eight vampire overlords gather in a farmhouse for a regular meeting that spirals out of control. Despite a fun performance from One Foot in the Grave’s Annette Crosbie, this is dismally unfunny and painful to watch.
Rating: 3.5 out of 10

Next up are a trio of Irish films, all with snappy 90 minute running times, so none outstay their welcome. Apart from that, they have little in common. Handsome Devil (Netflix) tells the story of a schoolboy, Ned, struggling with his sexuality in a boarding school who acquires a new room mate who is the hero of the rugby team and who appears to have nothing in common with. The story is fairly predictable but the film is elevated by good performances from the young cast, particularly from Fionn O’Shea as Ned. Also, the teachers appear to be shaping up as clichéd characters – the free spirited English teacher who encourages the boys to be themselves (the wonderful Andrew Scott) and the strict headmaster – but they turn out to be much more rounded than that.
Handsome Devil rating: 7 out of 10

The Journey (Amazon Prime) is set around the 2006 Northern Irish peace talks in Edinburgh and is a fictionalised account of how Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley forged the agreement that changed their country whilst having to share a car journey together to the airport. The set up is a little contrived, and the addition of a security expert (John Hurt) explaining the plot for the hard of understanding, doesn’t help. However, otherwise, Colin Bateman’s script is quite sharp, and funny at times and Nick Hamm’s direction breathes life into a film that could have been very uncinematic. Best of all, though, are the two lead performances from Timothy Spall as Paisley and Colm Meaney as McGuiness.
The Journey rating: 8 out of 10

Young Offenders (Netflix) is a more rough and ready affair, played largely for laughs. Two misfit lads in Cork, played by newcomers Alex Murphy and Chris Walley, steal bikes and cycle 100 miles to try to find bags of cocaine that have washed up onshore after a drug trafficking boat capsized. Murphy in particular is good in his part and he has a lovely chemistry with the excellent Hilary Rose who plays his Mum. There are a number of laughs along the way, but with the overuse of scenes set to pop songs on the soundtrack, it feels overstretched even at the short running time.
Young Offenders rating: 6.5 out of 10

Finally a remake of a classic Ealing comedy. Whisky Galore, released in 1949 was, for me, on the second rung of their output, below the absolute classics of Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Ladykillers, The Lavender Hill Mob and Passport to Pimlico. Even so, this version does not measure up. It is lightweight but fairly amiable telling of the story that will provide a few smiles but no belly laughs. Fenella Woolgar stands out amongst a solid cast.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10