FILM

Thu 22nd Sep 8.15pm: CENSOR (15) 2021, UK, 84min, dir Prano Bailey-Bond.

Cast: Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Sophia La Porta. When film censor Enid discovers an eerie horror that speaks directly to her sister's mysterious disappearance, she resolves to unravel the puzzle behind the film and its enigmatic director - a quest that will blur the lines between fiction and reality. ‘This thrilling, dizzying debut from Welsh writer-director Prano Bailey-Bond is a nostalgic treat for anyone old enough to remember the infamous “video nasties” scare of the early 80s. Yet beneath the retro surface lies a more universal tale about the power of horror to confront our deepest fears – a timeless celebration of the liberating nature of the dark side. Blessed with a sharp eye for period detail and a refreshingly irreverent attitude to nerdy fan-boy “facts”, Censor conjures a serpentine tale of trauma, repression and liberation, all mediated through the deliciously tactile medium of illicit videotapes and pre-internet media panics… the future of cutting-edge horror is fearless, forthright and female.’ Mark Kermode, The Observer