Cleanin' Up The Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (12A)
Directed by Anthony Bueno
4*

TWELVE years in the making, this labour of love celebrates how and why the original Ghostbusters has become a much-loved classic.

Film-makers and siblings Anthony and Claire Bueno interviewed people involved in the film, from cast to crew, to get an insider's view on how this ground-breaking comedy sci-fi, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman, came to be made.

It is gripping and eye-opening to see and hear the cast and special-effects crew reminiscing, particularly accounts of how they had to deliver in record time as post-production was cut short by six months.

Back in 1984, digital effects didn't exist so it was all produced “old school” with models, puppets and puppeteers, while there was an actual actor inside the Marshmallow Man.

The stories and anecdotes from the lead actors are fascinating, although Bill Murray and Rick Moranis are conspicuous by their absence, which is a shame.

But it is the show-and-tell from the special-effects crew, illustrating how they brought all the ghostly characters and mind-blowing paranormal sequences to life, that steals the film.

A must-see for all avid Ghostbusters’ fans.

Available on Blu-ray.

Hamilton (15)
Directed by Thomas Kail
4*

THOSE who wondered what all the fuss was about concerning the critically acclaimed musical Hamilton can now see for themselves with this filmed version of the original 2016 Broadway production starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr, Daveed Diggs and Jonathan Groff, to name but a few.

The film captures the energy, passion and excitement of the live stage production while giving the viewer a unique and intimate front-row seat — you can see Groff salivating as he sings the light-relief role of King George.

With its inspired casting and ingenious score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway musical, it tells the little-known story of Alexander Hamilton (Miranda), one of America's founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, in an original and inclusive way.

My only caveat is that it features black actors playing historical figures who were known slave owners, which made me feel for the performers.

That said, this is a stunning production which is still relevant today and a must-see for musical-theatre lovers.

Available on Disney+.

Inheritance (15)
Directed by Vaughn Stein
2*

AN ALMOST unrecognisable Simon Pegg stars alongside Lily Collins in this thriller, which by the end you may wish should have stayed long buried.

Collins plays a young ambitious lawyer whose life is derailed by the unexpected death of her hedge-fund tycoon father, who leaves her $1 million in his will along with an underground bunker which houses the family's darkest secret and could ruin all their lives.

Pegg, in one of his most unnerving roles to date, is the thorn in Collins' side in this sleek and stylish mystery drama about the white rich-and-powerful and how they can get away with murder.

The pair's encounters and repartee are the main highlight in this overly slow-burning thriller which seems to unravel as it races towards the end, unveiling one ridiculous twist after another in its wake.

Available on Digital HD.

Burden (15)
Directed by Andrew Heckler
3*

BURDEN is based on the incredible true story of how an ardent member of the Ku Klux Klan left the organisation and renounced racism with the aid of the love of a woman and a black pastor.

Set in 1996 in Laurens, South Carolina, writer-director Andrew Heckler's well-meaning but somewhat heavy-handed drama follows Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund), the right-hand man of his mentor and local KKK leader Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson) and the idealistic Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) who's  determined not to let racial tensions explode in the local community with the opening of a KKK museum.

When Burden meets and falls for single mother Judy (an unrecognisable Andrea Riseborough), in order to be with her and her son he agrees to leave the KKK, with disastrous consequences for all.

In retaliation Griffin makes the couple homeless and jobless and they turn to Reverend Kennedy, who offers them a helping hand, to the shock and horror of his family and his congregation.

Burden is a remarkable story about compassion, forgiveness and redemption, lifted by the strong performances from its superlative cast. It's an important tale in the era of Black Lives Matter.

Available on Digital HD and DVD from July 6.

Family Romance, LLC (12A)
Directed by Werner Herzog
3*

FILM-MAKER Werner Herzog's bizarre new drama centres on the surreal Japanese industry of renting out a “relative” or person for any occasion.

It follows the owner of a fictionalised version of the real life Family Romance company who is hired by the mother of a 12-year-old girl to pretend to be the estranged father she hasn't seen since she was two. Problems arise when the lines between reality and performance begin to blur.

The film, which Herzog shot himself, blends fictional drama with documentary-style visuals so it looks like you are watching a mockumentary.

It is a somewhat voyeuristic and intriguing film about loneliness, the perils of spinning a web of deceit and discerning the difference between reality and fantasy.

Available on MUBI from July 4.