Conor Riley

6 days ago | cinamore.co.uk | Conor Riley

When Disney bought into Doctor Who, their terms were clear: two full series. With The Reality War, the eighth and final episode of this second series, Russell T Davies delivers what should have been a culmination a payoff to two years of storytelling built on divine pantheons, cryptic clues about Susan (Carole Ann Ford), and the return of classic Time Lord adversaries: The Rani and Omega. But the shadow of past misfires loomed large.

1 week ago | cinamore.co.uk | Conor Riley

At its most potent, Doctor Who weaponises the uncanny. The greatest episodes have often been those where the rules of reality itself begin to warp, where the world turns subtly wrong and no one but the companion notices. Wish World leans squarely into that tradition, attempting a heady cocktail of dystopian allegory, psychological horror, and cultural satire. It is bold. It is brimming with ideas. And yet, for all its ambition, it’s also deeply unsatisfying.

2 weeks ago | cinamore.co.uk | Conor Riley

I’m no stranger to a good social deduction game. Whether it’s The Circle, The Fortune Hotel, or even Tom Scott’s indie gem Money, there’s something uniquely satisfying about watching people try to outthink, out-bluff, and outlast each other in high-concept challenges. It’s not just about strategy. It’s about trust. Misdirection. Reading between the lines. The thrill lies in seeing someone spot the truth hidden behind a smile or leverage a tiny detail into a major win.

3 weeks ago | cinamore.co.uk | Conor Riley

The Story and the Engine is an intellectually thrilling premise, and in some moments, an emotionally moving one. But this fifth episode of Doctor Who Series 14, written by Nigerian poet and playwright Inua Ellams and directed by Makalla McPherson, finds itself tangled in its own web. It gesticulates towards grandeur but rarely grounds its ideas with the narrative discipline they deserve. That doesn’t stop the episode from being one of the most thematically distinctive of the season.

1 month ago | cinamore.co.uk | Conor Riley

Chichester Festival Theatre launches its 2025 season with The Government Inspector, Nikolai Gogol’s blistering satire on institutional corruption, newly adapted by Phil Porter and directed by Gregory Doran. Premiering on the same night as the UK’s local elections, the production arrives with a sharp sense of topicality, but not, unfortunately, with the sharpness of wit to match.