Wild Horse Nine
2026
*****
Director: Martin McDonagh
Cast: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Parker Posey, Mariana di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Samuel Wayt, Paola Giannini, Liam Marcy
Shortly before the 1973 military coup in Chile, two CIA agents, Chris and Lee, take a trip from Santiago to Easter Island. Lee feels compelled to look after Chris, who is dying of cancer and openly sharing the agency's past and future secrets. Martin McDonagh's fifth feature is like a combination of his previous works, In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin. The film delivers a lovely blend of dark comedy, melancholia, political intrigue, and drama, and it explores loyalty, friendship, and guilt. John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell both give terrific performances.
Athena
2022
****
Director: Romain Gavras
Cast: Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon, Ouassini Embarek, Alexis Manenti, Karim Lasmi, Mehdi Abdelhakmi, Tarek Haddaji, Guy Donald Koukissa, Armindo Alves de Sa, Sophie-Marie Larrouy, Birane Ba, Radostina Rogliano
When a 13-year-old Algerian-French boy dies at the hands of three policemen, an all-out war erupts between the police and the immigrant community in the Athena housing estate in Paris. The boy's three older brothers all react differently to the tragedy. This intense, adrenaline-fuelled French action drama kicks off a with a breathtaking opening sequence that appears to unfold in a single, continuous 10-minute shot. It begins with a tight close-up of the murdered boy's brother's face and ends up across town in Athena, where riots are breaking out. Romain Gavras employs the same kinetic camerawork, albeit with a few more cuts, throughout the rest of the film. The result is a gripping watch, even if its thought-provoking story doesn't quite match the ambition of its visuals.
Sorry, Baby
2025
**½
Director: Eva Victor
Cast: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Louis Cancelmi, Lucas Hedges, Kelly McCormack, E. R. Fightmaster, John Carroll Lynch, Hettienne Park, Anabel Graetz, Cody Reiss
A few years after being sexually assaulted, Agnes, a young literature professor, is still dealing with the emotional aftermath. When her best friend Lydie gets pregnant, she attempts to reconnect with herself and move forward. Eva Victor's directorial debut draws on personal experiences, and the story is told in a darkly comedic tone. Although the film has a few poignant scenes, I never warmed to its awkward, cringey humour, and found Agnes, played by Victor, overly flippant and not entirely believable. Where the film finally lost me was with the amateur-theatre-level performances and abysmal dialogue, the low point being Lydie's reaction to the traumatic event: "That sounds like...that. That is, that's the thing."
Kalevala: Kullervon tarina (The Son of Revenge - The Story of Kalevala)
2026
***
Director: Antti J. Jokinen
Cast: Elias Salonen, Eero Aho, Ilkka Koivula, Ronja Kuoppamäki, Olli Rahkonen, Krista Kosonen, Johannes Holopainen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Jaakko Ohtonen, Oona Airola, Hannu Kivioja, Tommi Eronen, Tiina Weckström, Jesse Gyllenbögel, Julius Susimäki, Aino Sihvonen
In 12th-century Karelia, a bitter feud between two brothers culminates in a massacre. The only survivor is Kullervo, who is raised by his uncle as his own son. Antti J. Jokinen's fictional historical epic looks impressive and features two strong, physical performances by Elias Salonen and Eero Aho. Although the story is captivating, the film simply goes on too long at 143 minutes. The grown-up Kullervo is a rebellious young man who seems to fail at everything he attempts. As he is captured, injured, and freed on repeat, the proceedings gradually become a little tiresome. The film is inspired by the story of Kullervo in the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot.
September 5
2024
***
Director: Tim Fehlbaum
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Zinedine Soualem, Georgina Rich, Corey Johnson, Marcus Rutherford, Daniel Adeosun, Benjamin Walker, Ferdinand Dörfler
As Palestinian terrorists take members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the ABC Sports crew must rapidly transform its sports coverage into live news reporting. Steven Spielberg's uneven Munich chronicled the aftermath of these tragic events, while Tim Fehlbaum's drama focuses on the hostage situation and examines the media's responsibility during a crisis. In the most poignant scene, the news crew realises that the terrorists may be receiving valuable information from their live footage. The film is well constructed and well acted, though its focus on Palestinian violence against Israelis feels uncomfortably loaded in the current climate.
Levoton Tuhkimo (My Name Is Dingo)
2024
***
Director: Mari Rantasila
Cast: Saku Taittonen, Alvari Stenbäck, Emil Kihlström, Samuel Kujala, Valtteri Lehtinen, Mauno Terävä, Ronja Keiramo, Elias Salonen, Reino Nordin, Kris Gummerus, Miia Lindström, Joel Hirvonen, Karlo Haapiainen, Jani Karvinen, Hugo Komaro
In the early 1980s, Pertti “Nipa” Neumann forms Dingo, a pop group that enjoys a short-lived but meteoric rise to fame as intense Dingomania sweeps across Finland from 1984 to 1986. This short and enjoyable biographical drama chronicles the band's brief history, focusing primarily on Nipa's transformation from a working-class kid into a jaded pop star. Unfortunately, Dingo's story doesn't differ all that much from those of countless musical biopics that have come before it. The band's dreams of stardom quickly give way to incredible success, followed by the downside of fame, financial mismanagement, and an inevitable breakup. Nipa's personal life is overshadowed by his unsupportive father, his narcissism and substance abuse, and his increasingly disillusioned girlfriend. The film incorporates archival footage of the real band performaing live.
Gräns (Border)
2018
*½
Director: Ali Abbasi
Cast: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Viktor Åkerblom, Matti Boustedt, Jörgen Thorsson, Ann Petrén, Sten Ljunggren, Kjell Wilhelmsen, Rakel Wärmländer, Andreas Kundler, Tomas Åhnstrand, Josefin Neldén, Henrik Johansson, Ibrahim Faal, Åsa Janson, Donald Högberg
Tina is an unattractive customs officer who can detect fear and guilt. Her life changes when she meets Vore, a mysterious and similarly unsightly traveler, and gradually discovers her true origins. Ali Abbasi's darkly comic fantasy film definitely doesn't fit in a conventional box, but, in the same breath, it did absolutely nothing for me. I didn't find myself laughing, nor was I particularly intrigued. I was mostly perplexed and bored. Based on the John Ajvide Lindqvist's short story, which was included in his 2005 collection Let the Old Dreams Die.
Memory
2023
***
Director: Michel Franco
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, Josh Charles, Tom Hammond, Ross Brodar, Jackson Dorfmann, Davis Duffield, Rand Faris
Sylvia, a social worker and recovering alcoholic, leads a structured life with her teenage daughter. One day, she meets Saul, a man with early-onset dementia, and the two form an unexpected connection. As the title suggests, Michel Franco's subdued character drama deals with memories. While Sylvia questions her own memories, Saul is gradually losing his. This premise sounds more compelling on paper than it does on screen. The resulting film is short and understated, but ultimately left little of an impression on me. The two central performances, by Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, are very good.
Novocaine
2025
**
Director: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Conrad Kemp, Evan Hengst, Craig Jackson, Lou Beatty Jr., Garth Collins
Nate Caine is a mild-mannered bank employee born with a rare condition that prevents him from feeling physical pain. When his co-worker and romantic interest Sherry is taken hostage during a bank robbery, Nate sets out to rescue her. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen's comedic action thriller is built around one single gimmick that wears thin incredibly fast. I get it: Nate can get injured, but he cannot feel pain. Unfortunately, this means sitting through one mechanical, predictable sequence after another, as he gets alternately shot, stabbed, beaten, impaled, crushed and burned. The plot goes into outright stupid territory in the last 30 minutes, particularly when it comes to the main villain. The central romance is utterly unconvincing. Well, at least Jack Quaid delivers a funny and likeable lead performance.
The Housemaid
2025
**
Director: Paul Feig
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, Elizabeth Perkins, Indiana Elle, Amanda Joy Erickson, Megan Ferguson, Ellen Tamaki, Don DiPetta, Brian D. Cohen, Alexandra Seal, Sarah Cooper, Ken Barnett, Maury Ginsberg
A young woman on parole hopes to rebuild her life by taking a job as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy couple and their young daughter. She soon discovers that the family's seemingly perfect façade hides some dark secrets. Paul Feig's adaptation of Freida McFadden's 2022 novel feels like a throwback to the erotic thrillers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct. The difference is that those films starred Oscar-nominated actresses Glenn Close and Sharon Stone, respectively. This one stars Sydney Sweeney, who absolutely cannot act. She is unconvincing in every type of scene, and her line delivery is consistently flat and muffled, even when half her dialogue seems to consist of the line "I'm sorry". The story resembles a reverse The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, with a hint of Jane Eyre thrown in. The twists are ridiculous, and the characters do whatever the plot requires of them at any given moment, regardless of whether their actions make any sense. The final scene suggests that this is the beginning of a franchise.
Blue Heron
2025
**½
Director: Sophy Romvari
Cast: Eylul Guven, Iringó Réti, Ádám Tompa, Edik Beddoes, Amy Zimmer, Liam Serg, Preston Drabble, Lucy Turnbull, Jecca Beauchamp, Georgia Blake, Matthew Rankin
In the late 1990s, a Hungarian immigrant family of six move into their new home on Vancouver Island, where the oldest child exhibits increasingly troubling behavioral problems. Sophy Romvari's semi-autobiographical drama expands on her earlier short film Still Processing (2020). She tells the family's story through the eyes of the youngest daughter, who revisits her childhood memories as an adult. Romvari's feature debut clearly draws on painful personal history, but I'm not convinced it makes for compelling viewing. Most of the family members and their relationships remain sketchy, while the most dramatic moment takes place off-screen. To be honest, this type of observational drama in which the camera simply records minutiae of everyday life, isn't really my cup of tea.
Roter Himmel (Afire)
2023
**½
Director: Christian Petzold
Cast: Thomas Schubert, Paula Beer, Langston Uibel, Enno Trebs, Matthias Brandt, Jennipher Antoni, Esther Esche
While forest fires rage in the area, Leon and his friend arrive at a holiday house on Germany’s Baltic coast. Leon hopes to focus on his writing, but a young woman staying in the same house complicates his plans. I failed to warm to Christian Petzold's drama, which seems go nowhere at a glacial pace. Leon is self-obsessed, jealous, and an all-around terrible human being, so his troubles don't amount to a hill of beans. As if that weren't enough, Petzold's screenplay features one of my absolute pet peeves: a struggling writer plagued by writer’s block who can flourish only when life hands him something tragic to write about. The film looks good, and the performances are solid, though.
Digger
2026
****
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cast: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Emma D’Arcy, Robert John Burke, Burn Gorman, Pip Torrens, Mercedes Hernández
After a methane explosion at his Greenland drilling site breaks off a massive ice shelf and sends it on its course towards Europe, powerful oil magnate Digger Rockwell faces a crisis that sets off a destructive chain of events. Alejandro González Iñárritu's scathing satire of the consequences of unchecked power, old white male entitlement, and the resulting environmental destruction is an original blend of Don't Look Up and Dr. Strangelove. The clever, beautifully constructed screenplay operates on at least three different levels, features several memorable set pieces, and boldly asks whether art has the power to change the world. Iñárritu's satire is sometimes very blunt, and some of the performances are very loud and exaggerated, although not without a reason. Tom Cruise, under heavy make-up, is terrific in the lead.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
2025
***
Director: Gore Verbinski
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, Georgia Goodman, Daniel Barnett, Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, Riccardo Drayton, Dominique Maher
A man claiming to be from the future recruits a group of seemingly ordinary people in a diner for a desperate mission to prevent a rogue AI from destroying humanity. If things go south, he has the option to reset everything. After a nine-year hiatus, Gore Verbinski makes his return with this goofy science fiction comedy written by Matthew Robinson. The film is unusual, unpredictable, and relatively entertaining, but not particularly original. It includes scenes or characters that reminded me, at least in part, of Groundhog Day, The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys, Looper, A.I. – Artificial Intelligence, and Ready Player One. The story mirrors reality, and it's not exactly subtle about showing how people's lives have been transformed by their dependence on digital devices.
Downton Abbey
2019
**½
Director: Michael Engler
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Matthew Goode, Harry Hadden-Paton, Rob James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Stephen Campbell Moore
Downton Abbey depicted the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in early 20th-century England. The television series, which ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015, was initially enjoyable but definitely outstayed its welcome. In 1927, it is announced that King George V and Queen Mary are coming to Downton Abbey for a visit. The visit creates both excitement and tension, particularly when the royal household arrives with its own staff. The first of the spin-off films really has no reason to exist. With such a large cast of characters, many of whom just stand around doing nothing significant, the film probably makes very little sense to the uninitiated. The screenplay by Julian Fellowes delivers the usual collection of romantic developments, family disagreements, and conflicts between tradition and modernity, but in the end it's just a whole lot of nothing. Followed by Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025).
The Judge
2014
**½
Director: David Dobkin
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Grace Zabriskie, Denis O'Hare, Sarah Lancaster
When his mother dies, a ruthless Chicago attorney reluctantly returns to his hometown in Indiana, only to be forced to stay and defend his estranged father, the town's respected judge, who is accused of deliberately running over a man. This messy drama combines courtroom action with unresolved family issues. The legal battle gradually helps father and son reconcile, but the story relies on every worn-out trope along the way. The same could be said of the attorney's return home and the murder case, which ultimately builds to a rather anticlimactic conclusion. Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall both give commanding performances, but the rest of the family, particularly the two brothers, remain sketchily drawn. And yet, the film is longer than 2001: A Space Odyssey. The ex-girlfriend subplot should have been left out entirely, especially since the hero ends up making out with her daughter, who could conceivably be his own daughter.
Send Help
2026
**½
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, Emma Raimi, Kristy Best, Francesca Waters, Olivia Sawyer, Brad Flett, Nana Miya, Anuwat Pornladawong, Benjawan Teawsomboonkit, Aaron Shore
When the company's private jet crashes somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand, skilled but socially awkward strategist Linda and new CEO Bradley are the only survivors. On a remote island, their professional hierarchy is reversed, as Linda turns out to be a skilled survivalist. Sam Raimi's darkly comic survival thriller gets off to a terrible start. The introduction to the workplace dynamics is cringey, unfunny, and clichéd, with characters who are all extremely broadly drawn. Things improve somewhat on the island, although both Linda and Bradley remain thoroughly unpleasant throughout the film. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift's screenplay borrows more than a little from Cast Away and Triangle of Sadness, except I that I couldn't find much of a point to their endeavour. Raimi adds some trademark gruesomeness to the proceeding, but the story loses all plausibility in the final third.
Resident Evil
2026
***½
Director: Zach Cregger
Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, Johnno Wilson, Will Merrick, Isla McRae, James Beaumont, Sara Paxton, Shaun W. Loeser, Magdalena Šittová, Alice Sramková
While Bryan, a medical courier, is driving along a snowy mountain road to make a delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital, he enters an area overrun by terrifying creatures. Zach Cregger's short and streamlined horror comedy is the eight feature film based on the Resident Evil video game franchise, and the first one I have seen. His take on this material has no higher aspirations than to entertain for 90 minutes, and it does just that. Bryan is a clumsy and amusing protagonist (I would be reluctant to call him a hero) who must learn to wield weapons, fight through the chaos, and survive the night. He also has a habit of constantly talking to himself, which gradually started to wear me down. The story progresses much like a first-person shooter, and the the final third, set in Raccoon City, particularly feels as though Bryan is passing through levels of the game.
The Invite
2026
****
Director: Olivia Wilde
Cast: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton
Joe and Angela have grown distant due to unspoken resentments and misunderstandings. After another stressful day, Joe comes home to learn that Angela has invited their loud upstairs neighbors, Piña and Hawk, over for a dinner party. Olivia Wilde's third feature is an English-language remake of the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs, written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. This comedy-drama gets off to a slightly clunky start with heavy-handed use of symbolic mirrors accompanied by an obtrusive string score. However, once both couples get together, the film gradually finds its feet, moving seamlessly from poignant dramatic moments to hilarious comedy and back again. The evening takes various unexpected turns, and the four leads give terrific performances.
Orenda
2025
***½
Director: Pirjo Honkasalo
Cast: Alma Pöysti, Pirkko Saisio, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Luca Leino, Mikko Kauppila, Tambet Tuisk, Juhan Ulfsak, Krista Kosonen, Lauri Maijala, Ilo-Ann Saarepera, Maruska Verona, Ergo Küppas
Nora, an emotionally unsettled opera singer, travels to a remote island to bury her husband, who committed suicide. There she encounters Natalia, a priest who is struggling with a crisis of faith. Pirjo Honkasalo's atmospheric drama was written by its star, Pirkko Saisio, who is Honkasalo's partner in real life. Their third collaboration examines guilt, regrets, and suppressed memories. This is a heavy-going film, and I struggled to fully engage with its religious imagery, symbolism, and stilted dialogue. However, I must says this is one of the best-looking and best-sounding Finnish films I can remember.
The 15:17 to Paris
2018
*½
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, William Jennings, Bryce Gheisar, Paul-Mikél Williams, Ray Corasani, P. J. Byrne, Tony Hale, Thomas Lennon, Jaleel White, Mark Moogalian, Isabelle Risacher Moogalian, Sinqua Walls
In August 2015, three American friends on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris disarmed and subdued an armed terrorist. Clint Eastwood's jingoistic but thankfully short drama depicts how these losers became heroes in the cheesiest way possible. Before we get to see their brief act of courage aboard the train, we must sit through their ill-disciplined school years, the bitter disappointments of their military careers, and their irrelevant tourist trip through Europe. Dorothy Blyskal's screenplay, based on the 2016 autobiography The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes by Jeffrey E. Stern, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, and Alek Skarlatos, telegraphs every plot point that will eventually prove crucial in their moment of glory. And worst of all, Eastwood has cast the real-life trio to play themselves, and they obviously cannot act.
Wildlife
2018
****
Director: Paul Dano
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Travis W. Bruyer, Darryl Cox, Mollie Milligan, Tom Huston Orr, Ginger Gilmartin, Michael Gibbons, John Walpole
In 1960s Montana, fourteen-year-old Joe watches his family begin to unravel after his jobless father leaves to help fight a devastating forest fire, while his mother seeks solace from her loneliness and financial uncertainty. Like Jonah Hill's Mid90s or Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, Paul Dano's directorial debut is a well-acted coming-of-age drama; it is not autobiographical, but adapted from Richard Ford's 1990 novel by Dano and his wife, Zoe Kazan. Although the premise is rather conventional, the resulting film ends up being moving and poignant. Carey Mulligan is reliably great as the mother, and Ed Oxenbould gives a terrific breakthrough performance as Joe.
Alpha
2025
****
Director: Julia Ducournau
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Mélissa Boros, Ambrine Trigo Ouaked, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, Louai El Amrousy, Marc Riso, Jean-Charles Clichet, François Rollin, Driver, Zohra Benbetka, Fadila Belkebla, Sofia Naït, Bahia Badji
13-year-old Alpha lives with her single mother, a doctor, who is battling a lethal blood-borne disease that seems to turn bodies into marble. Her world is thrown into crisis when Alpha returns home with an infected tattoo on her arm. Julia Ducournau's follow-up to Titane is another original drama with elements of body horror. It could be read as an AIDS allegory or as an examination of grief and a sense of exclusion. The film plays with timelines, dreams, and memories, and maybe it doesn't completely come together in the end, but it is certainly powerful and unsettling, with some terrific set pieces and needle drops. The performances are all great, but Tahar Rahim, who resembles Christian Bale in The Machinist, stands out as the mother's heroin-addicted brother.
Pillion
2025
***½
Director: Harry Lighton
Cast: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears, Mat Hill, Nick Figgis, Zoe Engerer, Paul Tallis, Billy King, Kavcic Miha, Lee Groombridge
Colin, an aimless gay man, is drawn into a submissive relationship with Ray, a charismatic but emotionally distant biker who introduces him to a leather-clad motorcycle community. Harry Lighton's feature debut, adapted from Adam Mars-Jones's 2020 novel Box Hill, examines the complicated boundaries between devotion and autonomy. The dynamics of the relationship initially feel bewildering and even cruel, but Lighton's unconventional romance gradually develops into a moving story about self-discovery, as Colin must decide how far he is willing to go in surrendering himself to another person. While Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård give intense performances, Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp provide the comic relief as Colin's supportive parents.
Aus den Nichts (In the Fade)
2017
***
Director: Fatih Akin
Cast: Diane Kruger, Numan Acar, Denis Moschitto, Adam Bousdoukos, Samia Muriel Chancrin, Johannes Krisch, Hanna Hilsdorf, Ulrich Friedrich Brandhoff, Ulrich Tukur, Rafael Santana, Laurens Walter, Karin Neuhäuser, Uwe Rohde, Henning Peker, Yannis Economides
When her husband and six-year-old son are killed in a bomb attack, Katja's life falls apart. As she struggles with her grief, the investigation identifies a young neo-Nazi couple as the perpetrators. Fatih Akin heartbreaking drama was loosely inspired by the 2004 Cologne bombing. It tells a moving story, but slightly struggles with its clunky three-part structure: the tragedy and the aftermath, the court case, and the quest for justice. Diane Kruger carries the film with her intense performance, in German for a change.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
2026
***
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo, Liza Colón-Zayas, Eman Esfandi, Marvin Jones III, Zabryna Guevara
Four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker lives alone and fights crime as Spider-Man in New York City. While he hopes to re-enter the lives of MJ and Ned, who have no memory of his identity, he undergoes a physical transformation and faces a powerful adversary with mind-control abilities. The previous installment was an entertaining trip down memory lane, and now, as the title suggests, Spider-Man gets a reboot, so in essence we relive old memories once again as Peter needs to relearn how to shoot web from his wrists, web-swing between buildings, and control his powers. After three features directed by Jon Watts, Destin Daniel Cretton takes over, and the result is a well-acted but underwhelming MCU movie that does not have enough new to offer. Cretton's action set pieces rely heavily on CGI and occasionally look awful. Following his Disney+ series, the Punisher joins the cast, while the Hulk and Black Widow make unnecessary returns.
Demolition
2015
**½
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis, Heather Lind, Polly Draper, Wass Stevens, Brendan Dooling, Malcolm Goodwin, Ally Sheedy, C.J. Wilson
Davis Mitchell, a successful investment banker, loses his wife in a car accident. As he evaluates his largely loveless marriage and the emptiness he has been hiding behind, he begins to dismantle his life and possessions and forms an unlikely friendship with a woman and her teenage son. Jean-Marc Vallée's final feature is an initially compelling comedy-drama that begins to feel increasingly scripted as it progresses, eventually sinking under the weight of its heavy-handed symbolism. The screenplay by Bryan Sipe owes a great debt to American Beauty, and Jake Gyllenhaal's smug, carefree character, who finds freedom in abandoning the comforts of his existence, would fit right in with Sam Mendes' 1999 film.
Greenland: Migration
2026
*½
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Cast: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis, Amber Rose Revah, Sophie Thompson, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, William Abadie, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Rachael Evelyn, Gina Gangar, Antonio De Lima, Peter Polycarpou
Greenland was a dumb but surprisingly enjoyable disaster movie. The sequel is poorly written and laughably stupid throughout its runtime. Five years after a catastrophic comet strike devastated Earth, the Garrity family and other survivors are forced to leave the safety of their Greenland bunker. Luckily, there are numerous motorised lifeboats, all stocked with supplies, stranded on the nearby beach. It isn't a problem that they run out of fuel while crossing the Atlantic, because they can simply drift the remaining 5,000 km and make landfall exactly where they need to — not in mainland Europe, Scotland, or Ireland, but in Liverpool. They discover a Europe with plenty of fuel, food, and drivable roads despite constant electromagnetic storms, earthquakes, comet showers, and, you know, the collapse of civilisation. It's a surprise that any part of Earth remains inhabitable, because whenever the Garrity family passes through an area, everything is immediately destroyed, and anyone who is with them faces almost certain death.
Ballon (Balloon)
2018
***
Director: Michael Herbig
Cast: Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Alicia von Rittberg, Thomas Kretschmann, Jonas Holdenrieder, Tilman Döbler, Ben Teichmann, Ronald Kukulies, Till Patz, Sebastian Hülk, Christian Näthe
In 1979, two families in East Germany set out to build a homemade hot-air balloon and defect across the heavily guarded border into West Germany. After their first attempt fails, the Stasi quickly closes in on them. This German drama is based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families. Their daring escape undoubtedly included plenty of tense and thrilling moments, but Michael Herbig's film tends to overdramatise nearly every twist and turn. As a result, the film plays more like a suspense thriller than a faithful historical account.
Honey Don't!
2025
**
Director: Ethan Coen
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, Gabby Beans, Talia Ryder, Lera Abova, Kristen Connolly, Don Swayze, Lena Hall, Kale Browne
Private investigator Honey O'Donahue investigates a series of mysterious deaths in Bakersfield, California. Her search leads her to a charismatic preacher, as she uncovers corruption, violence, and a personal entanglement. Following the dismal Drive-Away Dolls, the second part of Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's lesbian B-movie trilogy offers no improvement. The film is once again delightfully short, but it features broadly drawn characters, weak attempts at humour, and a screenplay that is all over the place. Margaret Qualley's PI character is not believable for one second.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
2025
**½
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis
As Jake and Neytiri grieve the loss of their son in different ways, they face a new threat when an aggressive Mangkwan clan, led by their matriarch Varang, joins forces with Colonel Quaritch. Quaritch wants to get to his son, Spider, but I'm unsure what motivates Varang. Following the disappointingly uninventive The Way of Water, the third Avatar movie offers 197 minutes more of the same. Apart from introducing the new clan and showing that Kiri can now log into Eywa, nothing of consequence happens. Cameron delivers an endless series of captures and escapes, and the climactic battle in the air and water looks awfully lot like the end of the previous installment. The film once again looks impressive, and it won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, as expected.
Roofman
2025
***
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Cast: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Uzo Aduba, Melonie Diaz, Jimmy O. Yang, Tony Revolori
Jeffrey, a divorced Army veteran, became known as the Roofman for breaking into numerous McDonald's restaurants through their roofs. After escaping prison in 2004, he ends up hiding inside a Toys "R" Us store for months. Derek Cianfrance's charming crime comedy is based on the true story of Jeffrey Manchester. As portrayed by Channing Tatum, he is an endlessly nice guy who only knows one way of showing affection to the people he loves: by buying them things. His escapades are relatively entertaining, and there is even time for a romance with a single mother played by Kirsten Dunst, but the problem is that I never felt sorry for the man.
Carry-On
2024
***½
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls, Tonatiuh, Curtiss Cook, Josh Brener, Joe Williamson
An airport security officer, whose pregnant girlfriend works in another part of LAX, finds himself blackmailed by a sinister criminal into allowing a suitcase containing Novichok onto a Christmas Eve flight. This action thriller offers strong Die Hard 2 vibes, but it moves at such relentless pace and delivers so many twists and turns that it kept me thoroughly entertained, even if the whole thing doesn't have much credibility when you stop to think about it. Taron Egerton spends two solid hours contorting his facial expressions.
The Odyssey
2026
****½
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth
Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, never returned home after the glorious win in the Trojan War 20 years ago. While his wife, Penelope, who battles relentless suitors, and his son, Telemachus, refuse to believe he is dead, Odysseus has spent years trying to reach home despite facing monsters, deadly trials, and temptations. Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient epic poem works perfectly as a sister piece to Oppenheimer, and perhaps Interstellar and Inception as well. They are all about men struggling with the consequences of their own actions. Nolan's lengthy film takes its time to get going, and the story is episodic by nature, but it gradually builds through several breathtaking sequences to a supreme epic adventure. As the first film shot entirely on IMAX cameras, the visuals are stunning, and the special effects are mostly practical. Amid all the spectacle, there are also some heartfelt performances, with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and John Leguizamo among the standouts.
Dead of Winter
2025
***
Director: Brian Kirk
Cast: Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden, Gaia Wise, Cúán Hosty-Blaney, Brían F. O'Byrne, Lloyd Hutchinson
After her husband's death, a grieving widow travels to a frozen lake in Minnesota to scatter his ashes. She finds herself useful again when she stumbles upon a couple who are holding a teenage girl captive. Brian Kirk's passable thriller makes the most of the wintry setting and the remote cabin that the story revolves around. The motive behind the kidnapping, however, is dumb and far-fetched, to say the least. Emma Thompson gives a strong lead performance as the resilient old woman, even if the character often explains her thoughts and memories out loud.
