Armageddon (1998)

The odd thing about rewatching Armageddon, a film I have watched a number of times before, is that it is somehow both worse and better than I remember. It's quite ridiculous, but manages to be ridiculous in many right ways to balance out the times that it's ridiculous in many wrong ways.

Most people know the story. There's a giant rock hurtling towards Earth. The only way to save our planet is to travel into space, land on the giant rock, and drill down into it to plant some major explosives. There's no way astronauts could manage that. The world needs the best drilling workers, and those drilling workers come in the shape of Harry S. Stamper (Bruce Willis) and co. There are some lame attempts to make things tense, there's plenty of heroism and "America: F**k Yeah!" throughout almost every main sequence, and you get to remember how much you love or hate Aerosmith singing "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing."

It might be Jonathan Hensleigh and J. J. Abrams credited in the writing department, with a bit of input from Tony Gilroy, Shane Salerno, and Robert Roy Pool, although I couldn't say how much any one person added into the mix. It's easy to see the overwhelming stamp of director Michael Bay all over it though. There's no subtlety, of course, and no desire to keep the action clear and watchable. In fact, I would argue that Armageddon is at its worst when viewers have to suffer through the poorly-shot and messily-edited action beats.

Willis may not be doing his best work, but he's fine in blockbuster star mode. Ben Affleck, playing the younger and more hot-headed "drill Jedi", who also happens to be in love with his boss's daughter, Grace (played by Liv Tyler), is also fine, although he has never been as comfortable in these kinds of films as he is in less mainstream fare. Tyler does what is asked of her, and is a welcome presence, despite being constantly pushed offscreen by the tide of testosterone. The supporting cast is pretty great though. Billy Bob Thornton does well, Will Patton and William Fichtner are both as dependable as ever, and there's a lot of fun to be had with any scene involving Steve Buscemi and/or Peter Stormare. You also get Owen Wilson, Keith David, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jason Isaacs, and very brief appearances from Eddie Griffin, Grace Zabriskie, Udo Kier, Shawnee Smith, and Matt Malloy.

There's plenty of impressive hardware on display, the bombastic score from Trevor Rabin ensures that nobody gets to forget the heroism and machismo of our main characters for even one minute, and John Schwartzman tries hard to impress with cinematography that is undermined by the horrible editing so familiar to anyone who has watched any other Michael Bay movie.

Armageddon is not good, but it's comfortingly ridiculous for a lot of the bloated 151-minute runtime. I would put almost every other Bay movie ahead of it, and there are a number of Bruckheimer-produced movies from this time period I would also put ahead of it, but I cannot deny that I can still happily sit down with it once every ten years or so, like treating myself to an unhealthy bit of fast food that makes me hate myself as soon as I've swallowed the last tasty morsel. 

7/10

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Prime Time: Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990)

Are we all allowed to finally acknowledge that Prom Night isn't one of the great slasher movies? There are many times when I would much prefer to watch Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou. And I can now say that I'd also happily revisit this third film in the series before wanting to go back to the original. It's perfectly fine, does everything that you need from a standard slasher, but both the second and third films are more creative and enjoyable. I assume I will be disappointed by the fourth film, but part of me can't help holding on to a small amount of optimism.

What we have here is something ridiculous and silly from start to finish, but it's also self-aware enough to make everything work. Some may not appreciate the emphasis on comedy in this horror comedy, but I think it works very well in balancing the supernatural horror plot elements with a surprisingly high number of successful gags. 

Courtney Taylor is Mary Lou for this outing, and she's a lot of fun in the role (although I think Lisa Schrage could have done just as good a job, if only she'd been approached with an offer). Returning to her high school, Mary Lou decides to spend her time and energy on Alex Grey (Tim Conlon). Alex has a girlfriend (Sarah, played by Cynthia Preston, billed here as Cyndy Preston), but he also has a number of standard teen problems. Mary Lou can get rid of those problems, but her approach usually results in someone ending up dead.

Ron Oliver moves from his writing work in the previous movie to both writing and co-directing (with Peter R. Simpson) this. It may feel a bit crude and cheap in places, but that is part of the charm. This is a film that shows a young man seduced by a woman offering him easy solutions until he finally figures out just where this path of good intentions ultimately leads, and Oliver has great fun juxtaposing the traditional housewife imagery with entertainingly psychotic set-pieces.

Conlon and Preston are both fine in their roles, and David Stratton, Dylan Neal, and Lesley Kelly are highlights in supporting roles (the latter also the subject of a particularly great running joke about her status as a guidance counselor, as opposed to being a teacher or a "real person"), but the film belongs to Taylor, in her first feature role. Okay, she has the best role, but she also attacks both the comedy and the craziness of it with such gusto that she more than does enough to keep Mary Lou as one of the great "unsung" slasher movie villains in the stacked history of the sub-genre.

I can imagine a lot of horror movie fans being put off by the tone of this one, but I absolutely loved it. I didn't expect it to be so silly and irreverent, but I was absolutely on board when I saw what everyone was aiming for, and how well they were all doing in service of the material.

8/10

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Primate (2025)

If you're going to make a film that owes a strong debt to both Cujo and Halloween then it's quite a good idea to have a rabid chimpanzee at the heart of it, and that's exactly what director Johannes Roberts has done. Having also co-written the screenplay with Ernest Riera, Roberts gives himself every chance to make something that feels nicely in tribute to some classic horrors without seeming to slavishly adhere to their templates.

Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) and her friends arrive at her isolated Hawaiian home, where she soon has to introduce everyone to the family pet, Ben. Ben is a loving chimpanzee who communicates via a soundboard device. Unfortunately, Ben is bitten by a mongoose, which creates a big problem for Lucy and her friends when they end up trapped by him. Lucy's father (Troy Kotsur) has to spend some time away from home, of course, but he might end up in a race against the clock before the end credits roll.

I tend to like the films of Johannes Roberts. They can be quite silly, but are often silly in just the right way. He also tends to make very good use of whatever financing he manages to arrange. Primate is enjoyably silly, putting the fun premise in a decent location, and it often looks much better than you'd expect something so proudly schlocky to look.

The main problem lies with the cast. They're not bad, but they aren't able to really make any strong impression, aside from being part of the group due to be terrorised by a killer chimp. Sequoyah is joined onscreen by Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, and a few others, but they're very much a group in dire straits, as opposed to individuals working through various problems while trying to stay alive. That's not the worst way this lot could be presented, by the way, and many films have done far worse, but it's the main weakness. The main characters you'll remember once it's all over will probably be the one played by Kotsur and the one played by Miguel Torres Umba (he's the physical performer who does such a great job of pretending to be a chimpanzee). Oh, there's also a memorable uncredited cameo role for Rob Delaney.

There are times when you may be distracted by elements on the screen, either the slight strangeness of the impressive work done to make Ben seem like a real character or one or two moments that go a bit too heavy on the homage (a scene with a couple of characters hiding in a closet being the main offender there), but Roberts generally knows how to keep viewers entertained, and he's delivered a creature feature that feels like a perfect choice for those wanting something simple, tense, and a bit gory, all within a runtime that's just a shade over the 90-minute mark.

I'm not sure this will stand the test of time, but I can see it being well-received by those who either find it on sale or check it out when it hits one of the many streaming services vying for your eyeballs. And I'd happily rewatch it any time.

7/10

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Mubi Monday: Father Mother Sister Brother (2025)

I don't want to be too quick to dismiss writer-director Jim Jarmusch, but he's certainly been on a bit of a creative downward swing since the fantastic Paterson, which was ten years ago now. And let's not mention The Dead Don't Die. There's a feeling that Jarmusch still enjoys working with the talented collaborators he has befriended over the years, but he may now struggle to come up with a premise truly worthy of their talents.

Father Mother Sister Brother sees Jarmusch returning to the kind of portmanteau form that he's previously used to great effect. I just don't know what to make of it though, although I think it's a look at the unhealthiness of forced family duties. Maybe I'm wrong, but the sections titled "Father" and "Mother" certainly feel more strained and less healthy than the third "Sister Brother" section.

Tom Waits is Father, visited by his son, Jeff (Adam Driver), and daughter, Emily (Mayim Bialik). It's an odd situation, with the children feeling more responsible and parental than the actual parent, but very little actually happens until an amusing enough beat at the very end of the tale. Then it's time for Mother (Charlotte Rampling) to be visited by her two daughters, Lilith (Vicky Krieps) and Timothea (Cate Blanchett). There's a bit more happening here, considering how the two daughters seek approval from their mother, and also from one another, while Lilith tries to hide the fact that she's not exactly in the healthiest of financial situations. Finally, siblings Skye (Indya Moore) and Billy (Luka Sabbat) spend some time reconnecting as they process the recent death of their parents.

There's nothing to fault here when it comes to the performances. Waits, Driver, and Bialik get to play up the awkwardness in a way that is light and fun, Rampling, Krieps, and Blanchett are mesmerising as they take part in what feels like some kind of three-way swordfight on criss-crossing tightropes, and both Moore and Sabbat are nicely relaxed for the majority of their segment. Whether he nails down his dialogue and thematic strands or not, Jarmusch can always rely on his casts to deliver.

Aside from the focus on family, there's also a Rolex watch linking the tales (the same one? doubtful, but it's a possibility) and the feeling that relationships are always inextricably linked to that constant root of all evil, money. It's just a shame that Jarmusch keeps things so light and relatively inconsequential. Especially when he has a lot of people who could have easily enjoyed sinking their teeth into something much more substantial. I didn't dislike the time I spent with this, but I doubt I'll ever want to rewatch it. I'd also be surprised if many Jarmusch fans strongly disagreed with me.

4/10

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Netflix And Chill: Ladies First (2026)

If Ladies First had been made in the 1980s then it might seem like something fun and harmless. It could make use of some comedy stars to have some fun with the deep-rooted problems in a patriarchal society that would seem ripe for an overhaul. As a film released in 2026, however, it's just a depressing reminder of how little progress has been made throughout modern history. And it doesn't have the right lead actor needed to make it an amusing enough distraction.

Sacha Baron Cohen plays a male chauvinist pig named Damien Sachs. Working for a company that needs some better optics, he promotes the talented Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike), but doesn't really want to take note of her good ideas. He doesn't really want her input on anything at all, because he and his colleagues are used to completely ignoring women unless they're trying to sleep with them. That becomes a big problem when Damien hits his head and wakes up in a world where the roles are reversed. Women are in charge, and he will be trapped there until he can figure out a way to get into a top management position.

I actually wondered why I didn't have more fun with this, but writing out that plot summary has clarified things for me. This is a Netflix film based on another Netflix film, "Je Ne Suis Pas Un Homme Facile", which may not seem like a great idea, but there's just about enough talent behind and in front of the camera to make it work. If only anyone involved actually made some effort.

Director Thea Sharrock doesn't do much to liven things up, settling for a reliance on numerous production design gags (various ads using males in very little clothing, Burger Queen, etc.), and writers Natalie Krinsky, Cinco Paul, and Katie Silberman seem so busy having fun with the role reversal concept that they forget to pack in more gags or any storyline that viewers may actually care about. Everything about this, from the obviousness of the jokes to the character names (male character names Sachs, female is Fox, and even a character our lead needs to pursue as he tries to get promotion is named Chase), is lazy.

There are better performances from most of the other players, but Cohen cannot make his main character work, which is a big negative. He can be cocky and rude, believably sexist for most of the runtime, but there's nothing tempering that, either because of the writing or because Cohen cannot manage to add a touch of honey to his sharpness. Pike is much better, but even she is unable to do anything truly great with what she's given. Fiona Shaw presents a riff on a character that she's done a number of times before (she's very good at being the polite Brit who also happens to be struggling to contain a burning passion), Richard E. Grant is amusing enough as he portrays "Pigeon Man", and there are decidedly okay turns from Emily Mortimer, Tom Davis, Charles Dance, Bill Paterson, and Kathryn Hunter, to namecheck the main faces I recognised.

I had heard bad things about this before I pressed play, but I figured that it was just being dismissed by people who weren't in the mood for some silliness. I was wrong. Silly isn't bad. Silly and lazy and unfunny is bad. Did I smirk a couple of times? Yes. Did I laugh enough times to be able to rate this as a comedy? Not even close.

3/10

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Shudder Saturday: This Is Not A Test (2025)

Adapted from a YA novel by Courtney Summers, This Is Not A Test comes to the screen via writer-director Adam MacDonald. He's done quite a bit of horror before this, and can be very good in the genre, but you wouldn't necessarily know it from this.

It's zombie outbreak time yet again, and a group of teens end up hiding out in a school building. One of them (Sloane, played by Olivia Holt) seems to spend most of her time thinking about her past life, one in which she had to put up with an abusive father (Jeff Roop), but also spent a fair bit of time with a loving older sister, Lily (Joelle Farrow). That's really all you need to know.

Although I'm unfamiliar with the source text, I'm tempted to assume that MacDonald didn't have the greatest material to work with. There's no other reason for this being as bad as it is, unless you were trying to stay true to something that just wasn't very good. The school setting has excellent potential, considering the dividing line between adults and children in that environment, as well as the various divisions between the children themselves, but nothing is used effectively here.

Viewers are instead stuck alongside a group of characters who are, at best, painfully uninteresting. At worst, they're annoying enough to make you want to root for some of the zombies. I struggled to care about a single person onscreen, aside from Holt's character, and that's at least partly to do with how little they're given to actually do, aside from bicker and fight amongst themselves for what seems like most of the runtime.

Holt at least feels worthy of the lead role, and she's already been involved in some other projects that will help this to vanish from memory soon enough. Others around her are played by Froy Gutierrez, Carson MacCormac, Chloe Avakian, and Corteon Moore, and I wouldn't be able to tell you what they managed to bring to their roles. In fact, I doubt I would recognise them right now. This is the kind of film that turns the end credits into the equivalent of the memory-erasing flashy thing used by the Men In Black. Roop and Farrow both fare a bit better, and Luke Macfarlane livens things up a bit for his few scenes at about the halfway point.

This should have either been more fun, maybe a bit livelier (no pun intended), or a bit darker. YA fans can handle dark content. I've seen most of the movies aimed at that demographic (hey, I'm often happy to watch anything and everything out there) and I know that some of the better ones are not afraid to tackle some very serious and dark themes. This isn't one of the better ones, and that's possibly down to MacDonald not having faith in the audience. Or it's weak source material that nobody decided to overhaul. Either way, this is one to avoid unless you've exhausted most of your other viewing options.

4/10

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You, Me & Tuscany (2026)

This may not be your first choice when it comes to a film to take up 105 minutes of your time, and it wasn't my first choice either, but You, Me & Tuscany aims to be a sunny and soppy bit of fun pairing up two leads that hopefully have enough charm to win over most viewers. How much fun you have with the film will depend on whether or not you DO consider the leads charming though.

Halle Bailey plays Anna, a young woman who tries to make a living from house-sitting. She's not great at it though, especially when caught in the act of wearing clothes that belong to someone she is working for. Down on her luck, majorly down in her finances, and considering some time away from it all, Anna enjoys an evening in the company of Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor), who convinces her to take a long-overdue holiday to Italy. Once there, Anna takes a bit of a liberty, however, by staying at Matteo's empty villa. And a couple of Matteo's relatives pop in while Anna is trying on a ring that she found in the villa, leading to the obvious idea that Anna is due to marry Matteo. Soon enjoying time with the family, and unable to reveal the truth, things become more complicated when Anna falls for Matteo's cousin (actually more like a brother), Michael (Regé-Jean Page).

Written by Ryan Engle, fleshing out a story co-created with his wife, Kristin, You, Me & Tuscany is very silly and fanciful stuff from start to finish. I doubt anyone will start watching this without having an idea of where it will all end, but it's a shame that there are absolutely no surprises placed anywhere throughout the story, and too few laughs, despite the opportunity for them to be more liberally scattered around. It's a Christmas TV movie in a summer dress. You get the deceased parent, and the weight of their memory. You get the woman travelling somewhere out of her comfort zone, destine for a meet-cute with an unbelievably charming and good-hearted man. There's the sassy and fun best friend (played by Aziza Scott, sadly relegated to being present only via text message form for most of the runtime).And there's heavy-handed messaging about following your heart, being true to yourself, and becoming part of a new family unit.

It may not be the best feature helmed by director Kat Coiro, but she at least makes good use of some beautiful and sunny locations, although a couple of main interiors may have helped to keep the budget lower than it could have been. It's not at all cinematic, but it's generally cute and mildly enjoyable.

Bailey is decent in her role, as is Page, and the two leads certainly have some chemistry. It's not always there, anything too passionate dampened by the safe and sanitised approach to the material, but it appears just enough to make their will they/won't they journey something that viewers can feel invested in. Lorenzo de Moor has fun as he gets to appear both good and bad to people, and Marco Calvani is a highlight, portraying a friendly and useful Italian cab driver. Isabella Ferrari, Paolo Sassanelli, and Stefania Casini all feel believable enough as, respectively, the mother, father, and grandmother of Matteo, and Stella Pecollo is a lot of fun as Francesca, someone with an odd view on just what makes a happy marriage.

Some will find this pleasant enough. I can't imagine anyone being a huge fan of it though. It's decidedly average in every way, the kind of film that will probably only be remembered by people when it's picked up by a streaming service and given some promotion in one of their prime spots.

5/10

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Milk & Serial (2024)

Although I am just getting around to writing this review now, I actually made time to watch Milk & Serial before getting along to the cinema to see Obsession. I had already heard good things about it when it landed on YouTube in 2024, but I wasn't convinced that it would work for me. Then Curry Barker's name started to get quite a bit of heat attached to it, which made me realise I would be better arriving late to the party than not turning up at all.

This is the tale of Milk (Barker, who also wrote and directed the thing) and his friend, Seven (Cooper Tomlinson). They're a couple of YouTube personalities who keep themselves busy doing YouTube personality things. Basically, the kind of nonsense I try to avoid watching. Things keep getting wilder though, and viewers get to discover a number of twisted secrets as Milk and Seven spend some time trying to get one over on each other.

Clocking in at just over an hour, and with a budget that was apparently comfortably under $1000, Milk & Serial may not have been the lazy mess I was thinking it might be back when it was first released. It's not really a calling card that could have led to people expecting something as good as Obsession either though. Barker helps himself immensely by working in an environment he seems comfortable in, and there's something running through the premise that makes it that bit more plausible because of who the main characters are, but that also means that some of the standard YouTube prankster moments feel as cringe-inducing and narcissistic as YouTube prankster moments usually feel (to me). Thankfully, the developing darkness, and moments of creative nastiness, soon overshadow the more vapid and lighter first act.

Barker and Tomlinson both do very well in their lead roles, although it's the former who impresses more, and getting the easier job because of having all of the facts available and spending more time talking directly to the camera. Jonnathon Cripple is also very good, playing a man who becomes caught up in what I'll horribly mislabel a "prank war", and there are decent performances from Adlih Alvarado, Sterling L. Pope, and John Simmonds, as well as one or two others, all working hard to present things in a way that feels as natural as can be when everyone is aware of a camera pointed in their direction.

While I wasn't blown away by this, and spent some time wondering why it garnered quite so much praise when it first appeared, I must admit that I've been more impressed with it as I've spent some more time thinking about it. I would have had a much stronger reaction to it if, like many others, I'd been surprised by this after following the many short videos done by Barker and Tomlinson on their YouTube channel. You may think it's quite simple, and technically crude, for a lot of the runtime, but Barker and co. actually work a lot of nice little touches and details throughout that make it smarter and more disturbing than it initially seems. 

I recommend this to people who are now hearing all the love for Obsession. You don't have to watch this one first, but it's interesting to see what works here, and just how much he improves in every area for his breakout hit.

7/10

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Prime Time: Balls Up (2026)

If you want to know the level of care and thought that went into writing and directing Balls Up then you should know that it's set during a football world cup tournament in Brazil. In 2025. I'm no great follower of sports, and certainly no football expert, but even I know that the World Cup has taken place every four years since it began back in 1930 (with the exception of a couple of tournaments that were not played due to a little historical event known as WWII). 

Directed by Peter "How Far The Mighty Can Fall" Farrelly, and written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (two men who have proven that they could be funny on past projects), this tall tale concerns Brad (Mark Wahlberg) and Elijah (Paul Walter Hauser), two men who are aiming to make their latest prophylactic (one that covers both testicles as well as the shaft of the penis) the only one to be features in the World Cup final. Things don't go to plan though, and Brad and Elijah soon end up stumbling from one mess to another, seemingly pursued by every Brazilian football fan.

I never thought I would say this, but I think Mark Wahlberg needs a Ted 3 to save him before he hits any new lows that he won't be able to come back from. It's almost as if he's become so enslaved by the streaming services, and their paychecks (of course), that he has forgotten how the movie business works when it comes to stars maintaining their value. I could be very wrong, but right now . . . if Wahlberg was a stock market commodity then people would be selling their shares before the inevitable spiral and crash. Hauser is also devaluing himself, but he at least has a fairly varied selection of features that offer him a chance to hold on to enough goodwill until another upswing saves him from potential obscurity. 

It's not just the leads who dive into this bog of eternal stench, however, and both Benjamin Bratt and Sacha Baron Cohen should have a stern word with their agents. At least Bratt isn't onscreen for much of the runtime. Cohen is a big presence in the middle third, sadly, and does nothing to stop it from being a fairly laugh-free zone. Molly Shannon made me smile a few times, there's an amusing voice cameo from Larry David, but Eric André, Chelsey Crisp, Jackson Tozer, Daniela Melchior, and Eva De Dominici are sorely mistreated by a screenplay that's stinkier than Pepe Le Pew in self-defence mode.

If you're after some simple laughs then the opening scenes may give you some hope. There's nothing smart or gut-busting there, but at least one or two moments are entertainingly silly without having to feel connected to a whole wide world outwith the workplace environment. I'd advise you not to let that sense of hope fool you though. Sometimes, yes, hope can set you free, but it can just as easily set you up for a plunge into mirth-free darkness and pain. And that is what you get here. 

I was going to rate this a 2/10 for the opening scenes, but I decided to generously bump it up by one because I admit that I chuckled when Wahlberg and Hauser were shown performing a karaoke version of "Somebody That I Used To Know". Others may not be so easily amused, although there's a chance that my reaction was akin to someone being given a sip of water after three days wandering through a desert. Consider yourself duly warned.

3/10

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The Mandalorian And Grogu (2026)

I guess I am what you would call a very casual Star Wars fan nowadays. I have seen all of the previous live-action feature films. Even those focused on the ewoks (hey, I was young, it was the thing to do before we had so much more content to enjoy). I've seen the first season of The Mandalorian. And I've even sat through the infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special. I couldn't name you every minor character though, and I certainly couldn't answer questions on the timeline and shifting politics of the Star Wars universe. So I went along to see The Mandalorian And Grogu with the hope that it wouldn't rely on me being some kind of expert on the main subjects.

Fortunately, this doesn't ask much of viewers. Unfortunately, you could argue that it's far too insubstantial. I've already seen other people comment (quite rightly) that it feels a bit flat and un-cinematic.

Co-written by director Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor, this adventure puts our titular characters in jeopardy when The Mandalorian (voiced, and infrequently given a face, by Pedro Pascal) is asked to rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White). Doing that should gain him some information about the whereabouts of a valuable individual. He also has to look after little Grogu, of course. Or will things happen that require Grogu to look after The Mandalorian?

This looks okay, and it's an entertaining distraction, but that's the best I can say about it. Nothing really feels as if it's envisioned as spectacle on the big screen, some character designs really work against some of the action in the third act (Hutts are better as mob boss types than fighters), and none of the pretend peril ever really works. Let's face it, this is still a fillm aimed at younger viewers, despite the 12A rating here in the UK, and nobody wants to make a decision that would ruin any future adventures and merchandising opportunities.

Pascal is a comforting presence throughout, even if he's not often fully visible, and White delivers an excellent vocal performance, as do the likes of Stephen McKinley Henderson, Shirley Henderson, and even Martin Scorsese. Sigourney Weaver adds another huge sci-fi franchise to her filmography, doing well with her relatively small role, and Jonny Coyne is entertainingly untrustworthy when he's onscreen. Most of the humanoids are easy to forget whenever Grogu is in the middle of the action though. It's a good job that they're as cute as ever, because the film wouldn't work otherwise. I'll also mention composer Ludwig Göransson here, thanks to the score feeling like an important supporting character throughout.

I like Favreau. I believe that he would have made this with good intentions. Those seem to have dissipated quickly though. While The Mandalorian And Grogu certainly gives fans of the duo some more time in their company, which is the minimum you'd expect, it doesn't work as a film. Nothing feels majorly different between the start and the end of the movie, and I might have enjoyed this more if it was marketed and made available as a special in between seasons of the TV show, or maybe a special providing a nice way to end the TV show. Which is what it is, basically.  

Keep an eye out on my rating for this though, I may actually end up liking it more when I rewatch it in the comfort of my own home. 

5/10

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Mubi Monday: Sirāt (2025)

There's something so unexpectedly brilliant about Sirāt that it feels silly to try and convey the sensation of it in words. It needs heat, it needs something to cause disorientation, and it needs a pleasingly thumping bassline that grows and growls and starts to shake your internal organs as it increases to levels that you suspect will create some kind of fissure in your soul. Not that you would mind, because that would be a life-changing scar that would immediately align you with other travellers through such a transcendental experience.

Mixing the heavenly and the hellish, Sirāt is all about a father, Luis (Sergi López), in search of a missing daughter. He is travelling through some Moroccan desert landscapes with his son, Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona), and they soon become linked to a group of ravers who may be of some assistance. Or maybe they'll be too busy basking in the glow of their desert dance beats.

Although the film defies any simple description, I am going to say that it at least comes within touching distance of something that blends together Walkabout and Eden, with a couple of sequences that even brought to mind the towering classic that is The Wages Of Fear. Director Oliver Laxe, who also shares a writing credit with Santiago Fillol, seems to have gone for mood over everything else, but it's hard to argue with his approach when the end result is this good.

Despite the bright sunlight, the loud music, and the people who wander in and out of the frame, Sirāt often feels unnerving and dangerous. It's the feature film equivalent of an intense dry thunderstorm, and the few lightning strikes are all the more impressive and worrying because of the lack of any expected rainfall.

Populated by a large number of non-professionals, although you wouldn't know it from their performances, the whole thing is anchored easily enough by López, who does a brilliant job portraying someone trying to stay calm and in control while he is gradually moved further and further out of his comfort zone. Young Arjona does well alongside him, but he's slightly pushed aside when the camera decides to spend time with Jade Oukid, Stefania Gadda, Tonin Janvier, Joshua Liam Henderson, and Richard Bellamy, all absolutely brilliant as "the ravers".

Having read back through what I've just written, I'm still not sure that I've come close to describing just what a strange and confusing and satisfying experience watching this film is. You'll just have to see it for yourself. But make sure your volume is turned up for those moments of thumping bass, and don't expect to be able to easily discuss it with others once you've decided whether you liked it or not. 

9/10

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Netflix And Chill: Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

A film based on a book (written by Shelby Van Pelt), there have been very few films in the past few years that I have realised were based on a book from the very opening moments. The main conceit here, a story presented, and sometimes narrated, by an octopus (voiced by Alfred Molina, no less) practically screams "THIS WORKS A LOT BETTER IN CUTE AND QUIRKY BOOK FORM". There's a cosy feeling here, but it's definitely a cosiness that I would appreciate more in a book than in a film, and the talented cast cannot do enough to make up for the lack of any real substance in the material.

Sally Field plays Tova, an elderly woman who spends a lot of her time being very good at her job, a cleaner at a local aquarium. That's where she has developed a bond with an elderly octopus named Marcellus (voiced by Molina). Things start to change when Tova is injured, forcing her to take some time off work just as Cameron Cassmore (Lewis Pullman) rolls into town in a van that breaks down. Cameron needs a job, which means that he needs to spend quite a bit of time with Tova. 

Directed by Olivia Newman, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Whittington, this is a film I would only recommend to people who are fans of anyone involved. As well as Field, Pullman, and Molina, you have decent screentime for Colm Meaney and Sofia Black-D'Elia. While they're not given the best material to work with, they're given enough to make spending some time with them a pleasant enough experience.

In fact, all of the main performances are pitched exactly where they need to be. Field is sweet and caring, for the most part, but also has moments in which she is abrasive and lashing out at anyone close to her, and Pullman continues to display the same kind of likability and easygoing demeanour as his famous father. Meaney is a lot of fun as a source of local knowledge for Pullman's character, as well as someone with more than a passing interest in our leading lady, and Black-D'Elia is introduced in an amusing enough meet-cute moment that signifies how she may become an integral part of the storyline. Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, and Beth Grant are members of the wonderfully-named "Knitwits", and there are one or two other individuals who do well enough with very small amounts of screentime.

I cannot say I disliked this. But a large part of that was tied to how much I like Pullman onscreen. I also cannot say that I liked it though. The script is a bit flat, and that's before you consider the horribly predictable and clumsy way in which everything is tied together neatly in the third act, and Newman doesn't do anything that supports the cast, aside from some nice shots of octopi and some other marine creatures.

And I should end this review by admitting that it took an observant comment from a friend to make me realise how enjoyably meta and cute having Molina voicing Marcellus was. He has a good voice for the role anyway, but Doc Ock delivering the ock talk feels like a deliberate extra treat.

5/10

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Shudder Saturday: T Blockers (2023)

This is the third or fourth film that I've seen from trans film-maker Alice Maio Mackay. I wish I had nicer things to say about it, and I wish I had nicer things to say about her career. Unfortunately, Mackay doesn't seem to have developed much in her first few years or film-making, although she has the advantage of youth on her side, having helmed her first feature when she was only 16 years old.

T Blockers is a film about Sophie (Lauren Last) and her friend, Spencer (Lewis Dawson), trying to survive when a parasite starts infecting local men, turning them even more dangerous than usual. There are parallels between the unfolding events and an old (lost) film directed by another trans film-maker that Sophie has been researching. 

While there are a number of interesting ideas mixed in here (trans rights, of course, but also toxic masculinity being pushed to a deadly extreme, different forms of abuse, and the value of artistic pioneers speaking to those who don't often see themselves properly viewed and represented), Mackay doesn't have the budget, nor the savvy, to make use of them as well as she should. There's inherent value in this being a trans film that speaks to the trans experience, undoubtedly, but nothing else really works. That's a real shame, because Mackay has positioned herself as someone with a very valuable platform, and I'd love to see her do something to fulfil her potential. Maybe it's already happened in one of her other features, and I guess that being able to keep making movies is the only way she can keep hold of that chance to improve until delivering something truly worthwhile.

Last and Dawson are fine in the lead roles, working hard to overcome the many obvious limitations around them, and Toshiro Glenn does well as one of the very few decent men shown onscreen. Stanley Browning is an entertaining POS, and there are a number of cool scenes showing off an artist named Etcetera Etcetera speaking directly to camera in the role of Cryptessa.

It's a real shame that almost nothing else about the film works. The standard genre elements are mishandled, bordering on incompetent at times. The blending of the story strands is clumsy, at best. Even the commentary on the trans experience, and the prejudices of those who cannot empathise with people of different sexes or genders, is disappointingly weak. The only moments I enjoyed revolved around the exploration of the "film within a film", and even that could have been improved by putting even more focus on it. 

I'll keep watching the movies made by Mackay, and I'll keep being optimistic, but I'll keep wanting more from her until she tries harder to make the most of the opportunities that seem to have been afforded to her. 

3/10

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The Sheep Detectives (2026)

I received funny looks from people last week every time I mentioned the fact that I was heading to the cinema to see The Sheep Detectives. Nobody seemed to think that it sounded like an enjoyable and watchable film. That's their loss. The Sheep Detectives is sweet, funny, and manages to hang everything on a central murder mystery that feels as well-constructed as it is comprehensible for younger viewers who may have a lot less experience with the template being used.

Hugh Jackman plays a shepherd/farmer named George Hardy, happiest when spending time with his sheep. He reads mystery novels to them every day, oblivious to the fact that the animals actually understand everything he's saying, and often have their own conversations about the plot when he's then taken himself off to bed for the night. Which ends up being good practice for them all when George is found dead one morning. Murdered. It's doubtful that the local nice-but-dim policeman, Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), will crack the case, which means it's up to the sheep. Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is arguably the smartest one, but she's helped by the likes of Mopple (Chris O'Dowd), Wool-Eyes (Rhys Darby), Cloud (Regina Hall), Sir Ritchfield (Patrick Stewart), Zora (Bella Ramsey), and Sebastian (Bryan Cranston). There are enough suspects in the local village, and the population has a few extra bodies in the shape of George's daughter, Rebecca (Molly Gordon), a lawyer named Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), and a small-time journalist hoping for a big break (Nicholas Galitzine).

Based on a novel, "Three Bags Full", by Leonie Swann, this has been adapted into screenplay form by the talented Craig Mazin. He knows what people will want from this, and he delivers. The central investigation doesn't seem to cheat, there's a satisfying reveal and explanation that would make Agatha Christie proud, and you get plenty of moments that just have lambs being cute, sheep being amusingly sheep-ish, and a perfect mix of entertainment that displays danger one minute and cosy safety the next.

Director Kyle Balda has spent the last 15 years or so helming animated shorts and features, which makes him a good pick for something that relies on a flock of main characters created by, or enhanced with, top-notch computer work. You could tell me that 90% of the sheep onscreen here were entirely CGI and I would believe you. You could also tell me that 90% of the sheep onscreen here were entirely real and I would believe you just as readily. The impressive thing is that it's hard to see any "join", and a lot of that comes from the steady guiding hand of Balda.

While the voice cast all do great work, many of them are such a good fit for their characters that I suspect many viewers will struggle to place them until the end credits roll. Aside from those already mentioned, and lead duties are roughly shared between Louis-Dreyfus, O'Dowd, and Cranston, there's also a very enjoyable performance from Brett Goldstein, pulling double duty as the voices of Reggie and Ronnie, two sheep happiest when given permission to ram into things. Thankfully, the live-action cast members do enough to justify stealing screentime away from the sheep. Gordon is as easy to like as she usually is, Thompson is a lot of fun, Galitzine gets to upset a few people with his questions, and Braun manages to be sweet and amusing, AND maintains a pretty decent English accent throughout.

It takes a little while to acclimatise to how everything is presented, but most viewers will find that they soon start ignoring the artifice in favour of the characters and the unfolding mystery. There's a helpful, and lovely, score by Christophe Beck, decent pacing that makes the 109-minute runtime pass by quickly enough, and a perfect handling of tone that allows for some timely tears and tension in between the frequent chuckles. I hope that more and more people will eventually be convinced to give this a go, and it may well turn out to be the most delightful feature film of 2026.

8/10

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Save The Green Planet! (2003)

I have been meaning to see Save The Green Planet since it was first released over 20 years ago. It was one of those titles that became available during the wave of J-horror and South Korean films that contained some real modern classics, encouraging movie fans to keep exploring more and more films from those territories. It just kept being pushed down my list of priorities though, and was only brought back to my attention when I realised that Bugonia (which I am also yet to see) is a remake of it.

Was it worth the wait? Sort of. I think I would have been more disappointed if I'd watched this back in the early 2000s, perhaps with the hope that it would have many more moments designed to unnerve or disturb viewers. It's actually a strangely melancholic film, one that could be viewed as a study of someone with mental health issues acting in a way that eventually endangers everyone around them.

Shin Ha-kyun is our lead character, a man who becomes obsessed with the idea that a well-known pharmaceutical executive (played by Baek Yoon-sik) is actually an alien. It's very soon time for a kidnapping, and then some torture to get the alien scumbag to drop the human disguise and admit the truth. Which is only a solid plan if the alien kidnapee is actually an alien.

Written and directed by Jang Joon-hwan, who apparently wanted to present a film about kidnapping that would allow viewers to have some sympathy for the kidnapper, Save The Green Planet! is a bit of a muddled mess. A lot of individual moments work, and the last third is particularly good, but it struggles to stay focused and engrossing throughout the first hour, especially when showing us the work being done by a couple of detectives on the case.

The leads both do good work, and Hwang Jeong-min is enjoyable in the role of Su-ni (an accomplice/girlfriend who also seems to be viewing the unfolding events without really comprehending the dangerous reality of what is happening), but this is a film that struggles to keep the humanity front and centre. It's a strong idea, one that is carried along to an intriguing conclusion, but not quite strong enough to justify the 118-minute runtime.

It's impressive to watch a movie that constantly pushes against whatever you think it may be, and that's what works for Save The Green Planet! Unfortunately, it also works against it. Jang Joon-hwan is so busy ensuring that the film is strange and unpredictable that he keeps viewers slightly distanced from all that is happening, when it's clear from the chosen POV that he wanted to bring everyone right into the world and the headspace depicted.

I wouldn't call this an interesting failure though. It has enough scenes that work as intended. I'd call it a testing journey that asks for patience from viewers before rewarding them with some powerful moments and highlights delivered in the third act. 

7/10

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Prime Time: Worldbreaker (2025)

I thought I knew what I was getting into when I decided to press play on Worldbreaker. It looked like a low-budget and dubious sci-fi action movie. It had a main credit for Milla Jovovich. Yes, I've been here before, and I made my choice. Sadly, things were much worse than I expected.

I would explain the slight plot, but I fear that it would send us all plunging into a comatose state. There are nasty wee things attacking humans, and they can infect others with their scratches and bites. It's mainly men who end up transformed though, with women largely more resistant to whatever causes the dehumanisation. Willa (Billie Boullet) is a young woman being protected and trained by her father (Luke Evans), the two of them trying to survive on a small island, all while Willa's mother (Jovovich) is kept busy offscreen trying to lead the fight back.

I don't know what's happened to director Brad Anderson to take him so far from the heights of his earlier works, but I doubt anyone could do much to improve the screenplay from Joshua Rollins. This is lazy and careless stuff, with nobody able to do anything worthwhile with the central idea (armies of women leading a charge against an enemy that is much more harmful to the male population). The two biggest names in the cast are wasted in different ways, there's never any proper tension, and any action and/or bloodshed is hampered by an obvious lack of budget.

Boullet is the lead, and she tries her best with weak material. The performance from Evans highlights just how bad things are, with most of his dialogue so inane and risible that it feels as if it would work better in a spoof of this kind of thing. As for Jovovich, she was clearly available for one or two days, and the film is unable to stretch out the footage in a way that makes her feel like the formidable presence she is clearly supposed to be. Mila Harris plays the other main character, Rosie, but, like everyone else, she's also not really given enough to do.

Worldbreaker is a short film idea that needed much more work to flesh things out fully. Neither Rollins nor Anderson seem to have considered that, and neither of them do even half of the work required to turn things into a worthwhile feature. There's not one element here, from the score to the cinematography and editing, that manages to overcome the inherent flaws of the material, and would discourage anyone else from making time for this. Bad movies don't have to be unenjoyable. Low-budget movies don't have to be bad. This feels like a film made by people who didn't care enough to try and make the most of what was available to them, and they certainly didn't manage to make anything good or enjoyable.

2/10

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Obsession (2026)

There was a big part of me that was resistant to Obsession, a horror film that not only completely won me over throughout the runtime, but one that will certainly be battling for a spot near the very top of any list when I rank my favourite films of this year. I'm glad I didn't let my biases stop me from getting along to enjoy a fantastic cinema experience with this one, and maybe it's time for me to accept that people who started on YouTube have simply spent time in a decent training ground for their journey into making movies. Although I'll always be wary whenever something gets hyped up as the latest must-see horror movie of recent times. Sorry, I've just been burned too many times by the hyperbole.

Having said that, ummmmmm, Obsession is actually the latest must-see horror movie of recent times. It's genuinely great in a number of ways, and I'd even allow it to be credited to writer-director Curry Barker as an outstanding feature debut (because Milk & Serial, as good as it was, just about crawled over the one hour mark, and feels like an important bridge between shorts and features).

Michael Johnston plays Baron AKA Bear (a nod to the popular opinion of women so often rushing to take a chance with a bear ahead of a man?), a young man who is in love with his long-time friend, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Unable to tell her his true feelings, he instead makes use of a novelty named the "One Wish Willow". Obviously. Wishing for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world, he is stunned when his wish comes true. That's not necessarily the good thing he thought it would be though. Not at all.

Walking a very fine line between constant unpleasantness and darkly comedic entertainment, Obsession is a film that is all the better for the fact that it could have easily been so much worse. My one problem with it was the sound mix, with Rock Burwell's score rising so high at times that some dialogue is very hard to hear. I understand the decision though, and that sound mix works to add to the oppressive atmosphere, but it's the one thing that didn't work for me. Everything else is pretty much perfect.

Johnston and Navarrette both do brilliant work in the lead roles, the latter going through an impressive range of emotions, in the kind of performance that would be more recognised by critics if not placed in a horror film, while the former tries to keep playing up his "niceness" as it becomes increasingly clear just how problematic and bad his character actually is.  Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless are also very good, playing two friends who become concerned by the situation they see playing out before them.  

The person to praise most is Barker though, considering how well he puts the pieces together in order to remove any ambiguity here. Despite how fantastical the premise is, and where it goes, things are grounded in a reality that will be recognised by many, and there are numerous reminders that what we're watching is an example of someone "nice" making the most of an opportunity to be with someone he desires without gaining consent from them. It's specifically mentioned in different scenes, but there are also a couple of important plot details that underline exactly who the main villain is, and how their actions go from bad to worse, creating a spiral that will undoubtedly turn things hellish and deadly for everyone around them.

Obsession will have you tense and laughing at the same time. It will have you thinking about what's playing out onscreen in a way that inevitably puts the idea of consent at the forefront of your mind. It will have you considering what Navarrette will do next to showcase her major talent. You might just end up loving it more than any other film in the world. For a while, anyway. 

9/10

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Mubi Monday: Mermaids (1990)

While there have been a few stinkers helmed by actor-turned-director Richard Benjamin, his filmography is also a good place to hunt around for a few gems. He certainly tried throughout the 1980s and 1990s to provide audiences with a wide variety of entertainment. Some were star vehicles, some were quirky movies wanting to win you over with their heart. Mermaids is a bit of both. And I'm as guilty as everyone else for forgetting all about it. I don't think I have revisited Mermaids since it was on VHS.

Despite missing that certain Patrick Swayze factor, Mermaids is a film that pairs up very well with Dirty Dancing. It's a period piece. It makes great use of many enjoyable '60s tunes. One main storyline concerns a young girl hoping to get herself into a compromising situation with an older man. And there are a couple of scenes that sprinkle some real grit and pain throughout the comforting fluff.

Based on the novel by Patty Dann, Mermaids has Cher as Mrs. Flax, mother to Charlotte (Winona Ryder) and Kate (Christina Ricci). Mrs. Flax believes in living in places for a good time, not a long time. She's used to that life, always happy to move after a bad experience or another ruined relationship, but her daughters sometimes struggle with the many moves. Especially Charlotte, who spends her time thinking about major religious figures, and how she can live a life of virtue. Kate is generally easier to please, especially once she's joined up with any local swim team. Things might be different in their latest home though, with Mrs. Flax perhaps meeting her match in the sweet and compassionate Lou Landsky (Bob Hoskins). Charlotte seems happy that they have moved close to a convent, but that doesn't stop her from having many impure thoughts about a local man named Joe (Michael Schoeffling).

One of just a handful of screenplays by June Roberts, this is a film that benefits from absolutely perfect casting, allowing for every line of dialogue to be delivered in a way that elevates the whole movie. Whether it's Cher being as entertainingly sassy as Cher can so easily be or Ryder narrating her wildly erratic thoughts as they veer from holy to sinful, Mermaids consistently delivers a whole lot of superb dialogue in every scene.

Benjamin handles everything well enough, keeping everything feeling just right for the period without spending too much time on the details at the expense of his stars. He knows what people should really want from their time with the film, and it's time spent in the company of memorable characters played by people who feel as comfortable in their roles as they do in their own skin.

Cher brings her confidence and self-assuredness to a role that would feel seriously hampered without it, and she makes Mrs. Flax someone who feels as well-intentioned as she is selfish. She isn't about to let herself be hurt, and her strength is obvious throughout, but that strength, that ability to erase her past and just move on, ends up becoming a problem when it becomes clear that things could be greatly improved by just a bit of compromise and work in her latest relationship. Ryder does a great line in melodramatic teen angst, with every minor embarrassment becoming something major in her eyes. Ricci may have the least to do, certainly in terms of character development, but she's properly adorable, and helps to make up a central trio that you don't want to see pulled apart. Hoskins may be the sweetest that he's ever been, and I was often chuckling at his reactions to Cher, whether he was obviously approving of her sexiness and bold demeanour or being confused by her antagonism. Schoeffling does enough to make his character seem pleasant and sweet, for the most part, despite the serious problem with how he ends up reacting to Ryder's youthful yearning for him.

Almost entirely forgotten by so many nowadays, apart from small sparks of memory that fire up whenever The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) is heard on some radio station, Mermaids deserves to be revisited and remembered. It's absolutely delightful, and I would argue that it's a real film career high point for all of the four leads. They might not agree with me, but I would still try to make the case. 

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: Bumblebee (2018)

While it has certainly happened before, mainly in horror franchises, I wish more people would take the opportunity to use familiar IP in a way that still allows for films that feel more fresh and fun than whatever formula has been decided upon throughout a number of previous movies. Bumblebee not only does just that, but it does so brilliantly.

The story is quite simple. It's the second half of the 1980s, and transforming robot Bumblebee ends up on Earth. While in the guise of a Volkswagen Beetle car, Bumblebee is taken to the home of Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld). He eventually reveals his true form, and the two bond as it becomes clear that some danger is heading their way. That may be in the shape of other robots, and it may also be in the shape of a military man named Agent Burns (John Cena).

The first live-action feature from director Travis Knight, who also helmed the superb Kubo And The Two Strings, this is exactly the kind of enjoyable entertainment that you should expect from a film that has a young woman befriending a big robot. Writer Christina Hodson may not always attach herself to the best projects, but she has proven throughout her career that she can often write witty and satisfying blockbuster fare. This is her best work yet, mainly thanks to the whole load of heart that is allowed to take up so much of the screentime. A lot of the plot points may be obvious (Charlie missing a dead parent, Bumblebee figuring out just what is needed to complete an important mission, angry military types threatened by powerful tech), but they're mixed together well enough around characters that viewers should enjoy spending time with.

Steinfeld is great in the lead role, as she has been in pretty much everything that she's done so far, and she's given great support from Pamela Adlon and Stephen Schneider (playing her mother and stepfather, respectively), as well as Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (a guy with a crush on her, which leads him to also finding out about Bumblebee). John Ortiz has a small role, one that benefits from having his familiar face there, and Cena is good value as the determined man out to deal with what he perceives to be a major threat.

The 114-minute runtime, like everything else here, feels relatively bright and breezy in comparison to other Transformers movies, and there's a great pop soundtrack, as well as references to a number of iconic 1980s movies, whether in recreated moments or just film posters hung on the walls of our main character's bedroom.

Every set-up is paid off, there are a good selection of running gags (one of the best being about Bumblebee's inability to hide), and it's all just a genuinely heart-warming and fun teen movie that happens to have one of the awkward teens being played by a Transformer. I can imagine most people choosing to watch this again ahead of so many other entries in the franchise, and I don't blame them. In fact, I include myself amongst them.

9/10

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Shudder Saturday: Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism (2023)

There's a good movie at the heart of Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism. Like the desperate soul of someone claiming to be possessed, it's in there. Somewhere. But it's almost impossible to find though. You can catch glimpses of it, and the final moments underline a very serious point that isn't handled as well throughout the rest of the runtime, but it's trapped by something horrible.

Based on a true story, which should ensure that most seasoned viewers still treat everything shown with a large pinch of salt, this is the story of a young woman (Lara, played by Georgia Eyers) caught between two individuals who have very different approaches to her health issues. There's Dr. Marisa Walsh (Eliza Matengu) on the one side, trying to have uncomfortable conversations and force some kind of breakthrough. Then there's Daniel James King (Tim Pocock), a man who seems to believe that he can help Lara by performing an exorcism.

Directed by Nick Kozakis and written by Alexander Angliss-Wilson, there's definitely something satisfying about this kind of tale being presented in a way that is totally antithetical to all of the propaganda nonsense we've been served up by the hugely-popular The Conjuring movies. While I have enjoyed those movies, I have always been very aware of the major lies at the heart of them, and I have always worried about other people taking them at face value. This film shows the damage that can be done by charlatans seizing opportunities offered by desperately ill individuals, but it still spends too much of the runtime trying to present the material as standard horror movie fare. Personally, I wanted more moments that juxtaposed the lies and the truth in a way that could prove more jarring to anyone not caught up in the immediate drama and confusion of the whole situation.

Eyers gives the kind of central performance that you need for something like this. It's powerful stuff, and as physically-demanding as it is emotional, and she's very capable of doing everything that needs to be done. Dan Ewing does okay in the role of her partner, someone complicit in everything that happens once science is refused in favour of a faith-based "solution", and Pocock has the kind of confidence and charisma that makes it clear to see how easily he can delude himself, as well as everyone else around him, as he tortures an already-tortured soul. A few other people help to fill out the cast, including John Wood as a detective, but most of the film focuses on a central triangle formed around an apparent battle for one soul, with even Matengu underused as her character is sidelined and pushed out of the way by those unwilling to accept her approach to the situation.

It's a shame that a film based on this kind of tragedy still needs to make use of horror movie moments. The victims mentioned deserve better. Like I said, there's a good movie at the heart of this. It's only visible in the briefest of glimpses though, moments when something real and human gets to reach the surface before being pulled back down by dark and smothering awfulness.

4/10

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How To Make A Killing (2026)

I really like Glen Powell. He can manage to look like a blockbuster movie star one minute and early 2000s Zack Ward the next. I am happy to see him continue to make career moves as he tries to be a reliable leading man in an interestingly varied selection of movies. It's clear, however, that he's sometimes a bit desperate to show a wide range of his abilities in every role. And if you're wanting something that allows you to present many different facets of your acting prowess then a remake of Kind Hearts And Coronets would seem to be a great showcase. So I can see what would draw Powell to something that many would consider a fool's errand. I'm not sure others will be so understanding though.

Powell plays Becket Redfellow, the offspring of a young woman who was disowned from her obscenely wealthy family when she wouldn't choose them over a relationship that they could not endorse. Becket is still in line to collect a large inheritance though, but only if all of his other living relatives die before he does. After the passing of his mother, Becket decides to see what he can do about positioning himself into a much more favourable position. Yes, this involves getting rid of a number of relatives, but most of them are so narcissistic and horrible anyway that it's easy to keep rooting for our lead to successfully prune the family tree.

Written and directed by John Patton Ford, who makes use of an original screenplay that is obviously a fantastic template to work with, How To Make A Killing is certainly good fun, and has moments that revel in the dastardliness of Becket as he starts to find a talent for killing, but, as is so often the strange way with some modern remakes, it lacks any real bite. Those unfamiliar with the original will probably appreciate everything here a bit more, but others will be disappointed as everything winds toward a finale that seems to signpost the fact that it's not wanting to be quite as dark or twisted as that film. Because mainstream movies aren't allowed to be as dark or twisted as they used to be.

Powell carries the film well though. He might not have won over everyone, but I've accepted him as a very appealing film star for a few years now. Various family members are played by Raff Law, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, Ed Harris, and others, with both Woods and Grace being highlights. Two important women are played by Margaret Qualley and Jessica Henwick, and they both get to make much more of an impact than any of the pathetic male characters sprinkled throughout the supporting cast.

It's relatively sharp and relatively smart, for the most part, but this is a film that should have also been a whole load of fun. I had some fun with it, but not as much as I hoped for. It's almost as if Ford kept thinking about the Coen brothers and forgot that he was mining gold from a classic Ealing comedy. Passable entertainment, and moderately amusing, but this is a one-time watch for me, whereas the original film is a 10/10 classic that I could happily watch again and again on any given day.

6/10

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The Drama (2026)

While there were moments in The Drama that I enjoyed, I am sad to say that it mainly left me cold. Not only that, I didn't think either Zendaya or Robert Pattinson were on top form. 

Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, who gave us the wonderful Dream Scenario, this is a film about a few different things. Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Pattinson) are due to get married. Things are seriously derailed, however, when they're encouraged by Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie) to confess the worst thing that they've ever done. Everyone has made mistakes in their past, but it seems as if some mistakes are easier to forgive than others. Something is revealed that changes everyone present, and it may even lead to the whole wedding being called off.

There's something here that could have worked well, especially when looking at how people can react when learning something new about a loved one, but it's all overshadowed by the fact that the main revelation feels like something Borgli used purely because of the shock value. The best moments in the film juxtapose imagination with the reality of wedding preparation, and there are some laughs created by the editing and dialogue, but there could, and probably should, have been much more done with such weighty subject matter. Or maybe things should have revolved around something else entirely.

Pattinson is occasionally amusing when looking so dazed for most of the runtime, so at least he gets to benefit from the material in that way, but he doesn't feel believable in so many other ways. Zendaya never really feels believable at all, especially when you consider just how literally anyone would accept the challenge of "tell the worst thing you ever did" without considering the consequences. Haim gets the best moments, but her performance is undermined by her character trying to maintain the moral high ground after confessing her own awfulness (which I understand, that's one of the points being made, but it still doesn't help her), and Athie is good, but a bit underused. Hailey Gates makes a strong impression in her small role, Sydney Lemmon does well portraying a potential wedding DJ, Jeremy Levick is very funny as another potential wedding DJ, and Zoë Winters provides perhaps the best moments in the whole film as a wedding photographer trying to work with two people who are far from enthusiastically smiling subjects.

I really wanted to like this, considering how much I have enjoyed the leads in other features, and how much I liked the previous film from Borgli, but it just couldn't find the right path through some tricky terrain. Again, as I have said about one or two other movies in recent years, nothing is off limits when it comes to good and thought-provoking art, but you need to shoulder some extra responsibility when it comes to certain topics, whether you're trying to be serious or mine some very dark comedy from things.

Everything is decidedly okay, superficially anyway, but this needed to be much better than okay. Fans of confrontational work always deserve much better than okay.

5/10

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