Jackie Chan's First Strike (1996)

AKA Jackie Chan's First Strike. AKA Police Story 4: First Strike.

If you ever wanted to see what a James Bond film would be like featuring Jackie Chan as 007 then First Strike is the film for you. It's also the fourth instalment in the Police Story film series, but there's no need to have seen the preceding films before you dive into this one.

Although it remains inferior to many of his better-known films, First Strike isn’t actually all that bad as an introduction to younger film viewers who may eventually become full-on fans of Chan. It’s not as slick and polished as the likes of Shanghai Noon or any of the Rush Hour movies, but it’s also not as overstuffed with CGI or weak set-pieces (such as The Tuxedo or The Medallion).

Chan plays Jackie, a cop who ends up helping a couple of different government agencies as he tracks down the whereabouts of a missing nuclear warhead. This leads to a shootout and an exciting chase down some snow-covered slopes. It's then up to Jackie to track down a villain, via his sister (played by Chen Chun Wu AKA Annie Wu), which leads to him facing off against multiple enemies, one or two big guys who look very much like Goombas from the '90s Super Mario Bros. movie, and a number of sharks.

Directed and co-written by Stanley Tong, this isn't actually too bad when it comes to the plotting. Tong was joined in the writing duties by Elliot Tong, Greg Mellott, and Nick Tramontane, and they work hard to get everyone where they need to be for every main story beat. It might never feel as if Chan is in any real danger, but that's inevitable when you know how skilled and strong he is.

Unless he's accompanied by a couple of his main Peking opera school friends, it's often not mentioning the quality of other performances in a Jackie Chan film. Jackie Chan films are at their best when Jackie Chan is at the heart of any scene, and that is the case here. Wu has to spend the third act being a damsel in distress, Nathan Jones and Steve Morris are the memorable "Goombas", and Jackson Lou does well enough as the man who appears to be the main villain to be apprehended. Chan delivers his star power though, especially in the set-pieces that elevate the entire film. That snowy opening sequence has some great stunts in there, and is certainly meant to bring a classic Bond opener to mind, there are at least two impressive fights that allow Chan to showcase many of his skills, and those who have tried to participate in some swimming pool fitness classes should appreciate just how inventive and tough the underwater fight in the third act is.

There's a lot in this that I didn't love. Rewatching it had me fearing that it was worse than I remembered. That's a bit unfair though. There are actually enough really good moments here to make this well worth your time, even if you know that it's not close to the best Jackie Chan movies. And it certainly uses the second half to reward those who were patient throughout the first half.

7/10

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Prime Time: Driver's Ed (2026)

There comes a time when someone squanders enough of your goodwill that you stop mentioning their past glories. Although he's had at least one other very enjoyable movie in the past few years (Champions), that time has come for Bobby Farrelly. I'm not saying that Driver's Ed is a terrible film. It's just so generic and uninspired that it doesn't feel like it was made by someone with some modern classics in their filmography.

Sam Nivola plays Jeremy, a young man struggling with what seems to be the end of his now-long-distance relationship with Samantha (Lilah Pate). After mulling things over, he decides that a road trip is in order. Unfortunately, that road trip involves him commandeering the car used for his driver's ed class, which means that Evie (Sophie Telegadis), Aparna (Mohana Krishnan), and Yoshi (Aidan Laprete) are also taken along for the journey.

It's surprisingly hard to write a review for Driver's Ed. It's one of the most inoffensive and forgettable comedies that I've seen in recent years. Part of me almost wishes that it was terrible. At least I would work up some energy to shred it. It's not terrible though. It's not great either. It is, ironically, the most middle of the road comedy you could possibly imagine, unable to deviate from the plot beats that most viewers would be able to predict from the opening scene. It flops as a teen comedy, it doesn't make enough time for the more fun older cast members (Kumail Nanjiani and Molly Shannon, playing two people the movie should have really focused on instead), and there's not one memorable set-piece, or one big laugh, in the entire runtime.

I'd have to put most of the blame on writer Thomas Moffett, although he at least attempts to add some depth to a couple of the main supporting characters, but Farrelly should have worked harder to fill the film with enough extra treats to make up for the weak screenplay.

The acting isn't bad, so it has that going for it. Nivola is a decent young lead, and Telegadis works well alongside him. Both Krishnan and Laprete also work well together, especially as the former ends up becoming a bit more comfortable in herself. Pate is perfectly fine, but she's really just required to be the destination for a group of characters who end up on a very winding and valuable journey. Aside from the comedy stars already mentioned, Tim Baltz and Bri Giger are the other two main adults to join in with the fun, and their scenes are almost as welcome as those featuring Nanjiani and Shannon. 

There are many worse choices you could make when picking a mild distraction from the streaming services available to you, but I cannot think of anyone who will watch this and then remember it fondly within a few months. It's frustratingly bland and tame, and, most importantly, it's disappointingly lacking in the comedy department.

4/10

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Citizen Vigilante (2026)

Hoo boy. You're not going to like this review if you're the kind of person who uses the word "woke" unironically to insult someone. Or if you've ever headed out, armed with a facemask and an England flag to spend some of your spare time shouting at a hotel you suspect may be housing some people with different skin colour from your own. Then again, I doubt many of those people will bother to seek out, and read, this review. Unless they want to try and push back against the mass of negative reviews from those not already aligned to the central agenda presented here.

I've said it before, but rarely has it been a point that I have so wanted to highlight and underline. Creating art often comes with a great degree of responsibility. If you're movie has a message then it has to be a clear one, and you should be very careful about how people can take away that message. Writer-director Uwe Boll has, I fear, decided to throw his lot in with the growing cacophony of tiresome xenophobic bigots who prey on the insecurities and fears of others to stir up trouble and keep avoiding the real solutions to some of their problems (solutions that would require some proper effort and consideration). Not only is Citizen Vigilante unengaging and lazy, it's arguably the most morally repugnant film I have seen in my life. Other films have wandered through similar territory, but few have done so with such little attempt to hide the dangerous messaging. Never mind that this springboards from a premise that simply isn't backed up by actual facts and proper statistics. I wouldn't be surprised if Boll was already prepping a sequel to this, something in which Armie Hammer becomes a white knight for all of womanhood by assaulting and murdering members of the trans community. Because once you've gone out of your way to further demonise immigrants then surely you move on to the 1% of the population who continue to be disproportionally targeted for abuse.

Oh, did I forget to mention the actual plot? Sorry, how remiss of me. Armie Hammer plays Sanders, a man who spends his time tracking down people who haven't been given the punishment they deserve for crimes they have committed. All of the people he tracks down are immigrants, of course, because this is a film that aligns itself with the (often misleading or outright false) sensational headlines and toxic rhetoric delivered by the likes of GB News, the current sexual-abuser-POTUS, Fox, Elon "Artful DOGE-er" Musk, Nigel Farage, and other grifters. A lot of people are showing lending their support to the vigilante "hero", and many comment on how they're doing the job that the courts and police are failing to do. And let's not forget the interminably long scene in which Hammer has sex with a prostitute, is distracted by mould on her ceiling, advises her about how to avoid the issue and informs her that he is the owner of the building, and then gets back to his sexy time while staring at the patch of mould (yes, that really happens).

Is this a review or a rant? A bit of both. But if it feels to you as if it fails to be a proper review, and you would prefer me to keep politics out of my writing, then I would argue that a) this fails to be a proper movie, and b) dehumanising people and trying to blame entire races for the actions of a relatively small percentage of the population  is something I will always push firmly back on. It's also not political, it's simple humanity.

I've also indulged myself slightly here because there's genuinely very little onscreen that's worth proper criticism. Hammer isn't good, and we know that he's picked this project because it's the easiest way he can see himself making a comeback to an audience that will accept him without questioning his problematic past few years. Maybe he's not very good because his heart isn't in it, to be optimistic. Maybe he's simply all at sea without a good enough screenplay and director, and Boll does poorly in both departments here. The only other cast member of note is Costas Mandylor, who feels as if he's just repeating some of his lines and expressions from the earlier Saw movie instalments that had him in a very similar role.

"Freedom of speech, freedom of speech" is what many will cry when they hear from others who dislike this as much as I did. I've already seen the standard "oh, did it offend your woke lefty sensibilities" comments and "so many lefty tears" jabs. Freedom of speech and freedom of artistic expression allowed for this piece of crap to get made. It equally allows for me to express my disgust and hatred of it. There's NO redeeming value to this, especially when you consider how far removed from reality it is. There are so many better movies you could choose to watch, many featuring vigilante vengeance without being so fully biased in favour of dangerous far-right fervour. And the end card stating "this film is dedicated to the thousands of rape and murder victims in Europe who were betrayed by our legal system" is one of the most disingenuous and sickening final frames I can think of. 

1/10

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Mubi Monday: Tatsumi (2011)

An animated film based on the autobiographical manga, A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi, this is a loving and effective exploration, and celebration, of someone credited with the birth of Gekiga (a style of manga aimed at an adult audience). What I know about manga, and most manga artists, could be written on a grain of rice, but I felt armed with enough knowledge once I read the very brief summary before watching this.

The structure is quite straightforward. We're shown the career progression of Tatsumi, the main everyday material interspersed with different stories lifted from other Tatsumi works, and the style of the animation seems to emulate what many will find familiar from the pages drawn by Tatsumi.

Written and directed by Eric Khoo, with plentiful source material to pull from, this works just like a great documentary. It looks at a central subject with great affection, tries to provide insight to those who already consider themselves fans, and encourages others to check out more from the artist. I might actually add someone who isn't named Junji Ito to my small amount of manga shelf-space, and that's something I never expected to say.

I can't claim to be any expert on Tatsumi after watching this, but that is more to do with the way I take in information than it is to do with the film. What Khoo does, and what I'm assuming Tatsumi did in A Drifting Life, is show some unforgettable moments in a life that could so easily be seen as unremarkable by those not interested in the art. While this is a film about one person, it's also about an entire people. This is best illustrated by a story, titled "Hell", that juxtaposes the huge shadow of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with the darkness that can taint and cover the souls of those committing their own evil acts. "Hell" is a personal story showing people affecting one another, but it also makes clear how permanent the scarring is from the horrific events that ensured the end of any further Japanese involvement in WWII.

I really enjoyed this, and the 93-minute runtime passes by quickly enough, but I'd be keen to rewatch it after reading some of the printed works of Tatsumi. I could sense that the film would be even more rewarding to those able to spot more nods and references, and I found myself slightly jealous of the readers who have already spent so much time in the company of such a talented and interesting artist. Give me some time and I guarantee you that I'll at least dip a toe or two into the world of some more varied manga titles. Until that time comes, however, I am very happy to endorse this, and I cannot see anyone more well-versed in the featured medium being disappointed by it.

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: Little Brother (2026)

The last movie I saw helmed by director Matt Spicer was the very good Ingrid Goes West, but I didn't know that until checking on some details after watching this, a fairly broad comedy that feels miles away from his previous feature. Look closer, however, and there are some similarities to be found about the way people present themselves and how their perception of others can be affected.

John Cena plays Rudd Landy, a successful real estate agent who is about to take his career up a level with an appearance on a reality TV show. That might help him finally get out from under the shadow of his super-rich older brother, Josh (Christopher Meloni). Which makes it a particularly bad time for Rudd to end up reconnecting with his little brother, Marcus (Eric André). Marcus isn't related to Rudd by blood, but they were placed together once when Rudd participated in the Big Brother program. Rudd's wife, Deirdre (Michelle Monaghan), thinks it would be nice to give Marcus a warm welcome, and some time to recover after a recent car accident. Rudd isn't so sure, but he's unaware that Marcus believes they have been communicating with one another for some time, thanks to an ongoing email chain handled by Rudd's assistant, Mia (Sherry Cola).

Written by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, Little Brother starts off as exactly the kind of film you expect it to be. Cena's character is uptight and a bit selfish, and André brings some chaos with his behaviour and circumstances. It's never aiming to be believable, particularly when Monaghan's character accepts some specific advice for helping her husband relax, and viewers will be waiting to see how things escalate until the wild and whacky character is accepted by someone who has to accept that they could benefit from sometimes being on his wavelength.

The pleasant surprise here, in terms of both the screenplay and the performances, comes from the fact that things actually settle down before the third act. Marcus is loud and kooky for his early scenes, but he soon shows himself to just be a happy-go-lucky and optimistic individual with a genuine aim to help others. The biggest problem with Marcus is how Rudd views him, projecting his own insecurities and stress on to someone who is only ever trying to help him. I know that I am still making this sound like a hundred other comedies in the same vein, but you have to trust me when I say that it becomes better when it provides a bit of extra context and emotional impact. Spicer doesn't have to dive deep into any bag of directorial tricks, and it became tiresome a while ago to watch a comedy in which a main character starts to trip out, but he does well to keep the tone balanced as things move from silly to being a bit more serious.

Cena is good in the lead role, and it's in line with other comedy roles he's landed in the past decade. He pairs up quite well with André, who manages to be both chaotic and quite sweet. Monaghan does the understanding wife role that she seems to be offered for every second movie, Meloni is entertainingly n braggadocious, and Cola is good fun as the assistant who knows more about Marcus than anyone else onscreen. Ego Nwodim and Caleb Hearon also do well, playing the people in charge of manipulating shots and edits to optimise their reality show, and Bryce Gheisar and Pilot Bunch are the teen sons who end up warming to "Uncle Marcus". It's also worth mentioning Tony Torn, who is in scenes that almost bookend the main narrative, and provides a couple of big laughs when he reappears before the end credits roll.

I'm still not going to go out of my way to strongly recommend this to everyone, there's that feeling throughout that it's another one of those movies that feels a bit more like "content" than anything else, but I stand by my view of this being a bit better than I expected, mainly thanks to the developments that add dimension to a character who could have easily been presented as an entertaining and idiotic nuisance from start to finish. Add a point if you're a big fan of either lead. Take away a handful of points if you can't stand them.

6/10

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Shudder Saturday: The Voices Of Our Mother (2026)

The second feature to be written and directed by Mark O'Brien (who has also been acting in front of the camera for a number of years, and gives himself a role here), The Voices Of Our Mother is part horror movie and part dysfunctional family drama. It's just a shame that none of it really feels original, despite an effective ending that makes up for some of the issues elsewhere.

Sheila McCarthy plays Harriet, a seriously ill woman who is joined by her children as they wait to see what will happen next. Will she improve, or will their visit be one last opportunity to speak with their mother? Annika (Georgina Reilly) is the most level-headed and responsible family member, William (O'Brien) and Therese (Carolina Bartczak) have a major issue between them that leads to a palpable sense of real animosity, and Martin (Alex Ozerov-Meyer) is the seemingly-obligatory family member with addiction issues. 

This could have been an effective and creepy little film. O'Brien has a lot of the right elements in place. He keeps everyone in a single setting, for the most part, he keeps his central cast small, and he works with a main premise that has the potential to go in any number of different directions. Unfortunately, either due to his instincts as an actor or due to a lack of commitment to the horror genre, he doesn't come close to realising the full potential of the thing. The bickering, the secrets being revealed, the problematic relationship with a parent, it's all been done time and time again. It was crying out for more chills and scares to be added, but O'Brien doesn't go down that route.

There's still enough to enjoy here, but that's down to the cast more than the writing and direction. Reilly is always very good onscreen, and does well here to hold her place as the lead. O'Brien and Bartczak are enjoyably unpleasant to one another, Ozerov-Meyer is saddled with the weakest role, but tries to do a good job, and McCarthy manages to make a strong impression, despite the fact that her character is so frail and quiet for most of the runtime.

As mentioned at the start of this review, however, the ending works. It's a surprisingly impactful and interesting way to tie everything up in a nice neat bow, even if it may also make you slightly resentful of the time spent elsewhere on less interesting developments. You could argue that the "quiet before the storm" makes everything better when it's time for the big ending, but I would have much preferred something that did a better job of interspersing the rest of the narrative with a healthy selection of surprises and scares.

O'Brien might yet have a great film in him. This isn't it, but he shows that he has mastered enough of the basics to put him in very good stead for whenever he gets his hands on a better screenplay, whether that is written by himself or someone else. He could even do himself a favour by disassembling and fully reworking this to see how much better he could make it.

5/10

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Finding Emily (2026)

A fun rom-com that explores the aftermath of a fateful "meet-cute", Finding Emily makes use of a number of sub-genre tropes, but becomes a more interesting film when it spends some time dissecting and subverting the filtered POV of someone who believes that they have fallen in love.

Spike Fearn plays Owen, a young man who finds himself at a loss after a great encounter with a young woman dressed up in a fairy outfit. She gave him her phone number, but there's one digit missing. So all he knows is that her name is Emily, she was dressed as a fairy, and she attends the university where he works (don't worry, he works in the student union, this isn't a look at some icky teacher-student relationship). Armed with this information, Owen sets about to find his Emily, which leads to him encountering a multitude of young women named Emily, including Emily Raine (Angourie Rice), a psychology student who offers to help Owen when she spies a chance to prove her thesis that love is the same as temporary insanity.

The feature directorial debut from Alicia MacDonald, Finding Emily tries hard to stay fresh and fun throughout, placing itself right in between something more grounded and something with a sprinkling of magic and romance. The Manchester setting helps, moving it a step or two away from the onscreen world of rom-com leads like Hugh Grant and Renée Zellweger, as do the challenges encountered by Owen on his journey to reconnect with someone he believes he was fated to be with.

The screenplay from Rachel Hirons is smart and funny, making me want to check out some of her past work (which includes a few more rom-coms, from the look of things, and . . . a 2023 movie showcasing some breakdancing skills). You get good amounts of sweetness throughout, but it also has fun pitting romanticised flights of fancy against the realities of modern life, especially when showing how the behaviour of rom-com leads is often unacceptable, and even quite a bit creepy, when viewed without any rose-tinted glasses on.

Fearn is a good lead, and his character is enjoyably upbeat and optimistic for most of the runtime. Rice plays the more cynical one, of course, but she does well to show how she's gradually drawn more towards appreciating the outlook of the young man that she offers to "help". Sadie Soverall makes a good enough impression in her first scenes, as "Fairy Emily", to make the desperate quest feel worthwhile, and there's a fun mix of supporting characters played by Prasanna Puwanarajah (a Professor trying to ensure that one of his best students doesn't ruin her thesis), Minnie Driver (a beleaguered Dean), Cora Kirk (good friend of Rice's character), Nadia Parkes (a university podcaster/presenter), as well as a veritable army of Emilys.

Cannily moving through a familiar modern world while swerving away from anything that could seem too dark (although it comes close once or twice), this is also helped by a strong selection of tunes on the soundtrack, as well as the essential chemistry that develops between the two leads. It's a shame that it rarely maintains the fun inventiveness that it shows in one or two small "set-pieces", but I'm sure that most people will find themselves charmed and entertained by this. I'm not sure they'll remember it in a year or two though.

6/10

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Avatar: Fire And Ash (2025)

The time may have come for me to admit that the shine has gone from the Avatar movies. Or maybe it's just that this particular instalment is the first one I was unable to get along and see on the big screen. Say what you like about these movies, they are most definitely made for the big screen.

The plot is basically the same as it was in the last movie. Jack (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are trying to live a peaceful life with their family, but still find themselves targeted by the vengeful Quaritch (Stephen Lang). There's also another powerful enemy this time around, the fiery Varang (Oona Chaplin), who is very interested in getting her hands on weaponry that will give her people a huge advantage over those they seek to rob and conquer. Meanwhile, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) is still trying to figure out how to best live in harmony with Pandora, and Spider (Jack Champion) has to ensure that he has a working facemask available if he wants to keep breathing properly while being the one full human living amidst the Na'vi.

It's James Cameron in the director's chair once again (I doubt he would ever hand the reigns over to anyone else), and he's also still one of the main writers (alongside the returning Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver). Avatar: Fire And Ash may be as derivative as the previous instalments, it may be as uneven in terms of the pacing leading up to an action-packed finale, but it's still one hell of a spectacle. Whether or not you enjoy that spectacle is entirely up to you, especially when a lot of the plotting seems to get sillier and sillier as the series continues. I still appreciate the beauty and detailing of the visuals though, and it's astonishing to see how much smoother and clearer everything is as the tech has evolved in the 17 years since the first movie was released.

Worthington, Saldaña, and Weaver are still very comfortable in their portrayal of the blue-skinned leads, and Lang remains an entertaining villain, although he's given a small amount of extra development this time around to make me consider referring to him in that role with quotation marks. There are some people here who are arguably worse, whether looking to hunt and maim some peaceful marine mammals or looking to rain down fire on their enemies. Chaplin is interested in the latter, and she's a great addition to the series. I'm not going to get into the problematic nature of some of the casting, but the supporting cast has time for many supporting names (Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, etc) and some welcome newcomers (Edie Falco being a standout). Sadly, the worst performance comes from Champion, the young man who seems to have become notably worse in his acting when he's not simply reacting to greenscreen elements and the wealth of CGI surrounding him.

Simon Franglen provides a very good score, and the soundscape throughout is fantastic (shout out to the oft-neglected foley artists), but this remains all about the visuals ahead of everything else. People may sneer when I say that it does feel like watching someone play a good videogame for a lot of the runtime, but that's not the insult it may once have been. Many modern videogames can look gorgeous, and the best of them have even better storylines than this, so watching someone play one isn't the disconnected and uninvolving experience it used to be.

Like a favourite holiday destination I've visited a few too many times, Pandora remains a beautiful place to visit. I just don't get as enthusiastic about it as I used to. I'll keep going back though, Cameron has maintained high standards that ensure my loyalty to the series, but I will no longer plan my calendar around it. 

7/10

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Prime Time: Hidden Agenda (1990)

There's always reason to be wary when about to watch a film set during, or around, "The Troubles", which is all I'm going to say about the setting for Hidden Agenda here. But I was comforted when I saw the main cast for this film, and further comforted by seeing it was directed by Ken Loach. That didn't mean it would necessarily be any less difficult to watch, but everything would hopefully be handled with a sensitivity and intelligence that runs through most of Loach's filmography.

Everything begins with the death of an American human rights lawyer in Northern Ireland. There's a reason given for his shooting (by police who apparently believed he was armed and dangerous), but the messiness of the whole thing leads to an investigation headed up by Peter Kerrigan (Brian Cox). Kerrigan wants to remain impartial and fair, and he is on the side of Ingrid Jessner (Frances McDormand), a young woman who was Sullivan's assistant, and suspects foul play. Can the two upset those in power without facing some serious, and potentially deadly, repercussions?

Written by Jim Allen, who worked with Loach on stage and screen many times over the years, Hidden Agenda uses the situation at the heart of the tale to look at those who profit from manipulating things from behind the scenes. It also shows how authorities often make excuses to avoid "playing by the rules", making the most of a turbulent and scary situation to tie up any loose ends and maintain their own, as the title says, hidden agenda. Whether fighting against enemies in our own streets or on a remote battlefield, there are rules that govern such things, even if they seem ridiculous in the face of such brutality and bloodshed, and when those rules aren't adhered to then it can be terrifying to think of just how easily people can have carte blanche to reshape narratives and territories.

Loach does well to tread much more carefully than his protagonist. This isn't about being on one side or the other. It's about trying to see proper justice done in a time when many decided they could act with impunity, considering themselves above the law (whether they were part of the establishment or fighting against it).

Cox is fantastic in his role, as strong-willed and smart as ever, and it's fascinating to watch him try his best to keep his moral compass pointed the right way while so many attempts are made to spin the needle in many different directions. McDormand is also very good, able to play someone in peril without seeming like a helpless "damsel in distress". The fact that she is American helps to make her character feel slightly ill-prepared for the true depth of the waters that she has waded into. Jim Norton is equally good, playing a member of the police force who may or may not know more about the killing than he's letting on, and Maurice Roëves excels as someone with a pivotal role in a piece of evidence that could change the entire nature of the investigation, if it can be corroborated.

This may feel like a bit of a dated snapshot to some nowadays, but I would argue that a number of current events make this just as relevant as ever. You can easily connect the dots from this to the importance of keeping checks and balances on Presidential power, for example, or the many times a "battle against terrorism" has been used to strip away rights and kill huge parts of a civilian population. In many ways, the most quaint thing about this is the fact that those pulling the strings did actually try to hide their agenda. That doesn't happen so much nowadays. People just keep over-reaching, and nobody else seems able or willing to force them back into their established boundaries. 

8/10

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Exit 8 (2025)

Based on a videogame that I was unfamiliar with (not to worry though, the ever-watching internet ensured that my algorithm has since delivered me a number of videos showing me people trying to speed-run the game), Exit 8 is another film that has been given some decent amount of praise from horror movie fans. I was very keen to see it, but sadly couldn't get along to a screening while it was in cinemas.

Sometimes things work out for a reason. Exit 8 is good, but it's a bit too slight. While I enjoyed most of it while it was on, I doubt I'll rush to rewatch it. And I'm not sure it will be remembered by many a couple of years from now, despite how odd and relatively unique it is.

Kazunari Ninomiya is the main character, a man who gets lost when he steps off his train and wanders around a subway station that he soon discovers is a physics-defying test of observation skills. The man finds some instructions, details of how he can find his way to the titular exit, and then has to spend his time wandering through very similar, sometimes identical, corridors looking for anomalies. Those anomalies may be details in the posters on the walls, they may be some of the other people who pass by (a walking man is seen many times, played by Yamato Kochi, and there's also a young boy, played by Naru Asanuma, and a schoolgirl, played by Korone Hanase), or they may be some misaligned tiles. They could be anywhere, making it a great challenge to keep making progress towards Exit 8. 

Co-written by Kentaro Hirase and director Genki Kawamura, Exit 8 is all about the concept. It tries to convey the feeling of disorientation and creeping dread as main characters struggle to extricate themselves from the situation, but the fact that so many scenes take place in an environment with bright lighting and plentiful white tiles stops it from being as creepy and tense as it could be. The game may be a more immersive and engrossing experience, and Kawamura tries to drag viewers right into the premise here by making use of some POV camerawork throughout the earliest scenes, but a film needs to work harder to unsettle and scare those watching it.

Ninomiya does a good job in the main role. He's good at reacting to the strangeness of the situation, and is allowed to make comments to help explain things without having to keep up any kind of running commentary. Kochi is arguably the most memorable of the characters onscreen, and he's easily as good as Ninomiya. Asanuma and Hanase play characters fated to be a bit more passive, for the most part, but both benefit from being able to present themselves as familiar archetypes.

Despite enjoying this, I struggle to see who it would work for. Fans of the game will probably always prefer to play the game, those unfamiliar with the source material won't appreciate the details recreated for the film, and horror fans after some straightforward thrills and chills will probably be disappointed by how tame the whole thing is. I must be missing some of the appeal though, because so many other people have already enjoyed this one, and they've been enthusiastically recommending it to others. I won't be matching their enthusiasm, but I'd still encourage people to check this one out. There are moments to enjoy. I just can't think of anyone who will love it.

6/10

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Mubi Monday: The Blazing Sun (1954)

I was tempted this week to watch some movie featuring cool weather, maybe even something set in a winter full of snow and ice, because sometimes watching that kind of entertainment can trick your mind into feeling that you're actually benefiting from the lower temperature yourself. And that would have been quite a relief during this ongoing spell of stifling heat here in the UK. Then I noticed The Blazing Sun, and I figured that I could sit and swelter some more, turning this particular movie viewing into a more immersive experience.

What you have here is a look at lovers denied their chance of happiness, but there's also a more prominent storyline about those with wealth and power stooping to dastardly deeds in order to retain those things. Omar Sharif is Ahmed, a young man who has helped his father (Abdel Waress Assar) to improve the production of sugar cane on his farm. This displeases Taher Pasha (Zaki Rostom), the wealthy owner of a competing sugar cane facility, which leads to sabotage, murder, and an innocent man being framed. Ahmed keeps fighting back, but things don't look good for him. They might also affect the woman, Amal (Faten Hamama), he has been in a secret relationship with, having to hide it from others due to their differences in social class.

Written by Hilmi Halim and Ali El Zorkani, this is another in a long line of films I have seen in recent years that feels more depressing when you consider how little has changed in the main territory being explored. It's all about keeping the status quo, which keeps the money with those who already have more than enough of it, and nothing here feels surprising now that we're more used to seeing how great fortunes seem to turn most mega-rich individuals into caricatures of Bond villains (which would be hilarious if it wasn't so frustrating and worrying).

I've seen a few other films from director Youssef Chahine, but this is one of his best. Mind you, it should be noted that I am comparing it to the other 4 or 5 I have seen from a filmography that has him credited as a director on over 40 features. Others may have better examples of his work, but I am happy to put this on a par with the excellent Cairo Station. 

The film is helped by Omar Sharif in his first onscreen role (billed here as Omar El Cherif). Quite obviously a captivating star from his very first appearance, Sharif is a believably good and strong young man struggling to make a better life for his loved ones, as well as himself. Hamama is a good pairing for him, and shows real strength of character when things become more dangerous and difficult in the second half of the film. Rostom plays his part with an enjoyable sense of self-belief, initially, and it's good to see him being shaken and worn down as others start to fight back and show him what can happen when people don't accept a fate dictated to them by self-serving individuals crafted by society to be deemed their "superiors".

You might not want to watch this while the titular star is causing you some discomfort during this time of year, but you should definitely check it out at some point. It's excellent stuff, and the 105-minute runtime practically whizzes by. 

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: Voicemails For Isabelle (2026)

Jill (Zoey Deutch) is a young woman who spends her days wishing that she could realise her dreams of becoming a chef in her own establishment and spends numerous evenings navigating her way through many disastrous dates. She copes with her many disappointments by leaving voicemails for Isabelle, her deceased younger sister. Unbeknownst to Jill, Isabelle's number has been repurposed, which means that Wes (Nick Robinson) is receiving all of her calls to his new work phone. Romance, in a very complicated way, inevitably ensues.

Written and directed by Leah McKendrick, who also gives herself a solid supporting role, Voicemails For Isabelle is manipulative, predictable, and built on a central premise that makes the actions of our wannabe-male suitor even creepier than usual. It's also absolutely top-drawer rom-com stuff, with a great balance of laughs and sweetness, helped by a couple of recurring elements that show the bonds that will never be broken between Jill and Isabelle. It also does such a good job of showcasing a certain Robyn song that I am sure that will be returning to charts soon, thanks to the way streaming plays are counted when these things are calculated nowadays.

Both leads are very easy to like, which is another big plus. Deutch is better here than she has been in anything else I've seen her in (although that may just be due to me not seeing her best work) and Robinson does well enough to stay cute and well-behaved while dealing with the problematic nature of how he has fallen in love with a woman who doesn't know how much of her life he has been able to hear. McKendrick and Harry Shum Jr. are very enjoyable as friends and about-to-be-newlyweds who are also best friends with our male lead, and very quick to point out how wrong and creepy his behaviour is when he confesses to what is going on, and there are fun supporting roles for Toby Sandeman, Lukas Gage, and Nick Offerman, all playing decidedly awful men who make Jill's life much harder than it needs to be. Megan Danso seems to be playing someone determined to remain silently suffering and stoic throughout, but she benefits from the fact that her character has a believable enough transformation just in time for the final act.

While using tech at the heart of the premise, McKendrick is very smart in how she presents that as just one small way in which people can stay connected. There are so many others presented throughout the film, from that aforementioned pop song to food, from nicknames to similar past experiences that shaped who you are today, and they're all bundled together to show how people hold on to what they treasure above all else, but also how people can know when to let something go now that it has done the job of helping to define them as they continue to move forward through life.

It's hard to think of anyone not getting some joy from this, although the kind of people who point-blank refuse to acknowledge any of their own feelings will want to stay away. It's both sweet and spicy, but not too spicy, there are a lot of very funny gags littered throughout the screenplay, and McKendrick puts in a lot of very hard work to ensure that there's a good enough sense of redemption and penitence before the standard "running against the clock to hopefully reunite" finale. I was going to say that I enjoyed this despite knowing how every moment was going to play out, but there were also one or two surprises that allow it to pretend to be less formulaic and predictable than it ultimately is. 

I really wasn't looking forward to this, the title and the marketing imagery didn't instil me with great confidence, but I would happily rewatch it right now. 

7/10

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Shudder Saturday: Cannibal Mukbang (2025)

Do you know what mukbanging is? Don’t worry. Neither did I. It is very handy that writer-director Aimee Kuge presumes ignorance, allowing us a moment when two main characters discuss it. I won’t go into any more details here, but it’s most likely a lot tamer and esoteric than anything you might be thinking. It’s certainly a step or two removed from sploshing, which was where my mind went (I will let you search that one online).

What you have here is the story of a young man (Mark, played by Nate Wise) who meets a young woman (Ash, played by April Consalo). A relationship develops, eventually. But as Mark is allowed further into Ash’s world it soon becomes apparent that she’s much more dangerous than she first appears. Well . . . She’s dangerous to the wrong type of men. Can Mark stay on her good side, and will he be able to continue to accept the entirety of her nature?

The directorial debut of Kuge is a fun and interesting little film. It’s hampered by the obvious limitations (reflected in the small core cast and production design that spends as much time trying to disguise environments as it does trying to show elements that reflect the lifestyles of the leads), and some will be disappointed by how relatively tame it is, considering whatever imagery the title evokes, but it’s a dark and amusing look at a relationship where someone is so happy in so many ways that they’re willing to overlook, and even sometimes participate in, one or two behaviours that are socially-unacceptable. 

Wise is good in his role, and calls to mind a number of similar actors who I could easily imagine giving similar performances, but the film belongs to Consalo, who generally coveys a loveliness and strength of personality that helps to convince us viewers that she would remain loved by someone who was also starting to see her at her worst (or best, depending on your own attitude towards her actions). Clay von Carlowitz plays the other main character to receive some decent screentime, and he is entertainingly awful throughout.

I wanted to get a bit more from this, in the humour or the horror of it, but I am not really disappointed with how it all turned out. Kuge seems to have known exactly what movie she wanted to present, even if it wasn’t always the film I wanted it to be for every minute, and there’s nothing here that feels as if it falls far short of her specific vision. That makes it a great success.

I am not sure others will enjoy it as much as I did, but I still recommend it nonetheless. Bizarrely, it makes an interesting companion piece to Obsession, which makes me glad that I waited until now to finally get around to watching it.

7/10

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Supergirl (2026)

I don't know about others, but I was tentatively looking forward to Supergirl. I had been blown away by the latest cinematic incarnation of Superman, and I had some faith in James Gunn keeping a keen eye on quality control while allowing film-makers to deliver us an enjoyably eclectic mix of features making use of comic-book imagery in different ways. I also tend to enjoy the work of director Craig Gillespie, who seems to have recently settled into a pattern of stitching his movies together between a number of entertaining needle-drop moments.

Sadly, this isn't anywhere close to the previous Super-blockbuster from DC. And a large part of that is to do with Gillespie, who now feels like he's just being lazy and careless while always going for the easiest directorial choices.

Here's the very basic plot synopsis. Milly Alcock is Supergirl, a young woman who spends most of her time either playing with her dog, Krypto, or getting drunk (and perhaps secretly hoping for someone to pick a fight with her). Eve Ridley is Ruthye, a young woman out for revenge after her parents were killed by the vicious Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts). When Ruthye and Supergirl cross paths, Krem ensures that he will be chased down by both when he poisons Krypto. An antidote is needed, the clock is ticking, and there's bound to be a fair bit of mayhem and destruction, especially when Lobo (Jason Momoa) eventually swaggers into the picture.

Written by Ana Noguiera, this is a frustrating watch. Alcock is superb in the lead role, especially when showing her struggle to deal with her sense of loneliness and isolation. She has the perfect attitude to keep others away after accepting that her life seems destined to be one of solitude anyway. It's just a shame that Noguiera and Gillespie only afford her a couple of moments to really show what's going on beneath the surface, instead seeming content to offer viewers a collection of rehashed superhero movie tropes accompanied by some of those aforementioned needle-drops. You want someone almost at their very end, but able to gain a sudden burst of energy to keep them alive? You got it. You want the music to twirl and spiral up to someone opening their eyes to either show the power in them or shoot lasers? You got it. How about a sequence in which someone just gets to cut loose and have fun overpowering villains after spending some time being beaten down and restrained. Oh yes. What could have been a good mix of fun action and teen troubles is, sadly, pushed aside for one MOVIE MOMENT after another. If you want something more than surface-level slickness then you'll have to look elsewhere.

Aside from Alcock, Ridley is also good in her role, essentially providing motivation for the entire plot, as well as a potential redemption arc for our lead. Schoenaerts is buried under some decent makeup, but he does a good enough job of being a mean villain, and Momoa seems to be having a great time. This isn't a Lobo movie though, and nor should it be, and his brash and carefree approach to the situation that he finds himself in is very much at odds with the more interesting intertwining paths of our younger central characters. It's nice to see both David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham in small, but pivotal, roles, and any DC feature that makes room for a cameo from the current Superman is all the better for the screentime featuring David Corenswet.

I can see what is hidden away at the heart of this, and I admire the fact that this was given such a prominent position in the DC movie release schedule, but the good intentions are worn away and covered over by a writer and director who both seem unable, or unwilling, to take enough time away from the super-powered fighting and explosions to more fully explore what it would mean to be a grieving teen forced into the role of reluctant superhero, and how they might somehow manage to do the right thing even while working just as hard to keep their emotional walls up.

Thank goodness Alcock is another great casting choice in the DC universe, because this might have been a lot harder to watch without her presence. Oh, and I'm happy that they didn't overuse Krypto AKA the cutest super-dog and bestest boy.

5/10

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Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)

I get it. I understand why this has been titled Lee Cronin's The Mummy. You don't want to risk confusing people who are eagerly awaiting another adventure with Brendan Fraser and co. You also don't want to risk confusing people (okay person . . . okay . . . me) who might be thinking that one day they'll secretly try to get another Dark Universe movie made, with or without Tom Cruise in a lead role. I'm telling you, rewatch that movie and you may eventually see that it's not as bad as the reviews and box office might have you believe. But I digress. The point I was making was that I won't be insulting to Lee Cronin's The Mummy because of the title. I will, however, be insulting to it because of so many other things in the film.

This is a horrible and joyless mess of a film, seemingly helmed by someone who doesn't really seem interested in the main essence of the monster announced in the title. It's all about Charlie (Jack Reynor) and Larissa (Laia Costa), a couple who go through the pain of having one of their children snatched away from them. Things look up slightly when she's found again years later though, but she's been seriously traumatised. And mummified. What can be done to help her get back to normality? Is she the same soul that she was when abducted years ago? 

As so many others have already said, this is Lee Cronin filtering some mummy movie ideas through the filter of an Evil Dead movie. I wouldn't have minded that if it had been as much fun as that blend suggests. It's not. the 134-minute runtime feels like a real slog, especially throughout the first half of the movie, and there's not enough in the third act to make up for how draining the rest of it is. 

Reynor and Costa are both fine in their roles, although both have been MUCH better in a number of other features. Natalie Grace works well as young Katie, mostly buried under a lot of makeup that helps her to look quite scary and pained. That's really all I have to say. That's not the extent of the cast, but nobody else gets to make a strong enough impression. There's a determined detective (May Calamawy), but she feels as if she's only coming in and out of the film to ensure the main characters get to hear enough exposition. There are other children (played by Shylo Molina and Billie Roy), but they never feel quite as endangered as they could be, considering they are siblings set to be manipulated by their transformed sister. And there are one or two other characters I was waiting to see meet some kind of nasty end. It's a shame that Hayat Kamille isn't used more, because her character (The Magician) felt like someone actually interesting enough to want to spend some more time with.

There's very little else to say about this. It's visually ugly, for the most part, I have already forgotten the score by Stephen McKeon (honestly, it might have been alright, but my mood was so soured by everything else that I was battling against some kind of wall of rage-induced white noise), and someone should have had the sense to scrap everything quite early on and restart from scratch.

I would never claim to be the biggest fan of Mummy movies at any time, they're my least favourite of the big classic monsters, but this turgid pile is already a strong contender for one of the worst cinematic releases of 2026, and also sits very low in any ranked list of Mummy movies, not counting the efforts that were made with a tenth of this budget. 

3/10

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Prime Time: Over Your Dead Body (2026)

I was hoping to make time for this after finally watching the film that it was based on (The Trip, directed by Tommy Wirkola), but sometimes things aren't meant to be. Which means I saw this was now on Amazon Prime and it seemed like the best way to spend some of my time this past weekend.

Dan (Jason Segel) and Lisa (Samara Weaving) are a married couple who don't love each other any more. Maybe a weekend break will help them. It will certainly help Dan once he's drugged and killed Lisa, then disposed of her body in the nearby lake. Dan isn't too smart though, which allows Lisa to soon cotton on to what he's planning. And she has her own plan. Both of them may try to kill one another, but they might also both be shown exactly how they should do things by three dangerous fugitives (played by Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, and Keith Jardine).

Written by Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, working from the screenplay co-written by Wirkola, Nick Ball, and John Niven, Over Your Dead Body is the kind of film best described as a deliciously dark comedy. It's just a shame that all of the real deliciousness and darkness appears in the third act, and doesn't quite do enough to make up for the disappointments elsewhere in the runtime.

Segel and Weaving are both great performers, but neither of them are doing their best work here. It would have been nice to have more scenes letting them be more vicious to each other, but we instead just get standard griping and poor communication underlining where they both are in their marriage (the end, they're both at the end of it). Everything picks up when a strange trio gatecrash the planned violence, thanks mainly to a typically brilliant turn from Olyphant, although he's almost matched by a lovestruck Lewis. Jardine has to play a strong idiot, which he does fine, but his character is the least interesting of the core selection. The other person to mention is Paul Guilfoyle, playing a grumpy and critical father who believes that a war would be the best thing for his son. Guilfoyle is casually dismissive and careless without seeming loathsome, and he gets a couple of great moments when he comes back into the picture after his earliest scenes.

I've enjoyed some other work from director Jorma Taccone (especially the brilliant Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping), but I believe he works better with light and silly fare. Whether it's the source material or the very wobbly tonal tightrope here, he's not able to do as well here. Mind you, I am not sure many people would be able to spin gold from a sequence in which someone is threatened with anal rape if they don't promise to hand over enough money to help some desperate criminals finalise their escape plan.

If you like the stars then you'll get something from this, and there are some fantastic gore gags in the last 15-20 minutes, but it's just a shame that there wasn't more energy running through this. From the dialogue to the score, nothing really works in the first hour that helps it to get anywhere close to being as entertaining as the finale. I'll be interested to see if the original does it any better. 

4/10

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Toy Story 5 (2026)

Every time I have heard about a Toy Story sequel I have had the same reaction. No sequel is ever really needed, but Toy Story felt as if it was even more deserving than most to be left as a solo feature. Then things went very well with what became a fantastic trilogy. All good. Crisis avoided. Then Toy Story 4 was announced. Oh dear. Thankfully, it was fun and entertaining. It still felt unnecessary, but it didn't do anything to really drag down the series. Now we have Toy Story 5. Oh dear.

Toys are now facing some kind of extinction event. Tech is taking over. Children are starting to replace proper play time with time spent looking at screens. While toys don't want to be abandoned, few feel more pained by the thought of that fate than Jessie (Joan Cusack). She's been through that before, and takes it very personally when her owner, young Bonnie, is seduced by the glowing screen of a piece of tech named Lilypad (Greta Lee). So begins a quest to get Bonnie offline and connected with other children, although every other child also seems happier to be looking at a screen now.

Co-written and co-directed by Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, the best thing about Toy Story 5 is the fact that it's very much focused on Jessie. Fans of the series will remember how sad her backstory is, and you should prepare yourself to be manipulated some more throughout this adventure, but I would argue that it deserves better treatment when being used as the spine of a full narrative. Without spoiling anything, there's one scene here that is supposed to be quite uplifting and revelatory, but I think the whole film would have been all the better if that moment was played to move us into much darker and more complex territory. That would be a trickier sell for kids, of course, but if anyone can do it then Pixar can.

As you'd expect, this looks absolutely gorgeous throughout. While I have fond memories of the first film in this series, there's no doubt that each instalment has seen the talented people at Pixar improve and refine their craft. The textures here are so realistic that there are times when you feel as if you're watching some actual footage of toys that have been caught moving around of their own accord.

The voice cast are also very good in their roles. Many people return, including Cusack, Tom Hanks, and Tim Allen, and Lee is a great choice for the calm and savvy Lilypad. She would be the main highlight, in fact, if it wasn't for Conan O'Brien, who voices a potty-training device named Smarty Pants. Offering some inventiveness and sheer fun that is sadly lacking elsewhere throughout the film, O'Brien is the best thing about this sadly disappointing mess, although I should also namecheck Ernie Hudson, a cameoing Alan Cumming, Shelby Rabaram Craig Robinson, and Tony Hale returning to the role of Forky. Everyone else does very good work with what they're given, but these feel most deserving of being in a much better film.

Coming along so soon after Disclosure Day, this is a strangely appropriate film to sit alongside that one. It's another blockbuster from someone very talented who now feels stuck in place while so many others have raced ahead. And the fact that the film-makers can't even maintain a strong stance set up by the main premise feels either like a) they knew that would be an impossible position, but figured the rest of the film would work well enough anyway, or b) they didn't want to upset the companies that make so much money from selling us our tech and apps and social media bubbles.

The fact that Toy Story 5 isn't as funny as I hoped it would be isn't the biggest problem. It's not really being sold as a comedy, after all. The fact that it stumbles around the main ideas being explored isn't the biggest problem either. The intentions are clear, and one or two moments still manage to work, especially in the best moments that were featured in the trailer. The biggest problem this film has is not knowing what to do with a handful of beloved characters. Jessie feels as if she's being forced to pick at her scars, Woody wanders in to basically show that he's still around, and Buzz Lightyear . . . well, Buzz once embraced the fact that he could fall with style. Now he can fly. And that might best exemplify how the series has now moved too far away from the fun feeling of "let's pretend" that was locked into so many frames of the previous films. 

4/10

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Mubi Monday: Orphan (2025)

Every time I see that a film is directed by László Nemes I am reminded of his masterpiece, Son Of Saul. That's a bit unfair, especially when I need to try to avoid comparing his other films to that towering achievement, but I can't help it. I have seen one other film from him, Sunset, that I liked, but didn't love. And now I have seen Orphan, which is a marked return to form.

Once again dealing with people and mental states shaped by the horrors of the Holocaust, Nemes this time puts viewers alongside a young boy named Andor (Bojtorján Barabas). Andor has spent some time in an orphanage while his mother (Klára, played by Andrea Waskovics) was hiding in the countryside, but is happily reunited with her a decade later. He has no such luck with his father though, who was killed during the war, but Andor still hopes to see him again one day. Then along comes Mihály Berend (Grégory Gadebois), the man who helped to keep Klára hidden, in exchange for payment. He wants a relationship with Klára, and he would also be happy to accept Andor as his son. But does he deserve them?

Co-writing the screenplay once again with Clara Royer, Nemes has delivered a film here that is arguably more thought-provoking and difficult to process than his feature debut. That film remains his best, and most powerful, work, but there's so much folded in here that it's hard to untangle every strand and unpick every knot. 

A lot of people wanted to quickly forget what they had to do to survive during wartime, whether for good or bad reasons, and Orphan shows how impossible that is, especially for those who somehow managed to profit from it, and maybe even improve their lot in life. Good deeds don't necessarily stem from good intentions, and bad people can be sanctuary for those fleeing even worse people. Can you just leave the past in the past when it arrives in the shape of someone who wants to be a part of your future? 

All of the performances here are as fantastic as they need to be, but most of the praise has to go to both Barabas and Gadebois, playing two people with very different views of the world, but perhaps a common desire for love and safety now that the world seems to be resettling after such a turbulent time. Despite their huge age gap, both characters seem to look at one another with silent understanding as they work around Klára to get things their own way. As the woman caught between her son and an unexpected suitor, Waskovics is superb, showing how much she has to seriously consider her best way forward in life, even if it feels very much like she's caught between a rock and a hard place. Elíz Szabó is also very good, playing a young friend named Sári, and there are one or two others in supporting roles who get to feature in some very powerful moments.

There are a couple of minor elements here that aren't given enough time or attention, but Orphan is well worth your time for the way it continually balances smaller moments with some big, and difficult to definitively answer, questions. The beautiful cinematography from Mátyás Erdély also helps, as does every other technical aspect, but the real power of it comes from the ideas being explored. I'll be thinking of this film for a long time yet, and I encourage others to watch it and join me in some serious contemplation.

9/10

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Netflix And Chill: Flashdance (1983)

I'm always a bit wary when finally getting to movies that had their big moment in the sun many decades ago. Flashdance may not be a film that many rush to watch or rewatch nowadays, but it certainly made enough impact on pop culture to feel very familiar to everyone. The soundtrack is full of great tunes, the plotting is as predictable as expected, and there's a couple of dance sequences that remain more well-known today than anything from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

It's the age-old tale of a young woman who welds by day and dances by night, working shifts at a bar while dreaming about joining a prestigious ballet school. The young woman is Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals), and she soon catches the eye of her boss, Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri). Other people around Alex have different dreams. Jeanie (Sunny Johnson) wants to be celebrated for her ice-skating skills, Richie (Kyle T. Heffner) is a cook who longs to be a stand-up comedian, and Johnny C. (Lee Ving) wants to poach both Alex and Jeanie for his club, where the girls dance with less clothing on.

Written by Thomas Hedley Jr. (billed here as Tom Hedley) and Joe Eszterhas,  and directed with the usual style and polish expected from Adrian Lyne, despite this being only his second feature, Flashdance holds up as a surprisingly interesting film for a couple of reasons. It's still essentially only one step away from being a teen-friendly fairytale romance, but the screenplay works hard to present one or two refreshingly interesting elements, not least of which is the agency and confidence of the main character.

Alex may be young, she may be striving to follow a dream that she's still also slightly afraid of, but she is very aware of the world that is already working to grind down her and her friends. She's also comfortable in her own skin in a way that disarms the older Nick. I liked watching her battle her way through each day, even if not all of those battles seemed completely necessary. Because that's another great thing about Alex. She's far from perfect, and some moments make her feel more like the antagonist than the protagonist in her own story.

The writers also deliver a surprise in the ways they juxtapose the potential silliness of the main plot points with moments that feel a bit more grounded and gritty. I'm not saying this is the Hollywood equivalent of a Ken Loach movie, far from it, but it tries to show why some people will keep taking a number of risks to drag themselves toward one lovely moment in the sunshine after years spent being rained on. It also avoids having most of the main characters judging the dancing women for making some money that way, although there's definitely a tiresome dividing line laid down between those who dance provocatively and those who dance topless. 

Beals is an appealing leading lady, and convinces in both the emotional moments and the dance sequences (helped enormously by the work of Marine Jahan and others). Nouri isn't too bad either, although has to spend most of his times in scenes being outshone by Beals' wardrobe. Johnson is easy to like, Heffner is easy to be irritated by (his character feels more like someone destined to be the second or third victim in some slasher movie sequel), and Ving is an odd mix of menace and empty bravado. It's also worth mentioning Cynthia Rhodes, who made her way into three dance-based films in the 1980s that could all be considered iconic, even if one feels much more forgotten than the other two nowadays.

I'm glad to have finally watched this. It's not a true great, although many who saw it when it was first released may feel differently about it, but it's better than some of the other films from this era that are held within a safe bubble of nostalgia. I guess . . . all's well that ends weld. 

6/10

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Shudder Saturday: Find Your Friends (2026)

There are good films. There are bad films. There are fun films. There are films that are painful to watch. When I started watching Find Your Friends I was hoping that it would be a good film. After a bit of time had passed I started hoping that it would at least be a fun film. By the time it was all over I had to concede that I'd sat through something quite painful. Not only painful, but also involving people painfully unaware of the sub-genre that they're working in. Although the marketing of a movie and the substance of a movie are two very different things, I saw some recent interview with Bella Thorne that underlined just how little she knew about the tropes she was working with. Not only did she dive into something quite spoiler-ific just days after the film had been released, but she went on to discuss a certain scene as if it was a bold new cinematic vision, also bizarrely trying to state that we normally see that kind of thing portrayed with the gender roles reversed. When you've seen the movie then you'll know just how wrong that is.

Anyway, to the film itself. This is the tale of some young women who head out to a party in the middle of a pretty isolated desert area. There's danger all around them, of course, but some of the main characters seem more inclined to take a risk as they aim to make the most of their carefree time. The one person who seems aware of just how bad things could get is Amber (Helena Howard), but her friends think that she may be acting just a bit too highly-strung. In fact, she's really starting to make a habit of spoiling any parties. 

Written and directed by Izabel Pakzad, her feature debut, Find Your Friends is arguably a much more frustrating viewing experience for what it almost does well. The opening scenes are an impressive mix of agony and ecstasy, and there's also a really good point made about how women can be vulnerable and targeted by abusers even in the most crowded and noisy spaces. There's also an interesting look at what it can mean to be a woman supporting other women, yet also wanting the time and space to make some potentially silly and irresponsible choices without having to fear consequences that could change your entire life. That clash, a clash that really never affects men, who much more often get to drink too much and party too hard and wander through different environments with a much less chance of being harmed (by anyone other than themselves), isn't explored in too many other movies, but Pakzad doesn't find quite the right way to explore it here. A couple of conversations work, but they have their impact lessened by the fact that viewers are waiting for the main, very predictable, plotline to pick back up again at some point. 

Howard and Thorne are both fine onscreen, and they're accompanied by Zión Moreno, Chloe Cherry, and Sophia Ali. It's just a shame that the film doesn't give us any more depth to the characters than "these are young women, and they should be allowed, and able, to party if they want to". It's not worth mentioning the male cast members, who are all asked to generally portray various types of bastards, although Chris Bauer was a welcome familiar face in his couple of main scenes. Again, sadly, his character development was about as predictable as everything else here.

There's a decent soundtrack, and I guess there's also a decent feeling of disorientation here and there (that specific type of disorientation when you're on holiday and trying to find your way back from a good night out to wherever you are supposed to be spending the night), but most of this is one big wasted opportunity. Yes, many will be satisfied by a pleasingly unflinching set-piece in the third act, but the rest of the film really should have been much better, especially when considering the complexity and nuance of the thematic strands presented so clearly in a couple of key scenes. I'll be generous with my rating here, for what I consider to be the good intentions of Pakzad, but I don't think many people will get much from this. Feel free to ask me for five specific films that could be considered similar, but are much better than this, and I'll happily get back to you ASAP.

4/10

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