LATEST REVIEWS BY THE POPCORN PANEL
No-holds-barred reviews of movies, TV shows, and streaming services by film and TV connoisseur Alex Cearns. 

THE DRAMA

Charlie Thompson (Robert Pattinson) and Emma Harwood (Zendaya) are engaged and just a week away from their wedding. During a boozy dinner with their close friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), they play a game where everyone confesses the worst thing they’ve ever done. Emma drops a bombshell and reveals a shocking secret, triggering adverse reactions from Charlie and Rachel. Charlie starts to spiral with doubt and anxiety, creating a huge wedge between the couple right when they are supposed to be starting the rest of their lives together. His actions have a ripple effect that impacts several others and leads to a destructive game of Chinese whispers. Surreal sequences are cleverly used to show Charlie’s paranoid thoughts as he tries to process Emma’s past. The leads have a genuine chemistry and are believable as two people who are in love, and then as two people struggling to stay in love. They are both superb, with Pattinson in particular skilfully using his range of emotions to add to the rising tension as their relationship unravels. The script is engrossing and really pulls you into the ethics of Emma’s confession, making you consider how we judge people for the things they did at different times in their lives. This is not a rom-com by any means – it has psychological depth and a moral undertone guaranteed to make you think. Go in spoiler free! You’ll need a post-movie debrief with friends once it ends. A drama filled with drama. Touché!

SCORE:

Alex and Saraj’s Score 9/10

PARADISE SEASON 2

This season confidently stands on its own as a post‑apocalyptic drama. The reveal that its characters are living inside a meticulously designed underground bunker in Colorado reframes the story in a way that’s unsettling and compelling. Sterling K. Brown remains excellent as Xavier Collins, with his journey beyond the bunker and into a broken world providing the central story. Flashbacks add depth, particularly through Annie’s story (Shailene Woodley), with Memphis and Graceland serving as a distinctive and fitting survival setting that grounds her friendship with Teri (Enuka Okuma). Julianne Nicholson’s Sinatra continues to bring tension to the bunkers power dynamics, even as the layered mysteries occasionally feel dense. The soundtrack is a standout, using nostalgic music from different decades, including early 90’s tracks and stripped back acoustic closers to add intrigue and emotion.

SCORE:

Amanda’s Score 8.5/10

THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD

Marianne Farrere (Isabelle Huppert) is the richest woman in the world and head of a global cosmetics empire. She meets flamboyant photographer Pierre-Alain Fantin (Laurent Lafitte) when he takes her portrait for a magazine, and he instantly ingratiates himself into her life by turning on the charm. She finds his inappropriate sexual innuendos funny and is immediately captivated by his domineering energy, failing to see that he lives with a complete disregard for others and lacks a moral compass. As the two become increasingly inseparable, Farrere’s inner circle grows concerned by his manipulation, which culminates in her gifting him over €700,000,000. Tired of seeing him exploit Farrere’s open chequebook, her stepdaughter Frederique (Marina Foïs) eventually sets the wheels in motion to have him charged with elder abuse. Shockingly this film is loosely inspired by the true ‘Bettencourt Affair’ involving L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and photographer Francois-Marie Banier, which came to light in 2010. Lafitte does a superb job of making your skin crawl as the manipulative Fantin, while Huppert is perfectly cast as the regal yet vulnerable heiress. Something that irked me throughout the entire movie was the unrealistic notion that a woman worth billions would frequent public places without a security detail (until the final scene), when in reality someone of her wealth would be accompanied by protection at all times. An edit of the runtime by cutting at least fifteen minutes would’ve also kept the momentum consistent and removed the few bits that feel overextended. A cautionary tale of a predator and his prey, driven by dollar signs.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.9/10

Leeanne’s Score 8.5/10

CABR Score 8/10

THESE SACRED VOWS

This six part series opens with mild mannered Father Vincent (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) floating face down in a villa swimming pool the morning after a destination wedding. The plot then jumps back in time to the week leading up to the tragedy, with each episode sharing a different character’s point of view and revealing their secrets, lies, and betrayals. Set in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, this has been disparagingly called a “poor man’s version” of The White Lotus and it’s definitely not as polished as its predecessor. The casting is solid though and the script has moments of Irish wit which made me laugh out loud. The strongest episode is the first one which shows how Father Vincent navigates the passive aggressive attitudes of the young guests he’s forced to share accommodation with. When the focus shifts to some of the other, less likeable characters, the plot becomes repetitive, particularly in the middle chapters where the same events are covered multiple times. The final reveal regarding Father Vincent’s fate feels underwhelming, particularly after enduring the tedious antics of an obnoxious, unlikeable middle class. So-so.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6/10

THE FRENCH JOB

Yonathan (Melvil Poupaud) is a nervous-natured watch expert whose life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with overbearing con artist Eric (Sofiane Zermani). Eric makes his living siphoning off stolen artwork and jewellery. When the “Spider-Man of Paris,” Jo (Steve Tientcheu), steals five artworks worth over $100 million, Eric draws Yonathan into his seedy world in an attempt to move them on. This film takes inspiration from the real life theft of irreplaceable Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Braque, and Léger paintings from the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris in 2010. While the facts are that three men were involved in the actual heist and went to jail, most of the plot feels fabricated and unrealistic. Pitched as a madcap comedy, this just didn’t bring the laughs. I found the dynamic between the characters to be grating, particularly Eric’s pushy, loudmouthed energy against Yonathan’s insipid, weak nature. I also despised their blatant and selfish disrespect for the stolen works. Seeing such priceless canvases reduced to garbage was maddening, although the reality is they’ve never been recovered. A farcical reenactment of an audacious crime.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 4.5/10

Janette’s Score 3/10

Leeanne’s Score 6/10

A DASH OF LOVE

When lawyer Melanie (Julia Piaton) receives a life changing medical diagnosis she convinces her friend Benjamin (Quentin Dolmaire) to join her on an impromptu road trip to Spain. As wheelchair users navigating a world that often overlooks accessibility, and with Melanie feeling like her health clock is ticking, the pair set off on a mission to experience physical intimacy on their own terms. Melanie enlists the help of Lucas (Grégory Gadebois), a recently released ex-con and former client who owns a beaten up orange van and is happy to drive them across the border. Along the way he notices a growing attraction between the two friends, which they are doing everything in their power to avoid. This is a light and sweet film with some genuine laughs. It manages to stay within the comfortable parameters of a romantic comedy and steers clear of diving into the heavier plot elements. This absence of a deeper background story made it hard for me to fully invest in the emotional stakes of Melanie and Benjamin. The messages that the journey is just as important as the destination and that physical connection is a fundamental need for all humans, shine through. It also serves as a gentle reminder that your heart’s desires are often found where you least expect them.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7/10

Janette’s Score 8/10

ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU

Commencing in 1948, this story traces the life of the Palestinian Hammad family across three generations. Partly drawing on the real life experiences of director Cherien Dabis’s own relatives, it explores their struggles and resilience after they are forced to flee their comfortable home in the coastal city of Jaffa. Dabis also plays Hanan, the wife of schoolteacher Salim (Saleh Bakri) and mother to Noor (Muhammad Abed Elrahman). As a child, Noor witnesses his father being humiliated by Israeli soldiers and loses respect for him, viewing him as a traitor for complying with their demeaning orders. While Salim tries to survive quietly, Noor adopts the rebellious views of his grandfather Sharif (Mohammad Bakri). By the time Noor is a teenager, he is emotionally disconnected from his parents and is tragically shot by soldiers during a protest. Hanan and Salim are later forced to make a difficult ethical decision that tests their faith and requires consultation with their local Imam. Years later, Hanan recounts the family’s history of resistance and shares insights into Noor’s radicalised motivations. This is a character driven film that highlights the enduring connection a person feels toward their first home, regardless of how much distance or time has come between them. It is superbly acted and mention must be made of the incredible performance by child actor Sanad Alkabareti as young Noor. With the family initially being quite wealthy, their experience doesn’t feel typical of the everyday Palestinian struggle – they had the funds to leave Jaffa in a private vehicle, avoided living in refugee camps, and eventually emigrated to Canada. Yet I get the point that there is no discernment between rich or poor in this scenario. The last quarter of the plot becomes overly sentimental and dipped into unrealistic territory before the final scene pulls it back together. A tighter edit of at least 30 minutes would’ve benefited the story to make it more succinct. A thought provoking examination of exile and its emotional intergenerational trauma.

SCORE:

Amanda’s Score 6.9/10

Janette’s Score 7.5/10

AGE OF ATTRACTION

In this eight part reality TV series, forty singles mingle at a retreat under the strict rule that they cannot disclose how old they are unless they meet their significant other. They can get cut or choose to leave if their relationship isn’t progressing along the way. While the aim is to prove that age is just a number, the whole premise of this social experiment feels fraught from the start. For some people, age can be a fundamental deal breaker and is something that would normally be addressed on a first date – or even before a first date. Keeping ages secret until emotional feelings have developed seems unfair to the participants, even though they know what they’re signing up for. The age reveals themselves are awkward especially when the gaps turn out to be decades wide, like 27 year old Vanelle Fenmou who pairs with young looking 60 year old Jorge Sanchez. Their 33 year difference makes their attraction much more complicated and Fenmou had no idea of Sanchez’s numbers. On a positive note, the chemistry between some of the couples is genuine and the show does a good job of casting people who seem open to finding “the one”. There’s some success at the end, with three couples going the distance, but time will tell if their relationships are sustainable.

SCORE:

Alex’s Score 6/10

THEY WILL KILL YOU

After spending ten years in prison for shooting her abusive father, Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) is released and takes a job as a housemaid at an exclusive apartment building in New York City. She’s on a mission to find her younger sister Maria (Myha’la) who is already working there. Not long after arriving, Asia realises she’s stepped into a den of devil worshippers (including characters played by Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, and Tom Felton) who are hunting her down. Turns out the building is home to a Satanic cult of wealthy elites who’ve been granted immortality, and they’ve marked Asia as their next human sacrifice to maintain their eternal life. Asia begins her survival rampage with gusto and since the residents cannot be killed, she is shocked when they regenerate after being dispatched. From this point on the story goes haywire, with people being sliced, diced, chopped, and slopped many times over, only to resurrect. Some parts are so over the top I laughed, but thankfully that’s okay as this is meant to be a dark comedy. While this film starts strong, the final act becomes even more surreal and absurd and it tanks. It’s hard not to compare this to the recently released movie ‘Ready or Not – Here I Come’ as they have several similar elements, namely a resilient female lead and her sister being pursued by rich Satanists through a building, but TWKY isn’t nearly as well executed. Its strongest aspect though, is the physicality of the stunts. Beetz really goes all out, performing as many of her own stunts as possible after training in mixed martial arts for four months. It shows! One spectacular scene features Asia wielding an axe that’s on fire and using it to take out a room full of cultists, which has an epically athletic conclusion – and it’s all Beetz. You won’t forget it in a hurry! Despite the expensive special effects and quality cinematography, the plot is B-grade at best and fails to provide enough substance to match the action. I really wanted this to blow me away but instead it sadly felt like a puff of wind.

SCORE:

Amanda’s Score 5.5/10

THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE

The Thompson family, Tim (Andrew Garfield), Polly (Claire Foy), and their three children, Beth (Delilah Piasko), Fran (Hattie Gotobed), and Joe (Billie Gadsdon), move to a rundown old barn in the remote English countryside to pursue Tim’s dream of growing tomatoes and making pasta sauce. When Fran discovers a magical tree in the enchanted woods, she makes new friends with its inhabitants, including Silky (Nicola Coughlinh), Moonface (Nonzo Anozie) and Dame Washalot (Rebecca Ferguson). She learns that the tree is a gateway to strange and wondrous lands and shares this secret with Beth and Joe. Adventures abound for the trio, culminating in a group effort to help Tim achieve his life’s goal. The Faraway Tree itself is magnificent, and as someone who adores trees, I loved the way it was so grandly presented. There are many whimsical touches in this film, including a talking refrigerator voiced by one of my favourite actresses, the legendary Judi Dench. Polly’s formidable and wealthy mother, Grandma Thompson is played by Jennifer Saunders, who brings her signature comedic flair to the role as she tries to convince the family to move back to the city. Garfield also deserves a mention for joyously delivering some of the best lines. The visual effects for the different lands are vibrant and imaginative, perfectly capturing the sense of wonder from Enid Blyton’s beloved book. Her original text is hoisted into the present day thanks to the inclusion of tech gadgets, Wi-Fi, and 5G references. While this movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience and doesn’t contain a huge amount of adult-oriented humour or innuendo, it’s still a nostalgic trip down memory lane to see this fabled fantasy story come to life. The overall feel is episodic (much like the books themselves) with more lands left to explore and I can see how this could be the first of many feature length productions from the series. A sweet family feel good.

SCORE:

Alex and Fiona’s Score 8/10

SIX DAYS IN SPRING

Sana (Eye Haïdara) is an overworked single mother who impulsively takes her twins Raph and Tom (Leonis and Teudor Pinero Muller) to stay at a luxurious St Tropez villa owned by her former in-laws, without their permission. With her secret boyfriend Jules (Jules Waringo) in tow, her plans to give her kids a sun drenched Easter soon take a backseat when the effort required to keep their visit hidden causes constant stress. Sana is uptight for most of her time away and puts restrictions on Jules and the boys, which drains the fun from their break. Exceptionally slow, with long stretches where nothing happens, this film is a test of patience. While there are small flashes of jeopardy, these moments never develop into anything more interesting. I stuck it out thinking there would be a payoff at the end, but following what seems to be an in-vogue trend amongst some French films at the moment, it abruptly stops and feels unresolved. While the villa gardens are lovely, the French Riviera setting feels mundane and fails to resemble a luxury destination of azure bays, sandy beaches, and vibrant bougainvillaea. Well acted but stagnant.

SCORE:

Alex and Janette’s Score 5/10

THE ROOKIE GUIDE

Parisian delivery driver Yann (Hakim Jemili) lies his way into a trial job with famed travel guide ‘The Globetrotter’ by pretending to be a world adventurer. He is sent to Marrakech for his first assignment and realises he’s totally out of his depth after being tasked with reviewing forty tour guides in just five days. He joins forces with straight-talking local guide Sofia (Manon Azem) and the pair accidentally stumble across an art trafficking racket led by villainous Dr Charoux (Michel Blanc.) Thanks to a silly plot this film often feels like it’s trying too hard to force a laugh. The bumbling nature of the supporting characters, like Dr Charoux’s incompetent mercenaries and a group of bickering tourists, adds a slapstick element that I found cheesy and predictable. While Marrakech provides an aspirational backdrop, everything else lacks depth. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which can be viewed as a bad thing … or a good one! Light on substance – heavy on ridiculous fun.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6/10

PROCLIVITAS

This was my second viewing of Miley Tunnecliffe’s debut feature film but my first time seeing it as intended on the big screen. The powerful messaging about trauma, guilt, grief, and addiction still impacted me despite knowing what was coming. I even noticed new details I missed on my initial watch, which felt like I was seeing everything with fresh eyes. This is the sort of movie that would keep offering up surprises every time it’s viewed. Watching it at scale really emphasises the masterful cinematography, cleverly built atmospheric tension, and punctuating sound. There was a round of appreciation applause at the end. Do yourself a favour and see it in the cinema!
The night was made even more special thanks to a Q&A hosted by Andrew Peirce from @thecurbau featuring WA locals, producer @kate.separovich and actress Hayley McElhinney, who plays police officer Tara Jenkins. Hearing about their respective ‘Proctivitis’ journeys added so much to the experience.
Thanks to @lunapalacecinemas for inviting me as a guest.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8.5/10

Amanda’s Score 9/10

Jason’s Score 8.5/10

Les’s Score 8/10

Lee’s Score 7.5/10

INSIDE THE MANOSPHERE

Louis Theroux has a disarming interview style that’s become his professional trademark. He presents as a slightly bumbling, unthreatening, curious outsider, which is highly effective because it encourages his subjects to drop their guard and reveal more than they intended. For this 90 minute documentary he interviews five of the most followed male influencers on the internet who sell male dominance ideologies. Leaning into his signature bewildered persona, Theroux simply sits back and lets these men speak freely, and within seconds each one independently divulges that they are driven solely by money. Online they present a flashy lifestyle built on toxic masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism to brainwash young men, taking advantage of them to line their own pockets. Louis even asks HSTIKKYTOKKY (who claims to find p*rn disgusting yet hypocritically runs On*yF*ns sites for women) “Why not try to be a good person? Just uplift people. Don’t pander to their worst impulses, actually encourage them to make the right choices.” HSTT’s response is “If I’d just done good things, I never would’ve blown up on social media in the first place … I’m not living for other people, I’m living for myself.” In plain sight he calls himself a “pimp, scammer, homophobic, racist d-head.” While there has been criticism that this doco gives these grifters a platform, it also does them no favours. One exclaims at the start that “Louis Theroux is going to do a hit piece” yet their egos still see them line up in front of the camera and willingly jump off the cliff. A strong follow up would be an in-depth look at the mothers, wives, and girlfriends in their lives to learn what they truly think about this sort of behaviour. Theroux surmises the manosphere perfectly with “The romance, the confidence, the wealth are all either illusory or out of reach, and the anger seemed a compensation for fear of being exposed.” A concerning and ikk-inducing “Darwinian view of alpha supremacy”.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8/10

DEADLOCH SEASON TWO

Created by the masters of satire, “The Kates” (Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan), this follow up series to the smash hit ‘Deadloch’ does not disappoint. Shifting the action from Tasmania to the Northern Territory, defective detective duo Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) head to Eddie’s hometown of Barrow Creek to investigate the death of her former police partner. When body parts begin washing up in the river, they find themselves dragged into a deadly rivalry between two local crocodile tour boat companies. There are three exceptional factors that push this show into its own category of brilliance – the writing, the casting, and the pacing. The script is filled with clever, witty dialogue that gives the entire cast so much to work with. Every actor brings to life a realistic yet exaggerated caricature of their character, some you’ll love and some you’ll hate. There’s even a Hemsworth (Luke)! Dulcie and Eddie play off each other as brilliantly as they did in the first series, but the pacing is even quicker this time around with the banter moving at a fast rate. The barrage of dark humour and language is relentless, and you really have to pay attention if you don’t want to miss anything because the actors are so clever at trading simultaneous rapid-fire barbs. It’s also supremely funny thanks to the situational comedy, as well as what’s being said. I laughed out loud a lot. At just six episodes long, there’s no filler in the plot and the story progresses quickly. The ending gets neatly tied up and while it left me wanting more of these dysfunctional but beloved icons, this season feels like a definitive finale for the Deadloch journey. A must watch for anyone who loves a sharp, quintessentially Australian mystery. It’s severe, sweary and superb!

SCORE:

Alex's Score 9.5/10

Amanda’s Score 8.5/10

WE ARE JENI

CONTENT WARNING: Child Ab*se. Adelaide woman Jeni Haynes suffered horrific abuse by her father, Richard Haynes, during her childhood. To survive, Jeni developed a severe defence mechanism by manifesting over 2,500 distinct personalities, known as alters. She describes their creation as a way to save herself – in the moments of trauma an alter would step in to take her place and endure what was happening. Many of them were fragmented, didn’t have names and moved on once their primary support role was completed for a single incident. The focus of this documentary is on Jeni’s quest for justice. It follows how she reported her father to the police and saw him successfully extradited from the United Kingdom to face trial in Australia. It was a landmark case because five of Jeni’s alters were permitted to present evidence in court. This was a first in legal history, leading to her father being convicted and sentenced to 45 years in jail. While 1,000 offences were reported and 367 charges were initially presented, these were plea-bargained down to “the worst” 25. Jeni is an incredibly brave woman who shares her story to give hope to others, encouraging survivors to report their abusers by proving that even significant legal barriers can be overcome. Her father’s sadistic depravity was horrendous, and it’s unfathomable how anyone, let alone a parent, could inflict such harm. It’s also gut-wrenching that no one listened to her when she was a child. This is predominantly a story of triumph over tragedy though, and Jeni’s journey ends on a powerful note. With her abuser now behind bars, she finally has a newfound sense of freedom and safety. She strives to live a life of joy with her sweet support dog Hollie and her most treasured possession, a Sweep puppet from the British TV show ‘Sooty and Sweep’, which she has held onto since childhood and views as a dear friend. I only wish there was more about her life as an adult, such as details of her PhD studies and subsequent career. Overall this is a testament to resilience and an insightful education on DID that will stay with me for a long time.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.5/10

Janette’s Score 7/10

HOPPERS

In Pixar’s latest blockbuster, Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) threatens a picturesque forest glade that many animals call home by building a new highway bypass through it. Desperate to stop the project, passionate animal lover Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) uses rudimentary technology to “hop” her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver. This enables her to communicate with all living creatures and she teams up with regal beaver, and mammal leader, King George (Bobby Moynihan) to save the wilderness area. As a professional animal photographer of nearly 20 years, I adore the beautiful messaging about our relationship with the natural environment and its inhabitants. Pixar’s signature style shines through in every detail, from the character designs and the colour palate, to the geometric shapes of the vehicles. I found the distinction between the humanised versions of the animals (when they are speaking English to Mabel) and their original versions (when they are making animal noises) to be very clever. I also appreciated the authentic details of the animal behaviour, such as the great white shark who rolls her eye when she feels threatened. Despite lacking any double-entendres for adults (“Fly around and find out” is the closest it gets) there’s enough humour and heart to appeal to all ages. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of my benchmark movie for animated features, ‘The Wild Robot’, it really picks up the pace with a fantastic last half hour and the sentiment made me tear up a few times. This is well deserving a massive $263.8 million AUD in box office takings globally in its first ten days since release. Hop to (see) it!

SCORE:

Alex's Score 9/10

Lala’s Score 8/10

Jill’s Score 7.5/10

Suzan and Saraj’s Score 7/10

CYCLE OF TIME

Starting off in 1958, Helene (Elsa Zylberstein) and Michel Dupuis (Didier Bourdon) strictly follow traditional gender stereotypes where “men are men and women are women”. Michel works for a bank and is the sole breadwinner, while Helene is a quintessential wife and mother. Their world is turned upside down when they are electrocuted by a new washing machine, which propels them through time into 2025. After freaking out over the unfamiliar and intimidating technology in their house, Michel and Hélène are initially anxious to get back to the 1950s. They feel like aliens, and the modern versions of their two teenage children are perplexed by their parents’ odd behaviour. Helene realises she is now the executive manager at the bank and soon begins to revel in her newfound freedom, enjoying all the comforts and liberties that come with living in 2025. Michel finds himself assigned to the role of stay at home husband, responsible for meals and chores. Struggling with the changing dynamics and devoid of his male privileges, he hates longs to return to his conservative past. The contrast between the nostalgic 1950’s and the chaotic, fast paced world of 2025 is portrayed well through the different sets. This film uses genuine humour and irony to show the evolution of gender roles and responsibilities across six decades. It also highlights the importance of acceptance, holding onto family connections, and being present wherever you are. It’s an inventive story that sticks its landing.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8/10

THE LITTLE SISTER

Told across five seasons, Fatima (Nadia Melliti) is the youngest daughter in a devout Muslim family living in suburban Paris. As she starts her philosophy studies at university, she finds herself torn between her religious upbringing and her awakening interest in women. When she falls for nurse Ji-Na (Park Ji-min), she experiences her first heartbreak and sets off on a journey of self discovery. This slow moving coming of age story focuses on Fatima’s pull towards the gay community while she feels like an outsider in her own life. Melliti’s subdued but powerful performance earned her the Best Actress award at Cannes in 2025. The rest of the cast is also fabulous, though Mouna Soualem’s predatory older woman character of Cassandra is off putting (imagine if the gender roles were reversed). The hyper realistic use of sounds, like the squelching of food being chewed and intimate kissing scenes where the background noise was stripped away, triggered a negative ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) in me. I was basically grossed out. An overtly graphic conversation when Fatima goes on her first same-sex date is bold and jarring, highlighting her initial innocence as she navigates an unfamiliar world. The final spring sequence offers subtle clues as to how Fatima’s mother truly perceives her. It emphasises the complexity of the situation for them both without providing a definitive resolution. An emotionally fraught film about balancing cultural traditions with true identity.

SCORE:

Alex and Deborah’s Score 7/10

Janette’s Score 6.5/10

READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME

This sequel picks up immediately after the finale of the first film (from 2019), with Samara Weaving returning as Grace MacCaullay. After surviving the Le Domas family’s life and death ritual, Grace is shocked to learn that their failure to execute her has triggered a scenario where four rival dynasties must now hunt her down themselves in order to claim global power.
The introduction of so many new characters ups the stakes and gives this a slight edge over its leaner-cast predecessor. Grace’s estranged younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), is dragged into the game, which plays out across a luxury golf course resort. Horror royalty Sarah Michelle Gellar is power hungry Ursula Danforth and Elijah Wood is the lawyer (aptly named ‘The Lawyer’) who ensures everyone adheres to the rules of engagement. There’s an abundance of wincingly creative kills and the chaos of having multiple wealthy families competing against each other adds a fun element. Some parts are slightly far fetched, least of all the plot thread that the uber rich are devil worshippers, which could well be the most believable element. With over 1,230 litres (325 gallons) of fake blood used during filming, the gore factor is high as people splatter from the inside out. Filled with dark humour, the most memorable scene is a hilariously choreographed fistfight between Grace and Francesca El Caido (Maia Jae Bastidas) that involves pepper spray and Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 power ballad ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. A slick, blood-soaked romp that understands how to entertain.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.9/10

Jason’s Score 8.5/10

Saraj’s Score 6/10

UNDER SALT MARSH

This moody, slow burn crime drama leans heavily into its wow factor landscapes.The fictional Welsh coastal town of Morfa Halen, constantly battered by floods and relentless waves, feels a little overplayed, but it does help build urgency and tension as the investigation unfolds. Former detective turned teacher Jackie Ellis (Kelly Reilly), brings an unblinking stare that can be distracting at times, though she does convincingly carry her detective instincts into the role wearing some excellent knits. Jackie’s evolving connection with lead detective Eric Bull (Rafe Spall) adds depth and layers to long buried unsolved murders, although Bull’s backstory feels somewhat misplaced and underdeveloped. The final reveal was pretty good and I was engaged until the end, without feeling the need to fast forward. A solid watch.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.5/10

COLD STORAGE

Based on the 2019 novel by David Koepp, this sci-fi horror stars Joe Keery as Travis “Teacake” Meacham and Georgina Campbell as Naomi Williams. Decades ago the US military locked a green fungus sample from a crashed space probe away in an underground bunker. Cut to the present day and the facility has been repurposed as a 24 hour self-storage business, but disaster strikes when the highly infectious fungus mutates and leaks. It zombifies any living creature it touches, causing them to eventually burst – including humans. Teacake and Naomi, two night shift employees, find themselves leading the charge to contain the outbreak. They team up with curmudgeonly retired bioterror expert Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson), whose warning the about this exact catastrophic scenario since the 1980s’s has fallen on deaf ears. Lesley Manville co-stars as Quinn’s former Pentagon partner Trini Romano, and Vanessa Redgrave has a cameo as gun toting widow Ma Rooney. Their roles bring moments of light hearted humour, with Manville even getting sweary near the end. The action mostly takes place inside the storage facility, but the set is far from bland, featuring a maze of tunnels, corridors, and different rooms. We get to know Teacake and Naomi as the story builds, before everything kicks up a notch when the survival stakes are raised. Cue the jump scares! The special effects are a standout, particularly the visceral interior body scenes showing the virus coursing through an infected person’s insides and the explosions when the bodies “pop” into goo and innards, which are every bit as disgusting as they sound. Clearly the intent is to gross out the audience and it works. I loved the outside the box filming techniques, like the clever bird’s eye view sequence showing how the virus was transmitted by a cockroach. Author Koepp was also the screenwriter and he ensured the dark humour from his own source material remained. Genius! More A-grade than B-grade, this is marvellously engaging and unhinged.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8/10

Cec and Wayne’s Score 7.5/10

Saraj and David’s Score 7/10

Anna’s Score 4/10

OUT OF LOVE

Insurance assessor Jeanne Manin’s (Camille Cottin) life is tipped on its head when her estranged sister Suzanne (Juliette Armanet) turns up at her house with her two children in tow and asks if they can stay the night. After two years of silence, their reunion is short lived – by morning Suzanne has vanished, leaving behind her apartment keys, a cryptic note, and her kids. Jeanne is suddenly thrown into the role of guardian for nine year old Gaspard (Manoã Varvat) and six year old Margaux (Nina Birman). This is a cruel irony for Jeanne, whose twelve year marriage to artist Nicole (Monia Chokri) ended because she never wanted children. As the kids struggle to cope with their mother’s disappearance, the sisters’ own tumultuous childhood comes to light. The acting in this film is phenomenal, particularly the performances of the children, which feel heartbreakingly real, and of Cottin as Jeanne, who navigates an impossible situation. The depth of the characters fuels this film and the story unveils steadily. With an ending that doesn’t tie everything up with a neat bow, it highlights the emotional fallout of abandonment and the weight of unwanted responsibility.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.9/10

CASE 137

Stephanie Bertrand (the fabulous Lea Drucker) is an experienced inspector for the IGPN, the French police internal affairs unit. Set during the 2018 Yellow Vest protests in Paris, Stephanie investigates the serious injury of a young demonstrator, Guillaume Girard (Come Peronnet), who was struck in the head at close range by a police rubber bullet. In what initially seems like a needle-in-a-haystack task given the chaos of the riots, Stephanie meticulously begins to piece together the truth through interviews, mapping technology, eyewitness testimony, CCTV and phone videos. When she finally finds her smoking gun witness, she hits a wall of obstruction within her own organisation, is ostracised by her peers, and is considered a traitor by her combative former husband. With strong character development and superb acting, this film has a realistic feel, save for some of the links between Stephanie’s personal and professional life, which feel a bit too coincidental at times. The pacing may test the patience of those who prefer explosive thrillers rather than meticulous dramas. An intriguing view on the frustrations of policing the police.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7/10

Jeanette’s Score 8/10

Kyleigh’s Score 6.5/10

A NUN IN THE CITY

Sister Lucie (Marilou Berry) is a devout nun who has spent twenty years hidden away behind the walls of her isolated convent. Her world is one of quiet servitude and chores ruled by formidable Mother Henriette (Isabelle Nanty), until an annual group medical appointment in the city changes everything. When Lucie gets separated from the other nuns, she sees a police poster featuring her teenage sweetheart Sebastien (Marc Ruchmann), who is wanted for robbery and murder. Convinced of his innocence, she impulsively sets off to track him down and finds herself on a journey of self discovery where her spiritual convictions are tested. The humorous moments in this film play off Lucie’s innocence as she catches up on two decades of technology and world events, though sometimes it tries a little too hard and nearly crosses over into slapstick territory. There’s a jovial, uplifting tone throughout and nothing is taken too seriously. I didn’t love the ending, finding it off-piste for Lucie’s character, but then perhaps I just don’t believe enough in miracles.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6.5/10

REMINDERS OF HIM

This is the third CoHo (Colleen Hoover) adapted film that I’ve watched and it’s very similar in flow and vibe to the other two (‘It ends with us ends’ and ‘Regretting you’) as they all revolve around the themes of losing a loved one and navigating family trauma. Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) is sentenced to seven years in prison after leaving the scene of a car rollover that killed her boyfriend Scotty Landry (Rudy Pankow). After she gives birth while incarcerated, Scotty’s grieving parents Grace and Patrick, A.K.A. Lorelei from the ‘Gilmore Girls’ (Lauren Graham) and Commander Lawrence from ‘Handmaids Tale’ (Bradley Whitford), are granted custody of her daughter Diem. When Kenna is finally released from jail five years later she returns to her home town and discovers that Scotty’s best friend Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers) lives across the street from the Diem and plays a big role in her life. Being a romantic drama, Kenna predictably ends up in a relationship with Ledger, and things go pear shaped with Grace and Patrick as she as she tries to gain access to the daughter she’s never met. Lady Diana, a teenager living with her mum in Kenna’s apartment building, is a scene stealing character played by Monika Myers who has Down Syndrome, Myers is a highlight thanks to her fabulous comedic timing and vibrant energy. This needed more of her! The pacing of this film is adequate at best and the conflicts are resolved far too quickly. I wasn’t bored per se, but my strongest thought while watching this was that it must be a dull book – but with over 935,000 five star reviews on Goodreads maybe the script just didn’t do it justice? The scenic shots of Alberta, Canada, which stands in as the setting for Wyoming, are stunning though. A back-channel Hallmark movie you’d watch if suffering from insomnia.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 5.5/10

Jason and David’s Score 6/10

Saraj’s Score 5/10

COUTURE

In the frenzied days leading up to Paris Fashion Week, independent filmmaker Maxine Walker (Angelina Jolie) arrives in the city to direct a short film for a glamorous fashion house. When she receives a sudden breast cancer diagnosis, she is forced to juggle her intense workload with the weight of her health news. Her journey is entwined with the lives of several other women, including Ada (Anyier Anei) a young South Sudanese pharmacy student making her modelling debut, Angèle (Ella Rumpf) a French makeup artist who writes stories about the industry, and Christine (Garance Marillier) a talented seamstress working tirelessly on the show’s feature dress. The character development of these three women is limited in the 103 minute runtime, leaving their motivations and intentions mostly unknown. Maxine is the only one who is memorable. Jolie’s vulnerable portrayal feels very authentic, especially considering her real life history with the BRCA gene where doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. This led to her preventative double mastectomy in 2013. While the conclusion of this film isn’t definitive, it still manages to feel hopeful. A story about women for women.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7/10

PROJECT HAIL MARY

Based on the 2021 science fiction novel by Andy Weir, this blockbuster stars Ryan Gosling as teacher and former biologist turned reluctant astronaut Ryland Grace. He wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there, only to realise he’s humanity’s last hope to stop an extinction event. As he ventures into deep space he meets an alien creature, who he nicknames Rocky. The two learn to communicate and form an unlikely, heart warming bond as they team up to save their respective home planets. All 157 minutes of runtime captivated me from start to finish. I’ve never been amongst such a full but silent cinema audience – everyone was enthralled. I loved everything about this film. Thanks to the quality adaptation of the source material, the script is fantastic, ensuring the movie lives up to the expectations of the book fans, while remaining equally pleasing for those new to the story. The casting is top notch, with Gosling delivering a phenomenal performance matched by Sandra Hüller, who plays Earth based mission leader Eva Stratt. As one of my favourite actresses (time to watch ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ again), seeing her talent shine in a box-office smash makes my heart happy. There’s even an epic moment where she sings the Harry Styles song “Sign of the Times” with pure perfection. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller ensure everything in this production is beautifully restrained, in the sense that no element feels overdone or pushed too far. Every aspect, from the seamless special effects to the celestial cinematography, is executed with faultless precision and even the humour hits just the right mark. The physical construction of the ship’s interior and the incredible puppetry and animatronics used to create Rocky are highlights that anchor the fantasy elements to a believable reality. See this on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system available. Amaze, amaze, amaze, and a “fist my bump” for everyone involved.

SCORE:

Alex, Sharon and Chris’s Score 10/10

Steve and Simon’s Score 9.5/10

Amanda and Saraj’s Score 9/10

Wes and Sonya’s Score 7.5/10

LA GRAZIA

Dignified Italian President Mariano De Santis (Toni Servillo) has six months left in his term. As he approaches retirement, he faces a moral crossroads where he must decide on granting a pardon to two convicted murderers while also determining the fate of a landmark euthanasia bill. Still lonely and in mourning eight years after his wife’s passing, De Santis becomes obsessed with uncovering the identity of the man she had an extramarital affair with forty years earlier. His daughter Dorotea (Anna Ferzetti) acts as a sounding board and his health manager as he balances public duty with private grief. De Santis is loosely based on the current Italian President, and widower, Sergio Mattarella, who also worked with his daughter and famously pardoned a man who had killed his wife while she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Captured in historical Turin and Rome, the locations ooze elegance and the cinematography is superb. The casting and acting are fabulous, and the personality filled character of Coco (Margherita Buy), De Santis’ long-time friend and art socialite, brings a spark of joie de vivre to a sometimes sombre film. In a clever juxtaposition between subject and soundtrack, De Santis is a rap music fan and ‘Le Bimbe Piangono’ by rapper Guè (Guè Pequeno – who also has a cameo) is blasted throughout the film. The inclusion this track, and other modern electronic music, contrasts brilliantly against the traditional political setting and the slow paced life of an elderly man in power. The portrayal of an unconventional Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), who is black, wears long rasta braids and a silver earring, and zips around the Vatican gardens on a scooter is a progressive choice. The pacing slowed in the last half an hour and it got a bit boring, but the ending closed everything off nicely. A sincere look at legacy, friendship and learning new life lessons.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.5/10

Duncan’s Score 7/10

GOOD LUCK HAVE FUN DON’T DIE

Sam Rockwell stars as the mysterious, time-travelling Man From The Future, who walks into Norm’s Diner grungily dressed in an ensemble of cables and a plastic raincoat draped with explosives. Like Groundhog Day, it’s his 117th repeat visit – each time he must choose a specific group of people from the diner customers to help him stop the nine year old creator of a rogue AI. All of his previous visits have failed, as he has yet to hit on the right combination of patrons to succeed in his mission. On this visit, he once again recruits some misfits and they set off on a fast paced, riotous journey across the city in an attempt to prevent the digital apocalypse. Rockwell is perfect as the desperate, unhinged lead. I can’t imagine anyone else playing the role or pulling it off so convincingly. The supporting cast of Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple, and Asim Chaudhry lift their weight too. They have a tonne of witty one liners and quick barbs to work with thanks to the brilliant script. There’s also plenty of comic relief and genuinely funny moments as the wackadoo plot unfurls. In an age of sequels and remakes, director Gore Verbinski has created something truly original. He cleverly uses it to make a statement about the acceleration of technology, the zombifying nature of phone addiction, and society’s need for constant online overstimulation, all built into a bonkers story with knockout performances and retro set designs. Oh, and it’s so much fun! Turn your phone off and give this your undivided attention.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 9/10

Amanda’s Score 6.5/10

MELANIA

This 104 minute puff piece is an exercise in vanity. Directed by a predator, it attempts to glorify an opportunistic Slovenian-born gold digger who is married to a s*x offending husband and proves that in this elite swamp of coiffed hair and hot air, the only thing “Melanie” manages to “Be Best” at is vacuousness. No matter how much polish this documentary has or how well its scenes are framed, the subjects are so off putting that I can only judge it by who is on screen rather than how it was made. This gets half a point for the accidental comedy of the background staff, who are very aware of the camera and constantly stare into the lens like deer in the headlights, and one point for the audacity of the music department. “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones plays over the opening sequence, which features a sweeping drone shot of Mar-a-Lago, followed by a motorcade of black SUVs arriving at an airport where the FLOTUS boards a fancy private jet. It’s a tone deaf choice to use a protest anthem about societal decay, with “r*pe” and “murder” being “just a shot away”, and an antagonistic one given The Rolling Stones have a history of objecting to their music being used by political figures. Rumour has it that two thirds of the crew asked not to be credited to avoid the shame of association and in a stroke of irony, dozens of immigrants are featured, despite 47’s current rhetoric. Enough said.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 1.5/10

SCARPETTA

This adaptation of the popular Patricia Cornwell novels, starring Nicole Kidman as forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, poorly mashes together two books (#1 and #25) set three decades apart. Four adults share Scarpetta’s house, including her husband Benton Wesley (Simon Baker), her sister Dorothy (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Dorothy’s husband Peter Marino (Bobby Cannavale), with Scarpetta and Dorothy constantly at each other’s throats. An investigation into a series of murders with a familiar MO quickly gets buried under the vicious family drama that plays out like a soap opera. The creative licence taken to modernise proceedings for a 2026 audience results in Dorothy’s daughter, Lucy (Ariana DeBose), having a home set-up of facial recognition and tracking software more advanced than the FBI, and her deceased wife Janet is resurrected via a silly and annoying AI avatar. The plot quickly turns into a confusing jumble, and there are so many characters dropping in and out between the different time frames that I turned to Google every few minutes just to work out who was who. Frustratingly the current cops, retired cops, suspended cops, and medical staff all overstep their professional boundaries to meddle where they shouldn’t. While the books are lauded for their high level of accuracy regarding forensic science, that all falls away here, with the investigative role of Scarpetta stretched far beyond that of an actual medical examiner who realistically spends most of their time in the morgue and lab. And don’t get me started on the big reveal. It’s rubbish. I haven’t read the books, but I hope they are better than this lump of coal.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 4/10

Amanda’s Score 4.5/10

LOVE STORY

The latest drama from prolific executive producer Ryan Murphy is pared down compared to his usual over the top style. It tells the love story of John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon), covers how they met and the intense media scrutiny they faced. While the lead casting is solid, the choice of Australian Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy Onassis feels odd for the family matriarch. Her accent is off and surely there has to be an American actress of the appropriate age and look who would’ve been able to fill such an iconic role. With this being her fifth appearance in a Murphy production, it seems Watts is becoming to him what Uma Thurman once was to Quentin Tarantino. The episode titled ‘America’s Widow’, which focuses almost entirely on Jackie, feels out of place and this six part series could easily lose two episodes to refine the content. That said, there’s no story covering John and Carolyn’s life for the three years after they got married, and everything ends so abruptly that those unfamiliar with the real life tragedy will be left hanging. A plot thread regarding John’s on-again, off-again girlfriend of five years, Daryl Hannah (Dree Hemingway) is also causing controversy, with Hannah publicly stating she was grossly misrepresented on screen. The writers definitely did her dirty, portraying her as a needy, clingy, recreational drug user, which does not align with her public persona at all. Hemingways acting is also pretty poor. Switching to the positives, the wardrobe for Bessette perfectly captures the elegance that defined her, with plenty of minimally accessorised all-black outfits and Calvin Klein pieces. But what I loved most overall was the nostalgic soundtrack, which has rightfully been called “The best 90’s mixtape on TV” by GQ Magazine. It features hits from Madonna, The Divinyls, Portishead, Sixpence None the Richer, Peter Gabriel, Mazzy Star, Stone Roses, The Cranberries, Björk, Kate Bush, CeCe Peniston, Pulp, Crowded House, Seal, the Beastie Boys, and Lenny Kravitz. Looks and sounds good but doesn’t have much substance.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6.5/10

Amanda’s Score 6/10

THE TIKTOK KILLER

This two part documentary series focuses on Josefa Perez’s search for her 42 year old daughter, Esther Estepa. She went missing in Spain in August 2023 after befriending 61 year old TikTok influencer “Dinamita Montilla” (real name is José Jurado Montilla) who she met in a hostel. Perez received a series of strange messages from her daughter’s phone claiming she had moved to Argentina and could no longer communicate. In a brazen attempt to deflect suspicion and glean information about the case, Montilla called Perez and offered to help locate Estepa, even posting TikTok videos asking his thousands of followers if they knew her whereabouts. Police eventually followed Montilla’s trail of digital breadcrumbs and uncovered his horrifying criminal record – he was a convicted serial killer who had served 28 years in jail for four murders committed in the 1980’s (a fraction of his 123 year sentence) and was also a prime suspect in the 2022 murder of a 21 year old student. The search for Estepa came to a tragic end in June 2024 when her remains were discovered in a remote thicket of reeds. While justice was eventually served with Montilla’s arrest and detention, this resolution brought little comfort to a devastated Perez. With fast pacing this series uses a wealth of Montilla’s TikTok content to show how he used his persona as a nomadic traveller to scout locations and interact with vulnerable women. It serves as a harrowing reminder of how easily red flags can be overlooked and how a predator can hide in plain sight. Riveting and somber.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8/10

WAR MACHINE

Mason (Alan Ritchson) is a grieving soldier who joins the elite 75th Ranger Regiment selection programme two years after the death of his brother in the line of duty. After a gruelling series of tests only twenty trainees make it through to the last stage of the selection process. They are dropped into the remote wilderness together to complete a final training mission. The exercise takes an unexpected turn when the group accidentally activates an extraterrestrial war machine that walks on two legs and is intent on annihilating them. What follows is a relentless barrage of explosions and casualties as the dwindling survivors are forced to retreat while trying to reach safe ground. The film feels like the thrupple love child of ‘Predator’, ‘Transformers’ and ‘Independence Day’. The character of Mason is a man of few words and his stoic lone-wolf act is reminiscent of every part ever played by Jason Stratham, whom I often criticise for his one dimensional hero roles. The plot offers little explanation for the alien presence or its motivations and the American military cosplaying the global saviour raised half my eyebrow. Relentless stunts tied to a recycled story. One for the bros.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 5/10

Amanda’s Score 4.5/10

THE BEAUTY – “One shot makes you hot”

Ryan Murphy’s latest offering opens with supermodel Bella Hadid literally exploding onto the screen. An injectable drug owned by ruthless tech billionaire Byron Frost( Ashton Kutcher) metamorphoses users from average looks into younger, physically perfect versions of themselves, while secretly acting as a ticking time bomb for spontaneous combustion. When the drug causes a virus that is spread like an STD through sexual contact, an enforcer employed by Frost, called The Assassin (Anthony Ramos) tortures and executes those who inadvertently find beauty in this way. Meanwhile FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) are tasked with investigating a string of gruesome deaths involving models in Paris and New York. This excellent body horror series presents a satirical, grotesque view of modern vanity and the unrealistic pursuit of eternal youth. It features unsettling transformations, with different actors portraying the before and after changes. In typical Murphy style, the sets have a polished, high-contrast design, with a bold colour palate. The costuming is superb, oozing glamour and expense. Moments of campy dialogue are driven by articulate and sometimes cruel characters and the plot progresses well across the eleven episodes. The combination of practical and CGI special effects are graphic, aggressive and disturbing, with lots of goo, blood and body parts. It ends on a cliffhanger with unfinished business, which would usually irritate me, but this series absolutely deserves a second season. Binge it!

SCORE:

Alex's Score 9/10

Amanda’s Score 9/10

MIDWINTER BREAK

Gerry (Ciarán Hinds) and Stella (Lesley Manville) are a retired couple from Northern Ireland who have been married for over forty years. Stella decides they need to break their monotonous routine and surprises Gerry with a four day trip to Amsterdam as a Christmas gift. Once they arrive in the city, it becomes clear that their common interests are no longer in alignment. Stella seeks out churches for spiritual fulfilment, while Gerry is more interested in socialising in local bars and perusing record stores. As they wander along the canals and through the museums, long buried tensions begin to surface. Gerry is a functional alcoholic who tries to hide the extent of his drinking, while Stella is grappling with PTSD from a violent attack she survived in Ireland decades earlier, one that saw her become devoutly religious in the aftermath. Their time away forces them to confront whether they are still the same people who married all those years ago. While the performances of Hinds and Manville are fabulous, they cannot save a boring plot. This is a quiet, slow burn film that focuses on a single time in the lives of these characters, and as such nothing much happens. There aren’t any explosive fights or dramatic affairs – it’s more about a quiet realisation than a big confrontation. While this may be intentional to show how marriage can slowly erode, it won’t appeal to viewers who like a bit of pace. A melancholic look at how two people can be together for a lifetime yet still grow apart.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6.5/10

SOLO MIO

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* Stepping outside of his purely comedic roles, Kevin James plays Matt Taylor, a primary school art teacher travelling to Rome to marry his fiancee Heather (Julie Ann Emery). When she leaves him at the altar, Matt decides to proceed with their pre-booked, non-refundable honeymoon tour across Italy on his own. While overcoming the awkwardness of tandem bike rides and romantic dinners for one, Matt connects with Gia (Nicole Grimaudo), a charming local cafe owner. In what feels like the fastest rebound in history, he falls for her within a few days, and the pair head to her family’s expansive villa in the countryside with some of Matt’s new tour friends in tow. The plot takes an unexpected (and unrealistic) turn when it’s revealed that Gia’s uncle is the legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli (playing himself). The world famous singer is basically used as a prop, appearing in the corner of the room playing the piano and singing as the villa guests arrive. Apart from adding a big celebrity name to the film, the only part of his performance with any genuine depth is a horse riding scene. The runaway bride eventually returns to explain herself and the ending is predictable. The acting is decent, there’s a few funny moments, and you’ll feel every bit of Matt’s public rejection and subsequent heartbreak, but the story relies heavily on convenient coincidences. A big positive is the stunning cinematography, with the on-location filming showcasing the best of Rome and Tuscany. Romcom Roma style.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6.9/10

ARCO

This animated French sci-fi adventure explores human connection in an age of technological advancement. Arco (Juliano Krue Valdi) is a spirited ten year old boy from the year 2932. He lives with his family on a self-sustaining utopian platform in the sky where time travel is possible. Impatient at not being able to fly until he is twelve, he steals his sister’s flight cape and accidentally travels back to 2075, crash-landing in a forest. He’s discovered by Iris (Romy Fay), a young girl living in a world collapsing under an environmental crisis where protective bubbles enclose houses, and residents rely heavily on robot service providers. Iris is determined to help Arco find his way back home a the two set off to make it happen while trying to outrun android police officers and three bumbling conspiracy-theorist villains who elicit all the laughs. This film may be set decades from now but the clean, hand drawn graphics have a 1970’s feel and the vibrant, shimmering rainbow streaks that criss cross the sky after each flight add bursts of colour. The characters aren’t hyper-realistic, yet every frame emphasises their mood and body language. With a plot arc similar to “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”, this beautiful movie creates a hopeful vision of the future with a little help from the past. Whimsical and imaginative.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.9/10

Kelly’s Score 8/10

Steve’s Score 7/10

GOAT

Teenage goat Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin) dreams of becoming a professional basketball player in the R.O.A.R. (Regionally Organised Animal Roarball) League. This is an anything goes, co-ed sport played by animals of all species and sizes in different habitat based arenas. A hybrid of basketball, soccer, and rugby, it requires a high level of physical intensity and involves full body contact. Will has the opportunity to join the Vineland Thorns and needs to prove to his teammates that he’s worthy of his place, despite his small stature. While the plot is formulaic and predictable as far as underdog sports tropes go, the vibrant, graffiti-like animation style is superb. Similar to the Spider Verse films (and made by the same creative team and studio) it blends 2D artistry with 3D modelling and the frame rate of the characters is intentionally slowed from 24 frames per second to 12 frames per second. This heightens the intensity of the Roarball matches by making the animals move in a snappy, slow-motion manner which plays out really cool on screen. The hyper saturated colour palate is kaleidoscopic and sometimes there are so many things vying for your attention in a single scene you don’t know where to look. The voice actors (including Gabrielle Union, Stephen Curry, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Jennifer Hudson, and Jelly Roll) are well matched to their characters, but several of their charges lack any real development and some are one dimensional. There is a rocking soundtrack that keeps up with the action and a few genuinely funny moments. I particularly loved the gazillion gerbil kids. The pacing is non stop from the get go and is quite frenetic – it doesn’t let up and will keep younger viewers engaged for its 100 minute run time. Adults may be exhausted by the end, as everything about this film is extra. Solid family fun with positive messaging.

SCORE:

Alex and Duncan’s Score 7/10

A FRIEND, A MURDERER

This three part Danish documentary series exposes how a string of brutal assaults, kidnappings, and murders terrorised the close knit community of Korsør for over eight years. Friends Amanda, Kiri, and Nichlas lived in a constant state of unease until the perpetrator, Philip Westh, was finally arrested in 2023. Their relief quickly turned to horror when they realised the monster they feared was actually their close friend and former roommate who had been committing his atrocities while they were partying and socialising together. With their trust totally shattered, they were left wondering how someone so close to them could hide such a sadistic side. This documentary focuses heavily on Westh, his unaware associates, and his dark crimes, rather than on his innocent victims. They do not even use the victims’ names, which causes a strange disconnect and is an odd choice given that a quick Google search reveals all. The families of the victims are also excluded from sharing their harrowing stories and points of view. Their voices should matter more than those on the sidelines. Had potential but felt half-baked and disjointed.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6/10

THE MOMENT

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* In this mockumentary, Charli xcx plays a parody of herself as she prepares to tour her “Brat” album, which is the real name of her sixth studio release. It blends her genuine success with a fictional story about filming her first arena concert and trying to keep “Brat Summer” alive for as long as possible. Charli talks a big game to the media about being a party girl but actually spends her nights alone in nameless hotel rooms. She gets stuck in the middle of a power struggle between her loyal creative director, Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates), and a cocky filmmaker named Johannes Godwin (Alexander Skarsgård), who wants to censor her show and tone down everything that makes her iconic. Surrounded by vacuous people who are mostly self-serving, she starts to lose control over her own image. By the time she realises she’s become a commodity, it’s too late. It’s an interesting choice to blur reality and fantasy in this way. While Charli has the acting ability to pull it off, the whole premise might’ve landed better (and suffered less of an identity crisis) if she’d played a character with a different name. It’s also weird that there aren’t many of her songs included and she barely sings – why not capitalise on her catalogue of hits and add to her authenticity as a pop star by showing her performing them? A straightforward documentary might’ve been a better choice than this send-up of an artist whose soul is destroyed by the music industry. In the end, the only winners are the corporate brands, which makes me wonder if there’s a serious statement being made beyond the jest. Sad and depressing.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 6.5/10

THE BRIDE

Lonely Frankenstein (Christian Bale) seeks out Dr Cornelia Euphronius (Annette Bening) and begs her to create a companion for him by reanimating a murdered woman. When The Bride (Jessie Buckley) awakens Frankenstein is instantly enamoured and together they venture out into a world that is in no way ready for them. After brutally killing two men, the pair go on the run. A game of cat and mouse begins and they are hunted by a group of incompetent cops who repeatedly let them slip away. While the plot is engaging enough, you cannot take your eyes off Bale and Buckley when they are on screen. Buckley pulls a brilliant double shift as the narrator Mary Shelley (author of ‘Frankenstein’) and as The Bride. She portrays the latter with high intellect but unhinged and confused. A standout scene is the choreographed group dance number which carries the energy of a Lady Gaga concert and sees The Bride cutting up the rug front and centre. The special effects scar makeup on Bale hits the perfect balance of realism and grotesqueness. It’s more authentic and impressive than the makeup used for Jacob Elordi in Netflix’s recent ‘Frankenstein’ film – as is Bale’s performance over Elordi’s. Rounding out the cast are Jake Gyllenhaal as a famous film star, Penelope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard who play detectives, and Anjelica Huston look-alike Jeannie Berlin as Dr E’s housekeeper Greta. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal ensures everything about this production is grand, from the punk costuming to the moody gothic vibe of the 1930’s sets. She makes it feel like a graphic novel coming to life, cartoony one minute and featuring extreme violence the next. In an amusing similarity to the ‘Joker’, the women of New York City start emulating The Bride and revolting on the streets in her name. Overall this is a tragic love story about two misfits who are doomed (and dead) from the start. Think Bonnie and Clyde – Halloween Edition.

SCORE:

Alex, Amanda, Lee, Janette’s Score 9/10

Saraj and Sam’s Score 10/10

Fi and Jason’s Score 7.5/10

David’s Score 7/10

Steve’s Score 6.5/10

Duncan’s Score 5/10

MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

Pavel “Pasha” Talankin is the event coordinator and videographer for a Russian school in the heavily polluted mining town of Karabash. In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, new government orders demand that children follow a mandatory curriculum, which includes patriotic lessons, songs, and daily drills. The students must also read poems of victory, write letters to soldiers, attend presentations by mercenaries, and practice grenade throwing. They sit through anti-Ukraine briefings led by teachers and listen to derogatory rhetoric about Europe, all of which is documented by Pasha as evidence to prove the school’s compliance with the new directives. Pasha initially goes from classroom to classroom recording the scripted lessons and uploading them to a government website at the end of each day. He soon becomes horrified by the militarisation of his students, whom he sees as family, and tired of being a pawn in the regime he begins secretly using his camera as a tool of resistance. He documents the reality of the indoctrination and becomes more vocal in his dissidence, putting himself in grave danger. Pascha loves his community but bravely chooses his conscience over his country. As the propaganda machine closes in and more people realise he is on the other side, he must act quickly to stay one step ahead of the authorities and to get his footage smuggled out to the West. In an unprecedented peek behind the iron curtain, this is a rare and sobering look at the ways authoritarianism impacts everyday people. Courageous, brazen, and important viewing.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.9/10

COVER-UP

Seymour Hersh worked as an investigative journalist for more than sixty years. Known for being notoriously prickly and private, it took co-directors Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus twenty years to convince him to become the story himself. Finally in front of the camera, Hersh reflects on his biggest stories and most explosive scoops relating to the exposure of government secrets and military misconduct. With unprecedented access to his personal archives, including over seven thousand documents and photographs, plus his famous yellow notebooks, this documentary gives insight into his tenacious, often obsessive commitment to uncovering the truth in an era where misinformation was widespread. Hersh believes that a journalist’s duty is to reveal the uncomfortable truths that others would prefer to keep hidden and the evidence he gathered over the years led to significant legal, social, and political change. Beyond the sensationalist headlines, he remains one of the most influential figures in the history of reporting. The clever score composed by Maya Shenfeld needs a mention. It incorporates retro electronic sounds processed through a 4 track tape recorder and the mechanical clacks of striking typewriter keys, to emphasise the laborious methods of old school journalism. Candid, intriguing and powerful.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8/10

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING

Loosely based on the 1949 film ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ but brought forward to a present day setting, Glen Powell stars as Becket Redfellow, a blue collar worker living a modest life as a tailors assistant. The opening scene shows him condemned on death row, spending his final four hours downloading his tale of woe to a priest. He reveals that his mother Mary Redfellow (Nell Williams) was disowned by her billionaire father when she was eighteen years old and pregnant with Becket. As an adult, he desperately wants to be the sole heir of the Redfellow fortune and decides he must eliminate every family member standing in his way. Margaret Qualley co-stars as Julia Steinway, Becket’s childhood crush who re-enters his life and complicates his plans. The story builds up to an unexpected twist, where the power dynamics shift. While the subject matter is murderous, the visuals aren’t graphic, gory, or particularly violent. Instead, Becket’s narration is used to describe the crimes he commits and to verbally share his motivations. Brisk pacing and an engaging blend of action, drama, and dark comedy demand your attention from start to finish. Powell brings just the right amount of charisma to Becket, but Qualley’s Julia is plagued by several plot holes regarding her whereabouts over the years and how she evolved into the person she’s become. For half of the film I randomly wondered if she was a ghost because she doesn’t interact with any other characters – her lack of backstory and depth make her the weakest link. Stylish, slick, and proof that everything comes at a cost. 

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7.9/10

Saraj’s Score 7.9/10

THE SILENT FRIEND

Set in the botanical gardens adjacent to a German university, this non-linear plot follows three people from different generations whose lives are connected by an ancient ginkgo tree. In 1908, Grete (Luna Wedler) becomes the university’s first female student and goes on to photograph the intricate patterns in plants. In 1972 a student named Hannes (Enzo Brumm) is left in charge of his friend’s geranium, which is wired up for a scientific experiment. Lastly during the COVID lockdown in 2020, world-renowned Hong Kong neuroscientist Dr Tony Wong (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) gets stuck at the university and passes his time by conducting experiments to assess the emotions of the ginkgo tree. Each era is uniquely captured via a different medium to create a distinguishable sense of time passing – 35mm black and white film for 1908, 16mm film for 1972, and digital recording for 2020. The tree, a sturdy and consistent sentinel, is positioned as the central character rather than merely appearing in the background. The cinematography features lingering, meditative scenes that depict the subtle, almost silent, movements of nature. Gentle and intentional in its pacing, this is a film you sit with, just as you would sit in nature. At two hours and twenty seven minutes long, it easily held my attention and I was engrossed in every frame, though trees are one of my special interests and I could look at them for days. I also enjoyed the scientific elements and the mesmerising way rhythmic pulses of light are used to show the results of Dr Wong’s tests. These moments give a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of life on Earth and serve as a beautiful reminder of the invisible bonds between all living things. I’ll never look at trees the same way again. Soulful, quiet, and grounding. Fun fact: The ginkgo tree is a real-life landmark in the Old Botanical Garden of the Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, and was planted in 1832. It has witnessed the entire century of human change depicted on screen.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 9/10

DIABOLICAL: THE EPSTEIN FILES

Walkley Award-winning Australian reporter Grace Tobin directs this hard hitting documentary, which follows her investigation into the release of the ‘Epstein Files’ relating to disgraced financier and child s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein. Tobin travelled across the United States to interview key figures, including Mark Epstein (who still questions the official ruling of his brother’s death), investigative journalist Julie K. Brown whose work pressured authorities to reopen the investigation into Epstein in 2018, outspoken and divisive political figures Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, and several brave survivors. She highlights how the files have caused a political scandal for the current American administration and have shattered the fundamental public belief that the law applies to everyone. Consisting of 3.5 million documents containing court depositions / rulings, emails, flight logs, the names of 1200 women who came forward, 180,000 photographs, and 2000 videos, the files read like a who’s who of the rich and famous. This is a comprehensive, well researched, and evidence based production that avoids sensationalism. It has a real time relevance, giving immediate context to the fallout of the files and the legal failures that allowed this network of depravation to exist for decades. A polished, professional and sobering reminder that there is still much to uncover. Let justice be done.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 8.5/10

CRAP HAPPENS

Forty year old rapper and pizza shop employee Toni (Anton Schneider) returns to his hometown of Schitten (which translates to “pooping” in German) to attend his mother’s funeral. While there he discovers he’s the father of a teenage boy named Charly (Amadeo Arndt), forcing him to reconsider his dreams of musical stardom as he takes on the newfound responsibility of parenthood. Aided by his cute emotional support duckling, bought to life by mediocre CGI, this comedy heavily plays on the disconnect between Toni’s rapper persona and the small town life he thought he’d left behind. Dimitrij Schaad, who plays Johnny Carrera (the much younger boyfriend of Toni’s deceased mother and his stepfather), is a co-creator alongside his brother, director Alex Schaad. Recorded in picturesque locations across Berlin, Germany, and Poland, this series has a polished cinematographic feel similar to a movie. Each scene is meticulously lit and the sets are vibrant and colourful. There are some genuine laughs thanks to the witty dialogue and a stack of visual gags, but other parts fall flat by trying a little too hard and crossing the line into ridiculousness.
Some viewers will be frustrated with this inconsistency. At nine episodes long, the story becomes a bit monotonous in the middle but it picks up the pace again near the end. A quirky and sweet show with messaging about unbreakable family ties, that would’ve made a great 90 minute movie.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7/10

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

This film shares three entwined stories that explore the cycle of human evolution and connection. Moving through the prehistoric past, the present day, and a distant future, each segment covers several decades. In the past, Neanderthal family Thorn (Jorge Vargas), Hera (Tanaya Beatty) and their two young children are struggling to survive the end of their era. In the present, anthropology doctoral student Claire (Rashida Jones) is studying Thorn’s ancient remains while dealing with her mother’s failing health and a new relationship with colleague Greg (Daveed Diggs). The future sees astronaut Coakley (Kate McKinnon) on a centuries-long mission to deliver human life to a distant planet, accompanied by an AI operating system named Rosco (Rhona Rees). Coakley is a longevity-enhanced pilot who has been genetically engineered to live forever and is already 210 years into a 336 year journey when she appears on screen. While this interstellar thread was the most interesting, McKinnon is a mismatched choice for the portrayal of such a serious character. Thanks to a decade of typecast comedic performances on ‘Saturday Night Live’, this role just didn’t work for her and I kept waiting for the jokes. The development of all of the characters is light on and the time jumps lead to some unrealistic decisions that see major plot points go unexplained – like how Thorn’s daughter was able to starve off pregnancy for twelve years after getting married, or what actually happened to the human race. These gaps make the narrative feel slightly disjointed and leave too many questions unanswered. Overall this movie is neither amazing nor dull, it just sits comfortably in the middle. There’s some food for thought around how our species will carry on in the coming millennia, but for me it didn’t delve into anything deeply enough.

SCORE:

Alex's Score 7/10

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