Pressure (2026)

 A film about the weather isn't the sort of thing that is easy to sell to the cinema going public but that is what we have with Pressure which is about James Stagg (Andrew Scott) who is tasked by General Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) with coming up with a weather report for the upcoming D-Day. Kerry Condon plays Kay Summersby who is Eisenhower's private secretary and the one that seems to be holding everything together and Chris Messina plays Irving Krick who thinks that the weather on June 5th will be fine and Damian Lewis is playing Bernard Montgomery.

As this is based on a true story, there are certain creative liberties that have been taken. Apparently it was a Norwegian that worked out the perfect time for the Allied Forces to attack and Stagg actually collected the information between three different areas. You expect some liberties to be taken but at the end of the day no matter how much they have changed it doesn't take away from what is a genuinely amazing film. I think that the performances are all really good. Andrew Scott is always great but here is plays Stagg in a reserved way which seems weird given how much metaphorical pressure he is under with the D-Day prep and the knowledge that his pregnant wife may be dead after the hospital she was at was bombed. Brendan Fraser plays Eisenhower with a hint of doubt about what to do after a previous mission failed in horrific fashion. The last thing I saw Fraser in was The Whale and this is a better performance (and I liked him that film). Kerry Condon plays what would be a normal character in someone else's hands but Condon makes her very much the support that Stagg needs. Chris Messina plays Krick as someone to dislike but I could help but feel sorry for him when it starts to rain and his prediction is proved to be incorrect. Although using weather patterns from 25 years ago perhaps wasn't the smartest strategy to have, although this is from a position where I know next to nothing about this sort of thing. Damian Lewis is an actor I really like although it did feel like he was hamming it up a little bit. It's the sort of performance you would expect in Blackadder Goes Forth. It's a good performance but given that everyone else is somewhat restrained, his performance does seem a little bit over the top in comparison.

The film does a good job of building up the tension because a lot is on the line. If they get it wrong then the war is pretty much lost and despite Stagg's confidence he can't be 100% sure that he is correct but is pretty confident that Krick is wrong. It seems like people are telling Stagg that he is wrong purely based on the desire to get on with it and it's not helped by the fact that Stagg is the easiest person to be around. The relationship between Stagg and Eisenhower is very good in the sense that their is a respect that forms over the brief time of the story and yet there is still skeptic from Eisenhower who is trying to wrestle with what happened before.

This story started off as a stage play and it feels like a stage play as the film takes place primarily in about three rooms. Despite that I thought that the story was really good and Anthony Maras did a really good job in keeping the pace going and also managing to make a story about the weather interesting. I think that this would form the perfect double bill with Darkest Hour (which this does share a producer of that film) and this is definitely a film that I would happily watch again.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

I wouldn't say that I am the biggest Star Trek fan in the world. In fact this is probably the third Star Trek film I have seen at the cinema with 1991's An Undiscovered Country and 2009's Star Trek (a.k.a Lens Flare the Movie). However with this film being the 40th anniversary I thought this would be a good time to see it at the biggest screen in my local cinema. Apart from the first couple of minutes, you don't really need to have seen the other three films to follow what is going on. Kirk and little gang are heading back to Earth to face the music when they discover that Earth has been visited by a strange alien being that is they surmise is contacting the Whales because they aren't communicating. So Kirk's plan is to go back in time, take two Humpback Whales to communicate with the aliens and hopefully put off the end of the world. They use their Klingon ship to go back to 1986 and come across two Whales that are about the be released into the wild into almost certain death.

The fact that there is no clearcut villain is a bold move but one that works. The story is good enough that even though it has an environmental message at its core, it doesn't come across as patronising. It comes close a couple of times but only briefly. William Shatner is good as he gets to do what he seems to enjoy doing the most, bossing people around and wooing the ladies. Leonard Nimoy is better as the director but he is still good as Spock. DeForest Kelley starts off as the grumpy old man but his best moment comes when he is in the operating room and trying to bring Chekov back to consciousness. George Takei is given the bare minimum to do when he asks some questions about a helicopter and then is transporting a container to the ship. James Doohan seems to be having the time of his life in every scene he is in and Walter Koening suffers from little to do apart from being captured and people thinking he is up to something because he is Russian. Nichelle Nichols is doing her thing and is doing it well but again suffers from having the bare minimum to do. Catherine Hicks is quite good as Gillian who has developed a bond with the Whales and ends up as part of the Federation using her expertise in the future.

This is the most fun I have had watching this film. I found it more humorous than I on previous watches and thought that despite the slightly ludicrous concept, the film makes it work and Star Trek 4 is one of the more enjoyable films in the series. Leonard Nimoy does a good job of directing and the cast are all on good form and at just under two hours, the film doesn't outstay its welcome. Would definitely watch more old Star Trek films at the cinema especially the one where Kirk fights God.

Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026)

Fall 2 was a mystery screening and this was one of the best attended mystery screenings although Mystery is a generous as it was quite clear that it would be Fall 2. There is always a question about whether a mediocre film needs a sequel but clearly Fall did well enough to get a sequel which I confess that I have seen but couldn't be bothered to re-watch it even though it was on TV last night. The sequel follows on from the first where the sister of Shiloh is persuaded to visit Thailand to of a plank walk on the side of a mountain on Mount Kwan by a friend of Shiloh.

Things go wrong relatively quickly once they start their illegal climb and I will be honest that this film did make me a little bit anxious. I'm not afraid of heights but the unstable way that the planks of wood were assembled was enough to make me feel uneasy which I suppose is what directors were aiming for. I am pretty sure that they filmed a lot of this with blue screen but credit go to the special effects because they do make it look like they did film it up a mountain.

I thought that Harriet Slater (Jax) and Arsema Thomas (Luce/Billie) were doing their best with what was a flimsy at best script and use the restricted setting well enough. I think that other people might get more out of their relationship although I only found it interesting after the truth about Luce comes out.

The film splits a flashback between Jax and Shiloh as they go skydiving and it ends with Jax telling Shiloh to drop dead which was the last conversation they have so the film is about her coming to peace with how things ended and doing the trek in her honour. The first twist that Luce is in fact a fan of what happened and in fact named Billie was somewhat predictable but I suppose that there wouldn't be much to enjoy about this film without the predicable things.

It was clear that Jon was either going to die saving our two leads or be an evil guy with a sinister secret and it rather predictably turned out to be the latter. The oxygen tanks they were given contain Fentanyl and Jon was using Jax and Billie as drugs mules which was mildly interesting although it does feel like it was one plot contrivance too many. The film didn't need this and they could have been rescued by someone else. 

Fall 2 or Fall 2: Deadpoint as it is also known as is an ok film. It's a film that doesn't have much in the way of plot and so would have to rely on its characters and them being interesting enough to get you through it and sadly I found both Jax and Billie to not being the most well thought out characters because these sort of people who do these stupid treks are hard to feel any empathy towards. I don't think that there needs to be a third but if this takes the money then that third one will be on its way.

Coyote vs. Acme (2026)

Sometimes a film's backstory is just as if not more interesting as the film itself. Coyote vs. Acme is one of the most infamous films that has come out for quite sometime as back in November 2023, Warner Bros in a latest example that they don't know what they are doing, decide to shelve this film and get rid of it as a tax loss despite it supposedly doing well with test audiences. Nearly two years later we get to see just how dumb Warner Bros were.

The set up of the film is a convoluted plan of Wile E. Coyote to try and catch and then eat the Roadrunner. He decides to sue Acme for selling him faulty goods with the plan that once Roadrunner appears in court then Coyote will be able to pull of his plan. I thought that the live action/animated balance was quite well done. I know there will be comparisons to such films as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the Space Jam films but I think this is more in the Roger Rabbit side of the spectrum as the story is good and the slapstick humour is well done.

Will Forte is very good as Kevin who is the lawyer who is helping Wile E. Coyote and they dynamic is at the heart of the film and credit to Forte because a large percentage of his scene are with Coyote and he makes you believe that Coyote is really there. Lana Condor is very good as Paige and makes her character more likeable and entertaining than the story probably made her scene. John Cena plays Buddy Crane and he was more effective as a villain than he was during his brief heel turn in WWE in 2025. 

The film is directed rather well by Dave Green who manages to balance the live action and the animated parts of the film rather well and I guarantee that you will have missed some gags the first time around so it will definitely require multiple viewings. The film did feel like it was starting to run out of steam when the story moves to Washington with Senator Elmer Fudd leading proceedings. Thankfully the interaction between Coyote and Roadrunner is quite lovely and makes you realise what you probably already knew and that they have been doing their thing for so long that its become something else to them.

Warner Bros' decision to shelve the film could potentially harm the film as it sends a message to the audience that they didn't believe in the film so they may lead some people to wait for it to end up on streaming but I suppose time will tell. I really enjoyed this film. I thought it was funny and it should do well with the young audience. 

Insidious: Out of the Further (2026)

We have been on a great run of horror films this year with Backrooms, Obsession, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Evil Dead Burn and Primate and yet we have another Insidious film to remind us how good we have had it. The last Insidious film was one of the most horror films I can remember seeing and yet Blumhouse feel that we need another one of these films. It is a new family with Gemma and Maya. The film starts in the distant past of 1999 where a young Gemma is living with her mom who is being possessed and ends up dying. Fast forward 20 years and we see a grown up Gemma who is weirdly staying in the same house with her daughter Maya and she is a dental hygienist and straight away my fear of dentist put me on edge.

I thought that Amelia Eve was quite good as Gemma. Despite the odd fact that Gemma still lives in the enormous house that her mother died in, she is a likeable person and her relationship with Island Austin (Maya) was quite nice to watch. The supporting characters are all pretty decent with her boyfriend Nick who seems to come on board to the weird situation rather quickly and also Clare who becomes the vessel for Elise to talk to people in this world. 

With this being a Blumhouse film, they don't really have the patience to be clever with their jump scares and things that are supposed to be scary. The house is way too big but that is the M.O of these films. There are periods of quiet darkness and you can set your watch as to when things go bang quite loudly. There are three old people that look odd and that is apparently enough to make them scary. They do have a purpose later on in the film but it's another cliche that Blumhouse films lean on quite a lot. There is also the ridiculous sight of the house having disappeared and no-one seemingly bothered as no one goes out to check so either everyone is in a deep sleep, dead or no one cares.

So yet again they bring the 83 year old Lin Shaye back and she has been the spine of this franchise and they made up for the lack of Elise in the last one. Her first 'appearance' is in the reflection of Gemma's protective glasses doing action moves that would have been laughable. Due to the fact that the character died, they at least keep creditability by only having her in the further. 

There are moments which are quite good. The couch tunnel moment was quite well done and even though it features in the trailer, this is longer version and quite creepy. Also the old couple that live opposite Gemma and Maya have a funny moment when they are both then, the woman points to the sky and her husband just stands there so she nudges him and he then points to the sky and I thought that was quite funny. 

Out of the Further is a huge improvement on the previous film but that was a low bar to clear. I do think that they need to stop doing these films because whilst they may have been popular in 2010 when the first one came out but we are sixteen years and six films on and there is nothing new and the genre has changed where these films are in danger of becoming cliched. If you have seen the other films then you will probably enjoy them but if you appreciate some creativity then I wouldn't have particularly high expectations.

The Dog Stars (2026)

Ridley Scott films are always worth getting excited about. His recent run has been a bit mixed (House of Gucci) but he shows with stuff like Gladiator II that he can still make exciting films and even though his best film recently was All the Money in the World which was nine years ago, there was still a certain amount of hope that this would a good film starring Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley. Set in the near future where a virus has wiped out most of humanity, Hig (Elordi) flies a plane with his dog Jasper and returns to Bangley (Josh Brolin). 

I will be honest and admit that I have never understood the appeal of Elordi. He is a good actor and was really good in Frankenstein but he is one of those actors that Hollywood seems to be pushing as the next big movie star. I must admit that I can seen why because he was quite good as Hig. The bond he has with his dog was lovely and it was quite sad when the dog died especially given the connection his previous life. Margaret Qualley gives a nice performance as Cima. She doesn't get off to the best start but as the film progresses she becomes an important part of the story. It's not a performance on the level of The Substance but it's still a good showing for Qualley. Josh Brolin is good (as always) as Bangley who seems to enjoy the new world a bit too much. He is sidelined sadly when Hig goes off and has a brief moment where he fights off people and somehow survives when things start to blow up. 

Guy Pearce is ok as Pops. His moody attitude towards Hig is entertaining and the inevitable cooling means that they get on by the end. Sadly Pops becomes a background character once they return and Bangley is back in the story. He has maybe two brief appearances but that is it.

The group that attacks Bangley are given a brief bit of backstory but nothing more than that and after the battle they don't appear again. There is a mention about Grand Central which takes way too long to get there and once they do then it leads to the most interesting part of the film where Allison Janney's Darlene who is a good villain but is only in the film for about five minutes before Hig, Pops and Cima make their escape. It's a shame because Janney is quite good as Darlene and if this were a TV season then this would be a very good main villain.

The main issue I have with this film is that there are way too many post apocalyptic films and TV shows that do this type of world better. The 28 Years films are better than this and there are seasons of The Walking Dead that are done better. This film has two hours and things feel rushed and there is no time given to get invested in things. If the film had been structured different or been given an extra 20 minutes then I'm sure things would have worked out a bit better. It's not a terrible Ridley Scott film but it is definitely one of his more disappointing offerings. 

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki's Delivery Service is the third Studio Ghibli film I have seen at the cinema after My Neighbour Totoro & Spirited Away. It was nice to see a decent crowd in the screening I was at which was at 7pm on a Friday evening. The story is relatively simple, we meet Kiki who when she turns 13  leaves home to arrives at a town where she starts a delivery service. She doesn't find it easy to make friends and the only young person that seems to show her any interest fancies her and soon invites her to the dance which she doesn't seem to have an interest in attending. It is quite hard to like Kiki for quite a long period in this film. I get that she is trying to find her way in the world but I just found her to be slightly unlikeable but thankfully as the film progresses she warms to her surroundings and is easier to like.

There are a few instances of Kiki's business growing and they are quite interesting. One is where she has to transport a cage with a stuffed cat that looks like Kiki's but due to her inexperience with her broom she crashes into the trees, annoys the crows and the stuffed cat has fallen out so she has to go back and try to find it.  Then she visits an old lady who wants her to deliver a case to her ungrateful granddaughter but due to oven issues it isn't ready so she chooses to help knowing that it might make her late for the party. Then the finale see her trying to save Tombo but she has to make do with a broom but this comes as she is trying to regain her powers but this being a film she manages to get her powers back and this leads to Kiki saving Tombo's life.

The animation, like all Studio Ghibli stuff is beautiful. I like modern animation but there is something about animation from this period that looks like the sort of place you would want to live in. The town that the film is set in looks like a nice mix of old fashioned yet slightly modern and the fact that the people seem to be quite welcoming of a witch is a nice thing to have in the story.

The film does end quite abruptly. I wouldn't have minded if the film spent 10 more minutes with Kiki being accepted by the entire town or a bit more from her parents. They appear at the beginning and then at the end. They felt like an afterthought but it was just the abruptness that stood out to me.

Whilst I really enjoyed Kiki's Delivery Service, I don't think it is as good as Spirited Away or My Neighbour Totoro. I think the lack of fantastic characters or story meant that whilst it was lovely to look at and the score from Joe Hisaishi was lovely to listen to, it doesn't stand up to those other two but its still a highly enjoyable film. I hope there are many more Studio Ghibli films shown at the cinema because seeing them on the big screen is a more rewarding experience than watching them at home.

The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

Normally I would say 'do we need another film about Robin Hood?' But this is a genuinely different take on the mythical character that is perhaps best know for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. This is very much a different take with Hugh Jackman playing the titular character. This film is directed by Michael Sarnoski who previously did Pig where Nicholas Cage is friends with a Pig and did the Quiet Place prequel which was a lot better than I was expecting but those films are very much character pieces so I sort of knew what to expect but I will be honest that it took a while for me to understand that this isn't your typical Robin Hood film.

Hugh Jackman gives a very good performance but I did feel that it was a bit like a stage performance. The last time I saw Jackman in a movie at the cinema was in The Sheep Detectives and you couldn't get two more different films if you tried and yet Jackman is clearly having fun in both. He gets to do 'proper acting' in this and is the primary reason why the film works as well as it does.

Jodie Comer was also very good as Sister Brigid. It is a fairly ordinary part but Comer does what Comer does and makes it much more interesting than it would have been in the hands of someone else. Brigid's importance in the story comes when it's revealed that Robin Hood killed her family so she is torn with how to feel and what to do. It's a great scene when this revelation happens. Bill Skarsgård also stars in this film as Little John although I honestly didn't know that it was him until I started writing this review. He isn't in it a great deal and it isn't your typical performance from him. 

It is also worth noting that Faith Delaney deserves some praise as she is really quite good as the little girl that Robin Hood becomes attached to and trains her to use a bow and arrow. She is quite good despite not really having much to do but is the emotional weight in that portion of the film.

There are some truly beautiful location shots in this film and that almost becomes a character in itself. I think it has been a good year for films with stunning locations as Glenrothan and 500 Miles have shown some incredible sights and this film probably tops them. Not sure how much was special effects or how much was real but that along with the cinematography helps create a wonderful world.

It is worth pointing out that this was a preview screening and yet I was the only person in the screening. It has been a very long time since I have had a screening all to myself. I think that this is going to be a tough watch for most people. The film is more of a character piece which worked for me but if you are looking for something along the lines of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves then you are going to be disappointed but if you want something that follows a man trying to come to terms with his life as he is about to reach the end then I think that you will take something from it. 

It's worth watching but I don't think it will watched by many but I hope that I am proved wrong.

Mutiny (2026)

I had the choice to either see the new Insidious movie or the latest Jason Statham hitting and shooting people. I chose the latter cause I knew it would be more fun. You know what you are getting with a Jason Statham film. He usually plays an ex army guy or ex special forces or in this case an ex-police officer that finds himself framed for the murder of the man he is protecting because the company is about to be sold and some criminals want to use the business to transport people in a human trafficking ring and Statham is trying to find out who killed his boss.

Jason Statham is as good as he always is. He isn't the best actor in the world but he gets by on his fight scenes and the fact he understands his audience and doesn't stray too far away from that. There was one moment where he attempts to show he has some range but getting teary eyed over his dead dad who we learn died trying to save his son. He doesn't quite pull it off but it was fun seeing him attempt something some 30 years after first appearing in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Annabelle Wallis plays Angie who is summoned to the ship at the last minute and ends up helping Statham’s Cole. I thought that Wallis did a good job with what was a rather limited role. They do have a silly scene where they are in the engine room and are communicating on headsets which made me wonder why they didn't just shoot the scene in another room but both Statham and Wallis do well with it and work well together.

There are the usual issues with a Statham film, the plot is somewhat cliched and generic and I thought having the boat as the singular setting would be a huge advantage because I usually like films with one setting but it felt like it was a disadvantage. Also the fact that whilst the captain (Roland Møller) is a villain the main villain is actually Daniles (Simon Kluth) who is only in the film for about 10 minutes and 2 of those are his death scene. Ok it led to a good one liner from Statham but I think the film would have been better served with just one main villain and that would be the captain cause he was quite good.

At the point where Statham kills the captain with the harpoon gun, the crowd in the screening I was in cheered. Not quietly but quite loud in a way that I hadn't heard for a very long time. It was quite surprising that the screening was as full as it was. I would say that it was about half full and ok the screen was one of the smaller ones but that's still an impressive turnout for a film that will end up on Sky Cinema in a couple of months. I did enjoy this film although I enjoyed Shelter a lot more. I felt that the film did not embrace the absurdity of the situation as much as other Statham films. The fact that everyone is putting in effort helps cover up some of the issues with the film but if you want to spend 90 minutes watching Statham beat people up then this is well worth your time. It’s just that there are better Statham films out there.

Batman Returns (1992)

After the success of the last Batman film, it was inevitable that we would get a sequel. This film sees Batman take on Penguin and Catwoman in a format that would be used in the next two Batman films because one villain is not enough. I thought it was a brave move to not really have any connection to the previous film. There is a brief mention regarding the Joker and also reference to Vicky Vale but aside from that it almost treats this as a standalone movie. Like the Joker, we get to see how Selena became Catwoman whereas Penguin already is the Penguin when the film starts although we see his early years.

Danny DeVito is very good as the Penguin. I think that Colin Farrell's version of the character is really good but this version plays into the idea that he the human form of a penguin. The character gets some unusual emotional depth by having being abandoned by his parents because he didn't look how a child should normally look. This does feel like something that wouldn't get used in today's movie so it adds something different to the film. Michelle Pfeiffer is very good as Selina who then becomes Catwoman. It's a role that is quite difficult to pull off but being Pfeiffer is a great actress and I did like the dynamic between her and Keaton. That seemed to be a more interesting aspect of the story than Batman and Penguin. I also thought that Christopher Walken was great as Max Shreck. If the film had just been him then I would have still enjoyed the film because Walken is always great as a villain. This was a more confident performance from Michael Keaton although the increased payday might have helped but I still thought that the overall performance was better. Bruce Wayne came across as a more complicated character and Batman feels more like a strong character than in the previous film. 

Despite this being another Batman film directed by Tim Burton, Gotham feels slightly different to how it did in the first one. I think there must have been a bigger budget because it feels like its heading towards the Gotham we see in the Joel Schumacher films which is sad to see but I do like the fact that this is effectively a Christmas film and its barely acknowledge and often gets overlooked as a Christmas film. I don't think that Batman Returns is as good as the first Batman film. I think the fact that the villains don't really connect means that there doesn't seem to be to much of a threat for Batman. I can see why people like this film but for me the first one is a more enjoyable film to watch although this is pretty close in terms of enjoyment.

Batman (1989)

The two Tim Burton Batman films were being shown at the cinema and I thought that there was no better way of spending a Sunday afternoon. I have always felt that these were worthy of being in the discussion for the best Batman movies alongside the Christopher Nolan films. This is the one that reset the Batman movies after the camp 1960’s offerings. 

It always strikes me as funny that Jack Nicholson got his credit BEFORE Michael Keaton, you know the actor playing the lead character. There is no way that would have happened today but I suppose because Nicholson was the more famous actor it would make sense (sort of) to lead with him. Jack Nicholson is very good as the Joker. I know that Heath Ledger leads the way as the best Joker but for a long time it was impossible to think that anyone could be better than Nicholson because he walked that fine line of being menacing and yet over the top in that 80’s kind of way. I think that it's a great performance from Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. Having just watched the Christian Bale trilogy, it's weird to see Bruce Wayne in such a way that makes him quite likeable instead of the rich playboy that we are supposed to dislike in future films. Keaton does go a bit Beetlejuice at one point which must have been an accident but was quite amusing.

I do miss this era of comic book films where the villain would be your normal villain and then something would happen to turn them into the villain. With this film, Jack Napier is set up by Grissom (Jack Palance) because he is having an affair with Grissom’s girlfriend Alicia played by Jerry Hall and after encountering Batman falls into an acid bath and becomes The Joker. It’s a great set up and something that needs to be brought back. Nicholson is one of those actors that can always be relied upon to give a great performance and despite being the villain he does it again.

There are a couple of effects shots that do stand out but overall the production value from a film in the late 80s is still pretty good. There are lots of model shots which still look amazing and something that also needs to be brought back in today's films because when done right they wont age badly whereas CGI that is overused will be dated within 10 years. Overall this is a great Batman movie. There are very many indicators that Tim Burton directed this film but it's the least Tim Burton film that Tim Burton ever directed. The story is really good, the performances are above what you would expect from this type of film in the 1980’s and we don't have the silliness that would come with the Joel Schumacher films and as a result you don't appreciate how good this version of Gotham City is. Ok Keaton isn't the best Batman but for this film he is the Bryce Wayne that works. Even the Prince tunes don't ruin this although it does date it.

Leviticus (2026)

Leviticus was a mystery horror screening that I was convinced was the new Insidious movie and I have to say that I was relieved that it wasn't. This is an Australian film which sees Naim (Joe Bird) fall for his classmate Ryan (Stacy Clausen) and when Ryan is subjected to a gay exorcism he and eventually Naim are stalked by a figure that takes the form of the person you have feelings for in an attempt to kill you.

The film works because of the main two performances. Both Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen give very strong performances as people falling in love when people around them will try their best to stamp it out. Yes, Naim effectively starts it when he grasses Ryan up just because he was jealous that he was kissing another guy but they do work well together. There is something about Mia Wasikowska’s performance (in a good way). She doesn't support Naim in the way that she should really and almost seems to be against him just by not being around.

I thought that the end was quite good. It would probably have been a cop out if they had managed to completely defeat it but the fact that Naim sees it as the coach he and Ryan are on and dismisses it shows that in a way they have defeated it by seemingly accepting it. Not sure if everyone else would see the ending in a good way but for me it worked and it did not undo all the good will that the film had generated over the previous 80 minutes or so.

I actually enjoyed this film. It reminded me a bit of Get Out in the sense that it has a serious theme but horror is used in a creative and effective way. The story is quite good although I could have used a better exposition scene but aside from that I thought it was a good horror film. There is something about Australian horror that is under-appreciated. This is the sort of film that I would probably have waited until it came out on streaming so I think that this was a good choice for a mystery screening and to the best of knowledge there were no walkouts which is the first time that has happened in a long time.

The End of Oak Street (2026)

The trailer made this look interesting at first with the mystery then they spoiled it with another trailer showing more dinosaurs. You can tell what JJ Abrahams saw in the story because there is a mystery in the story but what has become clear over the years is that Abrahms doesn't really care if it makes sense or not.  The story sees Denise (Anne Hathaway) and Greg (Ewan McGregor) who have two kids and their marriage is starting to break down when they find out that their street has gone back in time with dinosaurs roaming around eating the other residents and they have to try and figure out how to get back.

There is an interesting film at the centre of this and I feel like something went wrong during the production. The main issue really is that the film doesn't really make much use of the setting. We never venture outside of the streets and all that wildlife and forestry is left to the background and it seems like the dinosaurs are around for five minutes before they start trying to get back and its just feels like the film doesn't go as far as it could, which is a big shame. I usually like Ewan McGregor and think that he is a great actor but he is not the best in this. His passive manner borders on cliche and when Greg and Denise get back together it just makes his character feel a bit of an afterthought. How does Anne Hathaway go from playing Penlope in The Odyssey to Denise in this? It is quite the transformation. Like McGregor, Hathaway does her best with what is a fairly ordinary and at times cliched character. She has some good moments with other characters but aside from that it is cliched.

The writing is not the best and the brief explanation was laughable and so was the forced love triangle. Aside from how predictable it was, it was also something that was completely unnecessary and could and should have been taken out of the plot. In fact there isn't even a scene between Audrey and Jeannette showing that they are a couple but its just brushed under the carpet. When they get back to their normal time and the woman said that they were in 1982 I didn't even pick up on the fact that it was 1982. I thought it was in more recent times that she was being sarcastic when she said 1982. The film has one more dose of stupid to throw at us and that is the very quick plan to try and get Greg and other members of the street out of the area that would go missing. It felt like they needed to bolt on a happy ending to keep people happy which I was glad of because I thought they were going to end the film with no real ending.

It’s not terrible but it is an underwhelming film. It feels like we have been on a good run of great movies and its a shame that this film came out now. The film had a low budget by recent standards and whilst its used well and the dinosaurs looked quite good it didn't have quite the epic feel it needed. This is another one of those films where there is a good story in there but it’s handled in such a dumb way. It does feel like Mitchell’s idea was hijacked and put through the Bad Robot filter and it stripped all the good things and replaced it with a substandard film. I had heard a theory that this could have been in the Cloverfield universe but I dont think that would have improved things.

Lady (2025)

Lady was a mystery screening that was fairly well attended on a Monday night. I would estimate about 30-40 people were in attendance when the film started but after about 20 minutes I would say 10 people left and to be honest I couldn't blame them. For the first time since Megalopolis I seriously considered walking out. Ultimately the reason why I didn't is because at the point I was considering getting up, the film started getting interesting.

The set up of the film is that Sam (Laurie Kynaston) is an aspiring documentary maker who is hired by eccentric Lady Isabella (Sian Clifford) to make a film about her for Netflix. The truth is that there is no documentary and as the film progresses she starts to turn invisible. She tells Sam that her son is at boarding school but this turns out to be a lie as he died and the invisibility and the fact that she hasn't left the house/mansion in five years becomes about her grief and their odd relationship.

The main issue is that the film is trying to be like Saltburn but it doesn't have the story or the characters to pull it off. I think Sian Clifford does a good job of presenting Isabella as an odd and tragic person and Knynaston does an ok job as Sam and there is some interesting character stuff regarding his issue with performing but it never comes together in a coherent way. The invisibility stuff comes at the right time but it's never acknowledged in an attempt to try and explain it. By the time we learn about her son’s death it is way too late into the movie to save it and it really becomes a film where strange things happen for strangeness’ sake. I think if the film were a short then it would have worked better but at 95 minutes the film is stretching itself too thin. 

Lady isn't the worst film of 2026 but it's pretty close. I think what stops it beating 100 Nights of Hero is that film genuinely frustrated me and bored me whereas there was something intriguing about this film and despite it being a terrible film I think that the mystery aspect was a success because it means that I see films that I probably wouldn't have seen normally or on streaming and most of the time they are good but occasionally they are bad. I wouldn't recommend seeing this as there is very little to get you through it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

The first Pirates film was released 23 years ago and is the latest of the re-releases that I have gone to see. Before the film started one of the trailers was the first Fast and the Furious film which turns 25 this year. This is what is truly scary. Not films I saw growing up but films that were released when I was in full time work not reaching a quarter of a century. The set up is that Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is trying to get back his ship which was taken from him by Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who is trying to get rid of a curse with the help of a medallion that Elizabeth (Kiera Knightley) took from Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) several years earlier to hide the fact he was a pirate.

Johnny Depp gives one of his best performances since Ed Wood and he arguably hasn't had a role as good as this since. The over top manner is not too bad in this film but in future films it would become a parody. It’s reigned in enough to make the character likeable and funny. Another trailer before this film shows Depp plays Ebeneezer Scrooge in the latest remake of the Christmas classic and they cite Jack Sparrow and whilst I think it might be good, it wont be as good as Sparrow because the character is so memorable. Despite being a pirate, he is likeable and you want to see him get the Black Pearl back.

Orlando Bloom was clearly cast to cash in on the Lord of the Rings trilogy because that was the only reason to cast him in this. I have grown to like his performance in this over the years but I still think that was cast not for his acting abilities but because he was in one of the most popular trilogies in movie history. Kiera Knightley is another that wasn't really cast for her acting abilities. I think that at that time Bend it Like Beckham had gone down a storm and so they were probably trying to use her name recognition. She has the looks but there is very little there in terms of acting but because the film works as well as it does means that Knightley’s performance doesn't bring the film down. The chemistry that the film hopes is there between Bloom and Knightley sadly never appears in any of the films. As much as my opinion of Bloom and Knighley has improved over the years, the one thing that hasn't improved is their chemistry. It’s non-existent which is a shame.

Geoffrey Rush is really good as Barbossa. The friction between Barbossa and Sparrow is at the heart of the movie and Rush seems to be having fun playing a villain which is pitched just right for a Disney film.

The supporting cast is also really good with Jonathan Pryce being his usually charming self as Governor Swann (Elizabeth’s father), Jack Davenport as the likeable but equally snarky Norrington. Lee Arenberg and Mackenzie Crook are a great double act as Pintel and Ragetti (Crook was another who was quite well known in 2003 with The Office still popular). There isn't really a weak performance from the supporting cast and that helps make the film enjoyable because you want the team that Jack cobbles together to succeed even if they abandon Jack at the end.

Considering that this film is over 20 years old, the special effects obviously hold up a lot more than films from the 90’s or 80’s. There are a couple that look a little iffy but to be fair given how many special effect shots there are in the film, one or two isn't a bad number. The dynamic between Depp, Knightley and Bloom is a good one although that is largely due to Depp.

The film is the best in the series and the one that doesn't suffer from the weight of an overcomplication in the plot. The film feels like a lot of fun which is something the later films lack and the film moves along at a great pace and is as much fun as it was 23 years ago. The story works because it is relatively straightforward, the action scenes are well done and you can see everything that is happening so the shaky cam thing is not an issue and the score is fantastic from Klaus Badelt. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a film that can still be enjoyed and seeing it on the big screen is the best way to watch it.

Back to the Future (1985)

Back to the Future was the latest classic movie to get a re-release and I sadly missed the chance when it was the 40th Anniversary last year but I put that right now. The setup is simple. Marty McFly ends up in 1955 and has to try and get back but in doing so making sure that his mom and dad in 1955 get together so that he can exist in 1985. The thing about this film is that it is a perfect blend of science fiction and action. This starts as ‘Steven Spielberg Presents’ and that was during arguably his greatest period as a director and producer.

Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd are brilliant as Marty and Doc Brown. Despite them being different ages and seeing the world differently, the characters have a bond and I think it is the eccentricity from Doc that makes the pairing really work. The look of both Marty and Doc are iconic and and surprisingly haven’t dated considering that this film was made in the mid 80s. The fashion in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure on the other hand……

The screenplay is really good because it tells the story and explains all the science in a way which I imagine wasn't 100% accurate in 1985 still came across as credible. I did chuckle when Doc was dismissive of Ronald Reagan being US President as he was an actor in 1955 considering we have a reality tv ‘star’ now President. 

Marty spends a humorous amount of the film trying to ward off the advances of his future mom. I do worry that to a certain generation this might be creepy but as it never really goes anywhere it is fun because of the awkwardness. The idea that when Marty returns to 1985 that his life is clearly better than it was at the start of the film might not work for some but I don’t think it’s drastically different to begrudge them a better life. Crispin Glover is great as the cowardly George. It was easy to sympathise with him because he is very likable and Biff is so easy to dislike. The only aspect of the ending that I wasn’t as keen on is when Marty goes back to 1985 and George is rude and a bit sleazy version of what he was like before. Thomas F. Wilson was really good as Biff. He was unlikeable enough to be a good antagonist to George but not too much to be the centre of the story cause that isn't what the story is about.

The score is great and the theme by Alan Silvestri is stunning and one of the greatest of all time. It’s weird to think that he would go from this to the Avengers films and would also do the score for Predator, Forrest Gump and Who Framed Roger Rabbit but none of them are on the same level as the score for this film. 

Back to the Future is a great film and seeing it on the big screen was a joy. Sometimes nostalgia can make a film from the 80s seem better than it actually is but that isn’t the case here. The characters are great and fun, the pacing is solid from the very beginning and it has a cheeky little sequel bait ending.  There are a couple of technical things that stand out but that is to be expected from a film 41 years old. Not all 80’s films have aged as well as Back to the Future and whilst the sequels aren't as good as this one, they are worth watching simply because of Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd and how good they are together.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

I saw this at 5:30 on opening day and in the largest screen at my cinema and it was a sellout. Even the rows at the front which I call the neck aching seats were sold out. This is the  second film with Tom Holland and Zendaya that I have seen in the space of 10 days with The Odyssey being the other film and I have to say on every level that film is better.

The film follows on from Brand New Day where everyone has forgotten that Peter Parker is Spiderman. He is doing his vigilante thing and seemingly being encouraged by DeWolff. 

Tom Holland gives another solid performance as Spider-Man. He has grown into the role over the years and it's nice to see him away from Iron Man and this was the strongest performance that Holland has given. I dont think its as good as The Odyssey but its still the sort of performance a leading man should give. Zendaya is good as MJ although I think its a rather average role, Zendaya manages to make something of it and make it quite interesting. Jacob Batalon is fine as Ned and only really works when he is with Zendaya and Holland as the three have some good chemistry. There was a nice cameo from Florence Pugh’s Yelena. Although it looked like all her scenes were filmed in a day because she never moves out of that swimming pool set.

It was good to see Hulk back and nIce that Banner seems to have moved on from The Avengers. I think the last time I saw Mark Ruffalo was in Mickey 17 where he was doing his Donald Trump impression. I think I read somewhere that they made Hulk smaller during the Thanos stuff to make Thanos look more of a threat. There is only so much that you can do with Hulk and its used well in this film. Jon Bernthal was the thing in the movie. I feel like its an obvious thing to say and you could argue that he plays the same shouty type character in almost all his films but it very much works in this film. He had several good moments and some of his lines got chuckles from the packed audience.

Sadie Sink debuts a Jean Gray which was kind of spoilt because some people wanted to spoil it and I thought she was fine. Jean was after V-Max and I had a funny feeling that this wasn’t going to be an important thing and it turned out to not be because it’s revealed that it is the name of the brand of the a/c unit in the room her sister was in. Which might annoy some with how unimportant it is but it’s typical Marvel. Despite this Sink did the best with what she was given and it a shame her debut came as late in the film as it did.

The main issue that I have with this is that the film is 145 minutes long and it is about 40 minutes too long. 40 minutes of Peter Parker moping around and it’s at that point the plot actually kicks in. Some might like that but I just think we are well into this franchise that we can just jump into it with minimal set up. You could have spent 15 minutes setting things up and then start with the Jean Grey stuff.

There is one shot where Hulk and Spiderman are fighting and the camera is spinning around and I didn’t know what I was supposed to be watching. Now this isn’t a knock on the director as I like Destin Daniel Cretton's previous films Shang Chi and Just Mercy with the latter being really good. I think he did a good job. The film wasn’t as flashy as previous Spider-Man films but there was a bit more character stuff going on even if it took way too long to get there.

Ultimately the film despite having some good moments is somewhat disappointing. I didn’t know  what I was expecting but I think I wanted a bit more and I think the experience of sitting it a completely sold out helped.

Sunny Dancer (2026)

Sunny Dancer was a mystery screening and sees Bella Ramsey play Ivy who is recovering from cancer and is sent away to a summer camp for young adults recovering from cancer. So the film is not a laugh out loud comedy but what it is is a coming of age drama.

Bella Ramsey is quite good as Ivy. Ivy is naturally sceptical of the summer camp and is reluctant to get involved and as the film progresses Ivy grows into a person that can open up to her new found friends. They are all interesting enough and mean something different to Ivy. Some of the scenes are going to play better to a young audience and I could have done without the disco lights and the show and tell about how a tampon works. Again, might work for a younger audience but not for me. 

Jessica Gunning and James Norton the other two familiar names and play Ivy’s parents Karen and Bob who seem quite keen to palm Ivy off to the camp although they do come across as nice parents. This is the second Gunning film I have seen in 2026 and she probably gets the same amount of screen time although I think this is a much better role. Neil Patrick Harris plays the fish out of water American Patrick who runs the camp and has some good scenes and gives the sort of performance you would expect from Harris. He manages to be serious but pull of a couple of humorous moments.

The big reveal is that at the talent show they have a special guest and it is James Blunt but it was spoilt if you saw the trailer cause he appears in it and there is no other reason why he would. Don't get me wrong he sings ‘Your Beautiful’ and does it well but the surprise was ruined. Also if you don't like the Scissor Sisters song ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancing’ then you needs to start could you hear it about half a dozen times throughout the film.

I like the Mystery Screening events because they tend to show films I would never have gone to see and sometimes it works and sometime it doesnt. At the beginning of the film I was dreading this film but by the end I was happy that I saw it. A couple of people did walk out after about 45 minutes but there was still about 25 people on a Monday night that stayed. 

This film isnt for everyone but its a a film thats worth seeing although I wish they had come up with a better title cause Sunny Dancer isnt the greatest name. The story is perfectly fine and its directed well enough. The pacing was just right and at 96 minutes it doesnt outstay its welcome. There have been a couple of lovely looking films filmed in the UK & Ireland in the last year or two and this one doesn't do as good as job of showcasing the landscape as films like Glenrothan and 500 Miles but that isnt what this film is meant for but I think what it does well is show how people are struggling to deal with their cancer treatments and what happens afterwards.