Movie of the Week

• One Battle After Another

Cinemas

• The Strangers: Chapter 2
• The Dead of Winter
• Better Days
• Ellis Park
• Brides
• A Night Like This
• The Librarians
• Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough

Streaming/On-Demand

• All of You
• Riff Raff
• Mission Alarum
• Americana

Re-Releases

• Billy Elliot
• Bullet Boy

CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Alana Haim, Wood Harris, Tony Goldwyn, Shayna McHayle, Starletta DuPois, D.W. Moffett, Paul Grimstad, Kevin Tighe

CREW: Paul Thomas Anderson (director, writer, producer, cinematographer), Sara Murphy and Adam Somner (producers), Jonny Greenwood (composer), Michael Bauman (cinematographer), Andy Jurgensen (editor)

PLOT: In modern-day California, ex-revolutionary Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio) resurfaces to reunite with his former group after their enemy, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn), kidnaps Bob’s teenage daughter Willa (Infiniti)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Celebrated auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, of classics like Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and Punch-Drunk Love, operates on a larger canvas than ever before with a vivid and idiosyncratic modern epic
• Leonardo DiCaprio leads a starry cast that also includes fellow Oscar-winners Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, as well as rising stars such as Licorice Pizza’s Alana Haim and Chase Infiniti from Apple TV+’s legal series Presumed Innocent
• Rumoured to be a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, Anderson – who previously adapted the author’s Inherent Vice – presents a vision that requires an enormous $130 million budget, by far the largest of the filmmaker’s career
• The suspenseful action is captured on crisp 35mm film, using VistaVision cameras which were previously used on The Brutalist and on upcoming projects by Yorgos Lanthimos and Alejandro González Iñárritu
• It could well be the film that finally gives PTA (as he’s commonly referred) both the box office and awards recognition that he deserves after such a long and prosperous line of work!

One Battle After Another is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake, Rachel Shenton, Froy Gutierrez, Florian Clare, Brooke Lena Johnson, JR Esposito, Pablo Sandstrom, Nola Wallace, Brian Law, Janis Ahern, Jamie Taylor Ballesta, Sara Freedland, Pedro Leandro

CREW: Renny Harlin (director), Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland (writers), Alastair Burlingham, Mark Canton, Charlie Dombek, Christopher Milburn, Gary Raskin and Courtney Solomon (producers), Justin Caine Burnett (composer), José David Montero (cinematographer), Michelle Harrison (editor)

PLOT: After barely surviving her encounter with a group of masked invaders, Maya (Petsch) is resting in hospital – but the group isn’t done with her just yet…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The second part of director Renny Harlin’s trilogy of sequels based on the 2008 home invasion thriller The Strangers ups the ante and raises the stakes in more ways than one
• Shot back-to-back with Chapter 1 and the yet-to-be-released Chapter 3, this one picks up directly from where we last left Madelaine Petsch’s battered protagonist
• Much of it takes place in a seemingly safe hospital, which in its own way pays tribute to the classic slasher sequel Halloween II (though if that’s the case, protect this universe’s equivalent to Ben Tramer at all costs!)
• As ever, the violent and sadistic nature of the masked titular baddies paves the way for some relentless gore and sinister attacks
• There are much deeper and more surprising turns that this movie takes in comparison to its immediate predecessor, which could well set the stage for a shocking final chapter in the near future

The Strangers: Chapter 2 is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden, Brían F. O’Byrne, Gaia Wise, Lloyd Hutchinson

CREW: Brian Kirk (director), Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb (writers), Jon Berg, Jeff Boulton, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Greg Silverman and Gideon Yu (producers), Volker Bertelmann (composer), Christopher Ross (cinematographer), Tim Murrell (editor)

PLOT: Barb (Thompson), a grief-stricken widow, is travelling alone through the snowy Minnesota plains to scatter her husband’s ashes when she stumbles upon a mysterious couple (Greer and Menchaca) kidnapping and imprisoning a young girl (Marsden), forcing her to fight for both of their survival…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Emma Thompson emerges as an unexpectedly formidable action hero in this gritty and hard-boiled thriller
• Veteran TV director Brian Kirk, who previously worked on shows like Game of Thrones, Luther and Penny Dreadful, delivers a brutal display of action that will please genre fans
• Thompson, who fills a role originally intended for Sharon Stone, finds herself up against the likes of Judy Greer, in a much meatier role than usual, in some tense sequences
• The fjords of Koli, Finland double for the snowy plains of Minnesota, creating a chilling atmosphere (pun intended) that will deeply disturb you
• It’s a neatly packaged action-thriller that offers plenty of genre goodness for all, as well as yet another hugely watchable turn by the Oscar-winning star

The Dead of Winter is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Valérie Bonneton, Michèle Laroque, Sabrina Ouazani, Clovis Cornillac, Sophia Leboutte, Myriem Akheddiou, Laurence Cottet, Manuel Guinion, Corentin Camus, Félix Briand, Isabelle de Hertogh, Stéphanie Chamot, Christelle Delbrouck, Ingrid Heiderscheidt, Sophie Maréchal, Isabelle Anciaux, Patrizia Berti, Adèle Sierra, David Macaluso

CREW: Ella Bennett and Hippolyte Dard (directors, writers), Louis-Julien Petit (writer), Vanessa Djian (producer), Clémence Ducreux (composer), Thomas Lerebour (cinematographer), Fabrice Rouaud and Brian Schmitt (editors)

PLOT: Suzanne (Bonneton), a widowed mother, has succumbed to alcoholism in her grief, but is soon forced to attend rehab in order to keep her children. There, she meets and forms a bond with a group of fellow addicts who all help each other overcome their vices and return to the world afresh…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This uplifting French comedy-drama celebrates the camaraderie and support between people trying to fix their lives for the better
• There are a wide range of impressive performances from a cast that includes French thespians like Valérie Bonneton and Michèle Laroque
• Directors and co-writers Ella Bennett and Hippolyte Dard bring authenticity and even a bit of light humour to difficult topics that are relatable to fellow recovering addicts
• The cast shares genuine chemistry that allows you to easily understand where each of these colourful characters may have gone wrong in the past, and how they help each other toward brighter futures
• It is truly heartwarming, and a breath of fresh air that sets out to break certain taboos surrounding addiction and its devastating consequences

Better Days is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Waren Ellis, Femke den Haas

CREW: Justin Kurzel (director, writer), Nick Fenton (writer, editor), Nick Batzias, Sandra Delpech, Mark Olsen and Charlotte Wheaton (producers), Warren Ellis (composer), Germain McMicking (cinematographer)

PLOT: Australian musician Warren Ellis runs a wildlife sanctuary in the forests of Sumatra, where he and fellow conservationists rescue various trafficked animals and nurse them back to health…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Enter the good-hearted world of a prominent musician in filmmaker Justin Kurzel’s uplifting new documentary
• Kurzel follows Warren Ellis, best known for collaborating with fellow musician Nick Cave on numerous albums and film scores, as he takes the viewer on a journey through his animal-friendly sanctuary
• Ellis also gets deep into his own relationship with nature, which along with his long career in music is revealed to have been a major part of his life
• Animal lovers will certainly have their hearts warmed by the genuine care and affection that is given to various creatures in need of love and attention
• It’s a film that could well lead viewers to adopt similar attitudes towards animals and the environment as its musical central figure

Ellis Park is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Ebada Hassan, Safiyya Ingar, Yusra Warsama, Cemre Ebuzziya, Aziz Capkurt, Leo Bill, Fiona Helen Armstrong, Edward Llewelyn, Elodie Wilton, Ali Khan, Laura Dalgleish, Sam Rhodes, Susku Ekim Kaya, Aliye Honey, Syreeta Kumar, Arthur Darvill, Hayal Lorena Cercis, Ada Danila Farid Mancuso, Amanda Lawrence, Jay Varsani, Sinead Matthews, Maimuna Memon

CREW: Nadia Fall (director), Suhayla El-Bushra (writer), Nicky Bentham and Marica Stocchi (producers), Alex Baranowski (composer), Clarissa Cappellani (cinematographer), Fiona DeSouza (editor)

PLOT: In 2015, teenage friends Doe (Hassan) and Muna (Ingar) decide to leave their troubled lives in a quiet British seaside town behind and travel to Syria…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Two teens set a thoroughly misguided plan into motion in debut filmmaker Nadia Fall’s provocative coming-of-age drama
• Fall, a West End veteran who is currently serving as the artistic director of the Young Vic Theatre, utilises her stage background to dive deep into the inner turmoil of her two central characters
• Lead actors Ebada Hassan and Safiyya Ingar, both newcomers who were cast after an extensive open casting call, deliver naturalistic turns that extend well beyond their years
• It addresses the touchy subject of extremist radicalisation among vulnerable youths with compassion and empathy for the teens that buy into accepting dangerous ideologies
• As with Netflix’s Adolescence from earlier this year, it’s another striking dramatisation of what can happen when young people are influenced by things they come across online

Brides is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Alexander Lincoln, Jack Brett Anderson, David Bradley, Jimmy Ericson, Beth Rylance, Kane Surry

CREW: Liam Calvert (director), Diego Scerrati (writer, producer), Jonny Martin (composer), Oliver Bury (cinematographer), Holli Burrows (editor)

PLOT: Oliver (Lincoln), a privileged businessman, and Lukas (Anderson), a struggling actor, meet during a night out in London and develop a close bond as they go from one misadventure to the next…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• In the tradition of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise and Andrew Leigh’s Weekend comes a bright and optimistic queer romance that unfolds over a single night
• Alexander Lincoln and Jack Brett Anderson share sweet chemistry as two very different characters who find common ground in the most tender fashion possible
• Director Liam Calvert, making his feature debut, captures the London nightlife with an understated beauty that truly brings out the vibrancy of the city
• The dialogue, from a script by Diego Scerrati, dives into some hard-hitting topics that make this more than just another romance film
• It’s an adorable and well-crafted odyssey that’s filled with love, compassion and just about every other emotion out there!

A Night Like This is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Suzette Baker, Becky Calzada, Carolyn Foote, Martha Hickson, Amanda Jones, Marie Masferrer, Julie Miller

CREW: Kim A. Snyder (director, producer), Maria Cuomo Cole, Jana Edelbaum and Janique L. Robillard (producers), Nico Muhly (composer), Amy Bench, Paulius Kontijevas and Derek Wiesehahn (cinematographers), Leah Boatright, Austin Reedy and María Gabriela Torres (editors)

PLOT: A group of librarians across the United States form an alliance to combat the banning of certain books…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This timely documentary shows a heroic side to librarians with a noble mission in modern-day America
• Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kim A. Snyder captures the efforts of its central figures as they defend intellectual freedom and literary censorship
• It raises alarming concerns about the growingly authoritarian control over what can and cannot be freely consumed by readers across politically divided countries such as the USA
• You sympathise entirely with the titular group in scenes where their dedication to preserving some of history’s most important texts is powerful enough to inspire readers old and new
• The film is essential viewing for anyone wanting to understand more about the dark path that our world is currently headed down, and what can be done to prevent it from getting too bad

The Librarians is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Irvine Welsh, Liam Neeson, Maxine Peake, Nick Cave, Ruth Negga, Stephen Graham, Helen Behan, Olivia Caw, Mark Hannah, Darren Emerson, Emma Currie, Michael Pedersen, Dean Cavanagh

CREW: Paul Sng (director, writer, producer), Donna McKevitt (composer), Robbie Jones, Jordan Lynn, Jamie Quantrill and Spike Wright (cinematographer), Angela Slaven (editor)

PLOT: Irvine Welsh, the world-renowned Scottish author, explores his life, career, and even his own mortality during a psychedelic drug trip…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Prepare to witness the definitive portrait of the famously outspoken novelist Irvine Welsh, the writer of best-sellers that would go on to become classic films like Trainspotting and Filth
• Welsh invites viewers on a trippy journey through his numerous achievements, represented by observational footage and intimate readings of his work
• Said readings are performed by various big-name actors, including (but not limited to) Liam Neeson, Stephen Graham, Nick Cave and Maxine Peake
• Filmmaker Paul Sng, previously of the artist biopic documentary Tish, combines plenty of fascinating anecdotes and archived media to form a coherent picture that best describes the central figure
• Fans of the author will be very interested to see what is beyond doubt the most transparent that Irvine Welsh has ever been

Irvine Welsh: Reality is Not Enough is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Brett Goldstein, Imogen Poots, Zawe Ashton, Steven Cree, Jenna Coleman, Alara-Star Khan, Nadia Albina, Jamie Langlands, Éva Magyar, Tariq Rasheed

CREW: William Bridges (director, writer, producer), Brett Goldstein (writer, producer), Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett (producers), Drum & Lace and Ian Hultquist (composers), Benoit Soler (cinematographer), Victoria Boydell (editor)

PLOT: In the near-future, Simon (Goldstein) and Laura (Poots) are lifelong friends who live in a world where a revolutionary new scientific procedure can pinpoint exactly who is someone’s soulmate, but their unrequited feelings for one another are dealt a new blow when Laura is matched with her supposed true love…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Apple’s latest sci-fi romance revolving around a scientific procedure that determines true love (after 2023’s Fingernails) is a soulful and intimate affair that offers a mature look at what it is to be human
• In addition to co-starring, Ted Lasso breakout Brett Goldstein also co-wrote the film with director William Bridges, who appropriately enough also co-wrote several episodes of Black Mirror, including the infamous USS Callister and its recent sequel
• Goldstein shares passionate chemistry with co-star Imogen Poots, who was reportedly cast within five minutes of both actors meeting for the first time on Zoom
• The sci-fi element is downplayed in favour of genuinely romantic scenes that are filled with plenty of emotion, including heartbreak, jealousy and understated joy
• It’s a deeply personal film for Goldstein, who spent over a decade developing the script with Bridges and championed its production, and the results are something he can be very proud of indeed

All of You is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ from Friday 26 September 2025

CAST: Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Lewis Pullman, Bill Murray, Pete Davidson, Michael Angelo Covino, Scott Michael Campbell, Roger Guenveur Smith, Lucinda Carr, Brooke Dillman, P.J. Byrne

CREW: Dito Montiel (director), John Pollono (writer), Sarah Gabriel, Marc Goldberg, Adam Paulsen and Noah Rothman (producers), Adam Taylor (composer), Xavier Grobet (cinematographer), Tim Streeto (editor)

PLOT: Vincent (Harris), a former criminal now living a quiet life with his younger wife Sandy (Union) and their son DJ (Harvey), is surprised to find his other son Rocco (Pullman) and his pregnant girlfriend Marina (Postacchini) turning up in the middle of the night with an unconscious woman who turns out to be Vincent’s first wife Ruth (Coolidge), and vengeful hitmen Leftie (Murray) and Lonnie (Davidson) in hot pursuit…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• A colourful ensemble is the true driving force of this wacky crime comedy from A Guide to Recognising Your Saints director Dito Montiel
• Among the numerous A-list stars are Oscar-nominees Ed Harris and Bill Murray, as well as esteemed character actors like Jennifer Coolidge, Lewis Pullman and Pete Davidson
• They are gifted with plenty of fun material by screenwriter John Pollono, who previously wrote the much more serious Boston Marathon bombing drama Stronger with Jake Gyllenhaal
• Upon making its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the film gained considerable attention for its sizeable cast and amusing hijinks
• Anyone that enjoys seeing dark comedies be performed by some of the best actors in the business will find this to be a cinematic goldmine

Riff Raff is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Thursday 25 September 2025

CAST: Scott Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Willa Fitzgerald, Mike Colter, Ísis Valverde, D. W. Moffett, Abigail Spear, Anton Narinsky, La Monde Bynde

CREW: Michael Polish (director), Alexander Vesha (writer), Joel Cohen, Josh Cowell, Randall Emmett, Alissa Holley, Thiago Andreo Barbosa Nogueira, Gwen Osborne and Bob Sobhani (producers), Yagmur Kaplan (composer), Jayson Crothers (cinematographer), Paul Buhl (editor)

PLOT: Joe (Eastwood) and Lara (Fitzgerald) are rival spies who fall in love on a mission and decide to escape their respective agencies and live a married life off the grid, which is eventually interrupted when they come into possession of a hard drive sought after by both of their former employers…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• A twisty spy game is set into motion in a breath-taking action extravaganza with explosive star power among its many armouries
• Not only are Scott Eastwood and former Luke Cage star Mike Colter among the bad-ass characters in the movie, but so is action legend Sylvester Stallone in a morally ambiguous role
• The gritty action is brought to life by director Michael Polish, who utilises his stars and the pristine European setting for plenty of nail-biting set pieces
• There’s also a complex love story at its centre, one that call to mind the likes of Mr and Mrs Smith in terms of the romantic leads’ sultry chemistry
• Between the hardcore gunplay and genuine heart behind it, this is a film that manages to have a little something for everyone

Mission Alarum is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Saturday 27 September 2025

CAST: Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Eric Dane, Zahn McClarnon, Gavin Maddox Bergman, Simon Rex, Derek Hinkey, Toby Huss, Harriet Sansom Harris, Donald Cerrone

CREW: Tony Tost (director, writer), Alex Saks (producer), David Fleming (composer), Nigel Bluck (cinematographer), Peter McNulty (editor)

PLOT: When a rare Native American artefact makes its way onto the black market, stuttering waitress Penny Jo (Sweeney) teams with down-on-his-luck army veteran Lefty Ledbetter (Hauser) to get their hands on it in order to fund her dream of becoming a country music star, only to find themselves in the crosshairs of antiquities dealer Roy Lee Seam (Rex) as well as Dillon MacIntosh (Dane), the ruthless criminal in his employ…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The dark side of America is given a light and zany touch in this madcap caper that shows how far some people are willing to go for prosperity in the land of the free (a term used loosely nowadays)
• Tony Tost, the creator of Netflix’s short-lived series Damnation and the current showrunner for Rian Johnson’s hit show Poker Face, makes a lively feature directorial debut
• He assembles a strong ensemble cast including Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Simon Rex and even singer/part-time actor Halsey
• In its own way the film pays tribute to the intricate narrative stylings of Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson (whose own film One Battle After Another also comes out this week)
• Viewers will get plenty of uneasy laughs and insightful commentary while also being thoroughly entertained all throughout!

Americana is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 22 September 2025

CAST: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewis, Jamie Draven, Jean Heywood, Stuart Wells, Nicola Blackwell, Colin Maclachlan, Mike Elliott, Billy Fane, Janine Birkett, Charlie Hardwick, Matthew James Thomas, Stephen Mangan, Patrick Malahide, Adam Cooper, Merryn Owen

CREW: Stephen Daldry (director), Lee Hall (writer), Greg Brenman and Jon Finn (producers), Stephen Warbeck (composer), Brian Tufano (cinematographer), John Wilson (editor)

PLOT: In mid-80s Durham, England, young Billy Elliot (Bell) is passionate about dancing and aspires to become a ballet dancer, and despite the objection of his father Jackie (Lewis), a striking miner, he receives lessons from dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson (Walters) and leaps further towards his dream…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The feel-good British classic that warmed the hearts of the nation pirouettes back into cinemas for its 25th anniversary
• It marked the acting debut of Jamie Bell, who successfully auditioned among thousands of other young contenders, as well as the directorial debut for theatre director Stephen Daldry
• The film’s uplifting themes of acceptance and aspiration caused the film to become a box office hit following a rapturous world premiere at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, and later even inspired a successful Elton John-penned stage musical
• Awards came flooding its way, among them three Oscar nominations including for Daldry’s direction and Julie Walters’ supporting turn, while Bell became the youngest-ever winner of the BAFTA for Best Actor
• Even all these years later, Billy Elliot remains a truly charming and genuinely electrifying film that wins over the heart of any and all viewers

Billy Elliot is showing in cinemas from Sunday 28 September 2025

CAST: Ashley Walters, Luke Fraser, Leon Black, Clare Perkins, Aaron Breakbeat Fagan, Cutis Walker, Clark Lawson, Rio Tison, Jamie Winstone, Jadiel Vitalis, Sylvester Williams

CREW: Saul Dibb (director, writer), Catherine Johnson (writer), Marc Boothe, Ruth Caleb and Paul Hamann (producers), Neil Davidge, Robert del Naja and Massive Attack (composers), Marcel Zyskind (cinematographer), Masahiro Hirakubo and John Mister (editor)

PLOT: In East London, young offender Ricky (Walters) is released from prison and, almost immediately, finds himself on the wrong side of his volatile neighbourhood, the consequences of which could be lethal for his younger brother Curtis (Fraser)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The acclaimed British crime drama returns to cinemas for its 20th anniversary
• It marked the lead acting debut of Ashley Walters, best known then for being part of the influential garage group So Solid Crew
• Director Saul Dibb, himself making his feature debut here, brings raw realism to the crime-ridden streets of Hackney in a film that has become celebrated for its accuracy and grittiness
• Though box office numbers were fairly muted, the film received critical praise and numerous awards, including Most Promising Newcomer for Walters at the British Independent Film Awards
• Twenty years on, it remains an influential drama that helped spark a wave of urban British cinema in the mid-to-late 2000s

Bullet Boy is showing in cinemas from Friday 26 September 2025