Movie of the Week

• Song Sung Blue

Cinemas

• Peter Hujar’s Day
• Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros

Streaming/On-Demand

• Trap House

Re-Releases

• Happy Feet
• Blue Velvet

CAST: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Hudson Hensley, Michael Imperioli, Mustafa Shakir, Jayson Warner Smith, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Erika Slezak, Sean Allan Krill, Beth Malone

CREW: Craig Brewer (director, writer, producer), John Davis and John Fox (producers), Scott Bomar (composer), Amy Vincent (cinematographer), Billy Fox (editor)

PLOT: In 1987, down-on-his-luck musician Mike Sardina (Jackman) teams with single mother Claire Stingl (Hudson) to form Lightning and Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute band that quickly gains traction with audiences and brings the two of them closer together…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This delightful romp is one of the more unique music biopics, given that it’s not about an actual music icon but rather about the tribute band of said music icon
• It tells the uplifting story of a duo whose passion for the music of Neil Diamond – and, eventually, for each other – inspires crowds more than the real deal
• Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson form a perfect pair as the real-life entertainers Mike and Claire Sardina, who were previously the subject of a documentary of the same name
• Hustle & Flow filmmaker Craig Brewer lovingly replicates the rhinestone-coated world of flashy 80s tribute acts, all while keeping the focus solely on the blossoming connection between the two leads
• If you’re eager to kick off the New Year by belting out some of Neil Diamond’s most iconic anthems, let the dynamic duo of Jackman and Hudson lead you in that rousing sing-along!

Song Sung Blue is showing in cinemas from Thursday 1 January 2026

CAST: Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall

CREW: Ira Sachs (director, writer), Jonah Disend and Jordan Drake (producers), Alex Adhe (cinematographer), Affonso Gonçalves (editor)

PLOT: In December 1974, photographer Peter Hujar (Whishaw) records a conversation with his friend, writer Linda Rosenkrantz (Hall)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Ira Sachs, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Passages and Love is Strange, returns with an exceptionally intimate yet undoubtedly cinematic new chamber piece
• Ben Whishaw, who worked with Sachs on Passages, reunites with the writer-director to portray the iconic photographer of the title, in a line-for-line recreation of the real-life conversation that was recorded and transcribed in 1974 and finally published nearly fifty years later
• He and an equally impressive Rebecca Hall are the only actors shown on-screen, yet Sachs’s direction makes the limited scope feel truly expansive as we dive deeper into Hujar’s mind
• The actors and the filmmaker do an exceptional job of interpreting a world that we may only ever get glimpses at, but feels so much more real and fleshed out by how well they’re describing it
• It’s a fine piece of experimental cinema that lovers of 70s-era art will find truly fascinating, as it opens a window into the life of an artist who was a true one-of-a-kind

Peter Hujar’s Day is showing in cinemas from Friday 2 January 2026

CAST: Marie-Pierre Troigros, César Troisgros, Léo Troisgros, Michel Troisgros

CREW: Frederick Wiseman (director, producer, editor), Olivier Giel and Karen Konicek (producers), James Bishop (cinematographer)

PLOT: For over fifty years, the Troisgros family has run their highly successful restaurant and upheld their 3 Michelin stars with exceptional service and culinary artistry, with current owner Michel preparing to hand responsibility to his son César…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Your stomach will be growling as you witness the delicious gourmet meals on offer at the restaurant that forms this documentary’s focus
• 95-year-old filmmaker Frederick Wiseman captures the busy yet endearing everyday life in the family-run establishment that ranks among one of the finest in France and perhaps the world
• Throughout, you see how everyone from the chefs to the waiters to the Troisgros family themselves have gotten meal prep down to a literal fine art, and it’s often mesmerising to watch
• There’s also a bit of tender family drama as the torch is passed to a new generation of talent within the Troisgros unit, with Wiseman capturing the chaotic transition period
• It’s a vast and mouth-watering celebration of fine dining and family perseverance that will leave just about anyone feeling extremely hungry afterwards!

Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troigros is showing in cinemas from Friday 2 January 2026

CAST: Dave Bautista, Jack Champion, Sophia Lillis, Kate del Castillo, Tony Dalton, Whitney Peak, Bobby Cannavale, Inde Navarrette, Zaire Adams, Blue del Barrio

CREW: Michael Dowse (director), Tom O’Connor and Gary Scott Thompson (writers), Dave Bautista, Rebecca Feuer, Sarah Gabriel, Marc Goldberg, Todd Lundbohm, Jonathan Meisner, Christian Mercuri and Michael Pruss (producers), Jack Latham and Amanda Yamate (composers), Matt Flannery (cinematographer), Tim Porter (editor)

PLOT: DEA agent Ray Seale (Bautista) and his partner Andre Washburn (Cannavale) investigate a series of deadly cartel robberies, which unbeknownst to them are being committed by Seale’s teenage son Cody (Champion), who along with his classmates uses his father’s tactics and intel to steal money for a noble cause…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This intense action-thriller positions the eternal struggle between father and son in an unexpected and entirely surprising new light
• Dave Bautista is on top form as the gruff DEA agent, while Avatar breakout Jack Champion delivers his own fierce turn as his unlikely criminal offspring
• Director Michael Dowse, who previously worked with Bautista on the action-comedy Stuber, unleashes his inner Joe Carnahan with some no-holes-barred action that is layered with tons of grit
• The cast also includes memorable turns from character actors like Bobby Cannavale, Tony Dalton and It’s Sophia Lillis
• It’s a truly heart-racing watch as you find yourself invested in the father-son drama as much as the grounded criminal action

Trap House is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Wednesday 31 December 2025

CAST: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Magda Szubanski, Miriam Margolyse, Carlos Alazraqui, Lombardo Boyar, Jeffrey Garcia, Johnny Sanchez, Anthony LaPaglia, Steve Irwin, Fat Joe, E.G. Daily

CREW: George Miller (director, writer, producer), John Collee, Warren Coleman and Judy Morris (writers), Bill Miller and Doug Mitchell (producers), John Powell (composer), David Peers (cinematographer), Christian Gazal and Margaret Sixel (editors)

PLOT: In the Antarctic, emperor penguins attract mates by singing their unique “lovesong”, but young Mumble (Wood) is made an outcast for his inability to sing – though he soon discovers a unique talent for tap-dancing…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• George Miller’s Oscar-winning animated musical shuffles its feet back into cinemas to mark its 20th anniversary
• Upon its original release, it won widespread critical acclaim for its unique premise, striking photorealistic animation and memorable jukebox soundtrack, and also became a major box office hit among audiences who were won over by all the dancing penguins
• For its numerous dance sequences, Miller invested in then-groundbreaking motion capture technology to record real dancers who went to “Penguin School” in order to learn how to move like, well, a penguin
• The starry voice cast also leaves a mark from the unmistakable vocals of Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman to a number of sadly departed talent, including Brittany Murphy, Robin Williams and Steve Irwin (who has a brief but memorable cameo)
• Above all, it’s a sweet and soulful story with exceptional music and poignant themes that resonate deeply with adults and children to this day

Happy Feet is showing in cinemas from Friday 2 January 2026

CAST: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Hope Lange, Dean Stockwell, George Dickerson, Priscilla Pointer, Frances Bay, Jack Harvey, Ken Stovitz, Brad Dourif, Jack Nance, J. Michael Hunter, Dick Green, Fred Pickler, Jon Jon Snipes

CREW: David Lynch (director, writer), Fred Caruso (producer), Angelo Badalamenti (composer), Frederick Elmes (cinematographer), Duwayne Dunham (editor)

PLOT: Whilst visiting his suburban hometown, college student Jeffrey Beaumont (MacLachlan) discovers a severed human ear which leads him to mysterious nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens (Rossellini), who becomes central to a much larger mystery…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• With it being almost a year since the passing of David Lynch, the 40th anniversary re-release of his film noir masterpiece is much more poignant than ever before
• The film took over a decade to get made, after numerous studios passed on Lynch’s script due to its heavy sexual and violent content, including a sadomasochistic romantic relationship
• Many of the now-famous cast members, including Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan, were relatively unknown at the time, while Dennis Hopper’s stalled career was revitalised thanks to his memorable turn as a psychotic gangster
• Initial reaction among critics and audiences was heavily divisive, but over time it was reevaluated as one of the best films of the 1980s, and one of Lynch’s best movies
• Don’t miss your chance to see a triumph by the legendary surrealist filmmaker who may be gone, but whose legacy will live on forever

Blue Velvet is showing in cinemas from Friday 2 January 2026