Movie of the Week

• Mortal Kombat II

Cinemas

• The Sheep Detectives
• Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D
• Kokuho
• Romería
• Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
• Our Land

Streaming/On-Demand

• Remarkably Bright Creatures

Re-Releases

• Highlander
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence

CAST: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen, Max Huang, CJ Bloomfield, Joe Taslim, Sophia Xu

CREW: Simon McQuoid (director, producer), Jeremy Slater (writer), Toby Emmerich, Todd Garner, E. Bennett Walsh and James Wan (producers), Benjamin Wallfisch (composer), Stephen F. Windon (cinematographer), Stuart Levy (editor)

PLOT: Johnny Cage (Urban), a washed-up action movie star, is recruited to join a team of warriors for a fierce battle against one another to defeat the tyrannical Shao Kahn (Ford) before he can threaten the world…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The ultra-gory video game franchise returns to the big screen with a long-awaited sequel to the 2021 reboot
• Director Simon McQuoid and producer James Wan are back in their respective roles for a wondrous expansion of the universe and its many memorable inhabitants
• Your favourite characters from the games and previous movie are all here, with newcomer Karl Urban leading the pack as fan favourite Johnny Cage
• Expect plenty of over-the-top violence as our champions brutally lay into each other with some top-notch effects accentuating the bloodier visuals
• It’s yet another step in the right direction for the franchise’s big-screen presence, after previous attempts such as the infamous Mortal Kombat: Annihilation proved to be an unmistakable fatality

Mortal Kombat II is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Tosin Cole, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, Mandeep Dhillon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby

CREW: Kyle Balda (director), Craig Mazin (writer), Tim Bevan, Lindsay Doran and Eric Fellner (producers), Christophe Beck (composer), George Steel (cinematographers), Al LeVine, Paul Machliss and Martin Walsh (editors)

PLOT: After finding the murdered body of their beloved shepherd George (Jackman), his clueless flock of sheep take inspiration from his love of murder-mysteries and try to solve the case themselves…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The classic murder-mystery gets a baa-my makeover with this hilarious and unpredictable live-action/animated hybrid for the whole family
• It’s a truly star-studded affair, with Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and Succession’s Nicholas Braun taking on main human roles, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston and Patrick Stewart are among the many voices of our heroic flock
• Kyle Balda, known for his work on the Minions movies as well as other Illumination projects, makes his live action directorial debut with executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in his corner
• There’s plenty of sheepish mischief to laugh along with, but also a genuinely compelling mystery that offers quite a few unexpected surprises along the way
• It’s a fun alternative for murder-mystery enthusiasts who are starved for content in the aftermath of recent successes like The Thursday Murder Club and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

The Sheep Detectives is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Billie Eilish, James Cameron, Finneas O’Connell

CREW: Billie Eilish (director, producer), James Cameron (director, producer), John Brooks (cinematographer), Ben Wainwright-Pearce (editor)

PLOT: Music superstar Billie Eilish collaborates with filmmaker James Cameron for an immersive recording of her Hit Me Hard and Soft concert tour…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Two of the entertainment industry’s biggest visionary artistic minds come together for a live concert experience unlike any other
• James Cameron temporarily steps away from the Avatar franchise to help Billie Eilish craft a special documentary capturing the high points of the singer’s most recent tour
• Ever the filmmaking maverick, Cameron utilises some groundbreaking 3D technology to film certain highlights from recordings of Eilish’s Manchester leg of the concert tour, as well as some intimate behind-the-scenes footage showing how it all came together
• It is Eilish’s second major concert film after the Disney+ exclusive Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, which was co-directed by Robert Rodriguez (who himself worked with Cameron on Alita: Battle Angel)
• There’s no doubt that fans of the singer will show up in droves to witness what she and Cameron have concocted, and the results are bound to be visually spellbinding

Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Nana Mori, Ai Mikami, Kumi Takiuchi, Masatoshi Nagase, Emma Miyazawa, Takahiro Miura, Kyusaka Shimada, Tateo Serizawa, Nakamura Ganjirō IV, Min Tanaka, Ken Watanabe, Sōya Kurokawa, Keitatsu Koshiyama

CREW: Lee Sang-Il (director), Satoko Okudera (writer), Hiroyuki Araki, Minami Ichikawa, Nobuhiro Itô, Atsuhiro Iwakami, Shinzô Matsuhashi, Chieko Murata and Akihito Watanabe (producers), Marihiko Hara (composer), Sofian El Fani (cinematographer), Masunobu Motokawa (editor)

PLOT: In post-war Japan, Kikuo Tachibana (Yoshizawa) is the son of a yakuza figurehead who, after a devastating tragedy, is taken in by renowned kabuki actor Hanai Hanjiro II (Watanabe), and through him as well as a friendship with Hanjiro’s son Shunsuke (Yokohama), he develops a serious talent for the profession and slowly becomes a star in his own regard…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The Japanese historic epic that everyone in the international film community has been talking about is about to make waves among UK audiences
• It is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lee Sang-Il, who adapts the popular novel by Shuichi Yoshida, marking the director’s third adaptation of the author’s works following Rage and Villain
• Lead actor Ryo Yoshizawa delivers a compelling performance as he takes the viewer on a whirlwind journey through the world of 20th and early 21st century kabuki acting
• The film proved to be immensely successful in Japan, becoming the country’s highest-grossing live-action film of all time, and it even scored an Oscar nomination for its astounding make-up and hairstyling
• This is a true cinematic epic that requires the biggest screen possible to absorb its might and power, both visually and emotionally

Kokuho is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Llúcia Garcia, Mitch Martín, Tristán Ulloa, Celine Tyll, León Romagosa, Hans Romagosa, Marina Troncoso, José Ángel Egido, Miryam Gallego, Sara Casasnovas, Toño Casais, Lia Mora, Helena González, Gala Rodríguez, Antón Lemos, Laura Nuñez, Alberto Gracia, Janet Novás

CREW: Carla Simón (director, writer), María Zamora (producer), Ernest Pipó (composer), Hélène Louvart (cinematographer), Sergio Jiménez and Ana Pfaff (editors)

PLOT: In 2004 Spain, teenage orphan Marina (Garcia) visits her biological family in Vigo to obtain documents for a potential film course at university, where she learns more about her parents and their whirlwind relationship…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This nostalgic Spanish drama takes viewers on a romantic and sometimes tragic trip into a deeply personal family history
• It is a fictionalised account of real experiences that filmmaker Carla Simón went through as a younger woman, when she similarly uncovered some fascinating secrets about her parents
• Simón shot the film on location throughout the picturesque municipality of Vigo, offering some striking cinematography that neatly compliments the wishful mood
• The film was selected to compete for the Palme D’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and screened to acclaim at other festivals in London, New York and Busan
• Filmmaking doesn’t get more personal than this gorgeously shot and narratively intimate recollection of family history that will have you thinking about your own lineage

Romería is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Nicko McBrain, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Janick Gers, Blaze Bayley, Rod Smallwood, Chuck D, Simon Gallup, Scott Ian, Tom Morello, Javier Bardem, Gene Simmons, Lars Ulrich

CREW: Malcolm Venville (director), David Teague (writer), Dom Freeman (producer), H. Scott Salinas (composer), Matthew Gormly, Jaimie Gramston, Stuart Luck and Jeff Tomcho (cinematographers), Jule Cornell, Daniel Duran, Marc Hoeferlin and James Lester (editors)

PLOT: A feature-length celebration of the music and legacy of world-famous heavy-metal rock band Iron Maiden…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• After last week’s emotional documentary about former Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di’Anno comes a much more celebratory doc that marks the iconic band’s 50th anniversary
• The band’s surviving members, including Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson, recall the story of their meteoritic rise to rock-and-roll infamy for the first time on-camera
• Filmmaker Malcolm Venville also gets some valuable soundbites from famous fans such as fellow musicians Gene Simmons and Lars Ulrich, and Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem
• It mixes some never-before-seen B-roll footage of the band with some glowing concert dailies that create an immersive musical experience for audience
• If you’re an Iron Maiden fan, then what excuse do you have to miss out on this commemorative film about your favourite band?!

Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition is showing in cinemas from Thursday 7 May 2026

CAST: Nick Hayes, Hugh Inge-Innes-Lillingston, Nadia Sheikh, Guy Shrubsole

CREW: Orban Wallace (director), Charlie Phillips, Leo Smith and Rebecca Wolff (producers), Daniel Inzani (composer), Jamie Wolfeld (cinematographer), Xanna Ward Dixon (editor)

PLOT: An examination of the “Right to Roam” movement, which seeks to make the off-limits landscapes of the English countryside accessible to the general public after centuries of being privately owned by wealthy landowners and their ancestors…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This intriguing documentary takes an even-handed look at the historic ownership of Britain’s most expansive countryside areas
• We primarily follow the grassroots activists who have long campaigned to make all of the country’s paths and fields free for everyone to roam about
• Filmmaker Orban Wallace also offers a perspective from the landowners themselves, who share concerns about the potential environmental damage to the pristine locations they have inherited
• It’s an evenly-handled look at an increasingly complex and relevant issue that is likely to go on for years and generations to come
• Even if it ultimately changes few minds, the film serves as a solid launching pad to ignite further conversations about land ownership

Our Land is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Colm Meaney, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Laura Harris, Alfred Molina, Meghan Heffern

CREW: Olivia Newman (director, writer), John Whittington (writer), Peter Craig, David Levine and Bryan Unkeless (producers), Dickon Hinchliffe (composer), Ashley Connor (cinematographer), Tanara Meem (editor)

PLOT: Marcellus (Molina) is a giant Pacific octopus who resides at a small-town aquarium where Tova (Field), an elderly widow, works as a night-time caretaker, and the creature becomes an integral part in solving the mystery surrounding staff newcomer Cameron (Pullman)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Shelby Van Pelt’s best-selling novel is adapted into a life-affirming drama that offers one heartfelt surprise after another
• Retained from the novel is its most unusual narrator: an octopus named Marcellus that forms a truly touching bond with the central human characters
• Alfred Molina voices the unlikely narrator, while Oscar-winner Sally Field delivers an emotional central human performance alongside the likes of Lewis Pullman and Colm Meaney
• It marks the second best-seller adaptation in a row for director and co-writer Olivia Newman, who also directed the sleeper hit 2022 thriller Where the Crawdads Sing
• You’ll truly believe that an octopus can make you weep all sorts of tears, especially when it’s part of a story with some real emotional weight

Remarkably Bright Creatures is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 8 May 2026

CAST: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Roxanne Hart, Beatie Edney, Alan North, Jon Polito, Sheila Gish, Hugh Quarshie, Christopher Malcolm, Peter Diamond, Celia Imrie, Billy Hartman, James Cosmo, Edward Wiley, Corrine Russell, Jimmy McKenna, Alistair Findlay, Ian Reddington, Sion Tudor Owen, Damien Leake, Richard Bonehill, Gordon Sterne

CREW: Russell Mulcahy (director), Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson and Gregory Widen (writers), Peter S. Davis and William N. Panzer (producers), Michael Kamen (composer), Gerry Fisher (cinematographer), Peter Honess (editor)

PLOT: Connor MacLeod (Lambert) is an immortal man born in 16th-century Scotland who, in mid-80s New York, confronts his ultimate nemesis: a sadistic knight known as the Kurgan (Brown)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• There can be only one, and it’s making a glorious return to cinemas in celebration of its 40th anniversary
• The action-fantasy was initially met with mixed reviews and underwhelming box office, but quickly became a cult classic for its cheesy dialogue, campy performances, centuries-spanning concept, and a soundtrack provided by rock legends Queen
• Christopher Lambert solidified his movie star status as the lead warrior who cannot die, while screen legends Clancy Brown and Sean Connery provide memorable supporting turns as foe and mentor respectively
• Its devoted fanbase quickly launched a franchise including multiple sequels (among them the infamously bad Highlander II: The Quickening), a TV series, and an upcoming reboot starring Henry Cavill and directed by John Wick’s very own Chad Stahelski
• Just like its unkillable protagonist, this is a film where the entertainment value has not aged in the slightest over the last four decades

Highlander is showing in cinemas from Monday 4 May 2026

CAST: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas, William Hurt, Brendan Gleeson, Jack Angel, Sabrina Grdevich, April Grace, Ken Leung, Matt Winston, Eugene Osment, Clark Gregg, Enrico Colantoni, Paula Malcomson, Ashley Scott, Kathryn Morris, Adrian Grenier, Robin Williams, Meryl Streep, Chris Rock, Erik Bauersfeld, Ben Kingsley

CREW: Steven Spielberg (director, writer, producer), Bonnie Curtis and Kathleen Kennedy (producers), John Williams (composer), Janusz Kaminski (cinematographer), Michael Kahn (editor)

PLOT: In the 22nd century, David (Osment) is a humanoid child robot capable of experiencing love who is given to couple Henry (Robards) and Monica (O’Connor) after their son falls ill, but soon he is thrust onto an emotional journey…the

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The most underrated film of Steven Spielberg’s filmography returns to the big screen for its 25th anniversary
• Spielberg famously took the reins from close friend Stanley Kubrick, who spent years developing an adaptation of Brian Aldiss’s Supertoys Last All Summer Long but felt that the technology at the time wasn’t sophisticated enough to bring his vision to life
• After Kubrick’s death, Spielberg fast-tracked the project in which he cast Haley Joel Osment, then coming off his breakout role in The Sixth Sense, as the lovable young robot David
• While box office and most critical reviews were solid, its third act has been hotly contested over the years for its overwhelming sappiness, mistakenly attributed to Spielberg whereas it in fact came directly from Ian Watson’s original screen story, as commissioned by Kubrick himself
• With its dazzling visuals, relevant themes and an absolute gut-punch of an ending (yes, I’m one of the few who loves the ending to this movie!), it’s the perfect sci-fi Spielberg movie to be reacquainted with before the director’s Disclosure Day arrives next month

A.I. Artificial Intelligence is showing in cinemas from Friday 8 May 2026