Movie of the Week

• Alien: Romulus

Cinemas

• Ozi: Voice of the Forest
• Hollywoodgate
• Only the River Flows
• Swan Song
• Vedaa

Streaming/On-Demand

• The Union
• Daughters
• Jackpot!
• Daddio
• The Hypnosis

Re-Releases

• Spider-Man 3
• Coraline
• Lone Star

CAST: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu

CREW: Fede Álvarez (director, writer), Rodo Sayagues (writer), Walter Hill, Michael Pruss and Ridley Scott (producers), Benjamin Wallfisch (composer), Galo Olivares (cinematographer), Jake Roberts (editor)

PLOT: In the distant future, a group of young space colonists are sent to investigate a mysteriously derelict space station, only to encounter a terrifying lifeform that could spell doom for the team and their planet…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The long-running Alien franchise is brought back to its simple, horrifying roots by director and co-writer Fede Álvarez, formerly of Don’t Breathe and the 2013 Evil Dead reboot
• A fresh-faced cast, led by Cailee Spaeny and also featuring Isabela Merced and Rye Lane’s David Jonsson, come face to face with the iconic Xenomorph and numerous “Facehuggers”
• It is apparently set between the events of Ridley Scott’s first Alien and James Cameron’s acclaimed sequel Aliens, giving it a firm place in the series chronology
• Scott is also on board as a producer, passing the torch to capable horror filmmaker Álvarez as he takes the franchise to horrific new levels
• It’s a scary, intense, and deeply emotional new entry that should finally get the franchise back up and running after years of disappointments

Alien: Romulus is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Amandla Stenberg, Dean-Charles Chapman, Djimon Hounsou, Donald Sutherland, Laura Dern, RuPaul, Urzila Carlson, Hugh Bonneville, Marissa Anita, Kemah Bob, Ivanno Jeremiah, Liam Lau-Fernandez, Rachel Shenton, Josh Whitehouse

CREW: Tim Harper (director), Ricky Roxburgh (writer), Graham Appleby, Rodrigo Blaas, Keith Chapman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ramsay McBean, Mike Medavoy and Adam Stanhope (producers), Richard Harvey     and Elwin Hendrijanto (composers), Mélanie Moulin (editor)

PLOT: Ozi (Stenberg), a young orangutan, is separated from her family after a forest fire, and is taken in by kindly wildlife sanctuary owners who teach her sign language, which turns her into a social media sensation. However, when she learns that her parents may still be alive, she sets off on a quest to find them and tell the world about what is happening to the rainforest…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This fun and colourful animated adventure has plenty more on its mind than simple family movie antics
• Lending their vocals to many of the bright characters is an all-star voice cast, led by The Acolyte’s Amandla Stenberg, and also featuring one of the last performances by the recently-passed Donald Sutherland
• There’s also some major star power behind the scenes, with none other than Leonardo DiCaprio serving as a producer on the film, while the legendary Diane Warren contributes an original song
• DiCaprio’s presence, and the film’s subject matter, indicates a sobering commentary on environmental issues that audiences, especially young ones, need to absorb
• Beyond all that, it still remembers to be an engaging and entertaining film that families can enjoy and take plenty away from

Ozi: Voice of the Forest is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Ibrahim Nash’at

CREW: Ibrahim Nash’at (director, writer, cinematographer), Shane Boris and Talal Derki (writers, producers), Odessa Rae (producer), Volker Bertelmann (composer), Atanas Georgiev and Marion Tuor (editors)

PLOT: Days after the United States pulls out of Afghanistan, the Taliban takes control of an American base in Kabul called Hollywood Gate, where they find leftover weaponry that they use to further cement their takeover…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Experience the Middle East under fierce rule in this chilling and often bleak documentary
• Journalist Ibrahim Nash’at makes a compelling feature debut as he captures the early days of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, following the US Army’s chaotic withdrawal
• Nash’at and his camera follows top Taliban generals as they make plans for the discovered US weaponry, worth billions of dollars
• The filmmaker, along with the audience, witnesses hostility and danger around every corner of the newly ruled city of Kabul
• It is compelling stuff for anyone fascinating with current world events, and offers a sobering insight into a part of the world that is increasingly falling under repressive influence

Hollywoodgate is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Zhu Yilong, Chloe Maayan, Hou Tianlai, Tong Linkai

CREW: Wei Shujun (director, writer), Kang Chunlei (writer), Huang Xufeng (producer), Zhiyuan Chengma (cinematographer), Matthieu Laclau (editor)

PLOT: In 90s China, police detective Ma Zhe (Yilong) is sent to investigate a series of brutal murders in a rural riverside town. Under intense pressure from his superiors, a hasty arrest is made before the investigation can justify it, which causes Zhe to dig even deeper into the case…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This compelling Chinese crime thriller delivers a bleak and tense look at a murder investigation with multiple layers
• Director and co-writer Wei Shujun takes inspiration from the short story Mistakes by the River by Yu Hua, expanding the narrative into a complex mystery
• The film was shot entirely on 16mm film, giving it the grainy and unsettling look of a thriller from the 90s, the decade in which it is set
• It competed for the Un Certain Regard award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and also found a strong audience at international festivals in London, New Zealand and beyond
• There’s no knowing how deep the mystery goes, and you’ll be hooked on every single surprise it throws at you

Only the River Flows is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Karen Kain, Jurgita Dronina, Shaelynn Estrada

CREW: Chelsea McMullan (director, writer), Sean O’Neill (writer, producer), Katie Stelmanis (composer), Maya Bankovic, Nicholas de Pencier, Tess Girard, Shady Hanna, Derek Howard and Catherine Lutes (cinematographers), Sabrina Budiman, John Gallagher and Brendan Mills (editors)

PLOT: Karen Kain, the retiring ballet star, takes charge of the National Ballet of Canada’s monumental new production of Swan Lake…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This immersive documentary takes viewers behind the scenes at one of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies
• Footage of intricately choreographed sequences are interspliced with personal stories of the young dancers, as well as the efforts of iconic dancer Karen Kain who is directing the production
• Full access has been granted to filmmaker Chelsea McMullan, who captures the challenging but ultimately rewarding multi-year journey of this groundbreaking rendition of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet
• It takes an intimate and character-driven approach to its factual storytelling, which raises the emotional stakes for these very real figures
• Lovers of ballet will be pirouetting with joy as they experience the wondrous nature of this talent-filled and utterly ambitious dance company

Swan Song is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: John Abraham, Sharvari Wagh, Tamannaah Bhatia, Abhishek Banerjee, Ashish Vidyarthi, Kshitij Chauhan

CREW: Nikkhil Advani (director), Aseem Arrora (writer), John Abraham, Monisha Advani, Umesh Bansal and Madhu Bhojwani (producers), Malay Prakash (cinematographer), Maahir Zaveri (editor)

PLOT: Vedaa (Wagh) is a young woman who sets out to fight an oppressive system, along with a man (Abraham) who only knows violence…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• India’s latest action extravaganza is a grounded but firmly powerful affair
• The Hindi-language thriller features a double-whammy of star power with John Abraham and Sharvari Wagh, both prominent names in Indian cinema
• The action, as executed by director Nikkhil Advani, is stylish and fast-paced with enough over-the-top moments to satisfy most audiences
• At its core is a story of bravery and empowerment that we arguably need more of in general modern cinema
• In the absence of new full-on action movies, make sure that you give this one a go in the meantime!

Vedaa is showing in cinemas from Thursday 15 August 2024

CAST: Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, J.K. Simmons, Jackie Earle Haley, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jessica De Gouw, James McMenamin, Lorraine Bracco

CREW: Julian Farino (director), Joe Barton and David Guggenheim (writers), Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and Jeff G. Waxman (producers), Rupert Gregson-Williams (composer), Alan Stewart (cinematographer), Pia Di Ciaula (editor)

PLOT: Mike (Wahlberg) is a New Jersey construction worker who has a chance encounter with his high school girlfriend Roxanne (Berry). She soon whisks him away to London, where she – an international secret agent working for a firm known as the Union – needs his help on a dangerous mission…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Netflix takes viewers on a whirlwind spy adventure that offers plenty of action and fun for everyone
• Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry lead the way with sparkling comic and romantic chemistry
• Some big names are attached as supporting players, including Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons, former Luke Cage star Mike Colter, and others
• The mission truly is international, as we travel all over the world for a mission that could have far-reaching consequences
• It’s an entertaining ride for those who can’t get enough of espionage flicks (and who may have been disappointed by Argylle earlier this year)

The Union is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Aubrey Smith, Santana Stewart, Ja’Ana Crudup, Raziah Lewis

CREW: Angela Patton and Natalie Rae (directors), Justin Benoliel, Sam Bisbee, Laura Choi, James Cunningham, Kathryn Everett, Mindy Goldberg and Lisa Mazzotta (producers), Kelsye Lu (composer), Michael Fernandez (cinematographer), Adelina Bichis and Troy Lewis (editors)

PLOT: Four young girls prepare for a Daddy Daughter Dance with their fathers, which has been organized as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington D.C. prison where they are incarcerated…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• You might just have something in your eye as you witness the moving and heart-breaking story of four girls and their imprisoned fathers
• The documentary is co-directed by Angela Patton, the CEO of Girls For A Change, a charity that originally organised the “Date with Dad Weekend” program depicted in the film
• It brought audiences to their knees at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where the film received both the Audience Award (U.S. Documentary) and the audience-voted Festival Favourite Award
• With Netflix distributing, the film has the opportunity to be seen by far more people than it might have otherwise been allowed to be
• Both a profound look at life behind bars and a touching study of father-daughter relationships, this is a truly special film that should bring anyone with a heart to floods of tears

Daughters is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 14 August 2024

CAST: Awkwafina, John Cena, Simu Liu, Ayden Mayeri, Seann William Scott, Dolly de Leon, Donald Elise Watkins, MGK

CREW: Paul Feig (director, producer), Rob Yescombe (writer), Laura Fischer, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Joe Roth (producers), Theodore Shapiro (composer), John Schwartzman (cinematographer), Brent White (editor)

PLOT: In the year 2030, a new lottery system has been introduced in Los Angeles where residents can legally kill the jackpot winner within 24 hours in order to claim the cash prize for themselves. Katie (Awkwafina), a struggling actor, accidentally becomes the latest winner, and now she must rely on amateur jackpot protector Noel (Cena) to survive…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Everyone’s a winner until they’re not, in this wild and violent satirical action-comedy that shows the extreme side of nabbing a big cash prize
• Director/producer Paul Feig steers the absurd concept towards a hilarious and often shocking set of sequences that bring out the filmmaker’s playful edge
• Awkwafina and John Cena make an unlikely on-screen duo as they let loose amidst countless assailants who are after their big murderous payday
• It’s also a mini-reunion for Shang-Chi stars Awkwafina and Simu Liu, with the latter playing a rival protector with sinister motives
• You’re bound to have a good time with this film, to where you may start to think twice about getting that scratchcard from the shops!

Jackpot! is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Thursday 15 August 2024

CAST: Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn

CREW: Christy Hall (director, writer, producer), Ro Donnelly, Terry Dougas, Dakota Johnson, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Emma Tillinger Koskoff (producer), Dickon Hinchliffe (composer), Phedon Papamichael (cinematographer), Lisa Zeno Churgin (editor)

PLOT: After landing home in New York, a young woman (Johnson) ends up having an extended and meaningful conversation with her cab driver, Clark (Penn)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Debut filmmaker Christy Hall presents a different kind of chamber piece, one that inspires plenty of emotion despite almost never changing its location
• Actors Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn are almost always the only people on-screen, with both giving a pair of tender and heartfelt performances
• Originally conceived as a stage play, Hall’s script ended up on the “Black List”, which spotlights some of the best unmade screenplays in Hollywood
• It was shot in 16 days on a soundstage using “the Volume” – a form of on-set virtual production that creates realistic-looking backdrops – which the actors would perform in front of in real time
• The film touches upon some poignant and surprisingly heavy themes which extend well beyond the limited performance space

Daddio is streaming exclusively on Sky Cinema from Saturday 17 August 2024

CAST: Asta Kamma August, Herbert Nordrum, Andrea Edwards, David Fukamachi Regnfors, Moa Nilsson, Simon Rajala, Aviva Wrede, Alexandra Zetterberg, Kristina Brändén Whitaker, Karin de Frumerie, Julien Combes

CREW: Ernst De Geer (director, writer), Mads Stegger (writer), Mimmi Spång (producer), Peder Kjellsby (composer), Jonathan Bjerstedt (cinematographer), Robert Krantz (editor)

PLOT: Vera (August) and André (Nordrum) are an entrepreneurial couple who are given the opportunity to pitch their female-oriented business idea at an upcoming pitching workshop. However, after Vera begins hypnotherapy to tackle her smoking habits, she begins displaying unusual behaviour that could jeopardise their chances…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This sharp Nordic satire takes aim at the insecurities and hypocrisies of societal norms
• Swedish filmmaker Ernst De Geer carefully constructs a comedy of errors around the increasingly awkward central situation
• Asta Kamma August delivers a carefree and unfiltered turn as the character who undergoes the titular hypnosis, while The Worst Person in the World star Herbert Nordrum is her endlessly frustrated foil
• Some surprising twists and turns make you feel all sorts of emotions as things go from bad to worse for this main couple
• An audience hit on the festival circuit, it’s bound to entertain viewers everywhere and anywhere

The Hypnosis is streaming exclusively on MUBI from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Dylan Baker, Cliff Robertson, Bill Nunn, Ted Raimi, Michael Papajohn, John Paxton, Elizabeth Banks, Elya Baskin, Mageina Tovah, Becky Ann Baker, Theresa Russell, Perla Haney-Jardine, Bruce Campbell

CREW: Sam Raimi (director, writer), Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent (writers), Avi Arad, Grant Curtis and Laura Ziskin (producers), Christopher Young (composer), Bill Pope (cinematographer), Bob Murawski (editor)

PLOT: Peter Parker (Maguire) has managed to find a comfortable balance as the popular superhero Spider-Man, and as the lover of his lifelong crush Mary Jane Watson (Dunst). However, the arrival of a mysterious alien symbiote, which attaches itself to Spider-Man’s suit, draws out a darker side to Peter, which complicates his relationship with Mary Jane, as well as his pursuit of new sand-infused foe Flink Marko (Church)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The third and final film in Sam Raimi’s groundbreaking superhero trilogy (rereleased along with all the other Spider-Man movies this month) deserves a second chance after its mixed critical reception
• Although it is often considered the weakest in the original trio of films, with even Raimi later calling the movie “awful”, the movie has gained a cult audience within meme culture, with “Bully Maguire” and “Emo Peter Parker” originating from here
• Perhaps most controversial to fans was its underwhelming use of the popular villain Venom, who was forced into the film by producer Avi Arad despite Raimi’s lack of interest in the character, though he would later head his own trilogy of films (the third of which is due out later this year)
• Nonetheless, it remains a marvellous (no pun intended) big-screen spectacle with dazzling effects and plenty of superhero awesomeness
• Sadly, a planned fourth instalment in Raimi’s series was axed in favour of a brand-new reboot – check back next week for more on that particular entry…

Spider-Man 3 is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., Keith David, Ian McShane, Carolyn Crawford, Aankha Neal, George Selick, Hannah Kaiser, Marina Budovsky, Harry Selick

CREW: Henry Selick (director, writer, producer), Claire Jennings, Bill Mechanic and Mary Sandell (producers), Bruno Coulais (composer), Pete Kozachik (cinematographer), Christopher Murrie and Ronald Sanders (editors)

PLOT: Coraline (Fanning), a young girl who moves with her distracted parents (Hatcher and Hodgman) to a dull old house, discovers a mysterious portal that transports her to a strange alternate dimension, where she encounters her “Other Mother” (also Hatcher) who, along with the much livelier versions of people in her world, has buttons for eyes. Although Coraline at first enjoys this new world, she quickly discovers a much darker side to it…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The classic animated family horror returns to the big screen for its 15th anniversary, with a remastered look that comes with updated 3D effects
• The film, based on the book by Neil Gaiman, was the first feature by acclaimed stop-motion animation studio Laika
• Dakota Fanning leads a voice cast that also includes Desperate Housewives’ Teri Hatcher, character actors Ian McShane and Keith David, and the incomparable duo of French and Saunders
• Its effects, boosted by seamless and impressive-looking 3D, remain stunning and highly imaginative to watch
• Though much younger viewers may find it a bit intense, it’s a legitimately frightening introduction to horror that older children can appreciate as much as adults

Coraline is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024

CAST: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Elizabeth Peña, Míriam Colón, Clifton James, Ron Canada, Joe Morton, Carmen de Lavallade, Eddie Robinson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Tony Plana, Frances McDormand, Gonzales Castillo, Richard Coca, Jesse Borrego, Stephen Mendillo, Oni Faida Lampley, Eleese Lester, Tony Frank, Gordon Tootoosis, Beatrice Winde, Chandra Wilson, Richard Reyes, Tay Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez, Jeff Monahan, Gabriel Casseus

CREW: John Sayles (director, writer, editor), R. Paul Miller and Maggie Renzi (producers), Mason Daring (composer), Stuart Dryburgh (cinematographer)

PLOT: In the Texas border town of Frontera, a human skeleton is discovered, which turns out to be that of Charlie Wade (Kristofferson), the town’s despised former sheriff. Sam Deeds (Cooper), the current sheriff and the son of respected and recently deceased sheriff Buddy Deeds (McConaughey), opens up an investigation which unearths some shocking facts about the town and its dark past…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The acclaimed neo-Western from filmmaker John Sayles is back in cinemas with an all-new 4K restoration
• An exceptional ensemble cast, including future Oscar winners Chris Cooper and Matthew McConaughey, as well as the legendary Kris Kristofferson, fuels the film’s unmistakable tension
• Its exploration of political themes such as racial division, the mythologisation of shady public figures, and general morality make it eerily relevant in today’s America
• Sayles’ script was nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and several other accolades, and the film as a whole is regarded as one of the best modern Westerns
• A classic mystery as well as a smart and calculated study of the current American way of life, this is a film that deserves to find an audience once more in the present day

Lone Star is showing in cinemas from Friday 16 August 2024