Movie of the Week

• IF

Cinemas

• Hoard
• The Strangers: Chapter 1
• Tiger Stripes
• Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg
• Two Tickets to Greece

Streaming/On-Demand

• Thelma the Unicorn

Re-Releases

• Rome, Open City

CAST: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, Blake Lively, George Clooney, Matthew Rhys, Bradley Cooper, Amy Schumer, Keegan-Michael Key, Vince Vaughn

CREW: John Krasinski (director, writer, producer), Andrew Form, Ryan Reynolds and Allyson Seeger (producers), Michael Giacchino (composer), Janusz Kaminski (cinematographer), Andy Canny and Christopher Rouse (editors)

PLOT: A troubled young girl named Bea (Fleming) develops the ability to see people’s imaginary friends, or IFs for short. With the help of her neighbour Cal (Reynolds), who has the same ability, Bea sets out to find the IFs, who have been abandoned by their kids, brand-new connections to help them keep existing…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• After his horror breakouts with A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, director John Krasinski shifts towards family entertainment with a fantastical and optimistic new adventure
• Krasinski also wrote the screenplay and also co-produces with lead actor Ryan Reynolds, who heads the human cast alongside young talent Cailey Fleming
• There is an embarrassment of riches among the voice cast playing the various IFs, including Krasinski’s former Office co-star Steve Carell, Krasinski and Reynolds’ respective spouses Emily Blunt and Blake Lively, the recently-passed Louis Gossett Jr., and many other A-list names
• The filmmaker blends stylish CG animation with musical interludes and whimsical imagery, provided by Steven Spielberg’s regular cinematographer Janusz Kaminski
• It provides a bright and cheerful outlet for audiences who may be seeking something uplifting and uncynical to turn towards in these troubling and upsetting times

IF is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Saura Lightfoot Leon, Lily-Beau Leach, Hayley Squires, Samantha Spiro, Joseph Quinn, Deba Hekmat, Cathy Tyson, Nabil Elouahabi, Sandra Hale

CREW: Luna Carmoon (director, writer), Loran Dunn, Helen Simmons and Andrew Starke (producers), Nanu Segal (cinematographer), Rachel Durance (editor)

PLOT: In 1984, seven-year-old Maria (Leach) lives an eccentric life with her obsessive hoarder mother Cynthia (Squires), until tragedy pulls them apart. Years later, a now-teenage Maria (Leon) is living with her foster mother Michelle (Spiro) when she meets Michael (Quinn), an older stranger whom she develops an unusual relationship with…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• A unique new voice in British cinema arrives in the form of Luna Carmoon, who makes her filmmaking debut with a strange and indescribable coming-of-age drama
• Young performers Saura Lightfoot Leon and Lily-Beau Leach makes a pair of eye-catching acting debuts alongside British thespians Hayley Squires and Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn
• The film blew the house off at last year’s Venice Film Festival, with the film also receiving considerable praise at the BFI London Film Festival mere weeks later
• It has been likened to Charlotte Regan’s own outstanding debut Scrapper for its imaginative and refreshingly grounded look at working-class childhood
• With unusual imagery and some unpredictable turns in the plot, it’s a viewing experience that you’re not bound to forget any time soon

Hoard is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Rachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Ella Bruccoleri

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: Maya (Petsch) and her boyfriend Ryan (Gutierrez) are driving across the country to start a new life together, but after their car breaks down in an isolated Oregon town, they are forced to spend the night in a seemingly pleasant Airbnb cabin. That night, they are visited and terrorised by a violent group of masked strangers…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The acclaimed home-invasion horror gets a terrifying new chapter that expands the sinister universe
• Said to be a prequel to writer-director Bryan Bertino’s 2008 hit, this mostly self-contained story explores how the unpredictable assailants began their murderous and seemingly random spree
• Renny Harlin, primarily known for directing action films like Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight, lends a keen new eye to the unfolding carnage
• It is the first part of a brand-new trilogy, with the remaining parts due for release later this year, so don’t expect the story to be completely wrapped up by the end!
• However it sets up the next chapter, you can expect plenty of nail-biting suspense as the horror refuses to dial itself down

The Strangers: Chapter 1 is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Zafreen Zairizal, Deena Ezral, Piqa, Shaheizy Sam, June Lojong, Khairunazwan Rodz, Fatimah Abu Bakar

CREW: Amanda Nell Eu (director, writer), Yulia Evina Bhara, Fran Borgia, Fei Ling Foo, Ellen Havenith, Patrick Mao Huang, Juliette Lepoutre, Pierre Menahem and Jonas Weydemann (producers), Gabber Modus Operandi (composer), Jimmy Gimferrer (cinematographer), Carlo Francisco Manatad (editor)

PLOT: Zaffan (Zairizal) is a carefree young girl in Malaysia, but when she starts to experience puberty, she finds that her body is going through some unexpected changes, which soon causes a hysteria at her school when she becomes unable to control herself…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The trials and tribulations of puberty are given the full body horror treatment in this chaotic coming-of-age thriller
• The Malay-language film was produced across eight different countries, from Germany to France to all the way in Qatar
• It debuted to enormous acclaim at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Critics’ Week Grand Prize, and was submitted as Malaysia’s entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar
• Despite the international acclaim, the film was controversially edited for release in its native Malaysia, which prompted filmmaker Amanda Nell Eu to disown the tampered product
• Combining the fantastical puberty-centric weirdness of Pixar’s Turning Red with the abstract magical-realism of Carol Morley’s The Falling, this is a fierce tale of female adolescence that will ring true for anyone who’s ever been in that awkward phase of life

Tiger Stripes is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Scarlett Johansson, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Kate Moss, Angela Richards, Keith Richards, Marlon Richards, Brian Jones

CREW: Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill (directors, producers), Charlie Corwin (producer), Will Bates (composer), Luca Ciuti, Catherine Derry, Nick Higgins, Bill Kirstein, Will Pugh, Axel Schneppat and Shane Sigler (cinematographers), Adam Evans and Hannah Vanderlan (editors)

PLOT: The untold tale of Anita Pallenberg, the German-Italian actor, musician and style icon who became widely known for being the muse and romantic partner of several members of the Rolling Stones…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This engaging rock’n’roll documentary explores the influence of legendary figure Anita Pallenberg
• Filmmakers Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill combine archive footage and photographs with recent interviews of those who knew Pallenberg best to tell her unusual story
• Scarlett Johansson lends her recognisable vocals to the film as Pallenberg herself, with the A-list actor reading many of the subject’s personal writings
• It explores her often rocky relationship with the Rolling Stones, including her affairs with founding members Brian Jones and Keith Richards
• The film unturns a hidden stone in the legacy of the Stones, and in the process exposes a woman who was unilaterally herself up to her final days

Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Laure Calamy, Olivia Côte, Kristin Scott Thomas, Alexandre Desrousseaux, Nicolas Bridet, Panos Koronis, Leelou Laridan, Marie Mallia

CREW: Marc Fitoussi (director, writer), Caroline Bonmarchand and Isaac Sharry (producers), Mocky (composer), Antoine Roch (cinematographer), Catherine Schwartz (editor)

PLOT: Years after they last saw each other, childhood friends Magalie (Calamy) and Blandine (Côte) cross paths with one another, and they spontaneously decide to finally take their dream trip to Greece together. However, once abroad, the two women find that they have gone on to lead very different lives…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This delightful French comedy brings a truly sunny disposition to an intimate friendship story
• Actors Laure Calamy and Olivia Côte share insatiable chemistry as they embark on a wild trip to the titular country
• Look out for a formidable supporting turn by Kristin Scott Thomas, who has a lively role as a carefree friend of Calamy’s character
• It tosses judgement and prejudice aside to simply allow these central women to have as much fun as they so please on their well-deserved holiday
• With its bright and cheery outlook on life, not to mention its wondrous use of the Greek landscape, it’ll have you practically salivating for the summer holidays to finally come around

Two Tickets to Greece is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Brittany Howard, Will Forte, Jemaine Clement, Edi Patterson, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Heder, Maliaka Mitchell, Ally Dixon

CREW: Jared Hess (director, writer), Lyn Wang (director), Jerusha Hess (writer), Pam Coats (producer), John Powell (composer), Edie Ichioka (editor)

PLOT: Thelma (Howard), a young pony who dreams of becoming a glamorous music star, is magically transformed into a unicorn and instantly rises to global stardom, but quickly finds that her newfound fame comes at a cost…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This lively and musical animated adaptation of the popular children’s picture book by Aaron Blabey comes from an unlikely source
• That source being co-director Jared Hess, the filmmaker being cult hits like Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre and Gentleman Broncos (as well as the upcoming Minecraft movie)
• This isn’t Hess’s first foray in animation, having created the short-lived animated TV show based on Napoleon Dynamite, and the short film Ninety-Five Senses which was recently nominated for an Oscar
• The voice cast is made up of hilarious comic performers such as SNL veterans Will Forte and Fred Armisan, as well as Jon Heder aka Napoleon Dynamite himself
• Its magical story and silly humour will delight young children, while adults can appreciate the bizarre turns that it takes

Thelma the Unicorn is streaming exclusively on Friday 17 May 2024

CAST: Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani, Marcello Pagliero, Vito Annicchiarico, Nando Bruno, Harry Feist, Giovanna Galletti, Francesco Grandjacquet, Eduardo Passarelli, Maria Michi, Carla Rovere, Carlo Sindici, Joop van Hulzen, Ákos Tolnay, Alberto Tavazzi

CREW: Roberto Rossellini (director, writer, producer), Sergio Amidei and Federico Fellini (writers), Giuseppe Amato, Ferruccio De Martino, Rod E. Geiger, Angelo Mosco, Nicola Naracci, Chiara Politi and Aldo Venturini (producers), Renzo Rossellini (composer), Ubaldo Arata (cinematographer), Jolanda Benvenuti and Eraldo Da Roma (editors)

PLOT: In 1944 Rome, which is under heavy Nazi occupation, members of the resistance against German and Italian fascists are hunted by the Gestapo. One partisan leader, Giorgio Manfredi (Pagliero), evades capture by enlisting the help of Pina (Magnani), the pregnant fiancé of a fellow resistance fighter, and Catholic priest Don Pietro Pellegrini (Fabrizi)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• As Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini’s revolutionary feature approaches its 80th anniversary, this is your chance to catch it on the big screen for the first time in years
• Rossellini made the film as soon as the city of Rome was liberated by the Allied forces in the Second World War, making it among the first local films to explicitly come out against the Nazis and Italian fascism
• Today, it is widely seen as an important landmark in Italian cinema, kicking off the neorealism movement and launching the filmmaking careers of Rossellini and co-writer Federico Fellini
• It became one of the first post-war Italian films to win international acclaim, as well as awards recognition such as the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme D’Or and an Oscar nomination for its screenplay
• The film is a true classic, one that continues to inspire filmmakers and scholars almost 80 years after its original release

Rome, Open City is showing in cinemas from Friday 17 May 2024