This Week’s Movie Menu (24 – 30 November 2025)

You’ll go wild for this week’s newest film releases, including a fast and furry-ous sequel, a boxing biopic that pulls no punches, and a charming Taiwanese family drama…

Movie of the Week

 

Zootropolis 2 (dirs. Jared Bush and Byron Howard)

CAST: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Macauley Culkin, Brenda Song, Maurice LaMarche, Leah Latham, Raymond S. Persi, Mark Rhino Smith, Tommy Chong, Tommy Lister Jr., David Fane, Danny Trejo, John Leguizamo, June Squibb, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Josh Dallas, Peter Mansbridge, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin, Robert Irwin, Jean Reno, Dwayne Johnson, Josh Gad, Stephanie Beatriz, Wilmer Valderrama, Rachel House, Auli’i Cravalho, Anika Noni Rose

CREW: Jared Bush (director, writer), Byron Howard (director), Yvett Merino (producer), Michael Giacchino (composer), Jeremy Milton (editor)

PLOT: Shortly after becoming partners on the police force of the animal-occupied city of Zootropolis, bunny cop Judy Hopps (Goodwin) and new fox recruit Nick Wilde (Bateman) find themselves assigned to the trail of Gary De’Snake (Quan), a mysterious reptile who’s on a mission throughout the various districts…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Disney’s Oscar-winning hit finally gets a theatrical follow-up after nearly ten years on the top of the legendary studio’s output of animated features
  • The first film’s creative team returns to tell an all-new story set in the brilliantly realised world of the title, with more time spent in areas only glimpsed at previously
  • Our lovable main duo of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, as well as their respective voice actors Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, take on some fresh personal challenges as they encounter plenty of stand-out side characters both new and old (and yes, the eternally slow sloth Flash is also back!)
  • Building on top of the first film’s themes on prejudice and tolerance, this sequel sees an even sharper divide between entirely new breeds of animals that until now hadn’t even been a passing thought in this universe
  • Fun for all the family is very much on the cards as its fluffy animation and hilarious jokes all make this a sequel that’s worth the wait!

Zootropolis 2 is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

What’s Showing in Cinemas This Week?

 

Christy (dir. David Michôd)

CAST: Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, Tony Cavalero, Bill Kelly, Bryan Hubbard

CREW: David Michôd (director, writer, producer), Mirrah Foulkes (writer), Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Justin Lothrop, Teddy Schwartzman, Brent Stiefel and Sydney Sweeney (producers), Antony Partos (composer), Germain McMicking (cinematographer), Matt Villa (editor)

PLOT: In the late 80s, female boxer Christy Salters (Sweeney) attracts the attention of coach James V. Martin (Foster) who takes her on the road to stardom, but after the two get married, Christy’s career and soon her controlling marriage take a number of dark turns…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Sydney Sweeney delivers her fiercest performance to date as the trailblazing boxer Christy Martin in a rousing new biopic that pulls no punches
  • In addition to starring, Sweeney also produces with director and co-writer David Michôd, who brings the grittiness he previously bestowed upon films like Animal Kingdom and The Rover to this grounded and tragic tale
  • Ben Foster provides pathetic menace to the title figure’s abusive coach/husband James V. Martin, and that’s not even beginning to describe his eerily Jimmy Saville-coded wig and get-up!
  • It’s uncomfortable viewing as the film recreates some of the most brutal moments in Martin’s life and career, but there is an underlying power beneath them that you can easily latch onto
  • Whether or not it puts Sweeney in the Oscar conversation, it’s a solid step towards a new chapter in the Euphoria breakout’s screen career

Christy is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Blue Moon (dir. Richard Linklater)

CAST: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott, Jonah Lees, Simon Delaney, Cillian Sullivan, Patrick Kennedy, John Doran, Anne Brogan

CREW: Richard Linklater (director, producer), Robert Kaplow (writer), Mike Blizzard and John Sloss (producers), Graham Reynolds (composer), Shane F. Kelly (cinematographer), Sandra Adair (editor)

PLOT: On the evening of 31 March 1943, as Oklahoma! by acclaimed composer Richard Rodgers (Scott) and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II (Delaney) debuts to instant praise, Rodgers’ embittered former creative partner Lorenz Hart (Hawke) retreats to a bar that is to be the location of the musical’s after-party, where he hopes to make amends with Rodgers and potentially woo young student Elizabeth Weiland (Qualley)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Richard Linklater casts a spotlight onto one of the 20th century’s most underappreciated lyricists in a witty and dramatic chamber piece
  • Ethan Hawke delivers one of the finest performances of his career as Lorenz Hart, who is best known for his work with Richard Rodgers before the latter formed an iconic partnership with Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Both Rodgers and Hammerstein show up as characters in this movie, the latter played by Andrew Scott in a performance that won him the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, while Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale lend charismatic support
  • Robert Kaplow, who wrote the original screenplay, has previous experience with Linklater after the director adapted his novel Me and Orson Welles into the 2008 film with Zac Efron
  • With wonderful dialogue and heartbreaking performances, this is a lovely little treat from a master filmmaker whose versatility knows no bounds

Blue Moon is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Pillion (dir. Harry Lighton)

CAST: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharpe, Jake Shears, Paul “Kvasir” Tallis, Anthony Welsh

CREW: Harry Lighton (director, writer), Lee Groombridge, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe and Emma Norton (producers), Oliver Coates (composer), Nick Morris (cinematographer), Gareth C. Scales (producer)

PLOT: Colin (Melling), an introverted gay man, is entranced by mysterious biker Ray (Skarsgård) who takes him on as his new submissive in a BDSM relationship that tests both their boundaries…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • “Kinky” is the right word to describe debut feature filmmaker Harry Lighton’s sexy and surprisingly sweet queer romance
  • Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård form an unlikely couple with even less likely rules and regulations in a film that outdoes the Fifty Shades trilogy in its depiction of BDSM
  • To prepare for the movie, Lighton spent time with actual members of a queer biker gang that inspired the one in this movie, many of whom became consultants and advisors for the filmmaker
  • It wowed audiences at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it debuted in the Un Certain Regard category and came away with a 7-minute standing ovation and an award for Lighton’s screenplay
  • The film offers an original perspective on queer love that isn’t depicted near as often, and gives it plenty of warmth and heart to see audiences past the racier moments

Pillion is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Zodiac Killer Project (dir. Charlie Shackleton)

CAST: Charlie Shackleton, Guy Robbins, Lee Nicholas Harris

CREW: Charlie Shackleton (director, producer, editor), Catherine Bray and Anthony Ing (producers), Jeremy Warmsley (composer), Xenia Patricia (cinematographer)

PLOT: Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton explores his failed attempt to make a documentary about the infamous Zodiac Killer within an over-saturated market of true-crime docs…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The un-making of a documentary is at the unique heart of filmmaker Charlie Shackleton’s witty and self-aware piece
  • It is primarily formed of ultimately unused B-roll footage and interviews that Shackleton originally recorded for a film about a police officer’s obsessive mission to catch the famously elusive serial killer
  • Instead, Shackleton flips the focus onto the overly saturated true-crime output which was one of many contributing factors to the ultimate cancellation of his original film
  • Following its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the documentary was awarded the NEXT Innovator Award, previously given to standout independent films like Kokomo City and Cryptozoo
  • Shackleton has made a truly original true-crime documentary where the crime may be among society’s perverse taste for how gruesome reality can be

Zodiac Killer Project is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Rhino (dir. Tom Martienssen)

CAST: Tom Hardy, Kiloku, Rita

CREW: Tom Martienssen (director, writer, producer, cinematographer), Cassandra Roberts (writer, producer, editor), James May (producer), Hannah Cartwright and Ross Tones (composers)

PLOT: In Kenya, dedicated wildlife ranger Kiloku and his team, including recently qualified ranger Rita, embark on a mission to protect the endangered black rhino species from succumbing to poachers and shrinking environments…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • This gripping wildlife documentary examines the noble and sometimes deadly task of preserving rhinos from the real threat of extinction
  • Oscar-nominee Tom Hardy narrates the story of the brave rangers who have made it their life’s mission to conserve safe areas of rural Africa for their endangered friends
  • We primarily follow a dedicated ranger named Kiloku, whose endless showdowns against ruthless poachers and other unexpected threats form some of the most heartbreaking moments of the film
  • Wildlife enthusiasts will be inspired when they see how filmmaker Tom Martienssen captures the efforts made to preserve the existence of the black rhino against insurmountable odds
  • It is an engrossing study of modern conservation that could well lead to an increased number of people volunteering to help protect similarly endangered animals

Rhino is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Desperate Journey (dir. Annabel Jankel)

CAST: Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Calara Rugaard, Til Schweiger, Fernando Guallar, Sienna Guillory, Steven Berkoff, George Sear, Hugo Speer, Barney Harris, Nathaniel Parker, Ed Stoppard, Niamh Cusack, Jack Morris, Anna Mawn, Dominic Allburn, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Richard Glover, Smadi Wolfman, Kathleen Gati, András Pál, Lukas Johne

CREW: Annabel Jankel (director), Michael Radford (writer), Warren Derosa and Zsófia Kende (producers), Ilan Eshkeri (composer), Gergely Pohárnok (cinematographer), Jon Harris (editor)

PLOT: In wartime Europe, young Jewish man Freddie Knoller (Tønnesen) is forced to flee Vienna when the Nazis invade, and soon after making his way to Paris he finds work in a notorious burlesque club where he falls for showgirl …

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • There are traces of both Cabaret and Moulin Rouge! in this moving wartime drama that tells an incredible story of perseverance and resistance
  • It focuses on a significant chapter in the life of renowned Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller, who is portrayed by Danish actor Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen
  • There’s some significant talent behind the camera too, with director Annabel Jankel (of Tell It To the Bees and, if you can believe it, the infamous 1993 Super Mario Bros movie) bringing to life a script by Michael Radford, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind Il Postino: The Postman
  • A heartbreaking love story is also on the cards for Knoller, as is a few tense encounters with Nazi officers including one played by Inglourious Basterds star Til Schweiger
  • History buffs will find this to be an incredibly emotional film to watch, especially in the wake of Knoller’s death a few years ago at the grand age of 100

Desperate Journey is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Primitive War (dir. Luke Sparke)

CAST: Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Nick Wechsler, Jeremy Piven, Anthony Ingruber, Aaron Glenane, Carlos Sanson Jr, Albert Mwangi, Adolphus Waylee, Marcus Johnson, Ana Thu Nguyen, Richard Brancatisano, Jake Ryan

CREW: Luke Sparke (director, writer, producer, editor), Carmel Imrie and Carly Sparke (producers), Frederik Wiedmann (composer), Wade Muller (cinematographer)

PLOT: In 1968 Vietnam, a search and rescue team is deployed to an isolated jungle valley to find a missing Green Beret platoon, only to discover that the land is inhabited by mysteriously de-extinct dinosaurs who have set their sights on the new prey…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • This wild new B-movie combines the prehistoric action of the Jurassic Park/World franchise with the even deadlier and more intense realm of Vietnam War films
  • It’s the brainchild of filmmaker Luke Sparke, who adapts Ethan Pettus’s sci-fi combat book series of the same name
  • There’s a few recognisable faces among the cast, including True Blood star Ryan Kwanten and Entourage legend Jeremy Piven
  • Expect plenty of dino carnage as our hapless military types find themselves hopelessly outmatched by the ferocious might of the fiercest species known to man
  • For anyone wanting serious B-movie thrills, seeing dinosaurs run amok amidst the backdrop of Vietnam will find this to be a suitably brainless blast!

Primitive War is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Still Pushing Pineapples (dir. Kim Hopkins)

CAST: Dene Michael, Anne Betteridge, Hayley Louise Spridgens, Tom Collins

CREW: Kim Hopkins (director, writer, cinematographer), Margaréta Szabó (producer), Terence Dunn (composer), Leah Marino (editor)

PLOT: Dene Michael, a former pop star best known for being a member of Black Lace and composing their most notorious record “Agadoo”, sets off on a trip with his elderly mother Anne and his girlfriend Hayley to get his career back on track…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The mind behind one of the most famously terrible songs ever is given their time to shine in a spirited new documentary
  • Kim Hopkins, the filmmaker behind community filmmaking doc A Bunch of Amateurs, deeply humanises an easily mockable figure in the vast world of pop music
  • You see how Dene Michael not only cares for his travelling companions, among them his 90-something mother, but also his legacy which, regardless of its critical failure, still brings joy and laughter to many
  • The sunny streets of Benidorm are just some of the locations travelled to as Michael attempts to move past his most famous record
  • Capturing what it is to be a struggling artist, this film offers plenty of empathy and heart that will have you looking back on “Agadoo” with a newfound respect (if that’s even possible!)

Still Pushing Pineapples is showing in cinemas from Friday 28 November 2025

What’s Showing At Home This Week?

 

Left-Handed Girl (dir. Shih-Ching Tsou)

CAST: Janel Tsai, Shih-Yuan Ma, Nina Ye, Brando Huang, Akio Chen, Xin-Yan Chao

CREW: Shih-Ching Tsou (director, writer, producer), Sean Baker (writer, producer, editor), Mike Goodridge, Alice Labadie and Jean Labadie (producers), Ko-Chin Chen and Tzu-Hao Kao (cinematographers)

PLOT: In Taiwan, single mother Shu-Fen (Tsai) and her daughters, teenager I-Ann (Ma) and six-year-old I-Jing (Ye), move to the city of Taipei where they open a night market stand, with each member of the family struggling with their overwhelming new environment…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • This delightful Taiwanese family drama is a sweet and compassionate slice-of-life treat that will warm your heart
  • Filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou makes her solo directorial debut, but has formidable support in her former collaborator, who happens to be none other than Sean Baker
  • The Oscar-winning Anora filmmaker is on-hand to co-write, produce and edit the film, which Tsou shoots entirely using iPhone cameras (similar to Baker’s earlier film Tangerine)
  • You’ll find yourself won over by this dysfunctional yet emotionally complex family, especially young Nina Ye whose wide-eyed curiosity and appetite for mischief echoes the youthful protagonist of Baker’s The Florida Project
  • It’s filled with heavy drama, unexpected hilarity, and even some tense twists as you experience life alongside this family

Left-Handed Girl is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 28 November 2025

 

Jingle Bell Heist (dir. Michael Fimognari)

CAST: Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Lucy Punch, Peter Serafinowicz, Poppy Drayton, Michael Salami, Mariah Louca

CREW: Michael Fimognari (director, cinematographer), Abby McDonald (writer), Matt Kaplan (producer), Jeffrey M. Werner (editor)

PLOT: Sophia (Holt), an overworked shop employee, forms an uneasy alliance with down-on-his-luck repairman Nick (Swindells) to execute a heist on London’s most notorious department store, only for their unexpected feelings for one another to get in the way…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Netflix’s latest festive romp takes things into Ocean’s Eleven territory with a fun heist caper mixed with romance that’s warmer than a yule log
  • Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells share slick chemistry as two underappreciated Christmas workers who take it upon themselves to get what they’re rightfully owed
  • Director/cinematographer Michael Fimognari, best known for his work with Mike Flanagan and Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise, brings a lively comedic energy that’s ripe with wintery cheer
  • The film hilariously combines familiar festive imagery with the stylings and machinations of a typical heist film, which produces some unexpectedly charming results
  • With less than a month to go before the big day, it should provide more than enough Yuletide energy to tide you over until then

Jingle Bell Heist is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Wednesday 26 November 2025

 

Bride Hard (dir. Simon West)

CAST: Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Stephen Dorff, Justin Hartley, Anna Chlumsky, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Sherry Cola, Gigi Zumbado, Michael O’Neill, Sam Huntington, Colleen Camp, Craig Anton, Jeff Chase

CREW: Simon West (director), Shaina Steinberg (writer), Colleen Camp, Cassian Elwes, Jason Ross Jallet, Joel David Moore, Max Osswald, Kevin Ulrich and Bob Yari (producers), Ryan Shore (composer), Alan Caudillo (cinematographer), Andrew MacRitchie and Todd E. Miller (editors)

PLOT: Sam (Wilson), a secret agent, is named maid of honour at the wedding of her best friend Betsy (A. Camp), but when a group of mercenaries show up to take the guests hostage, it’s up to Sam to save the day…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Rebel Wilson introduces herself as an unlikely action hero in this hilariously action-packed wedding comedy
  • She’s under the direction of action legend Simon West, whose credits include Con Air, The Expendables 2 and the Jason Statham vehicle Wild Card
  • It’s also a mini-reunion between Pitch Perfect co-stars Wilson and Anna Camp, who are also joined by the likes of Stephen Dorff, Joy Ride’s Sherry Cola, and Oscar-winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph
  • The wedding aesthetic makes it a good double-feature with Prime Video’s other nuptial-themed action-comedy Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez
  • Like Lopez in that movie, Wilson is on fire as she balances action heroism and physical comedy with a strong grasp of both

Bride Hard is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Saturday 29 November 2025

 

She Rides Shotgun (dir. Nick Rowland)

CAST: Taron Egerton, Ana Sophia Heger, Rob Yang, John Carroll Lynch, Odessa A’zion, David Lyons

CREW: Nick Rowland (director, writer), Ben Collins, Jordan Harper and Luke Piotrowski (writers), Collin Creighton, Nate Matteson, Hiro Murai and Brad Weston (producers), Blanck Mass (composer), Wyatt Garfield (cinematographer), Julie Monroe (editor)

PLOT: After her mother is killed by a ruthless gang of white supremacists, 11-year-old Polly (Heger) is forced to go on the run with her estranged father Nate (Egerton), who teaches her how to survive in order to defend herself from their incoming enemies…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Director and co-writer Nick Rowland’s anticipated follow-up to his feature debut Calm with Horses is a fierce and deadly neo-Western thriller with a touching father-child story at its centre
  • Taron Egerton is on fiery form as the ex-con on the run, but he is more than outmatched by young Ana Sophia Heger who establishes herself as a formidable talent to keep a close eye on in the future
  • Rowland brings serious intensity in scenes where he establishes a very real threat, and isn’t afraid to get a little violent whenever the moment calls for it
  • Critics have called the film a suspenseful and emotional ride, with particular praise going towards the two lead performances as well as Rowland’s stern and focused direction
  • It’s perfect viewing for anyone who’s after a gritty modern thriller with terrifying parallels to the current climate across America

She Rides Shotgun is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Wednesday 26 November 2025

That’s about it for this week – be sure to come back next week for a whole new set of movies to work up an appetite for!

Want to see our past menus?

Want to find a specific film?

Search for it in the box below:

Sisu: Road to Revenge (dir. Jalmari Helander)

In 1946 Finland, a former commando faces a dangerous enemy linked to his past…

Wicked: For Good (dir. Jon M. Chu)

Elphaba and Glinda find themselves on different paths in the land of Oz…

Train Dreams (dir. Clint Bentley)

A logger (Edgerton) contributes to the construction of a new railroad across 20th-century America…

Keeper (dir. Osgood Perkins)

A romantic trip turns terrifying for a mysterious couple…

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (dir. Ruben Fleischer)

The magician outlaw group known as the Four Horsemen recruit a new generation for their latest heist…

In Your Dreams (dir. Alex Woo)

Two siblings enter the magical world of their dreams…

Nuremberg (dir. James Vanderbilt)

In post-war Europe, a psychiatrist assesses former top Nazi Hermann Göring…

The Running Man (dir. Edgar Wright)

In a dystopian future, a struggling man enters a deadly reality TV show…

Anemone (dir. Ronan Day-Lewis)

A former soldier reunites with his brother after living in isolation…

Predator: Badlands (dir. Dan Trachtenberg)

A young Predator sets out to prove himself on a remote planet…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Optimized by Optimole