Movie of the Week

• Hit Man

Cinemas

• Bad Boys: Ride or Die
• The Watched
• The Dead Don’t Hurt
• Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
• Tell That to the Winter Sea
• Rosalie
• Food, Inc. 2
• Here
• Riddle of Fire
• Four Little Adults
• Deep Sea
• I Used to Be Funny

Streaming/On-Demand

• Poolman
• Am I OK?
• New Life
• This Time Next Year
• Chief of Station

Re-Releases

• The Matrix
• Pride

CAST: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Eva Holtzman, Molly Bernard, Mike Markoff

CREW: Richard Linklater (director, writer, producer), Glen Powell (writer, producer), Jason Bateman, Mike Blizzard and Michael Costigan (producers), Graham Reynolds (composer), Shane F. Kelly (cinematographer), Sandra Adair (editor)

PLOT: In Louisiana, Gary Johnson (Powell) is a mild-mannered college professor who discovers an unexpected talent for posing as an assassin-for-hire during police sting operations. However, when he falls for prospective client Maddy (Arjona), things take an interesting turn…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Richard Linklater is back with his most purely entertaining movie in years, and perhaps even one of his very best
• It is a fabulous star vehicle for co-writer and producer Glen Powell, who shares incredible chemistry with Adria Arjona and radiates true movie star charisma at all times
• The film is loosely based on the real-life story of a fake hit-man that was the focus of a Texas Monthly article in 2001, though enough liberties are taken to turn it into a real audience favourite
• You’ll laugh, gasp, applaud, and even be a little turned on by the unpredictable yet thoroughly engaging narrative that Linklater and Powell have crafted
• The movie is the focus of our brand-new podcast episode, featuring special guest Mathew Buck aka Film Brain – click here to watch it now on YouTube, or click here to listen now!

Hit Man is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Joe Pantoliano, John Salley, DJ Khaled, Rhea Seehorn, Joyner Lucas, Quinn Hemphill

CREW: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (directors), Will Beall and Chris Bremner (writers), Doug Belgrad, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman and Will Smith (producers), Lorne Balfe (composer), Robrecht Heyvaert (cinematographer), Asaf Eisenberg and Dan Lebental (editors)

PLOT: After their late Captain Conrad Howard (Pantoliano) is posthumously accused of corruption, Miami detectives Mike Lowery (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) investigate further in order to clear Howard’s name. Soon, though, the detectives are set up and forced to go on the run as fugitives…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Miami’s most active detectives are back for a fourth adventure that tests both of them more than ever before
• Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles, and reunite with directors Arbi & Fallah (as they’re collectively known) after they revitalised the dormant franchise with 2020’s Bad Boys for Life
• There’s plenty of action and suspense as there always has been in these movies, as well as plenty of disarming comedy that puts a lighter spin on their escapades
• For the first time, Smith’s Lowery and Lawrence’s Burnett are operating outside the law, which raises the stakes significantly
• It marks another fun entry in the explosive series, and possibly even sets the stage for even more shenanigans in the future

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 5 June 2024

CAST: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, Olwen Fouéré, Siobhan Hewlett, Hannah Howland, Alistair Brammer, Charles Camrose, Kya Brame, Cara Steele, Shane O’Regan, Anthony Morris, Charlie Mann

CREW: Ishana Night Shyamalan (director, writer), Nimitt Mankad, Ashwin Rajan and M. Night Shyamalan (producers), Abel Korzeniowski (composer), Eli Arenson (cinematographer), Job ter Burg (editor)

PLOT: Whilst travelling through an expansive and uncharted forest in rural Ireland, 28-year-old artist Mina (Fanning) finds herself suddenly stranded. She soon finds shelter, but unknowingly becomes trapped with fellow strangers Ciara (Campbell), Daniel (Finnegan) and Madeline (Fouéré) in a mysterious building where they are all observed by strange creatures every night…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Don’t go into the woods, unless you want to be endlessly spooked by this creepy and puzzling new horror
• Ishana “Daughter of M.” Night Shyamalan makes her ferocious filmmaking debut, with Shyamalan Sr. serving as a producer
• Dakota Fanning leads a limited ensemble cast that also includes Barbarian star Georgina Campbell and character actor Olwen Fouéré
• The unsettling woodland areas of Ireland create a sinister atmosphere, as does the unnerving house with a see-through mirror that we spend a majority of the time in
• As you might expect with anything that has Shyamalan’s name on it, expect twists aplenty that raise the stakes even further!

The Watched is showing in cinemas from Friday 14 June 2024

CAST: Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Garret Dillahunt, Solly McLeod, Danny Huston, Nadia Litz, W. Earl Brown, Marc Dennis, John Getz, Ray McKinnon

CREW: Viggo Mortensen (director, writer, producer, composer), Regina Solórzano and Jeremy Thomas (producers), Marcel Zyskind (cinematographer), Peder Pedersen (editor)

PLOT: In 1860s frontier America, French-Canadian woman Vivienne Le Coudy (Krieps) falls in love with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen), but when he is called to fight in the Civil War, she is left to fend for herself in a dangerous environment…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Lord of the Rings veteran Viggo Mortensen directs, writes, produces, composes, and even stars in this revisionist Western
• The filmmaker shifts the perspective to European migrants who laid the foundations for America’s multicultural roots for generations to come
• Mortensen shares a powerful on-screen connection with co-star Vicky Krieps, and allows other cast members like Garret Dillahunt and Danny Huston their moments to shine
• It doesn’t shy away from how brutal and fierce the American West could be at this point in time, even when the action is far away from the Civil War battlefield
• Ultimately, it is a strong tale of love and passion that will have you in bits as it reaches an emotional conclusion

The Dead Don’t Hurt is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Teresa Banham, Alec Newman, Simon Callow, Eddy MacKenzie, Lewis Santer, Marcus Massey, Nicola Wright, Thea Evans, Flynn Matthews, Toby Wynn-Davies, Mason Gold, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney

CREW: Rhys Frake-Waterfield (director, writer, producer, editor), Matt Leslie (writer), Scott Jeffrey (producer), Andrew Scott Bell (composer), Vince Knight (cinematographer), Dan Allen (editor)

PLOT: After surviving the gruesome attack by his vengeful former childhood friends Winnie-the-Pooh (Oliva) and Piglet (MacKenzie), Christopher Robin (Chambers) must return to the Hundred Acre Wood after Pooh and Piglet, along with Tigger (Santer) and Owl (Massey), decide to take their wrath to Christopher’s hometown of Ashdown…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The sequel to last year’s notorious horror Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is a significant improvement in more ways than one
• Thanks to a larger budget, director Rhys Frake-Waterfield is able to give his murderous takes on A.A. Milne’s characters (who are now within the public domain) more sinister looks than before
• There is also a raised body count, with Pooh and his Hundred Acre Wood allies unleashing gory hell upon various townsfolk unfortunate enough to cross their path
• A number of seeds are planted for a much wider “Poohniverse” that is also set to include horror movie versions of Bambi, Peter Pan and Pinocchio
• Whether or not you enjoyed the first film, this one is bound to appeal to horror fans everywhere with its commitment to bloody, and sticky, carnage

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Greta Bellamacina, Amber Anderson, Tamsin Egerton, Josette Simon, Jessica Plummer, Bebe Cave, Allegra Marland, Junia Rees, Daisie Boyes, Maria Austin, Olivia Van Niekerk, Bea Paisley-Day, Ariane Ngunza

CREW: Jaclyn Bethany (director, writer), Greta Bellamacina (writer), C.C. Kellogg and Robert Montgomery (producers), Tess Parks (composer), Irene Gomez-Emilsson (cinematographer), Amarachukwu Modu (editor)

PLOT: In anticipation of her upcoming wedding, Jo (Bellamancina) invites her closest friends to a secluded country manor for a weekend trip. One of them is Jo’s childhood friend Scarlet (Anderson), who still has unresolved feelings from a short-lived affair the two women shared when they were younger…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Female friendship is one of the many tender topics of this moving romantic drama
• Director Jaclyn Bethany co-writes a thoughtful and emotionally complex script with the film’s lead actor Greta Gellamancina
• The actor shares a tender and mysterious chemistry with Amber Anderson, while there are some strong supporting turns by the likes of Tamsin Egerton and Josette Simon
• Like last year’s Past Lives, the film explores the core issues surrounding early love and how it endures over many years after
• Filled with raw drama and an uplifting sense of camaraderie, this is a charming and heartfelt gem for romantics everywhere

Tell That to the Winter Sea is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Benoît Magimel, Benjamin Biolay, Guillaume Gouix, Gustave Kervern, Anna Biolay, Juliette Armanet, Lucas Englander, Serge Bozon, Eugène Marcuse

CREW: Stéphanie Di Giusto (director, writer), Alexandra Echkenazi and Sandrine Le Coustumer (writers), Alain Attal (producer), Christos Voudouris (cinematographer), Nassim Gordji Tehrani (editor)

PLOT: In 1870s France, Rosalie Deluc (Tereszkiewicz) is a young woman who harbours a dangerous secret: she was born with the unusual ability to grow facial hair, which she hides by regularly shaving. After indebted bar owner Abel (Magimel) marries Rosalie for her dowry, unaware of her secret, she begins a path towards self-expression…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This unusual French romance puts the rare “bearded lady” phenomenon in a sympathetic spotlight
• Director and co-writer Stéphanie Di Giusto follows up her acclaimed debut The Dancer with a poetic and often gorgeous exploration of late 19th century womanhood
• Lead actor Nadia Tereszkiewicz delivers a captivating lead turn as a character who is not solely defined by her beard, while The Taste of Things star Benoît Magimel is engrossing as her unsuspecting husband
• The film is loosely inspired by the exploits of famed bearded lady Clémentine Delait, though of course Di Guisto’s version takes a number of different directions
• It is a gorgeously made and heavily empowering tale of standing out in a world that seeks to judge anyone for the slightest difference

Rosalie is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Michael Pollan, Gerardo Reyes Chávez, Eric Schlosser, Tony Thompson, Sarah Lloyd, Zack Smith, Cory Booker, Jon Tester, Marion Nestle, Carlos Monteiro, Kevin Hall, Mark Schatzker, Dana Small, Fran Marion, Jon Esformes, Pat Brown, Larissa Zimberoff, Uma Valeti, Art Cullen, Bren Smith, Emily Mingrone, Arlethia Brown, Haile Johnston

CREW: Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo (directors), Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser (producers), Mark Adler (composer), Jay Redmond (cinematographer), Leonard Feinstein and Ryan Loeffler (editors)

PLOT: A vast examination of the efficiency and vulnerability of the modern food industry…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Filmmaker Robert Kenner follows up on his Oscar-nominated 2008 documentary with a fresh new take on modern food companies
• Melissa Robledo is Kenner’s co-director this time around, marking her directorial debut after previously serving as a producer, including on the first Food, Inc. film
• Authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser also return to guide the filmmakers and the viewer on a deep dive into the agriculture business, and how it has changed since 2008
• Some shocking details come to light that may have you thinking twice about the food that you consume
• Like its predecessor, this film offers some valuable answers as to what we can all do to make the overall industry better for the future

Food, Inc. 2 is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Stefan Gota, Liyo Gong, Teodor Corban, ShuHuan Wang

CREW: Bas Devos (director, writer), Marc Goyens (producer), Brecht Ameel (composer), Grimm Vandekerckhove (cinematographer), Dieter Diependaele (editor)

PLOT: In Brussels, Stefan (Gota) is a Romanian construction worker who is about to move back home, but he begins to doubt his plan when he crosses paths with Shuxiu (Gong), a Belgian-Chinese doctorate student of moss …

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Belgian filmmaker Bas Devos presents a simple yet profound romance that finds joy in the unlikeliest of places
• There is a gentle nature between actors Stefan Gota and Liyo Gong as they bond during their fateful encounter
• It provides an understated meditation on human connection, as well as our relationship with nature and its many wonders
• Some gorgeous cinematography, boxed in an Academy aspect ratio, recreates a slight sense of claustrophobia that certain characters feel throughout
• This is a film that somehow manages to make moss – moss! – a compelling dramatic motif, which in and of itself deserves respect!

Here is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Skyler Peters, Charlie Stover, Phoebe Ferro, Danielle Hoetmer, Lio Tipton, Charles Halford, Lorelei Mote, Weston Razooli, Rachel Browne, Andrea Browne, Austin Archer, Abigail Sakari, Chuck Marra, Lonzo Liggins, Sorhab Mirmont, Kent Richards

CREW: Weston Razooli (director, writer, producer, editor), David Atrakchi, Sohrab Mirmont and Lio Tipton (producers), Jake Mitchell (cinematographer)

PLOT: In Wyoming, brothers Jodie (Peters) and Hazel (Stover), along with their friend Alice (Ferro), set out to find the ingredients for a blueberry pie, but their simple mission turns into a wide-spanning odyssey across the American West that becomes increasingly fantastical…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The feature debut of filmmaker Weston Razooli is a charming throwback to classic family films of the 70s, but with its own modern-day twists
• Shot on 16mm film, its visual style closely matches the aesthetic of older Disney films like Escape to Witch Mountain and Pete’s Dragon
• Young actors Skyler Peters, Charlie Stover and Phoebe Ferro form an energetic trio as they get into all sorts of misadventures, some of which might involve the likes of witches and fairies
• Its retro style and meandering storytelling earned the film acclaim at festivals around the world, including Cannes where it was nominated for the Camera d’Or, which honours first-time filmmakers
• You’ll be gently reminded of the films from your childhood as this one sets itself up for potential classic status with today’s children

Riddle of Fire is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024 (and is now streaming exclusively on Icon Film Channel)

CAST: Alma Pöysti, Eero Milonoff, Oona Airola, Pietu Wikström, Vilhelm Blomgren, Peter Kanerva

CREW: Selma Vilhunen (director, writer), Venla Hellstedt and Elli Toivoniemi (producers), Sarah Assbring and Jacob Haage (composers), Juice Huhtala (cinematographer), Antti Reikko (editor)

PLOT: Juulia (Pöysti), a Finnish politician, discovers that her priest husband Matias (Milonoff) has been having an affair with a young woman named Enni (Airola). However, Juulia surprises both of them by suggesting that the three of them enter a polyamorous relationship, which becomes complicated when Juulia meets and falls for non-binary drag performer Miska (Wikström)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This subversive romantic-comedy from Finland explores the emotional difficulties of open relationships
• Leading the central quartet of lovers is Alma Pöysti, whose standout turn in last year’s deadpan comedy Fallen Leaves earned her a Golden Globe nomination
• Writer-director Selma Vilhunen touches upon sensitive areas of her central subject with a dry satirical wit that retains its surprising tenderness
• It’s already made a splash with UK and Irish audiences, having played to acclaim at film festivals in Glasgow and Dublin
• With its surprising twists and turns, you won’t know what the next step in this growing love square is going to be!

Four Little Adults is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Wang Tingwen, Su Xin, Teng Kuixing, Yang Ting, Ji Jing, Fang Taochen, Dong Yi

CREW: Tian Xiaopeng (director, writer), Jin Sun, Jing Wang, Qiao Yi and Wei Yunyun (producers), Peng Dou (composer), Mazhiyuan Cheng (cinematographer), Aner Lin (editor)

PLOT: Shenxiu (Tingwen), a young girl with divorcing parents, is on a sea trip with her new family, when she is drawn to a fantastical world within the ocean…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Chinese filmmaker Tian Xiaopeng takes viewers on a magical animated journey to a vast and exciting new world underneath our own
• Inspired by Jules Verne’s classic novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, Xiaopeng crafts a fantasy that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike
• The animation is simply stunning, combining photorealistic CG graphics with traditional Chinese ink paintings, an effect that creates a truly colourful visual experience
• Its themes of grief and uncertainty cloud over the film’s emotional story, adding a nice layer of heart to the dazzling imagery
• For anyone seeking a true vision from the Far East, this film will provide you with that and plenty more!

Deep Sea is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, Dani Kind, Jason Jones

CREW: Ally Pankiw (director, writer), Jason Aita, Breann Smordin and James Weyman (producers), Aimee Bessada (composer), Nina Djacic (cinematographer), Curt Lobb (editor)

PLOT: Sam (Sennott), a stand-up comedian struggling with PTSD, takes up a job as an au pair for sullen teenager Brooke (Petsa). When Brooke suddenly goes missing, she wrestles with whether or not to join the search…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This darkly funny comedy-drama tackles some difficult themes with a sharp and sometimes uncomfortable sense of humour
• It’s a wondrous showcase for lead actor Rachel Sennott, who previously shined in films like Bottoms, Shiva Baby and Bodies Bodies Bodies
• It is the feature debut of writer-director Ally Pankiw, who previously worked on Black Mirror as the director of standout episode Joan Is Awful
• The film won acclaim when it debuted at 2022’s South by Southwest Festival, where Sennott’s film Bottoms would debut one year later
• Both hilarious and awkward in one fell swoop, this is a special gem that you won’t be able to stop thinking about

I Used to Be Funny is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Chris Pine, Annette Bening, DeWanda Wise, Stephen Tobolowsky, Clancy Brown, John Ortiz, Ray Wise, Juliet Mills, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Danny DeVito

CREW: Chris Pine (director, writer, producer), Ina Gotler (writer), Patty Jenkins and Stacey Sher (producers), Andrew Bird (composer), Matthew Jensen (cinematographer), Stacey Schroeder (editor)

PLOT: Darren Barrenman (Pine), a free-spirited pool cleaner in Los Angeles, uncovers a major conspiracy surrounding the city’s water supply, launching him on a wild odyssey to investigate and expose the truth…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Hollywood hunk Chris Pine makes his directorial debut in this wild and hilarious shaggy-dog story of a crime caper
• Pine also stars in the film, alongside an A-list ensemble that includes Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh and DeWanda Wise
• The film’s irreverent comedic style bears strong resemblance to films like The Big Lebowski and The Nice Guys, within a narrative that models itself after the classic Chinatown
• Upon its debut on last year’s festival circuit, the film received plenty of attention – though not exactly for the right reasons – which signals that we might have a new cult classic on our hands!
• Pine’s film is an exuberant love letter to the city of Los Angeles, and its many eccentric dreamers and personalities

Poolman is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Dakota Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon, June Diane Raphael, Tig Notaro, Sean Hayes, Whitmer Thomas, Odessa A’zion

CREW: Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro (directors, producers), Lauren Pomerantz (writer), Ro Donnelly, Jessica Elbaum, Erik Feig, Will Ferrell, Dakota Johnson and Lucy Kitada (producers), Craig Wedren (composer), Cristina Dunlap (cinematographer), Kayla Emter and Glen Scantlebury (editors)

PLOT: Lucy (Johnson), a thirty-something woman, suddenly realises that her attempts at love with men have been unsuccessful because she is gay. With the help of her lifelong best friend Jane (Mizuno), she attempts to embrace her newfound sexuality…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Dakota Johnson attempts to wipe the stain of Madame Web off her resume by starring and producing in this funny and charming relationship comedy
• The film first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2022, around the same time as another Johnson-led film Cha Cha Real Smooth
• Tig Notaro makes her directorial debut alongside Stephanie Allynne, with both also producing and lending a sardonic, though thoroughly relatable, sense of humour to the story
• Johnson has great on-screen support from the likes of Sonoya Mizuno, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon and Jermaine Fowler
• It will no doubt speak to anyone who is similarly experiencing a late-in-life journey of self-discovery, especially when it comes to their sexual identity

Am I OK? is streaming exclusively on Sky Cinema from Sunday 9 June 2024

CAST: Hayley Erin, Sonya Walger, Tony Amendola, Nick George, Ayanna Berkshire, Blaine Palmer, Betty Moyer, Jeb Berrier

CREW: John Rosman (director, writer), Mike Marchlewski and T. Justin Ross (producers), Mondo Boys (composers), Mark Evans (cinematographer), TBA (editor)

PLOT: Jess (Erin), a fugitive woman, is desperate to cross the Canadian border and escape her dark past once ad for all. As Jess is pursued by resourceful agent Elsa (Walger), who has recently been diagnosed with a life-altering illness, both of them slowly discover the stakes that could affect the world at large…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This unpredictable thriller goes places that you simply will not see coming
• The set-up suggests a Fugitive-style chase involving a wanted person on the run and the agent tasked with bringing them in, and it does those elements very well
• However, there are surprises and a half when it comes to what happens next, and first-time filmmaker John Rosman keeps the viewer on tenterhooks as he slowly reveals more and more of this plot
• It is also a deeply character-driven piece, with shifting perspectives allowing for sympathies to come and go from its central figures in ways that make them a lot more interesting
• This is a film that you simply need to see in order to understand how unexpected and borderline crazy it gets

New Life is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 3 June 2024

CAST: Sophie Cookson, Lucien Laviscount, John Hannah, Golda Rosheuvel, Monica Dolan, Will Hislop, Keala Settle, Anita Dobson, Mandip Gill, Harry Michell, Didi Anderson, Charlie Oscar, Joshua Weinstein, Larry Dean, Shiloh Coke

CREW: Nick Moore (director), Sophie Cousens (writer), Erika Hossington, Herbert Kloiber and Giuliano Papadia (producers), Michael Price (composer), Luca Ciuti (cinematographer), Melanie Viner-Cuneo (editor)

PLOT: At a New Years party, Minnie (Cookson) crosses paths with handsome stranger Quinn (Laviscount), who she quickly learns was born on the same day in the same hospital as her. She is convinced that he stole all her luck, putting her on a constant path of misfortune, prompting him to try and make amends however he can, which draws the two of them closer together…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• See what fate has in store for a couple of unexpected lovers in this pleasant and pleasing romantic-comedy
• Director Nick Moore, best known as an editor for films like Love Actually, Notting Hill and About a Boy, adapts Sophie Cousens’s novel with a winning energy
• Lead actors Sophie Cookson and Lucien Laviscount share playful chemistry, while there are standout supporting turns from the likes of Monica Dolan, former Doctor Who companion Mandip Gill, and Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel
• There’s a strong charm in its conventional but reliable storytelling that will give you plenty to fawn over
• It’s a treat for rom-com fanatics looking for their next love-fuelled movie fix!

This Time Next Year is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 3 June 2024

CAST: Aaron Eckhart, Olga Kurylenko, Alex Pettyfer, Chris Petrovski, Laëtitia Eïdo, Nick Moran, Daniel Bernhardt, Nina Bergman, James Faulkner, Kris Johnson, Isobel Wood

CREW: Jesse V. Johnson (director), George Mahaffey (writer), Jonathan Halperyn, Steve Lee Jones, Daniel Kresmery, Matthew Shreder and Simon Williams (producers), Sean Murray (composer), Jonathan Hall (cinematographer), Richard Blackburn and Matthew Lorentz (editors)

PLOT: Ben (Eckhart), a former CIA operative and European Station Chief, is left devastated when his wife Farrah (Eïdo) dies in a tragic accident. However, he soon receives cryptic information that her death might not have been an accident, prompting him to return to Eastern Europe and team with British specialist John (Pettyfer) and European adversary Krystyna (Kurylenko) to uncover a conspiracy involving his late wife, which causes him to question everything he thought he knew…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The suspense is uncontainable in this action-thriller that will have you shocked at every turn
• Aaron Eckhart leads the charge with a committed turn where he gets to indulge in his undervalued combat skills
• Olga Kurylenko and Alex Pettyfer also shine in supporting roles, while the likes of Nick Moran make for some memorably sneering villains
• At its core is a compelling mystery that uncovers plenty of unexpected secrets about the supposed good guys as well as the assumed bad ones
• With its hard-hitting action and unexpected plot twists, this is a fun thriller you can easily snuggle up to at home

Chief of Station is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 3 June 2024

CAST: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Matt Doran, Rowan Witt, Gloria Foster, Anthony Ray Parker, Julian Arahanga, Belinda McClory, Paul Goddard, Robert Taylor, Ada Nicodemou

CREW: The Wachowskis (directors, writers), Joel Silver (producer), Don Davis (composer), Bill Pope (cinematographer), Zach Staenberg (editor)

PLOT: Thomas Anderson (Reeves), a computer programmer and hacker who goes by the name “Neo”, is led to mysterious rebels Morpheus (Fishburne) and Trinity (Moss), who inform him that he lives in a simulated reality controlled by artificially intelligent machines that have enslaved the human race. Prophesised as “the One” to free humankind, Neo teams with Morpheus and Trinity to take on Agent Smith (Weaving), a sentient program designed to wipe out any threat to their fabricated reality…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The groundbreaking sci-fi action phenomenon celebrates its 25th anniversary with an all-new cinematic engagement
• Acclaimed at the time for its jaw-dropping effects, mind-bending storytelling and physics-defying wuxia action, it became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1999, and won four Oscars including Best Visual Effects and Best Film Editing
• The film launched filmmakers Lana and Lilly Wachowski (then known as Larry and Andy respectively) into the stratosphere, and solidified Keanu Reeves as a bona fide movie star
• Today, it is seen as a hugely influential film that shaped a number of cerebral sci-fi movies in its wake, from Donnie Darko to Everything Everywhere All at Once
• It spawned several sequels (with another in the works), but many agree that there’s simply no topping the awesomeness of this original film

The Matrix is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024

CAST: Ben Schnetzer, Joseph Gilgun, George MacKay, Faye Marsay, Dominic West, Andrew Scott, Freddie Fox, Chris Overton, Joshua Hill, Imelda Staunton, Jessica Gunning, Lisa Palfrey, Liz White, Nia Gwynne, Menna Trussler, Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine, Rhodri Meilir, Monica Dolan, Matthew Flynn, Karina Fernandez, Jessie Cave, Kyle Rees, Jack Baggs, Sophie Evans, Olwen Medi, Jams Thomas, Deddie Davies, Russell Tovey

CREW: Matthew Warchus (director), Stephen Beresford (writer), David Livingstone (producer), Christopher Nightingale (composer), Tat Radcliffe (cinematographer), Melanie Oliver (editor)

PLOT: In 1984, as the miners’ strike rocks the nation, gay activist Mark Ashton (Schnetzer) founds the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners alliance to raise funds for the impoverished families of those affected by the strikes. Soon, the group draws the attention of a small mining village in Wales, and an unlikely connection forms between the two wildly different communities…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The uplifting British crowd-pleaser marks its 10th anniversary with a proud return to the big screen
• A fiery ensemble cast made up of acting legends like Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy and Paddy Considine and (then) up-and-coming names such as George MacKay, Andrew Scott and Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning enlivens the screen at all times
• Its heart-warming depiction of the alliance between LGBTQIA+ activists and conservative Welsh miners never fails to generate a smile
• It also doesn’t shy away from depicting some of the deeply troubling circumstances concerning both groups at the time, from police brutality to violent attacks
• With its cheery nature and wildly entertaining spirit, it is an unlikely modern-day successor to The Full Monty in so many ways (minus the stripping, of course!)

Pride is showing in cinemas from Friday 7 June 2024