This Week’s Movie Menu (30 December 2024 – 5 January 2025)

A brand-new year is upon us, and it’s set to be yet another incredible twelve months for film, if the very first week of 2025 is anything to go by, with such offerings as a creepy vampire epic, a starry romance, a first-person look at historical injustice, and a bleak look at the future…

Movie of the Week

Cinemas

Streaming/On-Demand

Re-Releases

      Movie of the Week

       

      Nosferatu (2024, dir. Robert Eggers)

      CAST: Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney

      CREW: Robert Eggers (director, writer, producer), Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, John Graham and Jeff Robinov (producers), Robin Carolan (composer), Jarin Blaschke (cinematographer), Louise Ford (editor)

      PLOT: In 19th-century Germany, Thomas Hutter (Hoult) is sent to finalise a deal with the mysterious Count Orlok (Skarsgård), who reveals himself to be a vampire with a fixation on Thomas’s troubled wife Ellen (Depp)…

      FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

      • Visionary filmmaker Robert Eggers brings to life an all-new version of the 100-year-old silent horror classic, itself loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula
      • Eggers assembles an all-star cast for some of their most eye-catching roles, including Lily-Rose Depp in a transformative lead turn, as well as recurring actors Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson in significant roles
      • Central to it all is Bill Skarsgård’s central turn as the vampiric Count Orlok, which has been shrouded in mystery but is said to be a visual and performative delight
      • Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography, as well as a number of other outstanding production values, could turn the film into a major awards contender over the next couple of months
      • You will come away from this film with an all-new fear of vampires, which could very well pave the way for the creature to make a significant horror comeback

      Nosferatu is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 1 January 2025

      What’s Showing in Cinemas This Week?

       

      We Live in Time (2024, dir. John Crowley)

      CAST: Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield, Adam James, Marama Corlett, Aoife Hinds, Nikhil Parmar, Heather Craney, Douglas Hodge, Lee Braithewaite, Grace Delaney, Amy Morgan, Niamh Cusack, Lucy Briers, Robert Boulter, Kerry Godliman

      CREW: John Crowley (director), Nick Payne (writer), Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke and Guy Heeley (producers), Bryce Dessner (composer), Stuart Bentley (cinematographer), Justine Wright (editor)

      PLOT: Tobias (Garfield) and Almut (Pugh) meet and fall in love, igniting a years-long relationship that tests their unbreakable bond…

      FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

      • Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are about to become your new favourite romantic pairing as they charm their way through this touching relationship drama
      • The two Oscar-nominated actors share impeccable chemistry as director John Crowley depicts the highs and lows of their imperfect but nonetheless strong union
      • It is told through a non-linear narrative, which has already proven divisive among some audiences but hasn’t entirely detracted from the central romance
      • You’ll laugh, cry, and everything in between as the film constantly plays with your emotions during numerous heartbreaks and inspirational revelations
      • What better way to start off the New Year with your romantic partner (if any) than by going along to see this proven crowd-pleaser that will leave your hearts full of love!

      We Live in Time is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 1 January 2025

       

      Nickel Boys (2024, dir. RaMell Ross)

      CAST: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Ethan Cole Sharp, Jimmie Fails

      CREW: RaMell Ross (director, writer), Joslyn Barnes (writer, producer), Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and David Levine (producers), Scott Alario and Alex Somers (composers), Jomo Fray (cinematographer), Nicholas Monsour (editor)

      PLOT: In 1960s Florida, young African-American student Elwood (Herisse) is accused of stealing a car, and is promptly enrolled in the notorious Nickel Academy, a segregated reform school where he and fellow Black students receive cruel treatment from the faculty. Elwood soon befriends a fellow student named Turner (Wilson), and together they attempt to survive the school’s abuse…

      FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

      • Writer-director RaMell Ross’s poignant historical drama is an emotional piece of work that will root itself firmly in your mind long after seeing it
      • Ross adapts Colson Whitehead’s novel, which fictionalises the very real corrupt practises of the historic Dozier School, where horrific abuse was known to take place
      • The film is shot almost entirely from a first-person perspective, putting the viewer directly in the shoes of its troubled leads as they experience such hardships first-hand
      • Young leads Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson are captivating together, while there is some soothing support from the likes of Daveed Diggs and Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
      • It will leave you angry at the blatant miscarriage of justice as you witness things that nobody should ever be subjected to, especially vulnerable young people

      Nickel Boys is showing in cinemas from Friday 3 January 2024

       

      2073 (2024, dir. Asif Kapadia)

      CAST: Samantha Morton, Naomi Ackie, Hector Hewer, Maria Ressa, Carole Cadwalladr, Rana Ayyub, Ben Rhodes, Rahima Mahmut, Silkie Carlo, Cori Crider, George Monbiot, Nina Schick, Chris Smalls, Douglass Rushkof, Carmody Grey, Tristan Harris, James O’Brien, Anne Applebaum, Antony Lowenstein

      CREW: Asif Kapadia (director, writer, producer), Tony Grisoni (writer), George Chignell (producer), Bradford Young (cinematographer), Chris King and Sylvie Landra (editors)

      PLOT: A terrifying look at our growingly authoritarian present, and the potential future that could result from our current path…

      FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

      • Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia takes viewers on a genre-bending journey between the present and the future as a dystopia unfolds in real time
      • Kapadia blends hard-hitting documentary filmmaking concerning a number of present-day issues, and full-on sci-fi thrills as a possible future is dramatized
      • The latter segment features a captivating performance by Samantha Morton, who conveys some of the most horrifying visions of what the world could be like nearly fifty years from now
      • It debuted to stunned audiences at the most recent Venice Film Festival, where it debuted outside of the official competition line-up
      • As we enter a new year of uncertainty regarding international politics and rising fascism, this film serves as a powerful reminder of the very real dangers happening right now

      2073 is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 1 January 2025

      What’s Showing At Home This Week?

       

      The Silent Hour (2024, dir. Brad Anderson)

      CAST: Joel Kinnaman, Sandra Mae Frank, Mekhi Phifer, Mark Strong, Michael Eklund, Djinda Kane, Katrina Lupi

      CREW: Brad Anderson (director), Dan Hall (writer), Eric Paquette (producer), Anton Sanko (composer), Daniel Aranyó (cinematographer), Matt Lyon (editor)

      PLOT: After an on-the-job accident leaves him with permanent hearing loss, Boston detective Frank Shaw (Kinnaman) is recruited by his partner Doug (Strong) to protect Ava (Frank), a deaf woman who witnessed a brutal murder. However, when a group of criminals and corrupt cops enter Ava’s apartment building to subdue her, Frank must do what he can to spare her from harm…

      FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

      • After previously kicking ass without the ability to speak in last year’s Silent Night, Joel Kinnaman is back in action hero mode without being able to hear
      • Kinnaman teams with The Machinist director Brad Anderson for a nail-biting action-thriller that is primarily set within a vulnerable apartment building, à la The Raid
      • Appearing opposite the actor is Mark Strong, 8 Mile star Mekhi Phifer as an intimidating villain, and deaf actor Sandra Mae Frank who leads the film’s strong HOH representation
      • The gritty action sequences will have your heart pumping, enough to where even viewers with hearing difficulties will be able to feel its vibrations
      • It has plenty of suspense and thrills to satisfy your movie cravings during an evening in front of the TV

      The Silent Hour is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Monday 30 December 2024

      What’s Returning to Cinemas This Week?

       

      Rocco and His Brothers (1960, dir. Luchino Visconti)

      CAST: Alain Delon, Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot, Katina Paxinou, Alessandra Panaro, Corrado Pani, Roger Hanin, Spiros Focás, Paolo Stoppa, Suzy Delair, Claudia Cardinale, Rocco Vidolazzi, Claudia Mori, Adriana Asti, Enzo Fiermonte, Nino Castelnuovo, Rosario Borelli, Renato Terra

      CREW: Luchino Visconti (director, writer), Pasquale Festa Campanile, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Massimo Franciosa and Enrico Medioli (writers), Goffredo Lombardo (producer), Nino Rota (composer), Giuseppe Rotunno (cinematographer), Mario Serandrei (editor)

      PLOT: In early 60s Italy, the impoverished Parondi family – including brothers Rocco (Delon), Simone (Salvatori), Ciro (Cartier) and Luca (Vidolazzi) – migrate from the south to the industrial city of Milan, where the brothers seek new paths in life. However, their growing obsession with local prostitute Nadia (Girardot) threatens to break their familial bond…

      FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

      • The Italian neorealist classic gets another chance to shine on the big screen for its 65th anniversary
      • Luchino Visconti’s three-hour family drama boasts some striking black-and-white cinematography that highlights the dark and sometimes disturbing path our main characters find themselves on
      • The film generated controversy at the time of its release for its extreme content, and was even subjected to heavy censorship by local Italian authorities without Visconti’s awareness
      • Today, the film has become known as one of Italy’s most influential films, with Francis Ford Coppola even calling it a major inspiration for The Godfather
      • If you can handle some alarming content every now and then, this heavy but worthwhile slice of Italian cinema is one to see before it’s too late!

      Rocco and His Brothers is showing in cinemas from Friday 3 January 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:

      Captain America: Brave New World (dir. Julius Onah)

      Sam Wilson investigates a dangerous new conspiracy as Captain America…

      Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (dir. Michael Morris)

      Bridget Jones embarks on the next chapter of her ever-rocky love life…

      Heart Eyes (dir. Josh Ruben)

      A masked serial killer stalks a couple on Valentine’s Day…

      Memoir of a Snail (dir. Adam Elliot)

      In 70s Australia, young Grace is tragically separated from her twin brother…

      Love Hurts (dir. Jonathan Eusebio)

      A real-estate agent is forced to return to his violent past life…

      Dog Man (dir. Peter Hastings)

      After an accident, a cop and his dog companion are brought together in an unexpected way…

      September 5 (dir. Tim Fehlbaum)

      During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American broadcasting team covers a devastating event…

      Kinda Pregnant (dir. Tyler Spindel)

      A woman pretends to be pregnant for attention…

      The Fire Inside (dir. Rachel Morrison)

      In 2012, 16-year-old boxer Claressa Shields makes Olympic history…

      Hard Truths (dir. Mike Leigh)

      Two sisters have two very different reactions to grief…

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