This Week’s Movie Menu (6 – 12 January 2025)

2025 continues to be the movie gift that keeps on giving, with this week’s Movie Menu being packed with even more certified bangers like a humorous Holocaust trip, an erotic reawakening, and a opera diva biopic, among many others…

Movie of the Week

 

A Real Pain (dir. Jesse Eisenberg)

CAST: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes, Ellora Torchia

CREW: Jesse Eisenberg (director, writer, producer), Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Ewa Puszczyńska, Jennifer Semler and Emma Stone (producers), Michał Dymek (cinematographer), Robert Nassau (editor)

PLOT: David (Eisenberg), a reserved family man, travels with his free-spirited cousin Benji (Culkin) to the childhood home of their late grandmother in Poland, while also connecting with their Jewish heritage during a Holocaust tour…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Writer-director Jesse Eisenberg finds the lighter side of horrific history in this funny and heartfelt odd-couple road trip comedy-drama
  • Eisenberg also stars alongside a film-stealing Kieran Culkin, with the Succession actor delivering a truly energetic turn as the yin to Eisenberg’s yang
  • The film takes the viewer across Poland to visit some deeply emotional sites connected to the Holocaust, which despite the film’s lighter tone are treated with dignity and respect
  • It is set to be a major player during the Oscar season, with projected nods for Culkin in Supporting Actor, Eisenberg for Original Screenplay, and possibly even Best Picture
  • It’s a film that will make you laugh, then cry, then ponderous about life itself, and all other sorts of deeply complex emotions

A Real Pain is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 8 January 2025

What’s Showing in Cinemas This Week?

 

Babygirl (dir. Halina Reijn)

CAST: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde, Gaite Jansen, Esther McGregor, Vaughan Reilly, Victor Slezak, Anoop Desai, Bartley Booz, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, Leslie Silva, Dolly Wells

CREW: Halina Reijn (director, writer, producer), David Hinojosa and Julia Oh (producers), Cristobal Tapia de Veer (composer), Jasper Wolf (cinematographer), Matthew Hannam (editor)

PLOT: Romy (Kidman), a high-ranking CEO, embarks on an erotic and ultimately liberating affair with her younger intern Samuel (Dickinson)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Nicole Kidman delivers one of her finest performances in years as the lead of a rather titillating erotic thriller
  • Halina Reijn, previously of the Gen-Z satire Bodies Bodies Bodies, writes and directs an entirely fresh perspective on the desires of women
  • Harris Dickinson provides a heated supporting turn as the dominant half of this central affair, to where he might just become your own inner fantasy after a short while
  • There are some racy scenes which will no doubt get your heart pumping from all the sexual tension around every corner
  • It’s a fun and empowering feature that brings out the best of its actors and may even inspire you to reconsider your own inner desires

Babygirl is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

 

Maria (dir. Pablo Larraín)

CAST: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Valeria Golino, Alessandro Bressanello, Caspar Phillipson, Aggelina Papadopoulou

CREW: Pablo Larraín (director, producer), Steven Knight (writer), Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Simone Gattoni, Janine Jackowski, Juan de Dios Larraín and Lorenzo Mieli (producers), Ed Lachman (cinematographer), Sofía Subercaseaux (editor)

PLOT: In 1970s Paris, world-renowned opera singer Maria Callas (Jolie) confronts her identity and her life during her final days…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Angelina Jolie is mesmerising as the famed opera diva Maria Callas in this hypnotic and intimate biopic fantasy
  • It is the third and final film in filmmaker Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of biopics about notable 20th century women, following Jackie and Spencer
  • Ed Lachman’s beautiful cinematography paints a captivating portrait of the titular icon’s final days in Paris, where every single frame could be a work of art in the city’s Louvre Museum
  • Jolie spent a staggering seven months training to sing opera as well as Callas, and the final results are nothing short of spectacular (when they’re not dubbed over with the real Callas)
  • It is a monumental piece of acting that carries the film to a resounding and emotional conclusion

Maria is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

 

The Girl with the Needle (dir. Magnus von Horn)

CAST: Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm, Besir Zeciri, Joachim Fjelstrup, Tessa Hoder, Avo Knox Martin, Anders Hove, Ari Alexander

CREW: Magnus von Horn (director, writer), Line Langebek Knudsen (writer), Malene Blenkov and Mariusz Wlodarski (producers), Frederikke Hoffmeier (composer), Michal Dymek (cinematographer), Agnieszka Glinska (editor)

PLOT: In 1919 Copenhagen, young pregnant factory worker Karoline (Sonne) learns of a clandestine adoption agency run by a mysterious older woman named Dagmar (Dyrholm), but soon uncovers a much more frightening reality at its heart…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • This haunting psychological horror has been described as a “fairy tale for grownups”, and owns every syllable of that statement
  • It is loosely based on the real-life exploits of a notorious serial killer whose crimes caused a scandal in early 20th century Denmark
  • Scandinavian filmmaker Magnus von Horn, here making his third and most ambitious project to date, employs a striking black-and-white lens to the mind-warping horrors it has to offer, drawing comparisons to the likes of David Lynch and Robert Eggers
  • The film competed for the Palme D’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and has been selected to represent Denmark in this year’s International Feature Film Oscar category
  • If you’re not over the chilling horrors of last week’s Nosferatu, then this equally terrifying experience will keep you in that petrified state!

The Girl with the Needle is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

 

It’s Raining Men (dir. Caroline Vignal)

CAST: Laure Calamy, Vincent Elbaz, Suzanne de Baecque, Sylvain Katan, Laurent Poitrenaux, Ismaël Sy Savané, Alexandre Steiger, Olivia Côte, Pascal Rénéric, Myriem Akheddiou, Zoé Richard

CREW: Caroline Vignal (director, writer), Noémie de Lapparent (writer), Laetitia Galitzine and Aurélie Rouvière (producers), Benjamin Esdraffo (composer), Martin Roux (cinematographer), Dorothée Auboiron and David Bertrand (editors)

PLOT: Iris (Calamy) is happily married, a devoted mother, and a successful dentist. However, she craves a sex life that her husband Stéphane (Elbaz) cannot seem to give her, so she sets up a profile on a dating app to find a potential lover – and becomes overwhelmed with her many unexpected matches…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The French comedy hit makes its way to UK screens with plenty of fun to go around!
  • Filmmaker Caroline Vignal reunites with actor Laure Calamy, after previously working together on the international breakout film My Donkey, My Lover & I
  • Calamy continues her run as one of France’s most reliable actors, as she takes on a liberating role that embraces sexuality in surprising and humorous ways
  • Vignal was apparently inspired to make the film after a divorced friend went through a similar ordeal on a popular dating app
  • It’s bound to leave you shouting “Hallelujah!” as the male eye candy for our sexually starved lead keeps pouring in!

It’s Raining Men is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

 

The Damned (dir. Thordur Palsson)

CAST: Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Siobhan Finneran, Rory McCann, Turlough Convery, Lewis Gribben, Francis Magee, Mícheál Óg Lane, Andrean Sigurgeirsson

CREW: Thordur Palsson (director), Jamie Hannigan (writer), Conor Barry, Tim Headington, Kamilla Hodol, Emilie Jouffroy, Nate Kamiya, John Keville and Theresa Steele Page (producers), Stephen McKeon (composer), Eli Arenson (cinematographer), Tony Cranstoun and Nathan Nugent (editors)

PLOT: In 19th century Iceland, young widow Eva (Young) runs a fishing station in a small coastal village. During a particularly harsh winter, a sinking ship is spotted in the distance, forcing Eva and her workers to make an impossible choice over whether to save the shipwrecked crew or to prioritise their own survival, with their ultimate decision coming back to haunt them…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Between The Girl with the Needle and now this chilling (in both senses of the word) offering, it’s proving to be quite a week for terrifying European horror
  • Australian actor Odessa Young leads an impressive ensemble that also includes respective Peaky Blinders and Game of Thrones alumni Joe Cole and Rory McCann
  • The bitterly cold landscapes of Iceland provide a tense backdrop for some seriously disturbing imagery that will haunt your nightmares
  • Director Thordur Palsson’s film received unanimous praise following its world premiere at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival
  • It offers true character-based horror that compliments some of the freakier moments quite well from an emotional standpoint

The Damned is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

 

Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and the Shitrockers Story (dir. Charlie Lightening)

CAST: Mike Smith, Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, Patrick Roach, Billy Bob Thornton, Ronnie Wood, Eric Burdon

CREW: Charlie Lightening (director), Mike Smith (writer, producer), Jamie Brown, Gary Howsam, John Paul Tremblay, Lewin Webb and Robb Wells (producers), Daniel Lightening (cinematographer), Pablo D’Ambrosi and Jeremy Harty (editors)

PLOT: Bubbles (Smith), a resident of the Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Nova Scotia, forms a new country band known as the Shitrockers, and after a clip of their initial disastrous performance goes viral, Bubbles and his bandmates are invited to accompany Billy Bob Thornton (as himself) and his own band the Boxmasters on a European tour…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The breakout character of cult Canadian mockumentary show Trailer Park Boys headlines his own chaotic movie for the first time
  • It follows on from the conclusion of the original TV series, itself a continuation of the original 1999 film, and is the fourth overall movie in the franchise
  • Performer Mike Smith slips back into the persona of the happy-go-lucky Bubbles as he encounters various situations across several European countries
  • Look out for special appearances from the likes of Billy Bob Thornton, who in addition to his movie career also fronts his own band, and Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood
  • Die-hard fans of the show will no doubt want to catch up with their favourite characters, while newcomers can view this as an accessible gateway into the world of Trailer Park Boys

Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and the Shitrockers Story is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

 

Fateh (dir. Sonu Sood)

CAST: Sonu Sood, Jacqueline Fernandez, Vijay Raaz, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Shivjyoti Rajput, Naseeruddin Shah, Vijayant Kohli, Binnu Dhillon, Insane Ashraf, Jahangir Khan, Nishan Cheema, Suraj Jumani

CREW: Sonu Sood (director, writer, producer), Vincenzo Condorelli                 (cinematographer), Yash Parikh and Shekhar Prajapati (editors)

PLOT: Fateh (Sood), a former gangster, is hired to protect a young woman (Fernandez), using his ruthless skills to eliminate those who want to silence her…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Acclaimed Bollywood superstar Sonu Sood not only headlines but also directs, writes and produces this action-packed new thriller
  • His natural leading-man charm is complimented by the efforts of Sri Lankan actor Jacqueline Fernandez, who provides plentiful support as the woman his character has sworn to protect
  • Expect plenty of high-octane action in many international locations, from San Francisco to Dubai to various parts of India
  • It marks Sood’s debut as a filmmaker, with this film showing that he has what it takes behind the camera as much as he does in front of it
  • Fans of brutal action will no doubt enjoy the unhinged amount of carnage that Sood unleashes throughout the film

Fateh is showing in cinemas from Friday 10 January 2025

What’s Showing At Home This Week?

 

Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger (dir. Chris Foggin)

CAST: Rory Kinnear, Rob Delaney, Hugh Bonneville, Chrissy Metz, Dan Fogler, Leila Farzad, Jo Hartley, Pearce Quigley, Amit Shah, George Rainsford, Ashley Tabatabai, Calvin Dean, Bill Blackwood, Shaun Chambers, Liz Thompson, Catherine Dryden, Jenny Fitzpatrick, Michaella Moore, Mark Conway

CREW: Chris Foggin (director), Piers Ashworth (writer), Lauren Cox, Carl Hall and Piers Tempest (producers), Christian Henson (composer), Mike Stern Sterzynski (cinematographer), Mark Thornton (editor)

PLOT: Two years after successfully opening his own community bank, Dave Fishwick (Kinnear) takes on the predatory payday lenders that are terrorising his home town of Burnley…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The sequel to the surprise Netflix hit retains its predecessor’s feel-good charm, as well as its inspirational underdog narrative
  • Rory Kinnear reprises his role as the millionaire who took on the banks to help his local community thrive, and this time he’s taking on much nastier figures in the world of finance
  • Alongside other returning faces like Hugh Bonneville and Jo Hartley, new additions to the cast include This Is Us star Chrissy Metz and Rob Delaney, aka Deadpool’s very own Peter
  • The stakes are higher as Kinnear’s Dave finds his titular bank at risk, and therefore all the good people he’s helped along the way
  • It’s a light-hearted and good-natured sequel that should put you in a good mood as the New Year gets further underway

Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 10 January 2025

 

Get Away (dir. Steffen Haars)

CAST: Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, Maisie Ayres, Anitta Suikkari

CREW: Steffen Haars (director), Nick Frost (writer, producer), Maxime Cottray, John Hegeman, Miles Ketley, Lee Kim, Nick Spicer and Aram Tertzakian (producers), Hybrid (composer), Joris Kerbosch (cinematographer), Brian Ent (editor)

PLOT: Richard (Frost) takes his wife Susan (Bea) and their teenage children Sam (Croft) and Jessie (Ayres) on a family getaway to a remote Swedish island, where they soon learn that a serial killer is lurking about…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Nick Frost’s family holiday takes a violent turn in this darkly funny horror-comedy from the mind of the man himself
  • This is Frost’s first solo writing credit, having previously co-written the film Paul and co-created the short-lived comedy series Truth Seekers with real-life pal Simon Pegg
  • Frost also stars in the film alongside Aisling Bea (who replaced his Fighting with my Family co-star Lena Heady at the last minute) and Heartstopper’s Sebastian Croft
  • This being a serial killer movie, expect there to be some gory kills that are sprinkled with Frost’s charming style of humour
  • It’s the perfect movie for anyone planning a family trip this New Year – though hopefully yours will be slightly less bloody!

Get Away is streaming exclusively on Sky Cinema from Friday 10 January 2025

 

Stockholm Bloodbath (dir. Mikael Håfström)

CAST: Sophie Cookson, Alba August, Claes Bang, Emily Beecham, Adam Pålsson, Ulrich Thomsen, Jakob Oftebro, Wilf Scolding, Thomas Chaanhing, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Kate Ashfield, Matias Varela, Wayne Brett

CREW: Mikael Håfström (director), Nora Landsrød and Erlend Loe (writers), Helena Danielsson (producer), Lorne Balfe and Steffen Thum (composers), Pär M. Ekberg (cinematographer), Rickard Krantz (editor)

PLOT: In 1500s Stockholm, sisters Anne (Cookson) and Freja (August) seek revenge on those who killed their family on Anne’s wedding day, only to be drawn into a much larger conspiracy involving the Danish King Christian II (Bang)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • This riotous and – as the title suggests – blood-soaked historical action flick is an epic fit for a king
  • A mixture of Scandinavian (and elsewhere) talent both in front of and behind the camera, including director Mikael Håfström and a deliciously villainous Claes Bang, livens the fierce revenge plot at its centre
  • It takes a few necessary liberties with the very real power struggle in medieval Scandinavia that concluded with the massacre of almost 100 people across a few days
  • Some intense tongue-in-cheek fight choreography provides some exciting action to offset the history lesson being told simultaneously
  • You’ll be far from bored as you witness some shockingly violent vengeance amid some Gladiator-scale battle sequences

Stockholm Bloodbath is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 6 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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