Movie of the Week

• Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Cinemas

• Ella McCay
• Silent Night, Deadly Night
• Fackham Hall
• Lurker
• Eleanor the Great
• Preparation for the Next Life
• Christmas, Again
• The Tale of Silyan
• Baby
• Animalia

Streaming/On-Demand

• Merv

Re-Releases

• The Shining

CAST: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey Wright, Annie Hamilton, James Faulkner, Bridget Everett, Noah Segan

CREW: Rian Johnson (director, writer, producer), Ram Bergman (producer), Nathan Johnson (composer), Steve Yedlin (cinematographer), Bob Ducsay (editor)

PLOT: After charismatic priest Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Brolin) is suddenly murdered under unusual and even impossible circumstances, famed detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) teams with Reverend Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor), a new arrival to Wick’s parish, to investigate the devout members of his congregation and their possible motives for the murder…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Rian Johnson presents his darkest and most complex entry yet in his murder-mystery series featuring the recurring character of Benoit Blanc
• Daniel Craig, this time sporting a fetching new style, returns as the southern-fried detective whose flamboyant charm makes him one of modern cinema’s most fascinating mystery leads
• Johnson has assembled his finest cast of potential suspects yet, with just some of the names including Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and rising star Josh O’Connor who forms the film’s secret weapon
• The film dives deep into the corruptible nature of faith and its exploitation by power-hungry individuals, offering answers that are both chilling and even occasionally rather funny
• The future of the series may be uncertain now that Johnson has fulfilled his two-picture franchise deal with Netflix, but this should get audiences excited for plenty more Benoit Blanc mysteries if Johnson decides to continue with another distributor

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Woody Harrelson, Rebecca Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, Spike Fearn, Ayo Edebiri, Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, Becky Ann Baker, Troy Garity, Erica McDermott, Sheetal Sheth, Joey Brooks

CREW: James L. Brooks (director, writer, producer), Julie Ansell and Richard Sakai (producers), Hans Zimmer (composer), Robert Elswit (cinematographer), Tracey Wadmore-Smith (editor)

PLOT: Ella McCay (Mackey) is an idealistic young lieutenant governor who juggles with family drama, including her fractured relationship with father Eddie (Harrelson) and close connection with her aunt Helen (Curtis), while also preparing to take on the actual role of governor after her mentor (Brooks) accepts a White House cabinet position…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This chirpy comedy blends stuffy politics with crowd-pleasing family drama to create a truly winning formula
• It is the first film in well over a decade by James L. Brooks, the legendary creator and developer of hit shows like Taxi and The Simpsons, as well as the filmmaker behind acclaimed Oscar-winning films like Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets
• Emma Mackey takes on the title role, formidably leading a wider ensemble that also includes character actors like Woody Harrelson, Albert Brooks and Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis, with none other than Julie Kavner – the voice of Marge Simpson herself – serving as the film’s narrator
• Like the majority of Brooks’ work, it offers gentle drama alongside some winningly humorous comedy that we need far more of now than we ever did in the past
• It’s a wholesome and sweet-natured romp that proves that Brooks is still a master talent of tonal balance as well as a natural storyteller

Ella McCay is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, Mark Acheson, David Lawrence Brown, David Tomlinson

CREW: Mike P. Nelson (director, writer), Erik Bernard, Scott Schneid, Jamie R. Thompson, Jeremy Torrie and Dennis Whitehead (producers), Blitz//Berlin (composer), Nick Junkersfeld (cinematographer), Geoff Klein (editor)

PLOT: As Christmas approaches, traumatised young man Billy Chapman (Campbell) – who as a young boy witnessed his parents being murdered by a man dressed as Santa – becomes fuelled by a twisted sense of justice and dresses up as Santa to go on a murderous mission to punish those he deems to be “naughty”…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The cult classic Christmas slasher is remade once more (after the 2012 version) into a terrifying festive chiller that introduces the carnage to an all-new generation of audiences
• This version is much closer to the 1984 original, which initially caused controversy among concerned parents that its advertisement of a killer Santa would upset children, but became enough of a success to spawn a franchise of loosely-connected sequels (including the infamous second film, which features the iconic “Garbage Day!” line-read)
• Its director Mike P. Nelson is no stranger to revamping popular horror franchises, having previously been behind the surprisingly strong Wrong Turn reboot
• Halloween fans will recognise Rohan Campbell, aka would-be Michael Myers Corey Cunningham from Halloween Ends, as the actor slipping into the murderous Santa suit this time round
• Expect plenty of shocking kills with plenty of gore to go around, making it a dark and gruesome alternative to all the other, much jollier Christmas movies on offer

Silent Night, Deadly Night is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Ben Radcliffe, Thomasin McKenzie, Katherine Waterston, Lizzie Hopley, Emma Laird, Damian Lewis, Tom Felton, Jimmy Carr, Anna Maxwell Martin, Tom Goodman-Hill, Sue Johnston, Lily Knight, Tim McMullan, Laurie Ogden, Paula Wharton, Gemma Wardle

CREW: Jim O’Hanlan (director), Jimmy Carr, Patrick Carr, Andrew Dawson, Steve Dawson and Tim Inman (writers), Mila Cottray, Danny Perkins and Kris Thykier (producers), Oli Julian (composer), Philipp Baubach (cinematographer), Colin Fair (editor)

PLOT: Young pickpocket Eric Noone (Radcliffe) lands a job working for the aristocratic Davenport family at their estate Fackham Hall, where he soon finds forbidden love in lady-of-the-house Rose Davenport (McKenzie) but also treachery when a murder rocks the manor…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The costume drama pleasantries of Downton Abbey are given the spoof treatment in a hilarious parody movie that recalls the likes of Airplane! and The Naked Gun
• Comedian Jimmy Carr is one of the writers on the film (in addition to showing up in a small but memorable role) alongside sketch comedy trio Tim Inman and brothers Andrew and Steve Dawson
• Filling the various heightened main roles are esteemed character actors like Damian Lewis, Katherine Waterston and Thomasin McKenzie, all of whom are having oodles of fun playing up their properness
• If the title is any indication, we’re in for an appropriately vulgar and profane ride with plenty of other amusingly risqué gags to contrast with the more sophisticated British mannerisms
• It offers plenty of laugh-out-loud silliness that will give anyone, especially those already missing the actual Downton Abbey franchise, a royally good laugh

Fackham Hall is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Théodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu, Wale Onayemi, Daniel Zolghadri, Sunny Suljic

CREW: Alex Russell (director, writer), Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Duncan Montgomery. Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel and Jack Selby (producers), Kenny Beats (composer), Pat Scola (cinematographer), David Kashevaroff (editor)

PLOT: Matthew (Pellerin), a young retail employee, manages to infiltrate the inner circle of rising music star Oliver (Madekwe), but as his obsession with the artist grows, Matthew finds himself doing whatever it takes to remain at his newfound status of access and respect…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The line between celebrity admiration and friendship is blurred in a dark psychological thriller that raises some unnerving questions about fame and its baggage
• Théodore Pellerin delivers an unnerving lead turn as a young man so consumed by fame and admiration that he inevitably heads down a darker and darker path
• There are heavy shades of Saltburn in debut filmmaker Alex Russell’s study of obsession and deception, least of all because actual Saltburn star Archie Madekwe has a sizeable role as the young music star at its centre
• It scored high points among critics and audiences when it debuted at Sundance earlier this year, who commended the rather sinister undertones in the journey of its slightly creepy lead character
• Those who may have experienced fame at some point in their lives will recognise the sycophantic personalities that surround them as soon as they become popular, and those who haven’t will pick up on the traits they shouldn’t inhabit when around famous people!

Lurker is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Jessica Hecht, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rita Zohar, Will Price, Greg Kaston

CREW: Scarlett Johansson (director, producer), Tory Kamen (writer), Jessamine Burgum, Kara Durrett, Keenan Flynn, Jonathan Lia, Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler (producers), Dusitn O’Halloran (composer), Hélène Louvart (cinematographer), Harry Jierjian (editor)

PLOT: Eleanor Morgenstein (Squibb), a 94-year-old woman who has recently moved from Florida to New York City after the passing of her best friend and Holocaust survivor Bessie (Zohar), assumes Bessie’s backstory in an attempt to fit in with her new peers, but the deception takes on further life when young journalist Nina (Kellyman) decides to write a story about her…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a tender story that establishes the A-lister as a formidable talent behind the camera
• 96-year-old screen legend June Squibb is exquisite and endlessly lovable in the mischievous yet dramatically complex title role
• The script by Tory Kamen explores profound themes of grief, friendship, Jewish identity and the difficulties of being old, all of which Johansson conveys with powerful empathy
• It made its world debut in the Un Certain Regard strand at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it quickly became one of the most-buzzed titles due to its top talent in front of and behind the camera
• The film’s strong reception all but ensures we’ll be seeing plenty more of Johansson in the director’s chair, and hopefully a few more roles in Squibb’s endearing later-years career

Eleanor the Great is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Sebiye Behtiyar, Fred Hechinger

CREW: Bing Liu (director), Martyna Majok (writer), Mark Ceryak, Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner and Adele Romanski (producers), Emile Mosseri (composer), Ante Cheng (cinematographer), Anne McCabe (editor)

PLOT: In the Chinatown district of New York, Uyghur immigrant Aishe (Behtiyar) forms a deep connection with American soldier Skinner (Hechinger), who’s just returned home from serving in the Middle East, and together they attempt to claim better lives than the ones they’ve been given…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• The Oscar-winning producers of Moonlight and Nickel Boys present a powerful new romance that adds a timely layer to make it all the more tragic
• Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bing Liu, previously of the skateboarding documentary Minding the Gap, makes his narrative debut with an adaptation of Atticus Lish’s award-winning novel
• Leads Sebiye Behtiyar and Fred Hechinger share a tender on-screen connection as their respective characters bond over their shared feelings of being discarded in modern society
• Gorgeously shot over various areas of New York, the film offers a gritty look at life and the small rays of hope that come with it
• It’s a love story that speaks to modern-day America and its numerous restrictions, all while still holding onto its core power as a compelling romance

Preparation for the Next Life is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Craig Butta, Mario Cantillo, Heather Courtney, Martin Courtney, David Gauld, Dakota Goldhor, Yvonne Gougelet

CREW: Charles Poekel (director, writer, producer), Sean Price Williams (cinematographer), Robert Greene (editor)

PLOT: Noel (Audley) is a lonely Christmas tree salesman whose lack of festive spirit and disregard from the various people he encounters causes him to begin spiralling, until a chance encounter with the mysterious Lydia (Gross) begins to elevate his outlook on life…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• A cult festive favourite among festival crowds finally makes its UK bow just in time for this year’s Christmas celebrations
• The film originally debuted over ten years ago at independent festivals like Sundance and Locarno, but despite scoring a release in the US it has never received an official UK theatrical run – until now, of course!
• Charles Poekel, the film’s director, writer and producer, was once a Christmas tree salesman himself, and used most of his earnings to finance this film
• He’s also brought on board prolific cinematographer (and occasional filmmaker himself) Sean Price Williams to shoot the film on grainy 16mm film to add a grounded aesthetic
• It’s a tender and oddly uplifting story of overcoming loneliness and cynicism at a time of year when nobody deserves to be either alone or cynical

Christmas, Again is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Aleksandar Conev, Nikola Conev, Aleksandra Coneva, Ilina Coneva, Jana Coneva, Stojco Filipov, Ile Stojkovski

CREW: Tamara Kotevska (director, writer, producer), Jean Dakar (producer, cinematographer), Anna Hashmi and Jordanco Petkovski (producers), Joe Wilson Davies and HunOuk Park (composers), Martin Ivanov (editor)

PLOT: In rural Macedonia, farmer Nikola Conev is left alone after he is unable to sell his land, but after encountering an injured white stork which he names Silyan, an unlikely bond forms between them…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• This quietly beautiful documentary explores a truly heartwarming connection between man and animal amidst an atmosphere of economic uncertainty
• Tamara Kotevska, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind Honeyland, returns to the rural landscapes of Macedonia for a mixture of striking wildlife footage and real-life human drama
• The titular stork is a lovable bird who you’ll easily fall for as its bond with farmer Nikola forms one of the year’s purest on-screen friendships
• It also sheds light on the increasingly tough restrictions placed on agriculturalists by the Macedonian government, as well as poignant themes of climate change and political resistance
• Viewers of all creeds can connect to the deeply moving bond at its core, while introducing them to a part of the world that is struggling along with the rest of us

The Tale of Silyan is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: João Pedro Mariano, Ricardo Teodoro, Ana Flavia Cavalcanti, Bruna Linzmeyer, Luiz Bertazzo, Marcelo Várzea, Patrick Coelho, Kyra Reis, Baco Pereira, Sylvia Prado, Ariane Aparecida, Victor Hugo Martins, Maurício de Barros, Cleo Coelho, Cael Benício, Aquiles, Kelly Campello, Mauricio Sassi

CREW: Marcelo Caetano (director, writer, producer), Gabriel Domingues (writer), Stienette Bosklopper, Juliette Lepoutre, Ivan Melo, Pierre Menahem, Maarten Swart and Beto Tibiriça (producers), Bruno Prado and Caê Rolfsen (composers), Joana Luz and Pedro Sotero (cinematographer), Fabian Remy (editor)

PLOT: After being released from a juvenile detention centre, a young man named Wellington (Mariano) is left to wander the streets of São Paulo until he’s taken in by older sex worker Ronaldo (Teodoro), who shows him how to survive as they end up working together…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• A dazzling coming-of-age romantic drama, filmmaker Marcelo Caetano’s latest offers a fresh perspective of a seedy underworld in the Brazilian city of São Paulo
• Caetano plants the viewer directly into the troubled shoes of its troubled young protagonist, and shows with gentle precision how he winds up embracing a lifestyle that causes him an unexpected sense of liberation
• Debut actors João Pedro Mariano and Ricardo Teodoro, as the titular drifter and the mature sex worker respectively, share palpable romantic chemistry as they grow closer in a world that seeks to exploit their every crevice
• Its tender and rhythmic directorial style has been compared to the works of Wong Kar-Wai, which also hints at a far deeper range of emotions than most other movies of this nature
• With its vibrant lust for life and nonjudgemental approach to characters’ professions, this is a lovely experience that further proves how love can be found in just about every part of the world

Baby is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Oumaïma Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou, Souad Khouyi

CREW: Sofia Alaoui (director, writer), Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral (producers), Amin Bouhafa (composer), Noé Bach (cinematographer), Héloïse Pelloquet (editor)

PLOT: In Morocco, Itto (Barid) is a heavily pregnant woman who, whilst alone at home as her husband Amine (Dehbi) is working, receives word of a mysterious supernatural event that is engulfing the country and causing everyone to head towards holy places, where she hopes to reunite with Amine…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• It’s the end of the world as we know it, and the tenderly portrayed characters in director-writer Sofia Alaoui’s unusual fantastical drama are feeling far from fine
• Alaoui expands upon her previous short film So What If the Goats Die with a feature that takes place at the same time and even shares some of the same locations
• Lead actor Oumaïma Barid is compelling as her heavily expectant character is thrust onto a cross-country journey where they may not even be a safe destination at the end
• The film shares thematic ties with the upcoming Cannes favourite Sirāt, which similarly shows humanity’s unorthodox response to possibly apocalyptic events
• Some beautiful filmmaking and soulful storytelling make this a deeply human story of survival and acceptance of a new world on the horizon

Animalia is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025

CAST: Charlie Cox, Zooey Deschanel, Chris Redd, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Ellyn Jameson, Wynn Everett, Jasmine Mathews, Joey Slotnick, Jessica Swale

CREW: Jessica Swale (director), Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart (writers), Matthew Baer and Roma Downey (producers), Tom Howe (composer), Julio Macat (cinematographer), Annette Davey and Nancy Richardson (editors)

PLOT: Merv is a dog who, after his owners Russ (Cox) and Anna (Deschanel) break up, becomes depressed as he goes back and forth between their separate homes, causing them to team up for a trip to a dog-friendly beach in Florida in an attempt to lift Merv’s spirits, only to find their feelings for one another starting to reemerge…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Breakups don’t get more adorable than the one in this dog-centric romantic comedy
• The titular canine Merv constantly steals scenes from his human co-stars Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel, both of whom are on charming form as two former lovers slowly brought back together
• Its central romance is bound to warm everyone’s hearts as the Christmas season begins to truly settle in
• Director Jessica Swale lends plenty of witty charm to a film that will absolutely become a must-watch among dog-lovers
• It takes on a new perspective of ending relationships that feels both real and oddly endearing for anyone who’s been in that situation

Merv is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Wednesday 10 December 2025

CAST: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone, Joe Turkel, Anne Jackson, Tony Burton, Lia Beldam, Billie Gibson, Barry Dennen, Lisa Burns, Louise Burns

CREW: Stanley Kubrick (director, writer, producer), Diane Johnson (writer), Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind (composers), John Alcott (cinematographer), Ray Lovejoy (editor)

PLOT: Jack Torrance (Nicholson), a recovering alcoholic and aspiring writer, is hired to be the winter caretaker for the isolated Overlook Hotel where he brings his wife Wendy (Duvall) and their clairvoyant son Danny (Lloyd) to stay with him, but it’s not long before the hotel’s supernatural guests begin to torment the family, and drive Jack towards a crazed murderous rampage…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

• Stanley Kubrick’s world-famous Stephen King adaptation returns to the big screen for its 45th anniversary, with an emphasis on “big” as it’s also showing on IMAX screens for the very first time!
• Despite muted feedback upon its original release – with King openly voicing his disdain for the many creative liberties Kubrick took with the author’s source material – it has since become regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made
• Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance as the increasingly unhinged Jack Torrance is one for the ages, while the late Shelley Duvall deserves credit for her own terrified-as-hell turn (made more effective by her reportedly antagonistic on-set treatment by the notoriously perfectionist filmmaker)
• The IMAX screen is surprisingly perfect for some of the film’s most memorable moments, from Danny’s ghostly hallway encounter to the blood-filled elevator to the oft-parodied “Here’s Johnny!” scene
• If you’ve somehow never experienced the Kubrick classic the way it was meant to be seen, this is your chance to rectify that mistake as soon as you possibly can!

The Shining is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 December 2025