This Week’s Movie Menu (8 – 14 September 2025)

A grand week of new film releases awaits you, including the final chapter in a beloved franchise, a long-awaited rock reunion, and a celebrity’s worst nightmare…

Movie of the Week

 

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (dir. Simon Curtis)

CAST: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Paul Copley, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggart, Paul Giamatti, Harry Haddon-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Douglas Reith, Dominic West, Penelope Wilton, Simon Russell Beale, Arty Froushan, Alessandro Nivola, Joely Richardson

CREW: Simon Curtis (director), Julian Fellowes (writer, producer), Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge (producers), John Lunn (composer), Ben Smithard (cinematographer), Adam Recht (editor)

PLOT: In the 1930s, the wealthy Crawley family and their staff find themselves in the middle of a public scandal as well as financial troubles, which causes them to worry about the future of their estate…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The global phenomenon makes its final bow with a third feature that wraps up the long-running story of the Crawleys and their dedicated employees
  • Most of the remaining cast reprise their career-defining roles for the last time, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Allen Leech and more
  • Smaller roles from past series and films are also back, among them ones played by Paul Giamatti and Dominic West, along with newer faces like Simon Russell Beale and Alessandro Nivola
  • Director Simon Curtis, who directed the previous film, plays around with writer and creator Julian Fellowes’s world for a story which will conclude all of the remaining loose ends
  • Fans of the franchise will absolutely want to say farewell to a close favourite, while newcomers can enjoy the charming and emotional journey with plenty of fun characters and dialogue

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

What’s Showing in Cinemas This Week?

 

The Long Walk (dir. Francis Lawrence)

CAST: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill, Garrett Wareing, Joshua Odjick, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, Izabella Raven

CREW: Francis Lawrence (director, producer), JT Mollner (writer), Roy Lee, Cameron MacConomy and Steven Schneider (producers), Jeremiah Fraites (composer), Jo Willems (cinematographer), Peggy Eghbalian and Mark Yoshikawa (editors)

PLOT: In a dystopian future where America has become a police state, a group of 100 young men are selected to participate in an annual walking contest where the winner will receive anything they want for the rest of their life. To win, they must maintain a consistent walking speed across endless miles of road, or they will be permanently eliminated…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • This intense dystopian thriller will leave you fearful of the very thing most of us do every day: walk on our own two feet
  • Francis Lawrence, who thanks to his work on The Hunger Games franchise has experience in physically and psychologically tormenting young people in authoritarian futures, adapts Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the same name
  • The young cast includes Licorice Pizza’s Cooper Hoffman, BAFTA-winner David Jonsson and recent Karate Kid Ben Wang, while Mark Hamill (on his second King adaptation of the year after last month’s The Life of Chuck) is on intimidating form as the sinister Major in charge of the walk
  • Interestingly, the script is written by JT Mollner, the filmmaker behind last year’s twisty serial killer thriller Strange Darling, so you can expect some unpredictable turns in this adaptation as well
  • With its intriguing and rather terrifying plot, you’ll be captivated as well as thankful that you’re sitting down instead of walking the same path as these characters

The Long Walk is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (dir. Rob Reiner)

CAST: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Fran Drescher, Don Lake, John Michael Higgins, Jason Acuña, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman, Chris Addison, Brad Williams, Paul Shaffer, Kathreen Khavari, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Questlove, Trisha Yearwood, Chad Smith, Lars Ulrich

CREW: Rob Reiner (director, writer, producer), Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer (writers), Matthew George and Michele Reiner (producers), Lincoln Else (cinematographer), Bob Joyce (editor)

PLOT: Documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Reiner) follows the aged members of legendary rock band Spinal Tap – Nigel Tufnel (Guest), David St. Hubbins (McKean) and Derek Smalls (Shearer) – as they reunite after fifteen years for one final concert…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Forty-one years after the cult comedy classic made its debut comes an all-new follow-up that captures the hilarity and music once again
  • The same creative team behind This Is Spinal Tap are back behind the scenes, including director Rob Reiner as well as writers and stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer
  • As ever, there are plenty of hysterical scenes involving the frustration and sheer stupidity of the titular band, all captured through authentic faux-documentary footage
  • Numerous big names from the world of music are set to make cameo appearances, including Sirs Paul McCartney and Elton John, Oscar-winning musician Questlove, and Metallica frontman Lars Ulrich
  • After the critical success of The Naked Gun, it’s time for another hilarious satire that dials the jokes and one-liners up to, and maybe even beyond, eleven

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

The Man in My Basement (dir. Nadia Latif)

CAST: Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe, Anna Diop, Tamara Lawrance, Jonathan Ajayi, Mark Arnold, Brian Bovell, Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, Pamela Nomvete, Shellia Kennedy, Kayla Meikle, Miah Hasselbaink, Olivia Michi Shrenzel, Josiah Leonardo Kabeya

CREW: Nadia Latif (director, writer), Walter Mosley (writer), Dave Bishop, John Giwa-Amu, Diane Houslin and Len Rowles (producers), Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (composer), Ula Pontikos (cinematographer), Mark Towns (editor)

PLOT: In a secluded neighbourhood, Charles Blakey (Hawkins) is on the verge of losing his ancestral home when he is suddenly approached by Anniston Bennet (Dafoe) with a strange offer: rent him his basement for the summer, and he will be paid what he needs to save the house. However, it soon transpires that there’s much more to Bennet’s agenda than simply living in Charles’s basement…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Prepare to be chilled as you witness the bizarre and horrifying events of director and co-writer Nadia Latif’s compelling feature debut
  • Latif adapts Walter Mosely’s novel of the same name, with the author also credited for the twist-filled screenplay
  • Willem Dafoe has never been more terrifying (and that’s saying a lot!) opposite Corey Hawkins, who replaced Jonathan Majors after the latter was fired following his assault allegations
  • Filming took place in Wales, with the isolated countryside environment creating a creepy atmosphere that perfectly replicates upstate New York
  • You won’t know where it’s going until the last minute, and even then, you’ll be too scared and psychologically tortured to even think about its implications

The Man in My Basement is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Islands (dir. Jan-Ole Gerster)

CAST: Sam Riley, Stacy Martin, Jack Farthing, Dylan Torrell, Fatima Adoum, Agnes Lindström Bolmgren, Bruna Cusí, Pep Ambròs, Maya Unger, Ahmed Boulane, Fernando Navas, Irene Ferarios

CREW: Jan-Ole Gerster (director, writer), Lawrie Doran and Blaz Kutin (writers), Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo (producers), Dascha Dauenhauer (composer), Juan Sarmiento G. (cinematographer), Antje Zynga (editor)

PLOT: Tom (Riley), a former tennis pro, is now a coach at a luxurious island hotel where he gives lessons to tourists. One day, he meets an enigmatic family – Anne (Martin), her husband Dave (Farthing) and their son Anton (Torrell) – who pulls him out of his regular routine, but he soon becomes caught in the middle of a serious investigation…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • There’s a strong whiff of Patricia Highsmith all throughout German filmmaker Jan-Ole Gerster’s atmospheric sun-soaked thriller
  • Sam Riley is on top form as the world-weary tennis coach drawn into the lives of a mysterious family on holiday, played by the likes of Stacy Martin and Jack Farthing
  • The idyllic beaches of Fuerteventura serve as a disarming backdrop for some unexpected drama among the main characters
  • It made an impact with audiences at its world premiere during this year’s Berlin Film Festival, and won the Grand Prize at the Reims Polar International Thriller Film Festival a couple of months later
  • With striking scenery and a compelling mystery narrative, this is a strong recommendation to anyone wanting to feel on edge while soaking in some of that Spanish sun

Islands is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Deaf (dir. Eva Libertad)

CAST: Miriam Garlo, Álvaro Cervantes, Elena Irureta, Joaquín Notario

CREW: Eva Libertad (director, writer), Adolfo Blanco, Nuria Muñoz and Miriam Porté (producers), Aránzazu Calleja (composer), Gina Ferrer (cinematographer), Marta Velasco (editor)

PLOT: Ángela (Garlo), a deaf woman, is expecting her first child with her hearing partner Héctor (Cervantes), which triggers a personal crisis as she attempts to navigate motherhood in a world that doesn’t always cater to her needs…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Spanish filmmaker Eva Libertad presents an honest and heartfelt new take on parenthood from the perspective of a deaf person
  • Playing the central role is deaf actor Miriam Garlo, who also happens to be Libertad’s sister and thus becomes the first HOH performer to lead a Spanish-language film
  • The film raises some interesting questions about how to raise a child with a disability, but it also shows how that can be overcome by giving as much love and affection as any other parent
  • It has been a hit on the festival circuit, picking up the Panorama Audience Award at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, as well as several other prizes at festivals in Málaga, Seattle and Guadalajara
  • If you enjoyed CODA, Sound of Metal and other authentic deaf-centric dramas, then this will be a nice humanist addition to that collection

Deaf is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

The Golden Spurtle (dir. Constantine Costi)

CAST: Ian Bishop, Adam Kiani, Charlie Miller, Lisa Williams, Toby Wilson

CREW: Constantine Costi (director, writer), John Archer and Rebecca Lamond (producers), Simon Bruckard (composer), Dimitri Zaunders (cinematographer), James Alcock (editor)

PLOT: Once a year, contestants from around the globe descend onto a small village in the Scottish Highlands to participate in the World Porridge Making Championship…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The intricate and surprisingly fascinating world of porridge making is given the documentary treatment by filmmaker Constantine Costi, who makes his feature debut
  • Costi provides a detailed behind-the-scenes look at various international contestants preparing to wow the crowds with their own unique take on the timeless breakfast meal
  • Many of the eccentric faces involved are interviewed with enough quirky attributes to rival an average Wes Anderson movie
  • There’s also some genuinely cinematic moments set within the atmospheric town of Carrbridge, where the unusual festivities take place
  • In addition to winning over your heart and attention, it will also make you hungry for porridge like no other movie has done before

The Golden Spurtle is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Dogs at the Opera (dir. Vasiliy Rovenskiy)

CAST: Andrew Winn, Maria Smakhtina, Jerrod Weston, Egor Moskalenko, Daniel Armstrong, Jordan Worsley, Liza Klimova, Nathan Ford, Yulia Kapanina, Sarah Vitovsky, Jordan Chavira Parman, Freddie Cooke

CREW: Vasily Rovenskiy (director, writer, producer, editor), Maksim Rogalskiy (producer), Anton Gryzlov (composer), Maksim Mironenko (editor)

PLOT: In early 20th century New York, a stray dog named Samson (Winn) runs away from his captors and finds shelter at a ballet theatre, where the prima ballerina’s dog Margo (Smakhtina) has been entrusted with looking after a priceless tiara. But when the tiara suddenly goes missing, Samson and Margo team up to retrieve it…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • Families of all ages will be howling with delight as they watch this fun and harmless animated adventure
  • The film is a Russian production, directed by Vasiliy Rovenskiy of the now-infamous Pinocchio: A True Story (yes, the one with Pauly Shore as the title character)
  • Some cutesy animation brings to life a historical era of New York that is filled with furry characters and antagonistic humans
  • Kids can enjoy the heavy slapstick while adults may enjoy the nostalgia of other dog-centric animated classics like Lady and the Tramp
  • With school now very much back in session, this is a surefire hit for parents to take their kids to over the weekend as a means of temporary escape

Dogs at the Opera is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Holding Liat (dir. Brandon Kramer)

CAST: Aviv Atzili, Aya Atzili, Liat Beinin Atzili, Netta Atzili, Ofri Atzili, Chaya Beinin, Joel Beinin, Tal Beinin, Yehuda Beinin

CREW: Brandon Kramer (director, producer), Yoni Brook (producer, cinematographer), Darren Aronofsky, Justin A. Gonçalves, Ari Handel and Lance Kramer (producers), Jordan Dykstra (composer), Omer Manor (cinematographer), Jeff Gilbert (editor)

PLOT: On October 7th, 2023, Israeli-American Liat Atzili and her husband Aviv are captured by Hamas, leaving their family to navigate international diplomacy and the escalating war between Israel and Palestine, as well as their own conflicting views, in order to get them back…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • A harrowing family drama serves as the core of this equally devastating documentary which depicts just one in hundreds of stories caused by the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict
  • Supporting the latest feature by award-winning filmmaker Brandon Kramer is producer Darren Aronofsky, the Oscar-nominated director behind Black Swan and The Whale
  • Kramer captures the never-ending plight of the title figure’s family as they attempt to make sense of the conflict while also doing whatever they can to rescue them from captivity
  • At this year’s Berlin Film Festival, the movie went home with the sought-after Berlinale Documentary Award
  • Whatever side of the conflict you may be on, it’s hard to not be moved by this family’s desperation and painful sense of loss

Holding Liat is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (dir. Haruo Sotozaki)

CAST (ENGLISH VERSION): Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook, Brianna Knickerbocker, Zeno Robinson, Johnny Yong Bosch, Ray Chase, Griffin Burns, Erika Harlacher, Erik Scott Kimerer, Kaiji Tang, Kira Buckland, Crispin Freeman, Lucien Dodge, Channing Tatum, Rebecca Wang

CAST (JAPANESE VERSION): Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kitō, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Reina Ueda, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Takahiro Sakurai, Katsuyuki Konishi, Kengo Kawanishi, Saori Hayami, Kenichi Suzumura, Tomokazu Seki, Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Akira Ishida, Yuichi Nakamura, Lynn

CREW: Haruo Sotozaki (director), Hikaru Kondô (writer), Akifumi Fujio, Masanori Miyake and Yûma Takahashi (producers), Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina (composers), Yûichi Terao (cinematographer), Manabu Kamino (editor)

PLOT: Whilst hunting the terrifying demon Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon Slayer Corps – including Tanjiro (Aguilar/Hanae) and his demon-possessed sister Nezuko (Trott/Kitō) – are drawn towards the Infinity Castle, where Muzan traps and forces them to fight numerous Upper Rank demons…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The end begins as the worldwide anime phenomenon Demon Slayer presents the first in a trilogy of movies designed to wrap up the main storyline
  • Well-established characters including series protagonist Tanjiro and his adorable demon sister Nezuko are challenged like never before in an action-packed feature with plenty of fantastical violence
  • Like much of the rest of the Demon Slayer franchise, it is adapted directly from creator Koyoharu Gotoge’s manga, which has itself become universally renowned by lovers of Japanese storytelling
  • No, your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you during the cast listing: Hollywood A-lister Channing Tatum is indeed part of the English dub ensemble, playing a small but vital part in the big fight!
  • While the remaining two parts of the trilogy have yet to be given release dates, the wait will be made much shorter by how much this first entry entertains

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 2025

What’s Showing At Home This Week?

 

The Wrong Paris (dir. Janeen Damian)

CAST: Miranda Cosgrove, Pierson Fodé, Madison Pettis, Torrance Coombs, Madeleine Arthur, Frances Fisher, Yvonne Orji, Hannah Stocking, Florian Hessique, Naika Toussaint, Christin Park, Veronica Long, Emilija Baranac, Ava Bianchi, Eric Cole Smith

CREW: Janeen Damian (director), Nicole Henrich (writer), Michael Damian and Brad Krevoy (producers), Nathan Lanier (composer), Graham Robbins (cinematographer), Scott Hill (editor)

PLOT: Dawn (Cosgrove) is desperate to escape her Texas hometown and attend an art school in Paris, but to afford the fees she decides to participate in a reality dating show set in Paris… only to find that the show is actually taking place in Paris, Texas. She becomes determined to get herself booted off the show, but her plans change when she meets and falls for the show’s charming bachelor Trey (Fodé)…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The town of Paris, Texas is about to get the biggest movie boost since Wim Wenders’ classic of the same name in this bright and cuddly romantic-comedy
  • Miranda Cosgrove utilises her natural screen presence in a lead role where she shares warm chemistry with co-lead Pierson Fodé
  • Both are under the playful direction of Janeen Damian, who also spearheaded Lindsay Lohan’s recent comeback vehicles Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish
  • Various locations in Vancouver and British Columbia fill in for Texas here, but Damian still manages to capture some wide-spanning scenery that will have Western fans swooning
  • It’s the kind of silly and harmless rom-com that’s perfect to watch with your loved ones during a nice evening in front of the TV

The Wrong Paris is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 12 September 2025

 

Borderline (dir. Jimmy Warden)

CAST: Samara Weaving, Ray Nicholson, Eric Dane, Jimmie Fails, Alba Baptista, Patrick Cox

CREW: Jimmy Warden (director, writer), Tom Ackerley, Brian Duffield, Josey McNamara and Hadeel Reda (producers), Mondo Boys (composer), Michael Alden Lloyd (cinematographer), Joe Galdo (editor)

PLOT: In 1990s Los Angeles, famed pop star and actor Sofia Minor (Weaving) is targeted by deranged and obsessive fan Paul Duerson (Nicholson), who believes that they are meant to get married…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • A celebrity’s worst nightmare becomes our best source of entertainment in this uncomfortably fun dark comedy
  • Writer-director Jimmy Warden casts actor and real-life spouse Samara Weaving in the role of a pop star on the unfortunate receiving end of a delusional home invasion
  • Ray “son of Jack” Nicholson turns in a memorably unhinged performance as the dangerous fan seeking her out, while Euphoria star Eric Dane and The Last Black Man in San Francisco’s Jimmie Fails give solid support
  • It’s brought to the screen by Margot Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment, with Robbie serving as an executive producer and her husband Tom Ackerley as a main producer
  • You’re in for a wild and psychologically unsettling ride as the film explores how far a crazy person will go to fulfil their misguided fantasies

Borderline is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 8 September 2025

What’s Returning to Cinemas This Week?

 

Pépé le Moko (dir. Julien Duvivier)

CAST: Jean Gabin, Gabriel Gabrio, Mireille Balin, Saturnin Fabre, Line Noro, Fernand Charpin, Lucas Gridoux, Gilbert Gil, Marcel Dalio, Charles Granval, Gaston Modot, René Bergeron, Paul Escoffier, Roger Legris, Jean Témerson, Robert Ozanne, Philippe Richard, Georges Péclet, Fréhel, Olga Lord, Renée Carl

CREW: Julien Duvivier (director), Jacques Constant (writer), Raymond Hakim and Robert Hakim (producers), Mohamed Yguerbouchen and Vincent Scotto (composers), Marc Fossard and Jules Kruger (cinematographers), Marguerite Beaugé (editor)

PLOT: Pépé le Moko (Gabin), a notorious thief, is hiding out in the Casbah of Algiers where he believes himself to be safe from arrest, only for his love for beautiful Parisian woman Gaby (Balin) to finally draw him out…

FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:

  • The classic 1937 French noir makes a daring return to the big screen with an all-new 4K restoration
  • It was part of a movement within early French cinema known as “poetic realism”, which often blended dramatic stories of marginalised civilians, including criminals and the working-class, with vibrant and, indeed, poetic symbolism
  • Some of its stylistic set-pieces, captured with striking black-and-white cinematography, still hold up nearly 100 years after its debut
  • The film was remade into the American film Algiers one year later, with its main womanising French-accented character (along with the original in this one too) going on to inspire the famous Looney Tunes character Pepé Le Pew
  • Lovers of 1930s cinema will find this to be an undiscovered gem amidst their already eclectic collection of early masterpieces

Pépé le Moko is showing in cinemas from Friday 12 September 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:

The Strangers: Chapter 2 (dir. Renny Harlin)

Despite surviving her encounter with masked invaders, Maya isn’t yet out of the woods – literally and figuratively…

All of You (dir. William Bridges)

A pair of friends find their relationship tested after a scientific soulmate match…

One Battle After Another (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

A former revolutionary comes out of hiding for a noble mission…

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (dir. Kogonada)

Two strangers embark on a fantastical adventure together…

Swiped (dir. Rachel Lee Goldenberg)

Whitney Wolfe Herd, the co-founder of Tinder, launches a competing dating app…

The Glassworker (dir. Usman Riaz)

The son of a glassworker develops a wartime romance…

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (dir. Rob Reiner)

The aging members of rock band Spinal Tap reunite for one last concert…

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (dir. Simon Curtis)

The residents and staff of Downton Abbey prepare for an uncertain future…

Islands (dir. Jan-Ole Gerster)

A washed-up tennis coach develops a bond with a family on holiday…

The Long Walk (dir. Francis Lawrence)

In a dystopian America, a group of young men compete in a deadly walking contest…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

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

Optimized by Optimole