Crack out your whip and your finest fedora, because we’re headed into another action-paced week at the movies, with entries including the final adventure of a legendary adventurer, a coming-of-age teen flick with added sea monsters, and a profile on one of the world’s leading writers…
Movie of the Week
Cinemas
Streaming + On-Demand
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023, dir. James Mangold)
CAST: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Olivier Richters
CREW: James Mangold (director, writer), Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp (writers), Simon Emanuel, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall (producers), John Williams (composer), Phedon Papamichael (cinematographer), Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker and Dirk Westervelt (editors)
PLOT: In 1969, aging archaeologist and college professor Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr. (Ford) is on the verge of retirement, no longer comfortable in a world that is rapidly evolving around him. Soon, Jones and his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Waller-Bridge) are thrust onto a globe-trotting journey to recover a legendary artifact known as the Dial of Destiny, which former Nazi Jürgen Voller (Mikkelsen) is also seeking for his own nefarious purposes…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Harrison Ford returns one final time as his iconic character Indiana Jones in a fitting swan song for the beloved adventure series
2) James Mangold takes over from regular director Steven Spielberg (who’s still onboard as an executive producer), but he puts his own spin on the archaeologist’s daring escapades
3) Ford is joined on-screen by a strong helping of supporting talent, from newcomers Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, to some old favourites like John Rhys-Davies as old friend Sallah
4) As ever, there are plenty of awe-inspiring set pieces to get lost in, including an opening sequence set in 1944 that features a remarkably de-aged Ford (all set to a vibrant new score by John Williams, who is rumoured to be retiring after this film)
5) With this being the final film in the franchise, you can expect an emotional farewell to a timeless hero that has delighted audiences for numerous decades
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is showing in cinemas from Wednesday 28th June 2023
WHAT’S SHOWING IN
CINEMAS THIS WEEK?
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023, dir. Kirk DeMicco)
CAST: Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson, Colman Domingo, Jaboukie Young-White, Liza Koshy, Blue Chapman, Jane Fonda, Will Forte, Ramona Young, Echo Kellum, Eduardo Franco, Nicole Byer
CREW: Kirk DeMicco (director, writer), Pam Brady (writer), Kelly Cooney (producer), Stephanie Economou (composer), Michelle Mendenhall (editor)
PLOT: Ruby Gillman (Condor), a shy teenager, discovers that she comes from a royal lineage of mythical sea Krakens, and is destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas (Fonda). Ruby must now protect her newfound home from the wrath of vain, power-hungry mermaid Chelsea (Murphy), which she can only do by facing the courage to be herself…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) DreamWorks Animation’s latest family-friendly blockbuster is a stylish and endearing tale of empowerment that everyone can relate to
2) An all-star cast, including To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before breakout Lana Condor and Oscar-winning screen legend Jane Fonda, lend their voices to a collection of colourful new characters
3) The luscious animation dives deep into the neon-lit realms of the ocean, and explores numerous underwater abilities that make for fascinating entertainment
4) There’s even room for DreamWorks to poke fun at its biggest competitor Disney, with the main villain being an intentional lookalike to a certain red-haired cartoon mermaid from the Mouse House!
5) Like many of DreamWorks’ films as of late, there’s a tremendous amount of heart, laughter, and mature themes to satisfy viewers both young and old
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is showing in cinemas from Friday 30th June 2023
Mother and Son (2022, dir. Léonor Serraille)
CAST: Annabelle Lengronne, Stéphane Bak, Kenzo Sambin, Ahmed Sylla, Sidy Fofana, Milan Doucansi, Audrey Kouakou, Étienne Minoungou, Thibaut Evrard, Jean-Christophe Folly, Lætitia Dosch
CREW: Léonor Serraille (director, writer), Sandra da Fonseca (producer), Hélène Louvart (cinematographer), Clémence Carré (editor)
PLOT: In the late 1980s, young mother Rose (Lengronne) moves from the Ivory Coast to Paris with her two sons Jean (Bak) and Ernest (Sambin). Over the next twenty years, the family faces many challenges which threatens their unity…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) French filmmaker Léonor Serraille follows up her award-winning Jeune Femme with a quietly moving study of family
2) Like her 2017 feature, it was also a competitor at last year’s Cannes Film Festival
3) Serraille’s original screenplay takes inspiration from conversations she had with her partner, who similarly emigrated to France from sub-Sahara Africa as a child
4) Its multi-year timeline and powerful themes make it a suitable companion piece to A Thousand and One from earlier this year
5) The powerful performances and focused direction might leave you with more than just a lump in your throat
Mother and Son is showing in cinemas from Friday 30th June 2023
La Syndicaliste (2023, dir. Jean-Paul Salomé)
CAST: Isabelle Huppert, Grégory Gadebois, François-Xavier Demaison, Pierre Deladonchamps, Alexandra Maria Lara, Gilles Cohen, Marina Foïs, Yvan Attal, Christophe Paou, Aloïse Sauvage, Mara Taquin, Christian Hecq, Bernard Gabay, Andréa Bescond, Geno Lechner, Antoine Basler
CREW: Jean-Paul Salomé (director, writer), Fadette Drouard (writer), Bertrand Faivre (producer), Bruno Coulais (composer), Julien Hirsch (cinematographer), Valérie Deseine and Aïn Varet (editors)
PLOT: Maureen Kearney (Huppert), a trade unionist at a multinational nuclear plant, becomes a whistleblower by revealing top-secret deals at the heart of the nuclear sector. Kearney is left to face government officials and industry leaders alone in the wake of the scandal, but a violent assault puts her in a completely different light…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Based on the gripping non-fiction book of the same name by investigative journalist Caroline Michel-Aguirre, this corporate thriller explores the horrifying reality of doing the right thing
2) French screen icon Isabelle Huppert stars as real-life Irish trade unionist Maureen Kearney, in a film that explores her fierce battle with powerful figures within the nuclear sector
3) Kearney’s whistleblowing on a sleazy deal between state-owned utilities and a Chinese conglomerate that would have cut thousands of jobs is explored in great detail, as is the upsetting backlash she faced in the wake of her actions
4) Trigger warning: the film contains a disturbing assault sequence that is rightfully difficult to watch, but adds to the increasing difficulty of this character’s journey
5) At once suspenseful and uncomfortable, this is a film that looks set to inspire further conversation about whistleblowing and corporate corruption
La Syndicaliste is showing in cinemas from Friday 30th June 2023
Small, Slow but Steady (2022, dir. Shô Miyake)
CAST: Yukino Kishii, Masaki Miura, Shinichirô Matsuura, Himi Satô, Hiroko Nakajima, Nobuko Sendô, Tomokazu Miura, Shinsuke Kato, Yûko Nakamura, Makiko Watanabe
CREW: Shô Miyake (director, writer), Masaaki Sakai (writer), Koichiro Fukushima, Masahiro Handa, Shunsuke Koga and Keisuke Konishi (producers), Yûta Tsukinaga (cinematographer), Keiko Okawa (editor)
PLOT: Keiko (Kishii), a young boxer with a hearing impairment, surprises everyone by winning her first two professional fights, and is preparing for her third. However, when she learns that her beloved gym is about to shut its doors for good, she is left confused as to what her future holds…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) This heartfelt Japanese sports drama takes heavy inspiration from the memoir Makenaide! by Keiko Ogasawara, the deaf boxer who had a brief professional boxing career
2) Yukino Kishii, the acclaimed Japanese actor, gives a compelling lead performance as a fictionalised version of Ogasawara as she goes through some difficult bouts that hurt more than any punch in the ring
3) The film was shot on 16mm film, giving it a grainy look that isn’t unlike similar movies from the 70s or early 80s
4) It has received acclaim from audiences at film festivals around the world, from Tokyo to London
5) Like the best boxing dramas, it puts the characters and the drama above the typical sports tropes, while also making them just as engaging as any actual professional fight
Small, Slow but Steady is showing in cinemas from Friday 30th June 2023 (and will be available to rent exclusively on Curzon Home Cinema)
Hello, Bookstore (2022, dir. A.B. Zax)
CAST: Matthew Tannenbaum, Shawnee Tannenbaum, Sophie Tannenbaum
CREW: A.B. Zax (director, producer, cinematographer, editor), Mark Franks (producer, editor), Sydney Flint and Melissa Nathan (producers), Jeffrey Lubin (composer)
PLOT: In the town of Lenox, Massachusetts, The Bookstore has been a cultural hotspot for over forty years thanks to its passionate owner Matthew Tannenbaum. However, when the pandemic threatens to shut down the store for good, the local community rallies together in order to save it…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) A small book shop in an equally small Massachusetts town is the unlikely setting for this charming and hugely endearing new documentary
2) Filmmaker A.B. Zax guides viewers through the life and times of the store and its long-time owner Matthew Tannenbaum, showing exactly why his store is so important to the locals and to himself
3) The film deals with the store’s struggles to keep up during the pandemic, and the heart-warming response from the community when it was threatened with closure
4) Zax captures the loving and caring spirit of communal bonds, through fly-on-the-wall footage of various customers browsing the many books on display
5) It will make you want to seek out your own local independent bookstore and discover all the stories sitting there on the shelves
Hello, Bookstore is showing in cinemas from Friday 30th June 2023 (and will be available to rent/buy on digital platforms)
WHAT’S SHOWING AT
HOME THIS WEEK?
Nimona (2023, dirs. Nick Bruno and Troy Quane)
CAST: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, RuPaul, Indya Moore, Julio Torres, Sarah Sherman
CREW: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (directors), Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor (writers), Roy Lee, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary (producers), Christophe Beck (composer), Erin Crackel and Randy Trager (editors)
PLOT: In a futuristic fairy tale world, Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed) is a Knight who is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the only person who can prove his innocence is Nimona (Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be the monster he’s sworn to kill…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Netflix’s latest animated adventure, based on the popular graphic novel, transports viewers to a medieval fairy tale kingdom unlike any other
2) Originally developed by Blue Sky Studios, the animation company behind Ice Age and Rio, the streamer rescued the project from the scrapheap when it was cancelled during Disney’s shuttering of Blue Sky during their acquisition of 20th Century Fox
3) Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed lead a spirited voice cast, including The Try Guys’ very own Eugene Lee Yang in a major supporting role
4) The CG animation has a wonderfully vibrant hand-drawn look to it that amplifies the action and the comedy
5) It’s a poignant story about the labels we assign one another, and how we all in our own way work to defy them
Nimona is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 30th June 2023
Run Rabbit Run (2023, dir. Daina Reid)
CAST: Sarah Snook, Lily LaTorre, Damon Herriman, Greta Scacchi, Julia Davis, Shabana Azeez, Trevor Jamieson, Neil Melville, Georgina Naidu
CREW: Daina Reid (director), Hannah Kent (writer), Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw (producers), Mark Bradshaw and Marcus Whale (composers), Bonnie Elliott (cinematographer), Nick Meyers (editor)
PLOT: Shortly after her daughter Mia (LaTorre) turns seven, fertility doctor Sarah (Snook) begins to notice a string of odd and disturbing behaviour in her own child, which leads her to confront her dark past in unexpected ways…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Straight out of Australia comes this chilling horror that puts a scary new demon child (or is it?) at its centre
2) Succession star Sarah Snook carries the film with a powerhouse lead performance, and is matched by young co-star Lily LaTorre
3) South Australian novelist Hannah Kent makes her screenwriting debut here, under director Daina Reid who has helmed a number of episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale
4) You can expect some surprises that make the horrific scenes of intimidation and violence all the more terrifying
5) With rabbits as its recurring motif, expect to also never look at the furry little creatures in quite the same way again!
Run Rabbit Run is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Wednesday 28th June 2023
Stephen King on Screen (2023, dir. Daphné Baiwir)
CAST: Stephen King, James Caan, Amy Irving, Mike Flanagan, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frank Darabont, Taylor Hackford, André Øvredal, Tom Holland, Vincenzo Natali, Tod Williams, Mark L. Lester, Mikael Håfström, Mick Garris, Fraser C. Heston, Josh Boone, Tom McLoughlin, Lewis Teague, Craig R. Baxley, Daniel Attias, David Carson, Mikael Salomon, John Harrison, Scott Hicks, Zak Hilditch, Kevin Kölsch, Jeff Beesley, Dennis Widmyer, Peter Askin, James Douglas, J.P. Scott
CREW: Daphné Baiwir (director, editor), Sebastien Cruz (producer), Nicholas Pike (composer), Marc Koninckx (cinematographer)
PLOT: Since Brian De Palma adapted Carrie for the big screen in 1976, several filmmakers have brought Stephen King’s stories to life, making him the most adapted author alive….
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Film fans, and especially Stephen King fans, will be ecstatic about this special new documentary that explores the filmmakers that have brought the author’s works to the big screen
2) Interviews with past and present King adapters including Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep) and Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) showcase the wide range of talent that has gone into reinterpreting King’s work
3) The film features clips from countless King adaptations, from Carrie to The Shining and so on, all of which will make you want to go out and watch them all again
4) King’s spirited enthusiasm rubs off on filmmaker Daphné Baiwir, who’s no stranger to prolific documentaries thanks to her previous feature The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland
5) Whether or not you’re into King’s style of storytelling, there’s plenty to unravel here that may leave you with a whole new appreciation for the much-adapted author
Stephen King on Screen is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 26th June 2023
Girlfriends and Girlfriends (2023, dir. Zaida Carmona)
CAST: Zaida Carmona, Alba Cros, Thaïs Cuadreny, Aroa Elvira, Marc Ferrer, Rocío Saiz
CREW: Zaida Carmona (director, writer, producer), Marc Ferrer (writer), Gema Arquero and Tatiana Fernández Geara (producers), Alba Cros (cinematographer), Eric Monteagudo (editor)
PLOT: In Barcelona, a group of thirty-something women in search of love with each other end up destroying themselves as they aimlessly wander from relationship to relationship…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Spanish filmmaker Zaida Carmona pays loose tribute to legendary French director Éric Rohmer’s classic romance Boyfriends and Girlfriends with a new approach that shows things from a different perspective
2) Carmona also stars in the film, which transports the action to Barcelona and gives it a fresh new LGBTQIA+ spin
3) Passionate scenes are beautifully captured by cinematographer Alba Cros, who also has a supporting role here
4) It screened at last year’s D’A Film Festival in Barcelona, where it also won the Un Impulso Colectivo award
5) Like Rohmer’s film, this remixed version will make you think about the nature of love in a completely different light
Girlfriends and Girlfriends is streaming exclusively on MUBI from Wednesday 28th June 2023
She Came from the Woods (2023, dir. Erik Bloomquist)
CAST: Cara Buono, Clare Foley, Spencer List, William Sadler, Michael Park, Tyler Elliot Burke, Adam Weppler, Ehad Berisha, Dan Leahy, Giselle Torres, Sienna Hubert-Ross, Emily Keefe, Erik Bloomquist, Cory Asinofsky
CREW: Erik Bloomquist (director, writer, producer, editor), Carson Bloomquist (writer, producer, editor), Cara Buono, William Sadler and Adam Weppler (producers), Tim Williams (composer), Mike Magilnick (cinematographer)
PLOT: In the summer of 1987, a group of camp counsellors accidentally unleash an ancient evil that wreaks havoc on their final night…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The gory and deranged era of 80s horror is lovingly paid homage to in this funny and violent comedy-horror
2) Familiar tropes such as the summer camp setting and the sexually frustrated teen victims are played straight with a gleeful self-awareness
3) Among the ensemble cast is Stranger Things supporting player Cara Buono, and character actor William Sadler whom many will remember as Death from the Bill & Ted movies
4) Filmmaker Erik Bloomquist adapts his 2017 short into a feature-length love letter to classic slasher cinema
5) You’ll be laughing as much as you’ll be wincing from the shocking and hugely entertaining levels of gore
She Came from the Woods is available to rent/buy on digital platforms from Monday 26th June 2023
That’s about it for this week – thanks for joining us, and be sure to come back next week for a whole new set of movies to work up an appetite for!
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