We’re just under a week away from finding out who will reign victorious at this year’s Oscars! Will there be love given to the likes of Everything Everywhere All At Once and Top Gun: Maverick, or will another on-air slap overshadow everything? Until then, get stuck into a brand-new week of movie releases, including a terrifying new slasher sequel, a sci-fi trip to prehistoric times, a long-awaited BBC detective adaptation, and much more…
MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Scream VI (dirs. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett)
CAST: Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Dermot Mulroney, Henry Czerny, Samara Weaving, Tony Revolori, Jack Champion, Devyn Nekoda, Liana Liberato, Josh Segarra, Roger L. Jackson
CREW: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (directors), James Vanderbilt (writer, producer), Guy Busick (writer), Paul Neinstein and William Sherak (producers), Sven Faulconer and Brian Tyler (composers), Brett Jutkiewicz (cinematographer), Jay Prychidny (editor)
PLOT: After surviving their encounter with the latest Ghostface killers, sisters Sam (Barrera) and Tara (Ortega) leave Woodsboro behind and head to New York City with their friends Mindy (Brown) and Chad (Gooding). However, they are soon plagued by a mysterious new Ghostface killer, who is more dangerous and deadlier than all the others…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Just over a year after revitalising the franchise, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are back with another terrifying (and terrifyingly meta) slasher sequel
2) The gory action makes its way to New York for the first time in the series, offering plenty of exciting new opportunities and places for the masked killer to strike
3) Many familiar faces are back, including Courteney Cox as reporter Gale Weathers, fan-favourite Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed, and recent survivors Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega
4) Notably missing, though, is Neve Campbell as the series’ OG final girl Sidney Prescott, who declined to return after being presented with a less than favourable offer, making this the first Scream movie not to feature her
5) There are plenty of scares, imaginative kills, self-aware horror movie commentaries, and other surprises in store for slasher fans everywhere
Scream VI is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 2023
WHAT ELSE IS COMING OUT THIS WEEK?
65 (dirs. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods)
CAST: Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman, Nika King
CREW: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (directors, writers, producers), Zainab Azizi, Deborah Liebling and Sam Raimi (producers), Chris Bacon and Danny Elfman (composers), Salvatore Totino (cinematographer), Josh Schaeffer (editor)
PLOT: In the future, space pilot Mills (Driver) makes a catastrophic crash landing on an unknown planet. After locating the only other survivor, a young girl named Koa (Greenblatt), Mills must make a perilous journey across the terrain to send a signal and make their way home. However, the two of them soon discover that they have somehow landed on prehistoric Earth, where dinosaurs reign supreme and are out for blood…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Futuristic technology meets prehistoric mayhem in this action-packed sci-fi thriller with one hell of a simplistic, and instantly engaging, premise
2) Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, best known as the screenwriters of A Quiet Place, direct their biggest project to date with the same level of intensity they brought to their previous horror outings
3) Adam Driver is on top leading man form, and shares a believable chemistry with young Ariana Greenblatt
4) Horror legend Sam Raimi is on board as a producer, so expect some genuinely scary scenes with a whole bunch of intimidating dinosaurs
5) After the critical disappointment of the Jurassic World series, this should bring dinosaurs firmly back into the respectable blockbuster game
65 is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 2023
Luther: The Fallen Sun (dir. Jamie Payne)
CAST: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley, Jess Liauden, Lauryn Ajufo, Natasha Patel, Henry Hereford, Hattie Morahan, Vincent Regan, Edward Hogg, Einar Kuusk
CREW: Jamie Payne (director), Neil Cross (writer, producer), Peter Chernin, Idris Elba, David Ready and Jenno Topping (producers), Lorne Balfe (composer), Larry Smith (cinematographer), Justine Wright (editor)
PLOT: John Luther (Elba), the brilliant but disgraced detective chief inspector, is serving time in prison. However, when London is terrorised by David Robey (Serkis), a serial killer who uses cyber technology to stalk and prey upon his victims, Luther makes a daring escape and sets out to bring him down, whatever it takes…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Idris Elba reprises one of his most popular roles – the conflicted police detective John Luther – for this long-awaited film adaptation of the hit BBC drama series
2) Series creator Neil Cross provides the screenplay, which takes place after the shocking events of the previous series
3) Elba’s Luther goes up against one of his most deplorable foes yet, played with severe menace by Andy Serkis
4) The embattled copper heads outside of his regular London haunts to solve the case and reclaim his credibility
5) Be on the look-out for some Luther regulars to possibly pop up, including the scene-stealing Dermot Crowley as Luther’s (now former) superintendent Schenk
Luther: The Fallen Sun is streaming exclusively on Netflix from Friday 10th March 2023, and is currently showing in selected cinemas.
Champions (dir. Bobby Farrelly)
CAST: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Cheech Marin, Matt Cook, Madison Tevlin, Joshua Felder, Kevin Iannucci, Ashton Gunning, Matthew Von Der Ahe, Tom Sinclair, James Day Keith, Alex Hintz, Casey Metcalfe, Bradley Edens, Champ Pederson
CREW: Bobby Farrelly (director), Mark Rizzo (writer), Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer and Jeremy Plager (producers), Michael Franti (composer), C. Kim Miles (cinematographer), Julie Garcés (editor)
PLOT: When Marcus (Harrelson), a temperamental minor-league basketball coach, finds himself on the wrong side of the law, he’s ordered to community service, and soon finds himself coaching a small-time basketball team made up of players with intellectual difficulties. Slowly, Marcus develops a connection with his new team, and trains them to compete in the Special Olympics…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Bobby Farrelly makes his solo directorial debut, after co-directing with brother Peter (the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Green Book), with this heartfelt and inspirational sports comedy
2) It’s a remake of the similarly-named Spanish film, which picked up a number of awards at the Goyas (the Spanish Oscars) including Best Film
3) Farrelly reunites with Kingpin star Woody Harrelson, who brings his strong flavour of deadpan comedy to the mix
4) The supporting cast is made up of actual actors with learning difficulties, in a sure-fire win for neurodivergent representation
5) There are plenty of laughs to be had, but also some touching moments that are well and truly earned
Champions is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 2023
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (dir. Rhys Frake-Waterfield)
CAST: Nikolai Leon, Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Maria Taylor, Natasha Rose Mills, Amber Doig-Thorne, Danielle Ronald, Natasha Tosini, Paula Coiz, May Kelly, Richard D. Myers, Simon Ellis, Jase Rivers, Marcus Massey, Danielle Scott, Mark Haldor, Frederick Dallaway, Toby Wynn-Davies
CREW: Rhys Frake-Waterfield (director, writer, producer, editor), Scott Jeffrey (producer), Andrew Scott Bell (composer), Vince Knight (cinematographer)
PLOT: When Christopher Robin (Leon), now a young man, abandons his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood – including Pooh Bear (Dowsett) and Piglet (Cordell) – to attend college, they become feral and vow retribution for their abandonment. Now, they are on a hunt for human blood, as well as their former friend Christopher Robin…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) No, this isn’t an SNL sketch – this slasher horror take on the beloved adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends is very real, and just as bonkers as you would imagine
2) Don’t call Disney’s lawyers yet, though – while they still own the copyright to the more famous versions of A.A. Milne’s characters, this movie was crafted in response to the original Milne stories going into the public domain – so, there ain’t Pooh that Disney can do about it!
3) Filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield is no stranger to making dark horror movies based on beloved children’s stories and traditions, having previously made last year’s deadly Christmas flick The Killing Tree, and even has one in development based on Peter Pan
4) The new designs for classic characters like Pooh Bear and Piglet are pretty creepy, and just wait until you see/hear what they did to Eeyore!
5) Ever since the project was announced, it has reached such a high level of online popularity that it was eventually granted a full theatrical release – proof of the power of online word-of-mouth!
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 2023
My Sailor, My Love (dir. Klaus Härö)
CAST: James Cosmo, Brid Brennan, Catherine Walker, Nora-Jane Noone, Aidan O’Hare, Bob Kelly, Nova Farrelly, Molly McCann, Ciara Fallon, Shane McCarthy, Shane G. Casey, Tara Flynn, Tim Landers, Ciara McKeown
CREW: Klaus Härö (director), Jimmy Karlsson and Kirsi Vikman (writers), Kaarle Aho, David Collins and Kai Nordberg (producers), Michelino Bisceglia (composer), Robert Nordström (cinematographer), Philippe Ravoet (editor)
PLOT: Howard (Cosmo) is a retired and reclusive sea captain who refuses to accept any help from his concerned daughter Grace (Walker). After she hires Annie (Brennan) to be his new caretaker, Howard unexpectedly falls in love with her, causing him to reopen his heart after years of keeping it locked away…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) It’s never too late to fall in love, as this tender romantic drama sets out to prove
2) James Cosmo and Brid Brennan play the elderly couple in question, who are brought together by necessity but end up staying together out of their genuine connection with each other
3) Finnish director Klaus Härö, who makes his English-language debut here, was once awarded the coveted Ingmar Bergman film award which celebrates Scandinavian talent, which was presented by none other than Ingmar Bergman himself
4) In addition to being a sweet romance, the film is also a deeply layered study of a particularly troubled father-daughter relationship
5) The luscious Irish countryside provides a number of warm backdrops that allow the central romance to thrive
My Sailor, My Love is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 2023
Chang Can Dunk (dir. Jingyi Shao)
CAST: Bloom Li, Ben Wang, Dexter Darden, Chase Liefield, Eric Anthony Lopez, Nile Bullock, Zoe Renee, Mardy Ma, Angel Oquendo
CREW: Jingyi Shao (director, writer), Rishi Rajani, Negin Salmasi, Lena Waithe and Brad Weston (producers), Nathan Matthew David (composer), Ross Riege (cinematographer), Brad Turner (editor)
PLOT: Chang (Li) is an unpopular high school teen who wants to play basketball, but is often underappreciated by his peers due to his height. When he makes a bet with the school’s basketball star Matt (Liefield) that he can perform a slam dunk in time for the big school dance, Chang sets out to test his skills on the court, and win over his crush Kristy (Renee) as well as the respect of everyone else…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Disney’s newest sports comedy is a classic underdog story with plenty of heart and crowd-pleasing achievements
2) Asian-American representation is strong both in front of and behind the camera, including writer-director Jingyi Shao in his feature debut, and young lead Bloom Li who was encouraged by a friend to submit a self-tape which eventually got him the part
3) Shao’s script was previously recognised by The Black List, an organisation that distributes and ranks the best unproduced screenplays, which awarded it second place in 2020
4) Lena Waithe, the acclaimed actor and writer best know for her role in Netflix’s Master of None and for writing the script for Queen & Slim, is on-board as a producer
5) It fits in nicely with Disney’s classic sports movies from The Mighty Ducks to Cool Runnings
Chang Can Dunk is streaming exclusively on Disney+ from Friday 10th March 2023
The Middle Man (dir. Bent Hamer)
CAST: Pål Sverre Hagen, Nicolas Bro, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Paul Gross, Tuva Novotny, Nina Andresen Borud, Rossif Sutherland, Aksel Hennie, Kenneth Welsh, Don McKellar, Sheila McCarthy, Bill Lake, Rosalie Chilelli, Josiane McCartney
CREW: Bent Hamer (director, writer, producer), Reinhard Brundig, Nina Frese, Jacob Jarek, Jamie Manning, Simone Urdl and Jennifer Weiss (producers), Jonathan Goldsmith (composer), John Christian Rosenlund (cinematographer), Anders Refn (editor)
PLOT: In the quiet American Midwest town of Karmack, which is seeing an unusual amount of accidental deaths, Frank Farrelli (Hagen) is hired by the local community as a middle man to deliver the constant bad news to its locals. However, Frank soon finds himself buried deeper and deeper into local depravity that makes the town’s situation far more unbearable…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Get ready to laugh out loud and then immediately feel bad about it in this dark social satire that’s just as harsh as it is hilarious
2) Despite the American setting, most of the cast and crew are made up of international actors, ranging from Canada to Germany to Norway
3) The story is based on the 2012 novel Sluk, by acclaimed Norwegian/Danish author Lars Saabye Christensen
4) Lead actor Pål Sverre Hagen has won a few awards for his hilariously deadpan performance at film festivals around the world, including his native Norway and even China
5) It’s the kind of feel-bad dark comedy that goes neatly with the likes of The Banshees of Inisherin or Fargo
The Middle Man is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 2023
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji)
CAST: Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Kelden Lhamo Gurung, Kunzang Wangdi, Tshering Dorji, Sonam Tashi, Pem Zam, Tsheri Zom
CREW: Pawo Choyning Dorji (director, writer, producer), Jia Honglin, Stephanie Lai and Steven Xiang (producers), Jigme Tenzing (cinematographer), Hsiao-Yun Ku (editor)
PLOT: In modern-day Bhutan, reluctant young teacher Ugyen (Dorji) is exiled to the impoverished village of Lunana, where he must teach at the world’s remotest school. With no traditional teaching supplies at hand, and eager to leave as soon as possible, Ugyen begins to be transformed by the unbreakable spirit of his students and the local villagers…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Your heart will be warmed excessively by this charming, feel-good Bhutanese drama that anyone of any language can enjoy
2) It has the honour of being Bhutan’s first-ever film to be nominated for the International Feature Film Oscar (at last year’s ceremony)
3) After its world premiere at the London Film Festival back in 2019, the film comes full circle by finally releasing back in the UK
4) There are plenty of charming, tender performances all around – including one by that scene-stealing titular yak!
5) It’s been described as a truly life-affirming film, in one of the many positive reviews that it has already received
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is showing in cinemas, and will be available to rent/buy on most digital platforms, from Friday 10th March 2023
Charcoal (dir. Carolina Markowicz)
CAST: César Bordón, Rômulo Braga, Jean de Almeida Costa, Maeve Jinkings, Aline Marta, Camila Márdila, Pedro Wagner
CREW: Carolina Markowicz (director, writer), Zita Carvalhosa (producer), Pepe Mendes (cinematographer), Lautaro Colace (editor)
PLOT: In the São Paulo countryside, a struggling family accepts a mysterious proposition to house a foreign stranger (Bordón) in exchange for a hefty reward. However, the stranger is revealed to be an Argentinean drug lord who is hiding out from his enemies, and the family must learn to live with this dangerous criminal while also keeping up the illusion of a normal routine…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) A co-production between Argentina and Brazil, this tense and darkly comic crime thriller is a delightfully devilish treat from south of the border
2) Writer-director Carolina Markowicz announces herself as a talent to watch, as she seamlessly blends two wildly competing tones to complete her nail-biting narrative
3) The intense filmmaking is matched by some stellar performances from an ensemble that includes César Bordón and Maeve Jinkings
4) Early reviews from festivals around the world have been stellar, with some calling it a potential breakout hit with audiences
5) Comparisons have already been made to the likes of Parasite and The Lobster for its thought-provoking satire, which certainly can’t hurt its chances!
Charcoal is showing in cinemas from Friday 10th March 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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