“That’s the trouble with you readers, you know all the plots”. That’s screenwriter Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, churning out two scripts a week to try to land a picture at Paramount.

Everyone knows that in 1950’s Hollywood, studios were cranking out assembly-line westerns, sports stories and bible epics while the system was crumbling around them. Quentin Tarantino even has the 50’s and the 80’s tied for his “worst eras” in Hollywood history.

And yet if you began your film appreciation in experimental 60s and 70s cinema, you’re missing out on some of the best films ever made. We’re talking indelible images, iconic lines and immortal screen performances from Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly and Robert Mitchum.

Hey, the classics are classics for a reason. Widen the lens further and directors like Akira Kurosawa in Japan, Federico Fellini in Italy and Satyajit Ray in India were making masterpieces throughout the decade.

Here’s our starter list of the best '50s flicks...

1. In A Lonely Place (1950)

Nicholas Ray’s noir has everything you want from the genre. Quotable lines uttered by Humphrey Bogart, a tragic, bittersweet ending and superb performances including from his co-star Gloria Grahame. Bogey plays Dix Steele, a cynical LA screenwriter with a temper, who gets into fisticuffs with friends, foes and fellow drivers so often that his neighbour-turned-lover Laurel Gray begins to suspect him of the murder of a coat-check girl one lonely night. This one really sticks the landing in the tense final minutes.

2. Seven Samurai (1954)

No Seven Samurai, no Jedi, no Spielberg and definitely no Magnificent Seven. Of course, cinematic influences blow back and forth, Akira Kurosawa was watching Westerns but his touchstone three and a half hour epic set in 16th century Japan is just electric to watch, even now.

The first half: a masterless samurai named Kambei is persuaded to protect a village of peasant farmers from forty bandits, so he puts together a group of seven warriors, all with different skills - and weaknesses. The samurai return to the village in time for the harvest and train the farmers to fight. The second half: the final preparations then it’s showtime for the battle to defend it. The action sequences, the scenery, the character moments, Seven Samurai is that rare thing: a visionary film with real heart.

3. Vertigo (1958)

Most of the entries on this list are shot in quintessential 1950s black-and-white, whether for stylistic or budget reasons. Not so Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock’s god-level psychological thriller uses Technicolor for its own devious purposes, with reds and greens deployed throughout to convey the obsession and confusion at the heart of the film as James Stewart’s detective Scottie Ferguson is hired to follow a friend’s wife, Kim Novak’s Madeleine Elster.

The kind of movie you want to rewatch (and rewatch and rewatch) as soon as the end credits roll, it’s now giving Citizen Kane a run for its money as the best movie ever made in critics lists.

4. The Searchers (1956)

If you can’t get into the Western genre, for its dated, racist tropes, that’s fair enough. But this stunning John Ford Western is the one to make an exception for, while bearing in mind it was made nearly 70 years ago.

The Searchers features John Wayne as a complicated (racist) protagonist Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran, and follows his five-year rescue mission through Arizona’s Monument Valley to find his niece, who has been captured by a Comanche tribe. American myths, male isolation, a reconsideration of the Western itself as an artform, it’s all here. And seriously, that final shot.

5. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

“I am big, it’s the pictures that got small.” Are you really a movie fan if you haven’t seen Sunset Boulevard? Billy Wilder’s dark comedy noir sees screenwriter Joe Gillis sucked into the glamorous, reclusive world of Gloria Swanson’s faded silent film star Norma Desmond. With appearances by Buster Keaton (as one of Norma’s ‘waxwork’ friends), director Cecil B. DeMille and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, Wilder blurs the lines between Hollywood reality and fantasy as only a maestro can. We still can’t believe Swanson didn’t get the Oscar.

6. Godzilla (1954)

If you liked 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, consider returning to the original 1954 Godzilla, directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by the “father of tokusatsu” and co-creator Eiji Tsuburaya.

Minus One was praised for returning the creature feature series to its post-war, post-atomic bomb roots and in the ‘54 film, we get it all, high and low: explorations of the Japanese national psyche after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and a gnarly monster mashing into pylons, train cars and buildings, with streams of people running away screaming. (In fact, a stuntman wearing a monster suit stomping on miniature sets). No wonder it was a huge hit when first released in Japan, spawning 37 remakes and sequels since.

7. Pather Panthali (1955)

If you can see this one on a big screen, do. This is actually the debut film of Satyajit Ray, now considered the ‘father of Indian cinema’, which is astonishing. It’s a social realist story of siblings Apu and Durga, who live with their family in rural poverty in 1910s Bengal.

With genuinely mesmerising images, and a Ravi Shankar score of classical Indian ragas, Pather Panthali shows us scenes of daily life, neighbourhood squabbles, monsoons and everyday tragedies. One that stays with you.

8. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

Honestly, if Singin’ In The Rain were just 90 minutes of Donald O’Connor dancing, wiggling his nose and running up walls, it would still make this list. As it happens he’s also joined by Gene Kelly (being charming) Debbie Reynolds (being adorable) and the iconic Jean Hagen as actress Lina Lamont who can’t transition to the talkies - movies with sound - because she “cayn’t stand’im”.

Stanley Donen’s musical is a love letter, a send-up, a romcom and a farce, all in Technicolor. Fun fact: Kelly had a fever while shooting the famous sequence with that umbrella and that lamppost in the rain.

9. On The Waterfront (1954)

Marlon Brando “coulda been somebody” in Elia Kazan’s Hoboken crime classic. Brando’s powerful method performance is not just a contender, it’s undisputed as one of the all-time greats, and worth the price of the download alone, with Scorsese, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson all crazy about his Terry Malloy.

On The Waterfront is also a deftly constructed drama between mob bosses and unionised dock workers, based on writer Budd Schulberg spending two years hanging around the real-life bars and rebel worker meetings on the New Jersey shore.

10. Peter Pan (1953)

Disney put out a number of stone-cold classics in the 50’s including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp and yes, Peter Pan: the film that gave us Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and the ticking crocodile. It also gave us Never Never Land and thus, a whole ethos of living for a generation of millennials in city playgrounds who don’t want to grow up. Culturally significant, then.

Peter Pan was also the last time that all of Disney’s ‘Nine Old Men’ worked together as directing animators; so something of an end of an era for the studio that defined all our childhoods.

11. Tokyo Story (1953)

Yes, one of the greatest films of all time is about how you should call your mum and dad. Well, better yet, go visit them or at least invite them to visit you. Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu made a series of these quietly poignant family dramas in the 40s, 50s and 60s and as in Tokyo Story, the film-making is almost always slow, static, minimal, tatami mat-height and just devastating when it chooses to be.

Ozu is interested in urban and rural divides and the influences of the West on Japan but it’s the everyday-ness of his Shomin-geki (common people drama) that really hits home.

12. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Nobody’s perfect but this film sure is. With an all-time dream team of Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, Billy Wilder’s comedy is silly and sexy and still unsurpassed.

Banned on its initial release in Kansas (hilarious), it sees musicians Joe and Jerry - Lemmon and Curtis - hop into drag to join an all-girl jazz band, which includes Monroe’s Sugar Kane, after witnessing a mob hit. It’s an understatement to say shenanigans ensue.

13. Ordet (1955)

I’m an atheist but I’m not gonna lie, this mid-50s Carl Dreyer masterpiece kinda had me believing in god for a minute there. In Ordet, we meet Danish farmer Morten and his three sons - Anders, Mikkel and Johannes. Anders is a Christian but wants to marry a fundamentalist’s daughter, Mikkel is struggling with profound doubts over his faith and Johannes believes he is Jesus Christ.

As these beliefs and fears play out, we get some of the most striking scenes ever shot on celluloid as Dreyer’s eye finds the drama in everything from a coffin to a car’s headlights. Intense but an essential watch.

14. 12 Angry Men (1957)

An American indie from Sidney Lumet, 12 Angry Men is the legal drama to beat all legal dramas. (Yes, we see you, To Kill A Mockingbird).

With Henry Fonda as our hero, Juror Number 8, we’re sweating along with the rest of them in a hot New York City courtroom as the fate of an 18 year-old Puerto Rican boy, who is accused of killing his father, is decided by the all-male jury. A taut, tense, ultimately inspiring thriller that takes aim at the lynch mob mentality.

15. Ikiru (1952)

OK we tried to stick to one film per director, in the interests of not ending up with a list of Hitchcocks, but we had to sneak Ikiru in as a second Kurosawa entry. Because when we say that this film could change your life, we mean it. Takashi Shimura - who played the professor in Godzilla and Kambei in Seven Samurai - is a mediocre public works civil servant in Tokyo.

He is spurred on to try to make just one meaningful thing happen, after he gets a terminal cancer diagnosis. With a bold time jump that ultimately serves to give the film its emotional weight, Ikiru is peerless film-making. Recently made into quite a moving English adaptation, named Living, with a script by Kazuo Ishiguro and a lead turn by Bill Nighy.

16. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Based, of course, on the Tennesse Williams play, it’s Paul Newman, it’s Elizabeth Taylor, it’s two of the hottest people to ever be put on screen, together, acting their pants off. Brick (Newman) is an alcoholic former football player, Maggie (Taylor) is his lonely wife and Brick’s father Big Daddy is turning 65 and dying.

A high-octane drama that’s full of gripping performances, it’s famous for Burl Ives as Big Daddy asking his son, “I’ve got the guts to die - what I want to know is, do you have the guts to live?”

17. La Strada (1954)

Federico’s Fellini’s most well-known films, like La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, were made in the 1960s but this early 50s showcase for his muse and collaborator, the actress Giuletta Masina, proves that he was always obsessed with the circus in all its forms.

Masina plays Gelsomina who as a child living in poverty is sold to a strongman named Zampanò. What follows are their melancholy adventures on the road, performing on the streets and joining a travelling circus. Make it a double bill with Fellini’s 1957 Nights of Cabiria.

18. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

It wouldn’t be a 1950’s edit without one quintessential Dad Movie. Our pick is British director David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai which ticks all the boxes for that Sunday afternoon slot.

You’ve got a stellar cast, including Alec Guinness and William Holden, you’ve got a two hour forty minute runtime and you’ve got a World War II plot involving prisoners of war, secret missions and yes, bridge building. Tick tick tick BOOM.

19. La Pointe Courte (1955)

Agnes Varda’s first feature-length film is part relationship drama, part almost-documentary and part cat film. Capturing the first moments of what would blow up as the French New Wave in the following decade, Varda’s striking filmmaking sets a young married couple’s sad conversations about their incompatibilities against a backdrop of poor local fishermen and their families trying to make a living and stay out of trouble.

With the bonus of some fabulous water jousting scenes, a sport traditional to the Sète region of the south of France and one that we’d like to play.

20. The 400 Blows (1959)

This is the fantastic coming of age film from Close Encounters of the Third Kind actor (and important French writer-director) François Truffaut. Set in Paris, his alter-ego Antoine Doinel (played by Jean-Pierre Léaud) is the misunderstood kid who wants to run away from his school and his parents, using cinema as a means of escape.

Half the directors on this list — including heavyweights like Kurosawa, Dreyer, Cocteau and Ray — have said this is one of their favourite films.

21. The Seventh Seal (1957)

Is Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal a shaggy comedy, a cerebral fantasy or a chilling horror? Yes is the answer. Talk about tone shifting. This film dips and weaves and laughs and cries just when you least expect it. And the first two minutes are more memorable than the entirety of most movies made today.

Max von Sydow plays a knight named Antonius Block returning from the Crusades to find plague everywhere. He plays chess with Death, goes to confession, meets a circus troupe and eats strawberries in a field. All with visions, brawls, songs and sex all around him. We don’t want to say anymore, just watch it.

22. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

From out of space… a warning and an ultimatum! Robert Wise’s The Day The Earth Stood Still follows the arrival of a tall, friendly alien, played here by Brit actor Michael Rennie (and in a 2008 remake by Keanu Reeves). Klaatu lands his spaceship in Washington DC. He heals fast, carries random diamonds and loves Abraham Lincoln.

He also brings along a big, scary robot named Gort, who is made from a strange metal and can zap weapons and people with his helmet laser. With fans including Arthur C.Clarke, Ronald Reagan and Ringo Starr, this sci-fi flick explores Cold War tensions and the concept of an intergalactic police force. The practical effects still just about hold up and the cryptic meaning of the phrase “klaatu barada nikto” is still much discussed.

23. Pickpocket (1959)

Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket is less than 80 minutes for its total runtime but everything resolves quite neatly by the closing scenes. Classic films simply do not fuck around in the final act. The director states at the beginning that this is not a thriller. And yet. Train station and racecourse scenes, superb choreography of the actors’ sleight of hand and the camera’s movements and focus on hands, items, switches, switchbacks.

All very thrilling, as is typical for Bresson, we get non actor Martin LaSalle as the protagonist Michel, who is Marmite to viewers. And if this doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights of other 1950s films on this list, at the climax of Pickpocket there is an iconic sequence of such pure cinema, you won’t even care.

24. Orphée (1950)

This is a fantasy from the French genius Jean Cocteau, though with more to ground it in reality than some of his other dreamlike films. Cocteau turns the Greek myth of Orpheus venturing into the underworld to save Eurydice into a melodramatic love quadrangle, involving the Princess of Death no less. Here, Orpheus is a poet in 50s France, who ignores his wife to focus on his art.

That’s all in service of Cocteau’s cinematic experiments, though, with practical effects, rear-screen projection, reverse motion and lots and lots of mirrors. The director used liquid mercury for his ‘water-mirror’, as actor Jean Marais’ gloves go ‘through’ the mirror to the underworld. A true magician at work. Nolan could never.

25. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

You cannot take your eyes off Robert Mitchum’s preacher in Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter. Set in Vest Virginia in the Depression, the preacher Harry Powell is in fact a criminal who preys on widows and who sports a couple of tattoos in the form of LOVE on his right hand knuckles and HATE on his left. (Yes, that’s where Spike Lee got it from).

The sight of his hat on the horizon or a glimpse of him at a market stall is enough to chill you to the bone as Powell pursues two young kids to get his hands on a stash of ten thousand dollars. Eerie and sinister for much of the runtime, the film also features one of cinema’s most unique heroines.

Want more? How about the best movies of:

• The 1960s
• The 1970s
• The 1980s
• The 1990s
• The 2000s

Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler are no strangers to a great film. Between them, they’ve starred in some of the most-viewed shows and films from recent years. Now, they’re set to star opposite one another in A24’s new crime film, Enemies.

Allen White is already busy, with Season Four of FX’s The Bear setting its release date for yet another return to a rather heated kitchen. Meanwhile, Butler is also set to star in new films City on Fire and Crime Caper. It almost makes you wonder where they got the time to be in Enemies.

The official plot says “A relentless detective and an infamous contract killer collide in a deadly game of cat and mouse.” As for who is playing who? We’re not sure yet. Whilst we could totally see both actors playing either role, we'd hazard a guess that Allen White will be playing the tortured detective, with Butler in the more mysterious hit-man role. No further casting announcements have been made yet either.

Production is expected to begin this summer, with Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen from Square Peg producing. Alejandro De Leon will be joining them on the production, with Josh Bachove sitting in the executive producer seat. The film is written and directed by Henry Durham.

Butler has teamed up with A24 recently, with Aster’s Eddington premiering at Cannes Film Festival later this week. The Western Horror film set during the Covid-19 pandemic follows a stand-off between a small-time Sheriff (Phoenix) and its Mayor (Pascal) which sparks a powder keg as neighbour is pitted against neighbour. The film stars Pedro Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix, and Emma Stone alongside Butler.

Main image via John Nacion/WireImage and Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

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Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and to mark the momentous occasion, all three films in the trilogy are set to be shown at the Royal Albert Hall on whopping 40-foot screens accompanied by a live orchestra.

There’s an argument that this will be the ultimate way to experience Peter Jackson’s epic, and for any Lord of the Rings megafans, there’s no better place to prod your first-timer mates and point out how Viggo Mortensen broke his foot kicking that helmet.

Part of the venue's Films In Concert series, the Royal Albert Hall will present the entire trilogy back-to-back with a full orchestra — a first in the UK. The first showing is scheduled for Thursday, 30th April, 2026, followed by the second on Saturday, 9th May, 2026.

The Films in Concert series also offers fans the opportunity to see Top Gun: Maverick, How to Train Your Dragon (the animated version) and more, but the jewel in the crown is The Lord of the Rings.

Due to the length of the films, there will be a 25-minute intermission for each screening, so don’t panic about not being able to pop out for over three hours – they’ve got you covered.

Luckily, you don’t need to wait for the tickets to go on sale, as they’re already live, with a variety of times and days on offer with both evening and afternoon performances available with pricing starting as low as £25 and going up to £110 depending on what package and seats you opt for.

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Silent Hill is no stranger to cinematic recreation. The popular game has already been adapted in the past, and now, with the current flurry of video game adaptations constantly being released, we’re about to get another one.

The spooky series, which arguably defined the horror genre in gaming since its debut in 1999, has a new film coming with Christophe Gans set to take the helm as director 20 years after his first crack at the franchise.

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The film, titled Return to Silent Hill, is set to adapt the second game in the series, according to Variety, after Cineverse acquired the U.S. rights for one of Konami’s most popular franchises.

Gans said, “I am delighted to partner with Cineverse, which has shown a genuine understanding of fanship. Return to Silent Hill is an adaptation created out of deep respect for a true masterpiece of a game, Konami’s iconic Silent Hill 2.”

He added, “I hope fans will enjoy and be fulfilled with the experience this new film has to offer.”

The second game was remade late last year, and you can check out the trailer below.

The plot has already been outlined, which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s played the game, with the second film set to follow James as he returns to the terrifying town of Silent Hill, after he’s summoned by a mysterious letter, all in search of Mary.

The film will no doubt mess with the mind as James’ reality becomes warped whilst searches for his loved one and tries to figure out what’s happening with this spooky town.

Now that Cineverse are backing the film, it’s expected to get a large theatrical release. However, no further information is currently known about when we can expect to see the movie for ourselves.

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With Highest 2 Lowest - which reunites Spike Lee and Denzel Washington - premiering at the Cannes Film Festival soon, now’s as good a time as any to dig into the director’s filmography.

The new Spike Lee film, from A24 and Apple, is based on Akira Kurosawa’s classic High and Low from 1963, which the Prince Charles Cinema in London is showing to mark the festival debut of this ‘re-interpretation’.

There’s plenty to fuel the hype. First, the Denzel of it all. Second, he’s joined by a cast including Jeffrey Wright (superb) and A$AP Rocky (why not). Third, it looks like Lee is setting the ransom plot in the world of NYC record executives, which makes a lot of sense. And fourth, the teaser trailer, set to James Brown’s The Payback with a cool-as-you-like voiceover, looks and sounds on point.

Highest 2 Lowest is set to hit cinemas in the UK on 22nd August and Apple TV+ on 5th September. Putting the documentaries and music videos of this prolific filmmaker mostly aside, here are ten of his finest films to watch in the meantime.

10. Crooklyn (1994)

It’s the early 1970s, we’re in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn: enter the Carmichael family. The head of the household, Carolyn (Alfre Woodard), is trying to keep her five kids and piano player husband Woody (Delroy Lindo) under some sort of control. We see this particular block's characters, games and scraps from the eyes of the only Carmichael girl, nine-year-old Troy.

Crooklyn is a gorgeous, joy and chaos-filled coming-of-age film that Lee co-wrote with two of his siblings and based, in part, on his own childhood. Music runs under almost every scene - we’re talking Curtis Mayfield, Jean Knight, The J.B.’s, Smokey Robinson - and, as the critic bell hooks pointed out, Lee shows us he can depict a heartbreaking but ‘ordinary’ death with skill and care. Underseen and under-discussed, with a fabulous RuPaul cameo.

9. She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Spike Lee made this for just $175,000, shot it in two weeks, and it’s his first feature film: you would not suspect any of this from watching She’s Gotta Have It. The protagonist, Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), narrates her feelings about rejecting monogamy, living ‘like a man,’ and her verdicts on her three lovers, Greer, Mars and Jamie.

Lee cast himself as Mars since he didn’t have the money to pay any more actors with the arts grants he’d scrambled together after film school. (It’s always fun to analyse where he casts himself in subsequent films.) Shot almost all in black and white, it’s not just a vibey romantic comedy-drama, either, with the first of the arty, close-quarters canoodling scenes that pop up again and again in his filmography.

Back in the late 80s, its success was huge for indie films, plus, in his own way, Lee shone a light on black feminism and the creativity coming out of Brooklyn. Nola’s still got it.

8. 25th Hour (2002)

Seen as one of the first post 9/11 New York City films, this moody crime drama is based on a David Benioff book and follows the last 24 hours before drug dealer Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) goes to prison for seven years.

You’ve got Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox in the cast, Cymande on the soundtrack in a thrilling, complicated, extended club scene and a paranoid whodunnit as Monty tries to figure out who ratted him out to the DEA: his girlfriend Naturelle or his gangster pal Kostya.

In one hate-filled rant that captures the era, a post-Fight Club Norton does not hold back as he curses every single last type of New Yorker in front of a bathroom mirror. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore - or at least, not for cinemas, they don’t.

7. Mo’ Better Blues (1990)

The first Spike Lee-Denzel Washington collab, Mo’ Better Blues, is fun to seek out or revisit. It’s a smaller scope than their other team-ups, with characters mostly concerned with making art, earning a living, and figuring out plural relationships.

A young Washington plays trumpeter Bleek Gilliam, leader of his own jazz quintet with a regular club gig, with no less than Wesley Snipes as Shadow on tenor sax and Giancarlo Esposito as Left Hand Lacey on keys. Originally titled Love Supreme, after the John Coltrane record, the film features laugh-out-loud vignettes and experiments, including his first, now-famous ‘floating’ double dolly shot and some eye-popping 360 versions of Lee’s signature shot.

A debate about music between Bleek and Shadow is sampled on The Roots’ Things Fall Apart. Then there’s the iconic scene in which Washington-as-Bleek, in shades and a cap, monologues cynically on stage about love songs, with the band backing him up: “let me spend the rest of my life with you… tonight”.

6. American Utopia (2020)

In the final act of David Byrne’s American Utopia, it becomes clear why Spike Lee was the perfect director for the job of putting together the concert film. Filmed live on Broadway, the Talking Heads’ frontman mixes the hits and new music with dance, theatre and his special kind of stand-up into something that does actually cohere once you take a step back.

The musicians are roaming the stage with wireless instruments, the dancers are dressed in grey suits identical to Byrne’s and Lee is giving us dramatic overheads, playful close-ups, rear shots, crowd shots and behind-the-curtain moments throughout.

Reframing and emphasising some of the best-known Talking Heads and solo songs, as well as playing one timely Janelle Monae cover, the American Utopia project is all about combatting alienation and connecting with people, which the Byrne-Lee creative bromance nicely demonstrates.

5. Inside Man (2006)

The biggest commercial hit to date for Lee, he ended up directing this slick Wall Street heist movie after Ron Howard dropped out. Inside Man sees Denzel and Clive Owen playing cat-and-mouse with Washington in the NYPD negotiator role and Owen taking on the 4D-chess-playing bank robber part. It’s twist-y, it’s turn-y in a satisfyingly Steven Soderbergh kind of way, and it feels high stakes enough when the robbery turns into a hostage situation.

There are a few distinctly Spike Lee touches woven into the classic script, like the kid playing a violent gangster video game, which Lee had animated for full-screen, plus Jodie Foster is having fun as a fixer working on behalf of the bank’s boss—a cut above your average mid-2000s thriller.

4. Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Delroy Lindo is just incredible in Da 5 Bloods. His performance alone justifies spending two and a half hours with this film. Slightly slept on, as it got pushed out on Netflix in that first mid-pandemic summer, Da 5 Bloods tells the story of four black Vietnam War veterans who return to Ho Chi Minh City, decades later, to try to find the body of their fallen friend and a buried locker of gold bars.

Norman, the young squad leader, is played beautifully by Chadwick Boseman in the flashback sequences in the jungle, in one of his last film roles, with Lee and his cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel switching between four aspect ratios to distinguish between the different time periods and environments. For the soundtrack, Lee and his frequent collaborator, composer Terence Blanchard, chose six tracks from Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On?

3. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Back when we first saw BlacKkKlansman, we described it as “a riotous comedy about despicable racism”. This one seemed to cut through, after a couple of big, bold swings from Lee, including Chi-Raq in 2015.

That’s not to say this isn’t big and bold too, though, with John David Washington, as black cop Ron Stallworth, and Adam Driver, as his Jewish colleague Flip Zimmerman, infiltrating the goddamn KKK in 1970s Colorado Springs in a w-i-l-d plot that’s based on a true story. Lee is firing on all cylinders, splicing together scenes with civil rights leaders, Black Panthers, and Topher Grace as grand wizard David Duke, with another sublime soundtrack of soul classics and that signature swagger in the filmmaking.

Lee won an Oscar for BlacKkKlansman’s screenplay but lost out on the Best Picture award to… Green Book, thirty years after losing Best Picture to Driving Miss Daisy. Sigh.

2. Malcolm X (1992)

There are biopics and then there are biopics. In the peak - so far - of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s work together, this 3-hour 20-minute epic takes in all the incarnations of Malcolm Little, Brother Malcolm, Malcolm X.

The stunning central performance makes all the transformations contained in this one complicated, controversial life seem inevitable: hustler, prisoner, student, preacher, family man, leader.

Lee allows Malcolm X’s words on black nationalism and the Nation of Islam, and those of his various mentors and influences, to speak for themselves for the most part. In certain places, we get a flourish of poetic direction, in the framing, the lighting, the monochrome newsreel styling and, of course, when it comes, a spectacular, poignant double-dolly of Malcolm arriving at the event where he would be assassinated.

1. Do The Right Thing (1989)

You cannot take your eyes off a single frame of this film. It’s astonishing, all these years later, Spike Lee’s masterpiece still feels fresh. The colours, the characters, the camera angles, the dialogue, the music, the pure energy of this thing. Set in and around Sal’s Famous Pizzeria in Lee’s Brooklyn, in Do The Right Thing, a heatwave is the tripwire to tensions between the black residents on the block, the Italian pizzeria owner and his sons and the Korean grocery store owners. Everyone’s shiny-faced and everyone’s about to blow.

It’s Spike Lee and John Turturro saying Prince/Bruce/Prince/Bruce back and forth at each other, over a cigarette machine, sweating. It’s Senor Love Daddy and Sweet Dick Willie. It’s side stories that begin and end in one or two perfect scenes, all building on the main theme, asking the same questions. The final 30 minutes are still so affecting, even when you know what’s coming.

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Guy Ritchie will direct the sequel to Road House, with Jake Gyllenhaal set to reprise his role as ex-UFC fighter Dalton.

The first film which came out in 2024 follows ex fighter Dalton (Gyllenhaal) as he takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys road house after the owner finds him sleeping in his car nearby. He gets entangled in the dark underworld of organised crime gangs, bikers, fights, crocodiles, and unexpected romance. It even starred real-life MMA champ Conor McGregor in his first acting role, as Knox — a psychopathic enforcer for Crime Boss Brandt.

The franchise is based on the original story by David Lee Henry and the first film was released in 1989 starring Patrick Swayze.

Road House 2 marks the third collaboration between Ritchie and Gyllenhaal, their second overall for Amazon MGM studios. The two previously teamed up on The Covenant - Ritchie’s 2023 action war film. They are also collaborating on the upcoming action thriller In the Grey, co-starring Henry Cavill and Eiza Gonzalez.

Will Beall is writing the script and the confirmed producers so far are Charles Roven and Alex Gartner from Atlas Entertainment. Gyllenhaal will also be producing for Nine Stories Productions - a company he co-founded in 2015 alongside Riva Marker. Ivan Atkinson will executive produce.

Amazon MGM announced the sequel was in development last summer following the success of the 2024 reboot of the original film. The first film launched on Prime Video last March, breaking records for the streaming platform, with 80 million views worldwide.

Ritchie is one of the most successful figures in cinematic history, with smash hits including Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Gentleman (which even received a spin off TV series from the original film), his debut Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and his most recent release MobLand which is currently streaming on Paramount+.

Guy Ritchie steps in for director Doug Liman, who according to Deadline, is not returning owing to a fallout with Amazon. According to Liman, the film was originally created for cinema release only, but the platform decided to exclusively stream it on Prime Video instead.

There is no word yet on the sequel’s release date, although if you need your UFC-crime-thriller-Gyllanhaal fix, you can stream the first film on Prime Video.

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Main image credit: Prime Video

The Rock is just as much a corner stone of culture as he is a Rock. Between his wrestling days, tequila making, and of course fighting his way through pretty much every Hollywood action movie from the last decade, he's a pretty recognisable guy. From playing Santa’s bodyguard in Red One, DC's Black Adam, to Maui in Moana you cannot say the man doesn’t have (some) range, as well as being a great fallback Halloween outfit.

Now, he’s back in the ring, taking on the brutal true story in the biopic about trailblazing UFC star Mark Kerr. The trailer for his film The Smashing Machine offers the first glimpse of an almost unrecognisable Dwayne The Rock Johnson as he transforms into the UFC legend.

From the looks of the trailer, they’re not only sticking closely to the story, but are going to great lengths to keep The Rock resembling the UFC champ, donning facial prosthetics and some seriously impressive makeup.

The film is from A24 studios, and has been written and directed by Uncut Gems co-director Benny Safdie. It is based on John Hyams’s documentary from 2002 about Kerr - also titled The Smashing Machine.

The Rock will be joined by Emily Blunt who plays his on-screen girlfriend (and later wife) Dawn.

Kerr (the real one, not The Rock) was born in Ohio in 1968 and was interested in fighting at the World Wrestling Federation from a young age. He officially started his career aged 15 whilst still in high school. He competed in the Wrestling World Cup and World Championship, but narrowly missed out on the chance to compete at the Olympics in 1996. This was when he started exploring mixed martial arts (MMA). His first competitive MMA fight was in 1997, which he won by defeating three successive opponents.

You can sort of imagine how he achieved his nickname — The Smashing Machine — but it’s fair to say that he obliterated anyone who stood in his way. Kerr also competed in UFC way back in its infant days when it was first getting started, as well as international fighting competitions, so the film will likely have plenty of different kinds of action.

The trailer suggests the film is going to show both the highs and lows of Kerr's career; it opens with a memorable moment from Kerr’s career when he was in a waiting room ahead of a medical examination. He talks to an older woman who is also waiting. The pair talk about how he sustained his injuries, triggering a debate about the violent nature of UFC fights.

The documentary could also explore Kerr’s addiction to painkillers following his constant injuries sustained during PRIDE Fighting Championships.

The Smashing Machine is set for a cinema release on 3 October — if the trailer is anything to go by, expect this one to feature in next year's Oscars.

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Indiana Jones has been somewhat of an orphan since it was removed from Disney+ earlier this year. But now, four of the films have found a new streaming home in the UK and Ireland.

In true British fashion, it’s four of Steven Spielberg’s Indiana films that have been added to Netflix. Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull are available to stream as of Friday 25th April.

Harrison Ford’s Indie debut and three following movies are also still available on Prime Video and Now TV (for Sky cinema subscribers). Netflix’s very on brand rescue of Indiana Jones has been a welcome relief after they were removed from Disney Plus last December. The films’ removal was unexpected for most fans, as they were originally created and owned by Lucasfilm which Disney owns. Paramount Pictures currently holds the distribution rights.

Also, Indie’s most recent adventure - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen - was a Disney-only venture so it is fairly unlikely that this particular film will be disappearing from Disney+ any time soon.

Indiana Jones is not just a legend of the screen, but is also a firm favourite for gamers, with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle being one of the best gaming adventures in years, in our opinion. And if the films and the video games weren’t enough, there is still a load of merch and even books to get your fedora-man fix.

Brimming with action packed scenes, famous lines, fights, chases, shootouts, and of course, snakes, Indie is one of the most iconic series of all times so it’s only fair that it’s now available to stream for all your Friday nights, wfh days, and Sunday mornings.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was a commercial and critical hit back in 1981 when it was released. It went on to become the highest-grossing film of the year raking in over 300 million dollars worldwide.

So, put that fedora on, don your desert explorer gear, and start humming that theme tune (if you haven’t already got it stuck in your head), and get ready to watch Harrison Ford in his jungle-running prime once again.

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Main image credit: CBS via Getty

The Genesis cinema in Mile End is celebrating turning 26 after initially opening in 1999, an impressive feat considering how difficult the last five years in particular have been for picture houses. To mark the occasion and give back to fans, the cinema is not only partying like it's 1999, but offering up cinema tickets at a price from that era too.

The event, which runs between the 2nd and 15th May, will allow punters to watch an array of handpicked films ranging from hard hitting epics like There Will Be Blood to family favourites including Scooby Doo. During this period, any film part of the Birthday Season will cost only £2.50 per ticket – an absolute bargain.

Not only are the tickets an absolute steal, but the prices for drinks and popcorn will also be reduced for these films, which are being shown during the season. This means that going to the pictures is a feasible and cheap night out again, just like it used to be back in the day.

This event also coincides with the Wes Anderson season, during which most of the director's filmography is being shown, but these are listed at a different price from the Birthday Season.

If you are in the area, or have been itching to see some classics on the big screen again, then this event should be right up your street, and it’s lovely seeing a classic institution still going strong and giving back to the fans.

There aren’t many things you can do these days for a fiver, but for two weeks, the Genesis cinema has you covered, and you can check out the full range of films being shown for the event on its website.

• If you're on the lookout for more classic screenings, BFI is showing a limited, one-time-only screening of the original Star Wars cut in June.

Main image via Genesis

Is Tom Hardy about to enter his ‘Taken era’? If the high-octane Havoc is anything to go by, we’re not complaining.

A gritty, blood-soaked thriller from Gareth Evans (The Raid, Gangs of London) heading exclusively to Netflix this week, it sees Tom Hardy almost single handedly looking to answer Earth’s over-population problem by taking out seemingly hundreds of onscreen gangsters.

Hardy plays Detective Walker, a world-weary bent cop haunted by his part in a corrupt drug deal gone wrong. When an equally-bent politician (Forest Whitaker) sees his estranged son entangled in an underworld war, Walker gets wrapped up in his rescue — and uncovers just how deep the city’s corruption goes.

It’s bloody, and bloody good fun — a homage to the sort of action-hero cinema that just doesn’t get made very often these days. Want to know more? Here’s 5 more reasons to watch Hardy’s hard-boiled sure-to-be hit.

1. It’s a homage to some of the classic Hong Kong action films

Director Gareth Evans has always worn his influences on his sleeve, being a massive action movie fan and Hong Kong cinephile. Killcounts are high, action is dialled up to 11, and revenge, betrayal and corruption are at the heart of the genre — and present in Havoc. If you’re a fan of classics like Andrew Lau’s Infernal Affairs and John Woo’s Hard Boiled, you’ll feel right at home. But there’s a western sense of humour at play here too, with a wink and a nod to ludicrous muscle-bound 80s flicks like Schwarzenegger's Commando.

2. It has amazing fight choreography — and buckets of blood

Evans has made a name for himself with his high-impact action choreography, and Havoc once again delivers on that front. Whether you’re after car chases, fisticuffs or shootouts, Evans puts kinetic action on the screen. Hardy holds his own against some martial arts masters too — which shouldn’t be a surprise given his own MMA interests. But a scene in a club involving dozens of death-defying stunts, brutal hand-to-hand choreography, and super-speed shooting, ranks up there with the most chaotic ever captured on film.

3. It has one of the grossest death scenes in recent memory

Think of your all time ‘ewwww’ silver screen deaths. The melting-mobstar hit and run in Robocop for example. Or the eaten-by-a-giant-worm shop owner in Tremors. You can add Havoc to that list of ‘that’s exactly how I DON’T want to go out’ deaths for one of its characters. I won’t spoil the moment, but as a tease, I’ll never look at harpoon guns the same way again.

4. You won’t believe where it was actually filmed

Havoc may look like it plays out in New York City, but that’s wrong on two counts. Firstly, it’s a fictional American city, rather than the Big Apple. But more amazingly, it was all actually filmed in Wales, at locations across Cardiff, Swansea and Port Talbot — even in the Barry Island Pleasure Park. It’s great to see Hollywood showing the Welsh cinema scene some love — even if it had to do so in disguise.

5. It’s a stealth Christmas film

Action movies and the Yuletide season go hand in hand. Die Hard, Batman Returns, Lethal Weapon — they’ve become as crucial to that Christmas spirit as mulled wine and a giant Toblerone. Havoc, kicking off just ahead of Christmas Eve, joins that elite list of unlikely Christmas movies, and deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as those previous hits. Though you’ll be forgiven for watching this one right away rather than waiting for the seasonal sleigh bells to start to ring.

Havoc streams exclusively on Netflix from April 25th

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You think your sibling rivalry is bad? Try settling a row with a high-calibre machine gun in your hand. On-screen estranged brothers Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal return to the world of The Accountant, reprising the roles of Christian and Brax Wolff, demonstrating how your family drama probably isn't that bad unless your brother is a hitman too.

The first film — which marries up financial fraud with fisticuffs — made an impressive $144 million on release, which meant a sequel was always on the cards.

While we've had to wait nearly a decade for the follow-up, it's been worth it as the two actors are back in a sequel that has a greater focus on their dynamic, at times creeping comfortably into more comedic territory, and is well-delivered thanks to the chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal.

This time around the two brothers team up with Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth, who is also returning, to try to track down a lethal assassin who's shrouded in mystery.

We sat down with the cast, including Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Daniella Pineda, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and director Gavin O’Connor, to discuss the action, the sprinkling of comedy, and Ben Affleck’s dancing...

Returning to The Accountant

Ben Affleck isn’t renowned for making sequels, having very few in his filmography, but he described everything about returning to this world and character as “appealing to me”.

“I love this character," said Affleck. "I really enjoyed playing it, Gavin [the director] and I both were very much drawn to the idea of bringing Jon back and expanding on that, because we both thought this guy is fabulous, and we love it, and I think we both felt like there was a lot more to do.”

Director, Gavin O’Connor added his own motivations for returning to helm the sequel, stating he wanted to “Put people in the seats and go to a movie theatre, and the lights come down and have a communal experience where they can walk out of the theatre and go, ‘Man, that was a f*cking ball. That was just great! It was a great time at the movies.’ And that's really what we were going for.”

Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who is also returning for the sequel, is one of the main driving forces of the plot, stepping up in this film to one of the leads as Marybeth.

When talking about returning, she said: “For myself as a person and an actor, I felt like I had also grown. It was like, ‘all right, I'm gonna sort of be returning to a situation that's familiar. I feel a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more confident.’

“So that was nice for me. I felt like I could now handle what is being thrown at me, which was this dynamic with Ben and Jon's characters, and being that entry point for the audience.”

A more comedic tone second time around

After watching The Accountant 2, it’s hard not to feel this is a more light-hearted approach than the previous film. This feels like a natural transition given how much more Jon Bernthal’s character is in the film, leaking charisma in every scene, and bringing a welcome levity.

When talking about the more humorous tone, Jon credited writer Bill Dubuque for his “unbelievably strong” writing, as well as adding that “Gavin very much supported it to sort of let moments linger and let it exist naturally, and play the moments in between the beats.

"He's [Ben] unbelievably funny, it sounds corny, he's just mastered this character in such a way that there’s just so many little moments of truth that are going on that you love, but can also drive you crazy from the right point of view. I feel like I was let off the leash to have a real opinion about that.”

O’ Connor added “They weren't trying. The reason, I think, it works is because they weren't trying to be funny, right? No one was trying to be funny. They were so ingrained in their characters, and they had very specific wants, and if you're not getting that, it's like banging your head against the wall.”

Earned action and even more action

The Accountant 2 has plenty of hard-hitting, brutal action scenes featuring all of the cast, but considering the main antagonist is played by Daniella Pineda, we get to see something that feels unique when compared to the original, with Daniella describing the action in this film as “next level”.

The intention isn’t action for action's sake, though, with it feeling earned throughout the roughly two-hour runtime, with Daniella going on to add about her character: “she's not just a stone-cold killer, it's the type of roles that I would like to see more women get to play. They're certainly here in the real world, you know.”

She continued: “What's very satisfying is, you know, we've now sort of had opportunities to see the movie with audiences, when you hear an audience audibly gasp, then you know you're doing something right, because it means that the stakes and how invested people are in these characters, they are literally leaning forward.”

When speaking of the third act, the director Gavin talked at length about not having action for action's sake, but instead, “it was about ‘How are these guys working together? How are they now united, knowing what the stakes are?’ We knew what they wanted. So inside the action and the choreography, it was about the emotional line between the two brothers, and how they are going to try to accomplish this together.”

Unexpected line dancing

Further exploring the humour on display, the relationship between Ben and Jon’s characters, and bringing a light-hearted moment is a line dancing sequence that sees Ben Affleck’s character put on his dancing shoes while trying to woo a woman in a bar. In Affleck’s words, referring to his dancing, “America wasn't asking for it, but they're gonna get it.”

When talking about the scene, Gavin added, “the other thing about the scene that we were trying to accomplish was that it’s important, we just left the plot of the movie. Are we gonna leave the plot for a while? It's gonna go out because that whole scene is really about the brothers. They've been in all this conflict, driving up to that scene. Once he goes to dance, Brax is like, 'That's it.’ That started to unite the two brothers, and it was just baby steps to get these guys there.”

Affleck had the final word on the heartwarming scene between the two brothers, where he stated the sequence “anchors the audience by having him [Brax] celebrate his brother. That's what you're connected to.”

The Accountant 2 releases exclusively in cinemas on the 25th April, 2025.

• For more interviews, check out 5 things you need to know about Sinners, according to director Ryan Coogler

The epic biopic that saw Timothée Chalamet turn in one of his best performances to date as the iconic Bob Dylan finally has a streaming release date, with the critically acclaimed A Complete Unknown set to arrive on Disney Plus soon.

Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line/Logan), the film captures the early 1960s rise of the singer-songwriter and shows how Dylan was influenced by other musicians at the time, like Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger. It’s all brought to life by a top-notch cast, led by Chalamat, who embodies the role well, capturing Dylan’s journey from unknown folk singer to cultural icon.

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The rest of the cast features Edward Norton plays Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning is Sylvie Russo, Monica Barbaro is Joan Baez, and Boyd Holbrook who pops up as Johnny Cash.

The film was not only critically acclaimed but also received plenty of buzz during awards season with the film receiving eight nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, alongside mopping up plenty of other awards throughout the season. It also boasts an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes, whilst the user score is at 95%.

If you’re still waiting to check out the film for the first time, or you just want to revisit one of 2024's best offerings, then you only need to wait until the 30th April when the film begins streaming on Disney Plus in the UK and Ireland.

• Wondering what else to watch whilst you wait? Check out the best shows to stream on Disney Plus.

Main image via Searchlight Pictures

After spending seven years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a highly regarded pair of Black Panther movies, Ryan Coogler has returned to the world of original productions with Sinners.

Hitting cinemas today (April 18th), it’s no less fantastical than his preceding films, offering an intriguing combination of vampire horror, gung-ho action, and blues-soaked period drama. After working with Coogler on Black Panther and Creed, Michael B. Jordan takes on the dual role of twin brothers Elijah and Elias Smoke, who return to their hometown to open up a juke joint.

• 5 things you need to know about Sinners, according to director Ryan Coogler

Things take a sinister turn when mysterious stranger Remmick (Jack O’Connell) rocks up with a former acquaintance of the twins, bringing the forces of darkness into this already heady mix.

It’s a bracingly fresh alternative take on the classic vampire movie, though it’s far from the first film to attempt such a mash-up.

The following films have all successfully supplied their own unique spin to the familiar blood-sucking mythos, stirring in disparate genre elements from westerns, comic books, and even social realist drama.

We love Interview With the Vampire and Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula as much as the next film nerd, but both offer fairly traditional takes on vampire lore. These 10 films bite a little harder...

1. Blade

Blade is often remembered as the progenitor of the modern superhero movie, arriving two years before the original X-Men and four years before Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. What tends to get left out is that it’s also a solid addition to the lineage of vampire movies. Wesley Snipes plays the titular Dhampir, a half human, half vampire committed to hunting down his murderous kin. Blade the movie wisely follows its comic book muse, playing down the usual horror elements in favour of tightly choreographed (though still blood-soaked) super-powered action.

2. 30 Days of Night

It might be set in a modern day Alaskan town, but 30 Days of Night is perhaps the purest slice of vampire horror on this list, effectively restoring the fear factor that had been lost among the tropes. As the Arctic town of Barrow enters its customary month of sustained darkness, a gang of vampires rolls into town for a feeding frenzy. A small gang of survivors, led by Josh Hartnett’s Sheriff Eben Oleson, hole up in an abandoned house to wait out the storm. It’s a great concept, executed with brutal economy by director David Slade.

3. Byzantium

Neil Jordan all but defined the ’90s vampire movie with his starry Interview With the Vampire. His 2012 effort Byzantium is a much more low key vampire treatment, but with a more distinctive flavour. Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan play mother and daughter vampires on the run from a patriarchal vampire society who forbid their very existence. This is no glossy thriller, however, as the two set up a squalid brothel in a run down English seaside town. The tone is resolutely downbeat and mournful, but this is a vampire film that really sinks its teeth into you.

4. What We Do in the Shadows

Vampire films can be funny, despite what Dracula: Dead and Loving It might have suggested. Just consider What We Do in the Shadows, a hilarious mockumentary from New Zealand’s finest Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. It follows a group of vampires living together in a Wellington suburb, as they struggle to reconcile their out-of-time nature with the complexities of modern life. The two creative leads are on fine acting form here, with Clement playing a hammy vampire tyrant and Waititi the charmingly effete Viago.

5. The Lost Boys

The vampire movie genre gets the full Brat Pack treatment in Joel Schumacher’s youthful 1987 classic. Jason Patric and sidekicks Corey Haim and Corey Feldman take on a dangerous group of teen-aged blood suckers, led by Kiefer Sutherland, using little more than their rebellious attitudes and water pistols filled with holy water. And if that isn’t the most eighties sentence you’ve read today, we’d be surprised. If you thought that Buffy the Vampire Slayer pioneered the whole teen vampire thing, The Lost Boys would like a word with you.

6. Cronos

Before he led his deeply unlikely assault on Hollywood, Guillermo del Toro made his directorial debut on home turf with 1992’s Cronos. It’s quite unlike any vampire film you’ve ever seen, as an elderly Mexican antique dealer stumbles upon an infernal contraption that appears to confer upon him a new lease of life. The cost of his newfound vitality soon reveals itself to be a painful thirst for blood, as well as the attention of a ruthless businessman and his thuggish nephew, played by Ron Perlman.

7. Thirst

Following his masterful Vengeance trilogy and just prior to making his English Language debut, South Korean director Park Chan-wook applied his own distinct spin to the vampire genre. The resulting film, Thirst, has the auteur’s fingerprints all over it, from its twisted central relationship to its botched plots and deeply flawed characters. What’s new is an element of the supernatural, as Song Kang-ho’s Catholic priest becomes unwittingly infected with a vampiric disease. Soon enough he’s stealing blood transfusions packs and commencing an affair with the wife of an old friend, to calamitous ends.

8. From Dusk Till Dawn

The premise of Sinners perhaps most closely resembles this 1996 action-horror extravaganza from director Robert Rodriguez. It too concerns a pair of criminal brothers (played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) on the lam, who proceed to stumble upon a vampire hoard in a seedy bar on the Mexican border. Written by Tarantino himself, it’s an absolute riot of genre-splicing left turns, gruesome dismemberments, kinetic gunplay, and cool-as-a-cucumber dialogue. Salma Hayek turns up as a vampire stripper, while there are also roles for Harvey Keitel and a young Juliette Lewis.

9. Near Dark

Released the same year as The Lost Boys, Near Dark concerns another handsome young man getting in with a rough and ready crew of blood suckers after falling for a mysterious girl. That, aside from a contemporary US setting, is about where the similarities end. Director Kathryn Bigelow’s film has a much grittier, more grounded tone, with elements of the Western genre mixed in with all the supernatural chicanery. Near Dark is a gorgeous looking, strangely affecting film that deserves a revisit.

10. Let the Right One In

Who says Americans have to have all the vampiric fun? Not that ‘fun’ is the first word we’d associate with Let the Right One In, a deeply twisted love story set in a frozen Swedish suburb during the early ’80s. It’s here that we find Oskar, a bullied boy who befriends an otherworldly young girl. The resulting relationship is as heart-warming as it is disturbing as the body count starts to rack up. It’s so good, Hollywood decided to release an inferior remake just two years later.

• The best horror movies through the ages

There has been a lot of buzz around Danny Boyle’s new film 28 Years Later - but then again any film directed by movie legend Boyle is going to generate a fair bit of hype.

A second trailer for his high-anticipated zombie-horror thriller 28 Years Later has been released. The film follows a post-apocalyptic UK which is plagued by the infected undead, after a rage virus escaped from a lab.

1). It has a pretty starry line up

This might be one the most impressive line ups in cinematic history. It’s beating the Barbie movie and all seasons of Only Murders in the Building combined.

Leading the cast are Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson who play husband and wife survivors, living in a safe community on a tidal island. Ralph Fiennes stars alongside them as fellow survivor, and if the trailer is anything to go by, serves up wisdom and warnings in those iconic reverent tones. Cillian Murphy is not reprising his role in this film, although he is serving as an executive producer.

2). It follows on from the prequels but is still a standalone film

This film might have one of the longest gestation periods on record, having been confirmed back in 2007, following the financial performance of 28 Weeks Later. Although the film follows on from its prequels, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, the story is separate enough to be able to follow it if you haven't seen any of the previous films.

Seeing as people in their early twenties would have been 4-8 years old when the first film was released, it’s likely there will be some newcomers to the franchise.

3). This could be Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Bond audition

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to a good action movie, having starred in Kraven the Hunter in 2024, and was quite literally Kick-Ass back in 2013. However, this film seems like a step up, as Taylor-Johnson takes on the intense action-drama of a man fighting for humanity’s survival. Sound familiar? Whilst this role favours zombies and gore over a tuxedo and martini, it’s still a fairly killer performance that’s sure to get Amazon studios’ bosses raising an eyebrow.

4). The filming style is really varied (in a good way)

As you’d expect there’s a mix of aerial footage, classic up-close action shots and a good bit of editing. Whilst you can tell that there has been some serious production from the trailer you may not be able to tell that they’ve actually used an iPhone 15 Pro Max with the help of specialised attachments. They also used drones, digital cameras and film cameras so there’s going to be a whole mix of cinematography…

5). It’s the start of a new trilogy

If you thought 28 Years Later was the third and final installment of the original trilogy, think again. A sequel - 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was rumoured in early 2024, and confirmed in August 2024 at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, when McDonald announced Nia DaCosta would be directing. Macdonald also talked about potential plans for a third 28 Years Later film, saying "we hope there is going to be a third part" and "there is a trilogy". So, watch this space.

• Love Danny Boyle? We ranked his best movies

Main image credit: Sony Pictures

When 28 Years Later hits cinemas on June 20th, 2025, it’ll have been the best part of 23 years on from the release of the original.

It will also mark director Danny Boyle’s 14th movie across a stellar 31 year career. Check out its latest trailer below:

Ever since Shallow Grave knocked our collective socks off in 1994 (and introduced us to a young Ewan McGregor), Manchester’s favourite movie directing son has trodden a remarkably eclectic path.

Boyle doesn’t seem interested in sticking to a single genre or way of shooting. He’s made crime thrillers, comedy capers, thoughtful sci-fi flicks, gruesome horror movies, hard-hitting dramas, insightful biopics, and even the odd crowd pleasing rom-com.

The only thing that’s consistent across all of these different films, beyond the identity of the director, is an impressive sense of momentum. Danny Boyle’s films are never less than supremely watchable.

But which of Boyle’s films is the best? Let’s dive into this baker’s dozen of brilliant movies and see if we can’t figure it out together, from our least favourite to the very best Danny Boyle movie so far...

13. Yesterday

Danny Boyle likes to mix and match his genres, and Yesterday sees him combining his love of music and warped perception with the tropes of a fluffy romcom. What’s surprising is the extent to which he leans into the latter element, with none other than Richard ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ Curtis providing the screenplay. Himesh Patel plays a struggling musician who awakens from an accident to a world where The Beatles never existed. Cue an extraordinary rise to fame as he rolls out the hits, pausing only to fall for his childhood friend Ellie (Lily James).

12. T2 Trainspotting

T2 was never going to be able to replicate the searing live-wire energy of the original Trainspotting, but then that’s kind of the point. It’s 20 years on, and our gang of reformed (and not so reformed) junkies are now contending with the trials and tribulations of middle age. An early health scare and a crumbling marriage prompts Ewan McGregor’s Mark Renton to revisit his old Edinburgh stomping ground. Along the way old friends are encountered, old habits reacquired, and old debts called in, as Boyle hits all the right nostalgic notes.

11. Trance

Trance feels like Danny Boyle’s suitably twisted take on the slick psychological thrillers of the ’80s and ’90s. When bent auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy) is struck on the head during an art heist, his ensuing state of amnesia causes complications for all involved – especially when hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) is hired to help jog his memory. Featuring the kind of twists and turns that will prompt either incredulous blinks or unintended laughter, it isn’t exactly Boyle’s finest work, but it’s stylishly executed nonetheless.

10. Millions

And the winner of the Danny Boyle movie you’ve probably never heard of goes to… Slipped quietly in between 28 Days Later and Sunshine, Millions was a chance for Boyle to show his bright and breezy side in amongst all that genre movie intensity. It also serves as a sunny B-side to the director’s grisly debut, with its tale of ordinary Brits discovering a bagful of money. Unlike Shallow Grave, though, these are likeable people (children in fact) who decide to put the money to a more positive end.

9. The Beach

Boyle’s early experience with the Hollywood machine produced two curious misfires, but both have their charms. In the case of The Beach, those charms include Boyle’s first collaboration with Alex Garland (who wrote the beloved novel that the film is based on) and a certain Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. Shout out to the movie adaptation’s stunning cinematography, too, as DiCaprio’s disaffected American backpacker stumbles across an idyllic Thai island commune. Elsewhere, the glossy soundtrack perfectly represents the Y2K vibe.

8. A Life Less Ordinary

Danny Boyle seems to struggle with overtly American movies – Steve Jobs being the notable exception – but even these relative ‘duds’ have their merits. In the case of A Life Less Ordinary, it’s genuinely bracing to see early era Boyle’s fizzy Britpop energy transplanted to the other side of the Atlantic. Ewan McGregor plays an out-of-his-depth kidnapper who reluctantly teams up with Cameron Diaz’s spoiled brat on a poorly conceived extortion scheme. A Life Less Ordinary is all over the place, but good fun nonetheless, and has another killer soundtrack.

7. 127 Hours

James Franco may not be the flavour of the month any longer due to various indiscretions, but he’s undeniably excellent in this true to life thriller about mountaineer Aron Ralston. When Franco’s Ralston gets trapped in a precarious ravine during a solo hike, he’s forced to make the kind of life-altering decision that would seem unthinkable to those of us who get their kicks from warm pubs and streaming services. Boyle’s mastery of his art is on full display as the hours tick agonisingly by.

6. Sunshine

Just as 28 Days Later saw Boyle supplying his signature twist to the horror genre, Sunshine does the same thing for sci-fi. Even the screen writer (Alex Garland) and star (Cillian Murphy) are the same. In this somewhat underappreciated gem, a small crew of astronauts embarks from a dying Earth on a mission to jump start the Sun, but gets diverted by a distress signal. Despite a tonally jarring final act, Sunshine remains a distinctively downbeat, beautifully shot slice of brooding sci-fi.

5. Shallow Grave

Boyle’s cinematic debut is a lean, noirish crime thriller set in a mid-’90s Edinburgh flatshare. It’s not drugs that are the temptation for Ewan McGregor’s flawed protagonist this time around, but rather greed. When he and his two companions stumble across the body of their mysterious new flatmate, an accompanying bag of money prompts them to make the kind of decisions that will only ever lead to catastrophe. The way Boyle unfurls this slow motion car crash of a movie provides an early calling card for his talents.

4. Slumdog Millionaire

It’s not difficult to name the Danny Boyle film that has made the biggest, broadest cultural impact. Slumdog Millionaire is without doubt the director’s crossover hit, winning eight of its ten Academy Award nominations (including both Best Picture and Best Director for Boyle) on its way to earning $378 million at the box office. It follows Dev Patel’s Jamal Malik from a Mumbai slum to the brink of fame and fortune, all with the kind of brio and technical bravura that has become Boyle’s stock in trade.

3. Steve Jobs

Criminally and inexplicably overlooked at the time of its release, Steve Jobs is a brilliantly inventive study of the late Apple co-founder. Its masterstroke is to distil the great man’s essence by focusing on three key Apple product launches over a 14 year period, with each of its three acts playing out in real time. Dynamically scripted by Aaron Sorkin of The Social Network fame, and every bit as vital as that earlier film, Steve Jobs has to go down as one of the greatest biopics of the 21st century.

2. 28 Days Later

Danny Boyle had only ever made one sequel before 28 Years Later (2017’s T2 Trainspotting), so it’s a testament to 2002’s 28 Days Later that the director has chosen to return to his vision of a ravaged UK dystopia. It still stands up today, even with modern 4K TV sets proving less than flattering to some of the early handheld camera shots. Boyle’s take on an unusually mobile variety of zombie would prove hugely influential across following decades, but it’s the interaction of its human cast that leaves a lasting mark.

1. Trainspotting

Danny Boyle’s second movie is the one that truly put him on the map and attracted the attention of Hollywood. It somehow manages the trick of faithfully translating the filth and the depravity of Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel about a group of Edinburgh junkies to the big screen without completely alienating a mainstream crowd. Ewan McGregor’s Mark Renton, Ewen Bremner’s Spud, Jonny Lee Miller’s Sick Boy, and Robert Carlyle’s Begbie have all entered into the British cultural firmament, as central to the ’90s UK experience as Britpop and New Labour.

Fantastic Four has a somewhat chequered history as an MCU franchise, often not getting the hype it deserves. This is perhaps all about to change though with a new installment set to be released.

The remake is a retro-futuristic 60s inspired film starring Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn in the lead roles. Pascal and Kirby will play husband-and-wife Reed Richardson and Sue Storm - or as they’re known by their superhero alter-egos, Mr Fantastic and The Invisible Woman. Quinn meanwhile is playing Sue’s younger brother, The Human Torch, and Moss-Bachrach takes on the role of Ben Grimm aka The Thing.

Hollywood icon John Malkovich has also been confirmed, as has Julia Garner who will be taking on the role of nemesis Shalla-Bal, a variant of the Silver Surfer. Malkovich's role remains undisclosed for now. And, to top it all off, Robert Downey Jr is rumoured to be appearing as Doctor Doom in an epic Avengers crossover, although this is only a speculation at the moment.

Marvel first dropped the trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps in February 2025, which gained more than 200 million viewers in the first 24 hours according to The Hollywood Reporter.

What do we know so far?

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released in cinemas on Friday 25th July 2025, so there’s really not long to wait. Its release date has been subject to change thanks to Covid-19 causing issues with scheduling although 25th July seems to be locked in as its launch date. With this release date, it will be launching just two weeks after James Gunn’s highly-anticipated Superman reboot.

Also, it won’t be long until the core four will be on screen once more as, thanks to Marvel’s teaser trailer, we know they will be reprising their roles in Avengers: Doomsday - set to be released in May 2026.

What was the new teaser?

A clip from the film was released on X yesterday, in a first snippet from the movie itself (aside from the trailer). In the four-second clip, Johnny Storm (Quinn), is eating from a bowl of cereal, and sees Sue and Reed walk in, telling them "you're late." He then clarifies that they're late for dinner. The reaction from the duo would suggest they're late in another way...

Thanks to an early screening at CinemaCon, it has been confirmed that Kirby’s character, Sue Storm, is in fact pregnant in the film. Fans have been speculating that this clip is taken from the scene where Sue and Reed break the news to Johnny. Marvel has confirmed that Fantastic Four are Marvel's first on-screen family.

Will the film follow the Marvel comics?

In the comics, the pair’s two children go on to have powers themselves; Franklin, their son, is a powerful mutant, and daughter Valeria takes after her father - a genius who later develops an interesting connection with Doctor Doom.

Will Sue Storm give birth by the end of the film? We don’t know yet, but it wouldn’t be surprising…

Disney recently announced the official synopsis: "Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel's First Family... as they face their most daunting challenge yet.

"Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer. And if Galactus' plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren't bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal."

First Steps will see the first proper attempt at a live action Galactus, voiced by Ralph Ineson. Galactus has never officially appeared in a live-action film - they featured in the 2007 movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer but only as a puff of space dust. He is glimpsed in the trailer and seems very comic accurate unlike the previous smokey interpretation.

• Five reasons you should be watching Guy Ritchie's MobLand, according to its cast

Main image credit: Marvel Studios

Alex Garland’s latest movie, Warfare, hits US cinemas on April 11th, while UK audiences can catch it at their local multiplexes on April 18th. There’s every indication this impeccably cast war film is going to be a real shock to the senses.

It’s based on the experiences of Ray Mendoza, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who served in the second Irag War. The film follows a platoon of SEALs into insurgent territory, all played out in real time.

The result, according to early reviews, is a brutal and cacophonous depiction of modern warfare that brings the audience about as close to the real thing as it’s possible to get through traditional cinematic means.

Warfare joins a steadily growing list of 21st century war movies that are worthy of joining the genre greats from the previous century. The following films often double down on realism (with one notable exception) using modern special effects and innovative shooting techniques to add a visceral edge.

With these more modern takes, jingoism tends to take a backseat in favour of highlighting the human cost of war, not to mention the chaos of the battlefield.

All are essential watches for a range of reasons, from historical education to pure entertainment. Here are 10 of the best.

1. Fury

Writer-director David Ayer is well known for his gritty stories about tight-nit groups of law enforcement officers serving in the field. In Fury, he transposes that formula successfully to World War II. Brad Pitt’s Don “Wardaddy” Collier leads a seasoned American tank crew fighting their way through Europe during the final days of the war. The unique combination of empowerment and intense vulnerability that tank combat entails gives Fury a unique spin on a deeply familiar conflict, but it’s the believable camaraderie between the crew members that really makes you care about the film’s outcome.

2. Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino infamously played fast and loose with history in his latest movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but he had already pulled a similar trick with Inglourious Basterds. Indeed, depicting an alternate reality where Adolf Hitler and his goon squad meet an even bloodier (and quite literally cinematic) end at the hands of a group of Nazi hunters is arguably a much bolder gambit. Somehow, the whole thing pays off, with Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz both getting into the ’40s comic book propaganda spirit of things.

3. 1917

Sam Mendes’s ambitious First World War movie follows hot on the heels of two young British soldiers as they carry an urgent message through the trenches and battle-scarred fields of Northern France. While it’s not quite the one-shot film that many refer to it as, 1917’s cleverly inserted cuts serve to convey the impression of a single 80-minute journey through one hellish day. You might not dare to draw breath until the closing credits roll.

4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

It’s all too easy to forget that Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is more than just a superb historical drama. It’s also a fabulous war film – specifically the Napoleonic Wars. Peter Weir’s lavishly shot movie depicts 19th century naval combat better than any other, as well as concerning itself with the quotidian aspects of life at sea. Russell Crowe’s Captain Jack Aubrey and his crew (including Paul Bettany’s droll surgeon) both swash and buckle their way across the seven seas in hugely evocative fashion.

5. Letters from Iwo Jima

The first part of Clint Eastwood’s ambitious war movie two-parter, Flags of Our Fathers, dealt with the relatively familiar American perspective during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which was fought in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Letters from Iwo Jima boldly shows the same events from the opposing (and ultimately losing) side, with Ken Watanabe’s General Tadamichi Kuribayashi struggling to organise the last-ditch defence of this pivotal Japanese island. It’s powerful stuff, shot with an admirably even hand by the Hollywood veteran.

6. The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker won Kathryn Bigelow the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars back in 2010, among four others. That arguably makes it the biggest critical hit on this list. Cut through all the awards season bluster, however, and it’s simply a really lean and well constructed war movie that takes a slightly different angle to most. This time we’re focusing on an American bomb disposal unit as they serve during the second Iraq war. That means steadily escalating tension rather than kinetic run-and-gun action, with a couple of truly stomach-churning set-pieces.

7. Black Hawk Down

You know a war movie has entered into the cinematic firmament when its title becomes the accepted shorthand for a particular vibe or situation. In this case it relates to the true-to-life events of the Battle of Mogadishu in 1992, when two US military helicopters were shot down in the middle of the densely populated Somalian city, prompting an overnight standoff followed by a desperate rescue operation. Ridley Scott’s movie also features a red hot cast of then up and coming actors, including Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, and Ewan McGregor.

8. Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan is renowned for his obsession with stretching and contracting time in his films, and that applies just as much to his World War II masterpiece as it does to Tenet. Dunkirk smartly tells the famous story of the last-ditch Allied evacuation of northern Europe from multiple overlapping perspectives, taking in British forces serving on land, sea, and air. The combined effect is a meticulously woven tapestry of tension, in which you’ll find yourself anxiously tapping your feet irrespective of your level of historical knowledge.

9. All Quiet on the Western Front

Edward Berger’s 2022 Netflix production takes Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 novel and uses it to tell a potent World War I story from a perspective we’re not accustomed to seeing too much – that of the Germans. This is truly devastating stuff, as a young group of friends naively signs up to the doomed German war effort, only to be subjected to the horrific realities of trench warfare. Little wonder that the film won four Oscars, including Best International Feature and Best Cinematography.

10. Downfall

If Inglourious Basterds shows Hitler’s demise as imagined by the fevered mind of a pop culture junkie unconcerned with historical fidelity, Downfall takes the precise opposite approach. It’s close to a forensic reconstruction, based on historical documentation and witness testimony, of the Führer’s last days. The resulting film is as insightful as it is sombre. Whilst we largely only hear the rumble of war as it closes in above its delusional instigator, cowering in his bunker, this has to be one of the most disturbing war movies ever made. Essential viewing.

• What to watch: new movies and TV shows to stream this week

Paramount Pictures’ upcoming project, Man of War has officially got its lead actor and director.

According to Deadline, Western drama Man of War is set to star Samuel L Jackson in the lead role, with Tim Story directing and producing. The screenplay has been written by Sheldon Turner.

The plot follows Samuel L Jackson as a retired general who returns to his hometown in rural Georgia after his wife’s death, only to find it plagued by corruption, gentrification, and racism among other issues. In classic Western style, the battle-honed underdog - Jackson - will fight back against the town and its corrupt billionaires who are exploiting it and its people.

Jennifer Klein and Sheldon Turner are producing through their company 100% Productions, alongside Story. The Story Company’s Vicky Story will executive produce. Turner is also part of the Oscar-nom club with Jackson following his 2009 adaptation of Walter Kim’s novel Up in the Air starring George Clooney.

If the team behind it are anything to go by, this film will be a smash hit; Jackson has had one of the most impressive and prolific Hollywood careers, starring in over 150 films including his Oscar nominated role in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park, Hitman’s Bodyguard, Django Unchained, as well as multiple features in the Marvel Cinematic Universe including Captain Marvel, The Avengers, and Captain America: The First Avenger. His upcoming projects include Afterburn and Avengers: Doomsday.

have they done Western before?

Jackson has starred in two previous Western movies - Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight - both of which were critically and commercially successful. In an interview with Eye For Film in 2016, Jackson said his favourite Western movie is Unforgiven, claiming it is a classic story whose narrative boldly redesigned the western drama genre.

Story meanwhile has directed ten (highly well-received) feature films with eight of them reaching number one in the box office during their opening weekends. His films include the Barbershop franchise, Ride Along (1, 2 and 3), Shaft, Fantastic Four, and Taxi. Alongside Man of War, Story has an upcoming film, teaming up with Kevin Hart once again for a new Netflix film, 72 Hours. The film stars Hart as a 40-year-old executive who hopes to save his failing career by joining a group of twenty-somethings on a wild three-day bachelor party after being accidentally added to their group chat.

Further casting and release date are yet to be announced for Man of War, although its likely to be 2026 if Jackson’s schedule is anything to go by.

• Love a movie? Original 1977 Star Wars cut is set to get rare screening this summer

Main image credit: Bruce Glikas/WireImage, Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

CinemaCon has been a best friend to many film aficionados (geeks) recently, as it’s been the heart of new film buzz, teasing movie details from the likes of Resident Evil and that Beatles cast announcement.

And, clearly CinemaCon is the gift that keeps on giving, as Travis Knight’s new Masters of the Universe shared a sneak BTS reel of what’s in store for the film.

Amazon MGM Studios are releasing the live-action adaptation of the classic kids' toys and cartoon in 2026 and have finally given fans a taste of the upcoming film. In a short sizzle reel, the cast and creatives were shown on set, all in costume. The clip showed far-spanning views over London’s skyline and intricate backdrops, plus the main man - He-Man - with his blonde locks flowing in full glory.

Casting was teased earlier this year, when DeuxMoi posted some photos of Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man on its Instagram. However the reel officially confirmed that joining him will be none other than Jared Leto as Skeletor, and Idris Elba - who you can spot in the clip in all his superhero glory. Also cast are Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, and Charlotte Riley.

Knight, Galitzine and Mendes kicked off the sizzle, recorded from the London set, as they took turns explaining that they are teaming to create an “epic” movie with characters to set the scale. Knight explains that his passion for the universe dates back to childhood or “pretty much my entire life.” So much so that he “lived and breathed” the story and once even had a He-Man haircut.

Masters of the silverscreen?

Although plot details haven’t been revealed yet, we already know the film is taking place in a modern setting. In a recent interview Galitzine explained: "Our version is quite different from the original animation, which we all agree was camp within its own right and worked so well for the time." He added "It's exciting to do something that will have a nostalgia element as well as hopefully attract a bunch of new fans." Plus, we already have set pictures from filming where a certain, familiar weapon shows up, plus Galitzine sporting a salmon pink shirt in a modern glow up of the original pink vest.

This new screenplay has been written by Chris Butler, based on a story by Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham.

The film is based on a popular toy line from Mattel (no, not Barbie) but has also seen a couple of animated adaptations including the classic TV series from 1983-85, and a Netflix remake which released in 2021 and dropped a second series in 2024. The latter certainly retained a starry lineup with the voices of Chris Wood, Mark Hamill, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Liam Cunningham, Lena Headey, Melissa Benoist, William Shatner, Meg Foster and Keith David.

It's not the first live-action adaptation though. That dubious honour goes to 1987's Masters of the Universe, a disastrous take on the character starring Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella and Courtney Cox.

Masters of the Universe is set to release on June 5th, 2026 and is an Amazon MGM Studios production, meaning it’ll probably land on Amazon Prime Video as its first streaming home.

• Love movie gossip? Jason Momoa chats all things Minecraft, metal, and Dune 3

Prior to a summer release, we’ve got our biggest look yet at the upcoming Superman film, which will mark the first feature-length entry in James Gunn’s new DC Cinematic Universe since he became CEO of DC Studios. Gunn is also set to direct the film.

The teaser, which lasts about five minutes, gives an extended look at Superman, who all in all has not had a great day as he crashes into snow before his super pooch Krypto comes to provide a helping paw.

In typical fashion for a rambunctious pup, all Krypto wants to do is play before finally realising Supes needs some help and dragging him to the Fortress of Solitude, where we get a better look inside and meet the robot caretakers of Superman's snowy escape.

Plenty more kicks off afterwards, including a sneak peek of some of the other heroes who are set to feature, including Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and more. You can check out the full teaser below, where there’s plenty to break down and obsess over before the film's release.

Superman is set to arrive in cinemas on the 11th July, and should usher in a new dawn for the Man of Steel and the rest of DC’s films. This will mark the first time David Corenswet will pop on the blue and red tights, with this iteration seemingly being more comic-accurate than past versions - no spoilers, but even the red trunks are making a comeback.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will star Milly Alcock in the titular role, will follow on from Superman and be the second film in this universe. This will be the first time we see Jason Momoa take on the role of Lobo, the bounty hunter from space—a role he’s been vocal about wanting to play for years. It's an exciting time to be a fan of DC with plenty more on the horizon.

• For more from Momoa, his return in Dune 3 and his Minecraft movie, check out our recent interview with the larger-than-life star.

Main image via DC Studios

Barbarian director Zach Cregger mysteriously announced that the upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot will be “unlike any of the previous films”.

Resident Evil, for those not yet in the know, is a long-running survival horror video game series that’s spawned a tonne of zombie-splatting movies. Though the games have been great, classics even, the movies have historically been… not so good.

Shambling monstrosities, actually. But! They continue to make a bucket load of money — and so hopes are high that a reboot can pair that license to print money with a horror flick that’s actually, you know, watchable.

During Sony Pictures' recent CinemaCon, Cregger revealed: "There's a moment that comes in almost every Resident Evil game where you find yourself in a dark passageway, your health is almost zero and there's no way around,"

"You have to go through but you know there's something awful for you in the darkness."

"That is a thrill that the Resident Evil games have perfected," he added. "My movie will be built in the spirit of those games and follows one central protagonist from point A to point B, as they descend deeper into hell."

The upcoming film will open in theatres in September 2026. It is rumoured to be starring Austin Abrams and is set to start shooting in summer 2025.

Cregger has co-written the script with Shay Hatten, and the production teams on board include Constantin Film, Vertigo Entertainment, and PlayStation Productions.

The German studio Constantin Film originally bought the rights to adapt the series to live action in January 1997. The series has a total of seven films so far, with the upcoming film becoming the eighth installment — though is unlikely to be directly linked to previous adaptations.

The Resident Evil series has grossed over $1.2 billion and was at one point the highest-grossing film series based on a video game, as well as the highest grossing horror film series. It remains the highest-grossing zombie film series, and retains the record for the most live-action film adaptations of a video game.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “the new project is decidedly on the horror track. It is also said to have elements of a wilderness survival thriller” - so watch this space…

• Beatles movies cast revealed: Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn

After being indefinitely delayed in 2023 thanks to a myriad of factors including the writer’s strikes in Hollywood, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse now has a release date. However, fans will be waiting quite some time for the impressive animated trilogy to wrap up.

The much-anticipated finale is set to release on June 4th, 2027. The announcement also arrived with a first look at some still images of the film, with the now-iconic look still as present as ever.

The images shown give us a peek at returning characters Miles and Gwen, alongside the new Prowler, who was first introduced at the end of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. That reveal has been leaving fans itching for more since the cliffhanger two years ago – so just the two more years of waiting before we get to see the conclusion, then…

Few films have quite as much anticipation surrounding them as the third Spider-Verse film, which could cap off one of the strongest animated trilogies ever made.

The story so far has followed Miles Morales as he takes on the mantle of Spider-Man in a multiverse-hopping adventure that introduces plenty of different spider-people from various comics, TV shows, and even films — some being more helpful than others.

The first of the Spider-Verse films, Into the Spider-Verse, wrapped up its story neatly, teasing more but ending in a satisfying manner. This was not the case for Across the Spider-Verse – it's not a bad ending, but the loose ends will remain unresolved until this conclusion, which will released three years after it was initially meant to.

If you can’t wait two years for more Spider-Man, everyone’s favourite webhead still has plenty going on over the next couple of years, including the newly announced Spider-Man: Brand New Day, featuring Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

In the meantime, you can always check out the animated Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man show on Disney+ that offers a more stripped-back version of the famous character.

• If you're not up to date on all things superheroes, check out our list of most notable omissions from the recent Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement.

One. Two. Three. Four! It’s the classic merseybeat intro, and it’s also the amount of films about the greatest band of all time, The Beatles, that are in the works. At the annual CinemaCon industry event in Las Vegas on Monday night, director Sam Mendes revealed his plans for the biopic series — including confirmation of the long-rumoured cast.

And boy, is it stacked — a who’s who of young UK talent. We’ve got Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

Mescal's and Keoghan's roles had been let slip previously by director Ridley Scott and Ringo Starr respectively, but the rest of the cast was yet to be locked down.

The four films will release in April 2028, and in an unusual move, all four will come out in the same month, with Mendes describing the move as “bingeable” to appeal to the streaming generation of viewers.

“We’re not just making one film about the Beatles – we’re making four,” Mendes confirmed. “Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.”

“[The Beatles] redefined the culture and stayed with you for a lifetime”, Mendes continued, hailing them as “the most significant band of all time.”

Working on it eight days a week

Mendes has been working on bringing a Beatles biopic to the bigscreen “for years” but “finally gave up” after realising the story “was too big for one film”, and didn’t picture his idea as a small-screen television series.

“There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,” he told those in attendance at the Las Vegas event.

“I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.”

Though there have been many attempts at telling The Beatles story in the past, this is the first project to have not only the blessing of remaining Beatles McCartney and Starr, but also the families of Lennon and Harrison, as well as rights holders Apple. That means we’ll get all the classic songs, as well as the story too.

The Beatles joined forces in 1960, and kicked off a musical revolution across their 10 year career before breaking up at the height of their powers in 1970. The Fab Four weren’t averse to a bigscreen appearance themselves, starring in five films including the swinging-sixties classic A Hard Day’s Night in 1964.

• The 20 best Beatles songs of all time

He may be currently focussed on his appearance in the block-building Minecraft universe, but Jason Momoa has revealed to Shortlist that he'll soon be making a return to Arrakis for the upcoming Dune 3 movie.

Speaking to Shortlist during a press junket for his latest film, A Minecraft Movie, Momoa confirmed his long-rumoured involvement in Dune 3:

"I'm shooting Supergirl now, playing Lobo, and then got a couple really good secrets coming up to finish off the end of the year… My TV show Chief of War comes out on August 1st. That's been like my dream project, my 'Braveheart for Hawaii', and we’ll probably hopefully do two more seasons of that. Hopefully this does well and I’m going on more adventures in Minecraft world. Then there’s…gosh… Dune 3…"

When pressed for more details, Momoa was coy.

"We have to [leave it there], I already got in trouble over Lobo!" he told us, referring to his near-miss reveal of the DC Comic's character's onscreen appearance in a recent Cinemablend interview.

The return of Dune's Duncan Idaho?

So, [SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE YET TO SEE DUNE] how could Momoa make his Dune comeback?

In the first Dune book, and Denis Villeneuve's first Dune movie, Momoa's character, Duncan Idaho, is killed. He dies a warrior's death, defending Paul Atreides, and does not make an appearance in the second Dune film.

But! Dune 3 for the big screen is expected to be based on the second Dune book, Dune Messiah.

In that story, Idaho's character is cloned and resurrected, renamed Hayt, and turned into one of those "human computer" mentat types. We won't say much more on where that character's story takes it, but it's a very instrumental role in the tale, and would be difficult to tell without Momoa's involvement.

It's not much to go on for now then. But with Momoa visibly stoked about the potential for Dune 3, the threequel is shaping up nicely.

• Jason Momoa talks Minecraft movie mayhem, 5 all-time metal tracks, and a Dune 3 return

There are some terribly British films coming out this year that are not in fact directed by Brits: Pressure (Andrew Scott does D Day), Hamnet (Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal do Shakespeare) and The Thursday Murder Club (every actor you know over 60 does cosy crime-solving). It also goes without saying that you should pencil in Downton Abbey 3 for September.

But! There is a whole bunch of exciting films from British directors coming in 2025, including Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later which we shouted out in our blockbusters preview. Our picks here include independent and arthouse films, some action crowdpleasers and one bound-to-be-eccentric studio release from the always excellent Edgar Wright.

1. Havoc - Gareth Evans

Headshots. Top-tier fight choreography. Intense Tom Hardy. A washing machine flying out the back of a moving van. The teaser trailer for Havoc has everything we could possibly dream of in a gritty action thriller. Gritting alongside Hardy’s detective Walker are Forest Whitaker and Timothy Olyphant, in the criminal underworld of an as-yet-unspecified city, but one populated by drug dealers, dodgy politicians and kidnapped sons.

Havoc is written and directed by Welshman Gareth Evans - you know, the guy who directed The Raid and The Raid 2. He’s also one of the creators of TV series Gangs of London. So “high-octane” from him actually means high-bloody-octane. Let’s hope Netflix gave him enough money to really cook with this one.

Out 25th April - Netflix

2. Die, My Love - Lynne Ramsay

A new film from Lynne Ramsay is major cinephile news. The Scottish indie director’s previous fine form includes 2017’s Joaquin Phoenix psychological thriller You Were Never Really Here, the 2011 adaptation of We Need To Talk About Kevin with Tilda Swinton and, of course, her second film Morvern Callar. (We recommend checking out that soundtrack). Produced by everyone’s fave Marty Scorsese, star Jennifer Lawrence apparently sent Ramsay the book that Die, My Love is based on.

Lawrence plays a new mother, whose mental health is unravelling in the Montana countryside, alongside her husband (Robert Pattinson). If that sounds heavy, this is billed as a dark comedy-horror, so, with that signature Ramsay chill, expect anything. The release date isn’t locked in yet but it’s premiering at Cannes Film Festival in May.

TBC 2025 - in cinemas

3. Mr. Burton - Marc Evans

Another Welsh director in Marc Evans and this time, a Welsh story, in one character’s words, of “the drunken son of a drunken bloody miner”, AKA one-of-one Richard Burton. Or Richard Jenkins as the actor was known as a kid, years before he was buying heaps of diamonds for Elizabeth Taylor. This looks like a fairly traditional, meticulously produced biopic but there’s plenty of interesting family drama and actual, real obstacles for Industry’s Harry Lawter, as Richard, and national treasure Toby Jones as his schoolmaster Philip Burton, to chew over.

Burton tutored Richard, became his legal ward, helped him get his start in acting and, of course, lent him his surname. What with Johnny Flynn doing his best to boom in last year’s The Motive and the Cue on the West End, it’s a mark of Richard Burton’s genius that playing him is now approaching the status of rite of passage for British actors.

Out 4th April - in cinemas

4. Tornado - John Maclean

John Maclean is just a dude. Founding member of The Beta Band, collaborator of Michael Fassbender, and music video maker, he's multi-talented. The director of 2015’s Slow West decided he wanted to make a samurai film but, since he’s Scottish, not Japanese, he had the cracking idea to bring the samurai characters (Shōgun’s Takehiro Hira alongside model/musician Kōki as the titular Tornado) to Scotland in the late 18th century. There they come across a gang of criminals led by - yes - Tim Roth playing Sugarman and his son, Little Sugar (Jack Lowden). Shot on 35mm film, and with the supremely talented Robbie Ryan as cinematographer, this is one to venture out and see on the big screen. It sounds wild.

Out June 13th - in cinemas

5. The Salt Path - Marianne Elliott

Even the trailer for this one is a bit weepy so hold steady. Based on the bestselling memoir by Raynor Winn, The Salt Path is the feature film debut of award-winning theatre director Marianne Elliott. It’s a two-hander between Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, as Ray and her husband Moth, who become homeless after losing their farmhouse in a gnarly legal battle. They decide to strap on the backpacks and walk the 600-ish mile South West Coast Path through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, camping, taking odd jobs and battling the elements along the way.

Out 30th May - in cinemas

6. Warfare - Alex Garland, Ray Mendoza

This one could really go either way, and I say that as a fan of Alex Garland’s divisive Civil War last year. He’s back with A24 for Warfare, with the help of co-writer and director, Iraq War veteran and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, who based the film on his experiences. Does it look like thrilling, tense, close quarters, real-time urban sniping and fighting? Yes. Does it have an absolutely stacked group of jarheads? Also yes, with Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn and Reservation Dogs’ D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai as the Mendoza character.

Does this also look suspiciously like Hollywood military propaganda, from an indie studio darling of all places? Yes? Not long till we find out. And one thing’s for sure, Garland, who wrote the scripts for Sunshine and 28 Days Later and directed (perfect film) Ex Machina, as well as the more experimental Annihilation and Men, is not afraid to take big swings.

Out 18th April - in cinemas

7. Departures - Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, Neil Ely

If you’re looking for hidden gems, Departures, a tale of a toxic queer relationship premiering at BFI Flare at the end of March, looks to be shot through with manic energy and dry Northern, working-class wit. Writer and co-director Lloyd Eyre-Morgan plays Benji who meets Jake (David Tag) at an airport gate and, from the gist of the trailer, absolute chaos ensues. Eyre-Morgan worked on Eastenders for a couple of years and he’s made a series of interesting shorts with his collaborator, Neil Ely.

As for other up-and-comers, we’re also looking out for theatre director Nadia Latif’s The Man in My Basement, starring Corey Hawkins and our guy Willem Dafoe, due out in 2025. And Joshua Trigg’s Satu - Year of the Rabbit is a coming-of-age story involving a Buddhist orphan, a photojournalist and a motorcycle ride through Laos, coming out this June.

TBC 2025 - in cinemas

8. Hot Milk - Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Hot Milk is Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s directorial debut and yet her writing credits, alongside a long career as a playwright in British theatre, are the opposite of amateur. Lenkiewicz co-wrote the stunning 2013 film Ida with its director Paweł Pawlikowski, she was on the writing team for Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology and she wrote the screenplays for the ‘Me Too’ film She Said and The Salt Path (higher up on this list).

Here, Lenkiewicz has reworked novelist Deborah Levy’s story of a mother - Rose - and daughter - Sofia - who travel to an unconventional Spanish clinic, looking for a cure for Rose’s mysterious paralysis. This cast is flawless. Fiona Shaw as Rose, Sex Education’s Emma Mackey as Sofia and the always superb Vicky Krieps as Ingrid, a German seamstress they meet along the way. Intriguing.

Out 4th July - in cinemas

9. The Running Man - Edgar Wright

You either have a serious soft spot for the offbeat style of Edgar Wright - the man behind Spaced, the Cornetto trilogy and Baby Driver - or you don’t. I really do so it’s a joy that he’s back at the end of the year with his take on The Running Man, the Stephen King dystopia that got the Arnie treatment in the ‘80s (pictured above, with a little Photoshop help to introduce its recognisable new star...). In remake news that doesn’t make us mad, Wright teamed up with his Scott Pilgrim collaborator Michael Bacall to write a story for Paramount, one that they say is more faithful to the 1987 book. Sidenote: the original story was set in the year 2025.

Wright has also enlisted Very Charismatic Man Glen Powell to play Ben Richards, the man who starts playing a deadly reality show where the contestants are hunted by hitmen. (No Squid Games here). With William H. Macy, Lee Pace and Josh Brolin on board, I also cannot wait to see what Colman Domingo (last seen in the excellent Sing Sing) does with the role of Bobby Thompson, the host of the deadly game show. The movies are so back.

Out 7th November - in cinemas

10. Rogue Trooper - Duncan Jones

It sounds like Duncan Jones has really been going through it with Rogue Trooper. Jones is, of course, the director of (perfect film) Moon, Source Code and (not so perfect film) Warcraft, and son of David Bowie, and he’s been stuck in the Unreal Engine 5 making his comic-inspired sci-fi animation for some time now. But we’re hoping he gets it out in 2025, as planned and internet-expected.

The Rogue Trooper strip in the comic 2000 AD, originally by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons, focuses on a super-soldier / ‘Genetric Infrantryman’ named 19, who features in a bunch of crossovers. Taking on the voice acting, we have Aneurin Barnard as the lead with Hayley Atwell and Sean Bean, together with Jermaine Clement, Diane Morgan, Reece Shearsmith, Alice Lowe (who kept schtum about her involvement in a recent Shortlist interview) and Matt Berry. Thank you cinema gods.

TBC 2025 - in cinemas

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The live action remake of Snow White is now in cinemas, and by all accounts it’s a bit of a disaster. The popular knee-jerk response to this seems to be to question why Disney insists on dredging up its beloved classics in such a way.

There’s a simple (if cynical) one word answer to such a question of course: money. However, we’d like to propose a slightly more positive two word answer of our own: Jungle Book. Jon Favreau’s 2016 live action remake was a massive hit and, more importantly, a really good film.

It is possible to make good on the whole premise of reworking Disney’s animated classics. You just need to put the right talent in place to execute properly. More to the point, it’s vital that you pick the right property to rework in the first place.

We’re hopeful that Lilo & Stitch and Moana, both in production as we speak, are the right choices for this kind of treatment.

This got us to thinking: which of the remaining Disney animated movies would make for good live action remakes? We’re not necessarily talking about the best or most beloved Disney productions here, but rather those with the best raw materials for the cinematic experience.

We’ve also thrown a couple of left-field curve-balls in there that probably will never happen, but would be truly fascinating to witness.

1. Fantasia

You know when they say a novel is 'unfilmable'? Fantasia might just be un-live-remakable, and that’s what makes it fascinating.

The original is old and unusually high-concept, made up of eight animated accompaniments to classical music, with live interludes involving the musicians. How would you translate that for a restless, pop-saturated modern audience?

Then there’s the downright psychedelic nature of its content. In the right hands, Fantasia could become a latter day stoner classic. Which is probably why Disney wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole.

2. Bambi

After the cool reception to Disney’s entirely animal-led Lion King remake, a live action version of Bambi might seem like a silly idea. Such a project was said to be in the works as recently as 2023, but director Sarah Polley dropped out of the project last year.

We’re not sure if this one will end up in cinemas, but we’d be fascinated to see if it can pack anywhere near the same emotional wallop as the original, or if the dead-eyed uncanny valley effect would rob it of all its impact.

3. Treasure Planet

The early noughties were a lean time for Disney, even though its productions of the time showcased some outstanding animation and no little creativity. If anything, it’s these stories that are ripe for rediscovery rather than the syrupy ‘classics’.

Treasure Planet is itself a take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel, Treasure Island, but it applies a bracingly fresh sci-fi spin. It seems ideal for a special effects-soaked live action revision. We’re thinking a U-rated mash-up of Pirates of the Caribbean and Guardians of the Galaxy.

4. The Sword in the Stone

This one was said to be receiving the live action treatment as far back as 2015, and has since been stuck in development limbo for a decade. It’s currently on hold at Disney HQ, but a live remake actually makes a lot of sense.

The original is more than 60 years old now, and while it still packs plenty of charm, we’re not sure a younger audience would necessarily gel with its fuzzy visuals and old fashioned characterisations. However, its classic youth-oriented take on the King Arthur mythology seems ripe for reinvention.

5. The Emperor’s New Groove

Another technically stunning but relatively overlooked production from Disney’s lost decade, The Emperor’s New Groove deserves to find its audience.

If that’s not going to be though watching the original on Disney+, then there’s plenty of scope here for a live remake, with its memorable cast of (mostly) human characters and a pronounced comic tone. It also has an Incan-inspired Central American setting, which is something we haven’t seen an awful lot of in mainstream cinema.

6. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Our third and final selection from Disney’s dismal ’00s (in box office terms, at least) is Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and it might just make the best film of the lot. This aquatic adventure sees an early 19th century expedition heading into the murky depths in search of the mythical lost city of Atlantis.

With a fresh Jules Verne-meets-steampunk setting and stunning CGI-bolstered animation – with input from Hellboy’s Mike Mignola – it doesn’t take a massive leap of imagination to see this for the big budget live movie it could be.

7. Frozen

Too soon? With Disney, surely nothing is off the table when there’s a buck to be made. And make no mistake, a live action remake of one of its biggest modern hits ($1.3bn at the box office) would make serious bank.

The internet has been abuzz with casting fantasies virtually since Frozen hit cinemas in 2013, with every kid of a certain age having their own take on who would make the perfect Princess Elsa and the ideal Anna. You’d better believe Disney isn’t going to let this one go.

8. Pocahontas

You get the impression that Disney is avoiding Pocahontas out of political skittishness. However, we reckon a live action remake could provide some valuable rehabilitation for a story that admittedly hasn’t aged all that gracefully.

There’s a strong whiff of colonial whitewashing to the original’s take on the historical Powhatan woman Pocahontas and her entanglement with English explorer John Smith. By ironing out the historical inaccuracies and casting well, however, it could bring what is still a widely beloved film up to date.

9. The Black Cauldron

While we’ve referred to the 2000s as Disney’s lost decade, the ’80s pushes it close. Who remembers The Black Cauldron? It seems to have come from a different era entirely to the subversive Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and the ’90s renaissance-presaging The Little Mermaid, but it preceded both by only a few years.

That in itself makes it an interesting prospect for live action rehabilitation, as does its dark fantasy setting inspired by Welsh mythology. In a post-Stranger Things world, it could be the next scary-but-safe YA hit.

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Colleen Hoover is a name you’ll be familiar with, having graced hundreds of airport gates, second-hand bookstores, and news headlines over the last few years. In my completely amateur opinion, Verity is the best of her books - although this review comes from the fact that I finished in six tube journeys, whereas with her other novels, I made the executive decision to quit reading after the first twenty pages.

Based very loosely off Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Verity charts the story of Lowen Ashleigh, a young struggling writer who is hired under mysterious circumstances to ghostwrite for successful, glamorous author Verity Crawford. However, her assignment takes a dark turn after discovering Crawford’s chilling, twisted autobiographical notes. As Lowen gets embedded into Verity’s life and her mind, the lines between fact and fiction begin to blur.

It was announced in late 2024 that Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, and Anne Hathaway had been cast to star in the psychological thriller as Lowen Ashleigh, Jeremy Crawford (Verity’s husband), and Verity Crawford.

Amazon MGM Studios is adapting the film and its release date has been confirmed as May 15th 2026. Variety reported that this release date was selected to provide counterprogramming for male-skewed titles also released in May, including The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Avengers: Doomsday.

Nick Antosca is writing the script, and Michael Showalter (writer and director of The Big Sick and The Eyes of Tammy Faye) is directing. Hathaway and Johnson are joined by Ismael Cruz Cordova and Brady Wagner. Antosca, Alex Hedlund, Stacey Sher, Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Hathaway, and Hoover are all serving as producers, while Johnson, Lauren Levine, and Kerry Orent are executive producing.

Verity was originally self-published by Hoover in 2018, and it will be the second film released based on her novels. Her 2016 novel It Ends With Us was premiered in 2024, starring Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, and earned more than $346 million. Hopefully, Verity yields a similar critical reception but slightly less cast drama…

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It really is quite tricky to pin Steven Soderbergh down to a specific style, other than ‘stylish’. The man’s a technical genius, with a complete mastery of the filmmaking process.

It’s even harder to associate Soderbergh with a particular genre. Across five decades and 36 films, the American auteur emerged from the indie scene to direct Hollywood thrillers, slick heist movies, detailed biographies, cerebral sci-fi, raunchy comedy, blistering action and – in his latest film, Black Bag – tense spy drama.

He’s won Oscars, fallen in and out of love with the studio system, and even at one point retired from the movie making business altogether. Thankfully, he treated retirement like one of his films, quickly forgetting about it and moving onto his next cinematic project.

With Black Bag arriving in cinemas to considerable acclaim, we thought now would be the ideal time to pick out some of Soderbergh’s key films. Which of these eclectic treats is your favourite?

1. Sex, Lies, and Videotape

The film that started it all off for Soderbergh also arguably kickstarted the ’90s indie cinema boom. That’s some debut. 1989’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape was, for its time, a boldly frank look at relationships and female sexuality. With its naturalistic dialogue and voyeuristic premise – its lead character films women talking about their most intimate thoughts and feelings – this is the film that set the foundation for pretty much all of the talky, thoughtful English language films that followed.

2. Che (Parts One and Two)

We’ll treat these two distinct films about revolutionary icon Che Guevara as one, as they were released in cinemas just a month apart. If we’re forced to choose just one, it’s the first film that proves the more entertaining, as Benicio Del Toro’s Ernesto “Che” Guevara helps lead a socialist revolution in ’50s Cuba. The second part deals with Guevara’s less successful latter years, and is a bit more of a slog. But when else have you seen a major historical figure covered in this much detail outside of a documentary or limited series?

3. Magic Mike

Just about the polar opposite of Che, Magic Mike is the feel-good smash hit that no one expected from former indie darling Soderbergh. Channing Tatum plays jobbing male stripper (Magic) Mike Lane, who at the outset of the film finds himself pining for a better life and mentoring young up-and-comer Adam (Alex Pettyfer). Besides its huge box office successive, which spawned a hit Broadway musical, Magic Mike is perhaps most notable for its role in helping to kickstart the ‘McConaissance’. Matthew McConaughey chews all the scenery as Mike’s ambitious former-stripper boss.

4. Erin Brockovich

Traffic might have been the critical darling on the year 2000 awards circuit, but it’s Soderbergh’s other film release of that year that’s more fondly remembered. Julia Roberts plays the real life role of Erin Brockovich, an unemployed single mother who joins a legal firm and uncovers a case of industrial negligence and corporate cover-up in the early ’90s. The role deservedly gave Roberts her one and only Oscar, but her performance is rooted in Soderbergh’s technically assured direction.

5. Contagion

Contagion received a lot of attention back in 2020, some nine years on from its original release. Something about its grounded, unflinching, fastidiously researched take on a fictional global pandemic struck a chord with a locked down population. Of course, in Soderbergh’s hands, this material takes on the trappings of a slick international thriller, as assorted figures (all played by very famous actors, of course) tackle the threat from a horribly familiar virus. Contagion is a disaster movie of the highest order, and well worth another watch – if you can bear it.

6. Logan Lucky

Some have labelled Logan Lucky a redneck Ocean’s Eleven, but that description runs the risk of diminishing what a low key triumph it is. Yes, this is yet another slick heist movie, and yes, it features another starry cast pulling off an impossibly intricate plan. But Logan Lucky has a bucket load of off-kilter charm to accompany its clockwork skulduggery, and a good deal less smugness. You’ll find yourself genuinely rooting for Channing Tatum’s down-on-his-luck construction worker and his one-armed brother (Adam Driver), not to mention Daniel Craig’s outrageously accented accomplice.

7. Traffic

If you needed any proof of how prolific Steven Soderbergh has been over the years, consider his two-film contribution to the 73rd Academy Awards. Everyone loves Erin Brockovich, featured elsewhere on this list, but it was Traffic that won Soderbergh his one and only directing Oscar. The film tackles the illegal drug trade through multiple interwoven perspectives, including a Mexican cop, a DEA agent working the problem from the American side of the border, and a US judge with an addict daughter. It’s as comprehensive a take on the matter as Hollywood has ever produced.

8. Solaris

It’s a brave director who dares to tackle a remake of Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 masterpiece, which is right up there with 2001: A Space Odyssey in the influential sci-fi stakes. Of course, Soderbergh attempted to beg off any direct comparisons by claiming that his film was a fresh take on Stanisław Lem’s 1961 source novel, but even so. The resulting film isn’t quite as momentous as the original, but it’s a beautifully made slice of cerebral science fiction nonetheless, as George Clooney’s psychologist is sent to help the crew of an afflicted space station.

9. Ocean’s Eleven

It’s a tough ask identifying a signature movie with a director as prolific and chameleon-like as Steven Soderbergh. If you were to hold a gun to our heads, though, we’d probably opt for Ocean’s Eleven. It brings together his fondness for a stylish cut and a beautiful ensemble cast, and throws them all into a hugely enjoyable heist movie. Yes, it’s technically a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack movie of the same name, but Soderbergh’s version stands on its own impeccably tailored two feet.

10. Out of Sight

After a somewhat halting ’90s for Steven Soderbergh, the director finally rediscovered his mojo and entered into an enviable golden streak with this 1998 adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel. In what must surely go down as one of the coolest, sexiest crime thrillers ever made, George Clooney’s career bank robber literally stumbles into Jennifer Lopez’s US Marshal during a prison break. Barbs are thrown, sparks fly, and looks smoulder in the ensuing game of cat and mouse – all of which is set to the swinging-est of soundtracks.

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The next film in the ongoing partnership between Adam Sandler and Netflix is Happy Gilmore 2, which is being released nearly 30 years after the original release – for Sandler fans, this will be their Gladiator 2.

The trailer also showed off a release date: 25 July this year. Plenty of stars from the original will return, alongside Sandler, who plays the titular Happy. If you loved the original, which must go down as one of Sandlers best, it would be welcome to see Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Christopher McDonald all returning, with the latter playing Sandler’s nemesis, Shooter McGavin.

Alongside the old cast are some fresh faces, too. Most notably, Bad Bunny will appear as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who looks to be playing Happy’s caddy in the upcoming film. On top of some new stars, Netflix also confirmed some professional golfers are set to appear in the movie.

These include John Daly, Paige Spiranac, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Will Zalatoris. NFL star Travis Kelce, who broke the Ted Lasso season 4 news recently, also appears for a cameo.

You can check out the brand new trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 below:

From watching the trailer, one thing is for sure. Happy has been out of the game for some time but is considered something of a legend within golf circles.

Happy Gilmore 2 is coming exclusively to Netflix, and some fans are likely to be disappointed. The film will be released straight to the streamer, entirely skipping a theatrical release at the pictures, so you won’t be able to see it on the big screen. Hopefully, this changes closer to release, but Netflix usually only releases films it pushes for awards at the cinema, so we’ll have to wait and see.

For more Netflix films, check out our list of best films to watch on the streaming service.

It was only a matter of time really before we had a Tiger Woods biopic - the golfing legend is set to join the ranks of Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Elvis and countless others as he is set to get his own film.

Amazon MGM Studios (who else) has acquired the film rights to Kevin Cook’s book The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played - although, we’re hoping they maybe cut down that title when it becomes a film.

According to Deadline, Reinaldo Marcus Green, the face (and annoyingly insane talent) behind hit biopics One Love and King Richard will be directing. Does this mean Will Smith could be featuring as Tiger? We wouldn’t put it past him…

Oh, and just in case you were wondering what kind of high profile American A-listers are rumoured to be producing, it’s the actual Obamas. Like, the ex-president and his wife, Obamas. That’s got to be a flex for Tiger.

So which actor will live up to the golfing GOAT’s legacy? Tiger himself has already mentioned he’d like Denzel Washington or Samuel L Jackson to be considered in a biopic, so watch this space. Here are our top 6 picks to take the role…

1. Will Smith

Although he’s fallen in and out of Hollywood graces over the past years (with that slap), Will Smith has to be in the running for this - not only his ability to play almost any role, but thanks to his performance in King Richard, and ongoing relationship with director Green, he is likely to be considered for this biopic. Although, this is a biopic about Woods’ early years, so he may have to pile on the moisturiser. He's got experience out on the green too, with 2001's golf drama The Legend of Bagger Vance.

2. Anthony Mackie

Anthony Mackie has shot to fame thanks to the little known, indie role of Captain America in 2014, and is currently starring in its continuation film - Captain America: Brave New World. However, he has also starred in some pretty impressive roles outside of the Marvel Universe including 8 Mile , Brother to Brother, and All the Way, as well as dabbling in some theatre. And, he’s a keen golfer, even competing at the Pro-Am Sony Open in Hawaii - it’s a match made in heaven, or at least on the Green.

3. Michael B Jordan

With the film is focusing on Woods’ early life and career, it feels only fair to include Michael B Jordan in the list. Maybe the title People’s Sexiest Man Alive and Tiger Woods don’t feel like a natural fit, but we still think Michael B Jordan could hold both titles and make it work. Also as a lifelong sports fan, maybe a turn to golf would be Jordan’s next logical step.

4. LaKeith Stanfield

You’d recognise LaKeith Stanfield from a number of roles including Cash Green in Sorry to Bother You, Get Out and Atlanta. He’s done crime thrillers, Westerns, horror, and biographical drama - so maybe a sporting biopic is next on his list?

5. John Boyega

It may be rogue to throw a British actor in the mix - but if Rami Malek can do Bohemian Rhapsody, John Boyega can do Tiger Woods. Besides, we know he can do a flawless American accent thanks to his role in the Star Wars franchise. It would definitely be verging on the unexpected as a choice, but you can’t deny Boyega’s natural acting talent.

6. Jamie Foxx

Call this one the wildcard entry, but we genuinely believe there is no role that Jamie Foxx couldn’t do. No matter who has a biopic written about them - Obama, Graham Norton, Queen Elizabeth II - Jamie Foxx should be in the running to star. All jokes aside, Foxx has one of the most impressive Hollywood resumes behind him: from baddie Bats in Baby Driver, to loveable Matt in Back in Action, and not forgetting his surprising brilliance as Curtis Taylor Jr in Dreamgirls, nor his gravitas as the President in White House Down. So let’s just say if he was cast, we would not be surprised in the slightest.

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You might know Kaitlin Olson as the iconic Sweet Dee in the long-running It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Or you might be a fan from the hit show Hacks, where she plays Deborah "DJ" Vance Jr. But the early-adopters amongst us (a gang which I for once will tentatively count myself in) will soon know her from playing the sassy, and smart Morgan in Disney+’s new show High Potential. Think the wit and pace of Lorelai Gilmore and the brains of Sherlock Holmes merged together, solving crimes in eccentric outfits in LA, and you’d be on the money. As you can imagine, it’s one of the best watches you’ll have this year.

Already renewed for a second season that’s set to film in May, Kaitlin Olson sat down with us and spilled all the BTS secrets on her new crime-solving hit.

Shortlist: Hello Kaitlin! What has been your favourite episode of High Potential so far?

Kaitlin Olson: I loved the Pilot - it’s hard to say as all of them are great but I think the pilot encompassed all the elements of Morgan - how her mind works, but also her family and how much they mean to her. I also loved the hostage episode as that showed Morgan’s family and her relationships. Basically I love all the moments that show those authentic family moments.

SL: In High Potential you make a great crime fighting duo alongside Daniel Sunjata — but if you could be a member of any other crimestopping team, which would it be?

KO: Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote. I think she would be a great duo with Morgan - Morgan would be sassy and Jessica would bring that sweet older-lady energy.

SL: High Potential is streaming on Disney+ — if Morgan was going to feature in any other Disney+ show which would you love her to be in?

KO: I mean, why not put her in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? I think that would be such a fun crossover. I think Sweet Dee would hate her - I do not think they would get along!

SL: Are there any of Morgan’s traits that you feel like you have in real life? What do you feel connects you with her?

KO: Definitely being a mother and how much she loves and prioritises her kids, I really relate to that and connect with that. She’s quite a smartass too. Although whereas Morgan doesn’t care what people think and is a rule breaker, that’s definitely where we differ - I’m a rule follower.

SL: Which of the characters do you feel you would get on with in real life?

KO: Daphne and Soto. I love the relationship between Morgan and Daphne - as Daphne is a younger, up and coming detective there was potential for her to be jealous and have that rivalry with Morgan but [we] fought hard for that not to happen. I think Daphne and Morgan have a unique camaraderie.

When Morgan first starts, she doesn’t really trust anyone in the squad, but she does trust Daphne. They have a more unique relationship from the start - you know, I steal her lollipop and apologise because I feel really bad about it, this helps bring a more unique dynamic and relationship. It’s really great to see female leads relying on each other and being supportive instead of jealous as they can often stereotypically be.

SL: Who does Morgan have the most interesting relationship with?

KO: Karadec definitely. They have this ongoing relationship where they like and don’t like each other simultaneously. I know there are a lot of people gunning for their romance and for that to happen - maybe it will, who knows? I think what they do have is an authentic mutual trust that builds between them - they have a sort of sibling relationship at some points as they are both very different characters and personalities but ultimately need one another.

SL: Is there anything you’d love to see Morgan take on or to challenge her in the next series?

KO: Maybe lose one of the team for an episode and not have them working on one of the cases - Morgan always is the one who does the final solve, but she needs the team - so maybe a situation where she needs Karadec’s help.

SL: What was the hardest scene to film?

KO: Having to memorise that much information - like, Morgan’s mind works really fast and she knows so many facts that having to memorise it all can be a lot. One of the first scenes where I’m in a grocery store and doing all this quick maths - remembering all the figures was so hard - I had to put a post-it note on the ham!

SL: Anything you can hint about what people can expect from Season 2?

KO: Looking more into the characters’ backgrounds more and Morgan’s childhood. We start shooting in May…

SL: What drew you to Morgan as a character?

KO: How beautifully flawed she is. I think she’s quite misjudged because of the way she dresses and looks - when she joins the team she is seen and valued for the first time for what she can offer. There’s also a certain reluctance about Morgan with her intellect - it’s more of a challenge to her than something she brags about. Her brain is secondary to her personality and her identity as a mother. I really fell in love with Morgan when I read the script and thought I could bring something special to the role.

SL: What are you currently binge watching? And what do you think Morgan would be watching?

KO: I’ve been watching Paradise and Lioness. I don’t know, I think Morgan’s probably the same as me, but I don’t think she would be good to watch TV with - I think she'd be really annoying to watch with - a bit like my husband because he’s a writer! They’re the kind of people you want to watch stuff in a separate room from for sure.

SL: In the series, Morgan orders a Manhattan as her go-to drink, what’s yours?

KO: Probably a tequila, soda and lime.

SL: Finally, what can viewers expect from the season finale?

KO: A cliffhanger. (*cue dramatic pause). More on the Morgan and Roman storyline too.

• Stuck for what to watch? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this week

Main Photo Credit: High Potential is available to stream on Disney+

Mickey 17 marks Bong Joon-ho’s triumphant return to cinema screens some six years on from his breakout hit, Parasite.

Robert Pattinson leads a star-studded cast in this biting sci-fi satire about a dystopian cloning program. In Bong’s grimly humorous future, human beings – or rather their clones – are treated as disposable test subjects.

Even if you've yet to see it, y won't be surprised to hear it's been getting glowing reviews.

You see, Bong Joon-ho is one of the most consistent filmmakers working today. Across his seven films to date (not including Mickey 17), he’s scarcely put a foot wrong.

This despite the fact that the 55-year-old director from Daegu rarely settles in the same place. He’s covered true(ish) crime, creature horror, noirish thrillers, and of course sci-fi – all with lashings of signature black humour and a strong sense of class consciousness.

Mickey 17 is only the third of Bong’s films to be shot using Western actors, but all are extremely accessible, highly entertaining productions. We’d recommend tracking them all down through whatever streaming or rental service that hosts them.

While we ruminate on exactly where we're going to pop Mickey 17 on this best-of list, here’s a little rundown of what makes each of Bong Joon-ho’s other movies so great.

7. Barking Dogs Never Bite

Bong Joon-ho’s debut arrived in the year 2000, showcasing a talent that was already starting to take its final form. The director’s bitingly black sense of humour, quirky twists, and fascination with the struggling underclass are all here to see straight from the off.

Lee Sung-jae stars as Ko Yun-ju, a hard-up academic who lives in a crumbling apartment block with his pregnant wife. After the stresses and strains of his precarious position lead him to take drastic action against a yapping dog, a fateful set of events are set in motion.

6. Memories of Murder

For his second film, Bong Joon-ho produced a neo-noir crime thriller based loosely on a series of grizzly murders that took place in rural South Korea during the late ’80s. Thanks to the combination of a lack of resources and questionable professionalism from some of the local police, the murders go unsolved, prompting a big city detective to get involved.

This isn’t your Hollywood whodunit, as our increasingly mismatched detective partners continue to grasp at straws and pursue dead ends. It’s truly haunting stuff.

5. The Host

Here’s another about turn from Bong Joon-ho, as he takes his first stab at something more fantastical. The Host is a monster movie, but with the complex characterisation and unexpected plot developments that we’ve now come to expect of the director.

When a grotesque creature emerges from the Han river and starts chowing down on the citizens of Seoul, a poor local family is dragged into the mayhem. This being a Bong Joon-ho film, there’s also a sharp political swipe at the ruling powers – this time in the form of a careless US military.

4. Mother

Mother sees Bong Joon-ho returning to dark crime thriller territory, albeit without the queasy factual basis of Memories of Murder. This time the story is a much more personal one, centring on Kim Hye-ja’s titular mother. When her mentally impaired son is accused of murdering a local girl, she sets out to find the real killer.

Featuring familiar Bong Joon-ho themes of poor people fighting against a cruel and uncaring system, and a memorable lead performance from Kim, this is an easily overlooked Bong effort that deserves its time in the sun.

3. Snowpiercer

Bong’s first brush with Hollywood didn’t exactly produce the kind of runaway success that his talent warranted. That’s a shame, because Snowpiercer is one of the most original pieces of sci-fi cinema released in the past 12 years.

It’s based on a French graphic novel that sees the remnants of humanity crammed into a giant train perpetually circumnavigating a climate-ravaged Earth. Chris Evans’s taciturn hero leads a thrillingly brutal lower class rebellion against the wealthier inhabitants, culminating in a tense face-off with Ed Harris’s reclusive dictator.

2. Okja

If Bong Joon-ho was stung by Hollywood’s ludicrous treatment of Snowpiercer, he had the last laugh by taking Netflix’s money and producing Okja. Another multi-lingual sci-fi treat with a clear ecological message, it follows the travails of a genetically engineered ‘super pig’ and its doting young companion.

Co-written by Britain’s own Jon Ronson, Okja is packed full of humour, larger than life characters (played by a star-filled cast), and thrilling action. It’s quite unlike anything else you’ll find on the world’s biggest streaming service.

1. Parasite

We hesitate slightly to label Parasite as Bong Joon-ho’s greatest work, which tells you something in itself. This was, after all, the first non-English-language film to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Our indecisiveness is a testament to the director’s impeccable body of work than any slight on Parasite’s quality, however, which marks a rare case of the Academy Awards getting things spot on. Its depiction of a poor, morally flexible family exploiting their wealthy employers is dark, funny, and poignant. Classic Bong Joon-ho fare, in other words.

• The coolest movies of all time

If you thought the biggest breaking Oasis news in recent years was their reunion tour... you’d be right. However, there is more breaking news from the Gallagher duo as Steven Knight - the creator of Peaky Blinders, has been announced as the creator and producer of a film documenting their reunion tour.

The Oasis group announced that a film will be released as they head out on their hotly anticipated reunion tour this year.

Also announced leading the creative team are directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace - known for their 2022 documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom which explored the indie music scene in New York across the noughties. The duo have also directed music-based films including the documentary No Distance Left to Run which followed Oasis’ long-time rivals Blur across their reunion tour in 2009.

A supersonic summer

Steven Knight has had a pretty busy year and stacked up an impressive showbiz resume with the recent Maria Callas biopic - Maria - starring the one-and-only Angelina Jolie, written and produced Locke with Tom Hardy, and not forgetting the show that launched a thousand red London buses, A Thousand Blows. Given his cinematic range, it’s hard to say what the Gallagher film could look like stylistically, but with this line up, it’s fair to guess that it will be pretty impressive.

Sam Birdger and Guy Heeley will be serving as producers and executive producers are set to include Maria Clifford and Kate Shepherd. The project will be produced by Magna Studios and distributed by Sony Music Vision.

No other information has been released about the film yet, but if the Ticketmaster queues and dramas for the gigs were anything to go by, this film will be a best-seller.

The band’s lineup on the tour is rumoured to include some of the OG crew including guitarist Paul Arthurs (who quite possibly has one of the best rock nicknames ever – “Bonehead”), and Gem Archer, Andy Bell on the bass, and Joey Waronker (of R.E.M) on the drums. However, Liam Gallagher posted on X that he wasn’t “bothered” about the lineup reveal, and would “reveal that [to you] in a minute”.

Live ‘25, Oasis’ upcoming tour is kicking off in Cardiff on 4th July and is running across the UK until November.

• The BIG London Gig List: Your guide to the very best shows and concerts in 2025

Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) has been announced as a cast member for the next Spider-Man film, making the casting announcement one of the first big confirmed details for the currently unnamed fourth Spidey MCU film.

It's a new status quo for Peter Parker (Tom Holland), following the heart-rending ending to his third outing. He’s now going it alone with his secret identity back intact and leaving his old pals behind. This means Zendaya will possibly have a more limited role in the fourquel, considering her busy schedule with the next season of Euphoria and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey coming soon. Is Sadie Sink here for Spidey-love-triangle potential?

The film also marks Destin Daniel Cretton’s second MCU film after the success of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Theories are already circulating about who the Stranger Things star will be playing – now the X-Men and Fox characters are back in the fold after Disney’s acquisition of the studio, the range of characters she could play only widens.

For that reason, we’ve got some theories about who she might be cast as...

1. Felicia Hardy / Black Cat

Black Cat acts as an on-again, off-again love interest for Spider-Man, often pushing him to question his beliefs. Because the character is morally ambiguous at best, she bounces between love interest, ally, and enemy due to her need to always be on the rob—and Spidey is secretly a cheeky boy into that dangerous air.

Black Cat’s superhero abilities are focused on luck, marking those around her as ‘unlucky’, meaning things constantly go wrong for them. It will be interesting to see how this will be portrayed on screen when the character is introduced, maybe taking inspiration from Domino in the second Deadpool film. If Black Cat is in the movie, it would mark the first time we’ve seen the character adapted on the silver screen.

2. Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy has previously been played by Emma Stone in the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man films and briefly by Bryce Dallas Howard opposite Toby Maguire in Spider-Man 3. We also saw Spider-Gwen, voiced by Hailee Steinfield in the Spider-Verse films, so the character is no stranger to being on the big screen — Emma Stone’s interpretation saw her story reach the same spine-snapping conclusion it did in the original comics.

Sadie Sink would be a welcome addition to the films and would easily slip into the role, whether the studio decides to go for the iconic blonde hair or not—it’s a perfect fit for one of Spider-Man’s most heartbreaking love stories.

Where the character has been seen so frequently in recent times and, given the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, this pick feels less likely than Black Cat. But either way, Spidey will need a love interest in this film, and Gwen is the obvious choice.

3. Jean Grey / Marvel Girl

Jean Grey is another character we’ve seen plenty of times on the big screen, admittedly with less success than Gwen. Fans have often considered Sadie Sink for the role. In the past, Famke Janssen and, more recently, Sophie Turner have taken on the role of one of the most powerful X-Men, with mixed success.

This suggestion would mix up the world, introducing one of the most iconic X-Men characters and mutants to the MCU without the rest of her X-pals. Seeing her without Wolverine, Cyclops, and the gang would be strange, but it would be a welcome look at how the MCU will handle the X-Men going forward.

4. Mary Jane Watson

Arguably, this is the least likely pick, despite Sadie Sink perfectly suiting the role, thanks to Zendaya’s character essentially already filling the role, if never really explicitly confirmed as the comic book character.

It would be interesting to see how a more comic-accurate interpretation would be handled, but it’s pretty clear Zendaya is this Spider-Man’s MJ... and also Tom Holland’s in real life, tooo.

5. Someone else… honestly anyone else

Marvel isn’t afraid of mixing things up with characters, as seen by the changes to Shang-Chi, The Mandarin, Ms. Marvel, Zendaya’s MJ and more. The next obvious tweak is the change coming to the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four, with Julia Garner taking on the role of a character who is traditionally an intergalactic male in the comics.

It’s a great way to reinvent well-known names from the comics and bring them into the 21st Century, so Sadie Sink might bring anyone to life with a depth of characters still yet to be brought to the screen. This interpretation of Spider-Man has still not seen plenty of characters brought, in from Harry Osborne to Morbius… hopefully it won’t be morphin time though.

• Best Disney Plus shows - brilliant shows that you can watch right now.

Cover image credit: Arturo Holmes/WireImage and Marvel Studios

Leave it to Netflix to drop a $320 million sci-fi movie into your lap like it’s no big deal.

The streaming giant’s latest money-no-object production, The Electric State, comes from Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo, stars Chris Pratt and Millie Bobbie-Brown, and features more humanoid robots than a Silicon Valley cocktail bar. But you’d be forgiven for not knowing it was coming until right this second, such has been the relatively low-key publicity campaign surrounding its release (perhaps Emilia Pérez hoovered up all the marketing budget).

In any case, The Electric State is here to commandeer your weekend watchlist – and it bears all the hallmarks of another straight-to-streaming hit for Netflix (a company which, let’s be honest, doesn’t need advertising to secure eyeballs).

Loosely adapted from the much-loved graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag (whose dystopian artwork inspired Amazon’s criminally underrated Tales from the Loop series), The Electric State takes place in a retro-futuristic version of the 1990s, where a failed robot uprising has left millions of once-friendly animatronics exiled from the human population. The film follows an orphaned teenager (Bobbie-Brown) as she ventures across the American West in search of her missing brother, with an illegal robot, a smuggler (Pratt), and his wisecracking sidekick (Anthony Mackie) in tow.

Sure, that synopsis makes The Electric State sound like a mash-up of The Creator, Fallout, and Toy Story – it certainly has similarities to all three movies, and many more besides – but with a killer soundtrack and some of the best VFX this side of Avatar: The Way of Water, Netflix’s latest blockbuster isn’t short on eye-popping spectacle. It also stars Woody Harrelson as an animatronic peanut, which is reason enough to give it a spin.

Ahead of the film’s release on March 14th, Shortlist spoke to its box office-breaking directing duo, the Russo brothers, to get the inside track on its (very long) journey from page to screen, its “freeing” detachment from the Marvel movie machine, and Spielberg’s “ubiquitous” influence on the sci-fi genre.

You won the rights to adapt Stålenhag’s graphic novel way back in 2017. How did the novel come to you, and why did it make sense as a movie?

Anthony Russo: The film’s writing team, Chris Markus and Steve McFeely – along with our production company AGBO – is the same team we worked with on all our Marvel movies. Chris discovered [Stålenhag’s novel] on a Kickstarter campaign, and was really struck by it. He brought it to Joe and I, and also to his writing partner, Steve, and we all immediately fell in love with what was there. Right away, in every image that Simon had created, you could see that he was exploring a very complex relationship between humanity and technology. It felt very current to us, very of the moment – but it also felt very sideways and original, like an approach to [this idea] we had never seen before. So the combination of those two things just lit us up and kept driving us all toward finding a [screen-ready] story there.

There are a lot of very on-the-nose warnings about the dangers of AI, smartphone use, VR headsets, and so on in the film – but you’re not outright saying technology is bad. What message do you want the audience to take away?

Joe Russo: It's a complicated issue, so it’s impossible to be prescriptive about it. Technology benefits all of us, but it also has incredible downsides as well – there’s a massive addiction problem. The movie isn't demonizing technology, it's just asking questions about what our relation to it is. How is that relationship best positioned moving forward? And how do we protect ourselves from the downsides of it moving forward?

The movie’s so-called Neurocaster headsets had me thinking, ‘One of these guys definitely owns an Apple Vision Pro’. Do either of you?

JR: I do [laughs].

And how do you feel about this spatial computing idea? Do you use the headset for work?

JR: Not at all. I use it for streaming. Frankly, I’ve found that the best use for it is on a plane, where I can watch a movie, shut everything out, and just have a nice viewing experience – a widescreen experience, which feels like you're in a theater. You know, I think it’s got to get a lot lighter. It’s got to get a lot smaller. If you're going to be spatial computing, it can't give you a headache after half an hour of tilting your head, trying to hold the thing up.

How difficult is it to go from projects like Avengers, where you don’t have to worry about characters resonating with viewers, to something like The Electric State, where you have to do all the heavy lifting yourselves? There’s no character credit in the bank, if you like.

AR: It’s more freeing, without question, because you can invent the entire world. We started this movie about two-and-a-half years before we rolled cameras on it, and much of that [work] was about world-building and figuring out [a story] – because graphic novels are a collection of images with a very loose narrative around them. So [Stålenhag’s novel] was really begging for world exploration. And that’s something we love to do – to dig in, ask questions, and answer those questions for ourselves about the characters, the details, the rules. How did the technology [of this world] develop? Why did it develop this way? If robots exist, what other kinds of technology exist? How did Ethan Skate [the film’s Elon Musk-style villain, played by Stanley Tucci] come to power? How did he maintain power? What was his backstory? Why does he care so much about technology? What drives him?

JR: There seems to be a cathartic level of drive behind our current technology stars [laughs], who seem to have a certain... I mean, to get to where you need to be to succeed in that field certainly requires a particular personality type. So we wanted to try to examine that personality type. Are they all Charles Foster Kane? Is there a Rosebud hiding in their past somewhere? [These people] only sleep two hours a night and own 47 companies!

There’s a very obvious Amblin influence on the film, but I do wonder, as directors, do you find that Spielberg has been so influential that even things you don’t intend to be seen as references come off like references? As if he stole all the ideas.

AR: He’s so responsible for so much of the modern cinematic language, you know? It’s really difficult for anything that isn’t done in quote-unquote ‘studio mode’ using dollies and cranes to not feel Spielbergian. He advanced that language more than anyone – he made it ubiquitous. Certainly, he had his predecessors, but he popularised it. Listen, he coined a term – [his style] is so specific and well-known that ‘Spielbergian’ is now a term in the dictionary.

JR: But, you know, Anthony and I, our relationship to storytelling is very self-referential. We grew up watching movies and TV shows, playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons with each other and with our friends, and talking about the things that we watched and did – quoting it, laughing about it, watching it again and again and again. So our work is very intertextual. We were film students for years – we spent a long time studying directing, filmmaking, and acting. So, everything we do has a self-awareness to it and we like wearing our homages on our sleeve. To us, it’s more fun a process when we’re celebrating the things that we love than when we’re trying to disguise the fact that we’ve been influenced.

And a last word on the soundtrack. The Flaming Lips, Oasis, Journey – there are some big songs in this movie. How did you decide the soundtrack?

JR: It's all very personal to us. These are songs that we grew up with. Songs that we have an emotional connection to. We have to watch the movie hundreds of times while we’re making it, so we want songs in there that we love, that we know will resonate, that have a kinetic energy to match the scenes, that have lyrics to match the scenes. And working with someone as amazing as Alan Silvestri [the film’s composer, who also scored The Avengers], allowing him to start blending the needle drops into the score and watching him turn them into major compositions, that was probably a highlight in terms of a collaboration with a composer.

Favourite track from the movie?

JR: Favourite track… hm…that’s a hard one. It’s probably The Flaming Lips' “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Part 1”.

AR: Dammit. Since Joe went with that I’ll go with “Mother” by Danzig. Chris Pratt's intro to the film.

Chris Pratt loves a musical intro.

AR: He really does.

The Electric State is streaming exclusively on Netflix from March 14th.

• The best Netflix movies you can watch right now

The ultimate cockney couple are back. Nick Love, the director of Football Factory and The Firm, has reunited with everyone’s favourite fridge-freezer, Danny Dyer, for his latest film, Marching Powder.

Marching Powder is a movie that returns to the themes of hooliganism, masculinity (toxic, intoxicated or otherwise), and overindulgence that introduced us to this partnership over twenty years ago.

We now see these themes from the new perspective of a dad who needs to get his act together or risk losing it all. As the film shows, it’s hard to turn your back on your pals when all you’ve ever known is scrapping at the football, getting on the gear and being a general nuisance.

It's immediately apparent from their work that the pair from London are concerned by the state of football, and how vices can consume a man’s life, leading them to be left behind, never quite able to grow out of bad habits picked up in their youth. Sobering stuff, but it’s laced with enough humour for a big ol’ bubbly bath.

If all of that sounds like a bit of you, you can check Marching Powder out on the 7th March when it releases exclusively in cinemas.

But before that, check out what they had to say on everything from cowboys to pear juice and what it’s like working with a rival fan…

You have a fantastic working relationship after collaborating on multiple projects together. Has this been sustainable because of Millwall's lack of success?

Danny Dyer: West Ham, we can’t really get on our high horse about nothing, really, can we? I did go to a couple of Millwall games with Nick, [and] a few of the boys from the film, as they were all Millwall. In a way, I probably am playing a Millwall fan. We keep it anonymous. That was, umm, eye opening for me.

Nick Love: The main thing is, there’s a lot of similarities, there’s a lot of partisan anger as well – some people can’t even be in the same room as Millwall and West Ham.

DD: Yeah, yeah, the old school lot, they have a lot of beef that goes way back, but we put all of that to bed, me and him. It’s all love.

Despite being humorous, the film still tackles some serious themes. In the beginning, it mentions how expensive top-flight football tickets have become. Do you think that’s why people are going to more non-league games? Is that the answer?

NL: Definitely. It’s completely changed football, hasn’t it? Working-class people are being priced outta the game, really.

DD: Just corporate b*llocks now. You’ll find within this hooliganism that it is with the lower-league teams that have 2,000 people watching.

NL: It’s much more exciting now lower lower-league football.

DD: Yeah, I get it, the culture is sort of building with the really, really lower league teams like Gateshead and all that, Chatham.

NL: Yeah, I saw Tranmere played Salford the other day. I think that’s a fixture I would have loved to have been at.

DD: That’s a game. But Nick wrote all that stuff about the ticket prices because it’s true.

NL: Just making little digs at society, my personal little gripes.

Can fans do anything about the ticket prices?

NL: Nah, you can’t reverse it, can ya.

DD: Unfortunately, we’re sheep, and we do as we’re told. They try and protest at certain grounds.

NL: I f*cking hate that. The French protest properly. F*cking we don’t. Taxes go up, or this goes up, we just go ‘ahh f*ck it, oh well, let’s do it’. Then, somehow, you dig the readies out as well, we’re all getting paid less but somehow we still go for it.

DD: Without the fans, football is f*ck all. There should be more protest, ya know they say they’re gonna boycott a game – we was doing it over at West Ham for a while – about 20 people boycott it.

NL: Not to bang on about Millwall, but to bang on about Millwall. Millwall’s changing. If you go down there now, you’ll see a lot more families down there. F*cking face painters, beer machines, it’s not like the old days where there was none of that sort of thing, it was the last bastion of angry working class men. There’s still an element of that, but even that’s getting eradicated from football.

Why did you settle on Jack, Danny’s character in the film, drinking Pear juice when he cleans up?

DD: That’s brilliant from Nick again; it’s symbolic, isn’t it? The idea of a man having the front to ask for a pear juice in front of his mates. The reaction it gets. I dunno, why is it pear?

NL: Well, it's just ‘what’s the most embarrassing thing you’d do in front of your mates in the pub?’ There’s some serious themes in there, but it’s mostly undercut with ironic humour.

DD: It’s a man who is trying to do the right thing. The ridiculousness of masculinity. It’s almost by asking for a pear juice and reaching out, [Jack] gets his hand f*cking slapped away, so he realises early doors he can do this sober thing and stay away from [his mates].

NL: Someone watched the film, and one of their criticisms was they couldn’t believe people would treat each other like that. I thought, you’re f*cking joking, aren’t ya. This idea that men don’t treat each other in that way, that everyone is kind.

DD: I mean, men are awful to each other; we do love each other. But we’re not very good at expressing it, that’s all. They’ve all got their own issues, all the boys. They would probably like to have the front to order a pear juice themselves, but it’s that pack mentality, isn’t it?

That whole thing when I go to the toilet as Jack and they’ve tapped a wrap of gear on the wall for him, because they think they’re doing me a favour. ‘We’ll snap him out of it, he’ll be alright’. Then, I get a lovely little speech in the mirror about addiction. Watch the film and you’ll learn all about this stuff, it’s not too heavy. Or too serious. But it highlights things that should be highlighted. It's a working class film.

NL: It's a bit of a piss take, but it's a piss take for everybody. [Danny's] the biggest joke in the film. It’s not like us taking the piss out of anyone in particular, we just wanted to make something thats entertaining. Also, so much of the stuff I see at the moment is so f*cking beige. Where’s the f*cking fun in stuff?

Rockstar's Red Dead 2 appears on the screen. Are there similarities between the death of cowboys and the death of football hooliganism, and do you think there is a chance it could be glamorised in the future just like cowboys are?

NL: Pffft above my paygrade. Hmm, well, I dunno. I suppose there is a relationship there, like gang mentality and tribalism. In Marching Powder, Danny has got a very good scene where he talks to Jeff when they’re clearly in this new world where they’re trying to work and it's full of kids in Stussy t-shirts, whilst they’re being served cappuccinos.

I think there’s definitely an element of, if you’re in your 40s and life hasn’t worked. It’s not that life hasn’t been kind to you, you might of f*cked up. His character has unashamedly f*cked up, it’s not like life was unkind to him, he probably could’ve had a good life but he f*cked up. But, there’s definitely a sense that if you get to your 40s and you’ve not cracked on, life will leave you behind now.

I noticed this when I was at the football a few weeks ago. I was at Millwall away; I was with 100 boys or whatever. The point is, all of them, whilst they’re there, they have an invincibility about them. I know most of those boys; their lives are not what it feels like on a Saturday afternoon and so, there is an element of life passing you by.

But football feels like one of the last staging posts where you still feel relevant. So I think that’s why, even though it's been hijacked by corporations and the middle classes, I feel football has a very big lad culture. I’m not sure it will ever be eradicated from it because it's where they f*cking really relate to each other.

That sounded a bit profound that.

DD: F*cking hell, well done, well done. Jesus, that was beautiful.

Marching Powder releases exclusively in Cinemas on 7th March, 2025.

Amazon Prime Video has developed into one of our favourite video streaming services. It offers loads of recent and classic movies and TV shows, and the rate at which new content is added continues to impress.

However, it does have more than its share of odd, obscure and downright bad content. We're here to help you dig out the best stuff.

UPDATE: This month's addition is one of the better genre picks from 2025. It's Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk. And from the premise you'd never guess it's a 320-plus-page book and a 108 minute film. A group of teenagers in a dystopian US have to walk across the country. But only one can survive, with the rest to be taken out by gunfire as soon as they drop or lose pace.

In this article, we'll look at the best movies you can currently stream for free with a Prime subscription.

There are some classics, some newer releases and heady stuff along with some action blockbuster content that may top off a hard day of work rather nicely.

Remember, new members can try Prime for 30 days for free.

• For TV recommendations, check out our shortlist of the best Amazon Prime series

NOTE: the following is available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. Please check your region for availability.

New release movies on Prime Video

The Long Walk

It’s yet another Stephen King adaptation, and this one has the simplest of high concepts. The long walk is an annual event in which a bunch of teenage walk across the United States for as long as they can — the last one left walking wins a life-changing prize. The catch is if you stop, you die. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson star in a grim and dystopian tale that successfully conjures the feel of the 1979 book.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

More of the best movies on Prime Video

The Smashing Machine

The Rock takes on perhaps his most serious role yet in The Smashing Machine, in which he plays real-world UFC fighter Mark Kerr. His life starts to unravel when he loses a match, and this unconventional biopic offers a look into his life without playing the usual genre conventions. You can thank director Benny Safdie. It was a total flop at the box office, but if well worth a go on streaming.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson’s story of a green-filled oilman bleeding the ground dry as best he can in the early 20th century is one of the director’s best. And it features an all-timer performance from Daniel Day Lewis as the power-mad Daniel Plainview. The role won him an Oscar, no less. It’s a rich and layered film some call a masterpiece. Some also say it’s one of the most overrated films gong. Time to see where you land.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Crime 101

A crime drama that attracted comparisons to Michael Mann movies, this is a proper old-school slice of thriller movie-making. Chris Hemsworth stars as a jewel thief being hunted down by Mark Ruffalo’s detective character. It’s tense, features a couple of quality car chases along the titular route 101, and has a top supporting cast that includes Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan and Nick Nolte.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Dune: Part Two

One of the great sci-fi epics of the 2020s, Dune: Part Two follows the continuing travails of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he leads the Fremen people of Arrakis into war. You should of course watch the first Dune movie first if you can, but this sequel has even more impressive and intense action. Pure class.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime 

The Bluff

A reformed pirate faces off against a pirate king of sorts in The Bluff, a swashbuckling and pretty violent action movie. The casting is interesting in this one too. Former Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jones is our former pirate living a quiet island life, while Karl Urban is our would-be antagonist. He's out to claim not just her treasure, but the woman herself. But she's having none of it.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

The Wrecking Crew

Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa are half brothers who reunite to look into the murder of their father. It sounds like it could be heavy, but this is a buddy-based action comedy of the type we don’t see all too often these days. And it’s better than you might guess too. Sure, the script isn’t electrifying, but the chemistry between the two leads often is.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Sunshine

This is a sci-fi gem some of you may have forgotten or overlooked. Humanity has one last chance to survive. The sun is dying and a crew are sent out on a mission to try and reignite it with a great big bomb. It sounds like a dumb action flick, but this is actually a smart and tense sci-fi thriller with a classic writer-director combo. It’s written by Alex Garland, directed by Danny Boyle.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

The Salt Path

This film ended up surrounded in all sorts of acrimony, after the author of the book on which it is based was accused of making up big chunks of the story. It’s still a compelling watch in its own right, though. Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs play a couple who lose their home and decide to hike around the UK’s coast. It becomes a voyage of discovery, about themselves and the world around them.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Relay

An old-school thriller from director of Hell or High Water David Mackenzie. Relay stars Riz Ahmed as a fixer, Ash, who has to try to save Sarah (Lily James) while only using a phone system made for the hard of hearing. It’s this system that gives the film its name. In classic thriller fashion, Ash end up pulled more and more out of his comfort zone, turning from techie nerd to unlikely action hero throughout the 102 minute runtime.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

She Rides Shotgun

Taron Egerton is Nate McClusky in She Rides Shotgun. He’s an ex con who ends up in charge of his estranged 11-year-old daughter as they are pursued by a criminal gang and corrupt law enforcement officers. It’s an action-packed chase thriller. But it’s also partly a coming-of-age story propped up by a pair of cracking performances from Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Duel

This is the film that broke Spielberg out as a movie director. It was made for TV, but was so good it ended up in cinemas too. A travelling salesman, played by Dennis Weaver, finds himself stalked by a crazed truck driver. It sounds like it might be a Stephen King adaptation, but it was actually based on a short story by fellow author Richard Matheson, writer of I Am Legend and many other works that eventually made it to screens.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Hedda

A fresh take on an Ibsen play, Hedda stars Tessa Thompson as Hedda Gabler, a woman who hosts a dinner party and sequentially manipulates each guest. The classic play is given a queer twist in this reimagining, bringing a new energy to the text. It’s a stylish and beautifully made film from Mia DaCosta, director of Candyman and The Marvels.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

The Endless

A pair of brothers return to the cult in which they grew up, to try to find answers. But they find even stranger stuff there as they explore. It’s a time loop movie with a difference, and one that might just melt your brain. It was made for peanuts but has bigger ideas up its sleeve than are found in most hundred-million-dollar-plus blockbusters.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Interstellar

Wherever you rank Interstellar in your list of the best Christopher Nolan films, it’s worth a revisit every now and then. This almost 3-hour epic is the tale of an astronaut, played by Matthew McConaughey, who is on a mission to find a new home for humanity after the Earth is overcome by blight. It’s big on spectacle, but don’t come expecting a hugely propulsive plot as it’s more of a cerebral journey.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

The Monkey

One of the stranger Stephen King adaptations, The Monkey is the tale of a cursed monkey toy. If it hits its miniature cymbals together, people are going to die. It’s a gory horror comedy that at times has a refreshingly unhinged energy, and stars Theo James in two roles, as twin brothers who end up as wards of the creepy little monkey. It’s another horror smash from Osgood Perkins, director of 2024’s Longlegs.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Barbie

This movie proved there’s power in the cinema yet. Despite initially sounding like the most cynical cinematic project in ages, director Greta Gerwig managed to crank out a minor popcorn-friendly box office masterpiece. Margot Robbie stars as Barbie while Ryan Gosling is iconic as Ken, cast in a plot where Ken ruins Barbieland while Barbie explores the real world outside.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Better Man

A biopic about Robbie Willams, but one where he’s cast as a CGI monkey instead of an actual actor, sounds like a tricky prospect. It’s a rise-and-fall tale that really works, though, even if you haven’t spent any time belting out his hit single Angels in the past. It’s directed by Michael Gracey, who also made the cinematic spectacle The Greatest Showman.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Warfare

Alex Garland’s Warfare is one of the most realistic and unflinching depictions of war we’ve seen to date. In just over 90 minutes, it will have your nerves shredded to pieces, after several bouts of tense action and anticipation. It’s based on real-world events, set during the Iraq war. A Navy SEAL operation goes wrong, leaving a team of soldiers stranded and surrounded.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Heads of State

A movie with a high concept idea like this sounds a recipe for disaster, but Heads of State is great fun. Idris Elba and John Cena star as the UK Prime Minister and US President in an action-comedy in which they try to overcome a global conspiracy. Maximum nonsense, maximum fun. And it features a great turn from Jack Quaid, while the leads also commit joyfully. This one comes from director Ilya Naishuller, who also made the good fun flick Nobody (2021).

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Conclave

Who knew the appointing of a new pope could be this dramatic? Conclave charts what happens when a pope dies, and another has to be voted in. There’s backstabbing. There are ulterior motives, and the entire direction of the Catholic Church is at stake. Ralph Fiennes puts in a cracking performance as peace-maker father Lawrence, while Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow also tear up the screen. You’ll have to trust us, but this movie about papal procedure is a proper thrill ride.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Heretic

Hugh Grant as a dangerous psychopath isn’t the most obvious casting choice. But it works in Heretic, an atmospheric A24 horror-thriller in which a pair of young Mormon missionary women are held captive. It was made for peanuts, on the Hollywood scale, at $10 million. In return we get an immersive, and more thoughtful-than-most, genre smash that shows another side of a romcom icon.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Small Things Like These

A coal trader discovers the sins of the Church in an Irish town, putting unmarried women to work in indentured servitude. Cillian Murphy stars in this non-melodramatic drama that quietly seethes under the surface. It recounts the same historical wrongs as The Magdalene Sisters, a movie from 20-plus years earlier. But Small Things Like These is based on a historical fiction novel by Claire Keegan.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Palm Springs

A wonderful timeloop movie that manages to find something fresh in what is now a well-worn plot point.

Adam Samberg is fantastic as the man stuck replaying the same day over and over which he hates - until someone comes into his life that unwittingly falls into the same predicament he finds himself in.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Sound of Metal

Riz Ahmed gives a career-defining performance as a drummer for a metal band who loses his hearing. The results are a gripping, tender study of the human psyche when it has to combat something that is life changing.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

I Care A Lot

There is no better than Rosamund Pike to create a villain so evil but bloody persuasive that you nearly end up rooting for her. She did it in Gone Girl and has done it again in I Care A lot.

Here she is a con artist trying to grift retirees by becoming their legal guardians. What happens is jaw dropping and Pike is just fantastic to watch throughout.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Air

Ben Affleck both stars and directs this brilliant film about the Nike execs who wanted to sign a yet-unknown basketball player to their books. The player was Michael Jordan and the rest is history.

This one has only just finished in the cinema but because of its backing from Amazon Studios, it's now available to watch on Prime.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Vast of the Night

A nice ultra-low budget thriller that has one of the best tracking shots in it we have seen. In the 50s, a DJ and switchboard operator find an audio signal that could well change a town in New Mexico forever.

The movie keeps you guessing right up to the end. At times it feels like an extended Twilight Zone episode but it's all done so well.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

The Report

The Watch is a gripping look at the true story of those trying to hold the government account for its 'enhanced interrogation' practises in the events after 9/11.

Adam Driver is superb as the senator looking into how the CIA conducted its business and the abnormalities in what they were doing, trying to uncover a level of brutality that nobody wanted the world to know about.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

One Night In Miami

One Night In Miami is an understated movie and all the better for it. For the most part, it takes place in one room (a motel room) after Cassius Clay's big fight with Sonny Liston.

Within that time the worlds of Clay, Malcolm X, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke collide in a drama that is compelling to watch.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

The Aeronauts

This escapist fantasy is unlikely to feature on many top 10 all-time film lists. But it is an absolute must-see in 2020, when we can all do with a break from the real world.

A pilot (Felicity Jones) and nerdy meteorologist (Eddie Redmayne) are an unlikely team in a record-breaking hot air balloon trip into the sky. Tune your brain into The Aeronauts frequency and you’re in for one of the most charming live action family movies in years. There are sofa-clenching sections too.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

Guy Ritchie is back with a slice of what this iconic British director does best: action. And Operation Fortune also stars one of the greatest of the genre, Jason Statham.

While this movie may not pop quite as much as Ritchie classic Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, it's worth a watch if you regard this director's earliest films fondly.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Dawn of the Dead: Argento Cut

The Argento cut of Dawn Of The Dead is an intriguing one. It's pretty much the Dawn Of The Dead you know and love but the soundtrack has way more Goblin.

This is the cut that most of Europe has seen and it's a much faster-paced version of the movie than you might have seen. Okay, so it's not the purest version of Romero's movie but it is still well worth a watch. And if you don't fancy it, then both the theatrical cut and Cannes' cut are available to watch on Prime, too.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

It’s by no means a perfect movie but the Borat sequel strikes a much-needed political cord with its look at Borat and his daughter making their way to America once more to make fun of the ignorant.

While the ‘story’ is wafer thin, it was a genius idea to bring his daughter along for the ride as she can do everything Borat would do but nobody recognises her - and her scene with one of the most famous people in America caught with his hands down his pants is just brilliant.

• Watch now on Amazon prime

I’m Your Woman

Rachel Brosnahan (of Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) is fantastic in this '70s-based drama about a housewife that becomes embroiled in a life of crime.

While the first half of the movie is the best, it's a caustic look at what life was like for women in the Seventies with a nice mix of crime thrills.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

My Old Ass

How's this for a high-concept premise? A teenage Elliott takes magic mushrooms, and the ensuing trip sees her meet her future 39-year-old self, played by Aubrey Plaza. But the performance of new star Maisy Stella, the 18-year-old Elliott, is what really keeps My Old Ass ablaze.

This coming-of-age comedy has a real sense of authenticity, thanks to Stella and the strong writing of writer-director Megan Park.

Civil War

This Alex Garland film is set in a near future where the US has been torn apart by, yup, civil war.

Kirsten Dunst stars as a photojournalist who wants to make it to the capital before the rebels reach the White House. It’s an engaging thriller-dram in which you’re never quite sure which faction people are rooting for.

Watch out for Jesse Plemons’s scenes, in which he owns the screen.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Saltburn

Acting Superstar Barry Keoghan is Oliver Quick, a student at Oxford University who works his way into the social circles of rich and entitled young folks.

After being invited over to a friend’s family estate, all hell breaks loose. Saltburn may not be the deepest and most meaningful of films, but it sure is a whole lot of stylish fun.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Kneecap

This story of the creation of Irish rap group Kneecap stars Michael Fassbender as one of the group’s founding members. But that’s one of the least notable things about this corker of a film.

It’s based on a true story, and the in-film members of the group are actual members of the real-world rap group Kneecap, which are rapidly becoming a bit of a cultural phenomenon. They put in an incredible performance, making this into a real awards magnet.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Totally Killer

Here’s a good option if you want a flat-out good time with a horror twist. A serial killer returns after a 35-year hiatus, and Jamie has to travel back in time to stop the killings from happening in the first place.

There’s slasher action, time travel and a bit of mother-daughter Back to the Future’ing. Totally Killer has a similar feel to Happy Death Day or Freaky, and comes totally recommended.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Being The Ricardos

This Aaron Sorkin drama features a nearly unrecognisable Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball, focusing on her time on the hit show I Love Lucy.

Javier Bardem is the other half of the power couple and we see the goings on of their lives through the course of filming an I Love Lucy episode - from script read to performance. Both the acting and the script here are fantastic, as you would expect with the talent on show.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

You’re Cordially Invited

Rom coms often seem not to make it into cinemas these days, but You’re Cordially Invited has the air of a bit of a hit from a couple of decades past.

It stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon as the father and sister of two separate wedding parties. And they find out their venue has been double booked, right as they both arrive at the venue.

It’s funny and largely good-natured, largely propelled by two thoroughly watchable performances from those iconic leads.

• Watch now on Amazon Prime

Open up Netflix and you will be presented with thousands of movies to stream. This is because Netflix has aimed for the quality and quantity approach when it comes to firing out films for its subscribers.

Our job is to trifle through the lot to find the ones that are really worth watching.

We're here to avoid that irritating rifling through Netflix's seemingly endless virtual shelves with a list of our favourite Netflix films.

Below you'll find the top reasons to stay subscribed to Netflix.

UPDATE: Horror or comedy? Take your pick this month. For the funnies we have Little Brother, starring Eric Andre and John Cena, from Ingrid Goes West director Matt Spicer. If you need something more scary, Cuckoo is a stylish horror that features Dan Stevens in a supporting role, and is centered around a teen who moves from America to the German Alps.

We have tried to offer a mix of genres and styles — we're here for a good time as well as some Oscar-bait. However, if you think we've missed out something that definitely deserves a spot on the best Netflix movies hall of fame, drop us a suggestion at the bottom of this article.

NOTE: The following Netflix movies are available in the UK. We have added other regions where we can.

New and returning releases

Little Brother

Bawdy comedies are nowhere near as common as they were 20 years ago. And many of you may be happy about that, but this one is surprisingly good. John Cena and Eric Andre co-lead a film about a real estate guy whose life gets a whole lot more complicated when his “little brother” comes back into his life. Conventional premise, but an unconventional pairing of leads works for the movie.

• Stream now at Netflix

Cuckoo

An American teen whose mother recently died moves to Germany to live with her father and his new partner. But bad stuff lurks in the shadow of the German Alps, and in her new home town. This stylish horror comes from relatively fresh director Tilman Singer, while the cast is led by Hunter Schafer and the always-entertaining Dan Stevens.

• Stream now at Netflix

Apex

Charlize Theron is a damaged adventurer, Sasha, who finds herself fighting for her life in the Australian countryside when she becomes the subject of a hunt. It’s a gripping Netflix thriller that effectively plays with your nerve endings. And doesn’t hang about too long either at around 95 minutes. Effective genre film-making that’s perfect for a Friday night.

• Stream now at Netflix

I Swear

Based on the real-life story of Scottish man John Davidson, I swear offers an insight into what it’s actually like to live with Tourette’s. Robert Aramayo stars as Davidson in a drama that won Aramayo a BAFTA for his performance. You’ll laugh, and cry, and probably learn a bit along the way too.

• Stream now at Netflix

I Saw the TV Glow

A remarkable and unusual horror-adjacent film in which a pair of misfit teenagers, Owen and Maddy, bond over a mysterious TV show that may or may not be a portal to another reality. It’s open to interpretation but functions well as a trans allegory. Prepare for some brain-warping as this one isn’t a film that puts a single, simple meaning up front. But it sure is thematically rich, affecting and mysterious.

• Stream now at Netflix

Barbie

A movie based on a plastic toy has no right to be this good. Greta Gerwig took what could have been a terrible IP on which to base a film, and made a minor classic. Barbie goes through an existential crisis, which sees her head from Barbieland into the real world. And in her absence, Ken goes and thoroughly mucks the place up. It’s not often a film this successful — it made almost $1.5 billion — also rakes in seven Oscar nominations.

• Stream now at Netflix

More of the best movies on Netflix

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

A hop skip and time jump on from the last season of the Peaky Blinders show, The Immortal Man sees Cillian Murphy return as Tommy Shelby. He returns to Birmingham during World War II to tackle a Nazi scheme to bring down the UK economy by producing fake currency. It’s a classic tale of a man dragged back into a life he thought he had left behind.

• Stream on Netflix

Abigail

An unusually fun horror flick from the makers of the brilliant Ready or Not. A young 12-year-old girl is kidnapped by a bunch of criminals. But it turns out she’s much more of a dangerous threat than they could ever hope to be. Dan Stevens is, as usual, a blast to watch in this high-concept horror-thriller.

• Stream on Netflix

Prometheus

Opinions on this controversial entry of the Alien saga vary from that it’s the best of the lot to a dismal failure. But it’s certainly a bold move from Ridley Scott, as a look into the origins of not just the alien threat, but life on Earth itself. But it also functions as a solid sci-fi action thriller if that’s more your bag.

• Stream on Netflix

The Rip

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are real-life friends and decades-long collaborators. But In The Rip they are back on screen together. They play narcotics police agents who uncover a $20 million cash stash that reveals there may be a traitor in their midst. This is an old-school thrill ride of a film from the director of The Grey, Joe Carnahan.

• Stream on Netflix

The Life of Chuck

Stephen King and director Mike Flanagan are best known for their work in horror. But The Life of Chuck sees them collaborate on the other side of King’s writing, the more emotional drama side. Tom Hiddlestone is Chuck, and in this flick we get to rewind though his life, from his death back through to his childhood. Some say it’s great, some say it’s a cloying schmaltz-fest. See which side you fall on.

• Stream on Netflix

Left-Handed Girl

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

The third Knives Out film is the darkest yet, and brings more of a horror flavour to Rian Johnson’s ripe whodunnit movie series. This time the murder takes place in a church in rural Upstate New York (although it was actually filmed in the outskirts of London). Daniel Craig once again leads a stellar cast whose highlights include John O’Connor, Glenn Close and Mila Kunis.

• Stream on Netflix

A five-year-old girl in Taipei becomes convinced her hand is possessed by the devil after she’s told by her grandfather she shouldn’t be left-handed. This is a family drama with themes of social pressure, shame, redemption and being yourself. A great watch with a light touch, and one that is also emotionally touching. It was also shot entirely on iPhones, and made for peanuts.

• Stream on Netflix

The Holdovers

Paul Giamatti stars in this unlikely Christmas movie, as a teacher at a boarding school who stays on campus over Christmas to oversee the students held over a year. He forms an unlikely bond with one of the students and the bereaved head cook, in what is a funny but thought-provoking coming-of-age flick. It was also nominated for no fewer than five Oscars following its 2023 release.

• Stream on Netflix

Train Dreams

Taron Egerton stars as a roaming labourer working on the railroad, as it expands across America. But Train Dreams is set across decades, showing the span of Robert Grainier’s life and his work helps establish the future of America, only for it to also become the past. This isn’t your average Netflix movie, the distribution rights having been snapped up after the film was shown at Sundance in early 2025.

• Stream on Netflix

Frankenstein

Guillermo Del Toro has apparently wanted to adapt Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for decades. This striking film version casts Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, and the towering Jacob Elordi as the “monster.” In classic Del Toro fashion, we get big scoops of humanisation of Frankenstein’s creation, and the director's signature visual style. Mia Goth and Chrisoph Waltz also have notable smaller roles, in a film that shouldn’t be missed by Netflix subscribers.

• Stream on Netflix

A House of Dynamite

Kathryn Bigelow returns to the director’s chair with A House of Dynamite, a film that charts the minutes before a nuclear missile of unknown origin is set to hit the US. We get multiple perspectives of this terrifying, but all too real, possibility. It dissects how the events might actually play out, for real. Stars Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba and Jared Harris.

• Stream on Netflix

Hard Truths

Social realist film-maker Mike Leigh returns with Hard Truths, an affecting character study that focuses on Pansy, a middle-aged woman, played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who is a flat-out misanthrope. Doesn’t sound like a good time? Her miserabilism is tempered by her joyful sister, who reflects reality back on her. Quit unlike other films you’ll flick past on Netflix, and well worth a look.

• Stream on Netflix

Mindhorn

2016’s Mindhorn is the brainchild of The Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barrett and Simon Barnaby, who also star. Barrett is Richard Thorncroft, a has-been actor who was once a top-billing TV detective. He ends up involved in a real-life crime investigation. A very silly, and mostly gentle watch that’s over and done in 90 minutes and gains extra points if you are familiar with British TV tropes of the 1980s.

• Stream on Netflix

The Godfather

Get it while it’s hot. The Godfather films tend to pinball between streaming services but, for now, you can catch the first two of the series’ brilliant films on Netflix. As well as The Godfather Coda, which is a recut of the generally maligned The Godfather Part III. Never even dipped a toe into this series? It charts the Corleone crime family through the decades. And both of the first two films are found within the top five spots of the IMDb Top 250 movies list. As much-watch as must-watch movies get.

• Stream on Netflix

KPop Demon Hunters

We would never had guessed KPop Demon Hunters would turn out to be the epic hit it has become. The most successful Netflix movie ever, it even bucked Netflix trends, released in sing-along form in cinemas. It’s also a fun watch, an ear worm musical in which K-pop stars become demon hunters. And our heroes, group Huntr/X have to face off against a rival group who — you guessed it — are actually demons themselves.

• Stream on Netflix

The Thursday Murder Club

This adaptation of Richard Osman’s super-popular crime detective caper The Thursday Murder Club couldn’t ask for a better cast. We have Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley and Celie Imrie in the lead roles as senior citizens who take it upon themselves to solve a murder. Come expecting the gentle and cosy-adjacent feel of the original book rather than a ground-breaking thrill ride. But if it were such a watch, it wouldn’t be a true adaptation of Osman’s source story.

• Stream on Netflix

Happy Gilmore 2

The return of Adam Sandler’s golfing comedy broke viewer records for Netflix. Happy Gilmore 2 was an epic hit. But the real surprise is it’s not bad either. It’s a bit of a nostalgia fest, clearly made for all those fans of the 1996 original. But what else should it be? Happy returns to the green in order to make enough money to send his daughter through dance school.

• Stream on Netflix

BlackBerry

Remember BlackBerry phones? The ones that used to be ultra-popular among business types, the phones that had those tiny keyboards? This is the story of the once-tech-giant’s rise and fall. And it’s a far more thrilling and involving ride than you might expect. Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton star as tech execs, and bring their comedy chops to the table while reaffirming they really can act.

• Stream on Netflix

Barbarian

One of the few recent(ish) horror movies that manages to genuinely surprise, Barbarian is a film of major gear changes that can shock the system. But we will say no more as this scary-funny-engaging film is best experienced with as few spoilers as possible.

• Stream on Netflix

The Blackening

Thought the horror parody genre was dormant? You must have missed 2023’s The Blackening, which turns horror tropes on their heads to great effect. A group of friends go away for a weekend to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, and find themselves facing off against a serial killer. It’s much smarter than a one-sentence summary will suggest too.

• Stream on Netflix

Heat

1995 classic Heat is back in the news, with Michael Mann now working on a sequel. So maybe it’s time for a re-watch of the original. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino face off as a thief and a police detective in a tense thriller that mounts like few others over a (near) three-hour epic.

Mission: Impossible

Contentious to some, our number one Mission: Impossible movie is the original from 1996. Unlike the later films in the series, the first is a relatively serious and straight spy thriller. You get plenty of twists, but the action scenes aim for tension over pure spectacle. It’s a Brian de Palma movie, and despite not having quite the lofty reputation as some of his earlier works, Mission: Impossible is still among his best.

• Stream on Netflix

Blade Runner 2049

It’s remarkable when you think about it. That director Denis Villeneuve managed to pull off the impossible in successfully following up one of the most beloved sci-fi movies ever, 35 years later. Ryan Gosling stars as Office K, a replicant police officer who goes in search of a blade runner who went missing decades earlier. And, as the poster alone gives away, Harrison Ford returns as Deckard.

• Stream on Netflix

Ad Astra

An audience-divider at its release in 2019, James Gray’s Ad Astra is a contemplative movie in which Brad Pitt goes on a dangerous space mission, in search of his father, played by Tommy Lee Jones. But instead of the usual explosions and derring do, this is a fairly quiet and slow tale about isolation and loss. You might love it, you might hate it. Just don’t press that “play” button expecting a standard sci-fi action epic.

• Stream on Netflix

Spirited Away

Perhaps the greatest animation ever made (it's certainly the best thing by Studio Ghibli), Spirited Away is a masterclass of emotions. Filled with the supernatural and the wonderful you have some to expect from anime, the movie focuses on Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who is unhappy about moving house. It turns out, though, her new home is near something called The Land of Spirits. Beautiful stuff.

UK only

• Stream on Netflix

The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is Aaron Sorkin on top form. He writes and directs this true story about the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. There’s an all-star cast that bolsters the movie but the real star is the dialogue.

UK/US

• Stream on Netflix

The Dig

The Dig is fantastic old-school filmmaking. Based on a true story, it tells the tale of one of the most important archeological finds in the UK of all time and the person person whose land in Sutton Hoo is at the centre of it all Edith May Pretty. Carey Mulligan is superb as Pretty (although it does mean that her age is somewhat skewed as a result) and Ralph Fiennes is great as the archeologist hired for the dig.

UK/US

• Stream on Netflix

The Irishman

"I hear you paint houses?" That line sets the scene for The Irishman, an epic 3.5 hour movie that is everything you want from a Martin Scorsese / Robert DeNiro link-up. This is a film about Frank Sheeran, a hitman and his ties to the mob. It spans decades and while the de-aging doesn't always work, this is a movie that demands to be watched on the biggest screen possible - slightly ironic, given many of you will be giving it a spin on your smartphones first.

UK/US

• Stream on Netflix

Uncut Gems

One of the most stressful movies you will ever watch, Uncut Gems should come with an anxiety warning. But it is worth it as this is one of the best movies of the year, and some of the best work Adam Sandler has done. The plot is slight: a jeweller tries to pull off something that will make him a whole lot of money - unless it goes wrong and then everything is at stake.

UK/US

• Stream on Netflix

My Neighbour Totoro

Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbour Totoro is a superb 1988 animated movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki which tells the story of two girls (Satsuki and Mei) who befriend wood spirits.

UK

• Stream on Netflix

Don't Look Up

Adam Mckay's satire on environmentalism doesn't hit as hard as it should - boy, we would have loved to have seen someone like Armando Iannucci tackle this one - but there is a lot to like about Don't Look Up. A team of scientists have found that a comet is hurtling to earth and will almost definitely hit the planet. The problem is that the government doesn't want to believe the facts, the general public don't want to believe the facts and everyone is told (literally) 'don't look up'. The all-star cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, are ace and well worth the watch.

UK/US

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Dolemite Is My Name

It's great to see Eddie Murphy back to his best in this biopic of Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian in the 70s who hits the big time with his rude, crude alter ego - a pimp named Dolemite. Moore made a big-screen version of Dolemite, dipping his toes into the blacksploitation movement at the time but he's also seen as one of the forefathers of rap. This movie brilliantly shows off all of this and more.

UK/US

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The Adam Project

Not all Netflix original movies work but we have a soft spot for The Adam Project, an old-school family sci-fi movie that gives its own unique twist to time travel. Ryan Reynolds is a fighter pilot who travels back in time to help save the world with his 12 year old self and late father.

UK/US

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The Mitchells Vs The Machines

From the geniuses behind Gravity Falls, The Mitchells Vs The Machines is a fun, frantic look at what technology is doing to the world and how if you stick together as a family things might well be okay. A great mix of animation and some stellar voice acting makes this one a must watch.

UK/US

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News of the World

No, it isn't about the rise and fall of the British newspaper but News of the Worldis swooping drama focused on a civil war vet that goes from town to town reading the news to people. Along the way he picks up an abandoned girl and tries to get her back to her relatives. Both Tom Hanks and newcomer Helena Zengel are superb, as is director Paul Greengrass' adept eye.

UK only

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All Quiet on the Western Front

The latest adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s anti-war novel from 1928 is both a technical spectacle and a substantive and serious examination of war — which seems not less prescient now than when it was written. It’s a harrowing indictment of nationalism. All Quiet on the Western Front was directed by Edward Berger, largely known for his work in TV, including episodes of the first series of The Terror (2018).

UK/US

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Marriage Story

Marriage Story is a devastating but poignant look at a marriage slowly breaking up and the effects it can have when there is a child in the picture. This is Noah Baumbach’s latest, and best, drama and is loosely based on the filmmaker’s own divorce experience. It stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson and is a must watch (but bring some tissues).

UK/US

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The Gray Man

This one needs no introduction. The Gray Man is the most expensive Netflix movie ever made and stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as warring hitmen who are trying to outdo each other after secrets from the CIA are unleashed. It's bombastic and pretty brainless in places but this one is far more fun than the critics make it out to be.

UK/US

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Hustle

Adam Sandler you infuriate us. One minute you are releasing some comedy crap where he has clearly phoned it in. The next minute he is making low-key masterpieces like Hustle. This tale of a down-and-out basketball scout who thinks he has found the next NBA sensation is just brilliant filmmaking - and Sandler is superb in the role.

UK/US

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Army of the Dead

God it's brainless, man it's an hour too long, but Army of the Dead is also a fun movie that see Zak Snyder creating an amazing world where the dead have taken over Las Vegas and a group of mercs are flown in to raid a vault of all of its money. Even if you just watch the credit sequence on this one, it's well worth your time.

UK/US

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RRR

RRR is a 3-hour fantasy that is like nothing you have seen before. Packed with very impressive CGI, it's an exhaustive look at 1920's India and two revolutionaries who fight against the British Empire. With fight scenes as epic as any Marvel movie (with an inventiveness that goes beyond), RRR is a jaw-dropping spectacle that needs to be seen. It's worth noting that Netflix has the Hindi version of the movie, which was originally shot in Telugu.

UK

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Tick...Tick...Boom!

An emotional rollercoaster, Tick...Tick...Boom! is the true story of Rent creator Jonathan Larson and his struggle to get a play made that audiences love, all while trying to figure out his own life. It's beautifully told by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Andrew Garfield is utterly mesmerising in the main role. There won't be a dry eye in the house after this one ends.

UK/US

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Roma

Alfonso Cuarón directed and wrote this fantastic fable about a housekeeper of a middle class family in Mexico City. The movie, shot in stark black and white won Cuarón another Oscar, which is utterly impressive given the non actors who appear in the film. The movie is a semi autobiographical and has more heart in its two hour run time than most of the movies you can watch on Netflix right now.

UK/US

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The Lost Daughter

You could watch The Lost Daughter with 10 people and all of you will come out with a different interpretation of what happened - as is the brilliance of the movie. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal (her debut), it focuses on Olivia Coleman, a college professor who goes on holiday and starts to see similarities in her relationship with her daughter (in the past) with what is happening with another woman in the present. The film isn't afraid to show that unequivocal love doesn't always happen between parents and their children.

UK

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Parasite

This brilliant movie put the spotlight on South Korean cinema like almost nothing before or since, and went on to win the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay Oscars. Among loads of other accolades. The Kim family calculate their way into working for the super-rich Park family. It’s about class and inequality, but also works as an engaging thriller with elements of horror. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also made The Host, Snowpiercer and his latest Mickey 17.

UK

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The White Tiger

This adaptation of the exceptional novel by Aravind Adiga which won the Man Booker Prize in 2008. The White Tiger centres on Balram Halwai, a village boy who rises from his caste but hides some pretty dark secrets while he does it. As book adaptations go, this is faithful to the text and is a great watch.

UK/US

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A History of Violence

Fresh off the success of the Lord of the Rings movies, Viggo Mortensen showed us another side of his acting chops in 2005’s A History of Violence. He plays Tom Stall, a man who saves a diner from a pair of criminals. But in doing so, he attracts the attention of a man who believes him to be a notorious mobster, and tracks him down for retribution. It's one of director David Cronenberg’s best film.

UK

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Hit Man

Richard Linklater's Hit Man sees Glen Powell play a fake hitman. He's a professor who poses as a hitman in order to help the police. But he ends up falling for one of his would-be hitman clients. Adria Arjona plays a woman looking to get her husband bumped off. The strange bit - this film is roughly based on a true story. It's sharp and funny.

UK/US

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The Sea Beast

Proving that Netflix can match Disney for animation, The Sea Beast is an epic fantasy based on a time when sea monsters were the norm and brave sea-faring folk would go to war with them. Directed by Chris Williams who has brought us some brilliant Disney movies, including Big Hero 6, this is a family adventure movie that everyone will love.

UK/US

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Paddington 2

The rare case of a sequel being better than the original. Paddington 2 sees everyone’s favourite Peruvian bear framed for a robbery and sent to prison. And it’s up to his human family to try to prove he didn’t do it. A film full of creativity, joy and humour, and the high point in one of the great family film series.

UK

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• Stream on Netflix

Godzilla Minus One

There have been more than 30 Godzilla films, collating those made in the west and Japan. But 2023's Godzilla Minus One is in contention for the title of the best of the lot, alongside the original. It's a much more human film than those of the Monsterverse, feeling grounded in both its location and society. It's set in the late 1940s and follows a retired Kamikaze pilot who is one of the first people to witness Godzilla in person.

• Stream on Netflix

The Killer

David Fincher is back with another critical smash. The Killer sees a hitman, played by Michael Fassbender, hunt down the people who attacked his partner after a job went wrong. It’s stylish as heck and, as ever, Fassbender is supremely watchable.

UK/US

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Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

Don’t mistake this for Robert Zemeckis’s Pinocchio, also released in 2022. This one is from the mind behind The Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro. Stop-motion master director Mark Gustafson co-directs, bringing the actual Pinocchio puppet to life with charm and physicality. War looms over this take on the old tale more than in most Pinocchio adaptations, and it may not be for the youngest of kids. But it’s still a true family hit.

UK/US

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Rebel Ridge

Green Room and Blue Ruin director Jeremy Saulnier has returned with another slice of high tension action in Rebel Ridge. Aaron Pierre stars as Terry, a former US Marine who finds himself squaring up against corrupt local law enforcement after trying to bail out his cousin. It’s an unrepentant action thriller guided by an unusually deft hand.

UK/US

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The Matrix

You can argue among yourselves whether the sequels are worth a watch. But the original The Matrix? It remains a thrilling sci-fi action classic that has aged beautifully. Even some of the sunglasses choices have probably rolled back into fashion again. Is the world we experience real or just a simulation? Some folks have taken that concept a little too far these days and, for better or worse, you can largely blame this cinematic classic for it.

UK

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Inglorious Basterds

Ranked third on our shortlist of the best Tarantino movies at the time of writing, this is a classic of 2000s cinema. A group of American soldiers, the Basterds of the title, tear through the Nazi ranks. It all culminates in converging plans to assassinate Hitler. Inglorious is violent, pacy, and has plenty of that signature sharp Tarantino dialogue jammed into its 2.5-hour runtime.

UK

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Society of the Snow

A survival movie by J. A. Bayona, director of The Impossible and The Orphanage. It’s a dramatisation of a real story. In 1972, Urugyan air force flight 571 came down over the Andes. Players from a Uruguay rugby team were among the survivors of the crash, but to truly survive this ordeal, greater tests were ahead. It’s a horrific story well-handled in this Spansh language thriller.

UK/US

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Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Sadly this is the final film of Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in 2020. But what a film it is, based on the play of the same name by August Wilson. Based on the life of Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), an under-appreciated but hugely influential blues singer. The movie is set, mostly. in the confines of a recording studio but its themes of race and racism echo what was happening in 20s America at the time.

UK/US

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Elvis

A biopic of the king himself, from master of larger-than-life cinema Baz Luhrmann. Austin Butler stars as Elvis in this tale of the star’s journey, and of his manager Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. We see Elvis’s story through the eyes of Parker, giving it a slightly less obvious angle of approach. And in classic Luhrmann fashion, it’s all relayed in heightened fashion — almost like a fairytale.

UK

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Infinity Pool

Nepo baby or not, director Brandon Cronenberg brings plenty of the sense of strangeness and horror his father, David Cronenberg, is known for in Infinity Pool. A couple are at a high-end holiday resort and find themselves pulled into a unreal situation where he is at risk of being put to death for a car accident. It’s a fever dream of a movie, and definitely not a cosy family watch.

• Stream on Netflix

Leave the World Behind

This is the fifth most-watched Netflix movie. And that’s quite an achievement when you hear its unusual premise. Society is collapsing. Technology stops working, which leads to a giant ship ploughing into the shore in Long Island, where Leave the World Behind is set. A family holidaying there have to contend with what looks an awful lot like the end of the world. This one comes from Sam Esmail, the creator of the much-celebrated Mr. Robot TV series.

UK/US

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Beau is Afraid

Ari Aster goes full auteur mode in Beau is Afraid, a three-hour-long comedy-drama about a strange man (played by Joaquin Phoenix) whose mother dies. He’s ridden with anxiety and must go on a grand, and weird, voyage to get back home. This is not a film everyone will love, but you can certainly admire its singular vision. It comes from the director of Hereditary and Midsommar.

UK

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The Outrun

Saoirse Ronan stars as a recovering alcoholic in The Outrun, a drama set in the Orkney islands. It’s based on a memoir by Amy Liptrop, who lived in London, taking part in a life of excess. Then she ends up back in her home town in the Orkneys, and begins to find herself once again amid the raw nature of the more secluded islands.

UK

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It Follows

This film came, almost out of nowhere, and was instantly recognised as a modern classic of the horror genre. An entity follows its target relentlessly, manifesting as a person forever walking towards them. And if that entity reaches its victim? It’s a bad scene. The only way for someone to free themself of this stalking malevolence is to have sex with someone, which transfers the supernatural debt onto them.

• Stream on Netflix

Pieces of a Woman

Pieces of a Woman has a central performance by Vanessa Kirby that's nothing short of Oscar worthy. But, be warned, it's not for the faint hearted as she goes through a traumatic pregnancy that's show in a heart-wrenching 23-minute sequence. The rest of the film shows the aftermath of what happens and is a devastating but compelling watch.

UK/US

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Carry-On

This Netflix thriller comes from Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed a bunch of Liam Neeson action thrillers including Non-Stop, Unknown and Run All Night. Carry-On is a bit like those films, but with Taron Egerton in the Liam Neeson driving seat. He plays a TSA agent blackmailed into letting a suspect package onto a flight on Christmas Eve.

UK/US

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The Boy and the Heron

Netflix has become the home for Studio Ghibli films. The Boy and the Heron is its latest work, as of 2024. A young boy, Mahito Maki, moves to the countryside following his mother’s death. There, a heron tells him his mother is actually still alive, and lures him into a fantastical world in search of her.

UK

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Suzume

If you wish there were more new Studio Ghibli films, don’t miss Suzume. It’s a coming of age tale by Makoto Shinkai, known best for 2016’s Your Name. This is a beautiful film in which our 17-year-old hero Suzume must avert catastrophe when mysterious portals start opening across Japan, causing chaos.

UK

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Talk to Me

A group of teens use a creepy hand to communicate with the dead. It sounds like the stuff of a standard low-rent horror movie. But Talk to Me is something else, an unusually grounded and weighty-feeling film with some stand-out performances and writing. It comes from the Philippou brothers, who have been making short films on YouTube for a decade.

• Stream on Netflix

Nimona

This charming animated family film packs a strong message of inclusion and acceptance, through an LGBTQ+ theme. However, it's also just an engaging and charming watch. Riz Ahmned voices Ballister Boldheart, a knight accused of a crime he didn't commit. Teenage Nimona enters the scene to attempt to prove his innocence, played by Chloë Grace Moretz.

UK/US

• Stream on Netflix

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Charlie Kaufman movies are always unconventional and brilliant and I’m Thinking of Ending Things is of no exception. The movie is conventional enough in its plot - a woman (Jessie Buckley) spends time with her boyfriend’s family after the weather turns bad. But what ensues is an exploration of the mind and all the complications that come with this.

UK/US

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Mank

A thrill ride through 30s Hollywood, Mank is David Fincher at his finest, offering up a love letter to the movies and using every inventive trick to make you think that you are in that period. At its heart, the movie is about a bed-ridden, rather obstinate, Herman Mankiewicz, the writer of Citizen Kane. Throughout we see the Hollywood system at work, shot with a deft eye that homages the 30s brilliantly. Fincher here is actually directing his late father's script. He doesn't just do it justice, but has created a classic in the process.

UK/US

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Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee's latest joint is one of his best movies. Delroy Lindo heads up a fantastic cast, in a film which sees four black army veterans return to Vietnam to find the remains of their squad leader (played by Chadwick Boseman). Shot in differing aspect ratios, with numerous flashbacks, the movie tackles black discontent, both in the Vietnam war and now. Given what's happening in the world at the moment, there is no better time to watch this movie.

UK/US

• Stream on Netflix

Need more of a Netflix fix? Then these guides are for you:

• Best Netflix Hidden Gems
• Best documentaries on Netflix
• Best crime dramas on Netflix
• Best Netflix Shows
• Best Netflix Originals

Each and every year at around this time, websites such as Shortlist run through the movers and the shakers in the Oscar nominations game.

But while we’re always happy to talk about the films and stars that have rightly been nominated, it’s not what gets us the most animated. It’s the snubs and the shocking omissions that elicit the biggest response.

Nothing raises the hackles of a cultural commentator like a brilliant production, performance, or contribution being overlooked. And trust us when we say that the 97th Academy Awards features some absolute doozies.

A sense of proportionality and propriety prevents us from referring to the following omissions as ‘outrageous’. We’re not that kind of website (honestly). Let’s just say that the following Oscar snubs run the gamut from ‘puzzling’ to ‘downright inexplicable’.

Which of these jilted entities gets your goat?

1. Denis Villeneuve for Best Director (Dune: Part Two)

Perhaps the fact that Dune: Part II is a direct sequel to the 2021 original, which scooped up six Academy Awards, has counted against it. That’s all we can think of, because Dune: Part II is a stunning piece of work. While it leans into the epic scale and sandy vistas of the first film, Villeneuve still finds the opportunity to innovate in the sequel’s starkly monochrome Giedi Prime sequence found towards the end of the film. It’s like no black and white footage you’ve ever seen.

2. Challengers for Best Original Score

We’d suggest that the Challengers Oscars campaign may have been diluted by director Luca Guadagnino having a second film out this past year, but as you’ll see elsewhere on this list, Queer has been completely overlooked, too. Challengers is perhaps a little too sexy and frothy for the Academy’s tastes. However, it at least deserved a shout for its original score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Much like the movie’s three lead characters, it’s totally banging.

3. Queer for Best anything

After years of sterling non-Bond work (and yes, sterling Bond-work too), it felt like this could be the year in which Daniel Craig finally got some love from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Especially as he has given the performance of his career in a film from respected director Luca Guadagnino, from a Justin Kuritzke screenplay based on a William S. Burroughs novella. And yet here we are on the eve of the Oscars, and Queer hasn’t received so much as a sniff.

4. Edward Berger for Best Director (Conclave)

Having received nine nominations and four awards for his previous film, All Quiet on the Western Front, Swiss-Austrian director Edward Berger might have fancied his chances at a Best Director nod with this stylish and buzzy religious thriller. As it is, he’ll have to be content with Conclave being in the running for the Best Picture award, alongside an impressive seven other nominations not related to his directorship. Third time’s a charm, eh Edward?

5. Nickel Boys for Best Cinematography & Director

It’s a testament to Nickel Boys’s quality that it can feel hard done by in only receiving nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Based on an acclaimed novel by Colson Whitehead, it boasts stunning cinematography and some genuinely innovative direction. Each shot is taken from the first person perspective of its two young protagonists as they struggle to survive an abusive, racially segregated US reform school during the ’60s. Director and co-writer RaMell Ross manages to make this hard-hitting story feel particularly personal.

6. Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Best Actress (Hard Truths)

An awful lot of big names missed out on a Best Actress nomination this year (see Nicole Kidman elsewhere on this list), but it’s arguable that none of them should feel as aggrieved about their omission as Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The English actress’s spiky performance in Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths has already won her significant recognition on the awards circuit. It deserved to see her at least considered some 29 years after she made the shortlist for Leigh’s Secrets & Lies.

7. Nicole Kidman for Best Actress (Baby Girl)

The combined no-show for Challengers and Baby Girl makes this a decidedly unsexy year for the Oscars. Baby Girl’s is an altogether more uncomfortable and taboo-breaking brand of raunchiness, as Nicole Kidman’s older executive embarks on a deeply inappropriate affair with a much younger intern (played by England’s own Harris Dickinson). Kidman’s boldly committed performance deserved more validation, and given that she’s only won the one Oscar across her illustrious career, she’s about due another.

8. Denzel Washington for Best Supporting Actor (Gladiator II)

Let’s be brutally honest here: Gladiator II is not a great movie. It certainly gets nowhere near the golden age-evoking majesty of the original. Despite all this, Denzel Washington’s supporting performance is an unequivocal highlight, bringing a level of heavyweight scene-chewing that the movie sorely needs. His scheming former slave Macrinus is undoubtedly the brightest and most interesting character in the film, keeping the audience guessing as to his true allegiances and motivation until the final act.

9. A Real Pain for Best Picture

A Real Pain is clearly the flavour of the month, with Kieran Culkin a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actor and Jess Eisenberg in with a shout for Best Original Screenplay. So why hasn’t it made the nominations list for Best Picture? Is it too low key and indie for the Academy voters’ glitzy tastes? Are there political considerations at play given its delicate theme of two Jewish cousins on a European Holocaust tour? We have no idea, but we do know that there are at least three flat out inferior films among the final selection.

10. Kneecap for Best International Feature Film

With a stunning run of awards season nominations and wins, from Sundance right through to the BAFTAs (and plenty in between), it’s rather confounding that this Irish language movie isn’t in contention for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. The central Belfast hip-hop group’s rabble rousing ways and strongly voiced political opinions (including over the thorny topic of Palestine) might just have scared off a jittery Academy. Still, it’s been a great campaign for the boys.

• 2025 Oscar nominations announced: Emilia Pérez leads the pack, The Brutalist and Wicked not far behind

James Bond is officially in a new era, and not just because Daniel Craig walked into the sunset. Last year, the franchise underwent its biggest behind-the-scenes shake-up since Sean Connery first ordered a vodka martini. Longtime custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who have overseen 007 since the 1990s, ceded creative control to Amazon Studios, following Amazon’s 2022 acquisition of MGM and a reportedly eye-watering extra $1 billion to fully unlock Bond’s future.

Then came the next seismic development: Denis Villeneuve, the director behind Dune and Blade Runner 2049, signed on to helm Bond 26. Not exactly a journeyman choice, Villeneuve is a mood-first, auteur filmmaker, which immediately signalled a tonal shift. And it looks as though the new bond will be cast this year.

Some boundaries remain firmly in place. The next Bond will reportedly be male and from the British Isles, which quietly rules out a lot of internet favourites. Previous names like Hardy, Elba, Cavill, and Hiddleston seem to have aged out of contention. The key now looks to be whether the actor is right for Bond, right for Villeneuve’s story and a fresher face.

With casting still officially unstarted and a tentative timeline pointing towards a 2028 release, speculation is doing what it does best: running wild. Here are the names that actually make sense, along with the man currently leading the pack.

8. Joseph Quinn

Quinn is a wildcard here. Known for volatility and emotional rawness, he’s less traditionally “Bond” than others on this list. But that may be the point. If Villeneuve is planning a more fragile, psychologically exposed 007, closer to espionage noir than action spectacle, Quinn’s intensity could be an asset rather than a risk. However it does seem unlikely, especially with the young actor now firmly locked in with the MCU as the Fantastic Four's Human Torch.

7. Regé-Jean Page

Page remains one of the most divisive Bond suggestions. On the plus side: undeniable screen presence, classic leading-man looks, and international recognition. On the downside: he’s yet to fully escape the gravitational pull of Bridgerton. Bond could be the role that redefines him, or it could expose limitations if the performance leans too suave and not enough steel.

6. Damson Idris

Idris brings confidence, charm and modern edge. His work in Snowfall proves he can carry long-form storytelling and complex character arcs, but Bond would require a slight recalibration: less flash, more discipline. If Villeneuve is interested in exploring power, control and identity, Idris could offer a compellingly contemporary take on 007.

5. Harris Dickinson

Dickinson is the sort of actor Bond producers have historically loved, young, serious, and not yet fully claimed by a defining role. From Beach Rats to Triangle of Sadness, he has an unnerving stillness that could translate beautifully into a more introspective, psychologically complex 007. He wouldn’t be a loud Bond, but he could be a haunting one, which, under Villeneuve, feels entirely plausible.

4. Dev Patel

Patel has quietly transformed into one of the most compelling actors of his generation. Gone is the wide-eyed charm of his early roles, replaced by a sharper, darker intensity seen in The Green Knight and Monkey Man. He brings intelligence, emotional depth and a physicality that feels earned rather than imposed. Casting Patel would signal confidence: a Bond defined by thoughtfulness and inner tension, not just bravado.

3. Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Taylor-Johnson remains the benchmark. He’s already impressed the old guard, reportedly acing a top-secret screen test back in 2022, and his physical credibility is beyond doubt. Films like Nocturnal Animals and Bullet Train show he can combine menace with charisma, while Kick-Ass proved long ago he can anchor a franchise. The question now is whether he feels too obvious, or whether that experience is exactly what a newly Amazon-owned Bond needs to steady the ship.

2. Aaron Pierre

Pierre has bags of presence. There’s a grounded physicality to him that feels imposing without tipping into cartoonish toughness. Roles in The Underground Railroad and Rebel Ridge show an actor capable of quiet authority and controlled intensity. He still feels under the radar, although that won't last long after being cast in the Lanterns, which could work strongly in his favour if the brief really is “fresh face, new energy”.

1. Callum Turner

At this moment, Turner feels like the most complete candidate. He’s British, the right age, and crucially still sits in that sweet spot between recognisable and overexposed. Performances in The Capture, Emma and Masters of the Air show an actor comfortable with moral ambiguity, internal conflict and quiet authority, all traits that modern Bond demands. He has the look, yes, but also the restraint. If Villeneuve wants a Bond who feels serious, watchful and slightly unknowable, Turner fits almost too neatly.

• Guns N' Roses N’ Ghouls: Slash’s 7 favourite horror movies of all time

Christopher Nolan has dusted off his contact book and effectively demonstrated his clout to assemble a stellar cast to adapt The Odyssey, one of the oldest works of literature and one that's still taught in schools today.

After plenty of time speculating, we have a first look at Matt Damon as Odysseus, confirming who the lead will be in the latest ambitious project from the director’s director, alongside a July 17th, 2026 release date.

The image of Matt Damon was first shared on Instagram, and marks the third time he's partnered with Christopher Nolan, with previous appearances in Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and Interstellar.

There isn't too much to go off in the image posted, but it does confirm Damon taking on lead role, his first time being the main man in a Nolan flick after a number of supporting roles. It still leaves room for speculation about who the rest of the cast will be playing, with Mia Goth being the most recent name to join the list.

From the atomic bomb to Homer's Odyssey

Nolan’s assembled a cast that's nothing short of staggering (and still being added to). So far, the cast includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, Robert Pattinson, Mia Goth, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo and more.

It's a stacked cast and an eclectic one, too, even if it noticeably lacks any Greek actors; hopefully, the film doesn't sound like an outdated Harry Enfield sketch.

The Odyssey sees Odysseus, King of Ithaca, trekking his way back to his family after the Trojan War, scrapping with all manner of mythical creatures along the way — which will be interesting to see how Nolan tackles, thanks to his preference for practical effects and big set pieces.

Production has already begun on what will no doubt be a long watch at the pictures, so be ready to strap in for plenty more news between now and July 17th, 2026, as anticipation builds for The Odyssey.

• Best Christopher Nolan movies, ranked: from The Following to Tenet

How do you follow a success like Oppenheimer? By recruiting every A-list actor in Hollywood for your next project, it seems. Christopher Nolan has just added another top-tier star to the cast of his retelling of The Odyssey, bringing Mia Goth into the fold.

According to Variety, Goth (Pearl, Infinity Pool, MaXXXine), joins an already stacked cast that’s set to include (deep breath…) Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo and plenty of other familiar, if slightly less famous, faces.

It’s frankly getting a bit ridiculous. Save some stars for every other movie shooting this year, eh, Chris?

An epic cast for an epic tale

The film is based on the 2,000 year-old Greek epic poem of the same name by Homer, and is being billed by studio Universal as a “a mythic action epic shot across the world.” It’s already inspired many other retellings, including notably a modernised comedic take in The Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? — though Nolan’s version is expected to be a more historically-faithful take on the tale.

Homer’s The Odyssey sees Odysseus, King of Ithaca, making a perilous journey back to his wife and son following years battling in the Trojan War. It’s a journey that takes him many years, with he and his crew coming face to face with mythological beasts including the Cyclops, sirens and more.

With production having kicked off, filming is expected to begin in March. Filming locations are set to include the island of Favignana (significant as it’s thought to be the precise location Homer imagined Odysseus’s crew scavenging for provisions in the tale), Sicily’s Eolian islands, and locations in the UK and Morocco.

No release date yet, but this is expected to be summer 2026’s big blockbuster, so prep your butt for a long sit in front of an IMAX screen next year.

• The coolest movies of all time

Image Credit: Dave Benett / Contributor / Getty

The rozzers have caught Prince Adam.

Amazon's Master of the Universe reimagining is set to arrive in June 2026, and now, thanks to some set photos, we've got a good first look at Nicholas Galitzine's turn as He-Man, alongside an insight into how the Power Sword will look.

In the photos, we can see Nicholas Galitzine, who's nailing the frame and stature of He-Man, being arrested by the police whilst one of them confiscates his iconic weapon before popping him in the back of a police vehicle. The sword itself looks excellent, capturing the essence of the original, although everything else seems… out of place.

What will feel immediately jarring at first for any old-school He-Man fans is the modern-day setting and pink dress shirt sported by the titular character, shown off in Deuxmoi's Instagram post -- it's certainly a different look from the signature short shorts and leather vest we've grown accustomed to, even if He-Man’s alter-ego Prince Adam wasn’t averse to a salmon-coloured waistcoat.

Master of the modern-day

In a recent interview, He-Man actor Galitzine explained the modern setting.

"Our version is quite different from the original animation, which we all agree was camp within its own right and worked so well for the time," Galitzine explained. He added "It's exciting to do something that will have a nostalgia element as well as hopefully attract a bunch of new fans."

The choice to go for modern-day is undoubtedly intriguing and a bit of a head-scratcher, but it may be precisely what this storied franchise needs to drag it into the 21st Century. Principal photography for the film begins soon so, hopefully, we can gain even further insight into the project, which the cast and crew are incredibly coy about when describing.

Assuming the image of the sword is anything to go off, this will still be faithful to the original where it needs to be, and some modernisation was necessary, as shown by the considerable improvement to Prince Adam's trim, which is more Kings of Leon and less Baldrick from Blackadder.

If you didn't grow up in the height of He-Man fever during the 80s, chances are it won’t be immediately apparent who He-Man is — it may just look like the Milky Bar kid grew up and joined a PureGym. But thanks to multiple animated shows, a feature film, comics and toys, He-Man was a pretty big deal. The He-Man episode of the Netflix documentary The Toys That Made Us is a helpful touchstone to demonstrate the franchise's influence.

This reboot/reimagining had a difficult start to life after initially being shelved by Netflix, but has since been picked up by Amazon and now features plenty of household names in the cast, including Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn and Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress. Travis Knight, the director of Bumblebee and Kubo and the Two Strings, will take the helm on Masters of the Universe.

Masters of the Universe is set to release on June 5th, 2026 and is an Amazon MGM Studios production, meaning it’ll probably land on Amazon Prime Video as its first streaming home.

• You can check out the best Prime Video movies

Captain America: Brave New World hits cinemas this week, and it isn’t merely tasked with kickstarting a floundering Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It also stands as a sequel to three of the better movies in the MCU, two of which stand up as good films in their own right. We’d go so far as to say that both Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are enjoyable movies irrespective of your view on superheroes.

Captain America: The First Avenger is a rollicking war movie in which our plucky hero takes on the Wehrmacht (or a fantastical offshoot of it, at any rate). Captain America: The Winter Soldier, meanwhile, is a tense, paranoid political thriller that just so happens to feature men who can leap 10 feet into the air and punch holes through metal.

We’d recommend either of those first two Captain America films to non-superhero fans, but they’re not alone in their crossover appeal. There’s a select list of superhero films that are downright enjoyable regardless of their spandex factor.

Which of these broadly appealing, genre-splicing superhero movies is your favourite? Be a hero and share your thoughts!

Chronicle

Several films on this list purport to take a more grounded approach to the superhero genre, but Chronicle is arguably the most convincing in its splicing together of the fantastical with the quotidian. Key to its success is an indie movie found footage approach, as our three relatable teen protagonists catalogue their discovery and subsequent mastery of amazing telekinetic powers. When the more troubled member of the trio starts to unravel, it leads to an epic yet somehow all-too-relatable standoff.

Watchmen

Writer Alan Moore is no fan of superheroes, having come to the belated conclusion that they’re little more than juvenile power fantasies marketed at an infantilised adult male audience. The so-called heroes of his ’80s masterpiece, Watchmen, are either burnouts, psychos, or godlike beings completely alienated from humanity. Zack Snyder’s movie adaptation is a blunt instrument that misses much of the nuance of the source material, but it still hits most of the story’s central beats, resulting in an ambitious intertextual whodunnit.

V for Vendetta

More Moore here. Alan Moore has come to loathe both superheroes and the very idea of comic book adaptations, so it’s both fitting and somewhat ironic that his work is represented twice on this list. V for Vendetta arguably veers away from the source material even more than Watchmen, but it remains a highly entertaining dystopian thriller in its own right. Hugo Weaving plays V, a mysterious masked figure who inspires a violent popular insurrection against an authoritarian future government.

Joker

The Dark Knight may get a lot of plaudits for its crossover appeal, but it’s also arguably the best superhero movie ever made, so it seems pointless to include it here. Rather, we’ll recommend Joker. Not only is it not a superhero movie (if anything, it’s a supervillain movie), it takes more direct inspiration from the films of Martin Scorsese than any DC lore. Scorsese, of course, is famously no lover of superhero movies, and you’d have to feel he’d appreciate this as the fan letter it was intended to be. The less said about its sequel, however, the better...

Unbreakable

Bruce Willis plays a laconic security guard who realises he may be built for greater things after he survives a deadly train crash. Unbreakable is a superhero movie that deftly cordons off the sillier tropes of the genre, acknowledging them only through the shifty figure of Samuel L. Jackson’s comic book-loving Elijah Price. The rest of the film is a moody crime thriller heightened by a couple of signature M. Night Shyamalan twists.

The Crow

The film that saw the tragic death of its star Brandon Lee (son of Bruce) during a stunt gone wrong turns out to be a suitably macabre piece of work. How many superhero movies start with the murder of its hero and his lover? When rock musician Eric Draven is given a chance at payback from beyond the grave, he becomes a black-clad avenging angel who manages to out-emo even Robert Pattinson’s Batman.

Super

These days James Gunn is at the very heart of the mainstream superhero movie-making machine, having made three major Marvel movies before taking creative control of DC’s cinematic output. Back in 2010, however, he bit that hand that would go on to feed him by making Super. This R-rated spoof dares to highlight the dark motivation of real life vigilantes. Its costumed ‘heroes’ are mentally unhinged thugs, suffering from an unhealthy bloodlust and harmful delusions of grandeur.

Kick-Ass

Four years before his rude, crude and irreverent take on the spy movie in Kingsman, Matthew Vaughn did more or less the same thing for the superhero genre. Adapting yet another Mark Millar comic, Kick-Ass tells the tale of a community of dysfunctional masked vigilantes. Our titular hero (played by Aaron Johnson) is a wimpy kid with an almost preternatural tolerance for pain, while a young Chloë Grace Moretz plays Hit-Girl, a foul mouthed tween with a gift for extreme violence.

The Rocketeer

This was the film that got Joe Johnston the job of directing the first Captain America movie, which we mentioned in the intro. Nodding less to superhero comics and more to the 1930s serial films that immediately preceded them, The Rocketeer offers the kind of swashbuckling period adventure that will appeal to any fans of the Indiana Jones franchise. Yes, our hero is a man who can fly, but he’s also a screw-up of a stunt pilot who bungles his way into a dubious Nazi plot.

The Incredibles

Yes, The Incredibles is undoubtedly Pixar’s take on the superhero genre. But this was the computer animation pioneer at the absolute height of its powers, which means that the movie draws from a much wider range of sources. It’s got the technicolour pizazz of a ’60s spy caper, the sharp family dynamics of a classic rom-com, and the kinetic set pieces of a killer action movie. The fact that the core characters are members of a super-powered family is almost by the by.

• The best superhero films of all time

Back to the Future is being lined up for a new video game adaptation.

That’s according to the classic time travel movie’s writer Bob Gale, who revealed that a new interactive take on the franchise is in the earliest stages of development.

“We’ve got a shot at a new video game based on Back to the Future,” said Gale in an interview with Cleveland.com.

“I don’t want to tell you any more than that because I’m not allowed to, but this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Knock on wood that it will happen. Of course, 2025 is the 40th anniversary of the original movie. We’re planning on some events, plus there’s a documentary that’s in post-production now about the making of the musical.”

Gale didn't share any more details however, so no word yet which development team is working up the concept, nor which platform we can anticipate it landing on.

No Fox, no film

Considering how readily Hollywood milks its sacred cows, the Back to the Future franchise has been pretty much walled off when it comes to reboots, spin-offs and adaptations. Beyond its original three movies, there’s only been a handful of video games (the most recent of which was a well-received adventure from Telltale Games in 2010, pictured up top), a theme park ride, a short-lived animated series and a (rather excellent) musical.

Compare that to similarly beloved franchises like Jurassic Park, Star Wars or Indiana Jones, which go barely months without some fresh call for a reboot or sequel, and you can easily picture some hand-wringing execs slobbering over the possibility of throwing Tom Holland into a DeLorean and printing some money.

“One of the things I say to people when they ask about a part four is, do you want to see a 'Back to the Future' movie without Michael J. Fox?”, noted Gale, however.

“They think about it for a moment and say, no, probably not.”

But a digital gaming version of McFly? If The recent Indiana Jones and The Great Circle’s recast-and-digitised Harrison Ford sets the standard, we’ll happily snog our mums and floor that accelerator all the way to 88mph.

• Back To The Future facts: 20 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know

Valentine’s Day and love have long been a muse for filmmakers, inspiring stories that range from heart-fluttering romance to quiet heartbreak. Across the decades, the way love is portrayed on screen has evolved, reflecting changing social norms, cinematic styles, and cultural attitudes toward relationships. Some films sweep us off our feet with grand gestures and star-crossed passion, while others linger in the small, intimate moments that make love feel real.

From the golden age of Hollywood to contemporary streaming hits, these films have shaped how we think about romance, desire, and the inevitable complications that come with it.

Each decade has produced its own iconic moments, from epic period dramas to tender, understated character studies and stories that celebrate love in all its messiness. Critically acclaimed, culturally influential, or simply endlessly rewatchable, these Valentine’s Day-worthy films showcase the evolution of romance on screen, proving that no matter the era, cinema’s fascination with love remains timeless.

1930s: Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind is now viewed as a foundational text for big-budget cinema, with its troubled production and enormous box office takings entering into legend. At its heart, however, the film is just a sweeping old romance story. Sure, it’s very much a product of its time, but the story of southern belle Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) and her tempestuous relationship with cynical cad Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) is a dysfunctional love story for the ages.

1940s: Brief Encounter

Written by Noël Coward and beautifully shot by David Lean, Brief Encounter’s scandalous (for its time) romance and evocative pre-war setting proved to be hugely influential. It tells the story of two married middle class English people who realise – to their mutual anxiety – that they share an intense attraction. The mannered delivery by the film’s two would-be-adulterers might feel decidedly dated to modern eyes, but it’s still impossible not to be swept along with it all.

1950s: An Affair to Remember

With a snappy script and huge performances from a pair of charismatic leads in Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, it’s easy to see why An Affair to Remember has become a key reference point for subsequent romantic movies. Our two star-crossed lovers meet on a transatlantic ocean liner to New York, and resolve to meet on the Empire State Building six months later with their affairs duly put in order. Suffice to say, the road to a romantic reunion proves to be a bumpy one.

1960s: The Apartment

Some Like it Hot gets all the headlines, but many hold The Apartment to be the better Billy Wilder film. It’s certainly the more romantic of the two, as we follow Jack Lemon’s downtrodden office drone and his timid pursuit of a heartbroken elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine. Despite its frothy premise and lightly comic tone, The Apartment is surprisingly unafraid to go to some fairly dark places as our two bruised leads come to confide in one another.

1970s: Days of Heaven

Terrence Malick’s pastoral masterpiece is as much about romance as it is about the golden fields of the American Midwest. The story of Bill (Richard Gere), Abby (Brooke Adams), and the wealthy farmer he works for is a slow-burning tale of forbidden desire, jealousy, and longing. Every frame feels painterly, the cinematography by Néstor Almendros won an Oscar, and the love story between Bill and Abby unfolds with quiet intensity. It’s a film that lingers in the mind, proving that romance doesn’t need dialogue to be utterly affecting.

1980s: When Harry Met Sally

Few romantic comedies have the poise or patience to tell a smart, funny, compelling will-they-won’t-they story over a 12 year time period. But then, few romantic comedies have Nora Ephron writing the script, Rob Reiner directing, and two of the most lovable leads of their generation. We all know the story by now, as the relationship between two New Yorkers (played by Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal) goes from actively hostile to platonic to regretful, before ending up in belated acceptance. Yes, yes, yes, it’s a classic alright.

1990s: Before Sunrise

Richard Linklater’s first in a trilogy of romantic films sees two 20-somethings meeting on a train, then wandering around Vienna talking about love and life all night. It’s hardly a premise to set the pulse racing, but the key to Before Sunrise’s appeal is the cool chemistry between its two leads (played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) and the gently meandering nature of their conversations. It’s a romantic film very much in the Gen-X mould, though it’s sure to nod to its cinematic forbears along the way. Watching the story continue over the following two sequels is breath-taking stuff, too.

2000s: In the Mood for Love

We don’t know of any other movie couple you’ll be willing to get it on more than Maggie Cheung’s Mrs. Chan and Tony Leung’s Chow Mo-wan. These two handsomely attired neighbours living in a bustling ’60s Hong Kong apartment block discover that their spouses are cheating on them, but their gloomy attempts to nail down how the affair might have progressed leads to a cautious courtship. One of the most beautiful movies ever made, and a real heart breaker.

2010s: Carol

In a decade that turned up a surprising number of high-class romantic movies (La La Land, Her, Portrait of a Lady On Fire, The Big Sick), Carol ultimately won our hearts. Todd Haynes’s movie is simply an exquisite piece of filmmaking, expertly conveying the prim window dressing and suffocating social norms of ’50s America. As Cate Blanchett’s glamorous socialite falls for Rooney Mara’s younger shop worker one Christmas, you can practically feel the repressed longing.

2020s: Past Lives

Past Lives is the perfect pick for our current mixed-up decade – especially as a counterpoint to the classically weepy We Live in Time. It’s not really a romance movie in the traditional sense, but it is a deeply romantic movie about the complex relationship between two childhood sweethearts. It’s also one of the best films of the 2020s so far, with its beautifully observed insight into the immigrant experience and its wistful reflection on roads not taken.

• The best romantic movies for people who can't stomach love stories

Lights, camera, action!

In the past two decades, I’ve featured in nine Hollywood films and one TV commercial. My resume includes Spider-Man 3 (2007), an Intel commercial, White Boy Rick, Escape Plan 3, Cherry, Judas and the Black Messiah, White Noise, Shooting Stars, A Man Called Otto, and the upcoming Superman reboot. I even had a speaking part in one indie film called Dandelion.

You may not know my name, but you’ve almost certainly seen me on screen. Well — just about. I’m a regular Hollywood extra, helping to make up the cast of thousands that flesh out the blockbuster worlds we head to the cinema for.

While it’s not all glitz and glamour, working in movies is one of my favourite things to do. I do it as often as I can secure a role. And over the years, I’ve built up behind-the-scenes knowledge that you just wouldn’t know unless you’ve put the hours in on-set.

So how do you become a movie extra?

You don’t have to live in Hollywood, but if you do, you’ll have lots of opportunities. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, thousands of miles from Los Angeles, so my opportunities are limited. Cleveland offers some tax incentives to lure the film industry here, and some major films have been shot at least partly here.

There is a local casting agency that books most of the extra roles here in Cleveland, so check around your city to see if there is a similar agency there. Once you sign up with the casting agency and get on their email blast list, you’ll be alerted when there are roles you can apply for. City centres always tend to attract productions, but you’d be surprised how many UK locations act as doubles for similar spots in the US — London and Liverpool regularly double for New York City, with the Canary Wharf area in East London a regular stand in for Wall Street.

Do you have to be extraordinary-looking or talented to be booked as an extra? Definitely not. I am very much just a regular-looking woman of a certain age. I have no training as an actor. When you’re an extra, you’re literally the background, like wallpaper. You’re not meant to stand out. In order to be selected, you just need to complete the application as directed, be fully available during the shooting dates, and be the sort of background person the director happens to be looking for that day. If you always show up on time and follow all of the rules on set, the casting agents get to know you as a good extra and you’re more likely to be booked again. Being flexible helps, too, as shooting days are often shifting around until the last minute.

If it’s something you're interested in, I encourage you to give it a shot. Maybe I’ll see you on set sometime! If you do get into the biz, here’s 5 things you can expect from life as a Hollywood extra.

1. Extras are the bottom of the totem pole

There is literally no one below background extras on a movie set. “Cast” includes everyone with a speaking role in the film, from the big stars down to the one-liners. “Crew” is a huge group, consisting of camera operators, production assistants, wardrobe, hair/makeup, and many other folks behind the scenes that make movies happen. And finally, the extras, who are referred to as “background” on set. You can see the hierarchy in everything you do on set, from where we hang out between scenes to meals and snacks. From what I’ve seen, cast members get meals brought to them. Crew either gets first dibs on the meal line or an entirely separate (and better) meal. On one movie I did, we filmed well into the night; cast and crew got dinner while extras did not.

Of course, we’re not there to eat. I’ve since learned to keep small snacks in my pockets at all times, just in case. While we are herded about like sheep, and there’s a lot of hurry up and wait, it’s still a very cool experience being an extra. It can feel kind of glamorous being dressed up by the wardrobe, and getting your hair and makeup done, especially if it’s a period piece or your costume is particularly cool. You do get to see movie stars sometimes, up close and personal.

People come from all walks of life to be a movie extra. Some extras have aspirations of Hollywood stardom. Some folks, like me, have regular jobs and just do it for fun. Though it’s rare, I actually became close friends with some of the other extras from the first film I did, and we remain friends to this day.

2. If you say one word, you’re no longer an extra

As I alluded to above, there is a world of difference between extras and cast. But the difference between them can be as little as a single spoken word. In the film Dandelion, I am speaking barely audible ad-libbed nonsense for a few moments while the star sings. I did have a handful of scripted lines, but only one clear line – “Excuse me?” – made it into the film. Just two words! And for that, I had a completely different filming experience. Rather than waiting with the extras between scenes, I had my own dressing room. It was actually a hotel room, since we were shooting the film in a hotel lobby bar. Crew would stop by and check on me, bringing me food and beverages while I waited. I was able to nap between scenes, which was nice because it was an overnight shoot.

My two-word line was reflected in my paycheck. As an extra, you get paid just about minimum wage, though you do get time-and-a-half each hour after the first eight hours on set each day. As a cast member, you have to be paid at least “scale.” This rate is set by the actor’s union, SAG-AFTRA, which stands for Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. I don’t know if I can say the exact amount, but let’s just say it’s multiple times more than minimum wage.

3. Filming takes longer than you’d think

It can take a surprising amount of time to film even a very brief scene. On Spider-Man 3, I spent about a week of full days filming a scene that lasted just about one minute. Each day of filming can be incredibly long, up to 16 hours. Sometimes your call time is well before dawn, and sometimes you shoot well into the night or even overnight. Some film sets have been more challenging than others, but however it goes, I’m just grateful to be there.

4. Extras can’t expect to see themselves in the final product

Although I always get a kick of seeing myself on the big screen, I never expect or count on that. It doesn’t always (or even usually) happen. I did not appear on screen at all in many of the films I did, even one where there was a camera right in my face for several of the takes. The director just didn’t use that angle. A couple of times I was able to find myself in a crowd only by watching the scene repeatedly or in slow motion. In other films, I’ve been able to see myself quite clearly (though briefly.) You just never know.

5. You’re not likely to meet stars — but you might get lucky!

The cardinal rule of being an extra is that you must not bother the cast or crew. You might literally brush shoulders with a big star in a scene but still not be allowed to talk to them or even look at them. I’ve been in that situation with both Matthew McConaughay (White Boy Rick) and Adam Driver (White Noise) and did not speak to either of them. I didn’t even make direct eye contact. You most definitely cannot ask for autographs or photos. If you break this rule, you can be dismissed from the set immediately. Hilariously, on one film I did, the major star had notes on how he wanted me to brush past him in our scene. But he didn’t tell me, he told the director, who told the assistant director, who told a production assistant, who told me, “Don’t turn aside to allow him to pass, walk straight and let him turn aside instead.”

However, sometimes the stars come to you. While waiting between scenes, Tom Hanks came over to chat with us extras on the set of A Man Called Otto. He certainly didn’t have to do that, but he was so kind to do so. He is the only star I’ve ever actually met on set while working as an extra, though I’ve worked on set with Tom Holland, LeBron James, and many others. When I had a speaking role on Dandelion, I did meet the star of the film, KiKi Layne, and we had a nice conversation. As I’ve mentioned, being a cast member is totally different from being an extra.

• The best Hollywood blockbusters, ever!

Lead Image Credit: PS Photography / Getty Images

Crack open the piggy bank — your Netflix subscription is about to get more expensive yet again.

Without much fanfare, Netflix is raising the cost of every tier of its subscription TV and movie streaming service. New subscribers will immediately have to pay the higher costs, while current subscribers will see the new prices reflected in their next billing period.

Here’s the breakdown of how each tier now looks:

Standard with Ads:

Was: £4.99 a month

Now: £5.99 a month (up £1)

What you get: Full HD streaming on up to two devices at once, some content exclusions, adverts during streams, downloads restricted to one device.

Standard:

Was: £10.99 a month

Now: £12.99 a month (up £2)

Features: Full HD streaming on up to two devices at once, no adverts, downloads on two devices, all content.

Premium:

Old price: £17.99 a month

New price: £18.99 a month (up £1)

Features: 4K HDR streaming on up to four devices at once, no adverts, downloads on six devices, spatial audio surround sound options, full content library.

The price increase comes despite Netflix celebrating its highest ever quarterly subscriber increase — it saw an additional 18.9 million subscribers join its service in the last quarter of 2024. We’ll assume then that the majority are opting for that cheaper tier then, thus the price hike — but Netflix always justifies its subscription cost increases not in subscriber shortfall, but to ensure they can invest in new productions.

Netflix’s ‘Extra Member’ options — e.g., the tier Netflix is using to crackdown on password sharers — also get updated. To become an ‘Extra Member’ of a household’s streaming package now costs £5.99 (up £1), while Netflix is also introducing a new option here, ‘Extra Member with Ads’, for £4.99 for those that can stomach interruptions during their shows.

If you get your subscription through a separate provider (say, bundled in with a Sky TV, EE or Virgin subscription) your price — for now — stays the same. But expect that to eventually change too.

• The best Netflix shows: what to watch with your more-expensive subscription

You wait 65 million years for a Jurassic Park reboot to come along, and then you get two in a decade. Get a first look below at the debut trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth, the second time life has found a way to inject some fresh blood into the dinosaur-resurrecting franchise:

Universal’s tentpole blockbuster movie for the summer, it’s got an all new gang heading to a remote jungle island full of bus-sized reptiles.

This time out it’s Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali running away from the snapping jaws of T-Rexes and raptors, with the trailer promising dinosaurs deemed “too dangerous” to exhibit at the original Jurassic Park.

Anyone who saw the last, painful Jurassic movie — 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion — might also deem it "too dangerous" to return to this well-excavated franchise so soon after the last flick’s critical panning. But there’s a strong cast here and a good team behind the camera — our very own Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One) is in the director's seat, and knows his way around a monster-sized blockbuster, while the original Jurassic Park screenwriter, David Koepp, is back for the script, too.

And there’s already a tease that there’s potentially a killer story to tell here, the secret of which might be hiding in plain sight in this first trailer.

Who is Dr. Henry Loomis?

Jonathan Bailey plays Dr. Henry Loomis, the bespectacled scientist of the trailer, seemingly being kept alive by Ali and Johansson’s more world-weary gun-toting characters.

A scientist taking the lead in a Jurassic Park film is nothing new of course — the series is full of them, most notably Sam Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant, the franchise’s most-iconic hero.

But it’s the potential link between this new Dr. and that legacy character that is perhaps the most intriguing through-line element in this new movie.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Bailey (who you may recognise from megahit Wicked) teased that Loomis has some history with Grant.

"I’ve always wanted to make Dr. Alan Grant proud," the actor told Vanity Fair. "You’ll have to wait and see to see what sort of link there is between them."

Now, that’s not a lot to go on, but it hasn’t stopped us — along with the many other series fans across the web — from wondering… is Dr. Henry Loomis the ‘six-foot turkey’ kid from the original Jurassic Park, all grown up?

An early scene in the original movie shows a curmudgeonly Grant verbally cutting a kid down to size when the bratty child shrugs off the threat of a velociraptor in its prime as nothing more than a “six-foot turkey”. "Try to show a little respect," Grant quips in return — after thoroughly describing how a raptor disembowels its prey before eating them alive:

Did that same boy take that to heart? Did he become a dino-expert over the years too? Is he then dumb enough to go toe-to-toe with that terrifying turkey?

We’ll have to wait until July 2nd to find out, when Jurassic Park Rebirth hits cinemas.

• 10 blockbuster films you can’t miss in 2025

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a pretty shocking run of things in recent years. For every Spider-Man: No Way Home or Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, there’s a Thor Love and Thunder, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, or so-so Disney+ TV show to crawl through.

And so a lot rests on the next couple of movies to come out of the once-mighty comic book stable — while we’re starting to get a good idea of what this summer’s Fantastic Four reboot is going to look and feel like, less is known about the long-awaited X-Men revival.

But casting rumours are starting to come into focus, and Hollywood's latest ‘It’ boy is high on the studio’s hit list.

The latest rumour puts Harris Dickinson — Babygirl, Triangle of Sadness, Iron Claw, Scrapper — as a front-runner to play Cyclops, the laser-eye-blasting leader of the comic book mutant squad.

The rumour comes courtesy of The Hot Mic’s Jeff Sneider, stating that Marvel and studio head Kevin Feige have a soft spot for Dickinson. Dickinson is certainly having a bit of a moment — that run of films listed above has been banger after banger, and he’s proving himself a versatile and magnetic onscreen presence.

Filling out the X-Men mansion

Elsewhere, Stranger Thing’s Sadie Sink is said to be being lined up for the role of Jean Grey, Ayo Edebiri of The Bear is being considered for Storm, and a more spurious rumour is putting Hunter Schafer up for the role of Mystique.

Take all of these with a pinch of salt for now, Dickinson included, but the actors behind the mutant team will need to be nailed down fairly quickly. Marvel has two untitled movies on its release slate, pencilled in for July 23rd, 2027 and November 5th, 2027. These big-budget blockbusters take an age to make, and if as expected one is set to be X-Men’s revival, a cast will need to be locked down soon.

As for the casting rumour itself? Dickinson would make for an excellent Cyclops. He’s got the dramatic chops to pull off the more tragic side of the mutant’s character, and is happy to do the rough-and-tumble, as seen by his performance in wrestling biopic The Iron Claw.

That said, I think I’d rather see him avoid the spandex for a while longer — he’s on a great run of films at the moment, and being looked into a likely decade-long contract with the MCU might limit scope elsewhere. A Cyclops is only as good as the Wolverine he plays opposite, anyway. And, in an alternate universe where such casting would be remotely possible, Dickinson would be my first choice for James Bond, too.

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