Movies

Renowned film critic Roger Ebert was one of the most notable voices in cinema. He was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize Award and he shared his views and passion for movies in an accessible and engaging way. He was first and foremost a fan of film before a critic and this was reflected in his writing.Just one year before his death in 2013, Ebert decided to share a list of his favourite films to share with the British Film Institute for their popular Sight & Sound poll.NotoriousFirst up is 1946's Notorious, on the film Ebert said: "I do not have the secret of Alfred Hitchcock and neither, I am convinced, does anyone else. He made movies that do not date, that fascinate and amuse, that everybody enjoys and that shout out in every frame that they are by Hitchcock. In the ...

Fans of animated films are being warned they have just days left to watch a "heart-warming" family comedy for free."The Secret Life of Pets 2", the 2019 animated sequel, continues the adventures of house dogs Max and Duke as they embark on a farm-bound road trip. Facing off against unfriendly foxes and cows, they encounter the wise sheepdog Rooster who imparts some life lessons to Max.The film's synopsis details: "The lives of Max and Duke are turned upside down when their owner Katie meets and marries Chuck. With the new arrival of their baby son Liam, Max is initially disapproving but grows to love the boy. His tendency to be overprotective is challenged by a visit to Chuck's uncle's farm, where sheepdog Rooster teaches Max some valuable lessons."Currently available on BBC iPlayer, "T...

An "inspiring" Disney film that fans have watched over a "hundred times" is now available to stream for free.Moana, first released in 2016, tells the tale of Moana who embarks on a mission to save her people, meeting demigod Maui along the way.Since its release, the film has captivated audiences of all ages with its "breath-taking animation" and "powerful journey". Auliʻi Cravalho made her acting debut as the voice of Moana, with Dwayne Johnson lending his voice to Maui.The film also features Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement and Nicole Scherzinger. While Moana is currently streaming on Disney Plus, fans can now enjoy this beloved animation on BBC iPlayer today (June 29).With a near perfect score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, fans says they have watched the film over "a hundr...

Keira Knightley as Loretta and Chris Cooper as Jack in Boston Strangler (Image: © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.)This July, Freely is serving up a strong slate of must-see movies across BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and more.From legendary crime dramas and iconic horror to newer black comedies and arthouse favourites, there’s something here for all kinds of film fans - and all of it is entirely free to stream.Whether you’re in the mood for a razor-sharp satire, a blockbuster thriller or a classic with Oscar pedigree, these are twelve of the best titles available on Freely right now.28 Days Later (2002) - BBC iPlayerDanny Boyle's dystopian horror film redefined the zombie genre for the 21st century. Released in 2002 and written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation), ...

Drive, a 2011 film starring Ryan Gosling as Driver, has left people thinking deeply about why it’s named that, and whether it actually has a double meaning.One Redditor thought they’d cracked it when they took to the 'True Film' forum for a discussion about what other people thought about the movie, saying they thought it had a lot of "symbolism."They penned: "I have always felt that Drive was an underrated film, but that's just my personal opinion. I re watched it recently and I have noticed some very interesting aspect to the film's narrative, and hopefully you can share some of your own that you have found."Firstly, the main character is never called by name in the entire movie. He is just The Driver. Now, this is fairly obvious if you've seen the film, but this goes deeper."The Driv...

Disney+ viewers will be excited to learn that a new thriller has dropped on Disney+ and it has a near-perfect score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Predator: Killer of Killers is an American adult animated sci-fi film co-directed by Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung and written by Micho Robert Rutare. Released this year, it is the sixth film and eighth installment overall in the Predator franchise.The film's synopsis reads: "The anthology story follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause. But while all these warriors ar...

Get ready for a thrilling night in, as a popular science-fiction film based on a bestselling book series is available to stream for free tonight.BBC Three will air Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials tonight (Sunday, June 29th) at 9 PM, and it will be available to stream on iPlayer shortly after.Released in 2015, this high-stakes thriller is the sequel to The Maze Runner, which premiered in 2014.Based on James Dashner's young adult novel series, The Maze Runner film franchise features a talented cast, including Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.Directed by Wes Ball, the films are set in a dystopian future where the protagonist, Thomas (O'Brien), wakes up trapped in a mysterious maze with no memory of the outside world. The adventure unfolds as Thomas tries to piece t...

A brutal gangster film is hailed as a "masterpiece" and has an incredible 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. City of God (or Cidade de Deus in Portuguese) tells the story of two boys growing up in a violent, poverty-stricken favela on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro in the late 60s and going down two starkly different paths.The 2002 film's main protagonist Wilson Rodrigues, also known as Rocket, seeks to avoid a life of crime to survive with ambitions to become a photographer, while Lil Ze is drawn in by the power and influence of gang life. It was directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund. The screenplay by Bráulio Mantovani was adapted from Paulo Lins' 1997 novel of the same name, but the narrative also takes some inspiration from real events.An IMDb user included put th...

Netflix viewers will be pleased to learn that the sequel to a brand new horror movie is now streaming on the platform. Fans have described the film as "tense" and "everything a zombie film should be". 28 Weeks Later was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and stars Jeremy Renner, Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Imogen Poots, Mackintosh Muggleton, Harold Perrineau and Idris Elba among others.The film's synopsis reads: "Six months after the original epidemic, the rage virus has all but annihilated the population of the British Isles. Nevertheless the U.S. Army declares the danger past, and American soldiers arrive to restore order and begin reconstruction. Refugees return to British soil, but one of them carries a deadly secret: The virus is not gone and is even more dangerous than before."Th...

People enjoy war films for a number of reasons. Whether it’s a love of history, powerful storytelling or admiring soldiers’ and civilians’ resilience, the genre continues to attract audiences around the world.But while many people will have seen Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List, there’s one film that some movie enthusiasts say is the best World War 2 movie of all time, and most people outside of Russia have never even heard of it.Ballad of a Soldier, directed by Grigory Chukhray, was released in the Soviet Union in 1959 and became an instant classic.It tells the story of Alyosha Skvortsov, a young Red Army soldier who is granted leave after a heroic act in battle and sets off to visit his mother.But on his journey home, he meets several people whose lives have also been torn apar...