Movies

Netflix UK has added a 90s classic that launched the career of a hugely recognisable Hollywood actor. The streaming service has added a number of new titles over the last few days, including shows and films. Fans have been treated to quite a few additions in the month of June, with more on the way. However, one recent addition may have gone overlooked by many subscribers. But with amazing reviews, it's definitely one to watch.Netflix added October Sky to its platform on June 21. The film was one of Jake Gylenhaal's earliest starring roles and received rave reviews when it was first released in 1999. Today, it has an impressive 91 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, which may well attract new fans as it lands on Netflix. The film also stars Laura Dern and Chris Cooper, as well as a slew o...

This Clint Eastwood film has been hailed as his "best" and an "absolute diamond". The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has an impressive 97% score from both the critics and the audience on Rotten Tomatoes.The Italian epic spaghetti Western film was released in 1966 and directed by Sergio Leone. Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Antonio Casale and Aldo Giuffrè star alongside Eastwood.It's synopsis reads: "In the Southwest during the Civil War, a mysterious stranger, Joe (Eastwood), and a Mexican outlaw, Tuco (Eli Wallach), form an uneasy partnership - Joe turns in the bandit for the reward money, then rescues him just as he is being hanged."When Joe's shot at the noose goes awry during one escapade, a furious Tuco tries to have him murdered. The men re-team abruptly, however, to beat out a sadistic ...

A "brutally realistic" war film has been hailed as "fantastic" but "gruelling" to watch, and is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. Beasts of No Nation (2015) tells the story of a young boy called Aga (played by Abraham Attah) as he is groomed to become a child soldier amid a horrific civil war in a fictional West African country.Idris Elba co-stars as his sickeningly evil commandant, in a performance that saw the Hollywood actor nominated for a Golden Globe. The film was written, directed, and co-produced by Cary Joji Fukunaga, known for his work on the likes of hit series True Detective and James Bond flick No Time to Die.Based on Uzodinma Iweala's novel of the same name, the film is praised for its gritty realism and tragic depiction of Aga's loss of innocence.One audience reviewer...

A towering achievement of war cinema is returning to British television tomorrow.First released in 1963 and based on the real-life mass breakout from the German Stalag Luft III camp during the Second World War, The Great Escape has become synonymous with classic war storytelling.With a runtime of nearly three hours, the film masterfully builds tension and character, taking audiences through the careful planning and execution of an escape involving dozens of Allied prisoners of war.Its star-studded cast includes Steve McQueen in his most famous role, riding a motorcycle over barbed wire in a scene that has become one of the most enduring images in cinema history.Alongside him are screen legends Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence and James Coburn - each ...

It’s not often that a horror sequel manages to live up to its acclaimed predecessor, let alone earn a devoted fanbase of its own - but 28 Weeks Later has done exactly that.The 2007 follow-up to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is now available to stream on Amazon Prime, giving horror fans another chance to revisit what many now call an underrated gem in the zombie apocalypse genre.Set six months after the original outbreak of the Rage Virus that devastated Britain, 28 Weeks Later shows a nation cautiously attempting to rebuild. With NATO forces led by the US military overseeing the repopulation of London’s "safe zones," the film shifts focus from the chaos of survival to the tension of containment - and how easily it can all unravel.Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the sequel ramps up th...

There’s an “incredible” World War 2 film streaming free on BBC iPlayer, and fans have called it a “hidden gem”. Starring 30 Rock icon Chloe Grace Moretz, the film centres around pilot officer Maude Garrett, who embarks on a top secret mission at the height of the Allied battles with the Japanese during the war.But things quickly evolve into more as Maude comes to realise that the real threat isn’t the enemy. An evil presence soon makes itself known on the battlefield as Maude struggles to integrate with her new crew. Released in 2020, that film is Shadow in the Cloud. It stars Nick Robinson, Taylor John Smith and Callan Mulvey alongside Grace Moretz, and despite a relatively low IMDb rating, it’s been hailed “brilliant” by viewers.One reviewer said: “This was an incredible movie that do...

In the crowded canon of war cinema, few films manage to feel both understated and monumental.But Robert Bresson's 1956 French classic A Man Escaped achieves just that - a gripping true story of resistance and survival made with precision that has earned it an unblemished 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Based on the memoirs of André Devigny, a French Resistance fighter imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II, A Man Escaped tells the story of a lieutenant's methodical attempt to flee from the Montluc prison in Lyon.The film’s full French title - Un condamné à mort s’est échappé ou le vent souffle où il veut - translates to A Man Condemned to Death Has Escaped or The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth, capturing both its existential weight and spiritual undertones.What makes Bresson’s film u...

A 2021 thriller with a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes has been described as "terrific" and is available to watch on Netflix.Pig is an American drama film written and directed by Michael Sarnoski based on a story by Vanessa Block and Sarnoski.The film's synopsis reads: "A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped."Nicolas Cage stars in the movie alongside Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, Nina Belforte and David Knell.Pig has received an impressive 97% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.One audience reviewer described the film as "terrific" and added that it was a "beautifully filmed metaphor for what has value in our lives".The critics consensus reads: "Like the animal ...

Many of us will agree that there is nothing better than finding a new series to binge. But occasionally, heartbreak strikes when your new favourite programme doesn't get renewed for one reason or another.Sometimes TV series are not met with instant acclaim and it can take a little bit of time for them to get their flowers, meaning low viewership caused them to be cancelled. High production costs can also play into this alongside conflicting committments. Here are my top five TV series that were cancelled too early and deserve some recognition.5. Santa Clarita DietThe Santa Clarita Diet is an American comedy horror series that was created for Netflix. Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant starred in the show's three series. It follows a husband and wife real estate team, whose otherwise no...

Throughout the years, Michael Caine has appeared in over 160 roles across film, television, and stage - many of which he remains proud of, and many that have gone on to earn critical acclaim and awards. From The Ipcress File and The Man Who Would Be King to The Cider House Rules and The Dark Knight, Caine has left an undeniable mark on cinema.But even with decades of success to his name - from his 1960s breakthrough to the present day - there was one film he openly admitted he hated making.Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2010, Caine reflected candidly on the 1990s, a period in which, by his own admission, he began taking jobs that didn’t exactly excite him. Coming off a busy and fulfilling end to 1991, he entered 1992 with a fail: Noises Off, a comedy that flopped both critically and comm...