Movies

A film arriving on Netflix next month has already left cinema-goers profoundly moved following its theatrical debut and is being tipped for Academy Award recognition thanks to its stellar ensemble cast, reports the Mirror.Jay Kelly charts the journey of the titular performer (portrayed by George Clooney) as he embarks upon a voyage of personal revelation and reflection, examining both his history and current circumstances.Jay is supported by his devoted and unwavering agent Ron (Adam Sandler).What emerges is a touching narrative exploring life's disappointments and the compromises necessary for achievement.Alongside Clooney and Sandler, Jay Kelly features Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Roh...

Highlighting the plight of our planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still features Keanu Reeves as an extraterrestrial being sent to avert an impending environmental catastrophe.The film, directed by Scott Derrickson and written by David Scarpa, boasts a star-studded cast including Jennifer Connelly, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates and a young Jaden Smith. It's a remake of the 1951 film of the same name, set during the Cold War, where the alien came to earth to warn about the threat of nuclear warfare and its impact on the planet.Although the source of danger was changed in the eighties remake, the central theme remained - the effect of human activity on the world's health.When a celestial object threatens to wipe out all life on earth, a team of US scientists is assembled to devise a sur...

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Now You See Me: Now You Don'tThe third instalment of the popular heist Hollywood film franchise, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, has made its grand debut in cinemas, reports the Mirror.The latest chapter welcomes back the magical quartet known as the Four Horsemen, featuring Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel 'Danny' Atlas, Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney, Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, and Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves.Set a decade after the initial heist, the new Now You See Me film introduces three fresh magicians impersonating the Four Horsemen using deepfake technology.During their magic show, they rob a corrupt cryptocurrency exchange owner and distribute the stolen money to the audience members.Following their successful performance, Danny ap...

A World War Two film which depicts a harrowing true story during the conflict, has been hailed as 'thrilling' and 'deserving all the love' by fans.Narvik is a 2022 Norwegian historical war film that delves into the Battle of Narvik in 1940, shedding light on both the military conflict and the personal story of a soldier and his family during the occupation.Helmed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg and featuring Kristine Hartgen and Carl Martin Eggesbø, the film hit Netflix in January 2023 and paints a vivid picture of the struggles faced by ordinary Norwegians and the country's role in Hitler's first defeat of the war. With many films focusing on British or US soldiers, this film has been lauded for offering a fresh perspective on the horrors of the war.The capture of Narvik marked Hitler's first sig...

Fans of period dramas and historical films can rejoice because an excellent option is on the Netflix UK catalogue.Starring Chris Pine in the lead alongside Florence Pugh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tony Curran, Callan Mulvey, Billy Howle, Sam Spruell, James Cosmo and Stephen Dillane, the film charts some significant events from the Scottish Wars of Independence in 1304–07.Outlaw King, co-written, produced, and directed by David Mackenzie, is a rousing 2018 historical drama. The film’s official summary reads: “After being crowned King of Scotland, legendary warrior Robert the Bruce is forced into exile by the English and leads a band of outlaws to help him reclaim the throne.“A true David vs. Goliath story of how the 14th century Scottish 'Outlaw King' Robert the Bruce used cunning and braver...

A compelling period drama has landed on the BBC iPlayer and is completely free to stream, after others have enjoyed a brilliant WWII drama and a Dickens adaptation.After first debuting in cinemas in 1993, the film from iconic producing and directing duo Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, has been praised by audiences on IMDb.One person noted in their 10/10 review: “The greatest movie to not win an Oscar?”The user continued: “Tha [sic] way the story is told is terrific, it moves backwards and forwards somewhat, but it isn't hard to keep up with, some films leave you baffled, there isn't a single sense of that here. It's a war film of sorts, but told from a very unique view point.“The cinematography is unbelievable, the visuals are striking, there's an atmosphere and an intimacy about the w...

BBC fans are “obsessed” with one Shakespeare adaptation released in 2015. Putting a new spin on the playwright William Shakespeare’s life and times, the comedy film Bill is set during his “lost years”, which are still a mystery to scholars to this day. The eponymous Bill rises from obscurity in Stratford-upon-Avon to become the country’s most famous playwright.Produced by the same team behind Horrible Histories and Yonderland, the film stars Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Jim Howick and Martha Howe-Douglas. Billed as – pardon the pun – the “real story” following “hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare, [who] leaves his family and home to follow his dream. It’s a tale of murderous kings, spies, lost loves and a plot to blow up Queen Elizabeth I.”The film borrows from tried and tested trop...

One of the most eagerly awaited film releases of the year is nearly upon us, and here's everything you need to know.Wicked: For Good is the sequel to 2024's Wicked. Together, these films form the big screen adaptation of the smash-hit musical, with the follow-up covering the second act of the 2003 stage sensation.The beloved theatre production is itself an adaptation of the bestselling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, which reimagined L Frank Baum's 1900 classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and its 1939 film version.However, Wicked is told from the perspective of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West.But what exactly is the film about? How does it follow on from the first film? Who stars in it and when will it be released? Find all the details you need below.What is Wicked For Good about?The seco...

When the first trailer for Nuremberg dropped, my first impression was of a somewhat mid-tier-headed-for-streaming period drama. Yet to my surprise and delight, this two-and-a-half-hour film is one of the best Oscar season contenders to hit cinemas so far this year. This is a good old-fashioned World War 2 epic, destined for award nominations; the kind of movie that was unapologetically so in the 1990s. Based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, writer-director James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg tells the true story of Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), whose job it was to determine if Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), was mentally fit to stand trial for his war crimes. What transpires is a hugely entertaining and accessible movie that simultaneously wrest...

The ninth instalment of the science fiction franchise Predator has just landed in cinemas. Starring Elle Fanning, Predator: Badlands has been well received so far, unlike some of its predecessors, particularly the 2018 film which was a box office flop.Fans of the series, which kicked off in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Major Dutch Schaefer battling an alien hunting humans for sport, might want to refresh their memory of the backstory by tuning into the lesser-known prequel, Prey, airing on Film 4 tonight. Released in 2022 and featuring Amber Midthunder as young Comanche hunter Naru fighting to save her tribe, it became an unexpected critical hit and was the most viewed film in the US on Hulu and Disney Plus.Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and set in 1719 in the Northern Great Pl...