VOD: Monster Summer (dir: David Henrie, 2024)

"I'm not a kid, you know!
"Yeah, you are!"

In this quintessentially very mild children's gateway-horror coming-of-age movie, a group of young teens in a picturesque small coastal town become embroiled in local mysteries and a supernatural entity that renders its young victims catatonic in a Scooby Doo-style Steven King-lite tale, seen through the eyes of a budding young journalist.  The sincere story has good momentum, the young cast is likeable and effective (especially Mason Thawes in the lead role), there is pleasing character work from Mel Gibson as the reclusive retired detective who mentors our young hero, and the music score is notably effective throughout.  You can tick off your genre bingo card easily - beach party, nightswimming, baseball, bikes, clubhouse, aerial shot of lighthouse at sunset, etc. - and at times the film lands like a junior episode of The X-Files or Supernatural, but overall Monster Summer is a well-made, uncomplicated, pleasant and unexpectedly enjoyable children's film.

 

VOD: Conclave (dir: Edward Berger, 2025)

"Well, Eminence, I'd say this is a pretty fair vision of Hell."
"Well...Hell arrives tomorrow when we bring in the cardinals."

The death of the Pope opens this quietly intriguing movie and signals the assembly of the conclave of cardinals to elect his successor as mysteries, scandals, conspiracies and behind-the-scenes machinations whirl behind the closed doors of The Vatican.  The concept of presenting the secretive election of a new Pope as a political thriller is an interesting one, and this awards-winning film delivers the events in a surprisingly dramatic and engaging manner, whilst still respectful of the centuries of tradition, faith and ceremony involved.  Ralph Fiennes is mesmerising as the cardinal charged with holding together the whole process, with Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow noteworthy as competing papal candidates in a very strong cast.  The film is shot elegantly with some beautiful composition, sound design makes excellent use of near-silent moments to amplify the slightest of sounds purposefully, and the restrained but dynamic music score supports beautifully.  The late shock reveal is completely unexpected, challenging and not altogether convincing, concluding this well-controlled, suspenseful, atmospheric and sumptuous-looking film.

 

FILM: Thunderbolts* (dir: Jake Schreier, 2025)

"We needed that."

As the rather awkward and incoherent Phase Five comes to a close,  Thunderbolts* marks a cautious but notable return to form for Marvel with this enjoyable outing by managing the peculiar feat of being both quintessentially old-school Marvel and at the same time offering something a tad different.  It takes returning formerly-second-tier characters and pushes them front and centre in a very contained manner, with the villainous Valentina (an entertaining Julia Louis-Dreyfus) trying to expunge all evidence before her impending impeachment, including luring Yelena (the magnificent Florence Pugh, who owns this movie), The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's incarnation of Captain America, John Walker, Ava/Ghost from the AntMan sequel and the unstoppably comedic David Harbour as Yelena's father to a death trap where they encounter Robert Reynolds, the only surviving member of The SENTRY Project, whose emerging powers cause major problems as the story develops.  With Bucky Barnes (the ever-reliable Sebastian Stan) now a congressman who gets involved along the way, this new team forms slowly but organically to face their new and very real threats.   Pitched somewhere between the early Captain America films and TV's Agents Of SHIELD in style, and with the usual Marvel touchstones of family, responsibility and what it means to be a hero, Thunderbolts* also flips many of those ideas to tackle mental health in a largely thoughtful and sensitive manner, giving the characters a bit more grounded depth than some of Marvel's recent characters, reflected in its more muted colour palette than usual, although branding Bobby a potential bad guy because he is 'unstable' sticks out awkwardly.  The script is smart and snappy with plenty of sharp barbs and quips, the story flows and develops very effectively that keeps the viewer hooked all along, and the third act really does deliver with some decent action set pieces/fights along the way.  The mid-credits scene is a short fun throwaway, but the (quite long) post-credits scene not only positions this new team going into the next Phase but also sets up a bit of intrigue in the MCU that recent Marvel films have failed to do; this kind of cohesion makes a welcome return, which makes Phase Six something to now look forward to.
 

VOD: Havoc (dir: Gareth Evans, 2025)

"You live in this world, you make choices..."

In this long-delayed movie, it is Christmas-time in a big American city (incredibly, shot in Wales!), and with the irresistible combination of director Evans returning to his violent mayhem roots and Tom Hardy starring as a down-at-heel cop on a mission to extract the mayor's son from the criminal underworld and corrupt police, Havoc is a dynamic and hugely entertaining action-thriller for fans of the genre.  With Evans's signature visual stylishness, from its bonkers opening police chase to a visceral extended central smackdown in a club and a somewhat messy no-holds-barred finale, the dizzying camerawork and flashcut action sequences sit amongst the slower dramatic scenes that enable the disparate storylines to connect and mesh effectively and for Tom Hardy to mine the gravitas and sardonic humour of his character, which carries the film with aplomb.  It may lack the elegance of The Raid - Havoc is a far more rough-and-ready experience - but if you are a fan of violent action-thrillers, this film will entertain spectacularly.

 

VOD: Bullet Train Explosion a.k.a. Shinkansen Daibakuha (dir: Shinji Higuchi, 2025)

"This is some kind of drill, right?"
 
This Japanese high-concept thriller is basically Speed on a bullet train, with a bomb on board the new 'Dream Super Express' that will be triggered if it goes below 100kmph, with social media brought in to give the film scale and a contemporary twist, as a huge ransom is demanded that is to be paid by all the citizens of Japan.  Characters adhere to old-school disaster movie conventions, from the seasoned conductor and his young enthusiastic sidekick to the eclectic bunch of passengers, ranging from a troubled politician to a school trip group.  The film is edited to within an inch of its life with creditable coverage, the constant brooding music score keeps up the sense of unease, everything is played with complete seriousness, with suspense and jeopardy maintained well for its two-hours-plus runtime considering its very familiar scenario.  The mix of different experiences and viewpoints works in the film's favour, even when it takes a more sombre turn in the final act, which provides an entertaining experience alongside the more generic action elements which are also handled well.

VOD: Dealing With Christmas a.k.a. Un Stupefiant Noel! (dir: Arthur Sanigo, 2024)

"I'm more than just chimneys!"

In this French Netflix festive(-ish) comedy/drama offering, an undercover cop ditches Christmas with his young daughter for yet another drugs-related mission, so Santa puts him inside his daughter's favourite Christmas movie, body-swapping with the film's mild-mannered father, to teach him important lessons about the season and the importance of family.  The movie-within-the-movie and the body-swap elements are handled reasonably well, but the Christmas theme is incidental at best.  The comedy is very broad, simple and not especially funny, like the characters and script in general, but the more adult references and story elements jar somewhat with the more upbeat wholesome family tale at its heart, making the film fall awkwardly between young and adult audiences and probably not really satisfying either.  The film tries its best, but with its cheap-looking TV aesthetic it limps along in an underpowered fashion to its Blades Of Glory-esque finale and inevitable ending.
 

VOD: G20 (dir: Patricia Riggen, 2025)

"The hotel is nearly impenetrable."
"Is it?"

If you have ever wanted to see the magnificent Viola Davis as an ex-marine kick-ass U.S. President, then G20 is the film for you, as the G20 world leaders' summit comes under attack from terrorists, with Davis's President Danielle Sutton the prime target in this suitably flashy and full-blooded action-thriller.  With most of the presidents held hostage, President Sutton leads a small group trying to escape, her accompanying family trying to evade capture, and the terrorists using AI to destabilise world markets, there is plenty going on to keep viewer interest.  Davis does great and convincing character work as the beleaguered President trying to launch a world-hunger-eradicating programme as well as dealing with a bright but challenging teenage daughter and those pesky terrorists.  Anthony Anderson is also notable as Sutton's supportive husband and Anthony Starr chews up the furniture as the coldly reptilian villain of the piece.  G20 has the cosy familiarity of elements from Die Hard and Olympus Has Fallen, it sharply written, offers some genuine threat and is completely daft, making it very entertaining nonsense indeed.

 

VOD: Anora (dir: Sean Baker, 2025)

"God Bless America!"

The little film that won big during the 2025 awards season tells the story of a young Brooklyn lapdancer/sex worker Anora (Ani) who has a whirlwind drugs/sex/money-fuelled relationship/romance and impulsive Vegas wedding with Vanya, an immature live-wire Russian with fantastically rich oligarch parents, all much to his family's displeasure which sets out to get the marriage annulled.  With a strong dramatic story at its core, the film also finds the freedom to play as a genuinely funny and wacky comedy at times, especially when Vanya's parents dispatch some goons to retrieve him.  The film creates its world with an authentic-feeling energy that makes the viewer buy into this unlikely couple's relationship.  Mikey Madison gives a spirited and utterly invested performance as Ani, with Mark Eydelshteyn a very good match as her feckless partner and a notably strong and entertaining supporting turn by Yura Borisov as one of the heavies.  Some may find that the dramatic and comedic elements might not always sit together, but the film's irresistible energy makes it very enjoyable indeed.
 

VOD: Paddington In Peru (dir: Dougal Wilson, 2024)

"Yes, we've lost a jungle bear...in the jungle!"

The third Paddington movie's opening pair of scenes - the dramatic meeting of Paddington and Aunt Lucy plus a chaotic comedic encounter with a photobooth - reassure the viewer that with a different director all is well with the franchise, retaining its signature whimsy and gentle heart.  When a letter arrives with news of 'something wrong' with Aunt Lucy, the increasingly separated Brown family decide to take Paddington on a family holiday to his homeland that leads to a mysterious quest through the jungle in order to find her.  As ever, the film is carried by Ben Whishaw's familiar delightful reassuring voicework as Paddington, and here Olivia Colman as the Reverend Mother at The Home for Retired Bears is just about on the right side of deliciously demented, Hugh Bonneville is particularly funny in this episode, and Emily Mortimer is a satisfactory replacement as the family's mother.  The change of location, a different colour palette and the adventure element gives the film a fresh look for the series, and the out-of-their-comfort-zone angle gives Paddington and the adults something new with which to work, although the Brown children are often given little to do other than loiter around for the most part.  Overall Paddington in Peru is a charming, gentle, cuddly, breezy and entertaining caper which would make an ideal trilogy closer, otherwise it will be interesting to see where a fourth movie might take them all after this entry.  Keep watching the London tourist montage at the end for a surprise appearance and again at the very end of the credits.

 

VOD: Hard Home (dir: James Bamford, 2025)

"Are you gonna stop?"
 

In a twist on the usual hi-tech smarthouse/serial killer sub-genre, a bereaved mother who designed her state-of-the-art house kidnaps and traps The Diablo Killer in her vengeance-labyrinth basement and uses the tech to confront the killer with his crimes and get revenge for her daughter's murder.  Mostly a rather weak two-hander intertwined with heavy-handed flashbacks that slow down the action to show the path to the current situation, the film becomes a rather dreary cat-and-mouse thriller with everything spelled out very clearly that feels rather dated.  Idiot Plot is often the order of the day here and raises some questions about what is actually happening, and the ending is signposted clunkily half-way through, but overall the thinness of the material does little to hold interest, with the idea perhaps being better than the execution and delivery.