VOD: Downton Abbey - The Grand Finale (dir: Simon Curtis, 2025)

"Sometimes I feel like the past is a more agreeable place than the future."

This movie-trilogy capper spawned from the globally successful period drama TV show sees most of the main players return as the story moves on to 1930 and a changing societal landscape that threatens the cosy monied upper-class way of life enjoyed by the Grantham dynasty.  Indeed, amidst a rather threadbare plot, the theme of change weighs heavily throughout - older staff members moving on, the ongoing financial impact of the Great Crash, the tension between tradition/old-fashioned values and newer attitudes (focused by Lady Mary's scandalous divorce) - playing alongside the characters' own and frequent wistful nostalgia and the growing acceptance pf the end of an era.  Inevitably, the Julian Fellowes writing machine delivers some touching moments and a surprising number of genuinely funny quips, barbs and reactions, as the notably ageing older core cast gets its moderate last hurrah in  a light but well-crafted script.  Once again every effort is made to make The Grand Finale look sumptuous and cinematic, with this instalment set in the lush height of English Summer.  As a 'grand finale' it may a little restrained, but it amply delivers the cosy and comfortable viewing experience that viewers of the original TV show lapped up, delivered by an experienced and reliable cast whose characters are wrapped up to good effect, all capped off with a delightful final cameo appearance.
 

VOD: The Rip (dir: Joe Carnahan, 2026)

"How's it going, man?"
"Trying to find a f**k to give."

In this glossy Netflix police thriller, the Miami Tactical Narcotics Team - that includes a weary but level-headed Dane (Matt Damon) and scenery-chewing J.D. (Ben Affleck) is facing investigation when their own Captain is murdered, but a raid on a drugs stash house uncovers a massive load of cash that soon turns the film into a bottle/siege as the team become trapped and under fire, alliances and trust shifts as the lure of the money exerts its influence, and a rescue that opens up the finale to the well-shot city at night is not all that it seems.  The film presents a beleaguered police force rife with corruption, filled with internal suspicion and pushed to the limit by under-resourcing, setting up what seems to be the film's basic message, that money is the root of all evil.  The script is somewhat knuckle-headed in its need to explain everything very obviously and is bursting with the f-word, but it handles the story's twists and turns effectively.  The experienced lead team (director/writer Joe Carnahan and the reunited Damon/Affleck duo) can sell this kind of material in their sleep, making The Rip a slick, efficient but rather generic movie that is entertaining enough but perhaps highlights the difference in expectations and delivery of a Netflix product as opposed to a Hollywood cinema movie.  
 

VOD: The Strangers Chapter 2 (dir: Renny Harlin, 2025)

"Does there have to be a 'why'?"

Following the underwhelming opening instalment of this new (and unnecessary) spinoff trilogy, Chapter 2 takes the Halloween II/Halloween Kills route for the first act, picking up from the end of the previous instalment and relocating surviving female character Maya (Madelaine Petsch) to the nearby hospital where the murderous trio soon appear - cue shadowy corridors that are slowly wandered down, beeping monitors and sinister cubicle curtains as no sub-genre cliché goes unmissed - for little more than a contained and unsurprising cat-and-mouse chase (although sedate plod is mostly more accurate), which is then repeated in other locations (including a farm, forest, car, scrapyard, a circular return to the previous film's cabin and a finale setting) as Maya barely escapes her pursuers every time.   Indeed, Maya's injuries from the first film have inconsistent impact, as she administers self-stitching only to then fend off an improbable attacking CG boar, with the resulting leg trauma being dispensed with conveniently for the third act.  It is all written with the subtlety of a sledgehammer and limited dialogue, and the limited number of local characters means the finale reveal is hardly surprising.  This is a hollow and dreary film that offers a bland backstory told in perfunctory flashbacks and unexciting run-of-the-mill masked-killer set pieces, and it is hard to fathom why this very thin material has been stretched over three movies.  There is mid-credits preview of the trilogy-capping Chapter 3.

 

FILM: 28 Years Later - The Bone Temple (dir: Nia DaCosta, 2026)

"This is interesting."

If the term 'elevated horror' is still relevant, then it is alive and bloodily kicking in this middle entry of the new 28 Years... trilogy.  It is very thoughtful and economically-written by series stalwart Alex Garland - even Samson the Alpha gets an unexpected and interesting arc.  The film follows only two major narrative threads continuing from the first film - Dr Ian Kelson's developing relationship with the infected Alpha, and young Spike's journey with the murderous Jimmy clan - both of which are told with an impressively simple clarity and calm precision, with their ultimate collision (and its consequences) paying off very satisfyingly indeed.  The film's two excellent lead actors - Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell - dominate the screen and both deliver superb character performances that are utterly absorbing to watch.  The sound mix is notably effective and interesting, although musically the first half may test your patience with an 80s band's back catalogue.  Mercifully, Nia DaCosta manages to deliver and sustain a big commercial movie here, creating a surprisingly steady and contemplative tone punctuated by moments of unapologetically gory violence, giving the nightmarish scenarios and almost cruelly poetic feel.  The perhaps-inevitable fan-pleasing coda seemingly leaves little narrative scope for the threequel, which may allow for another interesting reinvention and exploration.  Arguably better than the first 28 Years..., The Bone Temple is an extremely successful and engaging sequel that will hopefully enable the production of the third fil in Danny Boyle's proposed trilogy.

 

FILM: Hamnet (dir: Chloe Zhao, 2026)

"I'll be brave."

Released in the second week of January 2026 in the UK, Hamnet stakes a very early claim to being the best film of the year, this biographical drama tells the story of the relationship of William Shakespeare and Agnes and the impact of the death of their son from the plague.  Some of director/co-writer Zhao's signature screen stylings - nature, landscapes, quietness and compositions that create great space around characters - are used so well here, indeed making deliberate close ups very impactful.  Even the use of particular high angle shots, at first giving the odd feel of observing a stage from the gallery, is later explained smartly within the narrative.  It is a delicate, almost fragile, film, and Max Richter's exquisite score is vital but unobtrusive, used sparingly but purposefully.  It is one of those films that held its audience still and in silence throughout, apart from two key points at which some people audibly sobbed.  Jessie Buckley's powerhouse performance shows genuine depth and veracity, a genuine expression of love and grief, but it is matched equally by a tremendously thoughtful and sympathetic turn from the increasingly excellent Paul Mescal.  Also of note is the remarkably nuanced presence of young Jacobi Jupe as the ill-fated Hamnet.  The timeline may occasionally puzzle, but then this is not a documentary.  Hamnet is profound, deeply moving, consummately performed and beautifully constructed in every respect.

 

VOD: Bring Her Back (dirs: Danny and Michael Philippou, 2025)

"Are you in there?"

A24 presents another full-on sinister Australian horror, in which partially-sighted Piper and her put-upon older teen stepbrother Andy are fostered following the death of their father, but the increasingly off-kilter behaviour of their new foster-mother and her young mute charge, Oliver, hides some very dark secrets indeed that put the siblings in very real and serious danger.  The film's eerie calm, deliberate pacing and slow reveals make it a very intimate experience, giving its occasional disturbing and visceral moments notable impact, all supported by a gorgeously unsettling soundscape and leading to a truly unhinged finale.  At its heart, the film benefits enormously from a disturbingly wayward performance from Sally Hawkins as the foster-mother and a sensitively haunted turn from Billy Barratt as the grieving and protective Andy.  Bring Her Back is not as showy or popcorn-crowd-friendly as Talk to Me, instead offering a creepy psychological horror-thriller that is very unsettling, extremely accomplished and takes the viewer on an interesting journey.
 

VOD: Goodbye June (dir: Kate Winslet, 2025)

"If someone asked us what this felt like, I don't think I'd be able to describe it."
"No?"
"Waiting for someone to die."

Set in the fortnight leading up to Christmas Day, this low-key, intimate British drama follows a fragmented family brought together by the final days of their terminally-ill mother.  The eclectic bunch of siblings, played by an exceptional cast of Kate Winslet, Johnny Flynn, Toni Collette  and Andrea Riseborough, all perform their own uncomfortable rivalries, personal inadequacies and differing domestic dramas with sensitivity and honesty, alongside gloriously touching performances from Helen Mirren and Timothy Spall as their elderly parents and a really beautifully-judged turn by Fisayo Akinade as the gentle ward nurse.  With an impressive first screenplay from Winslet's son Joe Anders, and quiet, controlled direction from Winslet herself, Goodbye June is often painful and very emotional to watch but it delivers very well indeed.

 

VOD: The Life Of Chuck (dir: Mike Flanagan, 2025)

"I think it's just a prank.  Performance art."

Mike Flanagan's latest delve into the world of Stephen King is an odd mix of schmaltzy sentimentality and grand-themes philosophising, proving to be as divisive as the treacly manipulative Forrest Gump.  Structured in reverse, the opening Act Three threatens a typical Stephen King apocalyptic supernatural mystery, the central Act Two offers old-fashioned small-town quirk, and the concluding Act One is a most familiar King coming-of-age nostalgia-fest shot through with tragedy.  The talented lead cast - Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, a warmly charming Tom Hiddleston and more - talk and talk and talk against a soporific sub-Vangelis-styled score with musings on the planet, the environment, the universe and the human condition.  It may all be a grand poetic exploration of the life and death of an everyman that urges us to live life to the full, but it treads a very fine line between being sweetly life-affirming and drearily twee in its rather long-winded journey.

 

VOD: Scurry (dir: Luke Sparke, 2025)

"That was brave."

This budget-limited attempt at a creature-feature-without-the creature sees America under siege  from giant genetically-modified killer spiders.  After a very brief but slightly promising opening scene, the film then spends its running time following a pair of dull, barely-developed and uninteresting citizens (with mismatched performances) who are trapped underground and crawl through endless dark tunnels.  Dialogue and performances are barely functional, off-screen spider noises are used to limit on-screen action, and the bottle situation is dragged out to the extreme as not a lot happens; forty minutes in, the pair find a torch on the floor, and when proceedings threaten to liven up around the one-hour mark, it is quickly replaced by more tunnel-crawling.  Your patience - if it lasts - is rewarded by a short scene with a full-sized spider later on in the movie and a very final frustrating shot of the film that we wanted to see all along.

VOD: The Great Flood (dir: Byung-woo Kim, 2025)

"What do I do now?"

Hollywood may be swerving the disaster movie genre for now, but Asia still loves a big old apocalypse-fest event movie, yet The Great Flood starts off doing exactly what it says on the tin but then veers off unexpectedly (and not very successfully) into something rather different that is far removed from the usual Emmerich-style destruction extravaganza.  Following an extinction-level asteroid hit, colossal tidal waves and the rapidly-rising flood traps the few remaining residents in the upper floors of a high-rise, with a focus on weary widowed AI-developer Koo An-Na (played pluckily by Kim Da-mi, put through the emotional and physical mill) and her young stepson, with An-Na's increasingly fracturing reality and alt-replaying of events all leading to an unexpected reveal.  Sparingly-used effects work creates effective watery city vistas and towering tidal waves, with practical water effects used to put the beleaguered cast in some jeopardy.  In some ways the film plays like an extended Black Mirror episode mixed with a rather glum take on Deep Impact, with its subdued apparent intent on exploring human emotions and the survival instinct, relentless steely-blue-hued colour grading and the future of humanity lying in artificially-created humanoids.  It is an attempt to deliver something different with the genre tropes as a backdrop, but it is neither particularly engaging nor cohesive and becomes increasingly patience-testing.