Disclosure Day preview screening provided by Universal Pictures
“Standby in 10” someone signals, the state of anticipation already at its most heightened. This Kansas City news station is about to cut to Margaret (Emily Blunt) as she prepares to tell the world the truth, and World War 3 can take a back seat. It’s in these moments that Steven Spielberg has you in the palm of his hands; you know what’s coming, but like the other 8 billion people of this fictional world, it doesn’t quite feel real yet. Until it is.
Aliens have been done to death throughout cinema history, yet Spielberg understands them better than anyone. If E T.the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) gave a little boy a friend in a dark world, and War of the Worlds (2005) darkened the world even more and threw friends into large meat grinders, then Disclosure Day (2026) gives you the impression that aliens both unite us and divide us and that they’re closer to home than ever, waiting for the right vessel to bring them out.
Spielberg’s film asks the question: how would the pillars of a society built on divinity, a higher power, react if humanity’s entire worldview of those pillars was brought into question. If an even higher power existed. Is humanity really ready —or ever ready— to face the prospect that a belief system exists purely to keep our collective minds clear and in order in a world that is increasingly unclear and out of order.
They’re existential, larger than life questions and he uses meteorologist and weather reporter, Margaret, and runaway cyber security professional with secret government files, Daniel (Josh O’Connor), to start to ask them. The duo are united through a shared connection to the extraterrestrial, something that Margaret first becomes aware of after a cardinal flys into her home and she starts randomly speaking Russian. For Daniel, his realisation comes after he’s shown a clip that later surfaces of Margaret speaking an alien language live on air that only he understands. Through this shared bond, they work to connect with the help of Hugo (Colman Domingo) while government agent Noah (Colin Firth) hunts them down.
Emily Blunt in Disclosure Day directed by Steven Spielberg.
On the surface, this has all the hallmarks of a conspiracy theory fantasy flick: aliens and secret government files. But it’s anything but, especially when compared to something like Bugonia (2025). At a basic, fundamental level, this is a film about understanding that we’re more interconnected than we believe, that not everything has to be experienced in a silo, and that there’s at least one person out there who is going through the exact same thing as you. Spielberg gets this point across in spite of this being a blockbuster that throws some aliens in there to get you your popcorny fix. Spielberg has always been interested in communicating that which we struggle to wrap our heads around; he’s a problem solver at heart, if The Fabelmans (2023) was any indication — that scene where he figures out how to create explosions as a child still pops up every now and then in my mind.
In fact, this might be the most level-headed film about aliens since Arrival (2016), the only difference being it’s also the most Indiana Jones-esque an alien film has ever been. From last minute evasions on train lines to cars smashing through buildings and flying off of cliffs right through to Chekhov’s gun being employed, Spielberg embellishes the film with his signature action, reaching a flow state that seamlessly transitions from moment to moment, act to act. No word of dialogue feels misplaced, the editing is crisp, and John Williams’ score is transportative with its 80s feel. You feel like you’re in safe hands right from the outset, with the first sequence opening in media res, a classic Spielberg touch.
What would the world look like if everything we thought we knew was flipped on its head? What would the world be without Steven Spielberg there to make us ask that question in the first place. While the first question is up in the air, what is known is that Spielberg can’t escape aliens; it’s almost as if he’s the vessel through which they communicate with us, and the world is a better place because of it.
Scary Movie preview screening provided by Paramount Pictures
It’s taken 25 years but the original ‘OG’ cast of the Scary Movie franchise is back in this latest outing, promising audiences new and old a “non woke” Scary Movie that unashamedly pokes fun at anything and everything. While they deliver on that promise, it’s more of a tempered return for a franchise that hasn’t had a new entry in 13 years after the dreadful Scary Movie 5 (2013).
With the Wayan’s back and playing a bigger role following the creative fallout they had with producers after the first two films, the level of self awareness is palpable, both in terms of criticism of the drama they had and the whole “this is a movie, we know it’s a movie, we’re doing movie tropes” aspect. This starts right from the reintroduction of Ghostface who is back to deal with some unfinished slicing and dicing. His motives quickly become clear in classic Scary Movie spewed exposition style: use the new “kids of the OG stars” cast as a means to get to the OG stars and kill them for good.
From there a game of cat and mouse takes place, with Ghostface targeting characters one by one, but with the added element of multiple spin-offs on modern horrors peppered throughout. It’s the most a Scary Movie film has satirised other horror titles, with everything from Get Out (2017) to Weapons (2025) in the mix and it delivers the comedic bite sized ‘bits’ that these films have perfected over the years. While the humour feels a bit less zany and original than in the first few films —especially with the added element of a YouTube star and Gen Z humour that, while topical, feels misplaced and done to death— there are some unique bits that I won’t say much on (one involves the Get Out tea cup scene).
Marlon Wayans plays Shorty in Scary Movie
Most of the humour is derived from the original cast picking up where they left off with their antics. Legendary final girl Cindy (Anna Faris) brings her classic astonished facial expressions back, Shorty (Marlon Wayans) has his cracker jack stoner down pat, Ray (Shawn Wayans) continues being the most uncloseted closeted gay man in cinema, and Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall) slots back into her unapologetic role as Cindy’s friend. There are other side characters from the first two films mixed in as well, but take that game of guess who with you to the screening.
There’s a triumphant sendoff in the closing act, with a reclaiming of what was once taken from the Wayans’. It’s a subversive closing sequence that spins the idea of passing the torch on to the next generation on its head, and it feels like a big F U to the lack of creativity in Hollywood.
While much has changed in the 26 years since Scary Movie (2000) there’s a bitter-sweetness with seeing this cast reunited on-screen again, especially knowing that these sorts of films were such a staple of early 2000s teen cinema. Other titles that really should never have had a sequel like Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) have pandered to audiences and were unable to capture the glee of their unhinged, uncompromising humour when they were released. At least with the Scary Movie franchise, poking fun has always been the name of the game, and you can always count on a new Scream movie to give you a reason to riff on Ghostface one more time.
Masters of the Universe preview screening provided by Sony Pictures
The last time I felt this head-scratchy about how a big budget fantasy adventure film got such a… well… big budget, my expectations were surprisingly surpassed. That film was Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023), and while it was based on a board game that’s revered by millions around the world, I couldn’t help but wonder whether an 80s animated show like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe could resonate with audiences in the same way. While a more formulaic adaptation compared to Honour Among Thieves, Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe (2026) is serviceable, sticking close to its source material and offering audiences both familiar and new, an alternative hero action brawler.
This isn’t the first time He-Man and friends have come to the big screen in live action form either, with a 1987 film of the same name starring Dolph Lundgren being the first foray, and there are callbacks to the original including a little cameo from Lundgren himself. But this version of He-Man (played by Nicholas Galitzine) carries less of that 80s machismo that characterised the 1987 film and many other classic titles like Running Man (1987), First Blood (1982), Conan the Barbarian (1982) and more. Unsurprisingly, all of those titles have gotten (or are getting) modern adaptations that have toned that machoistic vibe down while still retaining the stoic qualities of their ‘hero’ characters.
Knight’s Masters of the Universe builds a down-on-his-luck HR worker backstory to this version of Prince Adam of Eternia (He-Man) after he is sent crashing to Earth along with the Sword of Power following a takeover by Skeletor (Jared Leto). Having lost the sword while being teleported to Earth, Adam’s next 15 years on Earth are spent trying to locate it so that he can wield it and say some magic words that will help bring him back home. This involves him going out to dates that he makes weird by talking about how he’s from another planet and he goes to his soul sucking HR job where he spends time posting ads on internet forums to locate the sword. While he does eventually locate it and return home with the help of childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes), his home isn’t how he remembered it, with crumbling ruins and enslaved people under the rule of Skeletor.
Jared Leto stars as ‘Skeletor’ in Masters of the Universe.
Everything happens rather quickly once Adam is back on Eternia including just how quickly he becomes a brute thanks to the power of the sword. I’m sure Masters of the Universe fans don’t see this as out of the ordinary as it’s clear the sword gives him god like power and strength, but the speed at which Adam comes out of his shell and morphs from his scrawny physique —which doesn’t make sense as he looks huge under his pink shirt— into a Steve Rogers type beefcake, is jarring. I can appreciate Knight wanting to just get audiences into the thick of the fun and games, but it’s almost like a Rey Star Wars moment where she harnesses the force willy-nilly. The action that follows, however, is solid, even if the CGI that supports it can look quite washed out like when Adam rides his trusty green lion into battle or when he’s flying a little ship through a green forest — large set pieces just don’t blend well with the actors.
Most of the plot revolves around this Sword of Power, something that Skeletor uses Adam’s enslaved parents as leverage to obtain. It brings much of the action together including a big battle sequence in Skeletor’s lair above a sea of lava, and ties the closing act at Castle Grayskull together. The stakes ultimately don’t feel like they ever threaten to overwhelm Adam though, even after he is captured along with his friends. But that 80s charm does still shine through in moments, especially with the signature theme song serving to amplify each punch and tussle, with these nostalgia aspects being what Knight’s film rides on to be as faithful to people’s memories of the show while carving out its own place as a modern blockbuster.
Masters of the Universe opens nationally from 4 June.
Mortal Kombat II preview screening provided by Universal Pictures
Delivering the batters and the blows, Mortal Kombat II is an unhinged follow-up to the 2021 hit, Mortal Kombat. There’s combat, sometimes it’s mortal, but more often than not it’s downright bloody and brutal, and it makes you wonder where the last two hours at the cinema went. That’s usually a good sign as Simon McQuoid’s film wastes no time throwing you into the action and giving you exactly what the poster spells out.
Earth’s mightiest heroes are tasked with once again defending Earth from an external threat —I know, that sounds a lot like another franchise about superpowered butt kickers— but this time around they face a new threat: Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford). It’s in Johnny Cage (a brilliantly cast Karl Urban riding his success from hit TV show The Boys), the unlikeliest of heroes, that salvation for Earth might be found. Teased at the end of Mortal Kombat, this out-of-work former action star has been chosen by the gods as one of Earth’s saviours, much to his own surprise. Encouraged by the existing heroes like Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) and others, he will form a crucial part in stopping Shao Khan from taking over Earth as its ruler.
That’s really the crux of the premise. There’s a secret amulet thrown in for good measure that grants immortality to its wearer, and Josh Lawson’s Kano is resurrected to help locate it (it turns out it wasn’t that far away, in his pocket), but beyond that the film is a pure action showcase with cheesy one liners, decently choreographed action sequences, and just everything a fan of Mortal Kombat might want in a film about Mortal Kombat.
(L-R) Max Huang as “Kung Lao”, and Ludi Lin as “Liu Kang” in New Line Cinema’s “Mortal Kombat 2,”
When it comes to the standouts, Lawson brings his signature larrikin humour with quirky observations and pop culture references aplenty (from Dumbledore to Voldemort, there’s no shortage). It brings added respite to the action which, while the CGI isn’t groundbreaking (look out for Karl Urban falling down some rocks in Hell and you’ll know what I mean), delivers all the pows and whacks that you’d expect. Speaking of Urban, he is charismatic and slick as Johnny Cage and really nails the brief of a has-been-actor turned real-life-buttkicker.
The same can’t be said for the remainder of the cast. The supporting performances feel quite stale and jaded in comparison to these two, which is owed to their one-dimensional writing (it’s like if the actors from The Bold and the Beautiful suddenly stumbled onto a real movie set). At the end of the day, great storytelling isn’t what one signs up for when going into a Mortal Kombat film; the stakes are as simple as: fight to survive. But it’s ultimately a shortcoming in the script that you can’t ignore and that leaves you really just hoping the supporting characters talk less and fight more.
With superhero movies having had their heyday and running a bit out of steam for the moment, it’s telling that video game adaptations are as popular as ever. Between the Mortal Kombat and Sonic franchise of films, A24 is producing a live action Elden Ring movie helmed by Alex Garland, The Legend of Zelda is being shot in New Zealand, and Street Fighter (2026) is around the corner. While Paul W. S. Anderson’s Mortal Kombat (1995) will always hold a special place in my heart, Mortal Kombat II finds its strengths in not reinventing the wheel too much, but in letting its mayhem wash over you for a few hours while you chow down on your popcorn and coke (maybe with some Jack), and sometimes that’s all you really need.
The Sheep Detectives preview screening provided by Sony Pictures
While the film to beat for ‘most wholesome of 2026’ is still firmly Project Hail Mary, Kyle Balda’s The Sheep Detectives is a strong contender for second place. This Agatha Christie esque small-town-whodunnit is as full of charm and wit as one can expect from the man behind the equally charming and witty Minions films, delivering a clever little murder mystery that may well have Kenneth Branagh quaking in his boots.
Adapted from Leonie Swann’s bestseller Three Bags Full, screenwriter Craig Mazin (known for wordsmithing the less colourful worlds of shows like Chernobyl and The Last of Us) blends goofy humour with a solid head scratcher. He trades bleak wastelands for the lush green backdrop of a small country town in the UK, the fictional Denbrook, and captures the uniquely English aura that is commonplace for this genre of filmmaking.
Adding to the English aura are Emma Thompson and the voices of Sir Patrick Stewart and Brett Goldstein in an ensemble that is otherwise anything but English. The prime time name brought to put bums in seats is Australian icon Hugh Jackman as the swoony shepherd George Hardy draped in rugged farming attire, reminiscent of his look in Australia (2008). He tends to his flock, reads them bedtime mystery stories and gives them a self-made blue medicine to treat Orf. In other words, he’s the antithesis of some of his neighbouring Denbrook residents, like fellow rival shepherd Caleb (Tosin Cole) and local butcher Ham Gilyard (Conleth Hill). His presence is short-lived, however, as he is murdered late at night outside his trailer home leading a murder mystery to rock an otherwise quiet town.
Nicholas Braun stars as Officer Tim Derry and Molly Gordon as Rebecca Hampstead in The Sheep Detectives
Local police officer Tim Derry (a hilarious Nicholas Braun with a terrible English accent), the town’s only police officer, realises he’s got some work to do. But unbeknownst to him (and George Hardy before him), someone is already on the case: the sheep themselves. While photorealistic talking animals might not be the most embraced development in CGI in recent times due to their often expressionless designs —see Jon Favreau’s The Lion King (2019) or Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)— Balda has found a nice balance in how he incorporates them alongside the wider humans involved in the mystery. In other words, there is a genuine care with how much and how little to use the sheep.
Much of that care is owed to the voices behind the CGI flock. Julia Louis-Dreyfus voices the lead sheep, Lily, with an assortment of stars like the aformentioned Patrick Stewart and Brett Goldstein joined by Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey and Rhys Darby. Each voice actor imbues their respective sheep with enough charisma to not leave any line or gag feeling flat. On the flipside are the humans, with Molly Gordon playing Rebecca Hampstead, upcoming He-Man Nicholas Galitzine playing Elliot Matthews, and Hong Chau playing Beth Pennock. It’s a well rounded ensemble that delivers Mazin’s script with flair and wit.
While the actual murder mystery part isn’t all that difficult to figure out before the end, Balda has done well at giving adults and children alike a modern Babe (1995). That might be as glowing a comparison as one can hope to receive for this sort of hearty comedy. The only real grievance one might find is that the deeper portions of the movie might be a tad too deep for children to grasp and a tad too obvious for adults to not eye roll at unless you’re vegan (like the reality check of ‘Meet Your Meat’). But this is a minor hiccup in an otherwise heartfelt, mellow and wholesome murder mystery that doesn’t overcomplicate its murder and mystery (meaning you may well end up feeling smarter than the sheep before the end) and does offer a breezy time at the cinema.
Just how impressionable are first impressions and can they be the reason one might overlook the worst thing a person has done a few days before they’re due to marry? While one might respond with a resolute ‘yes’ if the person in question is Zendaya, Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama (2026) dares to push that idea to its limit, milking it out until all parties involved are beat up and broken or ready to call it quits.
That first impression comes when Charlie (Robert Pattinson) lays eyes on Emma (Zendaya) in a cosy coffee shop reading a book where, after snapping a photo of the book she is reading to give himself an opening, musters up the courage to do his best cute rom-com cold approach. Funnily, she misses half of what he’s said and awkwardly catches him mid “I’m not hitting on you” after taking one earbud out and confiding she is deaf in her other ear. They just as awkwardly laugh, she encourages him to have a do-over, and just like that, Borgli has you hooked to what you think has the makings of an endearing love story.
For what it’s worth, endearing is how The Drama unfolds, as Charlie and Emma get closer and eventually begin dating, and just as quickly find themselves a week out from getting married. Of course, like with any rom-com, the central couple is expected to endure its hurdles, but during a late night of menu tasting and drinking with their two friends, Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), where they play a game of “what is the worst thing you have ever done”, Emma casts a shadow over her love struck fiance and burns some bridges with her friends. Her confession/answer is that disarming that her feelings toward revealing it are plastered all over her face as the camera lingers over her, giving you the impression that it was going to be Charlie’s confession that would speak to the film’s title, not hers.
Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in The Drama (2026)
The haymaker with which Emma hits her fiance sends the film into a spiral that asks whether love can truly overcome anything, and while the answer is generally “well, like, if you’ve done X or X or X, then hell no”, Borgli’s film is ready to sell you on the opposite. That’s namely because Zendaya is so damn likeable here that, along with a some flashbacks that are peppered throughout for empathy and context, it’s quite easy to believe that Charlie would overlook just about anything for her. What no doubt stumps him is the impression that others (his close friends) now have of Emma, and whether he can reconcile his feelings towards her with the weight that this revelation carries for his own life. There’s a wider commentary on how this revelation is a tendency that no doubt exists in many people, but it’s not that convincing nor does it feel like it’s supposed to be.
As amusing as it is to watch this idea be used to throw a spanner in the works for a couple that is enamored with one another, much is left to be desired when it comes to Emma’s confession, with the flashbacks doing a really janky job that simply show a troubled young teenager and not much of substance beyond. That said, where the film mines its humour (and gets you the ‘com’ in the edgy ‘rom’) is in Charlie’s increasing anxiety as he threatens to derail the wedding and his own sanity to the point where there’s a hilarious moment of him getting spooked by Emma who is holding a kitchen knife asking if he’s ok. Much of the second half of the film is really about whether Charlie will overcome Emma’s confession as he struggles to take practice wedding photos with her and even finds himself breaking down at work, with the events that ensue coming to bite him back in the film’s final act.
The Drama is a tumultuous ride, one that might have you feeling like you’re laughing at the wrong time (I love dark humour so I couldn’t care less). That said, those who were expecting the first of the year’s 3 Patt-daya (just go with it) films to be a cute film about the turmoils of first love like Materialists (2025) or recoverable problems in the lead up to a wedding like Wedding Crashers (2005), will be utterly flabbergasted, but at least you’ll be left with the only right question to ask before you put a ring on that finger.
Project Hail Mary preview screening provided by Sony Pictures
If you’re like me and you’ve recently added Andy Weir’s hit novel, Project Hail Mary, to your Audible library, thinking that listening to it beforehand or reading the physical version might be the best way to first experience this story, well the 2026 screen adaptation might just quell those thoughts. That’s because directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have taken a screenplay by The Martian (2015) screenwriter, Drew Goddard, and imbued it with their signature warmth and whimsicality to the point where this might be the only version of this intellectual property that you’ll need (and want) to experience.
After all, a premise about a school-teacher-turned-world-saving-astronaut who befriends a rock alien in the depths of space (who also happens to be on a mission to save his planet), isn’t really a hard sell, especially when Ryan Gosling is involved (think of it as an appetiser for the upcomingMandalorian and Grogufilm). But beyond that, Lord and Miller have managed to make a 2.5 hour runtime feel breezy and unique, especially at a time where films that take place out beyond our world have tended to play to familiar story beats — I’m looking at you, Predator: Badlands(2025) and Alien: Romulus (2024).
Of course, without Gosling’s signature charm and dry wit, the bright tone of this film would not shine through nearly as much. He plays science teacher Ryland Grace (referred to as Grace throughout) who we meet while he’s waking from a coma in the depths of an outer-space mission. From here, Goddard’s screenplay oscillates between the past and the present, giving us insights into how our protagonist found himself light years away from Earth. It turns out mankind is on course to being wiped out as the sun is being cooled by what is known as the Petrova Line (a line of radiation between Venus and the Sun) that is comprised of sun-eating “astrophage” or an organism that is, for reasons I won’t spoil, cooling the sun. So, yeah, things aren’t looking too great for Earth dwellers.
Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace and Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt in Project Hail Mary
Cue Project Hail Mary, a secret mission that only the world’s top minds who have any familiarity with what’s at stake, are privy to. While much of his life is quite unexplored for the majority of the film (namely, why he’s without anyone significant in his life from family to friends), Grace ends up becoming central to the mission after being recruited by a secret government operative, Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), with Lord and Miller finding a decent balance between showing you the events leading up to Grace’s being in space, and the being in space.
Grace’s mission is far from straightforward though as he is tasked with finding out why one particular planet some 11 years away is the only star in the solar system that isn’t being cooled by these infectious astrophage. Grace’s one saving grace (pun intended) is that he’s not the only one who has ventured out to this star, with a crab/spider shaped rock alien scientist (whom Grace fittingly names Rocky) also looking to see what’s coolin. It’s in their unusual connection that Lord and Miller’s film stops itself from becoming another by-the-books-Earth-saving-mission. For starters, Rocky is lovable and really grows on you to the point where you can’t help but buy into the idea of these two learning how to communicate with one another through some tinkering on a sophisticated translation software before becoming best buds.
Project Hail Mary brings to mind the great unlikely friendship films from history like E.T. (1982) and The Iron Giant (1999) and offers a wholesome, heart-tugging buddy-up adventure that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy by the end. If there’s any criticism that comes to mind it’s that sometimes less is more, especially in the film’s closing sequence which feels like it could have ended at about 3 different points, but beyond that, Goddard’s screenplay and Lord and Miller’s knack for creating thought provoking moments amidst the craze of a situation is second to none. Sure, the significance of what’s at stake (the extinction of mankind) takes a backseat at times to just let you enjoy being in the company of Grace and Rocky, but it’s really through their friendship and “every little thing is gonna be alright” energy that Project Hail Mary finds its groove.
Project Hail Mary opens nationally from Thursday 19 March.
Blue Moon preview screening provided by Sony Pictures
There’s a lot of talking in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, a film focused around a single evening in a single location that has been described as something akin to a theatre experience on screen. It’s fitting that in such a film there is a lot of talking since, if the film’s title hasn’t given it away, it revolves around Blue Moon creator Lorenz Hart (played enigmatically here by Ethan Hawke), a serial conversationalist (often to his own detriment) as he works to convince himself and those around him that he’s holding it together while his past collaborator, Richard Rogers (Andrew Scott) and his new lyricist Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney), are heaped with praise following the successful opening of their Oklahoma! musical.
Setting a film entirely around the bar and lobby of a hotel while subjecting the audience to one man’s incessant talking is no easy feat, but audiences familiar with Linklater’s work (especially those that are diehard fans), will lap this approach up. For starters, Ethan Hawke does a fantastic job of carrying the weight of the film, no matter how small he is framed by Linklater (Hart was 5 feet tall; Hawke, by comparison, is 5″10). For such a small individual, Hart’s voice echoes the farthest here, with Hawke capturing his larger-than-life persona tremendously, and he’s deservedly received an Oscar nomination for it.
The film starts off rather shaky though, showing Hart on the evening of his death in a back alley, a major fall from grace for someone who was so revered, before jumping back some months to that opening night of Oklahoma! and the mingling that ensued post-show. Sure, this shows the stark difference between a man who had countless people adore him and the man who would die alone, but just as soon as this opening pops up, it’s just as quickly gone from the mind. The shakiness continues though as side characters are established like Eddie the bartender (Bobby Cannavale) and E.B. White (Patrick Kennedy), but like in any function you may have ever been to where small talk happens, they serve merely to keep you entertained until the real guests you want to speak to arrive.
(L-R) David Rawle as George Roy Hill, Margaret Qualley as Elizabeth Weiland and Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon.
One such guest is Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a young 20 year old college student who Hart has been selling those side characters the narrative that he has something deeper and more meaningful going on with her. In truth, she views him as just a really good friend, someone who she loves but “just not in that way,” a line that comes at a crucial moment in the film, contextualising Hart’s erratic, borderline needy behaviour. The other guest is the star of the show, Richard Rogers, someone we (or those, like myself, who are not familiar with theatre at all) learn Hart created some legendary plays with. Their relationship holds strong, and while we learn it’s had testing moments (alcoholism from Hart’s side playing into that), their dynamic is by far the most interesting given their history and the insights that it gives into why Linklater chose this night of all nights to focus on.
On the surface, Linklater frames Hart as a man who craves attention, both intentionally and unintentionally because his disposition permits he does so. As the film unfolds, his flaws creep up, including his insecurities and desire to not fade in the background given he has become so used to being the centre of attention. It takes a good 70 minutes to get to that part though as Hart becomes almost smaller by the frame, especially after paying to have some alone time with Elizabeth in a cloak room where he shows interest in her sexual escapades, like some voyeur who gets off on the idea of another person’s pleasure. You begin to pity him more than anything, with Hawke really showing the fragility of the man when he’s not in an open space around others — a place where he uses his talking as a shield to maintain this facade of composure that he’s built.
Blue Moon knows what audience it’s for, so if you’re unfamiliar with theatre like I am, the humour and references will more than likely fly over your head and make it difficult to engage with or care for these people and their line of work. That said, as a character study it offers a wonky but gradually clearer insight into Lorenz Hart, even if it takes a while to get to any deeper unraveling of this broken side of him.
Blue Moon opens nationally from Thursday 29 January.
With 2025 having drawn to a close, Rating Frames is looking back at the past twelve months of cinema and streaming releases that have come our way. In the first of our series of articles, Arnie is taking a look at his ten favourite films of the year that was.
In what I think is probably the strongest year in film for the current decade (surpassed only by 2021), I managed to squeeze in 36 new releases (equal to last year) and would probably have had more had I not gone overseas for a few months. That said, 2025 surprised me with just how strong the year was, with my top 10 (save for perhaps my no 1 and 2 spots) easily interchangeable depending on my mood. I did miss a few films that I really wanted to see and will hopefully see in the next month like Rental Family, Sentimental Value and Train Dreams, but overall I am delighted with what my top 10 is looking like. Here’s to a bigger and better 2026!
10. Black Bag
While it feels like forever since Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag was released, the thriller has stuck with me for it’s a punchy, measured and meditative approach in telling its story as it focuses on the importance of trust in relationships, but amplifies that tenfold by throwing spies and high stakes into the mix. The film is an exercise in precision, in patience, in waiting for the right moment to make your move but takes a snappy, well paced approach in portraying those aspects. Michael Fassbender’s coolness and straight-talking robotic like persona is matched by Cate Blanchett, with the duo finding a dance like rhythm / choreography every time they’re on screen, making it intoxicating to watch them to the point where you feel like a third wheel between their sexual chemistry. To top it off, the film is around 90minutes and doesn’t waste a second, demonstrating Soderbergh’s knack for pacing and witty dialogue when it comes to thrillers.
9. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Speaking of thrillers, the final entry in Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise, The Final Reckoning, is an exhilarating finale to this almost 30 year exercise in pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the big screen. While it doesn’t quite hit the highs of Fallout (2018) and Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) in terms of scale and plotting, Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise sign off in style, with everything from deep sea submarine diving to flying and dangling off of aeroplanes because… well… why not. The film does take some time to really kick into gear, with a beefy first act having a weightiness to it that takes a moment to shake off as story threads are tied from past films, but once it gets to the fun and games of the second act, it has that free flowing, pacey energy that the franchise is known for.
8. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You came as a late entry for me but quickly cemented itself in my top 10. For starters, Rose Byrne delivers one of the most electrifying performances of the past few years and easily a career best which is sure to earn her an Oscar nomination and perhaps the Oscar itself. Secondly, this is the most stressful film I’ve watched in a long time with Mary Bronstein creating a sense of tension and holding on to it throughout the film’s majority through Byrne’s performance and her ability to isolate her in and around the problems she has, giving the film an almost straitjacket feeling that can’t be shaken off.
The approach to focus on a woman who has this literal and figurative hole in her life that is a reflection of her struggles to raise a sick child while her husband compounds her struggles from a distance (as he isn’t present), creates a simmer that never seems to cool down. Coupled with a camera that maintains a relatively tight close up on her for the most part and works in tandem with a score that has a dread like quality, amplifies the sense of hopelessness that the character endures.
7. Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron’s third entry in the Avatar franchise is the biggest and most visually striking film of the year, and it’s a testament to the director’s desire to push the medium forward by pulling out all stops. The CGI and performance capture are unmatched in Fire and Ash as is the lifelike quality of Pandora and its blue inhabitants, the flora and fauna, and the wider setting. While the script feels a little more drawn out and repetitive compared to the previous two films (there’s a lot of similar story beats and wonky subplots), the heart of the film and Cameron’s love for this universe shine through in its three and a bit hour runtime.
Listening to Cameron’s interviews after having seen the film have bought me into his vision even more and helped me appreciate the level of depth and thought that go into every performance and the way the world interacts with these performances (almost a video game-esque quality). Sometimes the transition from 48fps to 24fps can be quite jarring where I would have preferred for the whole film to be shot in the former, but no one is making films of this scale and with this much originality compared to Cameron and I would gladly take another two of these films in the coming years.
I was blown away watching this in 3D in Melbourne’s newest and second only IMAX screen.
6. Bugonia
After leaving me rather underwhelmed with Poor Things (2023) and Kinds of Kindness (2024), Yorgos Lathimos’ Bugonia felt like a return to form as the director brought his regulars Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone into this conspiracy theory game of ‘who breaks first’. Lanthimos and The Menu (2022) screenwriter Will Tracy wrote a clever script that blends humour with desperation as one man becomes convinced that the CEO of his company is an Alien and decides to capture her so that he can learn where her mothership is and how to make contact with it. Beneath the often comedic, sometimes rattling plot is a film that shows the lengths people will go to when faced with a desperate situation, one that speaks to wider issues of failed healthcare systems and the people they leave in their wake. The final third of this film is a wild rollercoaster of “I know what’s going to happen” to “Oh, now I know what’s going to happen” to “I knew that first thing was going to happen”. Lanthimos paces this film incredibly, leaving you on the edge of your seat to ponder whether questions we ask ourselves about the world are worth asking, whether for better or worse.
5. Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners felt like a breath of fresh air as this almost neo-western, horror type gothic genre epic. Sinners feels both familiar and different, owed in large part to Coogler’s understanding of Black history mixed with his penchant for spectacle and creating moments that cut through and challenge you as a viewer like a musical sequence that mixes in blues, jazz, hip hop and a wide range of music genres in this pseudo-multiverse portrayal which is unlike anything I’ve seen in recent times. Clearly taking a leaf out of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), Sinners finds a harmonious balance between the horrific and the heartfelt, where Coogler patiently builds up to the unhinged killing fest and doesn’t slow down when it hits.
4. No Other Choice
It’s no secret that the job market has been absolutely fucked, something that the proliferation of AI has only amplified, with Australia feeling the strain of unemployment to a large degree as well. Park Chan Wook’s No Other Choice, like some of the legendary director’s films before, is a brutal, sometimes comical, portrayal of the lengths people will go to begin to make sense of the situation they are put in, whether through their own doing or not.
Man-su (a brilliant Lee Byung-hun) delivers one of the year’s best performances as a paper worker who loses his job due to downsizing and decides that the only way to stand any chance of regaining unemployment and keeping his idealistic lifestyle is to kill the true competition that is applying for the same jobs as him. Park is a technical genius who proves his worth once again through striking transitions and camerawork right through to interesting plotting choices that all build up a sense of desperation as Man-su spirals into a void.
3. Mickey 17
While not quite hitting the same highs as his Best Picture winning Parasite (2019), Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 continues the director’s fascination with the caste system, capitalism and human dispensability. It’s a goofy film with strange characters and creatures and a closing sequence that is weird in its own right, but it speaks to wider issues of injustice and treating people with inhumanity for material gain, yet it’s Bong’s most optimistic film as well.
There’s a palpable pity in watching Robert Pattinson’s Mickey character be reprinted through a human printing machine time and time again, until through an error, two versions of him emerge, opposed in multiple ways yet finding a commonality in their disposable existence to unite against those that discard them like an old shoe. The scale of the film is evident in its Hollywood-ised grandeur of space travel and all that comes with it, but it stays close to the heart of its oddballs, never losing sight of the human condition even as it threatens to become relegated to a means to something more sinister.
2. It Was Just an Accident
Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident blew me away in more ways than one. The Iranian filmmaking juggernaut has never been coy when it comes to his criticism of Iranian oppression and abuses of power, and in this film he focuses on how that abuse and specifically, torture, imprisons people for their whole lives.
He frames this through a group of people whose lives have never been the same after a man with a squeaky leg tortured them some years ago at the request of, and for the good of, the “regime”. When Vahid, a survivor and humble mechanic, hears the squeaky leg of a man whose car has broken down outside his repairs shop, all of those horrific memories come flooding in and he decides to capture and bury him the day after. That is, of course, until the man vehemently asserts that he’s not this ‘Eghbal’ torturer that Vahid is looking for. From there, Vahid is set on confirming the man’s identity before deciding what to do with him, meeting others who were beaten and brutalised under his authority.
The film is sometimes comical, often gut-wrenching, especially towards the second half where a subtle shift in tone shows the length the oppressed will go when they’re desperate for vengeance. Panahi paints humanity as a fragile construct in a film that threatens to tip the scales between victim and oppressor, showing what a broken, unjust system can do to people as they become prisoners of their own mind because of the actions of others. The final shot might just be the most harrowing of the year.
1. One Battle After Another
Another year, another Paul Thomas Anderson masterclass; it’s been many years since a new release sold me on 5 stars, and who else’s film could do that other than PTA’s? One Battle After Another, his latest politically charged (which is more of a byproduct) yet grounded story of a father and daughter dynamic, is a culmination of all of the best parts of his oeuvre. Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 Vineland, a book with its own political leanings and criticisms of the Reagan administration, One Battle After Another is also PTA’s most contemporary film to date. Where previously he has tended to look back, his latest film is very much a forward-looking, foreshadowing of what’s to come if we let forces greater than us hunt us down in the little spaces we’ve carved out for ourselves in a world that feels like it’s already getting smaller around us.
One Battle After Another is the breeziest, almost 3 hour film experience I’ve had in years which is testament to PTA’s ability to pace his films and leave no dialogue wasted for filler. Each moment gives the film momentum and builds on the cause and effect chain of events, with an abundance of set pieces (easily the most in his career). This all culminates to a closing sequence that as a whole, is one of the most striking I’ve seen in years (a car chase shot through swerving, dusty roads will stick with you).
PTA has always managed to get the best out of his ensembles much like his inspiration, Robert Altman, and it shows here as Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a career best performance along with Sean Penn (who is no doubt a shoehorn for Best Supporting Actor), with Chase Infiniti, Benicio del Toro and others also at the top of their game.
I felt like I was watching a classic in the making and a film that will stand the test of time as an epic much like There Will Be Blood (2007) has all these years later, and I can’t wait to buy the 4k bluray later this month to experience it all over again.
Anaconda preview screening provided by Sony Pictures.
It’s been almost 30 years since Luis Llosa’s Anaconda (1997) hit cinemas, a film which I’ll remember for it having traumatised me as an unsupervised five year old who shouldn’t have had access to the remote after 10pm. Tom Gormican’s 2025 remake/reboot/spiritual successor pays homage to the Jennifer Lopez led cult classic while carving out its own little corner, one that is tonally all over the place, incredibly self-aware and yet had me giddy in moments.
In fact, Anaconda finds an odd equilibrium between comedy, action and horror as it uses its funny star duo of Jack Black and Paul Rudd to present itself as a comedy, while keeping you guessing at every turn through conventional jump scares that sometimes land while falling flat at other times. Gormican’s last film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) took a similar approach but in the opposite sense by using an often serious actor in Nicolas Cage to play a fictional Nicolas Cage while building the comedy around him and his seriousness.
Incredibly self-aware in its presentation of events, Gormican chooses to focus on a group of childhood friends who used to make short films together, and while they still concern themselves with filmmaking in their adult lives, they aren’t exactly doing what they love. For starters, Doug (Jack Black) shoots weddings, Ronald (Paul Rudd) is a struggling actor, Kenny (Steve Zahn) is a cinematographer who gets rowdy and drunk, and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) more or less is doing better than the rest of them. It’s not until Ronald acquires the rights to the Anaconda intellectual property that he begins to make everyone believe they’re sitting on success.
After some convincing (namely of Doug), the group decide to go and shoot a reboot of the 1997 classic in the Amazon where they become embroiled in a game of cat and mouse with a real anaconda as well as a wider subplot of illegal gold miners. If this sounds like the sort of silly Hollywood blockbuster that tends to cap off the year, well it is. But this silliness (mostly) works, namely because the central cast are all so damn charming and likeable that it’s hard not to have a cheeky grin when something totally irrelevant to the plot happens, like Kenny getting over his peeing-in-public fear to piss on a supposed spider bite that Doug has sustained. There’s plenty of similar brain-dead humor that might leave you scratching your head, but what more can you expect with Jack Black leading the pack?
Anaconda isn’t groundbreaking by any stretch of the word, and it often calls attention to the lack of creativity in Hollywood, poking fun at its own studio in the process. That said, Anaconda becomes the very film it seeks to mock, with dialogue for dialogue’s sake and references to real world people and events. The film will probably be swallowed up by audiences in the moment with chase sequences and explosions all around, but when all is said and done, it’ll just as quickly be regurgitated.
Rating Frames 