What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th February 2025

The 78th British Academy Film Awards (the BAFTAs) were held on Sunday evening 16th February at London's Royal Festival Hall within the Southbank Centre, and hosted, for the second year in a row by the Scottish stage and screen Actor, David Tennant. The awards honour films of any nationality that were screened in British cinemas in 2024, with 'Conclave' receiving the most nominations with twelve, followed by 'Emilia Perez' with eleven and 'The Brutalist' with nine. 

The winners, grinners and also rans in the main categories, are as given below :-

* Best Film - awarded to 'Conclave', beating out 'Anora', 'The Brutalist', 'A Complete Unknown' and 'Emilia Perez'. 

* Best Director - awarded to Brady Corbet for 'The Brutalist', beating out Jacques Audiard  for 'Emilia Perez', Sean Baker for 'Anora', Edward Berger for 'Conclave', Coralie Fargeat for 'The Substance' and Denis Villeneuve for 'Dune : Part Two'.

* Best Actor in a Leading Role - presented to Adrien Brody for 'The Brutalist', beating out Timothee Chalamet for 'A Complete Unknown', Colman Domingo for 'Sing Sing', Ralph Fiennes for 'Conclave', Hugh Grant for 'Heretic' and Sebastian Stan for 'The Apprentice'.

* Best Actress in a Leading Role - awarded to Mikey Madison for 'Anora', beating out Cynthia Erivo for 'Wicked', Karla Sofia Gascon for 'Emilia Perez', Marianne Jean-Baptiste for 'Hard Truths', Demi Moore for 'The Substance' and Saoirse Ronan for 'The Outrun'.

* Best Actor in a Supporting Role - presented to Kieran Culkin for 'A Real Pain', beating out Yura Borisov for 'Anora', Clarence Maclin for 'Sing Sing', Edward Norton for 'A Complete Unknown', Guy Pearce for 'The Brutalist' and Jeremy Strong for 'The Apprentice'.

* Best Actress in a Supporting Role - presented to Zoe Saldana for 'Emilia Perez', beating out Jamie Lee Curtis for 'The Last Showgirl', Selena Gomez for 'Emilia Perez', Ariana Grande for 'Wicked', Felicity Jones for 'The Brutalist' and Isabella Rossellini for 'Conclave'. 

* Best Original Screenplay - awarded to Jesse Eisenberg for 'A Real Pain', beating out 'Anora', 'The Brutalist', 'The Substance' and 'Kneecap'.

* Best Adapted Screenplay - presented to Peter Straughan for 'Conclave', beating out 'Emilia Perez', 'Nickel Boys', 'Sing Sing' and 'A Complete Unknown'.

* Best Animated Film - awarded to 'Wallace & Gromit : Vengeance Most Fowl', beating out 'Flow', 'Inside Out 2' and 'The Wild Robot'.

* Best Documentary - awarded to 'Super/Man : The Christopher Reeve Story', beating out 'Black Box Diaries', 'Daughters', 'No Other Land' and 'Will & Harper'.

* Best Film Not in the English Language - presented to 'Emilia Perez', beating out 'All We Imagine as Light', 'I'm Still Here', 'Kneecap' and 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'.

* Best Casting - awarded to Sean Baker and Samantha Quan for 'Anora', beating out 'The Apprentice', A Complete Unknown', 'Conclave' and 'Kneecap'.

* Best Cinematography - presented to Lol Crawley for 'The Brutalist', beating out Stephane Fontaine for 'Conclave', Greig Fraser for 'Dune : Part Two', Paul Guilhaume for 'Emilia Perez' and Jarin Blaschke for 'Nosferatu'. 

* Best Costume Design - presented to Paul Tazewell for 'Wicked', beating out 'Blitz', 'A Complete Unknown', 'Conclave' and 'Nosferatu'.

* Best Editing - awarded to Nick Emerson for 'Conclave', beating out 'Anora', 'Dune : Part Two', 'Emilia Perez' and 'Kneecap'.

* Best Make-Up and Hair - presented to Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stephanie Guillon, Frederique Arguello, and Marilyne Scarselli for 'The Substance', beating out 'Dune : Part Two', 'Emilia Perez', 'Nosferatu' and 'Wicked'.

* Best Original Score - awarded to Daniel Blumberg for 'The Brutalist', beating out 'Conclave', 'Emilia Perez', 'Nosferatu' and 'The Wild Robot'.

* Best Production Design - awarded to Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales for 'Wicked', beating out 'The Brutalist', 'Conclave', 'Dune : Part Two' and 'Nosferatu'.

* Best Sound - presented to Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Gareth John, and Richard King for 'Dune : Part Two', beating out 'Blitz', 'Gladiator II', 'The Substance' and 'Wicked'.

* Best Special Visual Effects - awarded to Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Gerd Nefzer, and Rhys Salcombe for 'Dune : Part Two', beating out 'Better Man', 'Gladiator II', 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' and 'Wicked'.

* Outstanding British Film - presented to Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, and Peter Straughan for 'Conclave', beating out 'Bird', 'Blitz', 'Gladiator II', 'Hard Truths', 'Kneecap', 'Lee', 'Love Lies Bleeding', 'The Outrun' and 'Wallace & Gromit : Vengeance Most Fowl'. 

* Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer - awarded to Rich Peppiatt for 'Kneecap', beating out Luna Carmoon for 'Hoard', Dev Patel for 'Monkey Man', Sandhya Suri, James Bowsher and Balthazar de Ganay for 'Santosh' and Karan Kandhari for 'Sister Midnight'.

* Best Children's & Family Film - presented to 'Wallace & Gromit : Vengeance Most Fowl', beating out 'Flow', 'Kensuke's Kingdom' and 'The Wild Robot'.

Additionally, the BAFTA Fellowship Award was presented to the British Actor and TV Presenter Warwick Davis, and the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award was presented to MediCinema, a UK-based registered charity that builds, installs and manages state-of-the-art cinemas, screening the latest releases the film industry has to offer in hospitals and health facilities.

For the full low down on all matters relative to the 2025 Bafta Awards ceremony, you can go to the official website at : https://www.bafta.org/awards/film

Turning attention back to this weeks four new movie offerings coming to a big screen Odeon close to home, we launch with a horror comedy offering based on an acclaimed authors 1980 short story about twin brothers who find their father's old monkey toy in the attic, after which a series of gruesome deaths start, and when the siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years, they must come together once again to thwart the evil toy that has come back into their lives. This is followed by a historical action drama set in 14th Century Switzerland, where a once peaceful hunter leads his people to rebellion after his family and country are threatened by a tyrannical Austrian King. Next up we have a drama film about a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a thirty-year run; before closing out the week with a coming of age drama film about a twelve year old girl who lives with her half-brother and her father, who raises them alone in a squat in northern Kent, but he doesn't have much time to devote to them both and so the daughter looks for attention and adventure elsewhere.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE MONKEY' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror comedy film is Written for the screen and Directed by Osgood Perkins, whose prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' in 2015, 'I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House' in 2016, 'Gretel & Hansel' in 2020, 'Longlegs' more recently in 2024, and 'Keeper' set for a release in early October this year. This film is based on the 1980 short story by Stephen King, is released in the US this week too, and cost US$11M to produce. It has generated largely positive critical reviews. Stephen King has praised the film claiming it to be 'batshit insane'.

After stumbling upon their father's vintage toy monkey in the attic, twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (both played by Theo James, with Christian Convery playing the younger Hal and Bill) witness a string of horrifying deaths unfolding around them. In an attempt to leave the haunting behind, the brothers discard the monkey and pursue separate paths over the ensuing years. However, when the inexplicable deaths resurface, the brothers are compelled to reconcile and embark on a mission to permanently eliminate the cursed toy. Also starring Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood and Adam Scott. 

'WILLIAM TELL' (Rated M) - is a UK, Italian and Swiss Co-Production written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Nick Hamm who made his feature film debut with 1998's 'The Very Thought of You' and would follow this up with 'The Hole' in 2001, 'Godsend' in 2004, 'Killing Bono' in 2011, 'The Journey' in 2016, 'Driven' in 2018 and 'Gigi & Nate' in 2022. Here then, in the early years of the 14th Century Switzerland, a once peaceful hunter, William Tell (Claes Bang) leads his people in rebellion after his family and country are threatened by a tyrannical Austrian King. As the Holy Roman Empire crumbles, the quiet lives of the Swiss peasants are upended. Also starring Connor Swindells, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the TIFF in early September last year, and was released in the UK in mid-January

'THE LAST SHOWGIRL' (Rated M) - this American drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Gia Coppola who made her feature film Directorial debut with 'Palo Alto' in 2013 and followed this up with 'Mainstream' in 2020. Here, when the glittering Las Vegas French style revue at a casino resort she has headlined for decades announces it will soon close, a glamorous showgirl Shelley Gardner (Pamela Anderson) must reconcile with the decisions she’s made and the community she has built as she plans her next act. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd and Jason Schwartzman, the film had its World Premiere screening at TIFF in early September last year, has so far grossed US$4.5M from a production budget of less than US$2M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. It has so far won six awards and a further twenty-three nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit.

'BIRD' (Rated MA15+) - is a UK, US, French and German Co-Produced coming of age drama film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Andrea Arnold whose previous feature film output takes in her debut in 2006 with 'Red Road', then 'Fish Tank' in 2009, 'Wuthering Heights' in 2011, and 'American Honey' in 2016. Twelve-year-old Bailey (Nykiya Adams) lives with her devoted but chaotic single dad Bug (Barry Keoghan) and wayward half-brother Hunter (Jason Buda) in a squat in Gravesend, north Kent. Approaching puberty and seeking attention and adventure, Bailey's fractured home life is transformed when she encounters Bird (Franz Rogowski), a mysterious stranger on a journey of his own. The film had its World Premiere screening at last years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, was released Stateside in early November, has so far grossed US$1.6M, has received generally positive critical reviews, and has won six awards and another twenty-two nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit so far.

With four new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-