What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th September 2025.

The 45th edition of the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) takes place from Wednesday 10th September through until Wednesday 17th September this year in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Since its beginnings in 1981 as a grassroots initiative in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the Atlantic International Film Festival has blossomed into one of Atlantic Canada’s premier cultural events. Relocated to Halifax in 1982, AIFF continues to thrive in the heart of downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. Each September, AIFF transforms the city into a cinematic hub, offering an immersive experience for film lovers, filmmakers, and industry professionals from around the globe, by offering world-class films including local, national, international, World Premiere's and retrospective screenings; industry programming and special events and gatherings . . . so reads the official website. 

This years Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'At the Place of Ghosts' from Canada and Written and Directed by Bretten Hannam, that sees siblings Mise’l (Blake Alec Miranda) and Antle (Forrest Goodluck) were close confidants as children, but have drifted apart as adults. When a malevolent spirit begins tormenting them, the siblings are forced to reunite and journey into a primordial forest that exists outside of time, to confront their violent past. As long-buried wounds resurface, the siblings must face their trauma and the spectral echoes of their ancestors. The Closing Night Gala film is 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' from the USA and is Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Bill Condon and is set in 1980's Argentina, where Molina (Tonatiuh) is a flamboyant window dresser who shares a cell with political prisoner Valentin (Diego Luna). Their unlikely friendship blossoms as Molina recounts his favourite film and Hollywood musical star, played by the captivating Jennifer Lopez.

In the World Cinema section of this years festival there are twenty-four films in total being showcased. Included in this segment are the following titles :-

* 'Blueberry Grunt' - from Canada and this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sherry White. The film stars Joel Thomas Hynes and Liisa Repo-Martell as Harold and Vivian, a married couple whose relationship begins to unravel on a camping trip. World Premiere.

* 'Dancing on the Elephant' - from Canada and this comedy drama film is Directed by Julia Neill and Jacob Z. Smith and stars Sheila McCarthy as Nora, a woman involuntarily placed in a retirement home by her family, who meets fellow retiree Edna (Mary Walsh) and sets out to reclaim control of her life by embarking on an adventure with her new friend. World Premiere.

* 'Dreams (Sex Love)' - from Norway and this drama film is Written and Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud, and is the second part of a trilogy. The film follows Johanne's (Ella Overbye) infatuation with her French teacher Johanna (Selome Emnetu), which ignites tensions within her family, as her mother and grandmother confront their own unfulfilled dreams and desires.

* 'Hangashore' - from Canada and this thriller is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Justin Oakey. The film stars Hera Hilmar as Vera, an Icelandic artist haunted by recurring nightmares about her missing father. She travels to Newfoundland in search of him, and becomes drawn into a relationship with Jack (James Frecheville), a local seal hunter. World Premiere.

* 'The History of Sound' - from the US and the UK and this historical romantic drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Oliver Hermanus. The film follows the relationship between Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor), who meet in 1917 while attending the Boston Music Conservatory, and after World War I travel together recording folk songs of their countrymen in rural Maine in the summer of 1920. Also starring Chris Cooper.

* 'It Was Just an Accident' - from Iran, France and Luxembourg and this thriller is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jafar Panahi. The film explores political repression in Iran and morality.

* 'Lovely Day' - from Canada and this comedy drama film is Written and Directed by Philippe Falardeau. The film follows a Lebanese Canadian man struggling to navigate the emotional and interpersonal challenges that threaten to derail the day of his wedding.

* 'The Mastermind' - from the US and the UK and this heist thriller film is Written, Directed and Edited by Kelly Reichardt. The plot follows a suburban family man living a double life as an art thief in the 1970's. Starring Josh O'Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffman and John Magaro. 

* 'Mile End Kicks' - from Canada and this RomCom is Written and Directed by Chandler Levack. The film stars Barbie Ferreira as Grace Pine, a young woman who moves to Montreal, Quebec, with the goal of writing a book about Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill but instead becomes romantically involved with two members of an indie rock band and takes a job as the band's publicist. Also starring Jay Baruchel and Devon Bostick.

* 'Nouvelle Vague' - from France and the USA this comedy drama film is Directed by Richard Linklater. Starring Guillaume Marbeck as Jean-Luc Godard, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, and Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo, it follows the shooting of 'Breathless', one of the first feature films of the Nouvelle Vague era of French cinema, in 1959.

* 'Peak Everything' - from Canada and this English and French RomCom is Written and Directed by Anne Emond. The film stars Patrick Hivon as Adam, a kennel owner from Montreal who suffers from depression and climate anxiety. After buying a light therapy box to counter his symptoms, he falls in love with Tina (Piper Perabo), the customer service representative who helps him set up the device over the phone, and sets off to Sudbury to find her.

* 'A Private Life' - from France and this black comedy mystery film is Co-Written and Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski. The films sees the renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) mounting a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, whom she is convinced has been murdered. Also starring Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira and Mathieu Amalric.

* 'Sentimental Value' - from Norway, France, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the UK and this comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Joachim Trier. Starring Stellan Skarsgard, Renate Reinsve and Elle Fanning this film is about a movie Director’s bid to revive his career and repair his family’s broken bonds.

* 'Sound of Falling' - from Germany and this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Mascha Schilinski, and follows four generations of girls connected by a farm in the Altmark region of Germany.

* 'The Things You Kill' - from Turkey, Poland, France and Canada and this mystery film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Alireza Khatami, and is about a university professor living and working in the USA who solicits his gardener to seek vengeance after the suspicious death of his mother in Turkey. 

For the Narrative New Waves, Late Night Visions, Documentaries and Short Films sections of the festival, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://atlanticfilmfestival.ca/

This week we have six new release movies to tease you out to your local Odeon, kicking off with a Stephen King adaptation in which teenage young men participate in a gruelling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk or be shot by a member of their military escort. Then we turn to an Aussie and New Zealand Co-Production where two strangers are possessed by grief, shared trauma and the same ghost. Next up we have an American comedy telling the story of a husband whose wife asks for a divorce, and so he runs to his friends for support, only to learn that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage. This is followed by a British historical drama offering that is the third and possibly final instalment in the film franchise that is set in the summer of 1930, where the Crawleys grapple with the threat of social disgrace when Mary finds herself at the centre of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble. Following on we have an American fantasy comedy offering in which a young girl’s monster drawings come to life after falling into a strange pond, unleashing chaos, and so her family must reunite to save their town before it's too late; before closing out the week with an Aussie adult animated Sci-Fi comedy in which a space princess is thrust out of her sheltered life and into a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from the Straight White Maliens.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six 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 LONG WALK' (Rated MA15+) - is an American dystopian horror thriller film Co-Produced and Directed by Francis Lawrence who after years of Directing music videos turned his hand to feature films with his debut in 2005 with 'Constantine', which he would follow up with 'I Am Legend' in 2007, 'Water for Elephants' in 2011, 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' in 2013, 'The Hunger Games : Mockingjay - Parts 1 & 2' in 2014 and 2015, 'Red Sparrow' in 2018, 'Slumberland' in 2022 and 'The Hunger Games : The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' in in 2023. This film is based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King (writing under his pseudonym Richard Bachman), and has been in development Hell since 1988 when George A. Romero was first linked to Direct the film adaptation, and since then it has been on again off again as numerous film makers have come and gone, until Lawrence took the helm. 

Here then, set in a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian regime, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest in which they must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour or risk execution. The contest ends when only one walker remains alive. Starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer and Josh Hamilton. The film is released Stateside this week too, and early critical reviews have given it a generally positive rating.

'WENT UP THE HILL' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian and New Zealand Co-Production is Co-Written and Directed by Samuel Van Grinsven in his second feature film following 'Sequin in a Blue Room' in 2019. Here, Jack (Dacre Montgomery) returns to his native New Zealand to attend the funeral of his birth mother, from whom he was taken away and placed into foster care. There he meets his mother's widow Jill (Vicky Krieps) for the first time, only for his mother to return in spirit form and inhabit both Jack and Jill, using each of their bodies to speak to the other, and leaving the living to grapple with the destruction she left behind while fighting for their own survival. The film Premiered as a special presentation at last years Toronto International Film Festival in early September 2024, has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$36K following a limited US release in mid-August. 

'SPLITSVILLE' (Rated MA15+) - is an American comedy film that is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and also stars Michael Angelo Covino in only his second feature film Directorial outing following 2019's 'The Climb'. When Ashley (Adria Arjona) asks for a divorce, the good-natured Carey (Kyle Marvin) runs to his friends, Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul (Michael Angelo Covino), for support. He is shocked to learn that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage - that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, went on wide release in the US from 5th September having so far grossed US$1.3M and has generated mostly positive critical reviews.

'DOWNTON ABBEY : THE GRAND FINALE' (Rated PG) - this British historical drama film set in the late 1920's is Directed by Simon Curtis and is based on the hugely popular television series written by Julian Fellows which ran for fifty-two episodes over six series between 2010 and 2015. This film is the third and final film in the cinema franchise which launched in 2019 with 'Downton Abbey' and then 'Downton Abbey : A New Era' in 2022. Here then, we follow the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930's. When Mary finds herself at the centre of a public scandal caused by her divorce and the family faces financial challenges, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepare for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Elizabeth McGovern, Dominic West, Penelope Wilton, Simon Russell Beale, Paul Giamatti, Alessandro Nivola and Joely Richardson. 

'SKETCH' (Rated PG) - is an American fantasy comedy film Written and Directed by Seth Worley in his full length feature film making debut. When a young school girl Amber (Bianca Belle) sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life - unpredictable, chaotic, and dangerously real. As the town unravels, she and her brother Jack (Kue Lawrence) must track down the creatures before they leave permanent damage. Their father Taylor (Tony Hale), racing to find them through the fallout, must navigate a town in crisis to reunite his family and stop the disaster they never meant to unleash. The film was released Stateside in early August, has so far grossed US$8M from a US$3M production budget and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews. 

'LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian adult animated Sci-Fi comedy film is Written and Directed by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese in the feature film making debuts. Here, an anxious and introverted space princess Saira (voiced by Shabana Azeez), who has thus far led a sheltered life, launches into a galactic quest to save her ex-girlfriend Kiki (Bernie Van Tiel), a bounty hunter, from the 'Straight White Maliens' (Aunty Donna - an Australian surrealist comedy group consisting Mark Bonanno, Zachary Ruane and Broden Kelly). A runaway gay-pop idol named Willow (Gemma Chua-Tran) joins her as she encounters dangerous maniacs wielding blades, 'gloom goo', and other hazards, as well as 'the scariest thing of all' – her own self-doubt. Also starring the voice work of Richard Roxburgh. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February this year where the film won the Teddy Award (an international film award for films with LGBT topics).

With six 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-