What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd October 2025.

The 12th annual Doc'n Roll Film Festival takes place this year from Thursday 23rd October through until Sunday 9th November. Doc'n Roll is a women-led film agency that platforms and champions marginal voices in the music industry - we are passionate about independent film and music of all genres. Our mission is to celebrate music subcultures by providing a unique platform to support creative, compelling and unforgettable documentaries that celebrate the performers, labels, scenes and stories. Doc'n Roll began life in 2013, when we launched the UK's Music & Arts Documentary Film Festival as an arts discovery film fest, convinced it was time to show some love to outlier music, arts and subculture documentaries that were all too often ignored by risk-averse film programmers. Now some 10+ years on, via our now UK-wide annual festival, one-off events and special screenings, we provide our audience with the opportunity to watch these killer documentaries in ace cinemas, as they were designed to be watched : LOUD. Doc'n Roll programmes encore event screenings and special one-off premieres year-round in the UK. Additionally, Doc'n Roll screens in Dublin, Amsterdam, New York City, San Francisco and Dubai. The 12th edition of Doc'n Roll Film Festival UK & Ireland, our headline festival, runs across ten of the city's best-loved cinemas. It will open at Barbican Cinemas and close at BFI Southbank, with additional screenings in Dublin and Brighton . . . . so reads the official website.

The feature films being showcased at this years Doc'n Roll Film Festival are as follows :-

* 'Butthole Surfers : The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt' - from the USA and Directed by Tom Stern. The film traces how two accounting students from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, found solidarity in their shared strangeness, gathered a tribe of like-minded outsiders - queers, weirdos, and nonconformists, including the unforgettable naked performance artist/dancer Kathleen Lynch - and launched one of the most radical and unpredictable paths in rock history. UK Premiere.

* 'A Way To Die : The Short-Films of COIL' - from France and Directed by Xavier Laradji and Maxime Lachaud. After paying tribute to and introducing the photographic and pictorial work of Peter Christopherson (1955-2010) and John Balance (1962-2004) to a larger audience, founding members of the cult formation COIL, Timeless editions have had the duo’s filmed archives restored, from their early films in adolescence in the early 1970's to the more accomplished works of the 1980's/90's, uncovering a first-rate cinematic body of work. UK Premiere.

* 'I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol' - from the USA and Directed by Nick Mead and Andre Relis. A compelling filmic setting for the wry, honest and often hilarious firsthand stories of Glen Matlock, the founding member of the Sex Pistols who co-wrote ten of the twelve iconic songs on their only studio album, 'Never Mind the Bollocks', only to have his contributions later downplayed. Hear his account of the Pistols’ rise in a frank, insightful portrait of a group of malcontents determined to change the music business and attack society’s hypocrisy and stale conventions. UK Premiere.

* 'Big Mama Thornton : I Can't Be Anyone But Me' - from the USA and Directed by Robert Clem. Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton was a major figure in American popular music for forty years. From a rural Alabama background, she defied gender norms, wore jeans, a cowboy hat and boots, stood over six feet tall and weighed as much as 300 pounds. Mike Stoller tells us it was her demeanor - and the two scars on her forehead - that inspired him and Jerry Lieber to write 'Hound Dog' expressly for her. After Hound Dog became a #1 R&B hit in 1952, she won acclaim in Europe as part of the American Folk Blue Festival. She was a major part of the US blues revival in the late 60's and 70's with her unique style of performing, her humour and her rawness were a hit at festivals and clubs all over America and in Europe. UK Premiere.

* 'Para Vivir : The Implacable Times of Pablo Milanes' - from Mexico, Spain and the USA and Directed by Fabien Pisani. A deeply personal portrait of Cuban music icon Pablo Milanes, captured in self-imposed exile during his final years. Milanes, co-founder of the Nueva Trova movement with Silvio Rodriguez, was a major voice in Cuba's revolutionary cultural movement. This film combines interviews with musical luminaries such as Serrat, Chico Buarque, Harry Belafonte and Fito Paez, alongside intimate moments of Milanes in his final years, looking frail and reflecting on the fading Cuban Utopia.

* 'Sound of a Dream : Lee Burridge' - from the USA and Directed by Hoj Jomehri. This intimate portrait follows underground DJ Lee Burridge, whose lifelong goal has been to bring people together through music. Blending cinematic storytelling, rare archival footage and access to Burridge’s inner world, the film traces a 40-year journey from a small seaside village in Dorset to some of the world’s most iconic stages, from Fabric London to Burning Man and Coachella. Burridge’s story is one of persistence and passion, and also impermanence. World Premiere.
* 'In Time : Donal Lunny' - from Ireland and Directed by Nuala O'Connor. Donal Lunny is one of Ireland’s most outstanding artists, and this is the first film account of his life - a portrait that reveals his peerless contribution to Irish culture and music. A founding member of Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts, Lunny played a central role in reviving and transforming Irish traditional and folk music for new generations. International Premiere.

* 'Felix Dare to Dream' - from Italy and Directed by Valerio Bariletti and Morgan Bertacca. The story of Felix Leu is one of defiance, creativity, and the search for freedom. A fascinating story of an existential journey - that of Felix Leu, artist, pioneer of modern tattooing, and patriarch of one of the most iconic and respected families on the international scene - the Leu Family, a bohemian clan that turned freedom and creativity into their way of life. UK Premiere.

* 'Nash the Slash Rises Again' - from Canada and Directed by Tim Kowalski. In the late 1970s, Nash the Slash emerged as one of music’s true enigmas, an electric violinist and sonic alchemist blending classical finesse with punk rebellion. From scoring Un Chien Andalou live to mesmerising audiences with his analog arsenal, Nash pushed the boundaries of performance and sound. His singular vision drew him to the UK, signing with Richard Branson’s DinDisc alongside Gary Numan, yet his refusal to compromise collided with the industry’s demands. Returning to Toronto, he embarked on wild adventures with Iggy Pop and forged a path beyond rock, composing for films, installations, and silent cinema. World Premiere.

* 'The Big Johnson' - from the USA and Directed by Lola Rocknrolla. Dean Johnson was a famous New York drag queen, rock star, sex party promoter and late in life escort. In 2007 Dean went on a job and never came back. Was it just an accidental OD, Dean had a history of drug use or was it something more sinister? Another escort died in the same apartment four days earlier. The mystery of his death is only part of Dean Johnson's wild life. Dean was the first in many things, the first bald drag queen, the first to throw sex parties in the 80's during the AIDS crisis, the first openly gay singer on Island records (which cost him his record deal). The first and only person to throw a LGBTQ party at the iconic rock club CBGBs. International Premiere.

* 'Monk in Pieces' - from the USA, Germany and France and Directed by Billy Shebar and David C. Roberts. Meredith Monk - composer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist – is one of the great artistic pioneers of our time, yet her profound cultural influence is largely unrecognised. With Monk’s music at its centre, and featuring interviews with Bjork and David Byrne, Monk in Pieces is a mosaic that mirrors the structure of Monk’s own work, and illuminates her wildly original vocabulary of sound and imagery. UK Premiere.

* 'Tony Foster : Painting at the Edge' - from the USA and Directed by David C. Schendel. Award-winning visual artist Tony Foster has spent nine of the past thirty-five years living in a tadpole tent, using his art as a platform to advocate for the conservation of wild land and raise awareness of climate change. Part explorer, part artist, he routinely risks his life to find the perfect undiscovered landscape. He does not use photography or sketches but paints on site, often in the most difficult weather and uncomfortable circumstances. World Premiere.

* 'Chasing Rainbows : My Visual Duet with Jimmy Scott' - from the USA and Directed by Storm Di Scozia. A 30-years in the making duet between a legendary American jazz singer (Jimmy Scott) and a Scottish rock singer (Storm Di Scozia) in 2014, setting in motion an incredible adventure that will shed light on the extraordinary career and life of Cleveland's most beloved singer, Jimmy Scott, and his biggest fan, Scottish rock singer Storm Di Scozia. UK Premiere.

* 'A Beautiful Place - Lebanon Hanover' - from the Netherlands and Directed by Isolde Woudstra. Taking us on an intimate journey with darkwave icons Lebanon Hanover during their 2024 tour. As the enigmatic duo, William Maybelline and Larissa Iceglass, traverse Europe playing electrifying shows in Bristol, London, Paris, and Berlin, the film unveils the raw emotion behind their haunting sound while exploring the deep, symbiotic bond between the band and their devoted fans, capturing the essence of melancholy, passion, and connection. UK Premiere.

* 'Pieces of Heaven : Porridge Radio' - from the UK and Directed by Ella Margolin. Filmed at the Centre Pompidou in 2024 to mark the release of the band’s final album, 'Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me'. Led by songwriter Dana Margolin, it moves through inertia, heartbreak and dysphoria as she distils over a decade of music into one unforgettable hour. World Premiere.

* 'Boy George & Culture Club' - from the USA and the UK and Directed by Alison Ellwood. A provocative, chaotic and impossibly fun look at one of music’s most groundbreaking bands. An intimate portrait of Culture Club’s rise to fame, dramatic split, and remarkable reunion for the film. For the first time, Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss come together to share their story, offering candid insights into their creative process and personal relationships, and the band’s towering cultural impact. UK Premiere.

* 'Move Ya Body : The Birth of House' - from the USA and Directed by Elegance Bratton. A celebration of the new sound that emerged from the underground clubs of Chicago’s South Side, which sparked a global movement of joy, freedom and radical togetherness. Young Chicagoan Vince Lawrence embarked on a journey that would change music history. From his father’s record store to the underground clubs of the South Side, Vince and a group of visionary friends experimented with drum machines and synthesisers, crafting a revolutionary new sound - house music.

* 'Scab Vendor : The Life and Times of Jonathan Shaw' - from the USA and Directed by Mariana Thome and Lucas Barros. Scab Vendor is a documentary exploring the extraordinary life of Jonathan Shaw whose youth was marked by rebellion against his glamorous lineage and his mother’s alcoholism. After a near-fatal heroin overdose in his 20's, Shaw embarked on a transformative journey by hitchhiking from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro, honing his craft under legendary old-school tattoo masters, and ultimately redefining tattoo culture. UK Premiere.
* 'Rockers Don't Stop : The Revival of Rockers Revenge' - from the USA and Directed by Arthur Baker. A comeback story with grit and groove. New York's 1980's Dance pioneers Rockers Revenge reunite decades later to finally record their debut album, transforming nostalgia into a powerful journey of friendship, resilience, and unfinished dreams. From the front lines of New York’s COVID crisis to the pulse of Black Lives Matter, their music channels loss, hope, and defiance. World Premiere.

* 'How Tanita Tikaram Became a Liar' - from the UK and Directed by Natacha Horn. Revealing the maverick music icon as never before, Tikaram delivers, in her own words, a raw, political, and personal account of life as a brown, queer woman growing up in the UK - echoing the themes of her new album LIAR (Love Isn’t A Right), the sequel to her multi-million selling debut Ancient Heart. World Premiere.

For the details of the Short Film also being screened, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://www.docnrollfestival.com

Turning the focus back on this weeks six hot new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we launch with a gothic Sci-Fi film based on a classic early 19th Century novel that has been made into countless movies over the last almost one hundred years and surrounds a brilliant albeit self obsessed scientist who creates a living breathing monster that ultimately leads to the undoing of both of them. Next up is a biographical musical drama charting the early years of this New Jersey Rocker while crafting his 1982 album 'Nebraska', which emerged as he recorded 'Born in the USA' with the E Street Band. Then we turn to a drama set in the 1970's in a sedate corner of Massachusetts, an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief plans his first big heist, but when things go haywire, his life unravels. This is followed by a psychological black comedy about two men who lost their respective twin brothers develop a growing friendship after meeting in a support group. Up next is a drama offering from a first time Director about an octogenarian woman who transitions to life in assisted living as she contends with her conflicting relationship to herself and her caregivers; before closing out the week with a romantic drama film that centres on the strained relationship between a young mother and her teenage daughter, exacerbated by the mothers husbands tragic death.

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 week ahead.

'FRANKENSTEIN' (Rated MA15+) - is an American gothic Sci-Fi film that is Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Guillermo del Toro and is based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel of the same name. del Toro's previous feature film output includes his feature film debut in 1992 with 'Cronos' and then the likes of 'Mimic' in 1997, 'The Devil's Backbone' in 2001, 'Hellboy' in 2004, 'Pan's Labyrinth' in 2006, 'Hellboy II : The Golden Army' in 2008, 'Crimson Peak' in 2015, 'The Shape of Water' in 2017, 'Nightmare Alley' in 2021 and 'Pinocchio' in 2022. This film had its World Premiere in the main competition at this years Venice International Film Festival in early September, is followed by a limited cinema release from 17th October and a global release on Netflix on 7th November. 

A brilliant but egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) brings a creature (Jacob Elordi) to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. Also starring Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, Lauren Collins, Ralph Ineson and Burn Gorman. The film has generated largely favourable critical reviews, and cost US$120M to produce.

'SPRINGSTEEN : DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE' (Rated M) - this American biographical musical drama film is Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Scott Cooper who made his Directorial debut with the critically acclaimed 'Crazy Heart' in 2009 and would go on to Direct 'Out of the Furnace' in 2013, 'Black Mass' in 2015, 'Hostiles' in 2017, 'Antlers' in 2021 and 'The Pale Blue Eye' in 2022. This film is based on the 2023 book 'Deliver Me from Nowhere' by Warren Zanes. This film chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen's 1982 album 'Nebraska' when he was a young musician (Jeremy Allen White) on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past. Recorded on a 4-track recorder in Springsteen's New Jersey bedroom, the album marked a pivotal time in his life and is considered one of his most enduring works, servings as a stark, somber acoustic record portraying the lives of blue-collar workers who try to succeed in life but fail at every turn, while searching for a deliverance that never comes. Also starring Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffman and Marc Maron. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the Telluride Film Festival at the end of August with its US and Australian release this week. It has received positive reviews from critics.

'THE MASTERMIND' (Rated M) - is a US and UK Co-Production that is Written, Directed and Edited by Kelly Reichardt who made her feature film Directorial debut with 'River of Grass' in 1994 and went on to Direct the likes of 'Old Joy' in 2006, 'Meek's Cutoff' in 2010, 'Night Moves' in 2013, 'Certain Women' in 2016, 'First Cow' in 2019 and 'Showing Up' in 2022. In a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man, carpenter and amateur art thief James Blaine Mooney (Josh O'Connor) sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan to steal four paintings. Or so he thinks. When holding onto the art proves more difficult than stealing them, Mooney is relegated to a life on the run. Also starring Alana Haim, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, John Magaro and Gaby Hoffman. The film had its World Premiere at the main competition of this years Cannes Film Festival in late May, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. It was released Stateside last week, has received generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$104K.

'TWINLESS' (Rated MA15+) - this American psychological black comedy film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars James Sweeney in only his second feature film outing following 2019's 'Straight Up'. Here, two young men meet in a support group for twinless twins and form an unlikely friendship. Roman (Dylan O'Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney) both search for solace and an identity without their other halves and soon become inseparable outside the group. But when Roman meets Dennis' ebullient co-worker, Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), all is revealed to be not what it seems, as each man harbours secrets that could unravel everything. The film saw its World Premiere in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in late January this year where it won the Audience Award, went on release Stateside in early September, has so far grossed US$1.3M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'FAMILIAR TOUCH' (Rated M) - is an American drama film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sarah Friedland in her feature film making debut. The film follows an octogenarian woman Ruth Goldman (Kathleen Chalfant) as she transitions to life in an assisted living facility contending with her relationship to herself and her caregivers while dealing with cognitive decline. It had its World Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in early September 2024 in the Horizons section, where Director Sarah Friedland won the Luigi de Laurentiis Lion of the Future prize for best first film, alongside the Best Director award, while Kathleen Chalfant won the Best Actress award. It was released in the US in mid-June this year, has so far grossed US$258K and has garnered universal critical acclaim.

'REGRETTING YOU' (Rated M) - this romantic drama film is Directed by Josh Boone in his fourth feature film making effort following his debut in 2012 with 'Stuck in Love', then 'The Fault in Our Stars' in 2014, and 'The New Mutants' in 2020. This film is based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover. Here, Morgan Grant (Allison Williams) and her daughter Clara (Mckenna Grace) whose relationship is already strained, are forced to explore what's left behind after a devastating accident resulting in the tragic death of Morgan's husband Chris (Scott Eastwood), reveals a shocking betrayal and forces them to confront family secrets, redefine love, and rediscover each other. Also starring Dave Franco, Mason Thames, Willa Fitzgerald and Clancy Brown. The film is released in the US this week too.

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-

THE SMASHING MACHINE : Tuesday 14th October 2025

I saw the M Rated 'THE SMASHING MACHINE' earlier this week at my local multiplex, and this American biographical sports drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Benny Safdie whose previous feature film Directing credits, with his brother Josh, are their debut 'Daddy Longlegs' in 2009, 'Lenny Cooke' in 2013, 'Heaven Knows What' in 2014, 'Good Time' in 2017 and 'Uncut Gems' in 2019. This film is Benny Safdie's first solo Directing feature. The film had its World Premiere showcasing in the main competition of this years Venice International Film Festival in early September where it won the Silver Lion. It was released in the US and here in Australia on 2nd October, cost US$50M to produce, has so far recouped US$17M in Box Office receipts and has generated positive critical reviews. 

The film opens with Mark Kerr being interviewed, who explains to the interviewer his success in Ultimate Fighting Championship, before he leaves for his next bout. Based on the true story of pioneering mixed martial arts/UFC fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson, who also Co-Produces here), who helped grow the sport’s popularity in its early days, this film is set between 1997 and 2000. In 1999, Mark is at home with his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt), with whom he shares a complicated and frequently fractured relationship. Mark scolds her lightly for making a bulking shake incorrectly by using skimmed milk instead of his recently switched to full cream milk and only using half a banana instead of the two that he demands, but then apologises. He prepares for a fight while being coached by his very good friend and mixed martial artist and pro-wrestler Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), and stumbles in and out of drug use while meeting Japanese officials regarding his pay.

Mark sits in his locker room with Mark Coleman in Tokyo under the influence and in anticipation of his imminent bout with Igor Vovchanchyn (Oleksandr Usyk), when Dawn arrives unexpectedly. They begin to argue as Kerr ignores her, while trying to focus intently on his bout. After losing his latest fight drastically, he quietly leaves and returns downtrodden to his locker room and begins sobbing. It is his first loss. 

Back home, his relationship with Dawn further deteriorates and he overdoses the next morning. Dawn frantically calls Coleman, who jumps on the first available flight to visit his friend in hospital. Coleman tells him that he needs to change, which Mark agrees with. He enters rehab, and upon his finishing the course he collects up his syringes, his injectable substances and his painkillers and promptly discards them in a dumpster. However, his rehab only added further strain to his relationship with Dawn, eventually resulting in her leaving and Mark leaving to train with Bas Rutten (Bas Rutten), a mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler. 

Mark performs extremely well under Bas' coaching, getting back into the peak of physical fitness, and winning his first fight. He later reconciles with Dawn, which to the chagrin of Bas, results in Mark leaving camp. 

Mark and Dawn have another falling out over her hedonistic habits, and they have a big tit-for-tat argument resulting in Mark breaking up with Dawn and asking her to go the bedroom, pack a bag and leave. A distraught Dawn tries to shoot herself in the head but is prevented from doing so by Mark, who holds her tightly until she calms down. A couple of days later in Japan, at the 2000 Pride Grand Prix semi-finals, a distracted Mark loses his next fight brutally against Igor Vovchanchyn, as he has flashbacks of Dawn and other moments throughout his life and career, and is unable to focus, both physically and mentally, on the bout. 

Coleman eventually wins the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, while Mark receives stitches to his chin. He sits in the shower, smiling and laughing before it cuts to the present day, showing the real Mark Kerr shopping at a grocery store. It is revealed that Mark and Dawn reconciled their differences and got married in Las Vegas ten days after his loss at the 2000 Grand Prix, and that they were married for six years and share a son together. He retired in 2009, and while mostly unknown today, is one of the biggest pioneers in the MMA world.

With 'The Smashing Machine' Writer and Director Benny Safdie has crafted a sports biographical drama offering that certainly looks the part, is high on emotion, and offers two standout performances from Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, but sadly this is where the positives draw to an abrupt halt. Aside from being a pioneer of early MMA/UFC Mark Kerr led what appears to be a fairly unremarkable life to the point where today he is virtually unknown for his contribution to the sport. He had a fairly comfortable life it seems living in a modest, but by no means a palatial home, while frequented by his on again off again relationship with Dawn, and his regular substance abuse and addiction to pain killers all of which contributed to his volatile personality. He was always polite, courteous and selfless when in the public eye, but behind closed doors - often a different story, and Johnson captures these traits perfectly within the film. But, I came away feeling just a little shortchanged by the repetitive nature of this film, and the underwhelming story that centred on just three years of this mans life when he had achieved much before 1997 and after 2000, up until his eventual retirement in 2009. 

'The Smashing Machine' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th October 2025

This years Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) runs from Wednesday 15th through until Sunday 26th October in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. AFF is South Australia’s premier screen event and one of Australia’s leading film festivals. It’s a celebration of courageous cinema where filmmakers and audiences come together for two weeks of local and international film premieres, art, talks and parties in October. Named as one of the top fifty film festivals in the world by Variety, and winner of the 2021 Ruby Award for Best Festival, AFF has a reputation for being distinct and innovative. AFF screens features, shorts, documentaries and moving image projects you can’t see anywhere else - from both emerging and established Australian and global talent. AFF is renowned for its warmth and inclusivity, welcoming new audience members and industry guests alike to South Australia and its eclectic cinema theatres . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'Jimpa' from Australia, Netherlands and Finland and Directed by Sophie Hyde. In Amsterdam, an Adelaide filmmaker Hannah (Olivia Colman) and their non-binary teen Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) reconnect with the family’s flamboyant patriarch known as Jimpa (John Lithgow). As old tensions resurface, Jimpa becomes a tender, emotionally precise portrait of queer family, care and the shifting boundaries between generations. The Closing Night Gala feature film is 'Wolfram' from Australia and Directed by Warwick Thornton and set in 1932 in Central Australia, marking the follow up to his acclaimed 'Sweet Country'. Aboriginal children are forced into wolfram (tungsten) mining until violence entangles them with ruthless outlaws. At the heart of the story is Pansy (Deborah Mailman), longing for her stolen children in a tightly wrought western of reckoning.

This years Feature Fiction Film Competition sees the following entries :-

* 'Vanilla' - from Mexico and Directed by Mayra Hermosillo. In late-1980's Mexico, Vanilla is a textured family drama told through the eyes of a young girl raised by seven formidable women. As debt threatens their home, she witnesses resilience, tenderness and struggle that reshape her sense of belonging and the meaning of family. Australian Premiere.

* 'Reedland' - from the Netherlands and Belgium and Directed by Sven Bresser in his feature film debut. Johan harvests reeds in the Dutch marshlands. When he discovers the body of a girl, he embarks on a search for the killer. Australian Premiere.

* 'Perla' - from Austria and Slovakia and Directed by Alexandra Makarova. In 1981 Vienna, a Slovakian exile struggles to support her daughter. When the child’s father re-appears in her life, Perla makes the dangerous journey back to communist Czechoslovakia, where she is torn between the demands of conflicting loves that threaten to pull her life apart. Australian Premiere.

* 'Phantoms of July' - from Germany and Directed by Julian  Radlmaier. When Ursula and Neda embark on a ghost hunt, their encounter becomes a story of eccentric locals, spectral rumours and the surprising connections strangeness can spark. Australian Premiere.

* 'A Useful Ghost' - from Thailand, France, Singapore and Germany and Directed by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, here we have a politically tinged, absurdist comedy/drama in which the ghost of a young woman returns to her husband as a bright-red vacuum cleaner, determined to prove herself a loving ghost.

For the details of the Feature Documentary Film Competition, plus all the other film strands being showcased, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org

Homing in on this weeks five new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a psychological thriller in which a college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroad when a star student levels an accusation against one of her colleagues, threatening to expose a dark secret from her own past. This is followed by another psychological thriller telling the story of when his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation. Then we turn to a supernatural horror film sequel that sees this young man, now 17, struggling with life after his captivity and subsequent escape having killed his abductor, when his sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions. Next up is a crime comedy drama offering based on an unbelievable true story, the film follows a former Army Ranger and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s. And closing out the week we have a drama film telling the story of a group of troubled boys who are kidnapped, abandoned and forced into a ruthless 'Wilderness Therapy' programme in the Utah desert, and cut off from the world, they must survive both the elements and the mind games of a director who may not be trying to save them at all.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five 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 week ahead.

'AFTER THE HUNT' (Rated MA15+) - is a psychological thriller film Co-Produced and Directed by Luca Guadagnino who prior feature film making credits include his debut offering in 1999 with 'The Protagonists' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'I Am Love' in 2009, 'A Bigger Splash' in 2015, 'Call Me by Your Name' in 2017, 'Suspiria' in 2018, 'Bones And All' in 2022, and both 'Challengers' and 'Queer' in 2024. This film had its World Premiere showcasing out of competition in this years Venice International Film Festival in late August, where it received mixed reviews from critics. It saw a limited released last week in the USA, before going wide from this week. 

Alma Olsson (Julia Roberts) is a respected, well-liked professor at Yale University, who is forced to grapple with her own secretive past after one of her colleagues Henrik 'Hank' Gibson (Andrew Garfield) is faced with a sexual abuse allegation involving one of her students, Margaret 'Maggie' Resnick (Ayo Edebiri). Also starring Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloe Sevigny. 

'BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER' (Rated MA15+) - this British psychological thriller film is Directed by Edward Berger whose most recent feature film making credits are the two critically lauded films 'All Quiet on the Western Front' and 'Conclave'. This film is based on the 2104 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne. Here, Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) is laying low in Macau, spending his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking heavily and gambling what little money he has left. Struggling to keep up with his ever mounting debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton), a private investigator ready to confront Doyle with what he is running from. As Doyle tries to climb to salvation, the confines of reality start to close in. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Telluride Film Festival on 29th August, will have a limited release in the USA, UK and here in Australia from this week before streaming on Netflix from 29th October. 

'BLACK PHONE 2' (Rated MA15+) - is an American supernatural horror film Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Scott Derrickson and is a sequel to the 2021 film that took US$162M at the global Box Office off the back of a US$17M production budget, and was also Directed by Scott Derrickson. Bad dreams haunt fifteen-year-old Gwen (Madeleine McGraw, reprising her role from the first film) as she receives calls from the black phone and sees disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Accompanied by her brother, Finn (Mason Thames, also reprising), they head to Alpine Lake Camp to solve the mystery, only to confront the Grabber (Ethan Hawke, reprising), a killer who's grown even more powerful in death. Also starring Demian Bichir, Jeremy Davies and Arianna Rivas. The film Premiered at Fantastic Fest on 20th September, is released in the US and here in Australia this week, and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews. 

'ROOFMAN' (Rated M) - this American crime comedy drama film is Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Derek Cianfrance who made his Directorial debut with 'Brother Tied' in 1998 and would follow this up with 'Blue Valentine' in 2010, 'The Place Beyond the Pines' in 2012, and 'The Light Between Oceans' in 2016. The film is a biopic of the fugitive Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a former United States Army Reserve officer and struggling father, known colloquially as Roofman due to his propensity to steal from branches of McDonald's after entering their premises via the roof. After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys 'R' Us store for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a divorced mum drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in. The film had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September, was released in the US last week and has generated largely positive press. Also starring Ben Mendelsohn, Peter Dinklage, Juno Temple, LaKeith Stanfield and Tony Revolori.

'THE WILDERNESS' (Rated CTC) - is an American drama film that is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Spencer King who made his feature film debut in 2016 with 'Black Petunia' and would follow this up with the documentary 'Death on Me : The Story of Dex Osama' in 2020 and 'Time Now' in 2021. In this story, a group of troubled teenage boys are kidnapped from their homes and taken deep into the unforgiving Utah desert and forced to attend a wilderness therapy programme. Cut off from the outside world, their only path home lies in gaining the favour of the cryptic programme director, whose intentions are anything but healing. As rehabilitation slips into manipulation, the boys must choose to either endure the programme or find a way out. Starring Hunter Doohan, Lamar Johnson, Vinessa Shaw, Sam Jaeger, Sean Avery and Liana Liberato. This film is released Stateside this week too.

With five 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 coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HIM : Tuesday 7th October 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'HIM' earlier this week, and this American supernatural psychological sports horror film that is Co-Written and Directed by Justin Tipping in only his second feature film Directing outing following 2016's 'Kicks'. He has Directed a number of TV series episodes including four episodes of 'Twenties' in 2020, three each of 'Flatbush Misdemeanours' and 'Run the World' in 2021, and four of 'Joe vs. Carole' in 2022. The film is Produced by Jordan Peele's ('Get Out', 'Us' and 'Nope') Monkeypaw Productions. The film was released in the US on 19th September, and here in Australia last week, has so far grossed US$26M off the back of a US$27M production budget and has generated less than favourable critical reviews.

The film opens with a young Cameron 'Cam' Cade (Austin Pulliam) sat patiently in front of his big screen TV waiting for the American football final to begin. His favourite football team, the San Antonio Saviors win the league championship, but his joy turns to sadness when his quarterback idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) suffers a compound fracture to his leg while scoring the game winning touchdown. Cam's father, Cam Snr. (Don Benjamin) tells him that real men are willing to make sacrifices. We then fast forward fourteen or so years and Cam (Tyriq Withers) is now a rising football star in his own right, and his father has passed away. Encouraged by his mother Yvette (Indira G. Wilson) and his girlfriend Adrienne (Tierra Whack) he trains for the league combine (a week-long showcase occurring every February where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general managers, and scouts). One evening, while practicing late on an empty field, Cam is approached from behind but someone wearing a goat costume, who beats him over the head with a blunt instrument causing a head injury that has the potential to end his career aspirations.

Spurred on by his agent, Tom (Tim Heidecker), Cam plans to attend the combine to pursue the Saviors' quarterback position, despite the risk of permanent brain damage if he succumbs to another head injury. While overstimulated due to his concussion, Cam lashes out at his cousin and Tom, and refuses to take part in the combine. Tom later reveals that Isaiah is considering retirement with his contract due to expire at the end of the year, and has offered to train Cam for a week at a remote desert compound to prove himself a worthy successor. Cam accepts and travels there, encountering crazed Isaiah fans led by Marjorie (Naomi Grossman), who attempt to intimidate him out of replacing their hero. Cam meets Isaiah for the first time in person, and after introducing themselves and each bestowing complements on the other, they get down to the serious business of why Cam is there. 

At the compound, Isaiah puts Cam through disturbing challenges each day - with day #1 being Fun, Day #2 Poise, Day #3 being Respect, Day #4 being Leadership, Day #5 Vision and Day #6 Sacrifice. On one such day this includes a practice drill where a jugs machine repeatedly hits a player in the face causing a seriously blackened eye, a knocked out tooth and a lot of blood, but nonetheless seemingly pleased and honoured to have been of service. And on another occasion during a drill Cam severely headbutts another player, where that other player ends up writhing around on the ground concussed. 

Cam secretly receives shots of Isaiah's blood, which he is led to believe will boost his energy, and he subsequently experiences frequent hallucinations of masked figures, which he attributes to his own concussion. While in a sauna, Cam is attacked by Marjorie and overpowers her by almost choking her to death, before Isaiah arrives and emotionlessly kills her, much to Cam's consternation. As Cam tries to leave, Isaiah's wife, Elsie (Julia Fox), apologises for her husbands actions, and seduces him. Cam wakes the next morning to Isaiah holding him at gunpoint, demanding to know if Cam and Elsie slept together, which he denies. Isaiah ridicules Cam for feeling guilty about his girlfriend, telling him that winners have no remorse.

On the Thursday evening Elsie invites Cam to a secret party to meet the owners of the Saviors. Upon arrival, Marco (Jim Jefferies), the team doctor, whispers to Cam to 'run' before leaving. The owners toast Cam and give him a glass of a strange red liquid, which he knocks back in one go, unaware that it is in fact Isaiah's blood. A disoriented Cam wanders into a side room and finds Marco's severed head perched up on a table. Elsie comforts him as he loses consciousness. Cam wakes up later in an ice bath at Isaiah's compound, connected to an IV of Isaiah's blood. He rips out the IV, injects a syringe with the word 'run' handwritten on the side left by Marco, and grabs a heavy glass trophy, with the intent on killing Isaiah and escaping. 

Cam finds Isaiah watching a video of his adoring cheering fans. Isaiah reveals he is part of a line of manufactured 'Greatest of All Time' (GOAT) players who gain enhanced abilities from ritual blood transferred down a lineage from one GOAT player to the next. Isaiah tells Cam they must fight to the death with one GOAT transfusion victor. After a struggle, Cam beats Isaiah unconscious with a helmet which he repeats twice more before dropping the helmet and finishing the job with his bare fists.

Cam leaves the room bloodied, and steps onto a football field in the bright sunlight where he finds Elsie, the Saviors' owners, and Tom, all wearing animal masks. They present him with a contract to sign, sight unseen, revealing that Cam's father arranged for him to be the next GOAT. They explain that the earlier masked attack was staged to lead Cam to the Saviors. Cam refuses to sign the contract and, in a violent outburst, kills Elsie, all the owners, and the masked attacker, who is revealed to be Isaiah and Cam's trainer, Malek, using a dual hammer and spike, and sword. However, he spares Tom, who is subsequently dragged into a pentagram and destroyed by some unseen force. A blood soaked Cam walks past masked cheerleaders and marching band members and out of the compound. 

There's not too many films out there that attempt to blend a sport with the horror genre, and on this basis Director and Co-Writer Tipping and Writers Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie deserve kudos for giving it a go, and trying to deliver us something relatively new and fresh. The first two acts are solid enough, but by the time the third act ratchets into gear it's lost its way and the film gives way to an over the top violent bloodfest that we have seen hundreds of times before and that begs more questions than answers. Marlon Wayans carries this film on his broad shoulders and Tyriq Withers gives a more than passable performance, and as for Jordan Peele's contribution as Producer, lets just say that when the team doctor Marco tells Cam to 'run' he could just as well have said 'Get Out' and we would have known we were watching a Peele production! The film looks good, makes the most of its relatively modest budget of US$27M, but in the final analysis is all style over substance, and certainly won't go down in history as one of the GOAT.

'Him' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-