NOW YOU SEE ME : NOW YOU DON'T : Tuesday 25th November 2025

I saw the M Rated 'NOW YOU SEE ME : NOW YOU DON'T' earlier this week, and this American heist film is Directed by Ruben Fleischer, and is the sequel to 2016's 'Now You See Me 2' which was Directed by Jon M. Chu and is the third instalment in the 'Now You See Me' film franchise. Those first two films in the series grossed worldwide US$687M off the back of combined production budgets of US$165M. Ruben Fleischer's prior feature film output takes in his 2009 debut with 'Zombieland' which he would follow up with the likes of 'Gangster Squad' in 2013, 'Venom' in 2018, 'Zombieland : Double Tap' in 2019, 'Venom : Let There Be Carnage' in 2021 and 'Uncharted' in 2022. The film was released here in Australia and the US on 13th and 14th of this month respectively, has so far grossed US$150M off the back of a US$90M production budget and has generated mixed critical reviews. It has been reported that a fourth film is already in development, and is set to be Directed by a returning Ruben Fleischer.  

Set some ten years after the events of the second film, a trio of young magicians - Charlie (Jutice Smith), Bosco LeRoy (Dominic Sessa), and June Rouclere (Ariana Greenblatt) put on a fake Four Horsemen magic show via deepfakes and holograms, where they drain the mobile phone wallets of the corrupt owners of a cryptocurrency exchange and distribute the stolen funds among the attendees. After the show when they have decamped back to their secret loft apartment, they are unexpectedly approached by J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), one of the original Horsemen. He recruits them in a plot apparently given to him by the Eye, the secret magic society, via a tarot card. Their mission, simply to steal 'the Heart', the largest diamond in the world. The diamond is in the possession of Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), the ruthless head of a South African diamond company started by her father, a former Nazi who uses the business to launder money for war criminals. Soon after, while preparing for a private viewing and auction of the diamond in Antwerp, Veronika receives a phone call from an unknown man using a voice changer, who threatens to expose her company's illegal activities if she does not give him the diamond. Needless to say she brushes him off but is nonetheless left a little rattled.

At that private party in Antwerp, Daniel and the three recently recruited young magicians execute the heist through a combination of disguises, switching props, and misdirection to seize the diamond from Veronika. Her security and Police fail to pursue them as Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), the remaining members of the original Four Horsemen, arrive to assist them in evading capture by the local Police and Veronika's own security team. Having escaped capture by exiting from the roof via a zip line down to a waiting boat, the other three Horsemen explain that they have also received messages on tarot cards from the Eye. The Horsemen later reveal that a heist had gone wrong that resulted in their leader, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), being arrested and held in a Russian prison, resulting in the group's split and subsequent disappearance until now.

The group travels on to an estate owned by the Eye in France, where they meet Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), the former grandmaster of the Eye, who also received a card telling him to assist the Horsemen. Thaddeus says that Veronika's secrets were hidden within the estate and implores them to find it. The Police, who are on Veronika's payroll, arrive to raid the estate, forcing the group to split up and use the illusory rooms within the estate to disorient and take down the Police. Charlie and Bosco manage to find a set of seemingly secret documents exposing Veronika's client list and her company's illegal activities, and escape with Daniel and Henley, while Merritt, Jack, and June are captured by the Police. While trying to escape, Thaddeus is fatally shot and dies inside the escape tunnel with Charlie, Bosco, Daniel and Henley bidding him a tearful farewell before fleeing the scene.

Inside the local Police station, Veronika questions Merritt, who turns the tables and rattles her by deducing that, after her father's affair with their housekeeper resulted in her mother's suicide, Veronika planned the murder of her housekeeper and half-brother. Lula May (Lizzy Caplan), another Horseman, arrives heavily disguised and helps Jack and June escape, but Merritt is recaptured. The group, now reunited, begins planning to rescue Merritt, as Veronika receives another phone call from the unknown man, pressuring her to retrieve the diamond.

Veronika and the Horsemen agree to arrange a meet in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit, where a party is being held for the Formula 1 team Veronika owns. During the swap - the Heart Diamond in exchange for Merritt, Bosco and Charlie create a distraction by stealing the F1 car on display at the party and driving off, starting a Police chase. Meanwhile, having swapped Merritt for the diamond, Veronika traps the Horsemen in a completely sealed glass cube. Veronika reveals her plans to bury them alive as sand fills up the cube. Veronika leaves with the diamond and arranges to meet with the unknown man in her vault, located out in the depths of the desert. The Horsemen manage to escape by breaking a water pipe directly above the cube and flooding it, and using Henley's diamond ring to ultimately shatter the glass. 

Veronika arrives at her vault and takes a gun from a guard. Upon entering, she learns that the unknown caller is Charlie, who is actually Veronika's long-lost half-brother, and that his mother saved him from the drowning orchestrated by her some fifteen years ago. A tearful Veronika apologises and hands Charlie the diamond, then walks away a few paces, turns and shoots him. As Charlie lays on the ground seemingly dead, she motions to take the diamond, but as she does so, Charlie moves, rises to his feet uninjured, revealing a bullet caught in his teeth. Veronika attempts to shoot again, only to discover that she was firing blanks. The vault walls open, revealing that Veronika is actually on the Horsemen stage with a live audience back at the Yas Marina Circuit. It is revealed that the car Veronika got in was driven by Charlie, the security guard whom she took the gun from was Bosco, the car went into the rear of a truck driven by June, and that the elevator ride in the vault was actually the Horsemen rolling a box onto the stage. 

Charlie tells the gathered audience that he in fact orchestrated and planned every aspect of the heist, including bringing the Horsemen together in the first place. He also admits that he created every clue to exact revenge on Veronika, ultimately leading to her arrest. Charlie tells the crowd that every client of the Vanderberg company involved in its illegal activities will be arrested, and that the proceeds of the diamond mining and the Heart itself will be given back to the people of South Africa. Some time later, the Horsemen gather at Charlie, June, and Bosco's hideout. A package arrives at the door containing a hologram of Dylan, having faked his imprisonment, who officially inducts Charlie, Bosco, and June to the Eye, and tells the group that there is more to be done. 

You really have to go in to this film having suspended all belief in the magicians art, and by that I mean the ability to pull of such intricate heists, misdirections, and illusions in just a matter of a couple of days as is the case here, in what would otherwise take months for any other self respecting magician to pull off with such aplomb. And, who's funding these guys that they can afford to pull of these amazing feats, and travel from France to the UAE in a private Lear Jet. That said, 'Now You See Me : Now You Don't' is an enjoyable and entertaining enough romp back into the world of the Four Horsemen, that is made memorable by the strong cast, in which it is good to see three new young fresh faces join The Horsemen so paving the way for more of them in instalment #4. However, the film is let down by the heavy reliance on CGI spectacle, and a silly and convoluted plot that has so much going on on screen that you need to really lean into it to keep track. You can leave your brain at the front door of your local cinema, and just go along for the ride and be entertained for a couple of hours.

'Now You See Me : Now You Don't' merits 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 27th November 2025.

The King's Lynn Film Festival (KLFF) runs this year from Thursday 27th until Sunday 30th November in the port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. Founded in 2015, the festival grew out of the King’s Lynn Community Cinema Club - a thriving, non-profit membership organisation that continues to host monthly screenings at the historic Guildhall on King Street. KLFF was established to give audiences in King’s Lynn, West Norfolk and beyond the chance to experience a broader variety of films, while dedicating an annual occasion to celebrating cinema and the impact it has on our lives. Our mission is to promote appreciation and education in the art and craft of cinema and moving images. We achieve this by staging our annual film festival, along with educational events and activities that connect audiences with the creative and cultural power of film . . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Film presentation is 'Strangers on a Train' from 1951, and this American psychological thriller film noir was Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. The story centres on two strangers who meet on a train, one of whom is a psychopath who suggests that they 'exchange' murders so that neither will be caught. Starring Farley Granger, Ruth Roman and Robert Walker.

The programme list of feature films being showcased are as given briefly below : - 

* 'Late Shift' - from Switzerland and Germany this drama film is Written and Directed by Petra Volpe. The film focuses on a young nurse, Floria (Leonie Benesch), who works with unwavering dedication in an understaffed hospital ward, but on this day, her shift turns into a nerve-wracking race against time.

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

* 'No Other Choice' - from South Korea and this satirical black comedy thriller film is Co-Written, Produced, and Directed by Park Chan-wook. The film follows a desperate paper industry expert Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) who decides to kill off his competition to be assured of the job he seeks to maintain his way of life.

* 'Blue Moon' - from the USA and this biographical comedy drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Richard Linklater. The film follows songwriter Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) as he reflects on himself on the opening night of 'Oklahoma!', a new musical by his former colleague Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott). Also starring Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Jonah Lees.

* 'After the Tide' - from the UK and this documentary film is Directed by Joseph Harrington. The film explores the pressing issue of coastal erosion and how the idyllic village of Happisburgh in Norfolk, UK, is threatened by a new wave of government policy.

* 'The Golden Spurtle' - from the UK and Australia this documentary film is Written and Directed by Constantine Costi. In the Scottish Highland village of Carrbridge, competitors gather for the World Porridge Championships' final year under Charlie Miller's leadership, celebrating tradition and community through the art of perfect porridge-making using only oatmeal, salt and water. 

* 'H is for Hawk' - from the UK and the USA, this biographical drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe. The film tells the true story of a woman Helen Macdonald (Claire Foy) who tends to a Goshawk after the death of her father Alisdair Macdonald (Brendan Gleeson).

* 'Sentimental Value' - from Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the UK and Co-Written and Directed by Joachim Trier. It follows a fractured relationship between an acclaimed Director Gustav Borg (Stellen Skarsgard) and his two estranged daughters Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes Borg Pettersen (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), which becomes even more complicated when he decides to make a personal film about their family history. Also starring Elle Fanning. 

* 'It Was Just an Accident' - from Iran, France and Luxembourg, and this thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jafar Panahi. The film follows a group of former Iranian political prisoners who face the question of whether to exact revenge on their tormentor.

* 'The Secret Agent' - from Brazil, France, Germany and the Netherlands, and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho. Set in 1977, the film follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former teacher caught in the political turmoil of the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship, attempting to flee persecution and resist an authoritarian deceitful regime.

For the other films being screened, you can visit the official website at : https://www.klfilmfestival.uk

Turning then attention then back to this weeks slew of eight new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with the third instalment in this mystery franchise in which Detective Benoit Blanc sifts through a series of suspects when a monsignor turns up dead. Next up is an action thriller where a woman, travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota, interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl, and realises that she is the young girl's only hope. Then we have an action crime drama based upon extensive research with law enforcement, gangs, inmates, migrants, and addicts, offering up an expose on fentanyl trafficking, and its effect on all walks of life. This is followed by a psychological thriller film about a cunning wannabe who enters the orbit of an ascendant pop star and charts the story about the hunger for, and hollowness of, celebrity. Next we turn to a Christmas musical comedy where the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future take a modern-day British refugee Scrooge on an unforgettable journey of discovery. Following on we have a documentary film about an 85-year-old man and comedy legend, five countries, sixteen cities, twenty-six shows in six weeks - will he make it home, or is this the end of the road? Then we have another doco, about a Chinese woman who hires someone to secretly end her husband's extramarital relationship in an attempt to save her marriage; before closing out the week with an animated sequel to an earlier hugely successful 2016 film, as Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile. 

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

'WAKE UP DEAD MAN' (Rated M) - this American mystery film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rian Johnson and serves as a standalone sequel to 2022's 'Glass Onion' and is the third offering in the 'Knives Out' movie franchise, both of which were also helmed by Rian Johnson. Johnson's previous feature film credits take in his debut with 'Brick' in 2005, which he would follow up with 'The Brothers Bloom' in 2008, 'Looper' in 2012 and 'Star Wars : The Last Jedi' in 2017. This film had its World Premiere showcasing at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September, is released for a limited time in Odeon's from this week, before being released on Netflix on 12th December. The film has received positive reviews from critics.

Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) takes on a new case that brings him into the orbit of a charismatic priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), and his devout congregation. When a mysterious death occurs, Blanc must navigate a complex web of secrets and simmering tensions within the community to uncover the truth. Also starring Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey Wright and Daryl McCormack. 

'DEAD OF WINTER' (Rated MA15+) - is an American and German Co-Produced action thriller film Directed by Brian Kirk whose previous feature film Directing credits are 2019's '21 Bridges' in Chadwick Boseman's last cinema released film before his death in August 2020, and 'Middletown' in 2006. Hit by a blizzard, a grief-stricken loner woman Barb (Emma Thompson) gets lost among backroads near a North Minnesotan lake where she wants to scatter the ashes of her late husband. She stops for help at a remote cabin in the woods. Here she discovers a young woman Leah (Laurel Marsden) kidnapped by a desperate couple (Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca) who are armed and intent on murder. Isolated and without mobile phone service, this unlikely hero realises she is the woman's only hope of survival. The film had its World Premiere at this Locarno Film Festival in early August, was released in the US at the end of September, has generated largely positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$2M.

'KING IVORY' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller film is Written and Directed by John Swab whose prior feature film making credits take in his 2016 debut with 'Let Me Make You a Martyr', which he would follow up with other titles including 'Run with the Hunted' in 2019, 'Body Brokers' in 2021, 'Candy Land' in 2022, and 'Little Dixie' in 2023. From civilians to criminals to addicts to law enforcement, and everyone in between, all walks of life intersect in this thriller about the epidemic that is fentanyl, aka by its street name - King Ivory. It is business as usual for Tulsa drug cop, Layne West (James Badge Dale), battling the local criminal element, which hits too close to home when his son, Jack (Jasper Jones), gets hooked on fentanyl. In conjunction with his partner, Ty (George Carroll), and FBI counterpart, Beatty (Rory Cochrane), West makes it his mission in life to take down those responsible, including the Mexican cartel's local shot-caller, Ramon Garza (Michael Mando), Indian Brotherhood War Chief, Holt Lightfeather (Graham Greene), who controls state-wide trafficking while serving life inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester aka 'Big Mac', and the local Irish Mob family outfit, led by George 'Smiley' Greene (Ben Foster), along with his mother, Ginger (Melissa Leo), and uncle, Mickey (Ritchie Coster). The film had its World Premiere showcasing as the Venice International Film Festival in early September 2024, and was released in the US on 14th of this month, having cost under US$7.5M to produce and generating mixed or average reviews.

'LURKER' (Rated M) - is an American psychological drama thriller film that is Written and Directed by Alex Russell in his feature film making debut. When twenty-something Los Angeles retail clerk and loner Matthew (Theodore Pellerin) encounters rising pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe, who also Co-Produces here), he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But staying there isn't easy. With an entire entourage (Havana Rose Liu, Zack Fox, Daniel Zolghadri and Sunny Suljic) vying for attention, Matthew must prove himself to Oliver as more than just a follower. As their bond grows strained and mainstream fame appears within reach, access and proximity become a matter of life and death. The film saw its World Premiere screening at this years Sundance Film Festival at the end of January, was released Stateside at the end of August having garnered generally positive critical reviews and so far grossing US$634K.

'CHRISTMAS KARMA' (Rated PG) - this British Christmas musical comedy drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Gurinder Chadha and is a Bollywood musical-inspired adaptation of the 1843 Charles Dickens book 'A Christmas Carol'. Set in vibrant, multicultural London, a hard-nosed businessman, Mr. Sood (Kunal Nayyar), is forced to confront his past, present, and future over one fateful Christmas Eve, guided by three unforgettable spirits, on a journey toward compassion and redemption. Also starring an ensemble cast comprising Leo Suter, Charithra Chandran, Pixie Lott, Danny Dyer, Boy George, Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter and Eva Longoria. The film was released in the UK on 14th of this month.

'JOHN CLEESE PACKS IT IN' (Rated M) - Directed by Andy Curd this UK Documentary film follows the Ex-Monty Python John Cleese as he embarks on his 2025 tour as he travels to sixteen European cities to perform twenty-six shows in six weeks. At the age of eighty five, this doco is a wry, behind-the-scenes portrait of a comedy legend on the road, battling various ailments, chaotic travel, and his own stubborn refusal to stop. Spanning six weeks on the road, the film captures Cleese unfiltered and on the move - riffing on life, fame, and the absurdity of getting old in front of thousands of fans. As he reflects on a stage career that began in 1963, the question lingers - is this the end of the road? With unique and intimate access and showing unexpected tenderness, this is a documentary about legacy, laughter, and the dignity of bowing out, however reluctantly.

'MISTRESS DISPELLER' (Rated PG) - is an American Chinese Documentary film that is Co-Produced, photographed and Directed by Elizabeth Lo, who also helmed the doco 'Stray' in 2020. Here, for the innovative service providers of China’s booming romance economy, infidelity presents just another business opportunity. When she discovers that her husband is being unfaithful, Mrs Li enlists a ‘mistress dispeller’, Wang Zhenxi, to unravel the affair and save her marriage. In no time, Wang ingratiates herself with Mr Li and the young Fei Fei in search of any fissures that could drive them apart. Far from being a cheap chronicle of messy infidelity, however, what emerges is an empathetic study of individuals trying their best to heed what their hearts are telling them. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September 2024, was released in the USA towards the end of October this year, and now gets a limited release here in Australia, has so far grossed US$70K and has garnered widespread critical acclaim.

'ZOOTOPIA 2' (Rated PG) - this American animated buddy cop comedy film is produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and is Written by Jared Bush and is also Directed by him and Byron Howard. It is the sequel to 2016's 'Zootopia' which grossed US$1.03B off the back of a US$150M production budget. Rookie animal cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are sent on a make or break mission by Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) that has them coming face-to-face with mysterious pit viper Gary De'Snake (Ke Huy Quan), whose arrival disrupts the balance of the metropolis. To solve the case while contending with the Zootopia Police Department and other parties, they must go undercover to new parts of town, testing their partnership while dealing with a conspiracy regarding the other reptiles near Zootopia. Also starring the voice talents of Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Macaulay Culkin, Jean Reno, Danny Trejo, John Leguizamo, Alan Tudyk, Josh Gad, June Squibb, Michael J. Fox, Rachel House, Dwayne Johnson, Ed Sheeran and Robert Irwin, amongst others. The film is released this week too in the US.

With eight 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-

THE RUNNING MAN : Tuesday 18th November 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE RUNNING MAN' this week at my local multiplex cinema, and this American dystopian action thriller film is Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Edgar Wright, and is based on the 1982 novel written by Stephen King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. It is also the second big screen adaptation following the 1987 film of the same name that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Directed by Paul Michael Glaser. Edgar Wright's previous feature film output takes in his feature debut with 1995's 'A Fistful of Fingers' and then 'Shaun of the Dead' in 2004, 'Hot Fuzz' in 2007, 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' in 2010, 'The World's End' in 2013, 'Baby Driver' in 2017, and 'Last Night in Soho' in 2021. The film was released here in Australia, the UK and the US last week, cost US$110M to produce, has so far grossed US$31M and has garnered mixed critical acclaim.

In the near future, the USA is a dystopian authoritarian state ruled over by a major media Network, where the majority of the population live in poverty with little access to even basic healthcare. The Network appease people with their trashy, violent reality and game shows through their FreeVee TV's, which are literally everywhere. The Network's most popular show is 'The Running Man', where three 'Runners' are selected from literally hundreds of other wannabes, and can win US$1B if they survive for thirty days while the Network's 'Hunters', led by the mysterious Evan McCone (Lee Pace), and ordinary citizens try to hunt and kill them, by any means possible. Given US$1K and a twelve-hour headstart, Runners are required to film themselves for ten minutes every day and post in their recoded message which is then played on air the next day, or else they'll forfeit the contest. 

Ben Richards (Glen Powell), is a blue-collar worker living in the slums of Co-Op city, is unable to afford influenza medicine for his two year old daughter, Cathy, after being fired from several of his former jobs for insubordination and is blacklisted. Over his wife, Sheila's (Jayme Lawson), objections, Ben tries out for the Network and following exhaustive physical and mental testing is selected for 'The Running Man'. 

Ben agrees to participate when Executive Producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), who can be very persuasive, offers him an advance for Cathy's medication and a safe house for his family. As the show begins with great fanfare, Ben acquires fake IDs and two disguises - one as an Executive Manager and the other as a Priest, from his associate Molie (William H. Macy). Ben travels to New York, where he watches live coverage on his TV from his hotel room where is is holed up as Runner Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy) is found seemingly flaunting the rules and is gunned down in the street and killed by the Hunters.

He then flees to Boston and hides out at a hostel, but is soon afterwards located by the Hunters. An intense firefight ensues, which leads to an explosion that takes out the entire hostel block and kills eight network soldiers. Ben escapes through a sewer and is found and sheltered by Bradley Throckmorton (Daniel Ezra) and his family. Bradley, an anti-network activist, teaches Ben about the network's propaganda and deceit, which Ben relays in his next recording. Instead, the Network replaces him with a foul-mouthed deepfake, resulting in Ben being kicked out of the house by Bradley's mother. Bradley then directs Ben to a fellow activist in Derry, Maine, where he says he'll be safe. 

During his journey, he learns that second runner Jenni Laughlin (Katy O'Brian) has been killed having narrowly escaped from a casino in a pink convertible car but then crashing it into a barn whereupon she was torched by two flamethrower wielding young kids. Ben is now the sole remaining runner, and he has earned the support of the poor and working-class who plaster the slogan 'Ben Lives' on walls and placards, almost everywhere. On the fourteenth day, Ben arrives at the home of Bradley's friend, Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera), who believes Ben's survival can help fuel a rebellion against the Network. Elton gives Ben a map to a bunker built by his late father, where he can survive the full thirty days, even though its designed to sustain a life for three years. 

As he tries to leave early one morning, Ben is alerted by Elton's aged mother Victoria (Sandra Dickinson) who recognises Ben from her ardent watching of his TV programme and wants to alert the Network. He successfully averts her from doing so, but Elton alerts them anyway and within under five minutes the property is swarming with Hunters. However, Elton has booby trapped the entire house and successfully dispatches many of them. Ben and Elton escape in a buggy filled with explosives, but McCone kills Elton with a single shot to the head from a helicopter above, and another Hunter confronts Ben on a bridge. Driving towards each other at speed, Ben crashes the buggy into the Hunter which erupts in a ball of flame, while he escapes by jumping into the river below.

Traveling north as per the map provided by Elton, Ben discovers that the location of the bunker has been covered over by a new housing development still under construction. Ben is later caught on surveillance but escapes using the car of upperclass woman Amelia Williams (Emilia Jones), taking her hostage. Amelia initially believes the propaganda about the Hunters being there to safeguard her kind from Ben's violent unruly kind, until she witnesses on her in-car TV screen how the show's content differs from reality. They travel to an airfield guarded by McCone and the Network, where Killian instructs McCone to let them pass. Ben commandeers a plane on the pretext that he is wearing a suicide vest of Black Irish high explosive that would incinerate everyone within a half mile radius. and he want's it to take him and Amelia across the border into Canada. On the flight, Killian calls Ben to offer him a contract for his own network show and to become Hunter 6. When Ben refuses, Killian shows footage of McCone and the Hunters murdering Sheila and Cathy, which is played on the show to give him the audience's sympathy.

Ben realises the flight crew are McCone's remaining Hunters and fights them in the cockpit eventually killing them. When he fights McCone, he learns that the latter is a former runner who survived 29 days during the show's first season, having taken Killian's deal. After a violent fight, Ben kills McCone and gives a parachute to Amelia so she can escape. Killian again offers Ben his own show and a chance to speak on live TV, but Ben refuses again and tries to convince viewers to turn off their FreeVee. The Network redirects the plane to their headquarters and runs a deepfake of Ben threatening to crash into the building. The plane is shot down by a missile before it hits the building. Ben survives the attack by escaping in the plane's auto-eject pod, and later reunites with Sheila and his daughter, whose deaths were faked by Killian.

Sometime later, Amelia recovers the plane's black box flight recorder and leaks the uncensored recordings to the public. This turns public opinion against the Network and ultimately leads to a rebellion. As the next season of The Running Man begins, host Bobby Thompson (Colman Domingo) senses the hostility in the audience and quits on the spot after leading the show for twenty years, leaving Killian to very reluctantly take over as host - to which he lasts less than a minute after the a riot breaks out among the audience. Running to get away, Killian looses his way during the audience frenzy and crashes through a screen backdrop onto the main stage. Lying flat on the ground watching the melee unfolding before him, Ben emerges from the crowd, and points McCoon's gun (inscribed with word 'Destiny' in block capitals) at him. Counting down 5-4-3-2-1 and Action, Ben shoots Killian, whom he had sworn at their very first meeting that he would fuck him over.

My two other movie buddies and I came away from 'The Running Man' having enjoyed Edgar Wright's apparently more faithful adaptation of the Stephen King novel, and praising Glen Powell's performance as the put-upon but nonetheless undefeated Ben Richards. This movie has something to say about out of control corporate capitalism, society's insatiable appetite for in your face and outlandish media offerings, and the great divide that exists between the wealthy and those living on or below the poverty line. Throw into the mix a good dose of well executed action sequences, a strong supporting cast, a fast paced thrill ride that will not leave you wanting, and the charm and charisma of the film's leading man, and you have a movie that is well worth the price of cinema entry, and is an improvement on the 1987 original. 

'The Running Man' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

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

Established in 1987 and marking its 38th year this year the Foyle Film Festival is Northern Ireland's longest running film festival. Taking place from Wednesday 19th through until Sunday 30th November in venues across Derry~Londonderry, the festival aims to bring the best of international cinema and industry players to the city. Over twelve days in November, Foyle Film Festival brings together all the expertise in film, music, creative learning and culture, in a unique celebration of local, national and international cinematic excellence. The festival also delivers screenings, events and workshops throughout the year, as well as Educational and Community Outreach Screenings. The prestigious Light In Motion (LIM) competition is open to filmmakers and animators across the world, with winners qualifying for consideration in the Live Action and Animated Short Film categories of the Academy Awards and BAFTA . . . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'Trad' from Ireland and Written and Directed by Lance Daly. The film follows gifted fiddle player Shona McAnally (Megan Nic Fhionnghaile) and her young brother (Dallan Woods) as they leave their home in the Donegal Gaeltacht and take to the road with a troupe of wandering musicians on a cross-country journey of adventure, romance, and musical exploration. The Closing Night Gala film screening is 'Rental Family' from Japan and the USA and is Written and Directed by Hikari. Set in modern-day Tokyo, the film follows an American Actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig - working for a Japanese 'rental family' agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

In the World Cinema section of this years festival are the following seven titles :-

* 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' - from Tunisia, France and the USA and is Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. On 29th January 2024, Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A six-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Using actual call recordings and scripted re-enactments based on first-hand testimony, Oscar nominated Director Kaouther Ben Hania blends documentary and fiction to devastating effect.

* 'Alpha' - from France and Belgium and Directed by Julia Ducournau. Alpha (Melissa Boros), a troubled thirteen-year-old lives with her single mother (Golshifteh Farahani). Their world collapses the day she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm. Blending coming-of-age story, melodrama and Ducournau’s trademark body horror, Alpha features a trio of mesmerising central performances including Tahar Rahim as Alpha’s uncle Amin and with supporting cast including Emma Mackey and Finnegan Oldfield.

* 'Romeria' - from Spain and Germany and Directed by Carla Simon. Marina, eighteen and orphaned at a young age, must travel to Spain’s Atlantic coast to obtain a signature for a scholarship application from the paternal grandparents she has never met. She navigates a sea of new aunts, uncles, and cousins, uncertain whether she will be embraced or met with resistance. Stirring long-buried emotions, reviving tenderness, and uncovering unspoken wounds tied to the past, Marina pieces together the fragmented and often contradictory memories of the parents she barely remembers.

* 'The Love that Remains' - from Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and France, and Directed by Hlynur Palmason. Though in the throes of splitting up, Anna and Magnus still spend time together for the sake of their three children, Ida and twins Porgils and Grimur. While there are clear indications of why the separation is happening, there's also the familiarity of a long-held love and a glimmer of a chance of reconciliation.

* 'Nouvelle Vague' - from France and the USA and Directed by Richard Linklater. After several years writing for Cahiers du cinema, a young Jean-Luc Godard decides making films is the best film criticism. He gets producer Georges de Beauregard to fund a low-budget feature, creating a treatment with fellow new-wave icon Francois Truffaut about a gangster couple. This is the story of Jean-Luc Godard making the 1960 influential film 'Breathless' told in the style and spirit in which Godard made that film.

* 'A Private Life' - from France and Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski. When renowned Paris-based psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) learns of the death of one of her patients, she is deeply troubled. Convinced that it was murder, she decides to investigate with help from her ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), tumbling further down the rabbit hole in the process, as the mystery unravels with unexpected results.

* 'It Was Just an Accident' - from Iran, France and Luxembourg, and Directed by Jafar Panahi. What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences. Vahid, an Azerbaijani auto mechanic, was once imprisoned by Iranian authorities. During his sentence, he was interrogated while blindfolded. One day, a man named Eghbal enters his workshop. His prosthetic leg creaks, and Vahid thinks he recognises one of his former torturers.

For the other film strands being showcased including the Light In Motion Competition, and the Documentary and Irish Films sections, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://www.foylefilmfestival.org

This week there are four new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, kicking off with a coming of age comedy drama film about a famous movie Actor who embarks on a journey of self discovery confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager. This is followed by a wartime action film about a man who returns to dismantle his family's house, where they were murdered in war, to rebuild it elsewhere, but when the killer, a Red Army commander, tracks him down, a brutal cross-country pursuit begins. Next up is a musical fantasy sequel that follows Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North; before closing out the week with a documentary film that offers an intimate, first-hand perspective of life in war torn present day Gaza, told through a series of video calls between the filmmaker and a young Palestinian photojournalist.

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 week ahead.

'JAY KELLY' (Rated M) - this coming of age comedy drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noah Baumbach whose prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Kicking and Screaming' in 1995, and which he would follow up with the likes of 'The Squid and the Whale' in 2005, 'Greenberg' in 2010, 'Francis Ha' in 2012, 'While We're Young' in 2014, 'The Meyerowitz Stories' in 2017, 'Marriage Story' in 2019 and 'White Noise' in 2022. This film had its World Premiere in the main competition of this years Venice International Film Festival in late August where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. It is released in select theatres from mid-November, followed by its global release on Netflix on 5th December. The film has generated largely favourable critical reviews.

Here, we follow famous movie Actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they've made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they'll leave behind. Also starring Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Jim Broadbent, Stacy Keach, Patrick Wilson, Greta Gerwig, Emily Mortimer, Isla Fisher, Lenny Henry and Alba Rohrwacher.

'SISU : ROAD TO REVENGE' (Rated MA15+) - is a Finland and US Co-Produced war action film that is the sequel to 2022's 'Sisu' and like the first film is once again Written and Directed by Jalmari Helander. Here, after returning in 1946 to Soviet-occupied Karelia, where his family was brutally murdered toward the end of World War II, Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) aka 'the man who refuses to die', dismantles his old family house, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honour. When the Red Army discovers Korpi's arrival on their soil, Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang), the man who killed his family, comes back hellbent on finishing the job, by killing the legendary ex-soldier by any means necessary. Also starring Richard Brake as the KGB Officer who sends Draganov to capture Korpi. The film cost US$12M to produce, has so far grossed US$2M, saw its World Premiere screening at Fantastic Fest in late September, was released in its native Finland in late October, is released in the US and here in Australia this week and has garnered universal critical acclaim. 

'WICKED : FOR GOOD' (Rated PG) - this American musical fantasy film is is a direct sequel to 2024's 'Wicked' which grossed US$756M off the back of a production budget of US$150M and, like this film, was also Directed by Jon M. Chu. This film adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, a reimagining of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' and its 1939 film adaptation. Here then, years after the events of 'Wicked', Elphaba Thropp, now known as the Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo), continues her fight for animal rights while living as a fugitive. Meanwhile, Glinda Upland, now recognised as the Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande), is a public figure watched over by the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). As they face the consequences of their actions, their relationship is put to the test by a series of events, which includes the surprising arrival of Dorothy Gale from Kansas, that will change the Land of Oz forever. Also starring Jonathan Bailey, Peter Dinklage, Colman Domingo and Marissa Bode. The film saw its World Premiere in Sao Paolo, Brazil on 4th November, is released in the US and here in Australia this week and cost US$150M to produce.

'PUT YOU SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK' (Rated M) - is a French, Palestine and Iran Co-Produced documentary film that is Co-Produced, photographed, Directed, stars and Edited by Sepideh Farsi. The film depicts life in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli military campaign, captured through Farsi's year long video calls with a young female Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna living there, who was interviewed by Farsi for the film, and was killed in an Israeli airstrike alongside nine members of her family on 16th April 2025, the day after the film was selected for the ACID parallel section of this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May where the film had its World Premiere showcasing. 

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 coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-