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

This years 17th annual edition of the Les Arcs Film Festival runs from Saturday 13th through until Saturday 20th December, and is a ski resort located in Savoie, France, in the Tarentaise Valley town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, in the French Alps. A major cultural event, the festival's aim is to promote the diversity of European cinema and showcase the many talents on the continent. Set in the heart of the Alps, in one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the world, the festival is an opportunity to enjoy the first snows and film screenings throughout the day in the presence of filmmakers and Actors. All this in a festive atmosphere with unforgettable evenings, entertainment, concerts and DJs! The festival offers an ambitious programme of around a hundred films from all over Europe.

This years Opening Ceremony feature film in 'Couture' from France and the USA and is Directed by Alice Winocour. In Paris, amid the hustle and bustle of Fashion Week, Maxine Walker (Angelina Jolie), an American film Director, receives news that will turn her life upside down. She then crosses paths with Ada (Anyier Anei), a young South Sudanese model who has left her country, and Angele (Ella Rumpf), a French make-up artist aspiring to a different life. Between these three women from such different backgrounds, an unexpected bond develops. Beneath the glamorous surface, a silent rebellion emerges - that of women who, each in their own way, are piecing together the threads of their own stories.

In the Feature Film Competition, there are eight films being showcased, as follows :-

* 'Father' - from Slovakia and Co-Written and Directed by Tereza Nvotova. A tragic mistake shatters the life of a devoted father, shaking his marriage and isolating him in guilt. As the threat of prison looms, he begins to question whether he deserves to go on living. But when he and his wife come to see that the tragedy was not a personal failure, but something rooted deep in the architecture of the human mind, a fragile path toward forgiveness begins to emerge. Even with this understanding, the question remains - can love survive what no heart was built to endure?

* 'I Swear' - from the UK and Written and Directed by Kirk Jones. The true story and challenging journey of John Davidson, a young man living with Tourette’s syndrome, a condition that was still little known in the 1980's. Starring Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Peter Mullan, Shirley Henderson and Scott Ellis Watson.

* 'Little Trouble Girls' - from Slovenia and Directed by Urska Djukic. Lucia, an introverted young girl, joins her school’s choir and befriends Ana-Maria, who is popular and alluring. Confronted with an unfamiliar environment and the awakening of her sexuality, Lucia begins to question her beliefs and values, disrupting the harmony of the choir.

* 'Maspalomas' - from Spain and Written by Jose Mari Goenaga and Directed by Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga. Under the blazing sun of Maspalomas, in the Canary Islands, Vicente has been enjoying a carefree retirement for twenty-five years. But an accident suddenly tears him away from his paradise. Repatriated to Donostia, he is placed by his daughter in a nursing home where time seems to stand still and ghosts from the past resurface. Once again forced to conceal his identity, he becomes obsessed with the single idea of escape … and reclaiming the freedom of Maspalomas.

* 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' - from Denmark and Written and Co-Directed by David Borenstein, and photographed, narrated, starring and Co-Directed by Pavel 'Pasha' Talankin. The film follows Talankin working in a school at Karabash, a poor mining town near the Ural Mountains. While recording his students Talakin also documents the Putin administration movements to control public perception during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.

* 'Silent Friend' - from Germany and Written and Directed by Ildiko Enyedi. In a botanical garden, a tree watches and observes, a patient witness to the passing centuries. In 1908, it watches Grete, who struggles to find her place in a world that ignores her. In the 1970's, it sees Hannes awaken to love and to the world of plants. Today, the old tree speaks with Tony in its secret language. Around it, some are searching, others are meeting. The tree remains, a silent friend, living in a time far greater than theirs. Starring Lea Seydoux.

* 'Solomamma' - from Norway and Co-Written and Directed by Janicke Askevold. Edith, in her forties, wants to get pregnant using an anonymous sperm donor. Five years later, she accidentally discovers the donor's identity, Niels, a successful video game developer who lives not far from her home, and her curiosity prompts her to arrange a meeting under the pretext of writing a profile about him and his tech company.

* 'Three Goodbyes' - from Italy and Co-Written and Directed by Isabel Coixet. After what seemed like a trivial quarrel, Marta and Antonio break up. Marta reacts to the breakup by closing in on herself. The only symptom she cannot ignore is her sudden lack of appetite. Antonio, a chef on the upswing, throws himself into his work. Yet although he is the one who left Marta, he cannot get over her. When Marta discovers that her lack of appetite has more to do with her own health than the pain of separation, everything changes: the taste of food, the music, the desire, the certainty of the choices she has made. Starring Alba Rohrwacher.

The Guests of Honour at this years festival are Isabelle Adjani, one of the most award-winning French actresses of her generation; award-winning German Spanish Actor and Producer Daniel Bruhl has been involved in several critically acclaimed film and television projects; and Tarik Saleh the Swedish television Producer, animator, publisher, journalist and film Director.

For more information on the other film strands being showcased, plus the focus country this year being the films of Greece, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://www.lesarcs-filmfest.com/en

This week we have five new feature films coming to your local Odeon, kicking off with a supernatural biblical thriller about the childhood of Jesus as recounted by Thomas the Apostle in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Then we turn to a seasonal Christmas slasher horror offering that is a remake of a 1984 film of the same name, that sees a demented Santa go on a killing spree every Christmas Eve. Next up is a satirical war film in which an aspiring actress working for a military role-playing facility, posing as a fictional country that could be anywhere in the middle-east, sees this casting as a stepping stone to Hollywood greatness, until she falls for an ex-soldier playing the part of an insurgent. This is followed by a comedy drama about an idealistic young woman who must juggle her family and work life, the people you love and how to survive them. And closing out the week is a French animated action comedy that has a crew of animal bandits who embark on a routine swindle, but they unwittingly they find themselves caught up in a train heist.

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.

'THE CARPENTER'S SON' (Rated MA15+) - this supernatural thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lofty Nathan who first burst on to the scene with his biographical documentary film '12 O'Clock Boys' in 2013 and which he would follow up with 'Harka' in 2022. The film gains its inspiration  from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, about the childhood of Jesus, by Thomas the Apostle.

A remote village in Roman-era Egypt explodes into spiritual warfare when a carpenter Joseph (Nicolas Cage), his wife Mary (FKA twigs) and their teenage son Jesus (Noah Jupe) are targeted by supernatural forces. Joseph and his family have lived for years under threat, clinging to their faith and traditions. But a stopover in a small settlement unleashes growing chaos when a mysterious stranger (Isla Johnston) tries to entice young Jesus to abandon his devout father’s rules. With every pull of temptation, the boy is lured into a forbidden world, as a terrified Joseph comes to the realisation that demonic forces are at work. Violent, unnatural events inexplicably follow Jesus, and he begins to experience nightmarish visions of the future. Finally, he learns the fearsome truth about his new playmate, as well as the child’s real name! The film was first released in Argentina in late October before being released in the US in mid-November, having so far grossed just US$142K and generating mixed or average reviews at best.

'SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - is a slasher horror film Written and Directed by Mike P. Nelson and is the second remake of the 1984 film of the same name following 'Silent Night' in 2012, and is the seventh film in the series. Of those first six films only the first two and the last instalment in 2012 had a theatrical release with films 3, 4 and 5 going straight to video. The production budget for those three films came in at US$4.75M recouping US$2.76M, so why anyone thinking this film is a good idea is beyond me! That said, when young Billy Chapman (Logan Sawyer) witnesses his parents' grisly murder on Christmas Eve at the hands of Santa, it ignites a lifelong mission to spread holiday fear. Every Christmas, now the adult Billy (Rohan Campbell) dons the jolly red suit and flowing white beard and delivers a blood-soaked massacre to feed his twisted sense of justice. This Christmas Eve, Billy wants to know 'Have you been naughty?'. The film saw its World Premiere screening at Fantastic Fest in late September this year, is released this week also in the US, and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'ATROPIA' (Rated CTC) - this American war satire film is Written and Directed by Hailey Gates in her feature film making debut. Set on the eve of Bush's 'surge', the bloodiest year of the war, Fayruz (Alia Shawkat) is the star thespian of Atropia, a fake country the US military has devised for immersive training. Though she takes great pride in her work, Fayruz believes her tenure here is but a stepping stone on the way to an illustrious acting career in Hollywood. When she meets Abu Dice (Callum Turner), an experienced soldier playing the role of an insurgent, their romance quickly threatens their respective ambitions and questions their allegiance to the military and Atropia's purpose. Also starring Tim Heidecker, Chloe Sevigny, Chloe East and Tim Blake Nelson. The film saw its World Premiere screening at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January, and is released this week too in the US having so far generated mixed or average critical reviews.

'ELLA McCAY' (Rated M) - is an American political comedy drama film Written, Co-Produced and and Directed by James L. Brooks whose prior feature film output includes his 1983 debut with 'Terms of Endearment' which he would follow up with the likes of 'Broadcast News' in 1987, 'As Good as It Gets' in 1997, 'Spanglish' in 2004 and 'How Do You Know' in 2010. Here, set in an unnamed North American state an idealistic 34-year-old lieutenant governor Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state's longtime incumbent governor (Albert Brooks), who suddenly accepts a cabinet position in the incoming Obama administration. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Julie Kavner, Rebecca Hall, and Woody Harrelson, the film is released this week too in the USA. 

'PETS ON A TRAIN' (Rated PG) - this French animated action comedy film is Directed by Benoit Daffis and Jean-Christian Tassy. When a crew of animal bandits embark on a routine swindle, they find themselves caught up in a high-tech train heist. It's up to Falcon (voiced by Wyatt Bowen in the English language version), a petty thief raccoon, and Rex (Tristan D. Lalla), a righteous police-dog, to save the animals aboard this high-speed runway train. The film had its World Premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in mid-June this year, was released in its native France in early July and in the USA in mid-October, having so far recovered US$11M from its US$14.2M production budget. 

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-