What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th March 2026

The 29th annual Sanoma International Film Festival (SIFF) kicked off on Wednesday 25th March and runs across five days up to and including Sunday 29th March. Since its inception in 1997, the festival has grown from a small gathering of passionate filmmakers and cinephiles to a vibrant event showcasing groundbreaking cinema from around the globe. SIFF takes place every March in the United States’ renowned Wine Country, just 45 minutes north of San Francisco, in Northern California. SIFF is noted for its participation of film and media industry jurists and panelists and continues to grow its reputation in finding and cultivating new talent from around the world, creating a significant platform for networking and distribution opportunities. SIFF programmes full-length features and documentaries, as well as short films in the Live Action, Documentary and Animated categories. SIFF also showcases Culinary, Food and Wine films across all categories and presents comedies from around the world in addition to dramas and other genres. The five-day festival supports filmmakers with generous cash award prizes and an accommodation programme providing the opportunity to interact with industry professionals, community members, and our astute film audience in one of the most intimate, engaging and inspiring settings on the festival circuit . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night feature film presentation is 'Poetic License' from the USA and Directed by Maude Aaptow in her feature debut. Liz Cassidy (Leslie Mann), untethered in a new town, impulsively audits a poetry class at her husband’s university and strikes up a friendship with two adoring students, Sam Soloman (Andrew Barth Feldman) and Ari Zimmer (Cooper Hoffman). What begins as flattery spirals into a hilariously awkward tangle of longing, boundaries, and self-discovery. The Closing Night film is 'Under the Lights' from the USA, Written and Directed by first time feature film maker Miles Levin and filmed in Sonoma County. This is a heartwarming coming-of-age drama about Sam (Pearce Joza), a teen with epilepsy who risks everything to attend prom, knowing full well that the flashing lights could trigger a seizure. Also starring Randall Park, Nick Offerman and Mark Duplass. 

The Centrepiece Film is 'The Christophers' from the UK and Directed by Steven Soderbergh, in which the estranged children - Barnaby Sklar (James Corden) and Sallie Sklar (Jessica Gunning) of a well-known artist Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) employ a forger Lori Butler (Michaela Coel) to finish his incomplete paintings in order to sell them, so that they might claim an inheritance after he dies.

The Grand Jury Prize Awards, selected by a panel of industry professionals, will recognise excellence in multiple categories, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, and Best Documentary Short. With its commitment to championing bold and original storytelling, SIFF’s Awards Program offers filmmakers a prestigious platform to gain recognition and elevate their work on the global stage.

In the Narrative Feature Competition there are eight films vying for the top prize. Theses are as given below :-

* 'Ky Nam Inn' - from Vietnam and Directed by Leon Le. The film follows a young translator (Lien Binh Phat) assigned to adapt 'The Little Prince' and a reserved, older widow (Do Thi Hai Yen) who survives by cooking and keeping her distance. In Saigon, a city still shadowed by history, their unlikely connection deepens into something quietly transformative.

* 'Maspalomas' - from Spain and Directed by Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi. After a stroke leaves 76-year-old Vicente (Jose Ramon Soroiz) displaced in a conservative nursing home, the openly gay man who once fought for his freedom finds himself slipping back into the closet. As memories of his liberated life in Gran Canaria resurface, so does his determination to reclaim it.

* 'My Tennis Maestro' - from Italy and Co-Written and Directed by Andrea Di Stefano. A fiercely driven 13-year-old tennis player Felice (Tiziano Menichelli) is paired with a washed-up former champion Raul Gatti (Pierfrancesco Favino), and their cross-country tournament tour becomes a hilarious clash of discipline and decadence. As losses mount and egos bruise, the unlikely duo form a bond that shifts from frustration to fierce loyalty.

* 'Orphan' - from Hungary, France, Germany and the UK, and Co-Written and Directed by Laszlo Nemes. Set in 1957 amid Soviet repression and lingering wartime trauma, a young Jewish boy Andor (Bojtorjan Barabas) searches for the truth about his missing father, clinging to hope in Budapest, a city scarred by violence and suspicion.

* 'Silent Rebellion' - from Switzerland, Belgium and France and Co-Written and Directed by Marie-Elsa Sgualdo in her feature film debut. This WWII-era drama is set in rural Switzerland at a time of rigid social codes and male domination. When a young housemaid, Emma (Lila Gueneau) finds herself at odds with her puritanical village, she must summon extraordinary courage to chart her own future.

* 'Sundays' - from Spain and France and is Written and Directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azua. A seventeen year old woman Ainara (Blanca Soroa) - brilliant, idealistic, and on the cusp of university - announces she wants to become a cloistered nun, deepening family rifts featuring her aloof father Inaki (Miguel Garces) and her more involving aunt Matie (Patricia Lopez Arnaiz). What follows is an emotionally charged reckoning as love, belief, and personal freedom collide.

* 'The Soundman' - from Belgium and Written and Directed by Frank Van Passel. In 1940 Brussels, a spirited young actress and a gifted introverted sound technician fall in love at the Flagey Radio Station. As war looms and the Nazi threat looms ever closer, their passion for radio drama and each other becomes a beacon of hope amid darkening times, fuelled by urgency, innovation, and the fragile magic of live radio.

* 'Vanilla' - from Mexico and Written and Directed by Mayra Hermosillo. When an eviction notice threatens their home, eight-year-old Roberta (Aurora Davila) and her lively, multi-generational household of seven women band together to fight foreclosure. What unfolds is a portrait of resilience powered by fierce love, sharp humour, and unbreakable bonds. As tempers flare and loyalties are tested, the women rediscover their shared strength and the meaning of belonging.

For the details of the other competitive film strands being showcased, and the complete line-up of the 110 films being screened over the five days of the festival, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sanomafilmfest.org

Looking ahead to this weeks five latest release new films coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a family musical fantasy adventure offering in which a modern family move to the English countryside and discover a magical tree inhabited by creatures like Silky and Moonface, transporting them to fantastical lands. This is followed by a horror action comedy where a woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building's history of disappearances, and where she soon realises the community of residents is shrouded in mystery. Then we turn to a British biographical drama telling of the real life story of John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner living with severe Tourette syndrome. Next up we have comedy horror film in which three young female retail employees run a secret cult out of the basement of their shopping mall store, but when a new employee joins the team this has the potential to ruin their tight little group with dire consequences for them all. And closing out the week there is an animated Sci-Fi comedy film that has an animal lover seizing an opportunity to use technology that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver, uncovering mysteries within the animal world. 

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 coming week.

'THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE' (Rated G) - this UK and US Co-Produced musical fantasy adventure film is Directed by Ben Gregor who made his feature film Directorial debut with 2013's 'All Stars' and which he would follow up with the music doco 'Fatherhood' in 2018, plus multiple episodes of TV series over the years including 'Doc Martin', 'Britannia', 'Bloods', 'Black Ops' and most recently 'Brassic'. This film is based on the Enid Blyton book series of the same name. 

When siblings Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy), Joe (Phoenix Laroche) and Fran Thompson (Billie Gadsdon) are forced to move to the remote English countryside with their parents Polly and Tim (Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield respectively), they discover a towering magical tree hidden deep within the forest, home to eccentric residents including Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning) and the ever-curious Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns). At the very top, a gateway leads to ever-changing lands filled with surprises, mischief and adventure. As each new world unfolds, the children are swept into playful journeys that bring their family closer together. Also starring Nicola Coughlan, Lenny Henry, Michael Palin, Jennifer Saunders, Simon Russell Beale and Rebecca Ferguson. 

'THEY WILL KILL YOU' (Rated MA15+) - is an American horror action comedy film that is Co-Written and Directed by Kirill Sokolov who made his feature film Directorial debut with 'Why Don't You Just Die!' in 2018 and which he would follow up with 'No Looking Back' in 2021. Here then, a young woman - Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) answers a help-wanted ad to be a housekeeper in a mysterious New York City up market high-rise apartment block, called the Virgil. What she doesn't realise is that she is entering a community that has seen a number of disappearances over the years. Asia must fight for her life to survive the night at the hands of a demonic cult's mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair, before becoming their next offering. Also starring Myha'la, Tom Felton, Heather Graham and Patricia Arquette. The film Premiered at SXSW last week, and is released Stateside this week too. 

'I SWEAR' (Rated MA15+) - this British biographical drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Kirk Jones whose prior feature film Directing output take in his debut in 1998 with 'Waking Ned Devine' and which he would follow up with 'Nanny McPhee' in 2005, 'Everybody's Fine' in 2009, 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' in 2012 and 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2' in 2016. Based on the true life story of Scottish man John Davidson (Robert Aramayo) who was the subject of the 1989 television documentary 'John's Not Mad'. Diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome at fifteen years of age for which there is no cure, and targeted as 'insane' by his peers, he struggled with a condition few had witnessed. Campaigning for better understanding and acceptance of the condition of Tourette's as an adult, he finds his life's purpose and accepted his MBE from the Queen in 2019. Also starring Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, was released in the UK in mid-October, has so far grossed US$8.3M and has generated largely favourable critical reviews. 

'FORBIDDEN FRUITS' (Rated CTC) - is an American comedy horror film that is Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Meredith Alloway in her feature film making debut. She co-wrote the screenplay with Lily Houghton, and is based on Houghton's 2019 stage play 'Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die'. Free Eden employee Apple (Lili Reinhart) secretly runs a witchy femme cult in the basement of the mall store after hours – with fellow 'fruits' Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp). But when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) challenges their performative sisterhood, the women are forced to face their own poisons or succumb to a bloody fate. The film had its Premiere screening at the SXSW Film and TV Festival earlier this month, and is released Stateside this week too.

'HOPPERS' (Rated PG) - this American animated Sci-Fi comedy film is Produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, and is Directed by Daniel Chong in his feature film making debut. The film is based on a story Co-Written by Daniel Chong also. Here, the story follows Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda), a nineteen-year old animal loving American-Japanese college student. After Scientists discover how to 'hop' human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals, Mabel transfers her mind into a lifelike robotic beaver to save their habitat from human destruction, inadvertently starting an uprising in doing so, whilst uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined. Also starring the voice talents of Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Dave Franco, Isiah Whitlock Jnr., and Meryl Streep. The film Premiered in LA toward the end of February, was released Stateside earlier this month, has garnered generally positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$244M off the back of a US$150M 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING : Tuesday 17th March 2026

I saw the M Rated 'HOW TO MAKE A KILLING' earlier this week, and this French and UK Co-Produced black comedy thriller film is Written and Directed by John Patton Ford in only his second feature film making outing following 'Emily the Criminal' in 2022. This film is based on the Roy Horniman 1907 novel 'Israel Rank : The Autobiography of a Criminal' which in turn was used as the basis of the Screenplay of the highly-regarded 1949 black comedy 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' Directed by Robert Hamer and starring Alec Guinness playing all eight members of the family whom he must kill off to inherit the family fortune. This film was released in the US in mid-February, was released here in Australia on 5th March, in the UK on 11th March, and upcoming in France on 25th March. The film has so far received mixed or average critical reviews, and has grossed US$9M from its US$15M production budget.

Convicted of murder and waiting to be put to death in a little over 24 hours, Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell, who also Co-Produces here), recounts his story to a priest, Father Morris (Adrian Lukis) on how he came to be there in the first place. As a child, Becket (Grady Wilson) is raised by his single mother, Mary (Nell Williams), who was outcast from her wealthy Redfellow family for choosing to keep her teenage pregnancy at just eighteen years of age. As a young lad, Becket befriends the more well to do Julia Steinway (Maggie Toomey). Prior to her death in hospital, Mary stresses to young Becket that he should fight for the life he 'deserves' to have.

One day, a now adult Becket who works as a suit salesman in a bespoke tailors shop is noticed by a now married Julia (Margaret Qualley) who by chance is in the shop looking for suits for her husband. They briefly catch-up on each others lives having not seen one another for many many years. Later Becket gets  demoted from his job as a suit salesman, and pushed out to the company warehouse, whereupon he promptly resigns. Becket decides to eliminate the remaining Redfellows in order to claim his inheritance to the family fortune which runs into the tens of billions of dollars.

Becket first kills his cousin Taylor (Raff Law), an investment banker, by tying an anchor to his leg while he sleeps off a hangover on his private motor boat and tosses the anchor overboard taking Taylor with it. Becket then meets Taylor's father Warren (Bill Camp) at the funeral, who offers him Taylor's old job at his financial investment firm. While planning the murder of his other cousin Noah (Zach Woods), an artist, Becket befriends Noah's girlfriend Ruth (Jessica Henwick). After killing Noah, by rigging an explosion in his photographic dark room, two FBI agents approach Becket, discussing the two suspicious deaths, though they do not accuse Becket of murder. Becket pretends to not know whether he is eligible for the inheritance. Julia appears in Becket's office, claiming her husband Lyle is broke and asks for a US$300K loan, which he denies. 

Becket and Ruth begin dating and move in together into a lavish high-rise apartment, now that he has moved onward and upward in his new job. Despite being welcomed with open arms by Warren, rapidly promoted in his job and content with his relationship with Ruth, Becket kills three more Redfellows -  cousin Steven (Topher Grace), aunt Cassandra (Bianca Amato), and uncle MacArthur (Alexander Hanson). Warren, who Becket is unable to bring himself to kill because of the kindness and generosity he had shown him, has a heart attack and dies as they are both leaving the office one day reeling from a looming financial crisis, leaving only one more living Redfellow, Becket's grandfather Whitelaw (Ed Harris).

Whitelaw sends a personal invitation to Becket for dinner at his mansion on the night of Becket and Ruth's engagement party. He calls Ruth to explain that he must attend and she makes him promise to be home by 7:00pm which he agrees to. Julia reveals to Becket that she has photographic evidence of his murders, which she will reveal unless he gives her the US$300K she had asked for previously, and that this must be delivered personally by him to her husband Lyle (James Frecheville) at his place of work. Becket complies, going to Lyle's office to hand-deliver a cheque to him. Becket forgoes his engagement party to go to the mansion, where he meets Whitelaw, who locks the doors and attempts to kill him with a WWI pump action shotgun. Becket kills Whitelaw in self-defence using a bow and arrow taken from an arrangement hanging on the wall. This makes Becket the sole inheritor to the family fortune. At a celebratory party at the mansion, Becket is approached again by the FBI agents, who arrest him for the murder of Lyle, who was found stabbed to death in his office using a letter opener that Becket touched when he delivered the cheque, leaving fingerprint evidence.

With the clock counting down the hours until his execution, Julia visits Becket in jail. During their timed three minute meeting, she tells him that there was a suicide note written by Lyle that was withheld from the trial. Becket pressures Julia to release the note, which she agrees to only if Becket signs over the entire Redfellow fortune to her. Becket reluctantly agrees, and signs the necessary paperwork from his jail cell. Julia then releases the note as promised. With Becket's innocence now without question, he is set free. Ruth waits for him outside the prison, only to return his mother's locket to him containing a lock of her hair as a keepsake. She leaves afterwards without saying a word to Becket and speeds off in her beat up old car. Becket sees Julia waiting for him with the Redfellow family driver, and the pair travel to the Redfellow family mansion together in the comfort of a Rolls Royce.

As a big almost life long fan of 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' I left the movie theatre feeling underwhelmed by this modern 21st century set in New York retelling that is 'How to Make a Killing'. On the plus side Glen Powell gives an OK frequently smirking like the proverbial Cheshire Cat performance backed up by the always dependable Margaret Qualley and Ed Harris, with the latter being banished to the penultimate sequence in which he perishes courtesy of two well aimed arrows. On the downside however, the six murders are all wrapped up with relative ease, are totally bloodless, and are skirted over like they've been concocted by a ten year old with access to Google. The script would have benefitted too from a little more polish, and being just a tad nastier, more witty, and less predictable. In summary, the film has all the touchstones to be greater than the sum of its parts . . . it just fails to hit them.

'How to Make a Killing' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th March 2026

Unless you've been in hibernation in the very recent past, this years awards season pretty much concluded with the 98th Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday 15th March at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA, and were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Comedian, television host and writer Conan O'Brien returned to host the show for the second consecutive time, after receiving acclaim for hosting last years event.

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

* Best Picture - awarded to 'One Battle After Another', beating out 'Bugonia', 'F1', 'Frankenstein', 'Hamnet', 'Marty Supreme', 'The Secret Agent', 'Sentimental Value', 'Sinners' and 'Train Dreams'. 

* Best Director - awarded to Paul Thomas Anderson for 'One Battle After Another', beating out Chloe Zhao for 'Hamnet', Josh Safdie for 'Marty Supreme', Joachim Trier for 'Sentimental Value' and Ryan Coogler for 'Sinners'. 

* Best Actor in a Leading Role - presented to Michael B. Jordan for 'Sinners', beating out Timothee Chalamet for 'Marty Supreme', Leonardo DiCaprio for 'One Battle After Another', Ethan Hawke for 'Blue Moon' and Wagner Moura for 'The Secret Agent'.

* Best Actress in a Leading Role - awarded to Jessie Buckley for 'Hamnet', beating out Rose Byrne for 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You', Kate Hudson for 'Song Sung Blue', Renate Reinsve for 'Sentimental Value' and Emma Stone for 'Bugonia'. 

* Best Actor in a Supporting Role - presented to Sean Penn for 'One Battle After Another', beating out Benicio del Toro for 'One Battle After Another', Jacob Elordi for 'Frankenstein', Delroy Lindo for 'Sinners' and Stellan Skarsgard for 'Sentimental Value'. 

* Best Actress in a Supporting Role - presented to Amy Madigan for 'Weapons', beating out Elle Fanning for 'Sentimental Value', Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for 'Sentimental Value', Wunmi Mosaku for 'Sinners' and Teyana Taylor for 'One Battle After Another'. 

* Best Writing (Original Screenplay) - awarded to Ryan Coogler for 'Sinners', beating out 'Blue Moon', 'It Was Just an Accident', 'Marty Supreme' and 'Sentimental Value'. 

* Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - presented to Paul Thomas Anderson for 'One Battle After Another', beating out 'Bugonia', 'Frankenstein', 'Hamnet' and 'Train Dreams'.

* Best Animated Feature Film - awarded to 'KPop : Demon Hunters', beating out 'Arco', 'Elio', 'Little Amelie or the Character of Rain' and 'Zootopia 2'.

* Best International Feature Film - awarded to 'Sentimental Value' from Norway, beating out 'It Was Just an Accident' from France, 'The Secret Agent' from Brazil, 'Sirat' from Spain, and 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' from Tunisia. 

* Best Documentary Feature Film - presented to 'Mr Nobody Against Putin', beating out 'The Alabama Solution', 'Come See Me in the Good Light', 'Cutting Through Rocks' and 'The Perfect Neighbor'.

* Best Music (Original Score) - awarded to Ludwig Goransson for 'Sinners', beating out 'Bugonia', 'Frankenstein', 'Hamnet' and 'One Battle After Another'.  

* Best Sound - awarded to Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, and Juan Peralta for 'F1', beating out 'Frankenstein', 'One Battle After Another', 'Sinners', and 'Sirat'.

* Best Casting - presented to Cassandra Kulukundis for 'One Battle After Another', beating out 'Hamnet', 'Marty Supreme', 'The Secret Agent' and 'Sinners'.

* Best Production Design - awarded to 'Frankenstein', beating out 'Hamnet', 'Marty Supreme', 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners'. 

* Best Cinematography - presented to Autumn Durald Arkapaw for 'Sinners', beating out 'Frankenstein', 'Marty Supreme', 'One Battle After Another' and 'Train Dreams'. 

* Best Makeup and Hairstyling - awarded to Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey for 'Frankenstein' beating out 'Kokuho', 'Sinners', 'The Smashing Machine' and 'The Ugly Stepsister'. 

* Best Costume Design - presented to Kate Hawley for 'Frankenstein', beating out 'Avatar : Fire and Ash', 'Hamnet', 'Marty Supreme' and 'Sinners'.

* Best Film Editing - presented to Andy Jurgensen for 'One Battle After Another', beating out 'F1', 'Marty Supreme', 'Sentimental Value' and 'Sinners'. 

* Best Visual Effects - awarded to 'Avatar : Fire and Ash', beating out 'F1', 'Jurassic World Rebirth', 'The Lost Bus' and 'Sinners'. 

The Academy Honorary Awards were presented to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award going to Dolly Parton. 

For the full low down on all the winners, the nominees and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.oscars.org

This week then we have five new movie offerings to tease you out to your local Odeon, kicking off with a Sci-Fi adventure that has a science teacher waking up alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth, and as his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun, and save Earth, with an unexpected friendship that might just be the key to his success. This is followed by a comedy horror in which after surviving one deadly game, Grace and her sister Faith must now outrun four rival families competing for a powerful throne and their respective family fortunes - winner takes all. Next up is an Aussie horror film that sees a grieving, recovering addict who returns to her hometown, rekindles a romance, and battles a demonic presence. Then we turn to an Italian drama where the widowed Italian President faces moral crises over euthanasia legislation and pardoning killers while grappling with his late wife's infidelity during his final months in office. And closing out the week we have another horror offering that has two codependent best friends become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien narcissist who may or may not be trying to take over the world.

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 coming week.

'PROJECT HAIL MARY' (Rated M) - this American Sci-Fi adventure film is Co-Produced and Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller whose previous Co-Directing credits are 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' in 2009, '21 Jump Street' in 2012, 'The Lego Movie' in 2014 and '22 Jump Street' also in 2014. The film is based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir. It saw its Premiere showcasing in London earlier this month, and is released world wide this week, having garnered generally favourable critical reviews. The film cost US$200M net to produce. 

Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling, who also Co-Produces here) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home, having been placed into a medically induced coma, with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory gradually returns, he begins to uncover his mission - solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction in about thirty years time, but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone. Also starring Sandra Huller, Ken Leung, Lionel Boyce, Liz Kingsman and Milana Vayntrub. 

'READY OR NOT : HERE I COME' (Rated MA15+) - is an American comedy horror film that serves as a direct sequel to 2019's 'Ready or Not' and is once again Directed by Matt Bittinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The first film collected US$58M at the Box Office from a US$6M production budget and garnered positive critical reviews. Here then, Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving), the sole survivor of a brutal 'game' that resulted in the deaths of her husband and in-laws, learns that her victory came with a price, and now, the wealthiest and most influential families on Earth have to kill her in a new game - or risk losing their power and fortunes. Grace refuses to participate at first but is left with no choice when she learns that her estranged younger sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), has also been marked for death and must protect her at all costs. Also starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood and Kevin Durand. The film saw its Premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival last week before its release Stateside and here in Australia this week. It has generated positive critical press. 

'PROCLIVITAS' (Rated M) - this Australian horror thriller film is Written, Executive Produced and Directed by Miley Tunnecliffe in her debut feature film offering. Here, Clare (Rose Riley) is an addict in recovery when her mother's sudden death turns her carefully measured world upside down. Returning to her hometown, she reconnects with teenage sweetheart Jerry (George Mason). He's the one Clare could never stop thinking about. It's been fifteen years since a tragic accident tore them apart. Now they have a second chance at happiness. But as their love returns, so do the ghosts of the past, threatening Clare's sobriety and triggering a powerful demonic presence determined to control her. The film had its World Premiere screening at SXSW Sydney in October last year.

'LA GRAZIA' (Rated M) - is an Italian drama film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, who made his feature film making debut in 2001 with 'One Man Up', and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Il divo' in 2009, 'The Great Beauty' in 2013, 'The Hand of God' in 2021 and 'Parthenope' in 2024. The film had its World Premiere showcasing as the opening film of last years Venice International Film Festival in late August, before its release in Italy in mid-January this year. Recently widowed President of Italy Mariano De Santis (Toni Servillo), a staunch Catholic and experienced jurist, begins his white semester (an Italian legislative term referring to the last six months of the President of Italy's seven-year term of office. According to the Italian Constitution, the President cannot dissolve the Italian Parliament and call a new election during the last six months of their term), and is conflicted about whether he should sign into law a bill legalising euthanasia, and at the same time has to consider the pardon petitions of two individuals who murdered their partners before the end of his term. The film has generated largely favourable critical reviews and has so far grossed US$3.2M.

'TOUCH ME' (Rated CTC) - this American Sci-Fi body horror comedy film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Addison Heimann in his second feature film offering following 'Hypochondriac' in 2022. Following a series of unfortunate events which leaves their house uninhabitable and stinking of shit, two co-dependent friends, Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and Craig (Jordan Gavaris), find themselves homeless, lacking options and all out of luck. That's when Joey's mysterious ex resurfaces. He wants her back. Along with being hot, Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci) also happens to be an alien whose touch makes anxiety and depression disappear. The two venture to his compound for the weekend with the hope of being healed from past traumas, but underneath Brian’s veneer of healing is a sinister plot filled with murder, mayhem, and blood. The film has generated positive critical acclaim, and is released in the USA 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE BRIDE ! : Tuesday 10th March 2026

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE BRIDE!' at my local independent movie theatre earlier this week, and this American Gothic romance film is Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal in only her second Directorial outing following 2021's 'The Lost Daughter', although she has acted in numerous film, television and theatre roles over the years, and has been recognised in many award wins and nominations too. The film draws inspiration from the 1935 film 'Bride of Frankenstein', which was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel 'Frankenstein'. The film had its World Premiere in London on 26th February and was released Stateside and here in Australia last week, having so far grossed US$15M at the Box Office from an US$85M production budget, and generating mixed or average critical reviews. 

The film opens with a black & white close-up of Mary Shelley (Jessie Buckley) speaking from the hereafter, saying she has a story she wanted to tell after publishing her book Frankenstein in 1818, but could not due to her death in 1851. To tell it, she possesses Ida (Jessie Buckley), a woman living in 1936 Chicago, who we are first introduced to in a very busy bar and restaurant, and who in her possessed state proceeds to shout out across the room to all the stunned diners the criminal activities of crime boss Lupino (Zlatko Buric) who is sat at the bar observing her closely. Lupino's henchmen Clyde (John Magaro) and James (Matthew Maher) discreetly kill her afterward, by pushing her down a flight of steps where she tumbles end over end breaking her neck and a leg in the process, and falling in a crumpled heap at the bottom. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Chicago, Frankenstein's monster, aka 'Frank' (Christian Bale), arrives at the house of scientist Dr. Cornelia Euphronius (Annette Bening). Having read about Euphronius' work on reanimation, he persuades her to create a companion for him after a century of abject loneliness. Euphronius and Frank dig up Ida's recently buried corpse from an unmarked cemetery grave, and successfully revive her, but she loses her memory in the process. Frank takes advantage of this and states that she is his Bride and lost her memory in an accident, which she accepts. She then coughs up an inky black substance that was part of the formula to reanimate her, which in turn permanently dyes her tongue, her cheek, her fingers and leaves long trail marks running down her arm and her breast.

Euphronius demands that the pair remain within the confines of her house, but Frank and the Bride have different plans. They go to the cinema to see a movie featuring Frank's favourite Actor Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal) and then go dance in a club. The Bride dances provocatively with other clubbers while Frank sits at the bar and watches on. As they leave, two men harass the Bride and Frank. Frank attempts to diffuse the situation by ignoring their actions, but it all becomes too much for him to bear and he retaliates by repeatedly smashing ones head against a wall, and then stomping on the others head on the gutter, until his head is mush. He tells the Bride to leave him, but she says that she has no where to go and decides to live life as a runaway with him. 

They stow away in a train headed to New York City, killing a security officer who finds them as the train passes through Indiana. Meanwhile, Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant Myrna Malloy (Penelope Cruz) investigate the murders and eventually follow them to New York.

Frank and the Bride cause chaos at a screening of 'Revolt of the Zombies' and then seek refuge from the Police and an angry mob giving chase to the fleeing pair, at a high-class party. Frank notices Ronnie Reed as one of the guests and interrupts his conversation by expressing his adoration for the Actor, and his gratitude for giving him some modicum of purpose in his life, but is alas dismissed by Reed. Detective Wiles and the Police arrive at the party, but fall back when the Bride briefly holds Reed at gunpoint. Wiles recognises her real identity as Ida. The Bride shoots dead an advancing Police officer wielding a gun. The pair then hot-wire a car, and manage to flee the city.

The Bride and Frank's crime exploits generate much publicity, and Lupino recognises her in a newspaper article. While sat in a restaurant chomping down on freshly cooked lobster Lupino shoots James at point blank range in the head for failing to silence her, and sends of Clyde to kill her again, swearing vengeance on his family if he fails to do so. Meanwhile, Malloy makes a connection between reports of murders and sightings of the pair in cities where Reed's films were set. This prompts Malloy and Wiles to travel to Niagara Falls where they locate the pair just as Frank asks the Bride to marry him. Wiles confronts the Bride and tells her of her true identity as Ida. She shoots him in the lower leg in response. As Frank and the Bride flee, Frank admits that he wasn't entirely honest with her in the beginning and conveys that he actually did not know who she was before she died. She forgives him.

Wiles explains to Malloy that he and Ida were planning to take down Lupino and expresses guilt that his inaction led to her death. He decides to retire and promotes Malloy as his replacement. Malloy tracks Frank and the Bride to a drive-in cinema in Illinois. At the same time, Clyde arrives and fatally shoots Frank in the head. The Bride escapes with Frank's body and returns to Euphronius' laboratory, unaware that Malloy is following her. Euphronius declares that she is incapable of reviving Frank. Clyde breaks into the laboratory and shoots the Bride before leaving. The Police arrive en masse and all begin shooting at the Bride in a relentless hail of bullets. Malloy screams for them to stop, as the Bride's lifeless body slumps on top of Frank. She then orders them to search for Clyde seen exiting the building via the fire escape, leaving Euphronius with the Bride and Frank's corpses, saying 'take as long as you need'! Seemingly possessed by Shelley's spirit, Euphronius decides to revive the couple. Outside, the Police arrest Clyde who they have pinned to the ground, for killing the Bride and Frank. Malloy looks up at the building's upper most floor to see flashes of bright lights shine momentarily from the laboratory. Inside, the revived corpses hands are seen to be moving searching for each other, until they clasp together. 

During an end credits sequence, Lupino is seen to be apprehended by Wiles and the female rioters who were inspired by the Bride's rants, threatening to cut out his tongue, just as Lupino had done to all of his previous victims, and stored them in pickling jars on a shelf in his restaurant for all the world to see.

It's easy to see why 'The Bride' has polarised audiences and critics. On the one hand its good to see Maggie Gyllenhaal trying her hand at an age old story and giving it a bold new revisionist refresh that looks stylish, has high production values, is creative in its execution, has manic energy aplenty and is bolstered by exemplary performances from its two lead players in Buckley and Bale. Buckley's role here is about as far removed from that of Agnes Shakespeare in 'Hamnet' (reviewed last week) as you can get, but she steals the show here once again and proves her versatility and range as one of the most diverse Actors working today. But, on the other hand the screenplay is disjointed, with at times clunky dialogue, unfulfilled character arcs, and too many unrealised sub-plots, that ultimately all add up to a film that displays plenty of style, and less of substance. That said, if you're in the mood for a riff on 'Bonnie and Clyde', female empowerment, the feminist movement, and a reinvigorated look at a horror classic with a modern twist, then you could do worse.

'The Bride' 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 12th March 2026.

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organised jointly that takes place in mid-March in Austin, Texas, USA. It began in 1987 and has continued growing in both scope and size every year. Celebrating its fortieth year this year, the festival runs from Thursday 12th March through until Wednesday 18th March. SXSW is 850+ total conference sessions, 600+ mentor and networking events, 4,400 musicians performing over 300 live showcases, 375+ film and TV show screenings, four nights of comedy, and 450 brands activating. Seven days in Austin to connect, discover, and create what’s next. 

In the feature film category, and in particular the Headliner strand, this section has big names, big talent, red carpet Premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema, and takes in the following titles :-

* 'I Love Boosters' - Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Boots Riley and stars Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza Gonzalez, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter and Demi Moore. A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service. World Premiere, and also the Opening Night Film presentation.

* 'Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice' - Written and Directed by BenDavid Grabinski, and starring Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza Gonzalez, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire and Arturo Castro. Two gangsters and the woman they love try to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix - a time machine. World Premiere.

* 'Over Your Dead Body' - Directed by Jorma Taccone, and starring Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle and Keith Jardine. A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to supposedly reconnect, but each has secret plans to kill the other. World Premiere.

* 'Pretty Lethal' - Directed by Vicky Jewson, and starring Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler and Uma Thurman. Five ballerinas, stranded in a remote forest, take shelter at an unsettling roadside inn. They must weaponise years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe ballet shoes into tools for survival. World Premiere.

* 'Ready or Not 2 : Here I Come' - Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and starring Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Nestor Carbonell, David Cronenberg and Elijah Wood. After surviving the Le Domas attack, Grace faces the next level of the deadly game – now with her estranged sister Faith. With four rival families hunting them, Grace must survive, protect her sister, and claim the High Seat that rules it all. World Premiere.

* 'They Will Kill You' - Co-Written and Directed by Kirill Sokolov, and starring Zazie Beetz, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham and Patricia Arquette. A woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious, twisted death-trap, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humour. World Premiere.

For the film strands being showcased including the Narrative Feature Competition and the Documentary Feature Competition, plus the TV line-up, together with a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.sxsw.com

And so turning the attention then back on this weeks seven hot new release movies coming to your local Odeon, we kick off with a psychological drama film from a first time Director, starring his returning Dad, in which a troubled recluse whose estranged brother arrives to convince him to come home and reunite with his family. This is followed by a horror comedy that follows the attempts at containing a parasitic fungus that leaks out of an abandoned military base. Next up is a Canadian horror offering that has a podcaster caring for her dying mother who becomes haunted by ominous audio recordings. Then we have an American horror film where a young couple take a hike in the woods when they encounter a hulking, monstrous figure who abducts the girlfriend to raise her as his own child. Following on we have a psychological drama thriller where a socially awkward tween endures the ruthless hierarchy at a water polo camp, where his anxiety spirals into psychological turmoil over the Summer. Next we turn to a romantic drama film where after serving a seven year jail term, a woman attempts to reconnect with her young daughter but faces resistance from everyone except a bar owner with ties to her child; before closing out the week with an animated sports comedy film in which an anthropomorphic goat who aspires to become the greatest of all time at a basketball-like sport known as roarball.

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

'ANEMONE' (Rated M) - this UK and US Co-Produced psychological drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Rowan Day-Lewis in his feature film making debut, and is Co-Written and stars his father Daniel Day-Lewis in his welcome return to acting since his 'retirement' after 'Phantom Thread' in 2017. The film had its World Premiere at the New York Film Festival in late September last year, was released wide in US movie theatres in mid-October, in the UK in early November and only now is it released here in Australia. It has garnered mixed or average critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$1M off the back of a US$14M production budget.

Here, looking to reunite with his brother Ray Stoker (Daniel Day-Lewis), Jem Stoker (Sean Bean) departs from his suburban life in Sheffield where he lives with his wife Nessa (Samantha Morton) and son Brian (Samuel Bottomley), and ventures deep into the Northern English woods. Burdened by past events that shook them both during their active duty in Northern Ireland during the 'Troubles', Ray now lives a reclusive life as a hermit in a forested shack detached from the outside world. As the pair reconnect, their shared history comes to the fore, igniting a delicate dance of accusations, secrecy, and a hope for redemption.

'COLD STORAGE' (Rated MA15+) - is a French and US Co-Produced horror comedy film Directed by Jonny Campbell, and is based on the 2019 novel of the same name Written by David Koepp who also wrote the Screenplay. Here Travis 'Teacake' Meachan (Joe Keery) and Naomi Williams (Georgina Campbell), two young employees of a self-storage company built on the site of an old US military base, have their wildest night shift ever when a parasitic fungus escapes from the lowest sub-level of the base, where it was sealed by the government decades before. As the temperature rises underground, this highly contagious and rapidly mutating microorganism multiplies and unleashes its brain-controlling, body-bursting terrors on the facility's inhabitants, human and otherwise. With time running out, it's down to Teacake and Naomi, with the help of a grizzled retired bioterror operative Robert Quinn (Liam Neeson), to contain the merciless menace and prevent the explosive extinction of all human kind. Also starring Lesley Manville, Vanessa Redgrave and Sosie Bacon. The film was released in the USA on 13th February, in the UK on 20th February and here in Australia and New Zealand this week, having garnered generally positive critical reviews and so far grossing US$2.2M. 

'UNDERTONE' (Rated CTC) - this Canadian horror film is Written and Directed by Ian Tuason in his feature film making debut. Here, Evy (Nina Kiri), a woman who hosts a paranormal podcast with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco), where she is the skeptic to his believer. After Evy moves back home to become the caregiver to her dying mother (Michele Duquet), she and Justin are sent recordings by a married couple experiencing paranormal noises in their home, drawing Evy into fear and paranoia. The film saw its Premiere screening at the Fantasia International Film Festival in late July last year, where it won the gold audience award for Canadian films. It has generated largely positive critical reviews, cost US$500K to produce and is released this week too in the US.

'DOLLY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American horror film that is Written, Co-Produced, and Directed by Rod Blackhurst, and is based on his 2022 short film 'Babygirl'. His previous feature film output takes in 'Here Alone' in 2016, the crime documentary 'Amanda Knox' also in 2016, 'Blood for Dust' in 2023 and the 2024 documentary 'The Tennessee 11'. When Macy (Fabianne Therese) and Chase (Seann William Scott) become separated, Macy finds herself in Dolly's (Max the Impaler) lair at the whim of a psychotic killer. She must fight for survival after being abducted by a deranged, monster-like figure who wants to raise Macy as their child. Also starring Ethan Suplee. The film had its World Premiere at the Fantastic Fest on in mid-September last year and was released in the US last week, having garnered mixed or average reviews, and so far grossing US$474K. 

'THE PLAGUE' (Rated MA15+) - this US and Romanian psychological drama thriller film is Written and Directed by Charlie Polinger in his feature film making debut. In the summer of 2003, at an all-boys summer water polo camp, led by Coach 'Daddy Wags' (Joel Edgerton), socially anxious twelve-year-old Ben (Everett Blunck) struggles to fit in amidst a ruthless social hierarchy. When he befriends Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), a lonely, acne-ridden outcast shunned by the others for allegedly carrying a contagious 'plague', Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear. As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging. The film had its World Premiere at last years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May in the Un Certain Regard section, was released Stateside in early January, has generated largely favourable critical reviews, has collected nine award wins and another thirty-two nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, and has so far grossed US$685K.

'REMINDERS OF HIM' (Rated M) - is an American romantic drama film Directed by Vanessa Caswill in only her second feature film Directorial outing following 'Love at First Sight' in 2023. This film is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, who also Co-Wrote the Screenplay and has a Co-Producer credit too. Following a perfect outing with her boyfriend, Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) makes an unbearable mistake that sends her to prison. Seven years later, Kenna returns to her hometown in Wyoming, hoping to rebuild her life and earn the chance to reunite with her young daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), whom she has never known. When Diem's custodial grandparents Grace and Patrick Landry (Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford respectively) adamantly refuse Kenna's attempts to see her daughter, Kenna discovers unexpected compassion, and then something truer and deeper, with former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers). As their secret romance develops, so do the dangers for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and, ultimately, the hope for a second chance. The film is released in the US this week too.

'GOAT' (Rated PG) - this American animated sports comedy film is Directed by Tyree Dillihay in his feature film making debut. The story follows Will Harris (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin), a small goat with big dreams who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball, a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will's new teammates aren't thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionise the sport and prove once and for all that 'smalls can ball'! Also starring the voice talents of Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Stephen Curry, Patton Oswalt, Jelly Roll and Jennifer Hudson amongst others. The film had its World Premiere screening in LA in early February, was released in the US in mid-February, has so far grossed US$147M off the back of a US$85M production budget and has generated largely positive critical reviews.

With seven 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-