What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 29th October 2026.

The 32nd annual Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) this year runs from Friday 30th October through until Sunday 8th November in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1995, GIFF is one of the oldest film festivals and one of the first in the world to include television in its programmes. A crossroads of genres and disciplines, a place of experimentation, encounters and celebration, it offers every year for ten days, films, series, interactive installations and virtual reality works to some 35,000 festival-goers. The largest space in Switzerland dedicated to immersive arts, the GIFF has become one of the major events in Europe. At the heart of the event is the GIFF PRO, a unique event in Switzerland dedicated to audiovisual innovation. More than 800 professionals of the image, industrialists and theoreticians from all over the world meet, debate and exchange on what makes the audiovisual universe of today and what will cross it tomorrow . . . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film presentation is 'Tangles' from the USA and Canada and this adult animated biographical drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Leah Nelson and is based on Sarah Leavitt's graphic novel 'Tangles : A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me'. When Alzheimer's disease begins to strip away Midge's (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) vibrant personality, her daughter Sarah (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), a headstrong young woman, is forced to return to her oddball family in the conservative small town she recently fled in order to care for her. She quickly realises she must accept the cruel and warped reality of the disease, and the imperfect beauty of her family, in order to become the daughter they need. Also starring the voice talents of Bryan Cranston, Seth Rogen, Beanie Feldstein and Sarah Silverman. 

The Closing Night Film is 'Arrested Memory' from Taiwan and Japan and this action comedy film is Written and Directed by Sabu. Lee is a superstar Police Detective in Taipei. After losing his team during a crime investigation, he is haunted by guilt and transferred to a rural Police station. Traumatised by the incident, Lee develops amnesia, but is determined to keep it a secret. Soon, he is assigned a new case - the kidnapping of the son of an influential Japanese businessman. As his memory continues to fade, Lee can only rely on his instincts, which, against all odds, lead him to the criminals.

This years International Feature Competition has a selection of ten feature films that transcend stylistic conventions and pave the way for new narratives. All presented as Swiss or European Premieres, these films compete for the Reflet d’Or (the Golden Reflection) for best feature film, accompanied by a cash prize of CHF10K (approx. US$12K). Those films are as given briefly below :-

* 'A Day in the Life of Jo : Chapter Phaedra' - from Greece, Germany and France and this drama film is Directed by Jacqueline Lenyzou. Jo, a rebellious teenager from Athens, first notices Phaedra during her music class. Charmed, she decides to ask her out. Swiss Premiere.

* 'Dawning' - from Norway and this horror film is Directed by Patrik Syversen. Confined to an isolated house deep in the Norwegian forest, three sisters receive an unexpected visit from a stranger whom they decide to help. Swiss Premiere.

* 'La Gradiva' - from France and Italy, this drama film is Directed by Marine Atlan. During a school trip to Italy, a class of Latin students grapple with the first feelings of young love and questions of identity. Swiss Premiere.

* 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' - from Romania and France, this drama film is Directed by Radu Jude. Gianina, a housekeeper for a middle-class family, works hard so she can reunite with her daughter in Romania at the end of the year.

* 'Les Indes' - from Switzerland and Spain, and this drama film is Directed by Nicolas Chapoulier and Pauline Julier. In the mid-17th century, three men set out on a perilous journey through inhospitable lands to deliver the portrait of the Infanta of Spain to her future husband - the young Louis XIV. Swiss Premiere.

* 'The Burning Giants' - from Thailand, France, Singapore and the Netherlands, and this drama film is Directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng. As frightening smoke engulfs the Thai jungle, a man from the Karen ethnic group is arrested. In Bangkok, his wife, Aeva, tries to find him. Swiss Premiere.

* 'The First Taste of Loneliness' - from China and France, this drama film is Directed by Gu You. A brilliant and striking depiction of the grief experienced by three generations of women following the sudden death of the family’s grandfather. European Premiere.

* 'The Loneliest Man in Town' - from Austria, this drama film is Directed by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel. Al Cook, a former blues legend, lives alone in an apartment building that a real estate company wants to tear down. With his head full of memories, he’s planning to make a wild dream come true. Swiss Premiere.

* 'Rehearsals for a Revolution' - from Czechia and Spain, and this drama film is Directed by Pegah Ahangarani. A poignant portrayal of the activist journey of five people close to director Pegah Ahangarani during nearly forty years of political repression in Iran. Swiss Premiere.

* 'Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep' - from Belgium, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and this drama film is Directed by Rakan Mayasi. After a tragic incident on the border between Lebanon and Syria, two innocent women become collateral victims of a cycle of revenge between two clans. Swiss Premiere.

For the full details of the above named titles, plus the other competitive strands being screened, those films and TV series being showcased Out of Competition, and the other film and TV sections also being screened, together with a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website, at : http://www.2026.giff.ch

Turning the focus then back on this weeks six hot new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a WWII drama set in the tense 72 hours before D-Day, and with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg face an impossible choice - launch the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war altogether. This is followed by a psychological thriller where, in 2006, 'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history. Next up we have an action offering in which disillusioned by the end of the war in Afghanistan, a group of disgraced, war-torn ex-CIA operatives set out to Tehran to take down a life-changing score. Then we turn to a horror thriller that finds the quarantined residents of an infested apartment complex who find themselves in a fight for their lives against deadly, venomous spiders rapidly spreading throughout the building. Following on there is a Spanish drama offering that sees a young woman face a personal crossroads while exploring career possibilities, much to her family's concern; and closing out the week we have an Australian horror thriller where after losing his family to a zombie apocalypse, a lone werewolf becomes the reluctant protector of two teenage survivors as the undead evolve into an intelligent and far deadlier species.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'PRESSURE' (Rated M) - is a UK and French Co-Produced WWII drama film that is Co-Written, Directed and Edited by Anthony Maras in only his second feature film making outing following 'Hotel Mumbai' in 2018. This film is based on David Haig's 2014 stage play of the same name. The film was released at the end of May in the US, in France in early September and in the UK in mid-September, having garnered largely positive critical reviews and so far grossing US$31M from its US$30M production budget. 

In June 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) must decide whether to launch Operation Overlord (the code name for the Battle of Normandy), the largest seaborne invasion in history, or postpone it and risk losing the element of surprise. Scottish Chief Meteorologist Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) analyses incoming data and warns that severe storms, high waves, and low visibility will batter the English Channel on 6th June. Stagg clashes with American meteorologist Irving P. Krick (Chris Messina), who uses historical weather analogs to predict clear skies. British Field Marshal Bernard 'Monty' Montgomery (Damian Lewis) pushes hard to go ahead with the invasion regardless of the weather. Also starring Kerry Condon, Con O'Neill and Robert Portal. 

'PRIMETIME' (Rated MA15+) - this American psychological thriller film is Directed and Co-Produced by Lance Oppenheim in his narrative feature film debut, although he has also Directed the documentaries 'Some Kind of Heaven' in 2020, 'Spermworld' in 2024 and 'You Can See Everything' in 2026 which follows Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the defunct health technology company Theranos. Set in 2006 at the height of the reality Dateline NBC television series 'To Catch a Predator', we here follow NBC journalist Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson, who also Co-Produces here) as he teams up with the online anti-pedophila vigilante group 'Perverted-Justice' to stage high-stakes sting operations catching online predators. As the segment moves to primetime and explodes into a massive cultural phenomenon, the film tracks how a mission for public safety steadily curdles into an obsessive, ratings-driven race for fame and performative justice. Also starring Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Anna Faris, Bokeem Woodbine, Alex Winter, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher and Tony Revolori. The film has so far grossed US$51M from a production budget of US$14.5M since its release Stateside at the end of September, and has generated positive critical reviews.

'THE FIX' (Rated MA15+) - is an American action film that is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Guy Moshe who made his feature film Directorial debut with 'Holly' in 2006, and which he would follow up with 'Bunraku' in 2010, 'LX2048' in 2020 with 'The Last Draw of Jack of Hearts' currently in pre-production. Here, following a disastrous and tragic end to the war in Afghanistan, a team of CIA operatives led by Tucker (Zachary Levi) is left disillusioned and separated from service. Tucker visits his former mentor, Larry (Liam Neeson), who is now suffering from dementia. Larry reveals that there is US$25M in cash hidden inside the wall of the Hotel Tehran in Iran, from back in 1981. Tucker reassembles his old squad to go after the money. However, the plan shifts into a rescue and humanitarian mission when they must negotiate with an Iranian asset to smuggle an activist's daughter out of the country. The film was released in the USA in mid-September, has so far grossed US$1M and has generated largely unfavourable critical reviews. 

'CRAWLERS' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror thriller film is Directed by Angel Gomez Hernandez who Directed his first feature film with 'Don't Listen' in 2020 and which he would follow through with 'The Boogeyman : The Origin of the Myth' in 2023, and 'Dangerous Games to Play' which is currently in post-production. After a mysterious death at an apartment complex, manager Serena (Matilda Lutz) discovers a rapidly spreading infestation of venomous spiders. Trapped under quarantine, the residents must fight to survive as Serena uses her knowledge of the building to lead them against the threat while also facing her deepest fear. The film was released earlier this month in the USA, has so far grossed US$1M and has generated mixed or average reviews.

'SUNDAYS' (Rated M) - is a Spanish drama film and is Written and Directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azua in only her third feature film offering following 'Lullaby' in 2022 and 'Love at First Kiss' in 2023. Set in the Basque Country in northern Spain, the plot follows a seventeen year old woman Ainara (Blanca Soroa) pondering about the possibility of joining a cloistered convent, deepening family rifts featuring her aloof father Inaki (Miguel Garces) and her more involving aunt Maite (Patricia Lopez Arnaiz). The film had its World Premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in late September 2025 and went on to win the Golden Shell. It has garnered widespread critical acclaim, has in total collected thirty-seven award wins and a further thirty-nine nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, and has so far grossed US$5.7M at the Box Office.

'DEAD HOWLING' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian horror thriller film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by John V. Soto who made his feature length debut with 'Crush' in 2009 and went on to helm 'Needle' in 2010, 'The Reckoning' in 2014, 'The Gateway' in 2018 and 'Avarice' in 2022. Here, Carter (Joel Jackson) is a lone werewolf who hunts the undead for sport after his family is murdered. His solitary life changes when he saves two siblings, Megan (Tea Heathcote-Marks) and Billy (Riley Stiles), who are searching for a rumoured safe zone. The trio must survive not only aggressive human threats but also a dangerous new evolution of the zombie virus. Also starring Ryan Kwanten, Temuera Morrison and Tom Burlinson. 

With six new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-