UNDERTONE : Tuesday 14th April 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'UNDERTONE' earlier this week, and this Canadian horror film is Written and Directed by Ian Tuason in his feature film making debut. 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. The film was released Stateside in mid-March, has generated largely positive critical reviews, cost US$500K to produce, and has so far grossed US$20M in Box Office receipts.

Evangeline 'Evy' Babic (Nina Kiri) is a young woman with a seemingly devout Catholic upbringing, living alone with her comatose mother (Michele Duquet), for whom she is the main caregiver. She and her friend Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco) run 'The Undertone', a supernatural podcast where they report on such other worldly and paranormal occurrences, which Evy dismisses largely as fake while Justin is the believer. One day, Justin is sent an anonymous email containing a seemingly random string of letters and ten audio files, which they play on their podcast, and seek to gain some clarity. Justin is based in the UK, and so Evy dials into him at 3:00am in the mornings, given the time zone differences.

The files were recorded by a couple named Mike (voiced by Jeff Yung) and Jessa (voiced by Keana Lyn Bastidas), the latter of whom talks in her sleep, which Mike hopes to capture evidence of. In the first recording, Jessa sings 'London Bridge' in her sleep, which Justin then plays backwards and insists he can hear her saying 'Mike, kill all'. This leads Evy to research hidden messages in children's songs, and she becomes agitated when she discovers that playing 'Baa, Baa, Black Sheep', her favourite childhood song, in reverse reveals the message 'lick the blood off'. 

Evy later learns that she is six weeks pregnant. At her mother's bedside, Evy informs her of the pregnancy, but then admits that she feels unfit to be a mother. She later schedules an appointment at a local women's clinic. Playing additional recordings from Mike and Jessa reveal Jessa speaking what at first sounds like gibberish, but when played backwards reveals 'come in, Abyzou'. Through research, Evy and Justin learn that Abyzou is a demon in Mediterranean and European folklore who was said to cause miscarriages and drive mothers to murder their own children out of jealousy, as she herself was infertile. Evy notices increasingly strange occurrences around her, including her still-unconscious mother moving on her own, lights flickering around the house, the kitchen tap switching on of its own volition, and a small statue of the Virgin Mary that Evy placed in the closet out of the way reappearing in other parts of the house.

After recording the first eight audio tapes for their podcast they decide to make this a two parter and finalise the last segment by playing the final two audio recordings. In the final recording, Jessa insists she has to 'warn' someone who is 'listening', seemingly referring to Evy. Justin attempts to respond to the sender, only for the email to be automatically sent back to him as undeliverable. A caller claiming to be Mike and Jessa's neighbour reveals that the couple were found dead in their home at the foot of their staircase with plastic bags over their heads and crayon drawings of babies all over their walls. The autopsy revealed that Jessa was pregnant at her time of death. Another caller demands to speak to 'Mary' - the name Evy previously said she had always wanted to give her hypothetical child - and does not relent when Justin insists there is nobody there by that name. A final caller named Abby (voiced by Sarah Beaudin) begs for help in calming her incessantly crying child, ultimately murdering the infant despite Evy and Justin pleading with her not to. Evy then confesses that her mother has died, and that she killed her. 

Evy rushes upstairs, with the walls of the house now covered in black and red coloured crayon drawings of Abyzou and dead, bloodied infants. She rushes into her mothers bedroom where there is a neatly made up and empty bed, with the small statue of the Virgin Mary placed in the centre of the bed on the crisp clean sheets. She sees her mother standing in the bathroom, who turns and glides slowly towards her  seemingly attacking while screaming for her to stop.

Here first time feature Director Ian Tuason has crafted a modest little film that has Nina Kiri as the only walking and talking character on screen; an unassuming single suburban house location (which incidentally is the very house that Ian Tuason grew up in); weird camera angles and black screens to heighten the sense of dread; and an auditory experience that is sure to send shivers down the spine. With nods to that 2007 horror classic 'Paranormal Activity', the Director has here substituted the couple who set up a camera to document what is haunting them, for a recoding device set up by a couple to listen in on what is haunting them. The resulting sound design played back to the audience via this Podcast is top notch and is best heard in a theatre where the sound quality will far exceed anything you can get at home. However, all of that said, I left the theatre feeling just a little underwhelmed, as very little happens in between recording Evy's and Justin's Podcast episodes, and when the somewhat abrupt ending arrives it barely pays off. The film is devoid of jump scares or jolts to the system that make you sit bolt upright and pay attention, and despite the positives if does follow familiar genre types. I read somewhere that this could be the first instalment in a planned trilogy, and if so then the Director could be forgiven for that inconclusive ending, but if not . . . 

'Undertone' 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 9th April 2026

The 45th Istanbul Film Festival takes place this year from Thursday 9th through until Sunday 19th April, in the Turkish capital city of Istanbul. The Festival was first presented as a film week in the summer of 1982, within the framework of the International Istanbul Festival. In 1983, under the title 'International Istanbul Film Days', thirty-six films were shown in one month. Beginning in 1984, the event became a separate activity and was shifted to April. Accredited by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) in 1989 as a 'specialised competitive festival', the 'film week' thus was renamed the Istanbul Film Festival. In 2025, starting with its 44th edition, Istanbul Film Festival restructured its programme to emphasise its international character. The festival's official selection was reorganised to comprise three competitive sections - the international Golden Tulip Competition, New Perspectives to include only debut or second feature-length titles from Turkiye, and the Short Film Competition. The Festival provides a broad showcase for recent Turkish film productions, and thus represents a rewarding medium where filmmakers from Turkiye and abroad get together. The Festival draws a special interest to world classics, presenting retrospectives, and curated sections included in its official selection which comprises around 130 titles each year, making it the most comprehensive film festival in Turkiye. The Istanbul Film Festival has, over the past 44 years, presented Istanbul audiences with a total of some 6,600 films, showcasing the cinema of 131 countries, and attracting an approximate attendance of 4,575,000. So reads the official website.

The Opening Night Gala Film presentation is 'Three Goodbyes', from Italy and Spain and is Co-Written and Directed by Isabel Coixet and stars Alba Rohrwacher.

In the Golden Tulip Competition are the following fifteen titles :-

* 'Rose of Nevada' - from the UK this mystery thriller film is Written, photographed, Directed, Edited and Scored by Mark Jenkin, and stars George MacKay and Callum Turner. In a derelict fishing village, a boat mysteriously appears in the old harbour. The Rose of Nevada, lost at sea with all hands thirty years ago, has returned. For the few who remember, it’s a sign. The Rose of Nevada must go out to sea again, maybe then the luck of the devastated village will turn. A new crew boards the ship, but something is amiss.

* 'Dead Dogs Don't Bite' - from Turkiye, this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Nuri Cihan Ozdogan.

* 'Resurrection' - from France and China, this drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Bi Gan.

* 'Summer Beats' - from France this coming of age drama is Co-Written and Co-Directed by Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret.

* 'LifeLike' - from Turkiye, Greece and Romania this drama film is Written and Directed by Ali Vatansever.

* 'Memory of Princess Mumbi' - from Kenya, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia this Sci-Fi romantic adventure film is Written, Co-Produced, photographed, Directed and Edited by Damien Hauser.

* 'Renovation' - from Lithuania, Latvia and Belgium, this drama film is Written and Directed by Gabriele Urbonaite.

* 'Those Who Whistle After Dark' - from Turkiye, Bulgaria and Germany this supernatural thriller is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Pinar Yorgancioglu.

* 'Lali' - from Pakistan, this supernatural comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. 

* 'Only Rebels Win' - from France, Lebanon and Qatar, this romantic drama film is Written and Directed by Danielle Arbid.

* 'Hen' - from Germany, Greece and Hungary this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Gyorgy Palfi.

* 'Rose' - from Austria and Germany, this drama film is Written and Directed by Markus Schleinzer, and stars Sandra Huller. Amidst the turmoil of the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, a mysterious soldier appears in a secluded Protestant village somewhere in Germany. Small and quiet, his face disfigured by a scar, this stranger declares himself the heir of a long-abandoned farmstead and produces a document to support his claim to the suspicious villagers. With time, he overcomes their doubts and shows himself to be a hard-working, God-fearing man, becoming part of the community in a quest for acceptance made up of impossible deceit.

* 'Hear The Yellow' - from Turkiye, this drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Banu Sivaci.

* 'On the Dry Rock' - from Turkiye, this docudrama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Yesim Ustaoglu.

* 'The Last Shore' - from Belgium, France and Qatar, this documentary film is Directed by Jean-Francois Ravagnan.

For the descriptors of the aforementioned films in main competition for the Golden Tulip, plus the full details of other film strands being showcased, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.film.iksv.org/en

Looking ahead to this weeks seven latest release new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a drama offering that follows a Palestinian family across three generations during the time spanning from the 1948 days of Nakba to the 2020's under Israeli occupation. Then we turn to a RomCom in which a woman crashes at an empty Italian villa, posing as the owner's fiancee, before she discovers an unexpected romance that may transform her life. Next up is a road trip drama about three friends drawn to a rural commune where old wounds threaten to surface. This is followed by an Aussie comedy musical about two teenage girls attending a debutante ball in a small rural town, and then we have a Canadian horror offering in which the host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way. And closing out the week we have a pair of animated films - the first from Spain that sees two Irish orphans journey by train across America, encountering villains and heroes, and they make an extraordinary friend while searching for a new home. And the second is from New Zealand and Canada and is a live-action/animation hybrid about a young boy who copes with loss by talking to the everyday objects in his life.

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 coming week.

'ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU' (Rated M) - is a Co-Produced drama film between the countries of Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and is Written, Co-Produced, Co-Stars and Directed by Cherien Dabis, who made her feature film Directing debut with 'Amreeka' in 2009 which she would follow up with 'May in the Summer' in 2013. In the meantime she has Directed episodes of TV shows including 'The Sinner', 'Ozark', 'Little Voice' and 'Only Murders in the Building'. The film had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in late January 2025, was released in Germany in late November 2025, and is released this week here in Australia having garnered generally positive critical reviews, and so far collecting US$1M in Box Office takings. It is Co-Executive Produced by Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, and has picked up six award wins and another five nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit. 

In the Occupied West Bank of the 1980's, a Palestinian teenager is swept into a protest that changes the course of his family's life. Reeling from its aftermath, his mother, Hanan (Cherien Dabis), shares the story that led them to that fateful moment. Spanning seven decades, this epic drama traces the hopes and heartaches of one uprooted family, revealing not only the scars of displacement, but the unbreakable spirit of survival.

'YOU, ME & TUSCANY' (Rated PG) - is an American RomCom that is Directed by Kat Coiro who made her feature film Directing debut in 2011 with 'Life Happens' and which she would follow up with other titles including 'A Case of You' in 2013 and 'Marry Me' in 2022. In this film we find a free-spirited, young cook named Anna (Halle Bailey) makes a brash decision to become a squatter in an abandoned Tuscan villa owned by a man she barely knows, leading to a whole new world of adventure, lies, and love when she meets Michael (Rege-Jean Page), the homeowner's cousin. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'EVERYTHING GROWS IN EDEN' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian drama film is Written, Co-Produced, photographed, Directed and Edited by Jack Johnston in his feature film making debut. The film follows Lily (Sophie Reynolds), a young woman struggling to find her place in inner-city Melbourne, as she tries to support her best friend Shane (Cameron Mighell) through a difficult time in his life, when she promises to take him to an alternative mental health retreat near her hometown. But when their volatile mutual friend joins the trip, the journey instead leads them on an unexpected detour to a rural commune where hidden truths and unresolved tensions begin to surface. The film was made for just AU$9K.

'THE DEB' (Rated M) - is an Australian coming of age comedy musical film Co-Produced, Co-Starring and Directed by Rebel Wilson, in her feature film Directorial debut. It is based on the stage musical of the same name by Hannah Reilly and Meg Washington. Here, High School outcast Taylah Simpkins (Natalie Abbott) is certain that the upcoming Debutante Ball ‘the Deb,’ is her one chance to redefine herself and become the popular girl once and for all. When her cynical cousin from the city, Maeve Barker (Charlotte MacInnes), is sent to Taylah’s drought stricken small farm town of Dunburn as punishment for staging a protest at her own city High School, she thinks the ball is a farce and immediately tries to disrupt the status quo. In their search for the spotlight, Taylah and Maeve dig deep to find self-acceptance, and a date to the Deb. Also starring Julian McMahon and Shane Jacobson. The film Premiered in mid-September 2024 as the closing film of the Toronto International Film Festival, and has been mired in controversy and legal disputes ever since, resulting in its delayed release. 

'UNDERTONE' (Rated M) - 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. The film was released Stateside in mid-March, has generated largely positive critical reviews, cost US$500K to produce, has so far grossed US$19M in Box Office receipts.

'BUFFALO KIDS' (Rated PG) - is a 2024 Spanish animated adventure film directed by Pedro Solis and Juan Jesus Garcia. Two parentless Irish siblings Tom and Mary (Conor MacNeill and Alisha Weir) arrive in New York City in 1886 via ocean liner and quickly find themselves on a wild, cross-country journey aboard an orphan train where they meet an extraordinary new friend who will change their lives forever. Fuelled by curiosity, friendship, and teamwork, their dangerous and discovery-filled quest will introduce them to devious villains, unexpected heroes, and surprising adventures in their heart-warming and hilarious search for a home. The English language version has the voice talents of MacNeill and Weir as well as Gemma Arterton, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in mid-June 2024, was released in its native Spain in mid-August 2024, in the UK in mid-October 2024, the USA in early February this year and only now does it arrive in Australia having so far grossed US$10M at the worldwide Box Office.

'I, OBJECT' (Rated CTC) - this New Zealand and Canadian Co-Produced live-action animated film is Written, Co-Produced, and Directed by Andrew Niccol, whose previous feature film Directing credits take in his debut with 'Gattaca' in 1997, 'Simone' in 2002, 'Lord of War' in 2005, 'In Time' in 2011, 'The Host' in 2013, 'Good Kill' in 2014 and 'Anon' in 2018. He also wrote the screenplay and Co-Produced 1998's 'The Truman Show'. Here then, a ten year old boy Tom (Bentley Storteboom) is struggling to connect with anyone after the death of his father, and becomes fascinated with the everyday objects around him, and envisions himself speaking to them, as they reveal their true identities to him. Starring Karl Urban, Jemaine Clement, Anna Faris and Skywalker Hughes.

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 week ahead.

-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-