What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th October 2025

The 69th BFI London Film Festival this years takes place between Wednesday 8th and Sunday 19th October at several South Bank and West End cinema venues and select partner cinema venues across the UK. The twelve
-day programme is jam-packed with the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling, presenting your opportunity to delight in the undiscovered, as all feature films and series are being shown in the UK for the first (and sometimes the only) time. 

The festival will showcase 247 films from seventy-nine countries. The Opening Night Gala presentation is the American mystery film 'Wake Up Dead Man : A Knives Out Mystery', Written and Directed by Rian Johnson, and the Closing Night Gala film is the UK and US Co-Produced historical fantasy film '100 Nights of Hero' Written and Directed by Julia Jackman.

This years Headline Gala section features twenty-one films, and these are outlined in brief as below :-

* 'After the Hunt'  - from the USA and Directed by Luca Guadagnino.

* 'Ballad of a Small Player' - from the UK and Directed by Edward Berger.

* 'Blue Moon' - from the USA and Ireland and Directed by Richard Linklater.

* 'Bugonia' - from the UK and Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

* 'The Choral' - from the UK and Directed by Nicholas Hytner.

* 'Christy' - from the USA and Directed by David Michod.

* 'Die, My Love' - from Canada and Directed by Lynne Ramsay.

* 'Frankenstein' - from the USA and Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

* 'H is for Hawk' - from the UK and Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.

* 'Hamnet' - from the UK and Directed by Chloe Zhao.

* 'The History of Sound' - from the USA, the UK and Italy and Directed by Oliver Hermanus.

* 'Is This Thing On?' - from the USA and Directed by Bradley Cooper.

* 'It Was Just an Accident' - from Iran, France and Luxembourg and Directed by Jafar Panahi.

* 'Jay Kelly' - from the USA, the UK and Italy and Directed by Noah Baumbach.

* 'The Mastermind' - from the USA and Directed by Kelly Reichardt.

* 'No Other Choice' - from South Korea and Directed by Park Chan-wook.

* 'Nouvelle Vague' - from France and Directed by Richard Linklater.

* 'Pillion' - from the UK and Directed by Harry Lighton.

* 'Roofman' - from the USA and Directed by Derek Cianfrance.

* 'Sentimental Value' - from Norway, France and Germany and Directed by Joachim Trier.

* 'Springsteen : Deliver Me from Nowhere' - from the USA and Directed by Scott Cooper.

For the details of the ten films in Official Competition, plus the Special Presentations section, the First Feature Competition, the Documentary Competition and the Thematic Strands, plus a whole heap of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp

Looking forward to this weeks seven new movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to you, we kick off with a political thriller in which US government officials must deal with a single nuclear missile attack on the city of Chicago. This is followed by a Sci-Fi action film that is the third in the series, and this time mankind encounters AI beings for the first time when a highly sophisticated programme, leaves the digital world for a dangerous mission in the real world. Next up we have a WWII action horror drama which finds a group of young soldiers, who become stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean after their ship is sunk by the enemy and must battle for their lives against a giant hungry great white shark. Then we turn to an Aussie drama about a stage designer who returns to Australia to bid farewell to his dying mother, however, his planned quick trip descends into chaos, drama, and funny moments. Following on, we have a drama film from a first time Director that tells the story of how after seventy years with her best friend, this old lady moves to New York City for a fresh start, but making new friends at ninety-four years of age proves difficult. Up next is an Aussie survival thriller where after her husband goes missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment, a woman joins a body retrieval unit in the hopes of finding him alive; before closing out the week with a doco in which archival footage and interviews provide insight into the partnership, both professional and personal, between film Director James Ivory and film Producer Ismail Merchant.

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.

'A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE' (Rated M) - this American political thriller film is Co-Produced and Directed by Kathryn Bigelow who made her feature film Directorial debut in 1981 with 'The Loveless' and which she would follow up with other titles including 'Blue Steel' in 1990, 'Point Break' in 1991, 'Strange Days' in 1995, 'K-19 : The Widowmaker' in 2002, 'The Hurt Locker' in 2008, 'Zero Dark Thirty' in 2012, and 'Detroit' in 2017. This film saw its World Premiere showcasing in the main competition at this years recent Venice International Film Festival in early September where it was nominated for the Golden Lion.

This film based at the White House, where US government officials scramble to deal with an incoming single nuclear missile launched by an unidentified enemy at the city of Chicago. It boasts an ensemble cast taking in Idris Elba as the American President, with Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke and Kaitlyn Dever. It will have a limited cinema release in the UK on 3rd October and here in Australia and the USA this week, before streaming globally on Netflix from 24th October. 

'TRON : ARES' (Rated M) - is an American Sci-Fi action film Directed by Joachim Ronning, whose previous feature length Directing credits are 'Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead me Tell No Tales' in 2017, 'Maleficent : Mistress of Evil' in 2019, and 'Young Woman and the Sea' in 2024. This film is the third instalment in the 'Tron' series following the original 'Tron' in 1982 and a sequel to 2010's 'Tron : Legacy', and this film follows a highly sophisticated programme, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings. The film has an ensemble cast including Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson, with Jeff Bridges reprising his role as Kevin Flynn from the previous films. The first two films in the series scored a worldwide Box Office haul of US$450M off the back of combined production budgets of US$187M, with this third offering coming in at a budget of US$150M. The film is released this week too in the USA.

'BEAST OF WAR' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian WWII action horror drama film is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Kiah Roache-Turner whose prior feature film output takes in 'Wyrmwood : Road of the Dead' in 2014, 'Nekrotronic' in 2018, 'Wyrmwood : Apocalypse' in 2022 and 'Sting' in 2024. Here, and based on actual events, a group of young soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, during World War II in 1942, when a Japanese fighter sinks an Australian warship in the Timor Sea. Clinging to a makeshift raft, a handful of soldiers soon find themselves in a desperate fight for survival as a giant and very hungry great white shark circles in the water. Starring Mark Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich and Steve Le Marquand. The film saw its World Premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in mid-August and is released Stateside in mid-October. 

'THE TRAVELLERS' (Rated M) - is an Australian drama film that is Written and Directed by Bruce Beresford who made his feature film Directing debut in 1972 with 'The Adventures of Barry McKenzie', and would follow this up with the likes of 'Don's Party' in 1976, 'Breaker Morant' in 1980, 'Puberty Blues' in 1981, 'Her Alibi' and 'Driving Miss Daisy' both in 1989, 'Paradise Road' in 1997, 'Double Jeopardy' in 1999, 'Mao's Last Dancer' in 2009 and 'Ladies in Black' in 2018. Here then, Stephen Seary (Luke Bracey), a charismatic and successful stage designer, returns to Australia to say goodbye to his dying mother. What was to be a quick trip descends into a frustrating and sometimes quirky challenge as family responsibilities, a difficult relationship with his curmudgeonly father Fred (Bryan Brown), unresolved conflicts with long-forgotten antagonists, romantic interludes, and the presence of an annoying sister make his return to Europe and the opera he has contracted to design increasingly problematic. Also starring Susie Porter and Nicholas Hammond. 

'ELEANOR THE GREAT' (Rated PG)  - this American drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Scarlett Johansson in her feature film making debut. Here, Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb), a 94-year-old Floridian woman, strikes up an unlikely friendship with a 19-year-old student Nina (Erin Kellyman) in New York City, after she tries to rebuild her life following the death of her best friend of seventy years. The film saw its World Premiere screening at this years Cannes Film Festival in late May where it was nominated in the Un Certain Regard and Camera d'Or categories. The film was released in the USA on 26th September and early critical reviews has rated this mixed or average. The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jessica Hecht.

'WE BURY THE DEAD' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian and US Co-Produced survival thriller film Written and Directed by Zak Hilditch, who made his feature film debut in 2003 with 'Waiting for Naval Base Lilly', and which he would follow up with his better known projects including 'These Final Hours' in 2013, '1922' in 2017 and 'Rattlesnake' in 2019. Here then, Ava Newman (Daisy Ridley), a desperate woman, searches for her husband in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a 'body retrieval unit', but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she's burying start showing signs of life. Also starring Mark Coles Smith, Brenton Thwaites and Matt Whelan, the film had its World Premiere at SXSW in March this year, is released here in Australia this week, but not in the US until sometime in 2026, and has generated largely positive critical reviews.

'MERCHANT IVORY : THE DOCUMENTARY' (Rated PG) - this 2023 doco is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Stephen Soucy and documents the history of Merchant Ivory Productions, which produced films such as 'A Room with a View' in 1985, 'Howards End' in 1992 and 'The Remains of the Day' in 1993. It covers the partnership between Ismail Merchant, an Indian-born Producer, and James Ivory, an American Director, from their meeting in 1961 through their collaboration on over forty films. The documentary addresses their focus on literary adaptations and period dramas, as well as challenges like financial constraints and cultural differences. It includes interviews with Actors such as Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Grant and Vanessa Redgrave, and other associates of Merchant Ivory Productions. The film saw its World Premiere at DOC NYC Festival in November 2023, went on limited release in the US at the end of August 2024 and only now is it released here in Australia. 

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 in Odeon's this week : Thursday 18th July 2024.

This years Fantasia International Film Festival opens on Thursday 18th July and runs through until Sunday 4th August. The official website reads that this year the 'Festival will celebrate its 28th edition. Located in the heart of beautiful Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Fantasia is a cultural and professional destination point, and since its first edition, the festival’s ever-growing popularity has attracted the attention of the international film industry alongside a legion of attendees from across the world. Every facet of the filmmaking chain is increasingly represented with in-person delegates at the festival: Directors, Actors, Producers, studio representatives, distributors and festival programmers, who get to experience the legendarily enthusiastic, taste-making audience of Fantasia'. The Festival focuses on niche, low budget movies in various genres, from horror to sci-fi, and its mission is to promote genre, anti-Hollywood cinema and assist independent filmmakers.

This years Opening Film and World Premiere showcasing is the family comedy 'Bookworm' Co-Written and Directed by New Zealander Ant Timpson and starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher in this film about a washed-up illusionist and his long estranged precocious daughter who venture out into the New Zealand wilderness in search of a mythical black panther. The Closing Film and also a World Premiere screening is the comedy drama 'Ababooned' Co-Written and Directed by Canadian Andre Forcier and centres on a conflict between the Roman Catholic Church and a young team of baseball players in 1950's Montreal.

Fourteen feature films this year are in the main competition, The Cheval Noir, these being :-

* '4PM' - from South Korea, this thriller is Directed by Jay Song.

* 'Ababooned' - from Canada, this drama, comedy fantasy is Directed by Andre Forcier. World Premiere.

* 'Le Comte de Monte-Cristo' - from France, this action thriller is Written and Directed by Alexandre De la Patelliere and Matthieu Delaporte.

* 'Confession' - from Japan, this thriller is Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita.

* 'Electrophilia' - from Argentina and Chile, this drama fantasy is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lucia Puenzo.

* 'In Our Blood' - from the USA, this drama horror thriller is Directed by Pedro Kos. World Premiere.

* 'Infinite Summer' - from Estonia and Spain and Written and Directed by Miguel Llanso. World Premiere.

* 'Mash Ville' - from South Korea, this comedy action Western is Co-Written and Directed by Wook Hwang. World Premiere.

* 'Out of the Shadow' - from Hong Kong, this martial arts action comedy drama is Directed by Ricky Ko.

* 'Parvulos' - from Mexico, this horror fantasy is Co-Written and Directed by Isaac Ezban. World Premiere.

* 'Penalty Loop' - from Japan, this drama thriller is Written and Directed by Shinji Araki. 

* 'Rita' - from Guatemala, this drama fantasy is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jayro Bustamante. World Premiere.

* 'A Samurai in Time' - from Japan, this comedy Sci-fi is Written, Co-Produced, Directed, lensed and Edited by Junichi Yasuda. 

* 'Steppenwolf' - from Kazakhstan, this action thriller is Written and Directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov.

For the other competitive film strands, plus details of the juries presiding over the competitions and special events including the Artist Talk with Director, Writer and Editor Mike Flanagan, you can go to the official website at : https://fantasiafestival.com/en

Turning attention to this weeks latest releases, we kick start with a couple of horror offerings beginning with an FBI agent in pursuit of a serial killer, who uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree. This is then followed by a movie centering around a giant arachnid who has a taste for human flesh, and it seems that only a twelve year old girl who raised the tiny spiderling initially, knows how to stop it. Next up is an Aussie mystery thriller that follows a soon-to-be-married couple who invite their closest friends to a remote country property for a night of pre-wedding shenanigans, but the evening starts to take a feral turn when alarming details of their relationship are exposed. Then we turn to a German and French production about a music journalist who accompanies her father, a charmingly stubborn Holocaust survivor, on a journey to his homeland, and while she's eager to make sense of her family's past, her dad has an agenda of his own; before closing out the week with a French offering about a widowed British businessman who takes a job as butler of a manor house in France, but his life takes a turn as he navigates the eccentric behaviour of the lady of the manor and the household staff.

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.

'LONGLEGS' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror film is Written and Directed by Osgood Perkins whose prior feature film credits take in his debut with 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' in 2015, then 'I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House' in 2016, 'Gretel & Hansel' in 2020 with 'The Monkey' based on a 1980 short story by Stephen King set for a cinema release in February 2025. Released in the US last week, this film has garnered generally positive reviews and has so far grossed US$25M off the back of a production budget of less than US$10M. 

FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer, known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage, who also Co-Produces here), and must stop him before he strikes again. Also starring Alicia Witt and Blair Underwood. 

'STING' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian and US horror thriller film Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Kiah Roache-Turner whose first feature film was 'Wyrmwood : Road of the Dead' in 2014 and which she would follow up with 'Nekrotonic' in 2018 and 'Wyrmwood : Apocalypse' in 2021. Filmed in Australia, the story here is that after raising what at first seems like a perfectly innocent little spider as a pet, twelve year old Charlotte (Alyla Browne) must face the harsh reality about her pet, and fight for her family's survival, when the once-charming creature very quickly mutates into a giant, flesh-eating monster. Also starring Ryan Corr, Penelope Mitchell, Noni Hazelhurst and Robyn Nevin. The film was released Stateside in mid-April, in the UK at the end of May and has so far taken US$2.3M at the Box Office and has generated mixed or average reviews. 

'BIRDEATER' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian mystery thriller is Written, Directed and Co-Executive Produced by Jack Clark and Jim Weir in their feature film making debuts. Here then, a bride-to-be Irene (Shabana Azeez) is invited to join her own fiance Louie's (Mackenzie Fearnley) bachelor party on a remote property somewhere in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare. The film has generated much positive buzz so far.

'TREASURE' (Rated M) - this German and French Co-Produced tragicomedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Julia von Heinz whose previous feature film credits include 'Nothing Else Matters' in 2007, 'Hannah's Journey' in 2013 and 'And Tomorrow the Entire World' in 2020. Based on the 1999 novel 'Too Many Men' by Lily Brett, this film is set in 1990, and tells the story of an American journalist Ruth (Lena Dunham) who travels to Poland with her father Edek (Stephen Fry) to visit the places from his childhood. But Edek, a Holocaust survivor, resists reliving his trauma and sabotages the trip creating unintentionally funny situations. It was selected in the Berlinale Special Gala section at this years Berlin International Film Festival and was screened in mid-February, released in the US in mid-June having so far taken US$743K at the Box Office and has garnered mixed or average reviews at best.

'MR. BLAKE AT YOUR SERVICE' (Rated PG) - is a French comedy drama film that is Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Gilles Legardinier, is based on the Director's own novel 'Completely Burnt Out!' and is also his feature Directorial debut. Here, Mr. Andrew Blake (John Malkovich), a recently widowed British businessman, takes a job as a butler in a manor house in northern France, in a bid to get closer to the memory of his late French wife. His life takes an unexpected turn as he navigates the eccentric behaviour of Nathalie (Fanny Ardant) his new widowed boss, and the other household staff. The film saw its US premiere showcasing at the Newport Beach Film Festival in mid-October last year and only now does it get a release here in Australia having so far grossed about US$1.6M, having generated mixed or average reviews. 

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-