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-

JOJO RABBIT : Thursday 2nd January 2020.

I finally saw the M Rated 'JOJO RABBIT' earlier this week, and this American satirical black comedy that is a send up of Nazi Germany during WWII is Directed, Co-Produced, Written and starring New Zealand's very own Taika Waititi, whose last film outing was the highly acclaimed 'Thor : Ragnarok' and before that 'The Hunt for the Wilderpeople'. This film is based on Christine Leunens's 2008 novel 'Caging Skies', and had its world Premiere showing at TIFF in early September where it won the top prize, the 'Grolsch People's Choice Award' before its wider release in the US in mid-October and in New Zealand in late October. The film has divided Critics, however, most seem to be praising the performances, the humour, the screenplay and the heart-warming story. Made for US$14M the film has so far grossed US$26M. It has so far picked up nineteen award wins and a further 99 nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, with many of those nominations still awaiting final determination.

Here lonely ten year old German lad Johannes 'Jojo' Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is living in Nazi Germany during the late stages of WWII with his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson). His father has been missing in action somewhere on the Italian front for the last two years and his older sister Inge died more recently of influenza. Jojo has an imaginary friend that he frequently speaks with, confides in and seeks advice from - a childish version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi).

Jojo and his best friend Yorki (Archie Yates) attend a Hitler Youth training camp for 10-14 year old boys and girls, run by Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell). When Jojo is ordered to kill a rabbit to prove himself by more senior ranking Hitler Youth members, he tries to release it and runs off crying after the other boys taunt him with the name 'Jojo Rabbit'. Following a morale boosting pep talk from Adolf, Jojo returns to his fellow young youth recruits with a new found enthusiasm and throws a Stickgrenade without permission, which bounces off a tree and explodes at his feet, leaving him with facial scars and a slight limp.

After Jojo has sufficiently recovered and is well enough to rejoin the cause, Rosie asks Klenzendorf, demoted after the incident for negligence, to make her son feel included despite his now healed but nonetheless scarred injuries. Jojo is given menial duties such as spreading propaganda material through the town, and rounding up scrap metal for the war effort.

One day, having arrived home before his mother, to an empty house, he hears noises coming form upstairs. Venturing to investigate he discovers Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), a teenage Jewish girl and a former classmate of his sister, hiding upstairs, behind the wall of Inge's bedroom. Jojo threatens to reveal her presence to the Gestapo, but Elsa warns that she, him and his mother would be killed for harbouring her. He agrees reluctantly to keep her hidden, on the condition she reveals her 'Jew secrets' so he can write a book for Klenzendorf. Elsa plays along by making up stories about the hidden powers that all Jews possess, including growing horns when they turn 21, mind reading, sleeping upside down like bats, and their preferred foods including chocolate, cookies and bread.

Jojo continues with his interrogation of Elsa, learning she has a boyfriend called Nathan with whom she wants to reunite when the war is over and live in Paris together. Jojo forges a letter from 'Nathan' and reads it aloud to Elsa in which he states that he has found someone else and wants to split up with her. Hearing her sobbing from behind the wall, Jojo writes another letter telling her to disregard the first one. Jojo and Adolf argue, with Adolf insisting Elsa is a monster, who can't be trusted. Later, while on one of his metal collecting trips, Jojo spots his mother leaving 'free Germany' postcards around town.

Jojo is home alone one day when the Gestapo come knocking on his door, led by Captain Deertz (Stephen Merchant). Klenzendorf coincidentally arrives at the house a short time afterwards while it is being searched with his second in command, Finkel (Alfie Allen). Elsa reveals herself, making out to be Inge, and produces Inge's identification papers and confirms her birthday from memory to satisfy the Gestapo's line of questioning. They also pick up JoJo's 'Jewish Secrets' hand drawn book which Deertz thumbs through and finds it very amusing, helping to diffuse an otherwise tense situation. When they have all left Jojo is relieved, but Elsa later realises she recited Inge's wrong birth date and that Klenzendorf covered for her, but is certain the Gestapo will eventually come to realise their ruse.

Later that day, Jojo stumbles across his mother who had been hanged in the town square with three others. Devastated and distraught, he returns home and stabs Elsa in the shoulder with his standard issue Hitler Youth knife barely breaking the skin, and then breaks down sobbing. Elsa comforts him.

Later on Jojo runs into Yorki, who is now a fighting soldier, who tells him Hitler has committed suicide and that the Allies are gaining ground rapidly. Jojo encounters Fraulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson), and offsider of Klenzendorf, arming and sacrificing children as the battle closes in around them, and she gives him a soldier's coat and a machine gun, before being killed herself. Confronted by both American and Soviet forces, the city's German stronghold collapses and they surrender. The Soviets have rounded up several captured Germans into a courtyard when Jojo stumbles in, having taking shelter until after the cease fire, and encounters a wounded Klenzendorf who tells the young lad that his mother was a good woman. He saves him by removing his German Hitler Youth coat, calling him a Jew, and spitting on him, leading the Soviet guards to drag him away. The soldiers thrust Jojo into the street and tell him to go home. He runs off as several shots are heard in the background.

Jojo returns home, and to stop Elsa from leaving as he has now developed feelings for her, tells her that Germany won the war. Realising her despair, he recites a new 'letter' from Nathan claiming that he and Jojo have figured out a way to smuggle her to Paris where they can live happily ever after. Upon hearing this, Elsa reveals that Nathan died the previous year. Jojo tells her he loves her, and she tells him she loves him in a 'little brother' kind of way. A beleaguered Adolf sporting a bloodied bullet hole through the head angrily confronts Jojo for siding with Elsa, and Jojo promptly kicks him out the window never to be seen again. Jojo takes Elsa outside, where she sees the Allies have won after witnessing American soldiers driving up and down the street flying the US flag. She slaps Jojo in the face for lying, and then they proceed to dance in the street to the sound of David Bowie's German Remix version from 1989 of 'Helden'.

There are some moments of real laugh out loud humour in 'Jojo Rabbit' just as much as there are some tender heartfelt emotional moments too, that keep the story grounded in all the horrors of WWII Nazi Germany. At its heart however, this is a black satirical comedy that demonstrates that despite the racial hatred, the indoctrination of an ideal from a very early age, and the brutality and horrors of war that love conquers all and a child can overcome adversity with acceptance and confidence. Roman Griffin Davis is perfectly cast in the role of Jojo and gives a revelatory performance, his best friend Archie Yates as Yorki does not a miss a beat in the delivery of his dead pan one liners and comedic turns and Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa is considered and even tempered in her delivery of raw emotion and satirical beats in her performance too. And as for the Director, Writer and star of the show as the imaginary man-child friend The Fuhrer, Waititi's performance is priceless ranging from the absurdest childlike actions of an eleven year old to the brutal and demanding rantings of the Adolf Hitler that we have all come to know and loathe. This is a quirky, whimsical film that only the off-beat humour of Taika Waititi could deliver that offers a breath of fresh air in this era of big action blockbusters that occupy so many of our cinemas screens these days, and is still a highly relevant story that resonates today as much as it did in 1944/45. It is easy to see why this film has divided audiences and Critics, but trust me, it is well worth the price of entry.

'Jojo Rabbit' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 18th February 2016.

Sunday evening 14th February saw the 69th British Academy Film Awards as presented by BAFTA and hosted for the eleventh year by Stephen Fry from the Royal Opera House in London. This years winners & grinners saw two films scoop the majority wins with 'The Revenant' walking away with five awards and 'Mad Max : Fury Road' with four. In summary, the highlights were : Best Film - 'The Revenant', Best Leading Actor - Leonardo DiCaprio for 'The Revenant' (finally!), Best Director - Alejandro G. Inarritu for 'The Revenant', Best Sound and Best Cinematography for 'The Revenant'. Best Lead Actress went to Brie Larson for 'The Room'; Best Supporting Actor went to Mark Rylance for 'Bridge of Spies' and Best Lead Actress went to Kate Winslet for 'Steve Jobs'. Best Original Screenplay went to 'Spotlight', Best Adapted Screenplay to 'The Big Short' and Best Original Music to 'The Hateful Eight'. Finally, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Make-Up and Hair, and Best Editing all went to 'Mad Max : Fury Road'. Sincerest congratulations and a big well done to all those winners, and those nominees too. The Oscar's await in less than two weeks. You can recap on my Reviews and Previews of all of these films within these Blog pages, or go to www.batfa.org

This week there are six new release films to tease and tempt you out to a movie theatre kicking off with a couple of autobiographical offerings from the present day world of NFL and some medical revelations that threaten a national game, and a historical tale of a Hollywood Writer imprisoned on allegations of treason. Then there is a story of an ageing English couple whose life is turned upside down by an event that occurred fifty years ago which poses questions, might provide some answers, but reveals some hidden truths that they must both reach beyond. Following this is a Biblical story of what happened during the first forty days after Christ's crucifixion, and then two comedies to close out the week - two girls on the hunt for men, drinks and good times in NYC and then two guys on the hunt for a man, drugs and bad times in Miami!

So much choice and so little time! When you have sat through your movie of choice in the week ahead, share your movie thoughts, views and opinions with your friends here at Odeon Online by leaving a note in the Comments section below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from y'all! In the meantime, enjoy your movie!

CONCUSSION (Rated M) - released Stateside at Christmas, this latest Will Smith vehicle has so far received luke warm reviews but has made US$42M off its US$35M budget. This biographical sports medical drama is based on the article written for GQ magazine in 2009 called 'Game Brain' by Jeanne Marie Laskas, and was written for the big screen and Directed by Peter Landesman.

Here we have Will Smith starring s Nigerian forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu who conducts the autopsy on NFL player Mike Webster (David Morse) and determines that he died from severe brain damage. Investigating further he comes to the conclusion that Webster suffered from long term chronic traumatic encephalopathy as a result of repeated blows to the head incurred during his NFL career. Attempting to bring this to the attention of the NFL he meets with brick walls, denial and dismissal, until further cases are revealed amidst the NFL player fraternity, and eventually the sport has to sit up and take notice. Also starring Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Eddie Marsan and Paul Reiser.

TRUMBO (Rated M) - Sticking with the biographical theme, here we have another, this time Directed by Jay Roach and based on the book 'Dalton Trumbo' by Bruce Alexander Cook. This film is a period piece dating back to the mid-20th Century and the golden age of Hollywood when real life top Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was blacklisted in 1947, along with numerous other contemporaries of the time, for allegedly perpetrating propaganda in the Hollywood films of the time. He refused to testify at The United States Congress and so was locked up for eleven months in a federal prison in 1950. This is his story and how using the power of words and wit he won two Academy Awards to expose the farce of the black list which engulfed the likes of John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Otto Preminger, and columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren). Also starring Diane Lane, Elle Fanning and John Goodman.The film cost US$15M to make and was released stateside in early November, and has so far recouped US$8M, and has garnered two award wins and 23 nominations together with an Academy Award nomination for Bryan Cranston for Best Actor, two Golden Globe, one BAFTA and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

45 YEARS (Rated M) - here we have a romantic drama film that is based on a short story and adapted for the big screen and Directed by Andrew Haigh, and starring Charlotte Rampling as Kate Mercer and Tom Courtenay as Geoff Mercer, a retired reasonably well off married childless couple living in England's Norfolk. Married for 45 years, on the eve of a big celebration get together with friends Geoff receives a letter from Switzerland advising him that the body of his girlfriend of almost 50 years ago has been discovered under the melting ice of a glacier that she fell into way back then and perished. Asked to return to identify the body he must decide between foregoing his anniversary party and the chance to see his earlier love again in all likelihood preserved in the ice, together with haunting memories that come flooding back, whilst answering all the questions that Kate will inevitable have. At the Berlin International Film Festival last year Rampling won the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress and Courtney won it for Best Actor, and Rampling too has an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Could well be a surprise performer.

RISEN (Rated M) - is a Biblical epic retelling of the first forty days following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as Directed by Kevin Reynolds. Here long serving Roman military tribune Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) is tasked by Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) to explore rumours that a Jewish Messiah Jesus (Cliff Curtis) has risen from the dead, and he is tasked to locate the missing body. With a possible uprising in Jerusalem imminent, Clavius and his trusted aide Lucius (Tom Felton) begin a journey to disprove talk of a risen Messiah, but in so doing begin to question their own beliefs and spirituality and the truth behind what it is they are seeking.

HOW TO BE SINGLE (Rated M) - Directed by Christian Ditter this RomCom was released in London on 9th February, Stateside three days later and has so far grossed US$28M towards its US$38M budget. Starring Dakota Johnson as college graduate Alice who decides that at this point in her life she needs a break from studies, her boyfriend, life as she knows it and it's therefore time to live a little. Moving to NYC as a paralegal, she is excited by a life of freedom and adventure in the Big Apple and so befriends co-worker Robin (Rebel Wilson) who lives life large, enjoys one night stands, drinks plenty, party's hard, and does just about everything to excess. It's not long before Robin becomes Alice's guide around town and new best friend while learning quickly how to score free drinks in a bar, meet men aplenty and enjoy the single life to the max. Also starring Alison Brie and Leslie Mann.

RIDE ALONG 2 (Rated M) - the 2014 original movie Directed by Tim Story was made for US$25M and made US$155M although no thanks to me, so it was inevitable that a sequel would hit our screens sooner or later.  Now two short years later, here it is again also Directed as before by Tim Story and starring Ice Cube as Detective James Payton and sidekick Kevin Hart as rookie Officer Ben Barber. This film benefits from a bigger budget at US$40M and has so far raked in US$108M, so God help us all if this prompts the Producers to green light '3'. Travelling to Miami the dynamic duo are following up a hot lead to a drug syndicate that brings them in connection with a Homicide Detective, and a Computer Hacker A.J. (Ken Jeong) who just happens to have evidence to implicate a respected local businessman Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt). I am sure that much wise crackin', gun totin', cringe inducin' soft porn teen fodder action will follow - just don't expect me to Review this film!

With six new films out in the week ahead, there is plenty of choice once again coming to a cinema near you, as well as a whole raft of other great movie content still out on general release and worthy of your cinema going dollar. Be sure to catch something this week, and share your thoughts.

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-