Quick Takes : The movies I saw in January 2026.

Although I was off-line throughout January enjoying the heat of an Aussie summer, still working my day job and doing some much needed jobs around the house, this didn't stop me from enjoying my weekly trip to my local movie theatre to catch a film of choice. Below are my quick takes of the latest films seen over this past month.

I saw the M Rated 'ANACONDA' on Tuesday 6th January, and this American action adventure comedy horror film is Co-Written and Directed by Tom Gormican and serves as a meta-reboot of the 1997 film of the same name. Tom Gormican's previous feature film making efforts are 'That Awkward Moment' in 2014 and 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' in 2022. Here, wedding videographer Doug McCallister (Jack Black) and background actor Ronald 'Griff' Griffin Jnr. (Paul Rudd) who are both life long friends and who made their first short film together as young teenagers called the 'The Quatch', are now both experiencing a mid-life crisis. And so Griff hatches a plan to travel to the Amazon to film an amateur remake of their favourite horror film, 1997's 'Anaconda' which starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz and Owen Wilson. Their project unravels when a real giant anaconda snake emerges, turning the light-hearted shoot into a perilous fight to stay alive. Also starring Steve Zahn as cameraman Kenny Trent, Thandiwe Newton as Claire Simons a friend of Doug and Griff and the lead actress in the their film, Daniela Melchior as Ana Almeida a woman who gets caught up in the film shoot and who has ulterior motives, with Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez making cameo appearances as themselves. 

The film was released Christmas week here in Australia and the US too, has so far grossed US$129M off the back of a US$45M production budget and has garnered mixed or average reviews . . . . . and I can see why. The film is full of plot holes, and despite their being some laugh out loud moments, and a couple of jump scares, this film is a mash-up of 'Tropic Thunder' and 'Jumanji', both of which were far superior. Sure Black and Rudd deliver on the humour and the emotion, the cast all look as through their having a good ol' time shooting this movie within a movie and there's plenty of nods to the Hollywood film making machine - both good, and not so. That said, I came away from the movie theatre with a sense that this film was a little better than I was expecting, and so 'The Anaconda', as it comes to be known in the final scene, merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

I saw the M Rated 'SENTIMENTAL VALUE' on Tuesday 13th January, and this Norwegian drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Joachim Trier whose previous feature film output takes in his debut with 'Reprise' in 2006, which he would follow up with 'Oslo, 31 August' in 2011, 'Louder Than Bombs' in 2015, 'Thelma' in 2017 and 'The Worst Person in the World' in 2021. Sisters Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes Borg Pettersen (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav Borg (Stellen Skarsgard), a once-renowned Director who made his last feature film fifteen years prior, but has since made a couple of documentaries. For what he hopes will be his comeback film, he offers his daughter and acclaimed stage actress Nora a role in his future film which is picked up by Netflix. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their somewhat estranged father, and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at the main competition of this years Cannes Film Festival in late May where it received widespread critical acclaim, won the Grand Prix, and received a nineteen minute standing ovation. 

The film was released Christmas week here in Australia, and has so far grossed US$22M since its release, from a production budget of US$7.5M, has generated universal critical acclaim and has so far collected thirty-seven award wins and a further 235 nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, some of which are still pending a final outcome. Here Joachim Trier has delivered us a powerful story of family dynamics of an absent father, the fractured upbringing of his two daughters and the fallout thereof; of memories - both good, and not so; and of art (in this case film making) as a medium of healing, redemption and honesty. The performances of the four lead Actors are all on point, with each delivering grounded, believable and relatable turns at raw emotion, brutal honesty, cutting humour and an intensity that is all too lacking in many other mainstream movies today where car chases, explosions, gun play, and fist fights are de rigueur. I came away from this film feeling a little drained by the experience and the emotional heft that lingered after, but don't let that detract you from catching this masterful film that is worthy of all the accolades bestowed upon it. 'Sentimental Value' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

'28 YEARS LATER : THE BONE TEMPLE' - Rated MA15+ is a post-apocalyptic horror film which I saw on Tuesday 20th January. This time around this instalment is Directed by Nia DaCosta whose previous feature film output take in her 2018 debut with 'Little Woods' and which she would follow up with 'Candyman' in 2021, 'The Marvels' in 2023 and 'Hedda' in 2025. This instalment was filmed back-to-back with its predecessor '28 Years Later' which was released mid-year last year, and serves as the fourth offering overall in the '28 Days Later' film franchise. Danny Boyle served as Director on the original movie '28 Days Later' in 2003, gave way to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for '28 Weeks Later' in 2007 and was back again for '28 Years Later' in 2025, and is slated to return to the Director's chair for the fifth instalment with a title and release date yet to be announced. Alex Garland wrote the script for the first, third, fourth and the upcoming fifth film in the series. This film was released in the UK, here in Australia and the USA on the 13th, 15th and 16th January respectively, has so far grossed US$47M from a production budget of US$63M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. 

Continuing on from where '28 Years Later' left off, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) makes a discovery that could change the world as they know it, as he befriends and begins treating the Alpha leader of the infected Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Meanwhile, young Spike's (Alfie Williams) encounter with Sir 'Lord' Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) becomes a living nightmare from which he can't escape, as Jimmy regularly speaks with 'Old Nick' (Satan) and claims to be his son. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the only threat to survival, the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying, as Jimmy's seven 'fingers' mete out their own particular bloody forms of violence all in the name of 'charity'. This film of course won't be for everyone, but for lovers of the genre and this franchise it is a real and rare standout at the midway point of a rebooted trilogy. Nia DaCosta has piled on the graphic violence and the blood letting right from the get go, and she doesn't let up until the end, adding in a few jump scares and a couple of genuinely frightening moments along the way. Cleverly though she has stayed away from endless scenes of marauding zombies, and has narrowed the story down to the relationships between Jimmy and Spike, and Kelson and Samson, with the four only coming together in the penultimate scene, from which only two survive. The final scene sets up the third offering in this franchise with a cameo appearance by Cillian Murphy. 'Howzat?' '28 Years Later : The Bone Temple' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

I saw the M Rated sports comedy drama film 'MARTY SUPREME' on Tuesday 27th January in a packed theatre at my local Multiplex, and this film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Josh Safdie and is his first solo Directing effort since 2008's 'The Pleasure of Being Robbed'. In the intervening years Josh, together with his younger brother Benny, under the banner of The Safdie Brothers have Co-Directed 'Daddy Longlegs' in 2009, 'Heaven Knows What' in 2014, 'Good Time' in 2017 and 'Uncut Gems' in 2019. This film is based loosely on Marty Reisman's 1974 memoir, 'The Money Player: The Confessions of America's Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler'. The film Premiered at the New York Film Festival on 6th October last year followed by a US release on Christmas Day where it received widespread critical acclaim, and has so far grossed US$113M from a production budget of US$65M.

Set in 1952 New York City, twenty-three year old Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) bestows every ounce of his being into almost everything he does, unfortunately for everyone else he takes full advantage of them wherever and whenever he can. One of these is his married childhood friend Rachel Mizler (Odessa A'zion) with whom he has an on again off again affair, the ramifications of which barely registers with him. He may well be the best table tennis player in the world in his own mind, but so far has failed to make a single dollar from his beloved sport, due to the lack of support and the perception of table tennis as a mere game of ping pong. To demonstrate on the world stage that he is the best, he has to attend the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, which he can't afford, but also he must win it. Among those who help him along the way are 1930's retired movie star Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her influential businessman husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O'Leary), a taxi driver and Marty's friend Wally (Tyler Okonma) and Dion Galanis (Luke Manley) another friend of Marty's. However, for every step forward that Marty's takes in getting closer to his dream, he seems to take two steps backwards as we explore various hardships, incidents, accidents, and near misses along the way. Also starring Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard and Abel Ferrara. I have to say that Marty Mauser is a real dick, someone who will lie, cheat, cajole and do whatever is necessary to get ahead, but he is played with such conviction, authenticity and believability that Chalamet's portrayal of him is worthy of the award nods bestowed upon him. Josh Safdie has delivered us a film of high production values, and a gripping story told with such frenetic energy that it will maintain your interest for the full 150 minute runtime. Having said that I'm not really sure what the point of this movie is, other than to demonstrate mans flaws and the lengths some people will go to in the pursuit of fame and fortune, only to have their dream wither and die on the vine. 'Marty Supreme' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week - Thursday 25th & Friday 26th December 2025.

Christmas is upon us once again and every year it seems to come around quicker than the last. And so it is that time of year to wish my worldwide readership all the best for a very Merry, Happy and safe Christmas, wherever you are in world, whatever it is you do to celebrate the occasion, and whoever you share it with. Thanks for your ongoing support over the last twelve months - it is your viewership that makes my reviews and previews of the latest release new movies worthwhile, and I look forward to doing more of the same throughout 2026. Until then, Merry Christmas, happy holidays, complements of the season, may your God be with you, and enjoy your festivities - from Sydney, Australia. 

Turning the attention to this weeks slew of eight new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a psychological thriller that sees a struggling woman who seems happy to start over as a live-in maid for an affluent, elite couple who harbour sinister secrets . . . what could possibly go wrong? Then we turn to a comedy drama film about an American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig - working for a Japanese agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. Next up we have a pair of hapless guys going through their mid-life crises who have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favourite action horror movie, but, it might just get them killed! This is followed by a Norwegian film about a fractured relationship between an acclaimed Director and his two estranged daughters, which becomes even more complicated when he decides to make a personal film about their family history. Up next is a drama offering from a first time Director about a young addict living on the streets of London who is given a shot at redemption, but his road to recovery soon curdles into a strange odyssey from which he may never escape. Following on we have a French drama offering which has an acclaimed musical conductor who has leukemia and needs a bone marrow donor, and learning he was adopted, he finds an older brother, a musician and factory worker. Then, we have a documentary that follows the career of George Orwell, and how his political observations are still relevant in present day authoritarianism; before closing out the week with an animated adventure comedy that sees SpongeBob journey to the ocean's depths to face the Flying Dutchman's ghost, encountering challenges and uncovering marine mysteries.

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

'THE HOUSEMAID' (Rated MA15+) - is an American psychological thriller film that is Co-Produced and Directed by Paul Feig, and is based on the 2022 novel of the same name penned by Freida McFadden. Paul Feig's filmography take in his debut with 'I Am David' in 2003, and which we would follow up with the likes of 'Bridesmaids' in 2011, 'The Heat' in 2013, 'Spy' in 2015, 'Ghostbusters' in 2016, 'A Simple Favor' in 2018, and 'Another Simple Favor' released earlier this year. The film was released in the US last week, has generated largely positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$23M off the back of a US$35M production budget.

Here, we enter a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the affluent and elite couple Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar). But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous - a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Behind the Winchesters' closed doors lies a world of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.

'RENTAL FAMILY' (Rated M) - this US and Japanese Co-Produced comedy drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Hikari (real name Mitsuyo Miyazaki) in only her second feature film offering following '37 Seconds' in 2019. Set in modern-day Tokyo, this film follows an American Actor Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser) who has lived in Japan for seven years and who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig working for a Japanese 'rental family' agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection. The film has its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in late September and was released Stateside towards the end of November having generated largely positive press and grossing so far US$10M.

'ANACONDA' (Rated M) - is an American action comedy film that is Co-Written and Directed by Tom Gormican and serves as a meta-reboot of the 1997 film of the same name. Tom Gormican's previous feature film making efforts are 'That Awkward Moment' in 2014 and 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' in 2022. Here, wedding videographer Doug McCallister (Jack Black) and background actor Ronald 'Griff' Griffin Jnr. (Paul Rudd) who are both experiencing a mid-life crisis, travel to the Amazon to film an amateur remake of their favourite horror film, 1997's 'Anaconda'. Their project unravels when a real giant anaconda emerges, turning the light-hearted shoot into a perilous fight to stay alive. Also starring Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior with Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez making cameo appearances as themselves. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'SENTIMENTAL VALUE' (Rated M) - this Norwegian drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Joachim Trier whose previous feature film output takes in his debut with 'Reprise' in 2006, which he would follow up with 'Oslo, 31 August' in 2011, 'Louder Than Bombs' in 2015, 'Thelma' in 2017 and 'The Worst Person in the World' in 2021. Sisters Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes Borg Pettersen (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav (Stellen Skarsgard), a once-renowned Director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father, and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at the main competition of this years Cannes Film Festival in late May where it received widespread critical acclaim, won the Grand Prix, and received a nineteen minute standing ovation. The film has so far grossed US$12M since its release, has generated universal critical acclaim and has so far collected fourteen award wins and a further ninety nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, many of which are still pending a final outcome.

'URCHIN' (Rated MA15+) - is a British drama film that is Written, Directed, stars and is Co-Produced by Harris Dickinson through the Production Company, Devisio Pictures, which he founded with Producer Archie Pearch. This is Dickinson's feature film making debut. On the streets of London, Mike (Frank Dillane) a young man experiencing homelessness, is hustling to get by. Roadside evangelists won't let him sleep in peace, his slippery friend won't pay up the money he stole, and before long, he finds himself in trouble with the law. As he struggles to reintegrate into society, shuffling between jobs as a line cook and a garbage collector, he must balance a newfound sense of community with his own itch for self-destruction. The film had its World Premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May this year where Dickinson won the FIPRESCI Prize and Dillane won the section's Best Actor award. It was released in the UK in early October, has garnered generally positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$672K.

'MY BROTHER'S BAND' aka 'THE MARCHING BAND' (Rated M) - this French drama film Co-Written and Directed by Emmanuel Courcol in his third feature film making outing following 'Ceasefire' in 2016 and 'The Big Hit' in 2020. When acclaimed orchestra conductor Thibaut Desormeaux (Benjamin Lavernhe) is diagnosed with leukemia, a DNA test to find a bone marrow donor reveals that he is adopted. Thibaut meets his biological brother Jimmy Lecocq (Pierre Lottin), a cook in a school canteen who plays trombone in a local marching band in Lille. When the band loses its conductor, Thibaut steps in as replacement, and the brothers learn more about the circumstances that shaped each other's lives. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May 2024, and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$26M from a production of US$7M.

'ORWELL : 2+2=5' (Rated M) - is a French and US Co-Produced documentary film that is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Raoul Peck, whose most recent documentaries are 'I Am Not Your Negro' in 2016, 'Silver Dollar Road' in 2023, and 'Ernest Cole : Lost and Found' in 2024. He has also helmed a number of feature films, most recently 2017's 'The Young Karl Marx'. Here then, through archive photos, newsreel footage, films, contemporary documentaries, and notorious speeches, the Director explores how early 20th Century authoritarianism still echoes in contemporary life, especially during ongoing conflicts threatening democracy and public liberties, such as the Myanmar civil war, the Russo-Ukrainian war, the United States' War on terror and the January 6th Capitol attack, the Gaza War, and many others. The film saw its World Premiere at the Cannes Premiere section of this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, where it was nominated for the L'Œil d'or. It was released in the US in early October, and will be released in France at the end of February next year. It has garnered generally positive critical acclaim and has so far grossed US$355K. The film is narrated by Damian Lewis, as George Orwell, paying particular attention to the lessons from his 1949 novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.

'THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE : SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS' (Rated PG) - this American animated adventure comedy film is based on the 'SpongeBob SquarePants' TV series, and is Directed by series veteran Derek Drymon and stars the show's regular voice cast. This film is the fourth feature in the series after 'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' in 2004, 'The SpongeBob Movie : Sponge Out of Water' in 2015 and 'The SpongeBob Movie : Sponge on the Run' in 2021. There have also been two Netflix spin off instalments, with those first three films grossing at the Worldwide Box Office a total US$470M against combined production budgets of US$164M. Here then, desperate to become a 'big guy', SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny), sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), and so travels to the deepest depths of the ocean to face off against the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill). The film was released in the US last week, has garnered generally positive critical reviews and has so far recovered US$16M from a production budget of US$64M.

With eight 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-