FUZE : Tuesday 21st April 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'FUZE' at my local independent movie theatre this week, and this British crime thriller heist film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Mackenzie whose previous feature film Directorial output includes 'Young Adam' in 2003, 'Hallam Foe' in 2007, 'Perfect Sense' in 2011, 'Hell or High Water' in 2016, 'Outlaw King' in 2018 and 'Relay' in 2024. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year at the Gala Presentations section, was released in the UK earlier this month, and has generated mixed or average critical reviews.

Here, set in modern day London, the film opens on a building site in Paddington where an excavation reveals what appears to be an unexploded WWII bomb. The site foreman calls the local Police who spring into action and alert the Army bomb disposal unit. The Police, under the command of Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), cordon off an area the size of several city blocks, and order the immediate evacuation of all civilians, including Rahim (Elham Ehsas) and his parents, to Hyde Park. Meanwhile, Greenfield has contacted Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) a seasoned bomb disposal expert to lead the investigation into the nature of said device and its defusing. 

Upon arrival at the Paddington site, Tranter and his team set the ground rules for handling the alleged bomb, which sits buried in mud and partially submerged in waste water. The operation is hampered when Tranter discovers a timed trigger, and that it is ticking. One of the soldiers uses a magnetic device to temporarily disable the timer, while the rest attempt to build a wall to contain and reduce the blast zone. Tranter relays back to his team and Greenfield that the bomb could off anytime between now and the next 48 hours. 

Amidst the chaos, and the city falling silent, the streets empty and with electricity supplies cut off Karalis (Theo James), X (Sam Worthington), Hardeep (Naveed Khan), Y (Shaun Mason) and Z (Nabil Elouahabi) break into a bank in Edgware Road, that is located directly adjacent to Rahim's apartment block. They gain access through the basement, and using a large industrial drilling machine, bore through the two feet thick concrete wall and then blow torch their way in through the steel wall into the vault. Having gained access they set about looting safety deposit boxes and steal money, jewellery, and a cache of diamonds. Their heat signature is spotted from Rahim's apartment by a Police drone, suspending the bomb disposal operation while Policemen search the cordoned area. Karalis is spotted keeping a watchful eye on proceedings at street level, and the Police engage in a chase with the thieves. Meanwhile, the bomb malfunctions, reactivating the timer and eventually resulting in the device detonating before the wall can be completed. The explosion leaves a big crater in the ground, a shock wave that can be felt several blocks away and a huge plume of grey smoke and ash rising up from the scene of the blast. Fortunately, no lives are lost. 

The thieves are able to successfully evade the Police - first on foot through the sewers of central London and then they escape in a van to a safehouse in the countryside. There, Karalis reveals uncut diamonds among the loot, then double-crosses them by calling in a team of armed gangsters he works for, who come in with shotguns blasting away, and take out Y with a blast to his shoulder. They then cable tie the thieves up and lock them in a shed. Karalis, who is in cahoots with his uncle, who turns the tables on his nephew by stating that he now wants a 50% cut of the share from the sale of the diamonds when they had originally agreed a 20% cut. Karalis is none too pleased with this development and when he tries to explain the work involved in fencing off uncut diamonds, and their true value only when they are cut, the uncle slams down a wrench on the table smashing the diamond into dust. Upon discovering the diamonds to be fake, the gangsters break his hand with the wrench, lock him in the boot of their car and drive off with him, leaving the other thieves locked in the shed. Y succumbs to his shotgun wound and dies. X breaks free from his cable tied wrists and frees the others. Using the van to break out of the shed door, X grabs his tablet from two getaway cars and says that he placed tracking devices on each of them, because he felt none of his accomplices could be trusted. and Karalis is able to use his phone to broadcast his location. With X, Hardeep and Z tracking him, they eventually catch up, kill the gunmen, and attempt to suffocate Karalis, but Tranter arrives and shoots X dead, and wounds Hardeep and Z, so allowing Karalis to escape. With Hardeep and Z left for dead, they both retrieve the stash of cash and jewellery from the gunmen's car, and are last seen grinning from ear to ear. 

By the time the Police have figured out Tranter, Karalis and Rahim's involvement in the heist and their connection, the three have fled the UK each on separate flights. Reuniting in Istanbul, it is revealed that Tranter was working with Karalis to steal the diamonds; when Karalis was discovered, Tranter sabotaged his own home made WWII looking bomb, triggering the explosion to buy them time to escape the Police; and Rahim, a long term friend of Tranter, ensured the switch of the real diamonds for the fake ones and their concealment and ultimate retrieval was carried out according to plan. After arranging for the diamonds to be cut and sold in Istanbul to diamond traders, and dividing the US$90M proceeds equally between them, the three part ways.

A closing sequence tells us that Tranter, Karalis and Rahim first met ten years earlier in Afghanistan, when Karalis was double-crossed by his employer, who kidnapped him, only for their convoy to be caught up in an IED blast. Tranter and Rahim who happened to be in the locale at the time provided cover fire against the insurgents, as Karalis was able to disarm a land mine that Tranter had inadvertently stepped on. However, whilst Karalis cut the wire leading to the land mine, he neglected to disengage the grenade at the mine's control box causing a chain reaction of explosions from other buried IED's sending the three of them flying albeit unharmed. 

'Fuze' hardly reinvents the bank heist film genre that goes adrift before the final payoff and the villains walk away to spend their millions on ill gotten gains, but nonetheless, it is an enjoyable, entertaining and engaging robbery romp ramping up the tension, the plot twists and turns and the double crosses into a reasonably respectable 97 minute run time. The character development is somewhat lacking (until that final sequence) and the at times ho-hum dialogue, but the cinematography, editing, Mackenzie's deft Directorial hand and a more than competent cast all add up to an acceptable thrill ride. 

'Fuze' 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 23rd April 2026.

The 69th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) occurs this year from Friday 24th April through until Monday 4th May. The SFFILM Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas bringing the most innovative films from around the globe to the Bay Area since 1957. The programme features eleven days of hand-selected films, world class talent, captivating Festival Talks, an Industry Summit for filmmakers, College Days, and Schools at the Festival exclusively for local students. Audiences visit to find singular movies from the latest and greatest filmmakers. We teach kids about the world through film and movie-going. And we make sure independent filmmakers get their stories to the big screen. SFFILM invests in the entire cycle of the cinema experience. From world-class festivals to accessible education programmes to grants for working filmmakers, we fuel every aspect of a thriving film culture. So reads the official website.

This years two Opening Night Film presentations are 'Late Fame' from the USA and Directed by Kent Jones and tells the story of when a retired poet’s forgotten writings capture the attention of a vibrant NYC group, admiration, longing, and desire stir in this heartfelt, witty meditation on ambition and second chances. Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee star. And the second is 'The Invite' from the USA and Directed by Olivia Wilde where two San Francisco couples meet for a casual get-to-know-one-another dinner but instead find themselves traversing surprising boundaries of intimacy and relationships. Penelope Cruz, Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton, and Seth Rogen star. Closing out this years SFFILM Festival is a very special Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) screening of 'Star Wars : Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back' from 1980 and Directed by Irvin Kershner.

In the Global Visions Competition, the following titles are being showcased :-

* 'The World of Love' - from South Korea and Directed by Yoon Ga-eun. Boisterous and unshakable, a young girl’s harmonious world unravels after a public clash and anonymous letters force her to confront long-buried truths, testing her sense of self and resilience.

* 'Risa and the Wind Phone' - from Argentina and Directed by Juan Cabral. In a small town where the dead call from an abandoned phone booth, a young girl discovers she alone can hear them, setting off a whimsical quest to help spirits—and find her father.

* 'Memory of Princess Mumbi' - from Kenya and Directed by Damien Hauser. In this futuristic Sci-Fi mockumentary, a filmmaker repurposes footage shot in the African nation of Umata as a love letter to the life of Princess Mumbi.

* 'Those Who Whistle After Dark' - from Turkey and Directed by Pinar Yorgancioglu. Retired Melih drifts through life as his wife and daughter pursue risky professional schemes. When ghostly figures appear, domestic absurdity spirals in this offbeat, comic, and charming portrait of family life.

* 'Salvation' - from Turkey and Directed by Emin Alper. This tense and visually striking drama explores the explosive consequences when territorial rivalries ignite in a remote Turkish mountain village.

* 'The Fox King' - from Malaysia and Directed by Woo Ming Jin. Twin brothers try to make a life for themselves with scant resources as they reel from their mother’s death.

* 'Ungrateful Beings' - from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia and France, and Directed by Olmo Omerzu. What begins as a summer crush evolves into a snowballing disaster as a recently separated father desperately tries to reconnect with his kids.

* 'Inside Amir' - from Iran and Directed by Amir Azizi. A young man hovers on the precipice of a major life change, biking through his beloved Tehran as he awaits a visa approval.

For the details of the other two competitive strands - the Spotlights Documentary Competition and the Spotlights New Directors Competition, and the low down on the other sections being showcased, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.sffilm.org

Turning the focus then back on this weeks seven hot new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we launch with a musical drama biopic following the life of American singer Michael Jackson, covering the period from his involvement in the Jackson 5 in the 60's to his early solo career, taking in his hit albums 'Off The Wall', 'Thriller' and 'Bad'. Then we turn to a sport action drama offering in which a once-feared MMA champion is pulled back in for the fight of his life after years away from the cage, when his younger brother is put in danger. This is followed by a Japanese psychological horror film where strange events plague a young man as he searches for the exit in an endless subway tunnel. Next up we have a Australian romantic comedy drama film about an isolated young couple who have moved from the big city to the remote countryside lose control of a joke about imaginary friends. Then we have a French historical drama focusing on the origin story of the protagonist from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, that follows this man's release from prison in 1815 and his transformative encounter with a kindly and forgiving Bishop. Following on is a Moroccan film about a woman who fights to keep her childhood house in Morocco after her daughter decides to sell it; and closing out the week we have a Japanese animated film in which a dying prisoner reflects on his final summer of freedom in 1986, when he lived with a woman and her son surrounded by Housenka flowers.

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.

'MICHAEL' (Rated PG) - this American biographical musical drama film is Directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose previous feature film credits take in the likes of his debut in 1998 with 'The Replacement Killers' which he would follow up with 'Training Day' in 2001, 'Tears of the Sun' in 2003, 'Shooter' in 2007, 'Olympus Has Fallen' in 2013, 'Southpaw' in 2015, 'The Magnificent Seven' in 2016, and 'The Equalizer' trilogy in 2014, 2018 and 2023. He has also helmed a number of documentaries over the years including 'What's My Name : Muhammad Ali' in 2019.  This film Premiered in Berlin earlier this month and is released in the US this week too, having cost in the region of US$200M to produce.

This cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, telling the story of Michael Jackson's life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fuelled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. Starring Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role and in his film debut, with Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson (father), Nia Long as Katherine Jackson (mother), Miles Teller as John Branca (entertainment lawyer and manager) and Jamal R. Henerson, Tre Horton, Rhyan Hill, Joseph David-Jones and Jessica Sula as Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, Jackie and La Toya - Michael's older siblings respectively. Juliano Krue Valdi stars as the young Michael.

'BEAST' (Rated MA15+) - is a sports action drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Tyler Atkins in only his second feature film making effort following 'Bosch & Rockit' (aka 'Ocean Boy'). Here, after years away from the cage, and now working as a commercial fisherman, the once-feared MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) champion Patton James (Daniel MacPherson) is pulled back in for the fight of his life when his younger brother is put in danger. Reuniting with the trainer Sammy (Russell Crowe) who once made him a legend, he commits to one final showdown against the reigning title-holder Xavier Grau (Bren Foster), a brutal fighter determined to dismantle the ex-champ's legacy in front of the world. Pushed to his breaking point, the contender's stakes are simple - win, or lose everything he's built. The film also stars Luke Hemsworth and Amy Shark, and was released Stateside earlier this month and has so far grossed US$1M.

'EXIT 8' (Rated M) - this Japanese mystery psychological horror film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Genki Kawamura, and is based on the 2023 video game 'The Exit 8'. A man, credited only as 'The Lost Man' (Kazunari Ninomiya) is trapped in a endless sterile subway passageway and must set out to find Exit 8. The rules of his quest are simple - do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, carry on. Then leave from Exit 8. But even a single oversight will send him back to the beginning. Will he ever reach his goal and escape this infinite corridor? The film had its Premiere showcasing at the Midnight Screenings of last years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, and was released in its native Japan in late August last year. The film has received positive reviews from critics and has so far grossed US$41M.

'ALPHABET LANE' (Rated M) - this Australian romantic comedy drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by James Litchfield in his feature film making debut. Here, Anna (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) and Jack (Nicholas Denton) are a young couple who have recently moved to rural New South Wales from Sydney. With the reality of their new situation failing to live up to their expectations, as a joke they invent imaginary neighbours to cope with their growing loneliness. As letters begin to arrive from their new friends, what started out as a joke soon comes to take over their entire relationship. Also starring Henry Nixon, Alan Dukes and Lily Stewart.

'JEAN VALJEAN' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Co-Written and Directed by Eric Besnard and based on the first one hundred pages of the classic Victor Hugo novel 'Les Miserables'. The film focuses on the specific chapter of the novel where Jean Valjean (Gregory Gadebois) is turned away by society after serving nineteen years of hard labour in prison, and his release in 1815. Issued with identification that forever sees him branded a criminal and ostracised, Jean is not surprised to be repeatedly turned away as he seeks refuge for the night. Desperate, he unknowingly knocks at the door of the house of Monseigneur Bienvenu (Bernard Campan), who lives simply with his sister Baptistine (Isabelle Carre) and a lone servant Magloire (Alexandra Lamy). Against all odds, Bienvenu invites him in. On this crucial night, Jean will face a choice that will define his future. The film saw its release in its native France in mid-November last year, and has been releasing progressively in other territories since.

'CALLE MALAGA' (Rated M) - this Spanish language drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Maryam Touzani, in her third feature film outing following 'Adam' in 2019 and 'The Blue Caftan' in 2022. Seventy-nine-year-old Maria Angeles (Carmen Maura) lives an independent existence in the Spanish quarter of Tangier, Morocco. When her daughter Clara (Marta Etura), a nurse who is facing emotional turmoil and economic difficulties, arrives from Madrid to pressure her into selling the family home, where Maria has lived all her life, the stable trajectory of María's life is thrown off course, until she rediscovers her city and unexpectedly finds a romantic spark that will change her life. The film had its World Premiere in the Venice Spotlight section at last years Venice International Film Festival in late August where it won the section's Audience Award. It was released in France in mid-March, in Spain earlier this month, having generated mostly positive critical reviews.

'THE LAST BLOSSOM' (Rated PG) - is a Japanese animated film that is Co-Written and Directed by Baku Kinoshita. Here, and elderly former Yakuza inmate serving a life sentence, awaits a lonely death in his solitary prison cell, until a voice calls out to him. It belongs to a balsam flower, Housenka (voiced by Pierre Taki) that speaks like a human. Through their 'conversation', the old man begins to reflect on the life he’s led. The film was released in Japan in mid-October last year, and is released here in Australia this week. 

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-

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 16th April 2026

The 18th Milwaukee Film Festival takes place this year from Wednesday 16th April, up to and including Thursday 30th April, in the US city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Named one of the coolest film festivals in the world by MovieMaker Magazine, the Milwaukee Film Festival is one of the Midwest’s largest film festivals, and one of Milwaukee’s most-beloved cultural events. Founded in 2008, Milwaukee Film is a community-powered arts nonprofit organisation dedicated to creating world-class cinematic experiences that entertain, educate, and engage curious audiences. It is the fifth largest film festival in the US in terms of attendance, the number of films screened and festival length, and is proud to be known for its world-class hospitality. The Milwaukee Film Festival spotlights bold new voices, acclaimed filmmakers, unique stories, and work made in Milwaukee that resonates far beyond the screen. So reads the official website.

This years Opening Night film presentation is 'Ueck', from the USA and this documentary is Directed by Steve Farr and Michael T. Vollmann. Milwaukee legend, Bob Uecker, the former Major League baseball player, Hall of Fame sportscaster, comedian, and Actor has seen it all and made us laugh along the way. Though Ueck passed away in January 2025, this documentary persists as a testament to his legacy, giving audiences intimate access to his life, work, family, and friends, amplifying his humour and heart for future generations. The Closing Night film is 'Power Ballad' from the USA and is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by John Carney. When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. 

The Centrepiece film is 'The Big Cheese', and this documentary is Co-Produced and Directed by Sara Joe Wolansky. In the high-pressure world of international cheesemongering, Adam Moskowitz aims to send the first American to claim the top prize at the Mondial du Fromage competition in France. While the European model for this 'sommelier of cheese' profession eclipses its stateside counterpart in societal support, Moskowitz, and his alter-ego Mr. Moo, believe scrappy American ingenuity can take the wheel.

In the North American Independents Programme, there are thirteen titles being showcased, detailed in brief as follows :-

* 'Blue Heron' - from Canada and Hungary this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sophy Romvari is her feature film Directorial debut. 

* 'Carolina Caroline' - from the USA and Directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier and starring Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner and Kyra Sedgwick.

* 'Erupcja' - from the USA and Poland this drama romance film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, photographed, Directed and Edited by Pete Ohs and stars Charli XCX, Will Madden and Lena Gora.

* 'I Want Your Sex' - from the USA and this comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Gregg Araki, and stars Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Olivia Wilde, Daveed Diggs and Charli XCX.

* 'If I Go They Will Miss Me' - from the USA, this drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Walter Thompson-Hernandez.

* 'Late Fame' - from the USA this drama film is Directed by Kent Jones and stars Willem Dafoe, Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan.

* 'Lucky Lu' - from the USA and Canada, this drama film is Written and Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi.

* 'Mad Bills to Pay' - from the USA and this comedy drama film is Written and Directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas.

* 'Maddie's Secret' - from the USA this comedy film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars John Early, with Eric Rahill, Kate Berlant, Conner O'Malley and Vanessa Bayer.

* 'She's The He' - from the USA, this comedy is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Siobhan McCarthy.

* 'Space Cadet' - from Canada this family animated film is Directed by Kid Koala.

* 'The Travel Companion' - from the USA, this comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Co-Directed by Travis Wood and Alex Mallis, and starring Tristan Turner, Anthony Oberbeck and Naomi Asa.

* 'Vanilla' - from Mexico, and this drama comedy film is Written and Directed by Mayra Hermosillo.

For the descriptors of the aforementioned films, plus the details of the other films strands being showcased, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.mkefilm.org

Turning the attention then back to this weeks four new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a supernatural horror film in which a young girl wakens in a 3,000 year old sarcophagus having been missing for eight years, and while her parents joy at having their daughter back, this quickly turns into a living nightmare. Next up is an action offering in which an interim lawman in a small mid-western American town covering up a massive criminal conspiracy. This is followed by a British crime thriller where an unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the city of London, as chaos ensues when the military and police begin a mass evacuation. And closing out the week we have a French drama offering about the daily life of an indifferent Frenchman, who is shaken by the death of his mother and a fateful encounter on a beach in 1930's Algeria.

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

'LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY' (Rated MA15+) - this American supernatural horror film is Written and Directed by Lee Cronin in only his third feature film making outing following 'The Hole in the Ground' in 2019 and 'Evil Dead Rise' in 2023. This film is a reimagining of 'The Mummy' series which began way back in 1932 with the Universal Studio's 'The Mummy' right up to the most recent iteration in 2017 with 'The Mummy' as part of Universal's planned and subsequently ditched Dark Universe series, when the film was panned by critics and was a Box Office failure. 

The young daughter, Katie Cannon (Natalie Grace), of a journalist Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor) disappears into the desert without a trace. Some eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare. Also starring Laia Costa as Charlie's wife Larissa and Veronica Falcon as Larissa's mother Carmen. The film is released Stateside this week too. 

'NORMAL' (Rated CTC) - is an American action film that is Directed by Ben Wheatley whose prior feature film making efforts take in his debut in 2009 with 'Down Terrace' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'A Field in England' in 2013, 'High Rise' in 2015, 'Free Fire' in 2016, 'Happy New Year, Colin Burstead' in 2018, 'Rebecca' in 2020 and 'Meg 2 : The Trench' in 2023. Here, for Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk, who also Co-Wrote the story and is Co-Producer), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal, Minnesota, was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality's tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake. Also starring Henry Winkler and Lena Headey. The film Premiered in the Midnight Madness programme at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, and is released in the US this week also.

'FUZE' (Rated M) - this British crime thriller heist film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Mackenzie whose previous feature film Directorial output includes 'Young Adam' in 2003, 'Hallam Foe' in 2007, 'Perfect Sense' in 2011, 'Hell or High Water' in 2016, 'Outlaw King' in 2018 and 'Relay' in 2024. Here, set in modern day London, the film unfolds after an unexploded World War II bomb is unearthed at a busy construction site, forcing a massive citywide evacuation. Amid the escalating tension and chaos, a daring criminal operation is set in motion, one that uses the evacuation as cover for a meticulously planned heist. As authorities race against time to contain the crisis, alliances blur and moral boundaries are crossed. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Sam Worthington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Honor Swinton Byrne. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year at the Gala Presentations section, was released in the UK earlier this month, and has generated mixed or average critical reviews.

'THE STRANGER' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Written and Directed by Francois Ozon, whose prior prolific film output take in the likes of 'Water Drops on Burning Rocks' in 2000, '8 Women' in 2002, 'Swimming Pool' in 2003, 'Potiche' in 2010, 'In the House' in 2012, 'Frantz' in 2016, 'Everything Went Fine' in 2021, 'Peter von Kant' in 2022, and 'When Fall is Coming' in 2024. This film is based on the 1942 novel of the same bane by Albert Camus. Here, set in Algiers, in 1938, Meursault (Benjamin Voisin), a quiet and unassuming employee in his early thirties, attends his mother's funeral without shedding a tear. The next day, he begins a casual affair with Marie (Rebecca Marder), a work colleague. He quickly slips back into his usual routine. However, his daily life is soon about to be disrupted by his neighbour, Raymond Sintes (Pierre Lottin), who draws Meursault into his shady dealings. Until one blisteringly hot day, a tragic event occurs on a beach. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International film Festival in early September last year where it was in official competition for the Golden Lion, it then opened in France in late October and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$7M and garnered universal critical acclaim. 

With four 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-

THEY WILL KILL YOU : Tuesday 7th April 2026

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THEY WILL KILL YOU' earlier this week at my local multiplex, and this American horror action comedy film is Co-Written and Directed by Kirill Sokolov who made his feature film Directorial debut with 'Why Don't You Just Die!' in 2018 and which he would follow up with 'No Looking Back' in 2021. The film Premiered at SXSW in mid-March, was released Stateside and here in Australia towards the end of last month, has so far grossed US$16M from a US$20M production budget and has garnered mixed or average critical reviews.

They film opens with two sisters - the older Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) and her much younger sibling Maria running into a 24/7 convenience store in the pouring rain, looking to evade their abusive father. However, he tracks them down as the pair run into the night and back out into the rain. The father gives chase, aided and abetted by a friend of his in a car which pulls up directly in front of the fleeing sisters, causing them to stop dead in their tracks. Asia pulls a gun at her advancing father, and shoots him. He slumps to the ground and she flees the scene as Police cars converge sirens and lights blaring, leaving her father grabbing at the ankle of young Maria hampering any chance she had of escape. Asia is arrested, and Maria returns to the abusive custody of her father. 

Fast forward ten years and Asia arrives at the front door of The Virgil, again in the pouring rain late one evening. The Virgil is an exclusive high rise apartment block in New York City, that is long past its hey day, but is nonetheless seen as exclusive and very private by its residents. She is welcomed by Irish building manager, Lilith Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette), who explains that the Virgil is over one hundred years old and is occupied by the wealthy and elite. She is shown to her living quarters and told to make herself at home. 

While sleeping, several masked intruders, including residents Kevin Sullivan (Tom Felton) and Sharon Vanderbilt (Heather Graham), break in and attack Asia. They are shocked to discover Asia is armed and highly skilled at defending herself (a skill that we later learn she picked up in prison) managing to kill all of the assailants. Asia confronts Lilith and demands the location of Maria, who works as a maid at the Virgil. Asia's attackers resurrect, forcing her to seek refuge in the building's myriad old wooden ventilation ducting system. 

Kevin and Sharon chase down Asia through the ducting system, all of them scrambling along on all fours, but Asia manages to dispatch Sharon with a shotgun blast to the head. Asia is saved by Lilith's husband, Ray (Paterson Joseph), who explains that The Virgil was built as a temple to Satan, and the residents have been made immortal by performing human sacrifices. The two travel up a floor, unaware they are being followed by Sharon's responsive eyeball. 

The two meet with a now adult Maria (Myha'la), who reveals she is aware of what is happening at The Virgil and has no desire to leave. Maria further berates Asia for abandoning her ten years ago, at a time when she needed her most. Asia knocks her unconscious, but she and Ray are attacked by the cultists. Asia and Maria escape up a floor via a dumbwaiter, while Ray is captured and tied up by Lilith and Sharon, whose head has started to grow back.

Exiting the dumbwaiter in the kitchen, Asia and Maria confront each another. Maria explains she fled their father shortly before he died from cancer two years ago now, working at downbeat motels until she was hired at The Virgil. Although she was initially due to be a sacrifice, she was spared and now enjoys the relative comfort of the building. Lilith demands that all residents and staff track down the sisters. Maria saves Asia from a cultist before being captured. 

Asia pursues the cultists into a grand dining room and slaughters most of them with a burning axe. The two try to climb up a fire escape via the elevator shaft, but are ambushed by Lilith and the cultists. Lilith reveals that, to gain immortality, Maria must make a sacrifice, that of the maid Asia was posing as.

The sisters and Ray are taken to the top floor, where the cultists summon Satan, who possesses the severed head of a pig to communicate, with the names of the immortal cultists written on its skin. The pig removes Ray's name from its skin and forces Lilith to murder him, permanently killing Ray. It then instructs Maria to write her name and kill Asia. Instead, Maria writes Asia's name and kills herself by slitting her own throat. Now immortal, Asia repeatedly kills Kevin, Sharon, and the cultists. Lilith allows the severed pig head to take over her body and fights with Asia, who overpowers her, removes the head and kicks her headlong landing on the spike upon which the pigs head was mounted. She douses the pig's head and sets it on fire, so burning off the names, and then promptly kicks the burning head mounted on a trolley down the hallway past all the cultists and down the elevator shaft where it erupts into a ball of flame, which results in the cultists all dying from their injuries. She then flees with Maria's body.

Reuniting with her private investigator cum lawyer (Angus Sampson), Asia places Maria's body in the backseat of his car, where she resurrects within a few minutes. Asia shows her that she has cut off her name from the pig's head and changed the letters from Asia to Maria. Now reunited, the sisters drive off as the top floor of the Virgil explodes.

In only his third feature film outing, here Director Kiril Sokolov has delivered us a gore fest that draws nods from other genre bending films, most recently 'Ready or Not 2 : Here I Come', reviewed here at Odeon Online only last week. Here the similarities are palpable - two estranged sisters reuniting after a prolonged period of absence from each others lives, the secret cabal of devil worshippers, and the elitist wealthy upper class knobs Hell bent on the sisters demise by whatever means possible. Even the closing lines of each film are near identical! Zazie Beetz plays her role for all its worth, as do Tom Felton, Heather Graham and Patricia Arquette. The kills are inventively staged, the fight sequences are well choreographed, the blood and gore are ramped up to eleven, and for a relatively brisk 94 minute runtime, the film doesn't outstay its welcome. But all of that said, I came out of the movie theatre thinking that this is just the same old same old that we have seen many times before, but for lovers of the genre it is sure to please.

'They Will Kill You' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-