BY ANY MEANS : Tuesday 8th September 2026.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'BY ANY MEANS' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American historical crime film is Co-Produced and Directed by Elegance Bratton whose previous feature length films include the documentaries 'Pier Kids' in 2019 and 'Move Ya Body : The Birth of House' in 2025 and the drama film 'The Inspection' in 2022. This film was released in the US last week too, has generated mixed or average critical reviews and has so far recovered US$11M from its US$29M production budget.

The film opens in 1964, where three Congress of Racial Equality workers - James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerne disappeared near Philadelphia, Mississippi without a trace during the summer. FBI supervisor Roy K. Moore (David Strathairn) demands swift answers from regional agents. Moore sends ruthless Brooklyn mob enforcer Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg, who also Co-Produces here) south to assist. Scarpa uses physical coercion with the aid of a baseball bat upon a local Ku Klux Klansman inside a deserted warehouse. Scarpa strikes the suspect repeatedly until he talks openly, giving details where victims lie buried at a farm six miles south of Philadelphia, buried in an earthen dam under fourteen feet of red clay.

 

Fast forward a couple of years to 1966 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and civil rights activist Vernon Dahmer (Giancarlo Esposito) helps local Black citizens register to vote safely. Klansmen ride past his home in the dead of night and throw burning petrol cans into his home, while opening fire. Dahmer helps his family escape safely through a rear window, but he dies from burns and smoke inhalation. 

As his grieving wife Hattie (LaChanze) mourns beside neighbour Rebecca Brewer (LisaGay Hamilton) outdoors, a young Black FBI agent, Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), arrives to investigate, but is quickly moved on by a pair of local Police Officers with their sidearms at the ready, who doubt that the Black man is actually an FBI agent. 

Strider moves south with his supportive wife Allison (Nicole Beharie). Moore and Special Agent Everett Rhodes (Josh Lucas) assign Strider to direct efforts. The local residents refuse federal interviews due to fear of local deputies. Moore assigns Scarpa to partner with Strider, under strict orders that Scarpa is heading up the off the books investigation and to follow his direction, no questions asked.

Strider believes in strict legal boundaries bringing true justice through the court of law, while Scarpa mocks rules and uses coercion to obtain the information he needs, by any means necessary. Scarpa recites quotes from Malcolm X to justify ruthless choices. Together, they travel through small rural towns actively searching for active Klan members.

Strider watches in dismay as Scarpa breaks federal laws without hesitation, but terrified witnesses begin leaking critical names about the night bombing, including Rebecca Brewer, who is attacked in her bed at night, her house fire bombed and then she is dragged outside and killed, because the Klan learned that she spoke with Strider about what she witnessed the night of Dahmer's death. The evidence points directly toward Sam Bowers (Ethan Embry) and his local gang. Scarpa corners Bowers alone and forces a confession using physical force, by punching him multiple times in the face and killing his incessantly barking dog. The federal agents raid hidden hideouts across county lines under cover of darkness, while the sheriff deputies facing evidence can no longer protect the Klan killers.

Bowers and thirteen other Klan members are arrested for Dahmer's death. Strider achieves justice but feels greatly unsettled by federal hypocrisy, considering his future career path. He realises systemic prejudice runs through federal law enforcement agencies. Scarpa collects his cash payout from federal agents before leaving town and flying back to New York. The Mississippi community honours Vernon Dahmer, with Hattie vowing to continue registration efforts for local voters. Strider accepts that law enforcement demands tough compromises every day, and justice arrives only when people push beyond ordinary legal boundaries.

A pre-credits notation tells us that Sam Bowers was responsible for instigating and planning the 1964 murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner by members of his Klan chapter near Philadelphia, Mississippi, for which he served six years in federal prison; and the 1966 murder of Vernon Dahmer in Hattiesburg, for which he was sentenced to life in prison, 32 years after the crime. He died in prison in 2006 at the age of 82. 

With 'By Any Means' Director Bratton has delivered us a B-grade mash-up of 1988's 'Mississippi Burning' and 2018's 'Green Book' - both Academy Award nominated and winning films in their own right, unlike this film I would bet. That said, the film does shine a light on a period of American history not so long ago that it sill remains within living memory and deserves to be (re)told because it remains as relevant today as it did back then, and if you're a Gen Z'er or a Millennial then this is perhaps an important lesson you should take note of. Mark Wahlberg with his prosthetic nose, his bulging gut and his constant chewing on a toothpick portrays the Colombo crime family hitman and enforcer in what is probably his most violent and hateful role yet and does so with a malevolent conviction, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen has crafted a complex and driven character who yearns to do the right thing but is swayed by the bigotry he experiences in his everyday life. The film is serviceable enough, but it feels like a good cop bad cop buddy cop movie the likes of which we have seen in 'Lethal Weapon' and '48 Hours' et al, is familiar and when the ending comes it feels undercooked and just a bit of an anticlimax. 

'By Any Means' 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 10th September 2026.

The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this years runs from Thursday 10th September though until Sunday 20th September in Toronto, the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. TIFF is dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds. As Canada's premiere home of cinema, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, events, professional development and opportunities to meet, hear and learn from filmmakers from Canada and around the world. At TIFF, you can celebrate with the best of Canadian and global cinema, special events and talks with stars, plus TIFF : The Market, where the global film, series, and innovation industries come together to power the future of the screen sector . . . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Film presentation is 'Being Heumann' and this biographical drama film is Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Sian Heder, and is s an adaptation of the memoir 'Being Heumann : An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist' by Judith Heumann. In 1977, disability rights activist Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley) leads a historic 28-day occupation of San Francisco's Federal Building, uniting protesters in a fight for accessibility laws and equal rights. Also starring Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O'Brien, Rob Delaney and Ray Fisher. The Closing Film is 'Villeneuve : The Rise of a Legend' and this biographical drama film is Directed by Yan Lanouette Turgeon and charts the early life of Canadian racing driver Gilles Villeneuve (Remi Goulet), centring on his early efforts to establish his racing career. 

This year there are twenty-four feature films in the Gala Presentations section of the festival, which include the following titles :-

* 'Always Lalisa' - from the USA and this documentary film is Co-Produced and Directed by Sue Kim, and it features Thai rapper and singer Lisa Manobal, following a year in Lisa's life as she naviagtes the challenges of launching a solo career independently of her group 'Blackpink' pursuing acting, and building her brand while maintaining her personal life. 

* 'The Assassin(s)' - from South Korea, and this crime political thriller is Directed by Hur Jin-ho and is set in 1974 and follows the attempted assassination of Korean President Park Chung-hee on 15th August of that year.

* 'Atonement' - from the USA and this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Reed Van Dyk. A troubled US marine seeks to reconcile with the survivors of a family his unit fired on in Iraq in 2003. Starring Boyd Holbrook, Kenneth Branagh and Hiam Abbass.

* 'Babies' - from the USA and this comedy drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lauren Miller Rogen. A couple struggling with whether to have kids or not have their lives upended when their newly-divorced friend moves into their home with her child. Starring Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Kate Berlant, Issa Rae, Dan Stevens, Sharon Stone, Ed Helms, David Strathairn and Ashley Park. 

* 'Being Heumann' - refer above Opening Night film presentation.

* 'Bunker' - from France and Spain, and this psychological thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Florian Zeller. An architect's marriage is tested after he accepts a project to build a bunker for a billionaire. Starring Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Stephen Graham, Paul Dano, Partick Schwarzenegger, Mark Gatiss and Eileen Atkins.

* 'Evil Genius' - from the USA and this crime thriller film is Co-Produced and Directed by Courteney Cox. The film tells the story of the death of Brian Wells, a high-profile 2003 incident often referred to as the 'collar bomb' or 'pizza bomber' case. The FBI investigation into his death uncovered a complex plot described as 'one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI'. Starring Patricia Arquette, David Harbour, Garret Dillahunt, Danielle Macdonald and Owen Teague.

* 'Girl Group' - from the USA, the UK and Australia, this comedy film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rebel Wilson. The film follows a Korean American high school student and her friends as they enter a global talent competition for the chance to open for the world’s biggest K-pop boy band. Along the way, they receive guidance from a former British girl-group member and an ex-K-pop trainee while trying to earn their place on an international stage. Starring Rebel Wilson, Randall Park, Melanie Chisholm, Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Sally Hawkins and Jennifer Coolidge. 

* 'The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd' - from the USA and this prison drama thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Tim Blake Nelson. A teacher in an abusive relationship takes a job at a maximum security prison, where she falls for a charismatic inmate. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Scoot McNairy and Missi Pyle.

* 'Misty Green' - from the USA and this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Chris Rock. Award-winning actress Misty Green, stuck in the throes of a fading career, revisits her past and addresses her personal demons as she tries for a comeback after reconnecting with her former agent. Starring Rosalind Eleazar, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace and Chris Rock.

* 'The Only Living Pickpocket in New York' - from the USA and this crime thriller film is Written and Directed by Noah Segan. Aging career pickpocket Harry Lehman is forced into a desperate, high-stakes race against time through the streets of his city. Starring John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi and Jamie Lee Curtis.

* 'Onwards and Sideways' - from the UK and this drama film is Directed by John Madden. A school teacher and a composer meet after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease on the same morning. Starring Laura Linney, Rhys Ifans, Monica Dolan and Rory Kinnear.

* 'Prima Facie' - from the UK and Australia, and this drama film is Directed by Susanna White. Tessa Ensler has risen from a working class background to be a confident and successful defence barrister. However, her confidence is shaken one night by the actions of a colleague. Starring Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Ings, Simon Russell Beale and Harry Treadaway.

* 'A Talent for Murder' - from the USA, the UK, Switzerland and Italy, this thriller film is Directed by Anton Corbijn. A young man travels from New York to Switzerland to try to persuade acclaimed thriller writer Patricia Highsmith to write one final instalment of her Tom Ripley series, with his efforts gradually turning more sinister. Starring Helen Mirren, Alden Ehrenreich, Olivia Cooke and Juliet Stevenson. 

* 'Tenzing' - from Nepal, Australia and the USA and this biographical drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Jennifer Peedom. The untold and inspiring tale of one of the most important mountain climbers in history who, with Edmund Hillary, became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Starring Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe and Caitriona Balfe. 

* 'Up Against It' - from the USA and this romantic comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Trudi Styler. When a divorced couple's daughter falls ill, doctors tell her parents the only cure is for them to have another child who could save their sister. Starring Antonio Banderas, Eva Birthistle, Forest Whitaker, Richard E. Grant and Mickey Sumner.

* 'Villeneuve : The Rise of a Legend' - refer above Closing Night film presentation.

The recipients of the TIFF Tribute Awards include Rosalind Eleazar and Isabelle Huppert as the winners of the Performer Award, Lee Chang-dong as the winner of the Director Award, Sian Heder as the winner of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media, Penelope Cruz and Fan Bingbing as recipients of the Special Tribute Award, Seth Rogen for the Norman Jewison Award, and Helen Mirren as recipient of the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award.

For the details of the other films in the Gala Presentations section, plus the other strands being showcased, including Special Presentations, Centrepiece, TIFF Docs, Discovery, Platform and Midnight Madness, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.tiff.net

Turning the focus back to this weeks eight new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we begin with a romantic fantasy film that is a sequel to a film that first hit cinemas 28 years ago, and here we find those same two two witches who must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all. This is followed by a South Korean Sci-Fi action thriller in which a Police Chief, a rookie Policewoman and a group of hunters try to track down and kill a mysterious creature that's laying waste to a Korean village. Then we turn to an action comedy thriller where a high-end courier has three hours to transport a liver from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Next up is a comedy Sci-Fi that sees an aspirational millennial couple who become unwitting custodians of a sentient kombucha strain while trying to decide between children and a career. Following on we have a Hong Kong drama romance film about a twenty-something year old woman living with cerebral palsy who longs for connection and bonds with her volunteer carer, and as they draw closer, she redefines love beyond her physical limits, finding the courage to embrace intimacy. Up next is an Aussie hybrid docudrama that explores family obligation, aging, and generational trauma in contemporary China. Turning next to a music doco about the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live '25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom. And closing out the week we have a Canadian animated adventure comedy film aimed at our younger audience where the Paw Patrol crash-lands on a dinosaur populated island and are thrown into a series of rescues.

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.

'PRACTICAL MAGIC 2' (Rated M) - this American romantic fantasy film is Directed by Susanne Bier, is based on the 2021 novel 'The Book of Magic' by Alice Hoffman, and is the sequel to 1998's 'Practical Magic'. The first film was Directed by Griffin Dunne, received mixed critical acclaim at the time, but has since gone on to gain a cult following and grossed just US$68M from a production budget of about the same. Susanne Bier's previous feature film output take in her debut with 'Freud Leaving Home' in 1991 and which she would follow up with the likes of 'After the Wedding' in 2006, 'Things We Lost in the Fire' in 2007, 'Love Is All You Need' in 2012, 'Serena' in 2014 and 'Bird Box' in 2018.  The film Premiered in London on 26th August and is released in the US and here in Australia this week.

Set twenty-five years after the events of the first film, the story follows the Owens family as they face a new crisis when a discovery regarding the family's history and the origins of their magic comes to light. When Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) daughter Kylie (Joey King) begins to uncover hidden family secrets and develops her own dark abilities, the family is plunged into a multi-generational struggle to finally break the curse that has haunted their lineage for centuries. The Owens women Sally, Gillian (Nicole Kidman), and their aunts Frances and Bridget 'Jet' Owens (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest respectively) must once again unite, traveling from their home in Massachusetts to the UK to confront the source of their magic and save the next generation of their family. Also starring Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Mariduena and Solly McLeod.

'HOPE' (Rated MA15+) - is a South Korean epic Sci-Fi action thriller film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Na Hong-jin whose previous filmography are his debut in 2008 with 'The Chaser', then 'The Yellow Sea' in 2010 and 'The Wailing' in 2016. The film centres on a village Police Chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and his rookie deputy Sung-ae (Hoyeon) who must defend his local community from a mysterious creature after wildfires sever all communications, while a local hunting party led by Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) find themselves hunted instead deep in the mountains. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions. Also starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Cameron Britton and Taylor Russell. The film had its World Premiere in the main competition of this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It was released in its native South Korea in mid-July, has so far recovered US$35M against its production budget of US$46M and has generated positive critical reviews. It is released in the US and here in Australia this week. 

'RUNNER' (Rated M) - is an American action comedy thriller film Directed by Scott Waugh whose previous feature film making credits include 'Act of Valor' in 2012, 'Need for Speed' in 2014, 'Hidden Strike' in 2023 and 'Expend4bles' also in 2023. A delivery man and former soldier, Hank Malone (Alan Ritchson) is tasked with bringing a new healthy liver to a sick girl and is forced to escort the man who brought the liver, Ben Bishop (Owen Wilson) while evading ruthless mercenaries who plan on taking the liver for their benefit. Also starring Rodrigo Santoro, Leila George and Adriana Barraza. The film is released this week also in the US. 

'ZOMBUCHA!' (Rated M) - this Australian comedy Sci-Fi film is Directed by Claudia Dzienny in only her second feature film outing following 'Frisky' in 2015, although she has Directed several short films and TV series in the intervening years. Here, after one particularly catastrophic day at their respective workplaces, busy professionals Maddie (Emma Leonard) and Leo (Ryan O'Kane) find themselves both unemployed. Dreaming of a fresh start but needing reliable income to support the family they hope to start together, the couple have a chance encounter with Kai (Stephen Madsen), a smouldering kombucha artisan raking in the cash. Seeing dollar signs, Maddie and Leo swipe Kai's kombucha culture to kickstart their own enterprise, but when they mix in some mysterious herbs from a neighbour's garden, the culture gains sentience and proves deadly. With their relationship hanging by a thread, can Maddie and Leo unite to prevent a full-blown zombucha apocalypse? Also starring Gary Sweet and Jackie van Beek. 

'SOMEONE LIKE ME' (Rated MA15+) - is a Hong Kong drama romance film Written and Directed by Wai Ching Tam in her second feature film offering after 'In Your Dreams' in 2017. Mui (Fish Liew) was born with mild cerebral palsy. For her past 20-odd years on Earth, Mui has merely been surviving, not living. Everything in her life is about convenience; she has never even put on makeup or dressed up, let alone fall in love. However, Mui discovers newfound independence and self-acceptance through her encounters with a specialised organisation that helps people with disabilities explore their sexuality, and through her 'volunteer' Ken (Carlos Chan). As Mui finds herself flourishing from the emotional and physical liberation brought on by Ken, Mui’s over-protective mother responds by tightening her emotional leash around her daughter. Will Mui finally achieve the emancipation she has been seeking all her life?

'TIME AND TIDE' (Rated CTC) - is an Australian hybrid nonfiction docudrama film Written, Co-Produced, Directed, Edited and also starring Vee Shi in his feature length debut. Set in a remote town in China, when a once-proud patriarch suffers a stroke, the burden of his care falls on his estranged wife, who has long wanted to leave their unhappy marriage, and his second daughter, a single mother struggling to make ends meet. This is a film about contemporary China, seen through the eyes of a multi-generational family navigating ageing, hurt and the weight of family responsibility. 

'DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER' (Rated MA15+) - this documentary film is Directed by Will Loveless and Dylan Southern and the pair have collectively helmed the prior music doco's 'No Distance Left to Run' in 2010, 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' in 2012, 'Aziz Ansari : Buried Alive' in 2013 and 'Meet Me in the Bathroom' in 2022. This film is Written by Stephen Knight - he who penned the hit Netflix series 'Peaky Blinders'. It follows the 2025 reunion tour of English rock band Oasis. Alongside rehearsal, backstage and onstage footage, it features the first joint interview of Liam and Noel Gallagher after more than fifteen years of estrangement. The film saw its World Premiere screening out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival on 5th September, goes on release in select cinemas from this week before streaming on Disney+ later this year. 

'PAW PATROL : THE DINO MOVIE' (Rated G) - is a Canadian animated adventure comedy film and is Co-Written and Directed by Cal Brunker, who made his feature film Directing debut with 'Escape from Planet Earth' in 2013 and would follow this up with 'The Nut Job 2 : Nutty by Nature' in 2017, 'Paw Patrol : The Movie' in 2021, and 'Paw Patrol : The Mighty Movie' in 2023. The first two films in the series grossed a combined US$356M against production budgets of US$56M, making this third offering a no brainer. When their ship gets caught in a storm, the PAW Patrol pups wash up on a tropical island that's teeming with dinosaurs. They soon befriend Rex, a baby dino who's been stranded on the island for years. When Mayor Humdinger's mining plans cause a huge volcano to erupt, the pups spring into action to save Rex's home before everything becomes extinct. Featuring the voice talents of Mckenna Grace, Terry Crews, Ron Pardo, Jennifer Hudson, Bill Nye, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Hayden Chamberlain, Carter Young and Rain Janjua. The film was released in Canada and the US on 14th August, has so far grossed US$138M off the back of a US$40M production budget and has garnered largely positive critical reviews. 

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-

THE DOG STARS : Tuesday 1st September 2026.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE DOG STARS' earlier this week, and this post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi film is Co-Produced and Directed by Ridley Scott, who I'm sure needs no introduction. Suffice to say some of his more acclaimed prior feature film making credits take in the likes of 'Alien' in 1979, 'Blade Runner' in 1982, 'Thelma & Louise' in 1992, 'Gladiator' in 2000, 'Black Hawk Down' in 2002, 'American Gangster' in 2007, 'Prometheus' in 2012, 'The Martian' in 2015, 'House of Gucci' in 2021, 'Napoleon' in 2023, and 'Gladiator II' in 2024. This film is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Peter Heller, was released last week too in the USA, has so far recovered US$21M at the Box Office from its US$70M production budget and has generated mixed or average critical reviews. 

Set in 2035 many years after a devastating flu pandemic almost wiped out all of the human race, Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former mechanic, lives in a self contained heavily fortified compound in Erie, Colorado, with his dog named Jasper, and Bangley (Josh Brolin), a hardened former Marine turned survivalist. Hig from time to time pilots a small single prop Cesna light aircraft into an abandoned and desolate Denver to gather supplies of fuel, food and medical stores. To Bangley's chagrin, Hig also supplies a nearby Mennonite community, led by Aaron (Benedict Wong) with food and occasional mechanical repairs.

When two opportunistic teenage strangers approach uninvited (referred to affectionately as 'roaches') Bangley shoots them dead in quick succession from his distance look-out point, creating a conflict with the more sympathetic Hig. They douse the bodies with petrol and burn them. 

While out flying his plane one day with Jasper, Hig picks up a distorted radio signal originating from Grand Junction, Colorado, that suggests human life there. Hig has picked up this signal on various occasions over recent years, but always quickly lost contact.

While sleeping outside one night under the stars Hig and Jasper are awakened by a larger group trying to ambush their home. The pair fight them off until Bangley appears and finishes them off. The next morning they douse the bodies with fuel and burn them. Jasper, however dies in the attack, spurring Hig to visit Denver to bury him next to his deceased wife Melissa (Sai Bennett) at their former home. 

Heartbroken and distraught, Hig decides he must find the source of the Grand Junction radio signal, believing there to be more to life out there than the confines of their compound. Bangley, who does not approve of the journey, stays behind in Erie, seemingly bringing an end to their five years partnership. After experiencing a mechanical failure, Hig lands his Cesna in a valley bringing the plane to an abrupt halt within inches of a stand of trees. Within a few minutes there is a stampede of wild buffalo that causes minor damage to the plane while Hig takes cover under the fuselage. Dusting himslef off he spies a donkey in the distance with a bell around its neck. He follows the donkey and comes to a remote farmstead where a father and daughter, Pops (Guy Pearce) and Cima (Margaret Qualley), live. The two form an uneasy alliance with Hig, as he repairs his plane and cuts down trees to make a runway, using the donkey to pull out the tree stumps. Hig starts a romantic relationship with Cima, who asks him to stay with them.

After their farm is raided in an attack by a marauding group of roaches on horseback Hig, Cima, and Pops flee on Hig's plane. They make it to Grand Junction Regional Airport, where the radio operator hesitantly allows them to land and enter their community unarmed. Upon arrival, they feel a sense of unease. Darlene (Allison Janney), a former flight attendant who is the leader of the community, orders Cima to marry a soldier, due to her previous medical education, making her a most welcome catch. Hig, Cima and Pops escape, having discovered the community's cannibalism, as evidenced by the dismembered corpses hanging in plastic bags in a walk-in freezer through which they make their escape. As they fly away, they bomb Grand Junction with grenades from the air, which Bangley had handed to Hig when he left, as a precautionary measure in the event that he ran into any trouble.

The three fly back to Erie to check on Bangley, where they discover a major attack occurred at the compound and much of it had been wiped out. There is no sign of Bangley but there are plenty of dead roaches strewn around the place, which are already being picked on by carrion birds. Bangley is found injured but alive, and welcomes the group with fresh brewed coffee, after which nurse Cima stitches up his wounds. He then reluctantly joins them at the Mennonite (which he refers to as Mormons) community in the mountains to establish a new settlement there.

'The Dog Stars' is hardly going to go down as Ridley Scott's finest film in his fifty or so year long film making career, or his best entry into the Sci-Fi canon for that matter too, but there are some moments nonetheless when the Ridley Scott magic shines through. Such as the sweeping vistas of river valleys and looming mountain terrain, the snow capped peaks, the desolate cityscape that once was Denver, and the Grand Junction airport terminal that looks as though it was lifted straight out of 'Blade Runner'. That said there's nothing new here in the story that we haven't seen before in other post apocalyptic dystopian thrillers such as '28 Days Later', 'The Last of Us', 'I Am Legend' and countless others. The performances of Josh Brolin and Allison Janney (as brief as her screen time is) are on point, but I found Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley's undercooked and too sugar coated. And to cap it off there are a couple of glaring plot holes that I will not expand on here, but see if you can spot them for yourselves.

'The Dog Stars' 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 3rd September 2026.

The 9th Edition of the Brussels International Film Festival (BRIFF) this year takes place from Friday 4th September through until Saturday 12th September in the Belgian capital city of Brussels. For nine days, Brussels’ most beautiful cinemas come alive with screenings, red carpets, and encounters with film teams. On the programme are highly anticipated Premieres, rare films from all over the world, gripping competitions, tributes to cinema legends, open-air screenings, and concerts. It is a festival designed as much for the general public as for passionate film lovers, and for anyone who simply dreams of experiencing cinema in a different way . . . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Film presentation is 'A Man of His Time' ('Notre Salut') from Belgium and France and this WWII drama film is Written and Directed by Emmanual Marre in only his second feature film offering following 'Zero Fucks Given' in 2021. In 1940, Henri Marre (Swann Arlaud) arrives in Vichy with aspirations to publish his manuscript Notre Salut (Our Salvation), which he hopes will rescue France from the Vichy regime. The film saw its World Premiere at the main competition at this Cannes Film Festival in late May where it won the Best Screenplay prize.

Through three competitions, the festival highlights outstanding works and celebrates the talent of filmmakers and their teams. By rewarding those who make contemporary cinema, it helps films reach a wider audience, broaden their visibility, and support their journey far beyond the festival itself. Those competitive sections are : International Competition showcasing powerful stories from around the world, presented as Belgian premieres; National Competition, presenting Belgian cinema in all its richness and diversity; and Director's Week focusing on Europe’s emerging talents. 

There are nine films in the International Competition exploring life choices, doubts and questions, resistance and collaboration. While some are still wondering what they want to make of the life ahead of them, others are forging their own path with strength and determination. Those nine films are as given in brief below :-

* 'Notre Salut' ('A Man of His Time') - refer above Opening Film presentation.

* 'Shame and Money' - from Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia and Belgium, and Co-Written and Directed by Visar Morina. A couple in their 40's live with their extended family in rural Kosovo making a modest living on their farm. Following a familial dispute, their livelihood is lost. They are forced to move to Pristina where the pressure to provide for their family weighs heavily on the parents as they do their best to find work and a place to stay.

* 'The Meltdown' - from Chile, the USA, Spain and Mexico, and Written and Directed by Manuela Martelli. Set in Chile in 1992, staying at her grandparents’ remote hotel near an Andean ski resort, nine year old Ines befriends fifteen year old Hanna, a German skier. When Hanna vanishes without a trace, the search for her exposes hidden truths.

* 'If I Were Alive' - from Brazil and Written and Directed by Andre Novais Oliveira. The film opens in 1970's Contagem, Brazil, a town that is still growing, where a young Gilberto tries to win back Jacira. Fifty years later, the couple is in their mid-seventies and still together, sharing a quiet, affectionate life.

When Jacira is suddenly hospitalised, Gilberto faces strange, disorienting events that bend time and space.

* 'Six Months in a Pink and Blue Building' - from Mexico, Brazil and Denmark and Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Bruno Santamaria Razo. Mexico City, early 1990's. The day Bruno turns eleven years of age, his growing feelings for his best friend Vladimir clash with the sudden announcement that his father has HIV. Like in salsa songs, his family tries to sing and dance their pain away. Thirty years later Bruno films, reimagining the memory of what he could not quite perceive as a child.

* 'Rose' - from Austria and Germany and Co-Written and Directed by Markus Schleinzer. Set in the 17th Century, it follows mysterious soldier Rose (Sandra Huller), a woman disguised as a man, who appears in a secluded Protestant village. She declares herself the heir of a long-abandoned farmstead and produces a document to support her claim to the suspicious villagers.

* 'Chronicles from the Siege' - from Algeria, France and Palestine, and Written and Directed by Abdallah Alkhatib. During the siege of their city, a group of ordinary people struggle to survive amid hunger, snipers, and bombardments, while clinging to human connection, love, and small daily pleasures. Faced with impossible moral choices and deep psychological strain, their lives become inseparable from the siege itself.

* 'I'll Be Gone in June' - from Germany, Switzerland and the USA, and Written and Directed by Katherina Rivilis. In 2001, Franny, a 16-year-old exchange student from Germany, arrives in the sleepy desert town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Far from home, Franny struggles through awkward school days, stifling heat, and restless nights until she meets Elliott, a boy whose quiet sadness mirrors her own. As America reels from 9/11, something resonates within Franny and an unexpected tenderness begins to bloom.

* 'The Son and the Sea' - from the UK and Co-Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Stroma Cairns. Two best mates, Jonah and Lee, take a trip to the Northeast coast of Scotland, where Jonah hopes he’ll escape the mess he’s making of his life in London. They meet Charlie, who is profoundly deaf and visiting his twin brother. Through the darkness that meets them on this wild coast, they form a friendship that ultimately brings Jonah to discover the courage to be vulnerable and that joy can be found despite loss.

For the details of the other films in competition, plus those playing Out of Competition, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.briff.be/en/

Turning the focus then back to this weeks seven hot new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we begin with an historical crime drama in which a notorious Mafia hitman and a young black FBI Agent team up to investigate the murders of civil rights leaders in Mississippi in 1966. Next up is a survival thriller about two young women who find themselves in a desperate fight for their lives when a mountain rock slide leaves them stranded on a fragile plank more than 3,000 feet above the ground. Then we have a true crime documentary film that details the wild true story of Scott Scurlock, one of the most prolific bank robbers in American history. This is followed by a horror thriller that follows a friend group of graduates who go on a late night drive, but accidentally turn onto a two-lane highway which appears to go on indefinitely. Turning next to the first instalment in a two part WWII epic that in June 1940, France collapses and signs the armistice, but in the midst of the chaos, one man refuses to give up - alone against the odds, this unknown General flees to London to save what remains of freedom. And closing out the week we have two doco's - the first, an eye-opening look at how powerful figures weaponise defamation laws to silence survivors of gender-based violence in the post-#MeToo era; and the second, features a motley crew of para ice hockey skaters who fight to keep their grassroots sporting club on the rink. 

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.

'BY ANY MEANS' (Rated MA15+) - this American historical crime film is Co-Produced and Directed by Elegance Bratton whose previous feature length films include the documentaries 'Pier Kids' in 2019 and 'Move Ya Body : The Birth of House' in 2025 and the drama film 'The Inspection' in 2022. 

Based on a true story, a young Black Special FBI Agent Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960's Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious Mafia hitman turned FBI informant Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur. When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing, that the law has limits. They don't. Also starring Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, David Strathairn, Ethan Embry and LisaGay Hamilton. The film is released this week too in the US.

'FALL 2 : DEADPOINT' (Rated M) - is an American survival thriller film Directed by Peter and Michael Spierig, the German/Australian film making brothers whose previous Directing credits take in the debut feature with 'Undead' in 2003 which they would follow up with 'Daybreakers' in 2009, 'Predestination' in 2014, 'Jigsaw' in 2017 and 'Winchester' in 2018. This film is the sequel to 2022's 'Fall' that was Directed by Scott Mann (who serves as Co-Writer and Co-Producer on this second instalment). Here, following the death of Shiloh Hunter, in the first film, her sister Jax (Harriet Slater) agrees to a tribute proposed by Shiloh's daring friend, Luce (Arsema Thomas). The two travel to Thailand to conquer a treacherous plank walk on Mount Kwan, but a sudden rockslide leaves them trapped at a terrifying height of 3,000 feet, forcing the duo to push their limits and cooperate to stay alive. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'HOW TO ROB A BANK' (Rated M) - this American documentary film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Stephen Robert Morse and Seth Porges. The film centres on Scott Scurlock, also known as 'The Hollywood Bandit', who robbed nineteen confirmed banks in Seattle between 1992 and 1996. Featuring interviews with the Hollywood Bandits bank robbers themselves, law enforcement and characters from the Pacific Northwest, the documentary chronicles the rise of Scott Scurlock as he becomes the bank robber known as 'Hollywood', America's most successful bank robber. This film premiered on Netflix back in early June 2024, and now gets a limited release in theatres in Australia. This film is not to be confused with the American action comedy heist film of the same name Directed by David Leitch and starring Nicholas Hoult, Pete Davidson, Zoe Kravitz, John C. Reilly and Christian Slater and is due for release in mid-November this year. 

'IT ENDS' (Rated MA15+) - is an American horror thriller film Written, Directed and Edited by Alexander Ullom in his Directorial debut. A group of three recent grads - James (Phinehas Yoon), Day (Akira Jackson) and Fisher (Noah Toth) head out on a late night drive for food after being picked up by their friend Tyler (Mitchell Cole) who they haven't seen in a year, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. Instead, they accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors and cosmic forces beyond their understanding. The film had its Premiere screening at the South by Southwest Festival in early March 2025, was released in the US last week, has so far grossed US$810K from a production budget of just US$80K, and has received positive critical reviews.

'DE GAULLE PART ONE : RESISTANCE' (Rated MA15+) - is the first instalment in a two-part epic biographical drama film Co-Written and Directed by Antonin Baudry, in only his second feature film making outing following 'The Wolf's Call' in 2019, and is based on the nonfiction book 'A Certain Idea of France : The Life of Charles De Gaulle' by Julian Jackson. The film follows Charles de Gaulle (Simon Abkarian), who rose from being a French army officer, to leading the French Resistance against Nazi Germany during World War II. The formation of his government-in-exile in London, his tumultuous relationship with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Simon Russell Beale), as well as the Resistance's operations in Africa - especially the Battle of Bir Hakeim - are featured prominently. The first part, 'Resistance' had its World Premiere out of competition at this years Cannes Film Festival in late May, followed by its release in France in early June. The second part, 'Liberte' was released in France toward the end of June. The two films have so far grossed a combined US$32.5M off the back of total production budgets of US$86.5M. 

'SILENCED' (Rated M) - is a biographical documentary film Co-Written and Directed by Selina Miles whose prior feature documentary films take in 'Martha : A Picture Story' in 2019, and 'Harley & Katya' in 2022 with 'Poster Boy : Becoming Zyzz' due for release later this year. After the #MeToo movement broke the cultural silence on gender violence, survivors swiftly found themselves facing a new kind of silencing and fear as defamation laws became weaponised against women for speaking out. International human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson takes audiences into the courtroom and behind the headlines to reveal how the legal system is used to discredit and re-victimise survivors, with lawsuits designed to emotionally and financially ruin those who dare to speak their truth. Robinson brings unrivalled access to the women and journalists at the centre of high-profile legal battles across the globe, including Amber Heard and Brittany Higgins. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in late January this year and a various other international film festivals since, including the Sydney Film Festival in mid-June, and the Melbourne International Film Festival in mid-August. It is released this week also in the USA. The film has generated critical acclaim. 

'HARD AS PUCK' (Rated M) - this Australian documentary film is Co-Written and Directed by Isaac Elliott in his feature length Directorial debut. The film follows a struggling para ice hockey club in Western Australia. With no money, no sponsors, and barely enough players, they rely on grants and sponsorships to get by. But when the enigmatic founder Dan Perrett prepares to step away, the club is thrown into turmoil. Through setbacks and personal clashes, bitter losses and hard-fought wins, Hard as Puck explores what it takes, and means, to run a local sports club with unexpected international ambitions for a place on the Australian team in its first ever appearance at the Women’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Slovakia. 

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-