What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 17th September 2026.

The 74th San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF) will take place this year from Friday 18th to Saturday 26th September in San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain. It is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community in Spain, and lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20kms (12 miles) from the French–Spanish border. Founded in 1953, it is accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in the 'competitive film festivals' category. 

This years Opening Night film presentation is 'Ghost Song', and this German fantasy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Faith Akin. Farasha (Mariam Dawoud) and Faris (Eren M. Guvercin), who meet at a graduation party when they are aged twenty and instantly fall in love. That same night, Farasha dies, but she finds a way to stay connected to Faris by entering his dreams. For forty nights, she visits him there, allowing their love to grow across two worlds until their final meeting.

Closing out the festival is the Belgian historical drama film 'Le Faux Soir' Co-Written and Directed by Michale R. Roskam. In November 1943, Belgian Resistance fighters launched a groundbreaking psychological warfare operation by publishing Faux Soir. They distributed a satirical replica of Le Soir, Belgium's leading daily newspaper, which had been seized as a tool of German propaganda. This audacious stunt widely recognised as history's first media hack aimed to humiliate the German occupiers and ignite public defiance. The parody newspaper electrified occupied Europe, providing a massive boost to civilian morale. 

This year there are seventeen films in the Official Competition, competing for the Golden Shell, presided over by American film maker Ira Sachs as Jury President and ably assisted by Brazilian Actress Alice Braga, Spanish Actress Patricia Lopez Arnaiz, Swedish Actor Bill Skarsgard, and British Producer and former Screen International Editor Mike Goodrich. Included in those seventeen film in the official selection are the following titles :-

* '5 More Minutes' - from Spain and this fantasy comedy film is Directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera. As a couple in crisis move to a house in the countryside to spend a weekend of rural tourism, they become trapped in a 5-minute time loop after the tourism company agent hands them the keys.

* 'The Bad Father' - from Spain, and this comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Roberto Bueso. Renowned writer and scholar Santiago Balmes reunites with his three children, long estranged from him after he left the family for another woman. He proposes them spending Christmas together in the old summer house, proving to be an opportunity to face past rifts.

* 'Brace Your Heart' - from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Bulgaria, this drama film is Written and Directed by Amanda Kernell. Set in a remote Sami (formerly known as Lapland) village in the mountains of Sweden, we follow twenty-year-old Ejva as she inherits her father's reindeer herd and fights to preserve the ancestral tradition entrusted to her.

* 'The Debut' - from the USA and this musical comedy film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed, stars and has songs written by Jesse Eisenberg. A shy woman is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical. Under the spell of the 'strong-willed' and 'enigmatic' Director, she loses herself in the role of a community theatre production. Starring Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu and Bernadette Peters. 

* 'Ghost Song' - refer above Opening Night film presentation.

* 'Growth of the Soil' - from Norway, and this epic romantic drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Hans Petter Moland. A farmer seeks to build a life and start a family in the remote Norwegian wilderness.

* 'Milo' - from France and this comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Nicole Garcia. After leaving prison, Alice starts working as a waitress in a small cafeteria next to an auto repair garage. She befriends a young man named Milo, who works at the garage. Alice's real reason for getting close to the young man is deeply personal: Milo is her son. Starring Marion Cotillard, Theodore Pellerin, Laure Calamy and Charles Burling.

* 'Les Miserables' - from France and this action drama film is Written for the screen and Directed by Fred Cavaye. and is an adaptation of the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo. The film follows Jean Valjean who after nineteen years in prison, seeks redemption while being relentlessly pursued by Inspector Javert. Starring Vincent Lindon, Tahar Rahim, Noemie Merlant, Camille Cottin and Benjamin Lavernhe. 

* 'On Behalf of My Son' - from Brazil, this drama film is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Gabriel Martins. It follows Vicentina, a 75-year-old retired teacher who seeks out the families of victims after the death of her son Wesley in a bus accident in Belo Horizonte. 

* 'Saints' - from Spain and Italy, this drama film is Written and Directed by Mikel Gurrea. Set in the Sants neighbourhood in southern Barcelona, the plot follows Lali, a woman who after years drifting around the world returns to Barcelona to take care of her dying mother. She joins a group of thieves of religious figures. 

* 'Tender Loving Care' - from the UK, this comedy drama film is Written and Directed by Mike Leigh. Amy, a government child protection worker, moves back with her upbeat best friend Rosie, a social services officer facing daily anger and resentment. Amy's aging parents worry about her happiness while dealing with their own crisis.

In addition, the Donostia Honorific Awards this year are presented to the German film maker, Actor, Opera Director, author and documentarian Werner Herzog, and the British Actress Naomi Watts together with her latest film 'The Housewife' being screened as part of the awards ceremony. 

For the details of the other film strands being showcased including those Out of Competition, the New Directors, Latin Horizons, Perlak, and Made in Spain sections, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.sansebastianfestival.com

Turning the focus back to this weeks six new movies arriving at your local cinema this week, we launch with a historical drama film where desperate to save what is left of his family, during the height of the Great Depression a battle-scarred veteran is hired to help smuggle a fortune in gold across 100 miles of impenetrable wilderness. This is followed by a horror offering in which a hapless courier tasked with delivering a package to a remote hospital, soon finds himself caught in the middle of an outbreak and must fight through hordes of mutated creatures to survive. Next we turn to an experimental road drama film that sees a sports photographer mysteriously vanish while documenting rural soccer fields across Georgia. Then we have a live action animated courtroom comedy that has ACME products failing him one too many times in his dogged pursuit of the Road Runner, and so Wile E. Coyote decides to hire a down-on-his-luck lawyer to sue the corporation. Following on there is a stop motion animated comedy horror film set on the eve of Halloween at Mossy Bottom Farm, where excitement turns to dismay when the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch, and Shaun tries fixing it with science experiments, but things go wrong when a wild beast appears in the woods. And closing out the week, we have an animated fantasy adventure comedy that has two two best friends who become stranded on the mystical world of Nakali, where their only escape might cost them their shared lifetime of memories.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE WEIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - is a German and American Co-Produced historical drama film Directed and Co-Edited by Padraic McKinley in his feature film making debut. The film had its World Premiere screening at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January and had its International Premiere out of competition at the Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February. It is released in the US this week too, having garnered generally favourable critical reviews.

In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy (Ethan Hawke) is torn from his daughter Penny (Avy Berry) and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) tempts him with early release and a cleared record if he smuggles gold out of a remote mine through one hundred miles of unforgiving wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he’ll go to see his child again. Also starring Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, George Burgess, Alec Newman and Sam Hazeldine. 

'RESIDENT EVIL' (Rated MA15+) - this horror film is Co-Written and Directed by Zach Cregger who made his feature film debut with 'Miss March' in 2009 and which he would follow up with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful 'Barbarian' in 2022 and 'Weapons' in 2025. This film is the second reboot and eighth film overall in the Resident Evil film series, and is based on Capcom's 'Resident Evil' video game franchise. Those first seven films in the series grossed a combined Box Office haul of US$1.28B off the back of total production budgets of US$313M. The film follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier in the process of making a delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital, who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival against bloodthirsty mutated creatures as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. Also starring Zach Cherry, Paul Walter Hauser and Kali Reis. It will have its Premiere showcasing at Fantastic Fest on 17th September and is released here in Australia and the USA this week, having cost US$80M to produce.

'DRY LEAF' (Rated PG) - is a German and Georgian experimental road film that is Written, Co-Produced, Directed, photographed and Edited by Alexandre Koberidze in his third feature film offering following his debut in 2017 with 'Let the Summer Never Come Again', and then 'What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?' in 2021. Here, when Lisa, a young photographer, disappears, her father Irakli (David Koberidze) decides to search for her. He sets off on a journey through Georgia with her best friend Levani (Otar Nijaradze), an invisible person, as Lisa had recently been photographing football stadiums across the country. As the landscape passes by and they travel from one football stadium to the next, the people and their stories change, and with each football pitch and village, the chances of finding Lisa diminish. The film had its World Premiere in the main competition at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival in mid-August last year where it won the Special Mention prize, and since then it has appeared in many film festivals, and most recently at the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier last month. The film has garnered largely positive critical reviews.

'COYOTE VS. ACME' (Rated PG) - is an American animated live action courtroom comedy film Directed by Dave Green in only his third feature Directorial outing following his debut in 2014 with 'Earth to Echo' and 2016's 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Out of the Shadows'. After more years than you care to remember of being blown to bits by bombs, detonated by dynamite, mangled by magnets, beaten by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, rattled by rockets and rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberised by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote finally fights back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote's chaotic catastrophes. Also starring Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, Luis Guzman, P.J. Byrne, and Kenneth Choi plus the voice talents of Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, The Road Runner and Tweety amongst others. The film was released in the US at the end of August, has garnered positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$66M from a production budget of US$70M. 

'SHAUN THE SHEEP : THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM' (Rated G) - this British stop motion animated comedy horror film is Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker and is based on the Aardman Animation television series 'Shaun the Sheep', itself a spin-off of the 'Wallace & Gromit' short film from 1995, 'A Close Shave'. This film is the third in the franchise following 2015's 'Shaun the Sheep Movie' and 2019's 'A Shaun the Sheep Movie : Farmageddon'. Those first two films grossed a total of US$149M at the global Box Office off the back of combined production budgets of US$50M. During the lead up to Halloween on the Mossy Bottom farm, the Farmer (voiced by John Sparkes) accidentally destroys his sheep flock's pumpkin patch. Shaun (voiced by Justin Fletcher) becomes a mad scientist to fix the problem, but circumstances worsen subsequently, as the Farmer goes missing and a wild beast is found roaming the woods of Mossingham. The film is released this week too in the UK.

'FORGOTTEN ISLAND' (Rated PG) - is an American animated fantasy adventure comedy film Written and Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, and Produced by DreamWorks Animation. Joel Crawfords previous two Directed animated features are 'The Croods : A New Age' in 2020 and 'Puss In Boots : The Last Wish' in 2022. Here, set in the Philippines during the 1990's two childhood friends, Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), promise to remain close forever. After graduating high school, Raissa prepares to move to the USA for college at the urging of her parents. Fearing the loss of their bond, Jo tries to persuade her to stay. However, the two are suddenly transported through a portal to the fantastical world of the forgotten island of Nakali, where memories gradually fade the longer one remains. Also starring the voice talents of Dave Franco, Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Lae Salonga, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy and Ronny Chieng. The film is released Stateside next week.

With six new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

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-