BEAST : Tuesday 28th April 2026.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'BEAST' earlier this week, and this sports action drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Tyler Atkins in only his second feature film making effort following 'Bosch & Rockit' (aka 'Ocean Boy'). The film was released Stateside earlier in April, has so far grossed US$1.3M and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews. 

The film opens up in the changing rooms of a One Championship MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Arena where trainer Sammy (Russell Crowe, who gets a Co-Writing credit on this film too) is putting his Champion fighter Patton 'The General' James (Daniel MacPherson) through his final paces before a bout. Sammy's mantra which he makes Patton repeat back to him several times is 'Why do we breath, so we can think, and why do we think, so we can win'. We then see the pair exit the change room, and out into a packed arena, with bright lights, the crowd roaring, and Patton greeting his legions of adoring fans with his arms raised. We then fast forward ten years and Patton is working as a commercial fisherman having long turned his back on his MMA career. But working for a small boat with fellow fisherman Neal (George Burgess) and the gruff and unforgiving skipper (Nathan Phillips) who calls Patton a 'Jonah' because he has put a curse on his lowly catch, and eventually fires Patton for speaking out against the small operator and his dodgy boat and sub standard equipment. 

Patton is very happily married to Luciana (Kelly Gale) and they have a young daughter Maddie (Sol Nc Carrico), with Luciana announcing that she is expecting a second child. One day while working out in his makeshift gym in his garage, he has his TV turned on to a MMA bout featuring his younger brother Malon James (Mojean Aria) against reigning World Champion Xavier Grau (Bren Foster). Needless to say Malon is no match for Grau who pummels him quickly and delivers a crushing blow to the head after the bell has rung marking the end of the round. This puts Malon in hospital in a coma, and potentially putting him out of the cage for a least five months, assuming he recovers. While Patton, Luciana and Nadine (Malon's partner [Saphira Moran]) are waiting in hospital Grau's manager Gabriel (Luke Hemsworth) shows up and offers Patton a bout with Grau, and a guaranteed purse of US$100K. Gabriel also tells Patton that Malon is in debt to Barry (Matt Nable), a lone shark and strip joint owner to the tune of AU$50K. Patton declines, but Gabriel thrusts his business card into Maddie's hand, and says for daddy to call him if he changes his mind.

Sometime later, and Patton meets with Gabriel in a bar overlooking Sydney harbour. Patton says he'll agree to the fight for US$150K, with 50% upfront and six months in which to get fighting fit. Gabriel reluctantly agrees but says the fight is fixed for seven weeks time, and pulls out a contract for him to sign on the spot. Patton, goes to Sammy's MMA Fight gym in an attempt to rekindle his past relationship with Sammy, but Sammy tells him in no uncertain terms to fuck off. 

Sammy's daughter Rose (Amy Shark) a former MMA fighter herself but now retired due to a career ending knee injury, is now a trainer. Patton explains to Rose that he's agreed to the fight for cash, and she agrees to train him, much to Sammy's chagrin. Rose begins putting Patton through a rigorous training regime, but it is clear that he has a long way to go to stand any hope of defeating Grau. 

Meanwhile, in Bangkok, Grau and Gabriel are sat in front of a panel of One Championship officials who ban Grau from fighting for six months and strip him of his World Championship title for that final blow to Malon's head after the end of round bell had rung. We also learn that Patton KO'd Grau in six seconds in an earlier bout ten years ago - a record that still stands to this day, and which was Grau's only defeat. 

And so with Grau unable to fight Patton, the latter pockets the US$150K and pays off Malon's debts to Barry in full with interest. Malon meanwhile has recovered albeit has been ordered not to fight for a least five months to allow his head and brain injuries to heal. Malon visits Patton at Sammy gym, and the pair almost come to blows as the estranged brothers argue over their absence from each others lives for the past five or so years. 

A short time later Patton and Malon meet unexpectedly while out training. Patton invites Malon to Maddie's upcoming birthday party, saying how much she would love to have him there. Malon agrees to attend. The birthday party arrives the following Monday afternoon and Malon rocks up and hands Maddie a gift wrapped box, and then makes his quick apologies and promptly leaves, saying he needs to be somewhere and not to worry. Patton chases after him, but Malon speeds off in his truck, wheels spinning. Later, Maddie opens the gift box from Malon, revealing several wads of cash all bundled up in AU$10K packages. This prompts Patton and Neal to track down Malon to a warehouse later that night and an unofficial and unsanctioned bout between Malon and Grau, which sold to a select audience for AU$10K a ticket. The bout is fought on an open floor with onlookers gathered around. Once again it is clear that Malon is outmatched by his far superior opponent, who pummels, punches and kicks the still recovering fighter. Patton and Neal arrive at the unfolding scene just as Malon is delivered a high kick to the head which sends him careening backwards where his head comes into contact with a large iron box. He stumbles backwards with a large gash to his head, coughing up blood and collapses on the floor, dead. Patton rushes forward and cradles his dead brother in his arms. 

After Malon's funeral, Patton climbs inside a bottle drinking heavily, not sleeping too well, having given up hope of ever returning to the ring, and growing increasingly distant from Luciana. Until the day comes when Luciana recognises Patton's internal turmoil, and tells him that she can no longer stand seeing him like this. Go off and do what you need to do, she tells him, and come back to me when your done. This is the news that Patton needed to hear. Patton goes back to Sammy and they share a conversation about why they drifted apart. Patton was involved in a bar brawl that got him landed in prison for just over two years. Every other day while inside he said, he had to fight against some new inmate who wanted to push their weight around. He got sick of fighting and when released he turned his back on it. Sammy said that he waited at the gym, hanging by the phone for Patton to call upon his release saying to pick up from where they left off, but that call never came, and Patton made no attempt to reconnect. Sammy also said that his daughter Rose wasn't allowed in his gym until she turned thirteen and he always knew that MMA fighting was in her blood, and now she is one the best trainers he knows. He gives his blessing to Patton to utilise Rose's training techniques to beat Grau. 

And so a rigorous training montage follows with Patton being coached by Rose and with Neal as his sparring partner, the bout with Grau is finally fixed for the One Championship Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. There is no guaranteed payout, there is no backing out, its a winner takes all bout for the One Champions World title and a US$3M payday. The night of the bout arrives and both contenders are in top fighting form. For Grau this grudge match is so that he can redeem himself in front of his fans for his humiliating defeat against Patton all those years ago and finally get his revenge. For Patton its all about proving to himself that he still has what it takes and to be able to provide for his family without counting every dollar, and perhaps to a certain extent to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of his opponent.

With Rose and Neal in Patton's corner, the first round goes to Grau, who punches and kicks with a ferocity that Patton seems almost defenceless against. The second round is more evenly matched, with Patton landing many kicks, punches, head locks and leg locks to Grau's surprise. The third round gets messy with Grau gouging at Patton's eye with his thumb, which is seen on TV the world over. The Referee gives Patton one minute to recover, but he can barely see out of his injured eye. As a result, Patton suffers many punches to the head, chest and stomach until Grau flinches clutching his hand which appears to be broken. This gives Patton the opportunity to breath, think and ultimately win with a series of crushing blows to Grau as he recoils against the cage fencing, and is KO'd after four minutes and seventeen seconds of Round 3. Back home in Sydney, Luciana, Sammy and Barry are cheering from the top of their voices as Patton is hailed Champion. 

With 'Beast' Director Tyler Atkins is hardly reinventing the MMA/Boxing drama film genre, but he does nonetheless deliver us a respectable offering that ticks all the boxes you have come to expect from a movie of this ilk. The fight scenes are very well choreographed and put you right in the centre of the action as every punch and kick lands, and every choke hold and leg lock is administered. Sure the film follows a tried and tested formula that is nearly as old as cinema itself, but it does possess enough emotional heft to rise above the also rans sports drama films that seem to come along all too frequently. The two big name leads in MacPherson and Crowe do what they do best, but the remaining supporting cast are largely generic and one dimensional, save perhaps for Amy Shark in her first big screen role. There are also a number of plot holes and examples of poetic license for the sake of dramatic effect that let the movie down to a degree, but if seeing two pugilists go head to head and toe to toe in the octagon floats your boat, then this film is for you. 

'Beast' 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 30th April 2026

This years 27th annual Jeonju International Film Festival is based in the city of Jeonju, South Korea and runs from Wednesday 29th April to and including Saturday 8th May. It was launched in 2000 as a non-competitive film festival seeking to introduce independent and experimental films to the general public and focusing on the art of contemporary cinematography. This year 237 films are being showcased from fifty-four countries, with ninety-seven Korean films and 140 international films being showcased, of which seventy-eight are World Premiere screenings. 

This years Opening Night film presentation is 'Late Fame' from the USA and Directed by Kent Jones. The film explores the impact of newfound fame on Ed Saxberger (Willem Dafoe), the author of a poetry collection that received little notice upon release but gained appreciation years later among a group of artists including Gloria (Greta Lee), an Actress eager to gain his attention. The Closing Night film is 'The Longest Night : Namtaeryeong' from Korea and this documentary is Directed by Kim Hyunji. This documentary spotlights farmers and women who participated in the tractor march protests from 21st to 22nd December 2024, at Namtaeryeong Pass in Seoul after martial law was declared.

In the International Competition, there are ten titles selected for this section, and they must be Directed by filmmakers who have made less than three feature films and are able to offer the Asian Premiere to the festival. This year, 421 films from seventy countries were submitted. Europe ranked first by continent, followed by Asia and North America in second and third respectively. The US ranked first as a single country with a total of forty-four submissions. Three prizes are up for grabs - the Grand Prize, carrying an award of almost US$14K, and the Best Film Prize and the Special Jury Prize each carrying an award of about US$7K. Those ten titles are as outlined briefly below :-

* 'The Calf Doll' - from India and this drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Ankur Hooda. In a smog-choked village, a retired professor turns to an outlawed ritual, crafting a calf doll from a stillborn's body, to save his cow from the creeping urbanisation slowly erasing his rural world.

* 'Chronovisor' - from the USA and this experimental mystery Sci-Fi film is Written, Directed and Edited by Jack Auen and Kevin Walker, and tells the story in which the life of a reclusive academic collides with the story of a clandestine technology that can photograph the past.

* 'Dream of Another Summer' - from Spain and Lebanon, this documentary film is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Irene Bartolome. A woman's collapse amid urban ruins sparks an exploration of humanity's connection to physical spaces and a city's resilience in the face of mortality.

* 'Fantasy' - from France, and this psychological coming of age film is Co-Written, photographed and Directed by Isabel Pagliai. Lost in her fears and fantasies, a young woman writes in a notebook. A young man finds this notebook on a train. Suddenly, they find themselves in the heart of a forest, in a nocturnal reality where dreams come to life.

* 'If I Go They Will Miss Me' - from the USA this coming of age adventure film is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Walter Thompson-Hernandez. Twelve-year-old Lil Ant transforms his working-class neighbourhood beneath the LAX flight path into a living mythology, where family members become gods and the sky is crowded with endless departures. As he searches for connection with his god-like yet conflicted father, he finds support in his close-knit community that helps him reconcile myth and reality.

* 'Michiyuki : Voices of Time' - from Japan and this docufiction film is Written, Directed and Edited by Nakao Hiromichi. Komai moves into an old house in Nara and listens to the stories of the former owner, Umemoto. He talks about the histories of time, the town, and the house. While renovating the house on his own, Komai's mind meanders as if on a journey.

* 'The Night is Fading Away' - from Argentina, this drama film is Written, photographed, Directed and Edited by Ezequiel Salinas and Ramiro Sonzini. A projectionist who secretly moves into a decaying municipal cinema brings together an unexpected nocturnal community and must fight to keep his new home when the building's closure threatens to destroy everything he has built.

* 'Six Weeks On' - from Germany, this psychological drama film is Written, Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Jacqueline Jansen. The film tells the story of Lore, who, after the death of her mother, refuses to let anyone dictate how she should say goodbye. Yet, she keeps asking herself the same question - How does one grieve properly?

* 'Stone and Feather' - from Turkiye, this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ragip Turk. Nazire, in order to take back her child who was sent to an orphanage, puts up a tough fight against both the bureaucratic system that offers her child conditions she cannot overcome, and the rich foster family who wants to adopt her child.

* 'The Visitor' - from Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, this drama film is Co-Written, photographed and Directed by Vytautas Katkus. 30-year-old Danielius returns to his hometown to sell his parents' flat, but the visit lasts longer than expected. With nowhere to rush, he tries to reconnect with the people and the town that no longer feels like his.

For the details of the other competitive sections, the other film strands being showcased, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.eng.jeonjufest.kr

Turning the focus then back to this weeks five new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to your home, we kick start with a sequel to a hugely popular and influential film from 2006 that has the head of a New York fashion magazine nearing retirement, as she reunites with her former second assistant to face off against her former first assistant turned rival of a competitor fashion house. This is followed by a supernatural horror film about a loyal dog who moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows, and as dark forces threaten his human companion, the brave dog must fight to protect the one he loves most. Then we turn to another supernatural horror offering in which a horror novelist visits an Inn in rural Ireland to spread his parents' ashes, without knowing the place is rumoured to be haunted. Next up we have an Australian Western drama set in the 1930's, that follows three children who escape their white masters and journey across the central Australian desert seeking safety; and closing out the week there is an American doco profiling the life and career of a talented musician whose life was cut way too short in 1997 in a tragic drowning accident.

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

'THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2' (Rated M) - this eagerly awaited and much hyped American comedy drama film is Directed by David Frankel, who made his feature film debut with 'Miami Rhapsody' in 1995, and would follow this up with the likes of 'The Devil Wears Prada' in 2006, 'Marley & Me' in 2008, 'Hope Springs' in 2012, 'Collateral Beauty' in 2016, and 'Jerry & Marge Go Large' in 2022. This film is a direct sequel to the 2006 film 'The Devil Wears Prada' and saw its World Premiere screening in New York City on 20th April, and is released in all major territories from this week onward. 

Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) returns to New York City's Runway magazine as Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) navigates a new media landscape, declining print formats, very competitive advertising revenue  and Runway's position within it, as well as nearing retirement herself. They reconnect with another former assistant, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), who is now a senior executive at luxury brand Dior, that possesses funding which could ensure Runway's survival. Stanley Tucci also reprises his role as Nigel Kipling, Miranda's longtime right hand, and are joined this time round by Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu and Patrick Brammall. 

'GOOD BOY' (Rated M) - is an American supernatural horror film that is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed, photographed and Edited by Ben Leonberg in his Directorial debut. Here, Indy (a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever - a medium-sized gun dog bred primarily for hunting), finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner, and best friend, Todd (Shane Jensen), leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. From the start, two things are abundantly clear - Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering. After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence only he can see, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. When Todd, who also suffers from chronic lung disease, begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife. The film saw its Premiere screening at SXSW Film & TV Festival in early March 2025, was released in the USA in early October last year and only now does it arrive at Australian Odeon's this week, having garnered generally favourable critical reviews and so far grossing US$8.7M from a production budget of just US$70K. 

'HOKUM' (Rated M) - this Irish, UAE and US Co-produced supernatural horror film is Written and Directed  by Damian McCarthy, in his third feature film making outing following 'Caveat' in 2020 and 'Oddity' in 2024. When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past. The film Premiered at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in mid-March this year, is released Stateside this week too, and has received generally positive critical reviews. The film also stars Peter Coonan, David Wilmot and Austin Amelio

'WOLFRAM' (Rated M) - is an Australian Western drama film that is lensed and Directed by Warwick Thornton, whose previous feature film credits take in 'Samson & Delilah' in 2009, 'The Darkside' in 2013, 'Sweet Country' in 2017, and 'The New Boy' in 2023. This film is a sequel to 'Sweet Country' and is set four years later and is based on a real story set in 1932, in which a mother, Pansy (Deborah Mailman) longs for the return of her stolen children. It looks at the exploitation of Indigenous Australian child labour at the Hatches Creek wolfram field, where young Aboriginal children were exploited for their labour digging tungsten out of the ground  in the Northern Territory of Australia. The film also stars Thomas M. Wright, John Howard and Matt Nable. It saw its World Premiere screening at the Adelaide Film Festival in late October last year, and also screened in competition at this Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February. It has generated largely favourable critical reviews.

'I'TS NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY (Rated M) - this American documentary film is Co-Produced and Directed by Amy Berg whose prior documentary films include 'Deliver Us from Evil' in 2006, 'West of Memphis' in 2012, 'An Open Secret' in 2014, 'Janis : Little Girl Blue' in 2015, and 'Phoenix Rising' in 2022. This film explores the life and career of American musician Jeff Buckley (who died tragically by drowning in late May 1997 aged just thirty), incorporating voice messages and previously unseen footage. It also features interviews with Buckley's mother Mary Guibert, as well as friends, ex-girlfriends and musicians such as Rebecca Moore, Joan Wasser, Ben Harper, Susan Silver, Michele Anthony, Aimee Mann and Chris Cornell. Buckley released just one studio album 'Grace' and was working on his second album, with the working title 'My Sweetheart the Drunk' at the time of his passing. It had its World Premiere showcasing at the Sundance Film Festival in late January 2025, and was released in the US in early August last year and only now does it get an airing here in Australia, having so far grossed US$1.7M at the Box Office and generating largely positive critical reviews.

With five 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-

FUZE : Tuesday 21st April 2026.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Fuze' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd April 2026.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

UNDERTONE : Tuesday 14th April 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'UNDERTONE' earlier this week, and this Canadian horror film is Written and Directed by Ian Tuason in his feature film making debut. The film saw its Premiere screening at the Fantasia International Film Festival in late July last year, where it won the gold audience award for Canadian films. The film was released Stateside in mid-March, has generated largely positive critical reviews, cost US$500K to produce, and has so far grossed US$20M in Box Office receipts.

Evangeline 'Evy' Babic (Nina Kiri) is a young woman with a seemingly devout Catholic upbringing, living alone with her comatose mother (Michele Duquet), for whom she is the main caregiver. She and her friend Justin (voiced by Adam DiMarco) run 'The Undertone', a supernatural podcast where they report on such other worldly and paranormal occurrences, which Evy dismisses largely as fake while Justin is the believer. One day, Justin is sent an anonymous email containing a seemingly random string of letters and ten audio files, which they play on their podcast, and seek to gain some clarity. Justin is based in the UK, and so Evy dials into him at 3:00am in the mornings, given the time zone differences.

The files were recorded by a couple named Mike (voiced by Jeff Yung) and Jessa (voiced by Keana Lyn Bastidas), the latter of whom talks in her sleep, which Mike hopes to capture evidence of. In the first recording, Jessa sings 'London Bridge' in her sleep, which Justin then plays backwards and insists he can hear her saying 'Mike, kill all'. This leads Evy to research hidden messages in children's songs, and she becomes agitated when she discovers that playing 'Baa, Baa, Black Sheep', her favourite childhood song, in reverse reveals the message 'lick the blood off'. 

Evy later learns that she is six weeks pregnant. At her mother's bedside, Evy informs her of the pregnancy, but then admits that she feels unfit to be a mother. She later schedules an appointment at a local women's clinic. Playing additional recordings from Mike and Jessa reveal Jessa speaking what at first sounds like gibberish, but when played backwards reveals 'come in, Abyzou'. Through research, Evy and Justin learn that Abyzou is a demon in Mediterranean and European folklore who was said to cause miscarriages and drive mothers to murder their own children out of jealousy, as she herself was infertile. Evy notices increasingly strange occurrences around her, including her still-unconscious mother moving on her own, lights flickering around the house, the kitchen tap switching on of its own volition, and a small statue of the Virgin Mary that Evy placed in the closet out of the way reappearing in other parts of the house.

After recording the first eight audio tapes for their podcast they decide to make this a two parter and finalise the last segment by playing the final two audio recordings. In the final recording, Jessa insists she has to 'warn' someone who is 'listening', seemingly referring to Evy. Justin attempts to respond to the sender, only for the email to be automatically sent back to him as undeliverable. A caller claiming to be Mike and Jessa's neighbour reveals that the couple were found dead in their home at the foot of their staircase with plastic bags over their heads and crayon drawings of babies all over their walls. The autopsy revealed that Jessa was pregnant at her time of death. Another caller demands to speak to 'Mary' - the name Evy previously said she had always wanted to give her hypothetical child - and does not relent when Justin insists there is nobody there by that name. A final caller named Abby (voiced by Sarah Beaudin) begs for help in calming her incessantly crying child, ultimately murdering the infant despite Evy and Justin pleading with her not to. Evy then confesses that her mother has died, and that she killed her. 

Evy rushes upstairs, with the walls of the house now covered in black and red coloured crayon drawings of Abyzou and dead, bloodied infants. She rushes into her mothers bedroom where there is a neatly made up and empty bed, with the small statue of the Virgin Mary placed in the centre of the bed on the crisp clean sheets. She sees her mother standing in the bathroom, who turns and glides slowly towards her  seemingly attacking while screaming for her to stop.

Here first time feature Director Ian Tuason has crafted a modest little film that has Nina Kiri as the only walking and talking character on screen; an unassuming single suburban house location (which incidentally is the very house that Ian Tuason grew up in); weird camera angles and black screens to heighten the sense of dread; and an auditory experience that is sure to send shivers down the spine. With nods to that 2007 horror classic 'Paranormal Activity', the Director has here substituted the couple who set up a camera to document what is haunting them, for a recoding device set up by a couple to listen in on what is haunting them. The resulting sound design played back to the audience via this Podcast is top notch and is best heard in a theatre where the sound quality will far exceed anything you can get at home. However, all of that said, I left the theatre feeling just a little underwhelmed, as very little happens in between recording Evy's and Justin's Podcast episodes, and when the somewhat abrupt ending arrives it barely pays off. The film is devoid of jump scares or jolts to the system that make you sit bolt upright and pay attention, and despite the positives if does follow familiar genre types. I read somewhere that this could be the first instalment in a planned trilogy, and if so then the Director could be forgiven for that inconclusive ending, but if not . . . 

'Undertone' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-