WHALEFALL : Tuesday 20th October 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'WHALEFALL' earlier this week, and this American survival thriller film is Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Brian Duffield in only his third feature film offering following 'Spontaneous' in 2020 and 'No One Will Save You' in 2023. He has recently been linked to Write and Direct 'Crumble' for Laika Studios and that he would also Direct and Co-Write with Zach Cregger a film based on Trevor Henderson's internet phenomenon 'Siren Head'. This film is based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus. The film saw its World Premiere screening in London on 5th October and was released Stateside and here in Australia last week having so far grossed US$19M from a production budget of US$40M and generating mixed or average critical reviews.

Mitt Gardiner (Josh Brolin), a local deep sea dive expert and dive-boat captain, is diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma. Refusing to succumb to the illness, Mitt leaves sealed farewell letters for his wife and three children in a cooler on his boat, while his good friend Hewey (John Ortiz) continues fishing fully aware of Mitt's intentions. After strapping diving weights to himself, he leaps into the ocean off Northern California’s Monastery Beach to end his life. Hewey sobs as he hears the splash of Mitt entering the water. His body is never recovered, leaving his family to mourn with an empty casket.

One year later on the anniversary of Mitt's death, college student Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) returns home to California from Iowa deeply traumatised with the loss of his father. The two had a argumentative relationship, and Jay refused to speak with Mitt during his terminal illness or read the letter he left behind. To seek emotional closure, and to give his mother Zara (Elizabeth Shue) and sisters Eva (Jane Levy) and Nan (Emily Rudd) a piece of their father to properly bury, Jay sets out on an unauthorised, solo scuba dive to retrieve his father's remains, carrying a tank with one hour of air. We learn that Mitt taught Jay everything he knew about scuba diving, so he's no stranger to the sport, although hasn't dived for some time. 

After about ten minutes from first entering the choppy sea conditions, Jay is deep underwater close to the edge of a submarine canyon, when he is caught in a battle between a giant squid and a sperm whale. When he tries to swim to the surface, the squid's tentacles wrap around his dive gear, and the whale sucks both the squid and Jay into its massive jaws before swallowing them.

Jay comes round inside the pitch-black, suffocating environment of one of the whale's four stomach chambers. He fights off the squid, which is then crushed to death by the powerful stomach walls. Determined to find a way out, Jay unknowingly crawls into the next chamber, where digestive juices and stomach acids begin to burn his hands and erode his dive gear, all while the squid's half-digested beak pierces his already dissolving hand. Realising this chamber is a point of no return with guaranteed death, Jay climbs back into the first chamber to plan another way to escape. With his oxygen depleting and surrounded by the whale's digestive system, Jay has a panic attack.

Jay pulls off the squids beak implanted in his hand and screams in excruciating pain in doing so. Improvising the squid's beak and the light of a recently swallowed bioluminescent jellyfish, Jay tries to climb up the whale's oesophagus to reach its mouth and escape to the ocean. When the creature briefly breaches the water to breathe, Jay desperately tries to call out to a nearby whalewatching tour boat, but his cries for help go unheeded. As the whale plunges down into the depths, the sudden downward momentum pins Jay against the stomach wall. The crushing water pressure punctures his eardrums and triggers bleeding from his nose, ears and mouth until he passes out.

Jay comes round again to discover he is almost completely out of time and almost out of oxygen. Giving up on a clear exit route, he furiously stabs the stomach wall with the squid's beak to force the whale to regurgitate him, but his efforts fail. Suddenly, the whale is ambushed by a pack of orcas. The predators' brutal onslaught prompts a nearby pod of sperm whales to gather around and drive the orcas away, leaving Jay's whale mortally wounded and slowly making its way up to the surface for more oxygen.

Deprived of his life saving oxygen and badly injured, Jay begins to accept the possibility of death and hallucinates conversations with his father. Jay apologises for failing to have deeper conversations with his Dad and for refusing to read his letter. The hallucination of his father gives him the mental clarity to remember a survival lesson. He realises that the whale’s internal decomposition and digestive tract have filled the stomach chambers with highly flammable methane gas. Jay constructs a makeshift explosive device using built up methane gas from the chamber, the mix of oxygen (at 79%) and nitrogen (at 21%) from his remaining scuba tank and a small bale of steel wool that he found earlier wrapped in a plastic bag inside the whale's gut, with batteries he brought down as dive weights to create an ignition spark. He uses the squid's beak to slice a hole into the stomach lining to wedge the makeshift explosive device in. The resulting blast blows a massive hole right through the side of the whale's stomach and body, that propels Jay up to the ocean's surface. He watches the whale's lifeless corpse sink out of view to the bottom of the ocean. A tour boat rescues him and tourniquets his left arm.

Some months later, Jay and his family are aboard Mitt's old boat. Jay, with scars to his face and neck and minus his left hand, finally reads the letter his father left him and is overcome with emotion, breaking down into tears while laughing. His mother calls out 'is it time to go home' to which Jay replies with 'yes'. 

On paper and even in the shorts for this film, the plot seemed to be both audacious and too far fetched to be taken too seriously, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the time the end credits rolled. The cinematography is top notch as are the visual effects of the whales innards, and Austin Abrams (fresh from the latest 'Resident Evil' movie), gives a noteworthy performance as the seriously put-upon scuba diver trapped in such a claustrophobic and alien environment, whose emotions are mostly seen in his eyes through his diving mask. Interspersed with all the action inside the guts of the whale, there are flashbacks to Jay's broken relationship with his father Mitt, and some of the lessons handed down from father to son that ultimately stand Jay in good stead, and are instrumental in his eventual survival, but these scenes are also peppered with a smattering of schmaltz. With a unique setting, and as a survival thriller film it works well enough if you are prepared to suspend all belief in the premise, and leave your brain at the theatre door.

'Whalefall' 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 22nd October 2026

The 39th annual Virginia Film Festival (VAFF) takes place this year from Wednesday 21st October through until Sunday 25th October, in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, and is a programme of the University of Virginia. Founded in October 1988, the intent was twofold - to stimulate economic development by encouraging film production in Virginia and increasing tourism, and to meld the creative interests and crafts of the American film industry with the intellectual resources of a nationally ranked university. Widely recognised as one of the leading regional film festivals in America, the VAFF is known for its commitment to taking audiences beyond the screen to explore some of the most important issues of our time. The five-day festival, attracting over 20,000 attendees, annually delivers more than one hundred films from around the world, combining special previews of some of the hottest titles of the festival season with an array of fascinating documentaries, exciting new voices on the independent film scene, the best of the international film scene and more . . . . . so reads the official website.

Playing in this years Gala Screenings section, there are fifteen titles, as outlined briefly below :-

* '1 15 41 Tragedy to Triumph' - from the USA and this sports documentary film is Directed by Greg Firth. The University of Virginia community, and the UVA football team suffered an unthinkable tragedy in 2022. Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler, and D’Sean Perry were killed in the first and only mass murder in college athletics. The remainder of the season was canceled, and the programme faced an uncertain future. Closing Night Gala Film presentation. World Premiere.

* '14th' - from the USA and this historical biographical documentary film is Directed by Ava DuVernay. The 14th Amendment fundamentally reshaped the USA with a promise declaring that anyone born on American soil is a citizen, yet the idea of who belongs has remained fiercely contested for 150 years. Ava DuVernay who previously examined the 13th Amendment, now turns her lens toward the ongoing struggle over American identity. Featuring Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

* 'Behemoth!' - from the USA this musical romantic comedy drama film is Directed by Tony Gilroy. Alex, a gifted cellist returns home to Los Angeles after twenty years on the road. Finding work recording film scores, he immerses himself in every project, and long-held memories begin to resurface. As he reconciles with his past, he comes to terms with loves old and new, and reckons with his decision to flee not just LA, but the people closest to him. Starring Pedro Pascal, Will Arnett, Olivia Wilde and Matthew Lillard.

* 'Being Heumann' - from the USA, this historical biographical drama film is Directed by Sian Heder. In 1977, when Joseph Califano, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Mark Ruffalo), refuses to enact federally mandated protections for Americans with disabilities, Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley), the disability rights activist and hundreds of allies seize the government offices in San Francisco and refuse to leave, sparking the longest occupation of a federal building in American history. 

* 'La Bola Negra' - from Spain, and this historical biographical drama film is Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. The lives of a soldier drafted against his will, a young socialite navigating a culture of homophobia, and a historian grappling with family involvement in the Spanish Civil War collide in this sweeping tapestry of time-hopping vignettes.

* 'The Cashier' - from the USA and this dark comedy film is Directed by Andy Edmunds. This film centres on Glenda (Daphne Maxwell Reid), a humble cashier who stumbles upon a winning US$1.6B lottery ticket. Instead of smiling all the way to the bank, Glenda is concerned about the unfortunate soul who lost it.

* 'Club Kid' - from the USA and this comedy drama film is Directed by Jordan Firstman. After years spent in a haze of clubs, a party promoter whose life has dissolved into a decade of drug-blurred nights and perpetual adolescence, has his nightlife routine shattered when Arlo, the son he never knew he had, is dropped off on his doorstep. Forced into sudden guardianship, Peter is jolted out of the illusion that tomorrow’s problems can be postponed forever.

* 'The Debut' - from the USA and this comedy drama film is Directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Mona (Julianne Moore) is completely disregarded by everyone in her life. On a whim, and with no experience, she lands a role in a local musical. Under the guidance of Jerry (Paul Giamatti) the magnetic Director, Mona becomes spellbound and begins to lose herself in the glamour of the stage. Opening Night Gala Film.

* 'Elsinor' - from the UK and this historical biographical drama film is Directed by Simon Stone. Based on the real-life story of Ian Charleson (Andrew Scott), diagnosed with AIDS, he defies his doctor (Olivia Colman) to play Hamlet at the London National Theatre. As his body weakens, Ian confronts his mortality both offstage and on, channeling every ounce of courage into a theatre role that becomes intertwined with his real decline.

* 'I Play Rocky' - from the USA this historical biographical sports drama film is Directed by Peter Farrelly. Before writing and starring in one of the most influential sport films ever made, 29-year-old Sylvester Stallone (Anthony Ippolito) was a struggling Actor waiting for his big break. Battling homelessness and poverty, Stallone decides it’s time to take a bet on himself.

* 'Ink' - from the UK and this historical biographical drama is Directed by Danny Boyle. Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) recruits editor Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell) to turn a failing newspaper into a sensation, unleashing a brash new brand of tabloid journalism where outrageous headlines and provocative stories drive circulation skyward, alongside a healthy dose of public scrutiny.

* 'The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd' - from the USA, this romance mystery thriller is Directed by Tim Blake Nelson. The film follows Karen (Amanda Seyfried), a teacher in a maximum-security prison who becomes entangled with Wilson Shedd (Scoot McNairy), a death-row inmate whose unexpected warmth pierces right through her. As Shedd’s execution nears, Karen risks everything for a chance at his freedom, and her own escape from an abusive marriage. Gala Centrepiece Film presentation.

* 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' - from the USA, the UK, Australia and Ireland, this drama film is Directed by Jonathan Kent. Set on one single day in August 1912 at the family’s Connecticut seaside home, the story follows the Tyrone family as it faces the looming dual spectres of Edmund’s potentially fatal consumption diagnosis alongside his mother Mary’s increasingly fragile and anxious state of mind. Starring Jessica Lange, Ed Harris and Ben Foster.

* 'The Social Reckoning' - from the USA and this historical biographical mystery thriller film is Directed by Aaron Sorkin. Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, going to dangerous lengths to expose the social network’s most guarded secrets. Starring Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg.

* 'Wild Horse Nine' - from the UK and the USA and this comedy mystery drama film is Directed by Martin McDonagh. Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). As the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies amongst the Island’s iconic statues, Chris’ newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.

For the complete low down on the other film series and themes, and the ten recipients of this years Awards, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.virginiafilmfestival.org

Looking ahead to this weeks eight new movies coming to your local Odeon, we kick off with a body horror psychological thriller film in which a rising Hollywood Actor descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity. Then we have a British time travel drama film where two desperate men take jobs aboard an old fishing boat that mysteriously reappears after vanishing thirty years before. Next up is dystopian Sci-Fi offering that has an artificial friend who finds a deep bond with a troubled young girl, bringing light and hope to a grieving family through her unwavering devotion. This is followed by a South Korean romance drama film where hidden desires emerge when a laid-off worker and his wife cross paths with a documentary filmmaker and her husband. We then turn to a British comedy film that sees Hip-hop journalist Ali G return after twenty years to make a documentary with real people, as cameras follow him for over a year as he takes classes, walks the streets, and appears on shows, often with his pregnant girlfriend. Up next is an American horror film where a group of friends venture into a remote forest in Texas to search for a missing friend and sister, where they discover an eerie, abandoned cabin that traps them inside a supernatural prison. Following on there is an Italian RomCom in which a lonely and gluttonous real estate agent meets his soulmate through their shared passion for Sicilian pastries; before closing out the week with a stop-motion animated dark fantasy film where a girl sets off into a dangerous yet magical hidden forest to find her kidnapped brother.

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 coming week.

'CLAYFACE' (Rated MA15+) - this American body horror-psychological thriller film is based on the titular character from DC Comics. Directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, it will be the third film in the DC Universe (DCU), and is part of the DCU's 'Chapter One: Gods and Monsters'. James Watkins prior feature film output include his debut with 'Eden Lake' in 2008, which he would follow up with 'The Woman in Black' in 2012, 'Bastille Day' in 2016, and 'Speak No Evil' in 2024. The film is released this week too in the USA, and cost in the region of US$30M to produce.

After being brutally disfigured by a local mob boss, a rising movie star named Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) volunteers as a test subject of scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) to restore his original face but experiences a series of horrifying psychological and physical side effects that transform his body into living clay. Also starring Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan and David Dencik.

'ROSE OF NEVADA' (Rated M) - is a British time travel drama film that is Written, Directed, photographed, Edited and Scored by Mark Jenkin whose prior feature film output includes 'The Midnight Drives' in 2007, 'Bait' in 2019 and 'Enys Men' in 2022. Here, a fishing boat named the 'Rose of Nevada' mysteriously reappears in a struggling, economically depressed Cornish village three decades after vanishing at sea with all hands. Nick (George MacKay), a local man desperate to support his family, and Liam (Callum Turner), an enigmatic drifter, board the boat alongside a veteran captain for a voyage. After heading out through rough waters, they return to harbour with a good sized catch, only to find they have traveled thirty years back in time to 1993 and are mistaken for the original crew. The film had its World Premiere at last years Venice International Film Festival at the end of August 2025, and was released in the UK in late April this year, has so far grossed US$1.5M and has garnered universal critical acclaim.

'KLARA AND THE SUN' (Rated M) - this dystopian science fiction film is Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Taika Waititi and is based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel of the same name. Taika Waititi's previous Directorial output includes his feature film debut with 2007's 'Eagle vs Shark', and which he would follow up with 'Boy' in 2010, 'What We Do in the Shadows' in 2014, 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' in 2016, 'Thor : Ragnarok' in 2017, 'Jojo Rabbit' in 2019, 'Thor : Love and Thunder' in 2022, and 'Next Goal Wins' in 2023. Here, set in a dystopian future where technological advances in genetic engineering have divided humans into strict, isolated social classes, an obsolete companion android named Klara (Jenna Ortega) tries to bond with Josie (Mia Tharia), a sick girl for whom she was purchased. Also starring Amy Adams, Aran Murphy, Natasha Lyonne, Steve Buscemi and Rachel House. The film is released Stateside this week too. 

'POSSIBLE LOVE' (Rated M) - is a South Korean and US Co-Produced drama film that is Co-Written and Directed by Lee Chang-dong, who made his feature film debut with 'Green Fish' in 1997 and went on to Direct 'Peppermint Candy' in 1999, 'Oasis' in 2002, 'Secret Sunshine' in 2007, 'Poetry' in 2010 and 'Burning' in 2018. This film tells the story of two married couples - a laid-off worker and his spouse, and a documentary filmmaker and her spouse, who cross paths to film a documentary, and facing their different lives and hidden desires. Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong. The film Premiered in the main competition at this years Venice International Film Festival in early September where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize. It was released in South Korea on 23rd September, followed by the USA and here in Australia this week before its worldwide release by Netflix on 6th November, having generated universal critical acclaim.

'ALI G : WHO IZ I? (Rated MA15+) - this British comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Sacha Baron Cohen in his feature film making debut as Ali G. It is based on the character he originally played on the Channel 4 comedy series 'The 11 O'Clock Show' and 'Da Ali G Show', and this film is a sequel to 2002's 'Ali G Indahouse'. After spending twenty years "chillin', tokin' and bonin'", Ali G learns that his long-term girlfriend, Julie (Morgana Robinson), is eight months pregnant. Faced with the reality of supporting a child, Ali G decides to travel to America to reclaim his former cultural glory. Presented as a documentary-style project, the film follows Ali G over the course of a year as he interacts with real people, takes random classes, appears on TV shows, and encounters various adversaries who threaten him and his child. 

'YOU CAN'T LEAVE' (Rated M) - this American horror thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Scott Windhauser whose previous Directorial credits are 2017's 'Dead Trigger', then 'Cops and Robbers' also in 2017, 'Death in Texas' in 2020, 'Deep Six' in 2024 with 'Disavowed' currently in pre-production. Here then, a search for a missing sister and friend Gabby (Cameron Inman) turns into a supernatural nightmare. In a dark forest, an abandoned cabin hides an ancient evil. As night falls, friends James (Spencer Boldman), Sophia (Taylor Murphy), Will (Thomas Bauer) and Olivia (Paola Andino) must survive pursuit, escape the shadows, confront both physical and psychological terror, and uncover the truth as they attempt to escape before it's too late. 

'HOLY CANNOLI' (Rated M) - is an Italian RomCom that is Co-Written, Directed and also stars Pierfrancesco 'Pif' Diliberto, and is based on Pif's own best selling novel of the same name. Pif made his feature film Directing debut with 'The Mafia Only Kills in Summer' in 2013, and would follow this up with 'At War with Love' in 2016, and 'On Our Watch' in 2021. Here then, Arturo (Pierfrancesco Diliberto) is a sweet-toothed, cynical real estate agent in Palermo with a deep passion for local desserts, especially cream-filled choux buns. He falls in love with Flora (Giusy Buscemi), a devoutly Catholic pastry chef who wants to open her own patisserie. To win her over, Arturo fakes being a pious Catholic and tries to live strictly by the Gospel, which leads to an absurd situation where he gains an imaginary or unexpected spiritual advisor - the Pope (Carlos Hipolito).

'WILDWOOD' (Rated M) - this American stop-motion animated dark fantasy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Travis Knight, whose previous Directorial offerings take in his 2016 debut with 'Kubo and the Two Strings' and which he would follow up with 'Bumblebee' in 2018 (as part of the 'Transformers' franchise) and then 'Masters of the Universe' in 2026. This film is based on Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis's 2011 novel of the same name, and is Produced by Laika Animation Studios of which Knight is the current President and CEO. Here, Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay) are drawn into a hidden magical forest near Portland in an attempt to save Prue's abducted infant brother Mac (Arthur Knight) from the crows, who are led by a mysterious woman named Alexandra (Carey Mulligan). Also starring Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jermaine Clement, Tom Waits, Richard E. Grant, Rob Delaney and Blythe Danner. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at the BFI London Film Festival earlier this month, and is released Stateside and here in Australia this week. 

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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE SOCIAL RECKONING : Tuesday 13th October 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'THE SOCIAL RECKONING' earlier this week, and this American legal thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Aaron Sorkin, whose prior feature film making credits are 'Molly's Game' in 2017, 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' in 2020 and 'Being the Ricardo's' in 2022. He is also credited as the Writer for such films as 'A Few Good Men', 'The American President', 'The Social Network', 'Moneyball' and 'Steve Jobs'. This film is the sequel to 2010's biographical drama film 'The Social Network' Directed by David Fincher and portrays the founding of the social networking website Facebook, and stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. That film cost US$40M to produce and went on to gross worldwide US$225M. This film saw its World Premiere screening in London on 29th September and was released Stateside and here in Australia last week having so far grossed US$10M at the Box Office against a production budget of around US$40M, and has garnered mixed or average critical reviews.

The film opens with a lone woman standing beside her parked car on a busy freeway, seemingly talking into her mobile phone and seemingly oblivious to the speeding vehicles passing her by. Two Police Officers pull up in their patrol vehicle and start to question the woman, who immediately becomes aggressive while streaming the whole episode live to her Facebook feed, claiming she is being victimised, harassed. and punished for minding her own business. Eventually the Officers bundle the woman into their patrol car kicking and screaming, after she threatens to kill them. 

We then meet Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) who has recently joined the Civic Integrity Team as a data engineer at Facebook. Despite her steadfast belief in Facebook's core mission of connecting people, Frances discovers that leadership at the company is prioritising engagement and advertising sales over user safety. Facebook Media Relations Executive Teddy Marks (Billy Magnussen) holds a briefing session to the Civic Integrity Team on efforts by journalists to gain company information from Facebook employees. Frances plans to bring her concerns to Teddy publicly, but the forum ends before she can ask her question and is dismissed by other members within her team.

The Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) joins the paper's San Francisco Bureau and is assigned to cover Facebook. Jeff, a political reporter by trade, is wary of Facebook's role in American life rather than as a social media platform. Jeff contacts every member of the Civic Integrity Team via LinkedIn, eventually hearing from just one, Frances, who plans to meet with him despite her fear of violating her non-disclosure agreement. When Jeff and Frances meet for the first time, Frances shares the concerns she attempted to bring to Teddy and her colleagues. Frances explains her childhood friend, Kayleigh (Portia Doubleday), was a political progressive who became radicalised after spending 9+ hours a day on Facebook, which led to her being arrested, by the two Police Officers at the top of this story. While Jeff is interested in Frances's claims, he doesn't have enough to publish a story, and needs factual documented evidence. Frances dismisses this notion and tells Jeff that he'll need to do his own research.

Frances accompanies a small handful of her colleagues to deliver a presentation to Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong). Members of the team explain to Mark that Facebook’s algorithms are amplifying hate speech and divisive content. Unconvinced by suggestions to make changes to the platform, Mark cuts the presentation short and dismisses them. 

Fearing that Civic Integrity will be dissolved, Frances becomes more willing to sharing documents with Jeff. She begins meeting with him at his hotel. Civic Integrity is officially dispensed with following the 2020 US Presidential election. At a farewell party, Frances attempts to convince her colleague, Morgan (Anna Lambe), to sign an open letter she has written intending to send it directly to Zuckerberg, but Morgan tells her to delete it. Morgan later visits Frances at her apartment, delivering her a flash drive containing an internal study on Instagram's (which Facebook now owns) impacts on teen mental health and suicides.

Frances, it is revealed suffers with coeliac disease, and decides to temporarily relocate herself to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to take advantage of the warmer climate which will ease her coeliac condition, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff travels to San Juan to continue working with her. Armed with enough information from the documents, Jeff begins publishing stories in the Facebook Files series. Frances is called back to the San Francisco offices after Facebook's human resources department determines that she cannot work remotely from another US territory. She becomes concerned that Facebook will find out she is the leak and halts all contact with Jeff.

In 2021, Mark, aided by crisis management consultant Raya (Wunmi Mosaku), former Facebook investor Charlie Garrigan (Bill Burr), and a group of assistants, prepares to testify before the US Senate. Raya attempts to prepare Mark for difficult questions on content moderation and Facebook’s role in American elections. Charlie challenges Facebook’s policies on free speech and the fact-checking of political advertisements, but Mark states in no uncertain terms that the platform serves as a 'public square'. 

Preparation for Mark's Senate testimony is interrupted by reports of the January 6th US Capitol siege. Urged to ban President Donald Trump from Facebook after he fails to call off the protesters, Mark temporarily seems at a loss with what course of action to take. Under pressure from Raya and Charlie, Mark makes the decision to block Trump from posting on Facebook's platforms. 

After meeting with Jeff and his colleagues - Kris (Betty Gilpin) the bureau chief and Jeff's boss, and Andy (Gbenga Akinnagbe) Jeff's Editor, Frances commits to gaining whistleblower protection and testifying before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. News of Jeff’s reporting reaches Mark and his team. Jeff meets with Teddy to interview him on background before publishing another entry in the Facebook Files. Teddy says that he knows that Frances is the whistleblower, and she's done in this town and will be lucky to get a job in a cafe when they're through. Jeff responds with three questions, and gives Teddy 72 hours with which to respond. Upon leaving Teddy asks Jeff what Frances is hoping to achieve, as Facebook is bigger than the US Senate, to which Jeff simply replies 'she disrupting!'

Frances and Jeff meet in Washington, D.C., prior to the start of her testimony. After making her opening statement and upon leaving the senate the two share a moment of recognition, as Frances punches the air in a sign of gratitude and joy that she had done the right thing. The film ends with pre-credit title cards, highlighting that Facebook changed its name to Meta immediately following the Senate's ruling against it, that it eliminated its fact-checking programme, and that 43% of Americans receive their news from Facebook. 

'The Social Reckoning' is a passable entry in this two film franchise, and as an investigative journalistic movie it works well enough, but gets bogged down by Sorkin's wordsmithery and at times humorous techno babble script. The principle cast all nail their characters well enough and their performances are on point. Ultimately though, this history lesson into the recent past of Facebook's misdeeds, seems to have served little purpose other than a cursory slap on the wrist of this social media giant, and now five years after the fact what has really changed - other than the name above the door? This film is all style with very little substance, and perhaps if David Fincher had returned to the Director's chair, this would have been a very different film, and more akin to 2010's 'The Social Network'. 

'The Social Reckoning' 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 15th October 2026.

This years Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) kicks off on Wednesday 14th October and runs through until Sunday 25th October, in the city of Adelaide in South Australia. The Adelaide Film Festival is South Australia’s premier screen event and one of Australia’s leading film festivals. It’s a celebration of courageous cinema where filmmakers and audiences come together for two weeks of local and international film premieres, art, talks and parties. AFF is renowned for its warmth and inclusivity, welcoming new audience members and industry guests alike to South Australia and its eclectic cinema theatres. The festival allows all of us to surrender to the screen and be swallowed up by the story. Named as one of the top fity film festivals in the world by Variety, AFF has a reputation for being distinct and innovative. AFF screens features, shorts, documentaries and moving image projects you can’t see anywhere else - from both emerging and established Australian and global talent. AFF was the first Australian film festival to establish an investment fund, which has seeded and premiered over 160 projects, including some of the most significant Australian films of the last two decades. The festival is also committed to supporting evolving moving image practices at the intersection of film, art, and new media . . . . . so reads thew official website.

The Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'Wild Horse Nine' from the USA and Chile and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Martin McDonagh. Set against the backdrop of the 1970's Chilean military coup, two CIA operatives (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell) navigate loyalty, conspiracy and the consequences of foreign intervention. Also starring Parker Posey, Tom Waits and Steve Buscemi. Australian Premiere.

Competing for the Feature Fiction Award there are a multitude of films being showcased, some of which are as outlined in brief below :-

* 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans' - from the UK and Ireland and Directed by Grant Gee, and starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Bill Pullman, Barry Ward and Laurie Metcalf.

* 'Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!' from the USA and Directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka. Starring Rinko Kikuchi, Alejandro Edda and Alberto Guerra.

* 'Late Fame' - from the USA and Directed by Kent Jones. Starring Willem Dafoe, Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan. 

* 'The Fox' - from Australia, and Written, Directed and Edited by Danny Russo, and starring Jai Courtney, Emily Browning, Damon Herriman, Miranda Otto, Kym Gyngell and the voice talents of Olivia Colman and the late Sam Neill. 

* 'Lucrum' - from Australia and Directed by Johanis Lyons-Reid. Starring Nathan Page, Sophie Lowe and Tahlia Sturzaker. World Premiere.

* 'Rose' - from Austria and Germany and Co-Written and Directed by Markus Schleinzer. Starring Sandra Huller.

* 'Tiber' - from Australia and Italy and Co-Written and Directed by Dominic Allen. Starring Marcus J. Cotterell, Uma Cotterell, and Tamara Godivier. World Premiere.

* 'Wicker' - from the USA and Written and Directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fisher, and starring Alexander Skarsgard, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki and Peter Dinklage. 

* 'Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant' - from New Zealand and Written by Jordan Mark Windsor and Co-Directed and Co-Edited by Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor. Starring Arlo Green, Hannah Lynch, Jackie Van Beek and Yvette Parsons. 

* 'Josephine' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Beth De Araujo. Starring Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan and Mason Reeves.

* 'Everytime' - from Austria and Germany and Written and Directed by Sandra Wollner, and starring Birgit Minichmayr, Lotte Shirin Keiling and Tristan Lopez.

* 'Future Tense' - from Australia and South Africa and Written and Directed by Jenna Cato Bass, and starring Kristen Raath and Lawrence Maleka. Australian Premiere.

* 'Paper Tiger' - from the USA and Written and Directed by James Gray and starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson. 

* 'The Man I Love' - from the USA and Co-Written and Directed by Ira Sachs. Starring Rami Malek, Tom Sturridge, Luther Ford, Rebecca Hall and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

* 'Bitter Christmas' - from Spain and Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar. Starring Barbara Lennie, Milena Smit, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Aitana Sanchez-Gijon. Australian Premiere.

* 'Ruby, Ruby' - from Australia and Written and Directed by Ursula Dabrowsky. Starring Sarah Jeavons and Luca Sardelis. World Premiere.

* 'Fatherland' - from Poland, Italy, Germany and France and Co-Written and Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski. Starring Sandra Huller, August Diehl and Hanns Zischler.

* 'Sweet Milk Lake' - from Australia and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and starring by Harvey Zielinski. 

* 'I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning' - from France, the UK and the USA and Directed by Clio Barnard. Starring Anthony Boyle, Lola Petticrew, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo and Daryl McCormack.

* 'Pressure' - from the UK and Co-Written, Directed and Edited by Anthony Maras, and starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Damian Lewis, Kerry Condon and Chris Messina. 

* 'Wilderness' - from Australia and Written and Directed by Martin McKenna and starring Mirrah Foulkes and Yael Stone. 

* 'Boss Cat' - from Australia and Co-Written and Directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith, and starring Olivia Hargroder, Elijah Williams and Penny Downie.

* 'Victorian Psycho' - from Ireland and the UK, and Co-Produced and Directed by Zachary Wigon, and starring Maika Monroe, Jason Isaacs, Ruth Wilson, Thomasin McKenzie, Jacobi Jupe, Evie Templeton and Guillaume Doradoux.

* 'Agata the Writer' - from Australia and Written, photographed, Directed and Edited by Kuba Dorabialski. Starring Mia Wasikowska. Australian Premiere.

* 'River' - from Australia and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Zane Borg, and starring Mia Barret, William McKenna, Sal Galofaro, Shabana Azeez and Justin Rosniak. Australian Premiere.

* 'Coward' - from Belgium, France and the Netherlands, and Co-Written and Directed by Lukas Dhont. Starring Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne.

* 'Chronovisor' - from the USA and Co-Written, Co-Directed and Co-Edited by Jack Auen and Kevin Walker. Starring Anne-Laure Sellier.

* 'It's All Going Very Well . . .' - from Australia and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and starring Tilda Cobham-Hervey with Jonathan Pryce. Australian Premiere.

For the full low-down on the other awards, and the details of the other film strands being showcased, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : http://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org

Turning the attention then back to this weeks eight new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick start with a survival thriller offering that sees a scuba diver who, while looking for his father's remains, is swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has just one hour to get out before his oxygen tank expires. Then we turn to a period romantic drama film based on a classic novel from 1811, in which three sisters experience love and heartbreak after they're forced to leave their family estate with their widowed mother and move to a humble cottage. This is followed by a Spanish film spanning three distinct eras, the intertwined lives of three men remain bound by a shared thread of desire, sexuality, enduring pain and the lasting weight of their complex legacies. Next up there is a New Zealand documentary film about a DCM awarded Sergeant of B Company, 28th Maori Battalion, whose remarkable bravery was crucial in the 1943 battle for Takrouna's fortified summit in Tunisia. Following on, there is an action comedy film in which estranged street fighters Ryu and Ken Masters get thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament - a brutal clash of fists, fate and fury. Up next is a a profound and moving exploration of masculinity and desire in a remote yet savagely beautiful North Wales fishing community. And closing out the week we have a pair of documentaries, the first a British film filmed at night from Tel Aviv rooftops, that examines the civilian casualties of Israel's military operations in Gaza; and then an Aussie music documentary that is the story of a band that grew up but never grew apart, and whose thirty-year journey is a celebration of friendship, creativity, and staying connected against the odds.

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.

'WHALEFALL' (Rated M) - this American survival thriller film is Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Brian Duffield in only his third feature film offering following 'Spontaneous' in 2020 and 'No One Will Save You' in 2023. He has recently been linked to Write and Direct 'Crumble' for Laika Studios and that he would also Direct and Co-Write with Zach Cregger a film based on Trevor Henderson's internet phenomenon 'Siren Head'. This film is based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus.

Following the death of his father Mitt Gardiner (Josh Brolin), his son Jay (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realise that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape. Also starring Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'SENSE AND SENSIBILITY' (Rated PG) - this period romantic drama film Directed by Georgia Oakley in only her second feature film outing following 'Blue Jean' in 2022. This film is based on the 1811 novel by Jane Austen. Following the death of their father, the Dashwood sisters - the sensible and cautious Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), the romantic and intense Marianne (Esme Creed-Miles), the young Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), and their mother (Catriona Balfe) are left poverty stricken, when their family estate, Norland Park, is left to their half-brother John (Tom Brooke) on the basis that the law limits the transfer of property to male heirs. Although he is instructed to take care of his sisters, John is dissuaded of his duty by his greedy wife and they are forced to move to Barton Cottage in rural Devon, offered to them by a generous relative Sir John Middleton (Turlough Convery). Before leaving Norland, Elinor forms a quiet connection to Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), the brother of John’s wife, but they are separated when she moves and discovers his prior engagement to Lucy Steele. While Marianne struggles with her romantic aspirations when she must choose between the young and attractive John Willoughby (Frank Dillane) and the older and sensible Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum). The film had its World Premiere in London in mid-September, was released in the UK in late September and is released here in Australia and the USA this week, having generated largely positive critical acclaim.

'LA BOLA NEGRA' (Rated MA15+) - aka 'THE BLACK BALL', is a Spanish and French Co-Production that is Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Co-Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, and is inspired by the unfinished work of the same name by Federico Garcia Lorca and Alberto Conejero's play 'La piedra oscura'. The narrative is structured as a time-jumping triptych across three distinct eras - 1932, 1937 and 2017. The first, set in the Pre-Republic Spain of 1932, a young man named Carlos (Milo Quifes) is rejected for membership at an exclusive, high-class casino in Granada after being blackballed by the board due to rumours regarding his homosexuality. The second set during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 sees Sebastian (Guitarricadelafuente), a village musician conscripted to support the Nationalist (right-wing) forces, is ordered to guard Rafael (Miguel Bernardeau), a wounded prisoner from the opposing side who carries a meaningful poem. And the third is set in modern day Spain in 2017 in which Alberto (Carlos Gonzalez), a frustrated former playwright working as a historian, inherits a mysterious letter and manuscript from an estranged grandfather he never knew existed. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim, has so far grossed US$26M from a production budget of US$17M. The films saw its World Premiere screening at this years Cannes Film Festival in late May in the main competition where it won Best Director Award for Calvo and Ambrossi. It was released in its native Spain late in September and is released in France in mid-December.

'SGT. HAANE' (Rated M) - is a New Zealand documentary film Written and Directed by Tearepa Kahi whose previous feature length offerings take in 'The Flight of Te Hookioi' in 2009, 'Allan Baldwin : In Frame' in 2011, 'Mt. Zion' in 2013, 'Poi E : The Story of a Song' in 2016, 'Herbs : Songs of Freedom' in 2019 and 'Muru' in 2022. This documentary focuses on the Maori Battalion veteran Sergeant Haane Manahi (Alex Tarrant) and his troops' of Unit B Company role in capturing a sheer-faced pinnacle in Takrouna, Tunisia from Axis forces during the Battle of the Mareth Line in 1943. While Manahi was initially recommended for the Victoria Cross by his superiors, it was subsequently downgraded to a Distinguished Conduct Medal by the British War Office. Interviews with the descendants of Haane and his comrades are interspersed with dramatised footage. The film was released in New Zealand in 23rd April this year to coincide with the ANZAC Day memorials. 

'STREET FIGHTER' (Rated CTC) - this American action comedy film is Co-Written and Directed by Kitao Sakurai who made his feature film Directorial debut with 'Aardvark' in 2010 and then 'Bad Trip' in 2021. This is the third live action feature length film based on the 'Street Fighter' video game series from Japanese company Capcom. The first film, 'Street Fighter', was released in 1994 and starred Jean Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia and Kylie Minogue and grossed just shy of US$100M off the back of US$35M production budget. The second offering 'Street Fighter : The Legend of Chun-LI' was released in 2009 and starred Neal McDonough, Chris Klein, Michael Clarke Duncan, Moon Bloodgood, and Taboo and grossed barely US$13M from a production budget of US$50M. Here, estranged street fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) get thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament - a brutal clash of fists, fate and fury. However, behind the battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons from their past. Also starring David Dastmalchian, Eric Andre, Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, Jason Momoa, Orville Peck, The film is released Stateside this week too. 

'ON THE SEA' (Rated M) - is a British drama film Written and Directed by Helen Walsh in only her second feature film offering following 'The Violators' in 2016. Set in a remote fishing community in North Wales, the film follows Jack (Barry Ward), a mussel harvester who expects his son to continue the family business. However, tensions flare when his son resists this expectation, and the arrival of a new deckhand further complicates relationships within the community. As personal and familial dynamics unfold, the story explores themes of identity, desire and belonging. The film had its Premiere screening at the 2025 Edinburgh Film Festival, was released in the UK in late July this year, and only now is it released here in Australia. 

'NAZA' (Rated M) - this British documentary film is Written and Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who previously Co-Directed 'No Other Land' in 2024, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. This film investigates the integration of artificial intelligence and automated surveillance in military targeting systems used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the ongoing Gaza War and genocide. Its title is derived from Nezek Agavi, the Hebrew military term for collateral damage, with each potential target, such as an individual Hamas member, assigned a NAZA value representing the expected number of civilian deaths from an air strike. Abraham and Szor are Israeli citizens. The film Premiered in the main competition of this years Venice International Film Festival in mid-September where it won the Special Jury Prize and received critical acclaim, going on to secure theatrical distribution in more than fifty territories. It is released in the UK this week also.

'JEBEDIAH : ARE WE OK?' (Rated M) - is an Australian music documentary film that is Co-Written, Directed, photographed and Edited by Arlo Dean Cook in his feature length debut, although over the past ten years or so he has Directed and filmed more than eighty music videos for a wide range of Australian music artists and bands. Filmed over eleven years and drawing on more than three decades of personal archives, photographs, home videos and live performances, the documentary places past and present in conversation. The exhilaration of youth and sudden success sits alongside the quieter realities of adulthood - raising families, navigating personal challenges, balancing careers and adapting to a music industry transformed by technology and changing audience habits. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access, the film reveals the humour, affection and occasional tensions that underpin one of Australia's longest-running creative partnerships. Along the way, the band reflects on the moments that shaped them, the music that connected them, and the enduring friendship that carried them through life's changes. It is the story of four friends - Chris Daymond, Kevin Mitchell, Vanessa Thornton and Brett Mitchell who grew up together and, against the odds, never grew apart.

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-