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-

DIGGER : Tuesday 6th October 2026.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'DIGGER' earlier this week, and this US, UK and Mexican Co-Produced satirical black comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, whose previous feature film making credits take in his 2000 debut with 'Amores perros' and which he would follow through with '21 Grams' in 2003, 'Babel' in 2006, 'Biutiful' in 2010, 'Birdman' in 2014, 'The Revenant' in 2015, and 'Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths' in 2022. This film came in at a production cost of somewhere between US$125 and US$180M, was released internationally last week, and has so far grossed just US$25M with critical opinion proving divisive.

The film follows Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise, who also Co-Produces here), an oil baron and 'the most powerful man in the world' who colludes with US President Compson (John Goodman) to allow Digger's company, Rockwell United, to extract oil in Alaska and Greenland. After repeatedly ignoring warnings of methane gas escaping beneath the Greenland oil field, Digger learns from Sandy Clarkson (Danny Kirrane) the safety officer on the ground at the Greenland site, that one such pocket has exploded, dislodging an ice shelf the size of Philadelphia and sending it across the North Sea headed toward Europe. 

Scientist and Head of Environmental Safety for Digger's company Dr. Nirav Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) warns that its collision with Norway in the next three days or so (depending on sea conditions, the prevailing winds etc.) will cause massive tsunami waves across the North Sea and wipe out much of coastal Norway. Compson and Digger instead establish a media information firewall to buy them time gambling on the slight possibility that the shelf will drift into the Atlantic Ocean and melt. The pair discuss Compson's failing health due to rectal cancer. 

An interruption brought by a prop failure reveals that Digger is actually Curtis Markson, the lead Actor in 'Fossil Fools', a satirical stage play about the supposed tycoon. Everything seen to this point has been part of a dress rehearsal before the shows Premiere. During pauses between scenes, Curtis learns from his wife Agatha (Annabel Mullion) that a plane carrying his daughter has disappeared after encountering an extreme hurricane. One of the shows Producers, Kenny (Jesse Plemons), offers to locate her using his private intelligence network, and requests his daughter's mobile phone number from Digger in order to track her whereabouts.

Back in full dress rehearsal mode, the ice shelf strikes Europe, inundating major Northern European cities. The USA and Rockwell United are summoned before a meeting of the European Parliament. Vice President Eddie (Michael Stuhlbarg) stands in for Compson, who is undergoing surgery for his cancer, and promises American support for Europe, but is jeered out of the meeting. Dr. Ganesh follows him revealing a litany of uncomfortable truths about Digger's oil exploration methods, and is equally jeered out of the meeting. Digger then fronts up to the gathered throng of European Parliamentarians and claims complete responsibility for the disaster, but argues neither he nor his company can be blamed for the world's dependence on oil (which he describes as the Mother's Milk of the Earth) as he has only been fulfilling the world's insatiable demand. His speech incites the Parliament attendees to begin fighting with each other instead of attacking him. Afterward, a now-drunk Ganesh tells Digger that an even larger ice shelf has broken away from a Russian glacier and is heading toward Alaska across the Arctic Circle.

Digger and Ganesh inform the recovering Compson, who is still heavily drugged, of this second break away ice shelf. Compson proposes launching nuclear weapons at China as a distraction. Military Chief of Staff Fitzgerald (Robert John Burke) instead suggests using the weapons against the ice shelf. Ganesh objects that the attack will merely fragment it without slowing its progress, but Compson publicly sanctions the strike. Ganesh's prediction proves correct, with twenty or so smaller but still equally as dangerous chunks breaking off.

Meanwhile, Curtis becomes increasingly disturbed by the play's excesses and eventually has a melt down on stage in a heated argument with Hannah (Sophie Wilde) the Director of the stage play, and in front of the entire cast and crew, accusing it of misrepresenting real events and trivialising the suffering of generations impacted by those responsible. Kenny reveals that he is Digger's nephew and has bought the rights to Fossil Fools, believing that the play will both allow him to move past his bitterness toward his uncle and give the public a healthy, humorous and satirical way to process their collective grief. Now understanding what his performance means, Curtis finishes the rehearsal. 

After the ice shelf disaster, Digger and his family retreat to his converted offshore platform. Five years later, Eddie has succeeded Compson as President following the latter's death. He halts all funding and military protection for the platform, resulting in most of Digger's employees immediately deserting him, stealing his food, gold, and boats. Driven into severe delusion, Digger attempts to bully God into creating more food to sustain the remaining occupants. 

Unsuccessful, he scatters the ashes of his beloved cat of twenty plus years Maggie, before jumping into the ocean he helped to pollute, and sinking to the bottom. The audience viewing the play cheers Digger's death and Curtis's performance with a standing ovation. Curtis's wife arrives to congratulate him and reveals that their daughter is safe, thanks to Kenny's help. The theatre management then announces a 'Level 4' condition outside. The audience members put on manufactured breathing masks, exit the theatre, and enter a dystopian flooded and devastated city patrolled by armed soldiers, robots, and drones. 

The film also stars Sandra Huller as Emma Rockwell, Digger's half sister and business partner; Emma D'Arcy as Lina, Digger's trusted and seemingly indispensable assistant; Burn Gorman as the Defence Secretary of Staff; and Stephen Wright as Reverend Moore, the President's spiritual advisor. 

It's easy to see why and how 'Digger' has divided critics and audiences alike, and why it has thus far failed at the global Box Office. On the one hand it's a looking glass right into the current political administration's climate deniers, their stance on whole scale oil exploration, their ability to create fake news and palm it off to the masses as the truth, and a society that is in a state of rapid decline, and that is a sad indictment of the times we find ourselves in. On the other hand it's a film of big bold satirical ambition that is visually stunning, has some laugh out loud touches and at it's core offers us a standout performance from Tom Cruise playing totally against type in a role not seen since 2008's 'Tropic Thunder' as Les Grossman, and is worthy of an Academy Award nod next March. And Tom is ably supported by his fellow Actors also worthy of a mention, not least John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Huller and Jesse Plemons, who all have their moments to shine. 

'Digger' 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 8th October 2026.

The 70th annual British Film Institute London Film Festival this year runs for twelve days from Wednesday 7th October through until Sunday 18th October, in the English capital city of London. Founded in 1957 the festival runs for two weeks every October, and showcases over 240 feature length films and 150 shorts films across various sections, multiple strands, and a number of competitions. The festival presents the opportunity to view the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling, and the chance to delight in the undiscovered, as all feature films and series are being shown in the UK for the first (and sometimes the only) time. Films are screened at various venues around London including BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. 

This years Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'Elsinor' from the UK and this biographical drama film is Directed by Simon Stone. Andrew Scott is a towering presence in this singular account of Scottish Actor Ian Charleson’s life, capturing the moment when he faced his own mortality as he prepared to play Hamlet at the Royal National Theatre in the final months of his life, and the odds he faced in preparing for and performing the role while seriously ill from AIDS. Also starring Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Mullan and Luke Thompson. The Closing Night Gala film screening is 'The Debut' from the USA and this musical comedy film is Written Co-Produced, Directed and also stars Jesse Eisenberg. It also stars Julianne Moore as as shy and retiring New Jersey housewife Mona Friedman, who auditions for a part in a fictional musical ('Nosy Neighbours') run by the strong-willed and enigmatic Director Jerry Blankenbuehler (Paul Giamatti). Also starring Halle Bailey.

The BFI London Film Festival Awards are a celebration of the most innovative new films and showcase an incredible range of talent from across the world. There are four competitive sections - the Official Competition for the Best Film Award recognising inspiring, inventive and distinctive filmmaking; the First Feature Competition for the Sutherland Award recognising the most original and imaginative Directorial debut; the Documentary Competition for the Grierson Award recognising feature length documentaries with integrity, originality and social or cultural significance; and the Short Film Competition recognising short-form works with a unique cinematic voice. Vying for the Best Film Award under the Official Competition heading, are the following titles, summarised in brief as below :-

* '7 Miles Out' - from the UK and Written and Directed by Carol Morley, and is an adaption of her semi-autobiographical eponymous novel of the same name. The film follows Anne Westbourne (Lucy Halliday), who, after losing her father in tragic circumstances, finds solace and trouble in the Manchester music scene of the 1970's and '80's. Also starring Aidan Gillen, Gemma Whelan and Clare Grogan. World Premiere.

* 'Act 3' - from Ireland and the UK and Written and Directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor. Molloy and Lawlor engage in a witty and moving conversation that explores family history and their latest project, a film about groundbreaking artists Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. As they analyse this decades-long relationship, they identify parallels between these two artists and their own lives.

* 'The Difficult Bride' - from France, Bangladesh, Portugal, Norway and Germany, and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rubaiyat Hossain. Zaineen (Zaineen Chowdhury Karim) is very excited about her upcoming wedding. But she soon bristles under the many planned makeovers intended to make her thinner, fairer, sleeker and more bride-like. Resistance takes root in her body and she experiences strange changes and omens.

* 'Glaxo' - from Brazil and Argentina and Co-Written and Directed by Benjamin Naishtat. Four young men in the provincial Argentine city of Chivilcoy find their lives disrupted when a retired Police Officer and his glamorous young wife move into the area. Add two visiting American Mormons into the mix, along with a volatile political situation, and tensions soon escalate.

* 'The Idiot(s)' - from Germany and Poland and Co-Written and Directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, and is based on the novel 'The Gambler Wife : A True Story of Love, Risk and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky' by Andrew D. Kaufman. Anna Dostoevsky (Aimee Lou Wood) loves her husband Fyodor (Johnny Flynn). Fyodor loves his wife, but he also loves gambling and booze. Living in self-imposed exile in Germany, Fyodor’s biggest obstacle to creative progress is himself. Anna tries desperately to rid him of his procrastination so he can deliver a new novel and they can avoid destitution. Also starring Vicky Krieps. 

* 'Imperium' - from Germany, France, Italy and Lithuania and Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Sergei Loznitsa. The film follows a visual journey across the Soviet Union, built entirely from archival footage shot between 1970 and 1973, and shifts into territories where different traits, beliefs and ethnographic features emerge, revealing the powerful grip of an empire over its people.

* 'Kettice' - from Italy, and Written and Directed by Giovanni Tortorici. Giulio (Salvatore Gallina), a dissatisfied sixteen-year-old, drifts through life with no enthusiasm for his education or his future, much to his family’s dismay, particularly his endlessly frustrated mother (Monica Bellucci).

* 'Look Back' - from Japan and Written, Directed and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Aspiring manga artist Fujino (Natsuki Deguchi) meets Kymoto (Aju Makita), a shy admirer of her work. Seemingly opposites, they create the perfect team with their shared love of the form. But as their work draws praise and attention, they find themselves confronted with decisions that threaten their artistic collaboration.

* 'My Notes on Mars' - from Hungary and Austria and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lili Horvat. A talented scientist, Margot (Mackenzie Davis) goes missing while hiking with her husband Sam (Rupert Friend). Weeks later, she reappears at the family home, but is not herself; all memories, save for those of her recent research on Mars, have mysteriously disappeared.

* 'Woman Unknown' - from Denmark, Sweden and Latvia, and is Co-Written and Directed by May el-Toukhy. Set in the aftermath of World War II, a young nanny and housemaid, Marie (Mathilde Arcel) prepares to marry her wealthy employer Christian (Carsten Bjornlund), while harbouring a secret.

For the full low down on the other competitive sections being showcased, plus the thematic strands being screened and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : http://www.whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff

Turning the attention then back on this weeks big screen releases coming to your local Odeon, we launch with a legal thriller in which a Facebook engineer and a Wall Street Journal reporter blow the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets. Then we have a supernatural psychological horror offering where an eight-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity which emerges from her closet. Next up there is a drama film set in rural New Zealand, where a fourteen-year-old girl is caught between her own burgeoning sexual curiosity and acceptance from an older group of girls, and as she delves deeper into rebellion, she starts to leave behind a trail of destruction. This is followed by a documentary in which a filmmaker applies lessons from a Hallmark movie writing workshop to pitch a documentary about concrete. Turning next we have a music concert film from 27th July 1986, where Queen performed at Budapest’s Nepstadion in front of 80,000 ecstatic fans - now beautifully remastered in 4K with a powerful new audio mix. Following on we have a New Zealand documentary that paints a nuanced portrait of Kiwi Tongan rugby union superstar Jonah Lomu, history's youngest All Black, whose legend remains a beacon for Pasifika pride. Then we close out with a pair of animated feature films, the first is a monster fantasy comedy film that follows Stitch Head, a small creature awoken by a Mad Professor in a castle to protect the professor's other creations from the townspeople of Grubbers Nubbin; and then we have a Spanish adventure comedy film that sees Tad, his girlfriend Sara and their three good friends embark on an adventure after Tadeo accidentally unleashes an ancient spell.

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.

'THE SOCIAL RECKONING' (Rated M) - this American legal thriller film is Written 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, 'Being the Ricardo's' in 2022, as well as being 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 tells the true story of how Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets, in his shocking expose 'The Facebook Files'. Also starring Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Burr, Wunmi Mosaku, Billy Magnussen and Betty Gilpin. The film is released this week too in the US.

'OTHER MOMMY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American supernatural psychological horror film Directed by Rob Savage who made his feature length Directing debut with 'Strings' in 2012, and would follow this up with 'Host' in 2020, 'Dashcam' in 2021 and 'The Boogeyman' in 2023. This film is based on the 2024 novel 'Incidents Around the House' by Josh Malerman. Here, Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) lives in a house with parents experiencing marital stress and starts an unsettling relationship with a paranormal presence coming from her closet. She calls the entity 'Other Mommy' because it looks uncannily like her real mother, Ursula (Jessica Chastain). The entity is not supposed to leave Bela's room, but it eventually breaks that rule, stalks the family, and tries to manipulate Bela into letting it take over her body. Also starring Jay Duplass as Russ, Bela's father and Ursula's husband, and Karen Allen. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY' (Rated MA15+) - this New Zealand drama film is Written and Directed by Paloma Schneideman in her feature film making debut. Set in rural New Zealand in the small beach side town of Omaha in 2006, over one transformative summer, 14 year-old Sid Bookman (Ani Palmer) discovers desire, identity and the internet, as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by. Also starring Noah Taylor and Rain Spencer. The film had its World Premiere screening in the World Dramatic Competition at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January, and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. 

'THE HISTORY OF CONCRETE' (Rated M) - is an American documentary film Directed and starring John Wilson in his feature length Directorial debut. After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, filmmaker John Wilson attempts to utilise the same commercial formula to create and sell a documentary about the history of concrete. The project evolves into a humorous and philosophical exploration of urbanism, the built environment, and the mundane textures of American life. But his foundation soon begins to crumble, literally and figuratively, as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry. The film had its Premiere showcasing at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January, was released Stateside in mid-September, has so far grossed US$1.3M, and has garnered universal critical acclaim.

'QUEEN BUDAPEST' (Rated G) - this concert film is of the performance at the Nepstadion in Budapest, Hungary on 27 July 1986 by the British rock band Queen. It was part of 'The Magic Tour', the band's final tour with their original lead singer Freddie Mercury (who died in late 1991 at the age of 45). Queen were one of the few bands from Western Europe to perform in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, and the film had a limited theatrical release in Eastern Bloc countries in 1987 and 1988. The concert was physically released on VHS and Laserdisc in the UK and Japan in early 1987 under the original title 'Queen Live In Budapest'. The concert was restored in 4K Ultra HD with a new dynamic audio mix in 2026 and will be reissued for its 40th anniversary under the title 'Queen : Budapest'. It is also scheduled for release in cinemas including IMAX on 7th October 2026 followed by 2-CD, DVD, Blu-ray and 3LP Vinyl releases on 30th October.

'LOMU' (Rated PG) - is a New Zealand and UK Co-Produced biographical sports documentary film Directed by Gavin Fitzgerald and Via Mafile'o. Gavin Fitzgerald's previous feature length documentary output are 2017's 'Conor McGregor : Notorious', 2019's 'Liam Gallagher : As It Was' and 2022's 'Million Dollar Pigeons', and Via Mafile'o has Directed her only feature length documentary 'For My Father's Kingdom' in 2019. Here, the Director's offer up an intimate and heartfelt character study about the legendary New Zealand All Black professional rugby union player, Jonah Lomu, tracing his Tongan upbringing, meteoric rise to fame, and the complicated personal and health battles he faced at the pinnacle of world rugby. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players in the history of the sport, and as one of the most talented sportsmen of all time. Lomu passed away in late 2015 aged 40 having battled nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disorder that would extinguish his stupendous, record-setting career. The film Premiered on 1st August in Auckland. 

'STITCH HEAD' (Rated PG) - this animated monster fantasy comedy film is an international Co-Production between Germany, Luxembourg, India, and the UK and is Written and Directed by Steve Hudson based on the 2011 graphic novel of the same name by the British author Guy Bass. High above the little town of Grubbers Nubbin looms Castle Grotteskew. Here, in his haphazard laboratory, the maddest of all mad professors (voiced by Rob Brydon) brings his latest monstrous creations to life. Watching, hidden in the shadows, is the professor’s first, long-forgotten creation, Stitch Head (voiced by Asa Butterfield). A tiny, strange-looking fellow made up of bits, pieces, and spare parts, he is quite a sight to behold, with his bald, round head covered in a patchwork of stitches, and mesmerising eyes. Stitch Head splits his time between keeping the castle safe & the other monsters hidden. It is a job he undertakes with care & precision, until one day a tired-looking freak show comes to town, led by its desperate owner Fulbert Freakfinder (voiced by Seth Usdenov). The show is in dire need of a new attraction and when Freakfinder meets humble Stitch Head, he knows he has found his star. The film saw its World Premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in mid-June 2025, was released in the USA in late October last year, in the UK in mid-February this year and only now is it released here in Australia, having garnered mixed or average critical reviews, and so far grossing US$8M from its production budget of US$30M. 

'TAD AND THE MAGIC LAMP' (Rated PG) - is a Spanish animated adventure comedy film that is Directed by Enrique Gato whose previous film making credits in this franchise are the short introductory films 'Tadeo Jones' in 2004 and 'Tadeo Jones and the Basement of Doom' in 2006, which he would follow up with the full length feature films 'Tad, the Lost Explorer' in 2012, then 'Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas' in 2017 and 'Tad the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet' in 2022, with 'Capture the Flag' in between being released in 2015. The plot follows the adventures of Tadeo Jones ([Tad Stones for the English speaking world] and voiced by Oscar Barberan) and Sara (voiced by Michelle Jenner) after they became parents of Oli. They come across the genie in the magic lamp that, upon a wish made by their pal Momia (voiced by Luis Posada), takes them back in time. They are forced to take measures to prevent history from taking a different course and returning home safely. The film was released in its native Spain in late August. 

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-