What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 10th September 2026.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-