What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 2nd July 2026

The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) this year runs from Friday 3rd July through until Saturday 11th July, whilst also celebrating its 80th anniversary since its inception. It is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious such festival in Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the oldest A-list film festivals (i.e., non-specialised festivals with a competition for feature-length fiction films), a category it shares with the festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, San Sebastian, Montreal, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Every year, the festival presents some 200 films from around the world, and regularly hosts famous and important filmmakers. The Karlovy Vary festival is intended for both film professionals and the general public, and offers visitors a carefully designed programme, excellent facilities and a broad range of other services . . . . . so reads the official website.

The festivals Opening Film is the Argentinian sports documentary film 'The Match' Written and Directed by Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco, and which chronicles the historic 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, famous for Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal, while framing the match within the geopolitical tensions of the Falklands War. The Closing Film presentation is a crime thriller film Written and Directed by Noah Segan 'The Only Living Pickpocket in New York', about an aging career pickpocket Harry Lehman (John Turturro) who is forced into a desperate, high-stakes race against time through the streets of his city.

This years Crystal Globe Competition features twelve films, all vying for the US$25K Grand Prix Award. In addition, within this category there is US$15K Grand Jury Prize and Awards for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress, Those films are detailed in brief as follows :-

* 'Behind the Rain' - from Chile and Directed and Sound Engineered by Valeria Sarmiento. World Premiere.

* 'Black Money for White Nights' - from Bulgaria and Greece and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov. World Premiere.

* 'Five Years, Four Months' - from Colombia and the USA and Written and Directed by Esteban Hoyos Garcia and Juan Miguel Gelacio, and Co-Produced by Esteban Hoyos Garcia. World Premiere.

* 'Fruit Gathering' - from Myanmar, Czech Republic and France and Written and Directed by Aung Phyoe. World Premiere.

* 'The Guest' - from Denmark and Co-Written and Directed by Mads Mengel. World Premiere.

* 'A Happy Family' - from Switzerland and Co-Written and Directed by Jan-Eric Mack. World Premiere.

* 'Hijamat' - from Germany and Written and Directed by Nader Saeivar. World Premiere.

* 'Chica Checa' - from Czech Republic, France and the Slovak Republic, and Written, Directed and scored by Simon Holy. World Premiere. 

* 'The Lion at My Back' - from Cyprus, Luxembourg and Greece and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Tonia Mishiali. World Premiere.

* 'Only Beautiful Things to Look At' - from the Slovak Republic, Czech Republic and Hungary and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ivan Ostrochovsky. World Premiere.

* 'Pipes' - from Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and photographed by Karim Kassem. World Premiere.

* '3 Weeks After' - from Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy and Luxembourg and Co-Written and Directed by Miroslav Terzic. World Premiere.

At the opening ceremony of this year’s Festival, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema will be presented to legendary Actor, and two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman. At the closing ceremony of the Festival, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema will be presented to the winner of an Oscar, a Cesar, and four European film Awards, French Actress Juliette Binoche. Also at this year’s 60th edition of the Festival, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema will go to world-renowned Cinematographer Robert Richardson, winner of three Academy Awards and recipient of seven additional Oscar nominations. And in addition, the Festival will present the President’s Award to Actor Jeffrey Wright.

For the more detailed synopsis of the above mentioned films in the Crystal Globe Competition, plus the other competitive strands being showcased, and the whole line up of films being screened, together with a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.kviff.com

Focusing the attention back to this weeks five new movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to your home, we launch with a black comedy thriller in which a married couple abduct a 19-year-old criminal and try various methods to rehabilitate him. Then we have a historical fantasy romance film where a woman whose neglectful husband leaves her alone for a hundred days to test her fidelity, as she becomes entangled in a love triangle with her loyal maid and her husband's seductive friend. Next up is a satirical drama that follows three millennial couples whose relationships are thrown into disarray when they descend on a luxury Southern Highlands farmstay for a birthday weekend they'll never forget. This is followed by a historical drama film chronicling three distinct human experiences perceived by a ginkgo tree at the University of Marburg Botanical Garden in 1908, 1972, and 2020; before closing out the week with this sixth instalment in the series that follows the Jackass crew as they perform their final series of dangerous stunts and pranks, marking the end of the franchise.

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

'THE GOOD BOY' (Rated MA15+) - aka 'HEEL' is a Polish and UK Co-Produced black comedy thriller film Directed by Jan Komasa, whose previous feature film output include 'Suicide Room' in 2011, 'Warsaw 44' in 2014, 'Corpus Christi' in 2019, 'The Hater' in 2022 and 'Anniversary' in 2025. This film is Komasa's first English language feature. It had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, was released in the USA in late March, has received generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$1.2M at the Box Office. 

The film follows 19-year-old hooligan Tommy (Anson Boon), who revels in a life of drugs, parties, and violence. One night, on a bender with his reckless friends, he becomes separated from the group and is abducted by an unknown figure. Though he is no stranger to inflicting violence, he is enraged and horrified when he wakes to find himself chained in the basement of the isolated suburban family home of Chris (Stephen Graham), his wife Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough), and their young son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). The family sets out to reform Tommy's unruly behaviour, forcing him to comply with their relentless mind games or seek escape at any cost. Also starring Monika Frajczyk and Savannah Steyn. 

'100 NIGHTS OF HERO' (Rated M) - is a UK and US Co-Produced historical fantasy romance film that is Written and Directed by Julia Jackman in only her second feature film outing following 'Bonus Track' in 2023. This film is based on the graphic novel 'The One Hundred Nights of Hero' by Isabel Greenberg, which in turn was based on the Middle Eastern folktale 'One Thousand and One Nights'. It follows a woman, Cherry (Maika Monroe) whose neglectful husband Jerome (Amir El-Masry) leaves her alone for a hundred days to test her fidelity, as she becomes entangled in a love triangle with her loyal maid Hero (Emma Corrin) and her husband's seductive friend Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine). The film also stars Charli XCX, Richard E. Grant and Felicity Jones. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at the Venice International Film Festival in early September last year, was released Stateside in early December last year, in the UK in early February this year and only now is it released here in Australia, having so far grossed US$472K from a production budget of US$5.3M and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews.

'THE BIRTHDAY TRIP' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian satirical drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed, photographed and Edited by James Robert Woods in his feature film debut. To celebrate their joint thirtieth birthdays, lapsed high-school besties Clare Lapsley Smith (Nicola Frew), Angie Olsson (Josephine Starte) and Isabel McDonald (Annelise Hall) organise a luxury weekend away at the six-star Lothian Gate farmstay in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, with their partners in tow (Luke Jacobz, David Quirk and Ben Gerrard). While the women share a nostalgic bond, the men are strangers, and the simmering social machinations test the couples' loyalty. Meanwhile, across the perfectly manicured grounds, the fraught relationship between the farmstay's conflicted caretaker Felix Doyle (Robert Preston) and his partner Sapphire Phoenix (Sapphire Blossom) threatens to derail the weekend. 

'SILENT FRIEND' (Rated M) - is a German, French, Hungarian and Hong Kong Co-Produced historical drama film Written and Directed by Ildiko Enyedi, whose prior feature film making credits take in her debut in 1989 with the Cannes Camera d'Or winner 'My 20th Century' which she would follow up with the likes of 'Simon, the Magician' in 1999, 'On Body and Soul' in 2017 and 'The Story of My Wife' in 2021. Here then, the film follows a single ginkgo tree dating back to 1832 through three loosely connected stories in different eras - 1908, 1972, and 2020, taking place in the old university town of Marburg, Germany. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Lea Seydoux, Luna Wedler, Martin Wuttke, Johannes Hegemann, Marlene Burow and Enzo Brumm. It saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September last year, was released in Germany in mid-January this year and has generated universal critical acclaim.

'JACKASS : BEST AND LAST' (Rated MA15+) - this American reality slapstick comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Jeff Tremaine who helmed all the previous 'Jackass' instalments from 'Jackass : The Movie' in 2002, through to 'Jackass Forever' in 2022.  It will be the sixth and final main instalment in the 'Jackass' film series, with those first five films in the series grossing US$560M at the worldwide Box Office off the back of combined production budgets totalling US$62M. This film is a compilation of stunts, skits, and pranks, intercut with on-set talking heads with its cast. The movie will be a mix of old and new footage, bringing back the biggest stunts and pranks from the franchise, as well as brand new ones, and never-before-seen footage. The film stars original 'Jackass' members Johnny Knoxville (who once again Co-Produces here), Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Dave England, and Danger Ehren, along with Poopies, Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, and Rachel Wolfson. The film was released Stateside last week. It was released across Europe and the USA on 25th and 26th June respectively, has so far grossed approaching US$12M from its production budget of US$10M and has received positive critical reviews.  

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE GOOD BOY : Tuesday 9th June 2026.

As part of this years Sydney Film Festival I saw 'THE GOOD BOY', aka 'HEEL' at my local independent movie theatre earlier this week. This Polish and UK Co-Produced black comedy thriller film is Directed by Jan Komasa, whose previous feature film output include 'Suicide Room' in 2011, 'Warsaw 44' in 2014, 'Corpus Christi' in 2019, 'The Hater' in 2022 and 'Anniversary' in 2025. This film is Komasa's first English language feature. It had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, was released in the USA in late March, has received generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$1.2M at the Box Office. The film goes on general release here in Australia on 2nd July. 

The film opens following the extremely anti-social behaviour of 19-year-old Tommy (Anson Boon). He is a foul-mouthed, drug-abusing, beer swilling delinquent hooligan with a penchant for random acts of extreme violence - all of which he records and uploads to his social media pages for all the world to see. During a night out with his girlfriend Gabby (Savannah Steyn), Tommy becomes heavily drunk and stoned, can barely walk and later becomes separated from his friends, after his bender late at night. He is then abducted on the street by an unknown figure.

Macedonian national Rina (Monika Frajczyk) meets with a man named Chris (Stephen Graham) in a cafe to interview for a housekeeping job. After a series of fairly simple questions Chris invites her to his large isolated countryside home where she signs a non-disclosure agreement and is taken for a tour of the house, meeting Chris's reclusive wife Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough) and their ten-year-old son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). While viewing the cellar downstairs, Rina observes an unconscious Tommy chained to the ceiling. She attempts to leave, but Chris stops her and says he is aware of her past and uncertain visa situation. Following a threat to call his contact in the Home Office, Rina agrees to take the job - working two days a week on a Monday and Thursday.

Tommy is revealed to have been in the house for some time. He regularly antagonises and threatens Chris, and attempts to reason with Rina for help when she works in the cellar either loading up the washing machine or mopping the stone floor. Chris forces Tommy to watch educational films starring Chris and his family, as well as clips of Tommy's anti-social capers or violent attacks uploaded online. Tommy maintains his abusive attitude to which Chris responds with kindness and lectures, claiming that he is trying to help Tommy become a better person, though he shows no reluctance in beating or tasering Tommy whenever he resists his captivity, such as when he throws his urine-soaked clothes at Kathryn's face. Following this latter episode Chris severely beats Tommy with a Police extendable baton multiple times shouting out 'bad boy' with every blow. 

As time progresses and Tommy's manner starts to become more passive, Kathryn begins giving him books to read and the family allows him to watch movies with them. His temperament calms and he slowly builds a civil rapport with everyone in the household, especially Jonathan. After celebrating Tommy's birthday with a picnic out on the Yorkshire moors, Chris moves him to a room upstairs, having constructed a ceiling-mounted track system to which Tommy's chain is attached, allowing him to move throughout the house. However, Chris has also inserted combination locks throughout the track to control Tommy's movement and prevent him from venturing downstairs unsupervised. 

Later Rina advises the family that she thinks she is being followed, and fears for her safety. They invite her to move into the house, which she does. At Tommy's urging, Chris employs his and Rina's assistance in arranging a romantic dinner for Kathryn in the back garden. Though this is a success, Tommy is able to steal a knife from the kitchen drawer as the family is distracted in the garden, and hides it in a pot plant. Upstairs, while Chris thanks him for his help, Tommy asks why he in particular was abducted. Chris does not give a straight answer. Tommy states he is aware that his room once belonged to someone else, and asks who. 

One day, when Chris is out for a drive, a gang of three men break into the house seeking Rina. She agrees to leave with them, though before doing so she whispers the four digit combination code to the locks in Tommy's ear. Tommy then attacks the men but they overpower him, and beat him up. When Chris returns, he thanks Tommy for protecting 'their' family, and reveals his plan to install a security system and motion detectors on the property, which he says that Tommy can help him with the installation. That night, Tommy gingerly opens the combination locks and sneaks downstairs, taking the hidden knife and using it to pry his chain from the track. Chris, awakened, comes down with a handgun, but Tommy attacks from behind and disarms him, after which Kathryn arrives. Tommy says that he will never be the person who used to live in his room and demands to go free. Heartbroken in her husband's arms, Kathryn agrees to let Tommy leave. He does so walking out into the night, later collapsing in the middle of a deserted stretch of road. 

Having returned home, after two months away, Tommy does not admit to the interviewing Police Officer (Jessica Johnson) that he was abducted and claims he went away with his friend 'Jonathan'. The Police Officer says that a friend, Gabby, reported him as a missing person, while his mother admitted texting him twice, but as he never responded she gave up. Later he encounters Gabby in a nightclub, heavily wasted from drugs and alcohol. The next day Gabby pulls up at Tommy's house and they drive off with Tommy driving. They park up in a remote area and she says that she wishes she could 'disappear'. Tommy asks if she trusts him. When she says yes, he incapacitates her with chloroform, torches the car and carries her to the gate of Chris's home. After Tommy rings the buzzer and waits anxiously, the gate opens and he walks towards the house down the long driveway carrying Gabby in his arms, with Chris, Kathryn and Jonathan standing at the door to welcome him back. 

'The Good Boy' is a blacker than black dark comedy psychological thriller that is teetering on the brink of horror, given the opening scenes of Tommy running amok snorting, drinking, punching, kicking, fucking, pissing, arguing and yelling his way through a single night of obnoxious excess, to Chris who keeps his quarry chained to the ceiling for weeks and who is not afraid to wield his own form of justice with a baton, a taser, or a discovered packet of cigarettes belonging to his ten year old son. The performances of Boon, Graham and Riseborough are all top notch and they inhabit their roles with a real sense of believability and realism. Whilst there are certain similarities here with Stanley Kubrick's seminal 1971 film 'A Clockwork Orange', here Director Jan Komasa has substituted the institutionalised rehabilitation for the individuals rehab, and in doing so has delivered us a film that poses the question of 'nature over nurture', the power of social media and the hold it has over young teenagers and young adults that you'll be debating long after the end credits have rolled. 

'The Good Boy' or 'Heel' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th October 2025.

The 48th Denver Film Festival this year runs from Friday 31st October through until Sunday 9th November. Founded in 1978, the Denver Film Festival was one of the first film festivals in the country. Now, in its 48th year, the Festival is an annual celebration of cinema that takes place in the vibrant city of Denver, Colorado, USA. As one of the region’s premier film events, the Festival showcases an exceptional lineup of thought-provoking, innovative, and diverse films from around the world. With a history spanning over four decades, the Denver Film Festival has established itself as a destination for film enthusiasts, industry professionals, and cultural explorers alike. It provides a platform for emerging filmmakers to showcase their work, while also featuring acclaimed films from established Directors. In addition to the outstanding film screenings, the Denver Film Festival presents a range of Red Carpet presentations, special events, including filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, workshops, receptions, and industry networking opportunities . . . . . so reads the official website. 

This years Opening Night Presentation is 'Wake Up Dead Man : A Knives Out Mystery' Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rian Johnson and is the third film in the 'Knives Out' series. Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his darkest case yet when a murder in a small upstate New York church challenges faith, reason, and everything in between. With an ensemble cast including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church, the film weaves suspense with sharp humour and gothic overtones. 

The six films in Competition for the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film are as detailed below :-

* 'Left-Handed Girl' - from Taiwan and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Shih-Ching Tsou. Single mother Shu-Fen returns to Taipei with her two daughters to open a stall at a vibrant night market. Each must readapt to the city’s rhythm while keeping the family together. But when her traditional grandfather forbids his youngest, left-handed granddaughter from using her ‘devil hand’, buried generational secrets begin to unravel.
* 'The Love That Remains' - from Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and France and Written, Directed and photographed by Hlynur Palmason. Across the changing seasons, artist Anna and her husband Magnus navigate the aftermath of separation while raising three children. Playful, tender moments slip into surreal ruptures as their home life teeters between routine and unraveling. 

* 'My Father's Shadow' - from Nigeria, the UK and Ireland and Co-Written and Directed by Akinola Davies Jnr. During the upheaval of Nigeria’s 1993 election crisis, two young brothers spend a day in Lagos with their estranged father, experiencing the city’s vastness for the first time. 

* 'The President's Cake' - from Iraq, the USA and Qatar and Written and Directed by Hasan Hadi. While people across 1990's Iraq struggle to survive war and food shortages, the President orders every school in the country to prepare a cake for his birthday. Despite her efforts to escape notice, nine-year-old Lamia is chosen by her classmates and must summon her wits and imagination to find the impossible ingredients. 

* 'Sirat' - from Spain and France and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Olivier Laxe. In the Moroccan desert, a middle-aged father searches for his missing daughter, only to stumble into a nomadic rave community on the edge of collapse.

* 'Sound of Falling' - from Germany and Co-Written and Directed by Mascha Schilinski. Four girls, Alma, Erika, Angelika, and Lenka, each spend their youth on the same farm in northern Germany. As the home evolves over a century, echoes of the past linger in its walls, and though separated by time, their lives begin to mirror one another.

For the details of the five films in the American Independent Competition, and the eleven films in the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://www.denverfilm.org

Turning the attention then back to this weeks seven new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we launch with an absurdist black comedy offering centering on two conspiracy-obsessed men and the CEO of a major company who they kidnap, after becoming convinced that she's an alien who wants to destroy our little blue and green planet. Next up we have a thriller about a close-knit family who is caught in the turmoil of a controversial rising movement known as 'The Change'. Then we turn to dark comedy body horror film about society's obsession with youth and good looks, as a once beloved actress challenges a beauty firm CEO. Following on we have a Aussie doco about intrepid explorer Richard Harris, key in the Thai cave rescue, who risks all diving New Zealand's potentially deepest cave system. Up next is a supernatural comedy film about a well-meaning but inept angel, who swaps the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy venture capitalist. This is followed by a musical drama offering about a political prisoner who shares a cell with a window dresser convicted of public indecency, and the two form an unlikely bond. And closing out the week we have another Aussie doco about Italian women in 1940's Australia who faced family separation, yet they persevered alone, later helping rebuild post-WWII lives and influencing Australian culture in fashion, business, and leadership.

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

'BUGONIA' (Rated MA15+) - this absurdist black comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos who made his feature film Directorial debut with 'My Best Friend' in 2001 and would make his English language debut with 'The Lobster' in 2015 which he would follow up with 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' in 2017, 'The Favourite' in 2018, 'Poor Things' in 2023 and 'Kinds of Kindness' in 2024. This film is an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film 'Save the Green Planet!' Written and Directed by Jang Joon-hwan. It had its World Premiere in the main competition of this years Venice International Film Festival at the end of August and was released in the US last week, has so far grossed US$2M on a production budget of about US$50M, and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

Two conspiracy-obsessed young men Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. Also starring Alicia Silverstone and Stavros Halkias. 

'ANNIVERSARY' (Rated CTC) - is an American thriller film Directed by Jan Komasa whose previous big screen output includes 'Suicide Room' in 2011, 'Warsaw 44' in 2014, 'Corpus Christi' in 2019, 'The Hater' in 2020 and 'Good Boy' in 2025. When Ellen (Diane Lane) and Paul's (Kyle Chandler) son Josh (Dylan O'Brien) introduces his new girlfriend one lovely afternoon at their 25th anniversary party, no one suspects that it is the beginning of the end for this happy family. The new girlfriend is Liz (Phoebe Dynevor), Ellen's former student expelled from the university some years before for her radical views. Also starring Zoey Deutch, Mckenna Grace, Daryl McCormack and Madeline Brewer. The film is released this week too in the US.

'SHELL' (Rated MA15+) - this American black comedy body horror film is Co-Produced and Directed by Max Minghella in only his second Directorial outing following 'Teen Spirit' in 2016, although he has acted in numerous films and TV series including perhaps his most noteworthy role as Nick Blaine in 'The Handmaids Tale'. Desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) gets drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson) the CEO os wellness company Shell, only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath the seemingly flawless surface. The film had its World Premiere at TIFF in mid-September 2024, was released in the USA in early October this year, and has generated mixed or average reviews.

'DEEPER' (Rated M) - is an Australian action adventure documentary film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jennifer Peedom whose previous credits include the BAFTA nominated doco's 'Sherpa' in 2015, 'Mountain' in 2017 and 'River' in in 2021. Here, she follows Richard 'Harry' Harris, one of the heroes of the Thai cave rescue, as he attempts to enter a cold, dark and mysterious cave system in New Zealand - one that has the potential to be the deepest dived cave in the world. There’s no question that this is the highest stakes dive he has ever attempted. Underground, underwater, with a finite amount of gas to breathe, it’s a dangerous game to play, and as he pushes limits underground with limited air, he questions his motivations and impact on loved ones. 

'GOOD FORTUNE' (Rated M) - this American supernatural comedy film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Aziz Ansari in his feature film making debut. A well-meaning but rather inept budget guardian angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker Arj (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy venture capitalist Jeff (Seth Rogen). The film premiered at TIFF in early September, was released in the US two weeks ago, has so far grossed US$13M off the back of a US$30M production budget, and has generated largely favourable reviews. 

'KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN' (Rated M) - is an American musical drama film written for the screen and Directed by Bill Condon and is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by the Argentinian author Manuel Puig. It is the second big screen adaptation following the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning 1985 film which was Directed by Hector Babenco and starred William Hurt, Raul Julia and Sonia Braga. Bill Condon's previous feature film making credits include his debut with 'Sister, Sister' in 1987 and then 'Gods and Monsters' in 1998, 'Kinsey' in 2004, 'Dreamgirls' in 2006, 'The Twilight Saga : Breaking Dawn - Parts 1 and 2' in 2011 and 2012, 'The Fifth Estate' in 2013, 'Beauty and the Beast' in 2017, and 'The Good Liar' in 2019. Here then, Valentin Arregui (Diago Luna), a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favourite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). The film saw its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in late January this year, and was released Stateside in mid-October having so far grossed US$2M from a production budget of US$30M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'SIGNORINELLA : LITTLE MISS' (Rated PG) - this Australian documentary is Written, Produced and Directed by Jason David McFadden, Angelo Pricolo and Shannon Swan and celebrates the indomitable women who did everything from harvesting cane fields when the men were rounded up and placed in internment camps during WWII, to back-breaking factory work, founding restaurant and fashion empires, radio stations and representing their communities in parliament. These people include game-changing fashionistas Carla Zampatti and Mariana Hardwick, revered foodie Olimpia Bortolotto, NSW politician Franca Arena and Young Talent Time-turned internationally treasured pop singer Tina Arena, who share their stories of hardship, resilience and triumph. Through personal narratives and historical insights, this documentary is a tribute to the power of determination, creativity, and the enduring spirit of women who dared to dream, and who helped shape the Italian-Australian community.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd October 2020.

The American Film Institute (AFI) Fest launched on 15th October and runs until 22nd October, and this year, like so many other film festivals, has chosen to go with a virtual format because of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. The festival opened with the World Premier screening of Julia Hart's 1970's influenced crime thriller 'I'm Your Woman' and is followed by a line up of 123 other films including fifty-four feature films, and sixty-seven short films. AFI Fest is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe to captivated audiences in Los Angeles. With a diverse and innovative slate of programming, the eight-day film festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new voices. Each year, the festival showcases films in several exciting sections which include Galas, Special Screenings, New Auteurs, Documentary, World Cinema, Cinema’s Legacy and Shorts. The closing night feature is the documentary 'My Psychedelic Love Story' Directed by Errol Morris which explores the story that led Timothy Leary, the High Priest of LSD, to seemingly sell out the millions he urged to 'turn on, tune in and drop out' and become a narc in 1974, as recounted through the eyes of Leary’s lover, the Swiss-born, Paris-raised free spirit Joanna Harcourt-Smith. The highlights contained within the main feature film sections are shown below.

Special Presentations Section - from first-time Directors and established masters to fiction and nonfiction to series, these outstanding and highly anticipated films affirm the vitality and creativity of our resilient film community. Included in this section are the following :

* 'The Father' - Directed by Florian Zeller, this British and French Co-Production stars Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell and Olivia Williams.

* 'Fireball : Visitors from Darker Worlds' - Directed by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer, this is a British documentary that seeks to unlock the mysteries inside the flaming balls of rock debris that have bombarded our planet from the far reaches of space for millennia. 

* 'I'm Your Woman' - Directed by Julia Hart this USA film stars Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Bill Heck and Arinze Kene. Opening night film. 

* 'My Psychedelic Love Story' - Directed by Errol Morris, this US documentary stars Timothy Leary and Joanna Harcourt-Smith. Closing night film.

* 'Pink Skies Ahead' - Directed in her film making debut by Kelly Oxford, this USA production stars Jessica Barden, Henry Winkler, Rosa Salazar, Marcia Gay Harden, Mary J. Blige and Odeya Rush. 

* 'The Reagans' - Directed by Matt Tyrnauer this four part series focuses on the rise and reign of America's ultimate power couple - Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Episodes one and two are screened as part of this section.

* 'Really Love' - Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Angel Kristi Williams in her film making debut, this American feature stars Kofi Siriboe and Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing.

* 'A Suitable Boy' - Directed by Mira Nair and Shimit Amin, this British and Indian Co-Produced television series runs over six episodes with all six screened in this section. Starring Tabu, Ishan Khatter, Tanya Maniktala and Mahira Kakkar.  

World Cinema Section - featuring a collection of diverse narrative feature films from celebrated storytellers across the world. Included in this section are the following :

* 'Farewell Amor' - Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Ekwa Msangi, this American feature film stars Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Zainab Jah, Jayme Lawson and Joie Lee.

* 'Hopper/Welles' - Directed by Orson Welles and discovered in 2017 this film features a conversation covering a vast array of topics from two masters of Old Hollywood and New Hollywood - Orson Welles and Dennis Hopper. 

* 'I Carry You With Me' - Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Heidi Ewing, this US and Mexican Co-Production stars Armando Espitia and Christian Vasquez. 

* 'My Little Sister' - Directed and Written by Stephanie Chuat and Veronique Reymond this Swiss feature film stars Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger and Jens Albinus. 

* 'Sound of Metal' - Directed and Co-Written by Darius Marder, this American feature film stars Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Lauren Ridloff and Mathieu Amalric.

* 'Tragic Jungle' - Directed, Co-Written, Co-Produced and Co-Edited by Yulene Olaizola this Mexican, French and Colombian Co-Produced film stars Indira Andrewin and Gilberto Barraza. 

* 'Uncle Frank' - Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Alan Ball, this American produced film stars Paul Bettany, Peter Macdissi, Steve Zahn, Sophia Lillis, Judy Greer and Carson Holmes. 

* 'Under the Open Sky' - Directed and Written by Miwa Nishikawa this Japanese film stars Kofi Yakusho, and Taiga Nakano. 

* 'Wander Darkly' - Directed and Written by Tara Miele, this American production stars Sienna Miller and Diego Luna. 

New Auteurs Section - presenting a platform for new voices and new stories, these exciting narrative works push the boundaries of contemporary cinema. Included in this section are the following :

* 'Apples' - Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Christos Nikou this Greek, Polish and Slovenian Co-Production stars Aris Servetalis and Sofia Georgovassili. 

* 'The Boy Behind the Door' - Directed and Written by David Charbonier and Justin Powell this American  thriller stars Lonnie Chavis and Ezra Dewey.

* 'Jumbo' - Directed and Written by Zoe Wittock this French, Belgian and Luxembourg feature film stars Noemie Merlant, Emmanuelle Bercot and Sam Louwyck. 

* 'Luxor' - Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Zeina Durra this British production stars Andrea Riseborough,  Karim Selah, Michael Landes and Shereen Reda.

* 'Nine Days' - Directed and Written by Edson Oda this American feature film stars Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale and Bill Skarsgard.

* 'Shadow in the Cloud' - Directed and Written by Roseanne Liang this New Zealand produced film stars Chloe Grace Moretz, Callan Mulvey and Nick Robinson. 

* 'Wildland' - Directed by Jeanette Nordahl, this Danish film stars Sandra Guldberg Kampp and Sidse Babett Knudsen. 

For all the latest news on the 2020 AFI Fest, you can visit the official website at : https://www.fest.afi.com

And so this week we have five latest release new films that give you an excuse to venture out to your local Odeon. Starting off we have a comedy drama about a Mum, a Dad and their mid-twenties year old daughter who are all career petty criminals, grifters and confidence tricksters who seize upon an opportunity to befriend their next mark, with far reaching consequences for them all. We then turn to an action thriller which sees a career thief turn himself and his ill gotten gains in to the Police all in the name of love, only to be double crossed by two bent cops, and so what does this man with a very particular set of skills do . . . ? Next up we have a New Zealand offering about a young couple expecting their first child together, but the couple have very different views on pending parenthood and how this is going to change their lives and their spirit of adventure. This is followed by an Aussie comedy drama about a bunch of retired war vets who broke out of their Vietnam PoW camp who now face the daunting prospect of breaking out of their retirement home, and we wrap up the week with a Polish film about an incarcerated young man who discovers God while inside and upon release fakes his way into becoming the Priest of a small town with far reach implications for all those around him.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies 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.

'KAJILLIONAIRE' (Rated M) - is an American crime comedy drama film Directed and Written by Miranda July in only her third film making outing following 2005's 'Me and You and Everyone We Know' and 2011's 'The Future'. This film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in late January this year, was released Stateside in late September before going on VoD in the US from mid-October, having taken US$621K so far and garnered generally favourable Reviews. 

Two con artists, Robert Dyne (Richard Jenkins) and his wife Theresa (Debra Winger) have spent 26 years training their only daughter Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) to swindle, scam and steal at every turn in Los Angeles. During a desperate and hastily conceived scam related to lost luggage insurance, the parents meet with an attractive young woman, Melanie Whitacre (Gina Rodriguez) whom they view as a potential mark into joining them as a means of gaining her trust. However, things don't go quite according to plan and following an earthquake, a confession, and another rip off they all have their worlds turned upside down.

'HONEST THIEF' (Rated M) - this American action thriller is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Mark Williams in only his second film making outing following 2016's 'A Family Man', although he has twenty-nine Producer credits to his name and three as Writer. Released Stateside last week, the film has so far grossed US$5.7M and has garnered mixed or average Reviews so far. Calling him the 'In-and-Out Bandit' because meticulous career thief Tom Carter (Liam Neeson) has stolen US$9M from small-town banks while successfully managing to keep his identity a secret and therefore keeping the Police authorities at bay. But after he falls in love with the bubbly Annie Sumpter (Kate Walsh), Tom decides to make a fresh start by coming clean about his criminal past, and turning in all the money he has stolen in exchange for a reduced sentence. But when he is double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents - John Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Ramon Hall (Anthony Ramos) he goes on the run to clear his name and bring those no good cops to justice. Clearly this is Liam Neeson doing what he does best with his very particular set of skills! Also starring Robert Patrick and Jeffrey Donovan. 

'BABY DONE' (Rated M) - Co-Written and Directed by Curtis Vowell and Executive Produced by Taika Waititi this New Zealand film is only the second feature film offering by Vowell following his 2013 film 'Fantail'. Here, when Zoe (Rose Matafeo) and Tim (Matthew Lewis) find out they are having a baby, they are determined to not let parenthood change them. Tim runs towards being a dad, while Zoe runs away from being a mum. Terrified that her life won’t be her own anymore, Zoe is still determined to tick off her bucket list their wildest dreams before the baby arrives. Zoe’s increasing denial about her impending birth pushes her, and her relationship, to the limit.

'NEVER TOO LATE' (Rated M) - is an Australian comedy drama film Directed by Mark Lamprell whose previous directorial outings include 'My Mother Frank' in 2000, 'Goddess' in 2013 and 'A Few Less Men' in 2017. Filmed in Adelaide, in South Australia, this film saw its Premier screening at Adelaide's Young at Heart in February this year and was released on digital in the US in July so far having taken US$15K. Here we have four former prisoners of war who famously broke out of their camp during the Vietnam War and who are all now residents of the same retirement home for returned veterans. They may have lost their memory and speed, but these renegades prove it’s never too late for new adventures, even if you have to break rules to break free in an attempt to fulfil your individual dreams. Starring James Cromwell as Jack Bronson a former special forces soldier, and his fifty year long love interest Norma McCarthy (Jacki Weaver) who is resident in the Hogan Hills Retirement Home for Returned Servicemen and Women, with Jeremiah Caine (Dennis Waterman), Angus Wilson (Jack Thompson), and James Wendell (Roy Billing) with Bruce (Shane Jacobson) playing James's estranged son. 

'CORPUS CHRISTI' (Rated MA15+) - this Polish drama film is Directed by Jan Komasa which saw its Premier showing at 2019's Venice Film Festival, was also shown at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and was selected as the Polish entry into this years Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Released in its native Poland in October 2019, the film has since gone on to win fifty awards and a further twenty-one nominations from around the awards and festival circuit and has recouped US$8.6M from its initial US$1.3M budget outlay. Based on a true story, Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia) experiences a spiritual transformation while serving a sentence for second-degree murder in a youth detention centre. Although his criminal record prevents him from applying to the seminary once he is released, he has no intention of giving up his dream. Upon his release he is assigned to work in a sawmill in a small town, and while visiting the local church, he pretends to be a priest. The vicar of that church meets Daniel wholly believing his lie, and leaves him in charge of the church while he goes to rehab for a medical condition. Daniel begins performing all the duties of priesthood, and enjoys it. Initially his unorthodox methods are met favourably by the townsfolk, but ultimately the truth will out! The film has generated largely positive Press. 

With five new release films 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 in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-