What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 5th February 2026.

This years 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), is in full swing having opened on Thursday 29th January and running through until Sunday 8th February. This annual film festival is held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and is largely focused on independent and experimental films. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental filmmaking by showcasing emerging talents and established auteurs. The festival also places a focus on presenting cutting edge media art and arthouse film, with most of the participants in the short film programme identified as artists or experimental filmmakers. IFFR also hosts CineMart and BoostNL, for film Producers to seek funding.

The Opening Night feature film presentation this year, was 'Providence and the Guitar' from Portugal and is Co-Written and Directed by Joao Nicolau. Life's tough for traveling 19th Century performers Leon and Elvira. Between moody Police Officers, rival performers, and mischievous demons, they rely on newfound friends to keep faith in their art. The Closing Night film is 'Bazaar' from France and Directed by Remi Bezancon and centres on a crime writer and his film professor partner who are swept up in a real-life mystery when they begin to suspect their neighbour of murder. Both films are World Premiere screenings. 

IFFR’s trade mark competition - 'The Tiger Competition' celebrates the innovative and adventurous spirit of up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the world. The competition was founded in 1995 with the aim of discovering, raising the profile of and rewarding up-and-coming international film talent. The Tiger Award is accompanied by a €40K cash prize, to be shared between the Director and Producer of the winning film. Two Special Jury Awards worth €10K will also be presented for exceptional artistic achievement within the competition.

This years titles, competing for this prize, are as given briefly below :-
* 'La belle annee' - Directed by Angelica Ruffier and from Sweden and Norway.
* 'A Fading Man' - Directed by Welf Reinhart from Germany.

* 'The Gymnast' - Directed by Charlotte Glynn from the USA.
* 'A Messy Tribute to Motherly Love' - Directed by Dan Geesin and from the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.
* 'My Semba' - Directed by Hugo Salvaterra from Angola.
* 'Nangong Cheng' - Directed by Shao Pan from China.
* 'O profeta' - Directed by Ique Langa and from Mozambique, South Africa and Qatar.
* 'Roid' - Directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon from Bangladesh.

* 'Supporting Role' - Directed by Ana Urushadze and from Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland and the USA.
* 'Unerasable!' - Directed by Socrates Saint-Wulfstan Drakos from Belgium, Thailand and Sweden.
* 'Variations on a Theme' - Directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar and from South Africa, Netherlands and Qatar.
* 'Yellow Cake' - Directed by Tiago Melo from Brazil.

For the full descriptors of the aforementioned films in the Tiger Competition, plus the other competitive strands being showcased, the full line of some 650 feature films and short films being screened and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : http://www.iffr.com/en/

And so looking ahead to this weeks seven new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with a Gothic romantic fantasy film which after his wife dies, a 15th century Prince renounces God and becomes a vampire, and centuries later in 19th century London, he sees a woman resembling his late wife and pursues her, sealing his own fate. This is followed by a comedy drama offering that tells the story of a marriage quietly imploding, and so the husband seeks new purpose in the New York comedy scene while the wife confronts the sacrifices she made for their family. Next we have an action thriller about a reclusive former assassin living on a remote island who must protect a young girl he rescues from a storm, drawing him into conflict with past enemies. Then we turn to the third and final chapter in horror franchise that see the only survivor from the previous films that has our protagonist squaring off against the masked killers one last time in a brutal, full-circle reckoning of survival and revenge. Following on we have a survival thriller film that after a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don't just rise, they hunt, and so a wife searches for her missing husband, but what she finds is far more terrifying. Up next is a sports film about the Republic of Ireland national football team and the eponymous Saipan incident between player and team Captain, and the Club Manager in the lead up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup; before closing out the week with a Japanese animated fantasy action film about the eponymous Princess who can cross time and space on a quest of vengeance after her father is murdered.

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.

'DRACULA' (Rated MA15+) - is an English language French Gothic romantic fantasy film based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel 'Dracula'. This film is written for the screen and Directed by Luc Besson, whose previous feature film output takes in the likes of 'La Femme Nikita' in 1990, 'Leon : The Professional' in 1994, 'The Fifth Element' in 1997, 'The Messenger : The Story of Joan of Arc' in 1999, 'Lucy' in 2014, 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' in 2017 and 'Dogman' in 2023. The film was released in France at the end of July last year, is released in the USA, Canada and here in Australia this week, has so far grossed US$6M and has generated mixed or average reviews. 

When a 15th-century Prince Vladimir of Wallachia (Caleb Landry Jones) witnesses the brutal murder of his wife Elisabeta (Zoe Bleu), he renounces God and damns Heaven itself. Cursed with eternal life, he is reborn as Dracula, an immortal warlord who defies fate in a blood-soaked crusade to wrench his lost love back from death, no matter the cost. On the verge of reuniting some four hundred years later with his reincarnated wife Mina Murray (Zoe Bleu) Dracula is hunted by a relentless priest (Christoph Waltz), sworn to end his immortal reign.

'IS THIS THING ON?' (Rated M) - this American comedy drama film is Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Bradley Cooper in his third Directorial outing following 'A Star is Born' in 2018 and 'Maestro' in 2023, as well as his numerous acting and Producing credits. This film is based loosely on the life of English comedian John Bishop, who was given a story credit on the film, after he met Will Arnett and told him about the night he decided to become a stand-up comedian, and how ultimately it helped save his marriage. Here then, as their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while his wife Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form. Also starring Bradley Cooper, Andra Day, Sean Hayes and Ciaran Hinds. The film had its World Premiere as the closing film of the New York Film Festival on 10th October last year, was released in the US on 19th December, has so far grossed US$11M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'SHELTER' (Rated M) - is a UK and USA Co-Produced action thriller film Directed by Ric Roman Waugh whose prior feature film output includes 'Felon' in 2008, 'Snitch' in 2013, 'Shot Caller' in 2017, 'Angel Has Fallen' in 2019, 'Greenland' in 2020, 'Kandahar' in 2023 and the yet to be released 'Greenland 2 : Migration' expected later this year. On a remote Scottish coastal island, a reclusive man, Mason (Jason Statham) rescues a young girl Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) from a deadly storm, drawing them both into danger. Forced out of isolation, he must confront his turbulent past while protecting her, sending them on a tense journey of survival and redemption. Also starring Bill Nighy and Naomi Ackie. The film had its World Premiere screening in London on 20th January and was released last week Stateside. 

'THE STRANGERS : CHAPTER 3' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror film is Directed by Renny Harlin whose previous feature film credits take in the more popular offerings including 'Die Hard 2' in 1990, 'Cliffhanger' in 1993, 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' in 1996, 'Deep Blue Sea' in 1999, 'Driven' in 2001, 'The Bricklayer' in 2023 and then 'The Strangers : Chapter 1' and 'The Strangers : Chapter 2' in 2024 and 2025 respectively. This film serves as the fifth instalment in 'The Strangers' film franchise and the final instalment in a new trilogy. Here, in this decisive and brutal conclusion to the trilogy, the survivors seeking rehabilitation from their past encounters with the masked strangers are thrust back into a fight for their survival. In their struggle, they uncover unsettling secrets that threaten to alter their fate, jeopardising their lives as the line between reality and peril blurs. Starring Madelaine Petsch as Maya the only survivor of the terrorising Strangers with Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath and Richard Brake reprising their roles from the pervious instalment. The film premiered in Los Angeles in mid-January, and is released in the US this week too.

'WE BURY THE DEAD' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian and US Co-Produced survival thriller film Written and Directed by Zak Hilditch, who made his feature film debut in 2003 with 'Waiting for Naval Base Lilly', and which he would follow up with his better known projects including 'These Final Hours' in 2013, '1922' in 2017 and 'Rattlesnake' in 2019. Here then, Ava Newman (Daisy Ridley), a desperate woman, searches for her husband in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a 'body retrieval unit', but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she's burying start showing signs of life. Also starring Mark Coles Smith, Brenton Thwaites and Matt Whelan, the film had its World Premiere at SXSW in March last year, was released Stateside on 2nd January and here in Australia this week, has generated largely positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$4M. 

'SAIPAN' (Rated MA15+) - this sports film from Ireland is Directed by the husband and wife team of Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa in their joint fourth feature film offering following 'Cherrybomb' in 2009, 'Good Vibrations' in 2012 and 'Ordinary Love' in 2019. Set in 2002, shortly before the FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, the Irish national football team arrives on the Pacific island of Saipan where they are to bond and train before moving to Japan. But the management’s relaxed approach does not match team captain Roy Keane’s (Eanna Hardwicke) expectations, and so he decides to forfeit his place in the squad after a heated disagreement with the Irish manager Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan). The Manchester United star player is here after all, to win it. The film had its World Premiere screening at TIFF in September last year, was released in its native Ireland on 1st January, the UK on 23rd January and here in Australia this week having garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'SCARLET' (Rated M) - is a Japanese animated fantasy action film that is Written and Directed by Mamoru Hosoda whose previous animated films as Director include 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' in 2006, 'Wolf Children' in 2012, 'The Boy and the Beast' in 2015, 'Mirai' in 2018 and 'Belle' in 2021. Inspired by the Shakespearean tragedy 'Hamlet', Scarlet (voiced by Mana Ashida), a medieval-era, sword-fighting Princess is on a dangerous quest to avenge the death of her father. After failing in her mission and finding herself fatally injured in a surreal world, she encounters an idealistic young man from our present day who not only helps her to heal but shows her the possibility of a future free from bitterness and rage. When confronted once more by her father’s killer, Scarlet faces her most daunting battle - can she break the cycle of hatred and find meaning in life beyond revenge? The film had its Premiere out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival in early September last year, was released in Japan on 21st November, and here in Australia and the US from this week, having generated largely favourable reviews.

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 20th January 2022.

The honourees of this years National Board of Review Awards were due to be held at a special gala event on Tuesday evening 11th January, but that event was postponed due to the ongoing ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever tightening grip that the Omicron variant seems to have on our world. That said, the winners of the 93rd National Board of Review Awards honouring the best in film from 2021, were announced on 2nd December 2021, and in case you missed it, those proud recipients of an award are as given below :-

* Best Film - awarded to 'Licorice Pizza'.

* Best Director  - awarded to Paul Thomas Anderson for 'Licorice Pizza'.

* Best Actor - awarded to Will Smith for 'King Richard'.

* Best Actress - awarded to Rachel Zeglar for 'West Side Story'.

* Best Supporting Actor - awarded to Ciaran Hinds for 'Belfast'.

* Best Supporting Actress - awarded to Aunjanue Ellis for 'King Richard'.

* Best Original Screenplay - awarded to Asghar Farhadi for 'A Hero'.

* Best Adapted Screenplay - awarded to Joel Coen for 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'.

* Best Animated Feature - awarded to 'Encanto'.

* Breakthrough Performance - awarded to Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman for 'Licorice Pizza'. 

* Best Directorial Debut - awarded to Michael Sarnoski for 'Pig'. 

* Best Foreign Language Film - awarded to 'A Hero'. 

* Best Documentary - awarded to 'Summer of Soul ( . . . Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).

* Best Ensemble - awarded to 'The Harder They Fall'.

* Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography - awarded to Bruno Delbonnel for 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'.

* NBR Freedom of Expression - awarded to 'Flee'.

* The Top Ten Films of the Year were given as 'Belfast', 'Don't Look Up', 'Dune', 'King Richard', 'The Last Duel', 'Licorice Pizza', 'Nightmare Alley', 'Red Rocket', The Tragedy of Macbeth' and 'West Side Story'.

* The Top Ten Independent Films of the Year were given as 'The Card Counter', 'C'mon C'mon', 'CODA', 'The Green Knight', 'Holler', 'Jockey', 'Old Henry', 'Pig', 'Shiva Baby' and 'The Souvenir Part II'. 

* The Top Five Foreign Langauge Films of the Year were given as 'Benedetta', 'Lamb', 'Lingui : The Sacred Bonds', 'Titane' and 'The Worst Person in the World'.

* The Top Five Documentaries of the Year were given as 'Ascension', 'Attica', 'Flee', 'The Rescue' and 'Roadrunner : A Film About Anthony Bourdain'. 

For the full details of the 93rd NBR Awards plus a whole lot more, you can go to the official website at : https;//www.nationalboardofreview.org/

Turning attention to this weeks five new releases, we kick off with a film inspired Princess Diana's decision to end her marriage to Prince Charles and leave the British royal family. This is followed up with a story of an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words who hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is. Next up is a Chinese offering about a film fan who escapes from a labour camp and befriends a homeless female vagabond and possibly the best movie projectionist for miles around. We then close out the week with two animated feature films which couldn't be more different - the first is a new take on a classic story that sees a studious marmoset embarking on a wild adventure to travel around the planet in 80 days after accepting a challenge from a greedy frog, before closing out the week with a Japanese animated offering about a high school student who becomes a globally beloved singer after entering a fantastic virtual world, and soon embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of a mysterious beast.

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.

'SPENCER' (Rated M) - this work of historical fiction is a psychological drama film Directed and Co-Produced by Pablo Larrain, whose prior film making credits include his 2006 debut 'Fuga' and then 'No' in 2012, 'Neruda' in 2016 and the critically acclaimed 'Jackie' in 2016 also with 'Ema' in 2019. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September last year before its release in the US and UK in early November. Having generated largely positive Critical Reviews, 'Spencer' has so far recovered US$15M from its US$18M budget outlay, and has picked up twenty-eight awards and a further ninety-six nominations (many of which are still pending an outcome) from around the awards and festival circuit. 

Set during the Christmas holiday 1991 with the royal family at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, where there's eating and drinking, shooting and hunting aplenty - Diana Spencer (Kristen Stewart) knows the game. But this year, things will be profoundly different. Diana, struggling with mental health issues and anxiety decides to end her decade-long marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing). 'Spencer' is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days. Also starring Timothy Spall, Sean Harris and Sally Hawkins. 

'NIGHTMARE ALLEY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American neo-noir psychological thriller film that is Directed, Co-Written for the screen and Co-Produced by Guillermo del Toro whose previous film making credits take in 'Hell Boy', 'Pacific Rim', 'Crimson Peak' and the Academy Award winning 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'The Shape of Water'. This film is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham, and is the second feature film adaptation following the 1947 film starring Tyrone Power. Set in 1940's era New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Copper) endears himself to a clairvoyant Zeena Krumbein (Toni Collette) and her mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival owned by Clem Hoately (Willem Dafoe). Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet. Also starring Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, Holt McCallany and Tim Blake Nelson. The film has garnered generally positive Reviews and has recovered US$9M in Box Office receipts from its US$60M production budget so far, having been released Stateside in mid-December last year. 

'ONE SECOND' (Rated M) - is a Chinese drama film that is Directed and and written for the screen by Zhang Yimou whose previous film making credits include his debut 'Red Sorghum' in 1987, 'Raise the Red Lantern' in 1991, 'Hero' in 2002, 'House of Flying Daggers' in 2004, 'The Flowers of War' in 2011, 'The Great Wall' in 2016 and 'Shadow' in 2018. Towards the end of the Cultural Revolution (circa 1976), when movies were one of the few cultural experiences available to China’s masses, the film’s nameless hero (Zhang Yi) is sent to a remote labour camp for taking part in a fight. He escapes, but instead of returning to crime, his one aim is to see a screening of a newsreel where his daughter has been captured briefly on screen, immortalised as a model student and worker. In this journey towards a fleeting, cinematic reunion with his beloved daughter, his unexpected companions include a scruffy orphan girl named Liu (Liu Haocun) — pursuing her own secret search for celluloid, and Fan (Fan Wei), who goes by Mr. Movie and is widely known as the best projectionist around. The film was released in its native China in November 2020, has generated mostly positive Critical acclaim and has grossed US$20M so far at the Box Office. 

'AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS' (Rated PG) - this French and Belgian Co-Produced animated feature film is Directed by Samuel Tourneux in his feature film making debut, and is based on the much adapted Jules Verne novel of the same name from 1872. Passepartout (voiced by Julien Crampon) is a young and scholarly marmoset who always dreams of becoming an explorer. One day, he crosses paths with Phileas (Damien Frette), a reckless and greedy frog, eager to take on a bet to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days and earn 10 million clams in the process. Seizing the opportunity of a lifetime to explore the world, Passepartout embarks with his new friend on a crazy and exhilarating adventure full of twists and surprises.

'BELLE' (Rated PG) - is a Japanese animated science fantasy film that is Directed and written for the screen by Mamoru Hosoda and is based on and inspired by the 1756 French fairy tale 'Beauty and the Beast' by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. The film saw its World Premiere showcase in mid-July last year at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it was well-received by critics with a standing ovation that lasted fourteen minutes, the longest of any film shown at the festival. It was released in its native Japan a day after Cannes, and has so far grossed US$59M before its release in the US this week too and the UK in early February. Suzu Naito (Kaho Nakamura) is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father (Koji Yakusho). For years she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters 'U', a virtual world of five billion subscribers on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious dragon creature (Takeru Satoh) that is being pursued by vigilantes. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges, and love, in their quest of becoming who they truly are.

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-