What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th April 2026

The 18th Milwaukee Film Festival takes place this year from Wednesday 16th April, up to and including Thursday 30th April, in the US city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Named one of the coolest film festivals in the world by MovieMaker Magazine, the Milwaukee Film Festival is one of the Midwest’s largest film festivals, and one of Milwaukee’s most-beloved cultural events. Founded in 2008, Milwaukee Film is a community-powered arts nonprofit organisation dedicated to creating world-class cinematic experiences that entertain, educate, and engage curious audiences. It is the fifth largest film festival in the US in terms of attendance, the number of films screened and festival length, and is proud to be known for its world-class hospitality. The Milwaukee Film Festival spotlights bold new voices, acclaimed filmmakers, unique stories, and work made in Milwaukee that resonates far beyond the screen. So reads the official website.

This years Opening Night film presentation is 'Ueck', from the USA and this documentary is Directed by Steve Farr and Michael T. Vollmann. Milwaukee legend, Bob Uecker, the former Major League baseball player, Hall of Fame sportscaster, comedian, and Actor has seen it all and made us laugh along the way. Though Ueck passed away in January 2025, this documentary persists as a testament to his legacy, giving audiences intimate access to his life, work, family, and friends, amplifying his humour and heart for future generations. The Closing Night film is 'Power Ballad' from the USA and is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by John Carney. When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. 

The Centrepiece film is 'The Big Cheese', and this documentary is Co-Produced and Directed by Sara Joe Wolansky. In the high-pressure world of international cheesemongering, Adam Moskowitz aims to send the first American to claim the top prize at the Mondial du Fromage competition in France. While the European model for this 'sommelier of cheese' profession eclipses its stateside counterpart in societal support, Moskowitz, and his alter-ego Mr. Moo, believe scrappy American ingenuity can take the wheel.

In the North American Independents Programme, there are thirteen titles being showcased, detailed in brief as follows :-

* 'Blue Heron' - from Canada and Hungary this drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sophy Romvari is her feature film Directorial debut. 

* 'Carolina Caroline' - from the USA and Directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier and starring Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner and Kyra Sedgwick.

* 'Erupcja' - from the USA and Poland this drama romance film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, photographed, Directed and Edited by Pete Ohs and stars Charli XCX, Will Madden and Lena Gora.

* 'I Want Your Sex' - from the USA and this comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Gregg Araki, and stars Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Olivia Wilde, Daveed Diggs and Charli XCX.

* 'If I Go They Will Miss Me' - from the USA, this drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Walter Thompson-Hernandez.

* 'Late Fame' - from the USA this drama film is Directed by Kent Jones and stars Willem Dafoe, Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan.

* 'Lucky Lu' - from the USA and Canada, this drama film is Written and Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi.

* 'Mad Bills to Pay' - from the USA and this comedy drama film is Written and Directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas.

* 'Maddie's Secret' - from the USA this comedy film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars John Early, with Eric Rahill, Kate Berlant, Conner O'Malley and Vanessa Bayer.

* 'She's The He' - from the USA, this comedy is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Siobhan McCarthy.

* 'Space Cadet' - from Canada this family animated film is Directed by Kid Koala.

* 'The Travel Companion' - from the USA, this comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Co-Directed by Travis Wood and Alex Mallis, and starring Tristan Turner, Anthony Oberbeck and Naomi Asa.

* 'Vanilla' - from Mexico, and this drama comedy film is Written and Directed by Mayra Hermosillo.

For the descriptors of the aforementioned films, plus the details of the other films strands being showcased, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.mkefilm.org

Turning the attention then back to this weeks four new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with a supernatural horror film in which a young girl wakens in a 3,000 year old sarcophagus having been missing for eight years, and while her parents joy at having their daughter back, this quickly turns into a living nightmare. Next up is an action offering in which an interim lawman in a small mid-western American town covering up a massive criminal conspiracy. This is followed by a British crime thriller where an unexploded WWII bomb is discovered on a busy construction site in the city of London, as chaos ensues when the military and police begin a mass evacuation. And closing out the week we have a French drama offering about the daily life of an indifferent Frenchman, who is shaken by the death of his mother and a fateful encounter on a beach in 1930's Algeria.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four 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.

'LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY' (Rated MA15+) - this American supernatural horror film is Written and Directed by Lee Cronin in only his third feature film making outing following 'The Hole in the Ground' in 2019 and 'Evil Dead Rise' in 2023. This film is a reimagining of 'The Mummy' series which began way back in 1932 with the Universal Studio's 'The Mummy' right up to the most recent iteration in 2017 with 'The Mummy' as part of Universal's planned and subsequently ditched Dark Universe series, when the film was panned by critics and was a Box Office failure. 

The young daughter, Katie Cannon (Natalie Grace), of a journalist Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor) disappears into the desert without a trace. Some eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare. Also starring Laia Costa as Charlie's wife Larissa and Veronica Falcon as Larissa's mother Carmen. The film is released Stateside this week too. 

'NORMAL' (Rated CTC) - is an American action film that is Directed by Ben Wheatley whose prior feature film making efforts take in his debut in 2009 with 'Down Terrace' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'A Field in England' in 2013, 'High Rise' in 2015, 'Free Fire' in 2016, 'Happy New Year, Colin Burstead' in 2018, 'Rebecca' in 2020 and 'Meg 2 : The Trench' in 2023. Here, for Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk, who also Co-Wrote the story and is Co-Producer), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal, Minnesota, was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality's tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake. Also starring Henry Winkler and Lena Headey. The film Premiered in the Midnight Madness programme at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, and is released in the US this week also.

'FUZE' (Rated M) - this British crime thriller heist film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Mackenzie whose previous feature film Directorial output includes 'Young Adam' in 2003, 'Hallam Foe' in 2007, 'Perfect Sense' in 2011, 'Hell or High Water' in 2016, 'Outlaw King' in 2018 and 'Relay' in 2024. Here, set in modern day London, the film unfolds after an unexploded World War II bomb is unearthed at a busy construction site, forcing a massive citywide evacuation. Amid the escalating tension and chaos, a daring criminal operation is set in motion, one that uses the evacuation as cover for a meticulously planned heist. As authorities race against time to contain the crisis, alliances blur and moral boundaries are crossed. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Sam Worthington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Honor Swinton Byrne. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year at the Gala Presentations section, was released in the UK earlier this month, and has generated mixed or average critical reviews.

'THE STRANGER' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Written and Directed by Francois Ozon, whose prior prolific film output take in the likes of 'Water Drops on Burning Rocks' in 2000, '8 Women' in 2002, 'Swimming Pool' in 2003, 'Potiche' in 2010, 'In the House' in 2012, 'Frantz' in 2016, 'Everything Went Fine' in 2021, 'Peter von Kant' in 2022, and 'When Fall is Coming' in 2024. This film is based on the 1942 novel of the same bane by Albert Camus. Here, set in Algiers, in 1938, Meursault (Benjamin Voisin), a quiet and unassuming employee in his early thirties, attends his mother's funeral without shedding a tear. The next day, he begins a casual affair with Marie (Rebecca Marder), a work colleague. He quickly slips back into his usual routine. However, his daily life is soon about to be disrupted by his neighbour, Raymond Sintes (Pierre Lottin), who draws Meursault into his shady dealings. Until one blisteringly hot day, a tragic event occurs on a beach. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International film Festival in early September last year where it was in official competition for the Golden Lion, it then opened in France in late October and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$7M and garnered universal critical acclaim. 

With four 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-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 6th October 2022.

The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than three hundred films, documentaries and shorts from approximately fifty countries, this year runs from Wednesday 5th October through until Sunday 16th October and is now in its 66th year. 

The Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical' Directed by Matthew Warchus and starring Emma Thompson, Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough. The Closing Night Gala film is 'Glass Onion : A Knives Out Mystery' Directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jnr., Jessica Henwick and Dave Bautista. 

The BFI London Film Festival Awards are a celebration of the most exciting, innovative new films and cinematic storytelling. Creative, beautiful and often provocative, the nominees showcase an incredible range of talent from across the world.

The Official Competition comprises eight feature films, which briefly are :-

* 'Argentina, 1985' - from Argentina and Directed by Santiago Mitre and starring Ricardo Darin. This uncompromising political drama, thrillingly recreates one of Argentina’s most legendary trials, which sought to bring the country’s military dictatorship to justice.

* 'Brother' - from Canada and Directed by Clement Virgo and is a bold and breathtaking story of brotherly love, set over three separate time periods, in Toronto’s West Indian community.

* 'Corsage' - from Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and France and Directed by Marie Kreutzer and starring Vicky Krieps. Faced with a future of strict ceremonies and royal duties, Empress Elisabeth of Austria rebels against her public image and comes up with a plan to protect her legacy.

* 'The Damned Don't Cry' - from France, Belgium and Morocco and Directed by Fyzal Boulifa. Fatima-Zahra and her teenage son Selim move from place to place, forever trying to outrun the latest scandal she's caught up in. When Selim discovers the truth about their past, Fatima-Zahra vows to make a fresh start.

* 'Enys Men' - from the UK and Directed by Mark Jenkin and starring Mary Woodvine, Edward Rowe and Flo Crowe. Set in 1973 on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast, a wildlife volunteer's daily observations of a rare flower turn into a metaphysical journey that forces her to question what is real and what is nightmare.

* 'Godland' - from Denmark, Iceland, France and Sweden and Directed by Hlynur Palmason. In the late 19th century, a young Danish priest travels to a remote part of Iceland to build a church and photograph its people. But the deeper he goes into the unforgiving landscape, the more he strays from his purpose, his mission and morality.
* 'Nezouh' - from the UK, Syria and France and Directed by Soudade Kaadan. Even as bombs fall on Damascus, Mutaz refuses to flee to the uncertain life of a refugee. His wife, Hala, and daughter, Zeina, must make the choice whether to stay or leave.

* 'Saint Omer' - from France and Directed by Alice Diop. The film follows Rama, a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court to use her story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but things don't go as expected.

Other award strands include the First Feature Competition with The Sutherland Award recognising the most original and imaginative directorial debut. Here the eight films are '1976', 'Blue Jean', 'Jeong-sun', 'Joyland', 'Medusa Delux', 'Our Lady of the Chinese Shop', 'Robe of Gems' and 'Rodeo'. 

In the Documentary Competition, The Grierson Award recognises feature-length documentaries with integrity, originality and social or cultural significance. The eight films are 'All That Breathes', 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed', 'Casa Susanna', 'The Future Tense', 'Kanaval : A People's History of Haiti in Six Chapters', 'Lynch/Oz', 'Name Me Lawand' and 'What About China?'

In addition there is also the Short Film Competition, the Immersive Art and XR Competition and the Audience Awards for Best Feature Film and Best Short Film. 

For the full details of all the films being showcased at the years 66th BFI London Film Festival, plus a whole lot more besides, you can go to the official website at : https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp

This week, to tease you out to your local Odeon, we have three new movies kicking off with three friends, a doctor, a nurse, and a lawyer, who become the prime suspects in a murder in the 1930's. This is followed with a 1950's housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community who begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets. And closing out the week we have an Aussie offering about two men who meet on a plane and strike up a conversation that turns into friendship, and for one, worn down by a lifetime of crime and hard labour, this is his dream come true.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three 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.

'AMSTERDAM' (Rated MA15+) - this mystery comedy film is Written, Directed and Co-Produced by David O. Russell whose previous feature film making credits include 'Three Kings' in 1999, 'I Heart Huckabees' in 2004, 'The Fighter' in 2010, 'Silver Linings Playbook' in 2012, 'American Hustle' in 2013 and 'Joy' in 2015. This film saw its World Premier showcasing in New York City on 18th September and is released in the US and here in Australia from this week, having cost US$55M to produce.

Set in the 1930's, the film follows three friends - Burt Berensden (Christian Bale), Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie) and Harold Woodman (John David Washington) who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history. Also starring an ensemble cast that takes in Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Swift, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alessandro Nivola, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro.

'DON'T WORRY DARLING' (Rated M) - is an American psychological thriller film Directed, Co-Produced and starring Olivia Wilde in only her second Directorial outing following the highly acclaimed 'Booksmart' in 2019. This film saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September and was released in the US in late September, having generated mixed Reviews from Critics and costing in the region of US$30M to produce. Here then, Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Harry Styles) are a young, happy couple in the 1950's, living in the seemingly perfect company town of Victory, California, which has been created and paid for by the mysterious company for which Jack works. Curiosity about the nature of her husband's work on the secret 'Victory Project' begins to consume Alice. Cracks then begin to form in their utopian life as her investigation into the project raises tensions within the community. Also starring Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll and Olivia Wilde. 

'THE STRANGER' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian crime thriller film is Written and Directed by Thomas M. Wright in only his second feature film following 2018's 'Acute Misfortune'. The film saw its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May of this year before its cinema release here in Australia this week, and then streaming worldwide on Netflix from 19th October. After a friendship forms between two strangers who first meet on a plane, for Henry Teague (Sean Harris), worn down by a lifetime of physical labour and crime, this is a dream come true. His new friend Mark (Joel Edgerton) becomes his saviour and ally. However, neither is who they appear to be, each harbour secrets that threaten to ruin them, and in the background, one of the nation's largest police operations is closing in.

With three 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-