For a film franchise to have been running for 30 years without ever producing a “bad” entry is nothing short of extraordinary. Six films in, Scream has cemented itself as one of the great slasher franchises, boasting fantastic casting, well-placed humour, and brilliant commentary on both the state of horror and the world at the time of each release.
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To say I was pleasantly surprised at this brand-new Netflix action film would be an understatement. I admit that perhaps my own film snobbery prevented me from going into it without preconceptions of typical action straight-to-streaming films.
If it wasn’t for a superb cast, including legends of Hollywood Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, I may have given this one a miss- thank goodness I didn’t because what followed was a thrilling mystery that kept me locked in throughout its run time.
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Making a film is often a journey of passion, discipline, and creativity. In this interview with director Wes Clark, we dive deep into the mind of the filmmaker behind How to Start a Cult in 5-Easy Steps, exploring the inspirations, challenges, and lessons learned along the way. From dark comedy to self-distribution, here’s an inside look at the story behind the story.
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Train Dreams, based on the Novella by Denis Johnson, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2025. Recently making its way to Netflix, I watched it to try to understand what all of the hype was about for this stunning picture.
The plot is simple, centering on the life of a hard-working Robert Granier- played by Joel Edgerton. Through the decades, we see Robert go through the highs and lows of a constantly changing United States during the 20th century. It is not the world that the film draws attention to though, but Robert’s personal struggles to find his way and meaning in life.
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After one of the boldest, most inventive marketing campaigns for an “independent” film in recent memory, does Marty Supreme, A24’s unhinged Ping-Pong picture live up to the hype?
Directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme follows the exploits of an American table-tennis prodigy in the 1950s, but don’t let that simple synopsis fool you… Marty Supreme is far from a conventional sports flick. Instead, Marty is no plucky underdog or inspirational hero; he’s a narcissistic, arrogant scumbag who’ll stop at nothing to achieve his aspirations. The film’s tagline, Dream Big, is fully embodied in its lead character, but his actions are far from inspirational.
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Based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid is a stylish psychological thriller packed with twists, turns, and some standout performances from a very talented cast. But does this campy thriller manage to hold the audience’s attention, or does it ultimately outstay its welcome?
Hoping for a fresh start after a troubled past, Millie (Sydney Sweeney) becomes a live-in maid for the wealthy Winchesters, played by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar, a couple who harbour more than a few sinister secrets.
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I’m shivering at the thought as I write this, but would you believe it’s been 16 years since James Cameron first brought Avatar to the big screen?
Initially lambasted upon release – and failing to take quite as much money as many expected during its opening weekend – the film went on to gross nearly $3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time.
Cameron always insisted Avatar was designed as a multi-film experience, unfolding over many years, though I don’t think any of us were prepared for just how literal he was being. The second film, The Way of Water, didn’t arrive until 2022 – a full 13 years later. Despite that, it now sits comfortably as the third highest-grossing film ever, beaten only by its predecessor and Avengers: Endgame.
Fast forward three more years and Cameron is back again. But has 16 years been kind to the series? Or is it finally running out of steam with Fire & Ash?
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Looking back, it’s easy to forget just how much pressure rested on Avatar. James Cameron was attempting to follow up Titanic, a film that had dominated cinema history since 1997. When Avatar finally arrived 12 years later, it wasn’t just another blockbuster – it was positioned as an event, one that aimed to redefine what cinema could look and feel like.
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As one of the world’s most popular musicals, it always felt inevitable that the film adaptation of Wicked would land well with fans – and, by extension, the box office. Even so, last year’s Wicked “defied gravity” – see what I did there, by soaring to nearly $760 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing movie musical of all time and the fifth highest-grossing film of 2024. That’s no mean feat for this genre.
A huge part of that success came from the show’s existing popularity, of course, but Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s electric chemistry, combined with Universal Pictures’ fantastic marketing campaign, certainly helped seal the deal.
What was less warmly received was the decision to split the musical into two films. Fans widely lamented the choice, arguing that the second half of the stage show – which follows Elphaba’s iconic Defying Gravity moment – simply isn’t as strong. So how does the follow-up, Wicked: For Good, shape up?
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‘The task is simple: walk or die.’
The Long Walk (2025), directed by Francis Lawrence, is the latest Stephen King book-to-film adaptation. While the premise of the film simply is ‘walk or die’, The Long Walk carries so much more allure and emotional magnitude than this simple tagline might suggest.
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