George Miller directs and co-writes (with Augusta Gore) this adaptation of a short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye. Tilda Swinton is Alithea Binnie a narratologist, she describes herself as a solitary creature, engrossed in her work. That work takes her to a conference in Istanbul where she is approached by a mysterious man who warns her of the stories of Istanbul. As she presents at her conference she sees visions of mystical figures in the audience. Pushing away the concerns of those around her she heads off to the market where she finds an intriguing bottle. Returning to her room, she attempts to clean the bottle but in doing so she releases its contents, a Djinn (Idris Elba). Now released he is in her debt and grants her three wishes, before doing so he shares with her his story of his attempts to be freed and return to the world of the Djinn.

The film itself is a bit disjointed and its messages are hard to pull out. There are stories of love, the impact of stories replaced by science, the risks of trying to dictate and control the future and the frustration with been unseen by those around you. But often those stories get lost as the film moves through its complex narrative.

There is also a charm and the stories are beautifully told and presented on screen as we move through the ages and the parts of the djinns life.

Tilda Swinton is watchable as Alithea and you’re never quite sure how much of the story is her own creation or a magical reality. Elba is equally enjoyable as the Djinn, his presence and delivery help you to buy in to this magical creature. However, what works less well is the relationship between them. You never believe there is some great love story developing.

The film is a little uneven, but there is a charm to the story telling and it is beautifully presented on screen. Elba and Swinton are both watchable, even if together it doesn’t quite gel. I did buy into its storytelling and enjoyed it but some will probably find it too disjointed to enjoy.

Director Baltasar Kormákur brings Jaime Primak Sullivan’s story to the screen in this man versus beast adventure. Idris Elba is Nate Samuels, on a trip to South Africa with his two young girls Mere (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries) to visit the birth home of their recently deceased mum. There they meet old family friend Martin (Sharlto Copley) who runs the game reserve and helps on the frontline against poachers. When they all head out on a tour of the reserve, they make a very disturbing find. It looks like a lion attack but not by any type of Lion Martin has ever seen before. But they all will soon meet him as their trip turns into a battle for survival.

It is clear when we meet Nate’s daughter who is dressed in a Jurassic Park t-shirt, what we are getting, it’s a humans against killing machine in a very paint by numbers survival story.

It ticks all of the tropes. We have broken relationships, Nate and his daughters. Loss with the girls and their mum and regret as Nate looks back at a failed marriage and missed chances with his daughters. You need all of that to get some recuse and redemption. But that, alongside a question about whether it’s right to deal with poachers in any way, are only brief distractions from its main reason for been, a lion led chase through the jungle.

Don’t misunderstand me, this is not terrible. Why? Because Kormákur knows exactly what he wants Beast to be and discards anything that may get in the way and that’s perfectly fine. In fact I admired that about it.

There are other good things too. The chase scenes are well done and the story brilliantly builds tension, even if it partly builds it with the endless stupid decisions the characters make. The CGI lions work as well, you know they are effects, but work well nonetheless.

Beast is very predictable and disposable, it’s Jaws with lions and jungles and less intellect. But it is fun and fires along at pace moving swiftly between set pieces without letting story get in the way. It’s not great, but it knows what it is and it commits to it and has fun on the way.

John Hamberg writes and directs this new Netflix “comedy”. Kevin Hart is Sonny a dedicated husband and father, who does the important job of bringing up the kids, and running the home to support his wife Maya’s (Regina Hall) successful career as an architect. Sonny is more than happy, however, when his best friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) gets in touch asking him to join him for his 44th birthday, he finds himself pressured by his wife to go do it and take some me time, so she can get some time with the kids. The thing is when he gets with Huck things get crazy and when he is convinced that one of Maya’s clients is making a move on her. He and Huck fight back, which does, unsurprisingly, not go to plan.

There is an idea that Netflix make films based on their algorithms. Well if that’s true and it creates Me Time, you need a new algorithm. The theory of it is fine. Hart, Wahlberg and Hall are all good comedic performers, so if you put them in a story structure that has worked before (many times before!) then it will work, right? Wrong, you get rubbish like this.

You know almost immediately where this is going and how badly it’s going to struggle getting there. Hart, Wahlberg and Regina Hall are all reprising roles from elsewhere and that’s the problem you’ve just seen it all before. But that’s okay surely it is at least funny, ah if only. There was maybe two laugh out loud moments and one of those is in the trailer.

The plot is non existent or if it exists, despite Hart’s best efforts, I lost interest in trying to figure it out after about 5 minutes.

Me Time is exactly the film you expect. Just the worst version of it. It’s derivative, dull and just not funny. All the main cast play exactly who you expect and have seen them do in other films. To be honest this is so dull, my advice is go watch any other Kevin Hart or Mark Wahlberg film instead, yes any!

Ron Howard directs Dan McPherson and William Nicholson’s dramatisation of the true life story of the rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a Thai cave. The boys and coach (Teeradon Supapunpinyo) head off to a local cave system as part of the birthday celebrations for one of the team. While in the caves unexpected heavy rains start to flood them. When parents become worried about the boys they head to the caves and realise that the flood waters have cut them off. The films tells the story of how, what starts as a local emergency response, becomes a global effort. With an incredible rescue plan, led by British rescue experts Rick Stanton (Vigo Mortensen), John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) and Australian doctor Harry Harris (Joel Edgerton).

The issue with well known stories like this, is how do you keep the audience engaged? Luckily Ron Howard has experience of doing just that and does a fantastic job of bringing this truly remarkable story to the screen.

The rescue itself took 14 days, so Howard has to be very lean within 147 minutes of storytelling. But he uses this to his advantage as he moves from one tense snippet to another gripping you from the very beginning through to the stories incredible climax.

While the script can be a little clunky, the star studded cast are almost invisible as they vanish into these incredibly brave and skilled rescuers. No big performances, just lots of wonderfully balanced ones, letting the calm heroics shine threw.

The cinematography strikingly recreates the horrific conditions that the boys and rescuers had to deal, dragging you through every tense, underwater challenge.

Even though I knew how the story played out, incredibly the film kept me hooked right until the end, just to be sure!

Ron Howard has form bringing incredibly dramatic real life tales to screen and does it again. Capturing every moment of the tension and fear of the boys and families and doing justice to the bravery and ingenuity needed to rescue them. Available on Amazon Prime, take a deep breath and dive in.

Jordan Peele writes, directs and produces his third feature film, this time adding a little sci-fi to his already trademark intelligent and original horror stories. Daniel Kaluuya is OJ son of a trainer of cinema horses. When he sees him killed in a freak incident he is left to run the business with his sister Em (Keke Palmer) and it soon is in trouble. However, the way out presents itself when an odd presence emerges over their land and with the help of Angel (Brandon Perea), who works in the local electronics store, they embark on a plan to capture footage of this unidentified aerial phenomenon. Footage that will make their fortune and it possibly may save some lives too!

I have to admit I’ve been a little mixed in Peele’s previous films, all with things to like and admire, but each feeling a little short for me. But Nope really worked, it’s a spectacular recreation of classic sci-fi horror and not just an homage, rather a very Peele take on the genre, with real depth, intelligence and humour.

The story is as layered as you’d expect, sci-fi monster horror, an exploration of the desperation for online fame alongside smart and subtle undertones. For example OJ realising that to stay safe he should never look the monster in the eye, a very evocative image.

Performances are outstanding Kaluuya in particular, a brooding, sullen and introverted character, who some how engages you completely, dragging you in to the story, one scene where he sits in his car avoiding the monster exemplifies this. Palmer’s energy and humour, as the showey polar opposite sibling is equally watchable. They are aided by a script, brilliantly paced to build tension, smart enough to keep you guessing, but well enough structured that you realise the clues were right in front of you. All this alongside stunning cinematography.

Nope is a fantastic sci-fi monster horror. Not an homage but a reworking, with a modern eye, depth and intelligence. It’s tense, smart and funny in the right places and is built around a fabulous Daniel Kaluuya performance. See it on the big screen, it’s worth it.

Directed by David Leitch is this adaptation of Kotaro Isaka’s book is Bullet Train. Brad Pitt is a grab and snatch man, codenamed Lady Bug, who is in Tokyo at the behest of his handler, Maria (Sandra Bullock). His latest mission is the grab of a brief case that is on a Bullet Train travelling to Kiyoto in the care of Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), who themselves are on their own job to return the case to the mysterious White Death (Michael Shannon). But as Ladybug discovers they are not the only people on the train doing a job, it’s full of people with their own missions either for money or revenge, including Prince (Joey King), The Hornet (Zazie Beetz) and Wolf (Bad Bunny) amongst others, all which leads to a less than comfortable journey!

There are things to like about Bullet Train. Enjoyable performances from Pitt , Henry and Taylor-Johnson particularly, but not exclusively. There are laughs and a Kill Bill feel (which is always a good thing) to the story telling and some entertaining action set pieces that have the visceral quality that Leitch used to good effect in Deadpool 2. It also comes with a toe tappingly entertaining soundtrack.

But there are also problems, it’s too long at 126 minutes and is not as smart and funny as it thinks it is to fill the running time. At times it’s slow and convoluted as it tries to weave an intricate plot which actually rather than intricate becomes bloated and at times tests your patience. At other times it becomes downright silly, sometimes the silliness works, sometimes not so much.

I should have liked Bullet Train more than I did. All the component parts are there and Brad Pitt delivers in the central role. But overall it felt a bit of a mess, was overly long and not as smart as it thought it was. A Train journey that went one stop too far.

Directed by Chris Williams is this old fashioned pirate adventure animation. The world still lives in fear of what lies beneath the sea in fear of sea beasts. Great monsters who, has the tales of history tell, would come on land and grab unsuspecting humans. However, that fear has gone thanks to the hunters. Who for generations have fearlessly gone to sea to kill the beasts for their King’s and Queens. The greatest of all the hunter ships is The Inevitable, under Captain Crow (Jared Harris) and his trusty crew, led by Joseph (Karl Urban) and Sarah (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). On their greatest hunt for the ultimate beast they head to uncharted waters. But when they discover a young stowaway, Maisie (Zaris Angel-Hator), onboard, their views of the world are changed for ever.

The first thing to say about The Sea Beast is how it looks. It is stunningly beautiful. The quality of the animation is often breathtaking, the scenery, the way the sea and sky are realised for example is a real feast for the eyes.

The story itself is enjoyable and works on a number of levels, there is the gorgeous realisation of the beasts and cute baby ones for the younger audience, fun and adventure for those a little older. For those wanting more depth it also challenges the way history, if not looked at critically, can dictate the future in unhealthy ways by those who created the version of history we follow.

The voice cast works fine and has fun with over the top old school pirate adventure dialogue. The story perhaps lacks some of the emotional depth that the very best animation even if its animation is as good as you’ll see.

Maybe the only pity for me, was I saw it on Netflix because this would be such a treat on a big screen.

The Sea Beast looks absolutely incredible and it’s full of fun and high quality animated adventure. There is a well layered story which has something for audiences from eldest to youngest. It’s available on Netflix, but would be a real feast for the eyes on the big screen.

Olivia Newman directs this screen adaptation of Delia Owen’s bestseller. Kya is a young girl who has spent her life in the North Carolina marshes. We first see her as a youngster (JoJo Regina) surrounded by her family, but an abusive father (Garret Dillahunt) tears the family apart, eventually leaving her abandoned. She is smart and resourceful and thanks to help from local store owners, more than survives. The older Kya (Daisy Edgar Jones) is befriended and falls for Tate (Taylor John Smith) who teaches her to read, write and develop an understanding of the biology around her. When Tate leaves she is pursued by Chase (Harris Dickinson). But when he is found dead Kya is charged and stands trial. Her lawyer (David Strathairn) must defend her from not only the accusation of murder but 20 years of rumour and hearsay about “The Marsh Girl”.

I’ve not read the novel so don’t have that reference but Where the Crawdads Sing is a disappointingly flat film.

The story is one we’ve seen before, the misunderstood outsider who a distrustful community find an opportunity to justify their treatment of them. There are some interesting undertones, abuse, abandonment, racism and misogyny which are all skipped over to focus on a rather laboured love story, which stops the more interesting film breaking free.

It is not terrible just bland, but it is lifted by an exceptional central performance from Daisy Edgar Jones. She is wonderfully believable as the strong, smart outsider, vulnerable but brave and fearless and very engaging. She is well supported, David Strathairn as good as always, JoJo Regina is also impressive as the young Kya. Smith and Dickinson are solid, although they are more limited by their paper thin characters.

Where the Crawdads Sing should be better. All the elements are there for an interesting story that explores some dark subjects. However, it plays it safe skirting around the tough topics to give us rather flat film. Daisy Edgar Jones is fabulous throughout, but deserved a better film around her.

Baz Luhrmann writes and directs what is, surprisingly, the first big screen biopic of the life of Elvis Presley. Austin Butler is given the task of bringing Elvis to the screen as we see his life told through the eyes of his long time manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). We meet Parker first as a showmen with a traveling carnival and his discovery of a young Presley. It then explores Parker’s influence on Presley’s life and career. Elvis’s career peaks and troughs and how decisions were made by those whose livelihoods depended on his continued performances rather for his own benefit. Through to his untimely death at 42.

The story is told through something similar to a 160 minute montage connected by Parker’s recollections. Luhrmann excels at telling stories in this way and what seems all shiny surface is consistently injected with heart and emotion.

Telling the story through Parker’s eyes helps the montage style flow as we flit between the moments that he felt were key in Elvis’s life. Hank’s likeable screen presence is also important as it helps making Parker, who could easily be a comic book villain, be someone more nuanced. Someone who is believable in his claims he did things for Elvis’s good rather than his own.

Alongside Hank’s is an excellent performance from Butler who while not looking like Presley, brings his presence to the screen and draws you into this crazy world. From cleverly teased first appearance, through the sad journey to his inevitable end.

Alongside Hank’s and Butler are good performances from those close to Presley Olivia DeJonge (Priscilla Presley), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (B.B King) and Richard Roxburgh and Helen Thomson as his parents.

Luhrmann’s telling of this story seems like it’s all surface but what it did for me was introduce me to things I didn’t know, his career lows, how the times he lived in impacted him and how he was sadly used by those closest. Built on a great performance by Butler it is an intriguing delve into the life of “The King”.