Director: Joseph Kosinski

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is an aging racer, who races for pleasure rather than money. When he runs into his old friend Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who is the owner of a struggling F1 team, he offers him the chance of a formula 1 seat. His aim, is to have Sonny help save the team and also help the team’s exciting talent Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) to fulfil his driving potential. Can Sonny bring his skill and experience to the team to galvanise it and give it a future?

For anyone who’s seen the trailer, or any underdog sports movie, will not be surprised by anything that F1 puts on screen in its 155 minute run time. It’s ridiculous, with a storyline that is a complete nonsense, with set pieces, that even with a basic knowledge of F1, leaves you shaking your head at the pure ridiculousness of it all. But, and here’s the big but, it’s a proper fun blast of a film, full of heart pumping, excellently filmed race car action.

In Pitt and Idris there is a likable pairing who bounce off each other well. Kerry Condon’s race engineer is fun. Javier Bardem, Kim Bodnia, Samson Kayo and Sarah Niles all also add good support.

There are no surprises in the story as it hits every beat. The “never been” who has one last shot. The team of losers on their last chance. The cocky youngster. They are all there and they all take exactly the journey you’d expect. If you guessed after 5 minutes how the next 150 minutes played out you’d nail it. Training montages and all!

While the story offers nothing new. The recreation of racing is impressive it feels truly authentic placing you right in the heart of cars travelling at nearly 200 mph, bumper to bumper. And it keeps you completely hooked.

F1 The Movie is nonsense, with a ridiculous plot, a storyline that stretches credibility beyond breaking point and is over 2 1/2 hours long. But it’s also a tonne of fun, with two likeable central characters and heart pumping recreation of F1 racing, that will keep you glued to the screen. not sure what F1 purists will think. But the rest of us will have a blast.

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: Alex Garland

28 years after the Rage virus ripped through Britain, the country remains quarantined. The non-infected live in settlements, defending themselves from the infected. In one such settlement it’s time for 12 year old Spike (Alfie Williams) to set out, with his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who also takes care of his sick wife Isla (Jodie Comer), to the mainland and witness the infected. Although the trip doesn’t go to plan, on their return, Spike finds some hope that someone on the mainland can help his sick mother. This sets Spike and Isla on a dangerous journey. A journey that will have them face danger, life and death.

28 Years Later, is a brilliant mix of tense thriller, horror and classic British folk horror, which  doesn’t miss a chance to poke at the modern world, be it Britain, with a population full of rage separated from its continental neighbours, to modern day beauty decisions.

While you get much of what you’d expect, with tense run-ins with the infected, including bigger and stronger alpha’s. But the heart of the film is the relationship between a mother and son. A young son, pushed into “manhood” and responsibility, who is prepared to risk everything to find help for his mother. And it is its heart that stops it from being just another “zombie” apocalypse film.

The performances are great, Alfie Williams is impressive as the young lead, Jodie Comer is on top form and Ralph Fiennes’s Doctor brings a thoughtful take on the world they now inhabit.

The film also introduces an interesting juxtaposition, when Spike meets Eric (Edvin Ryding) a NATO soldier stranded in Britain, who introduces Spike to the World outside of quarantine.

28 Years Later is a fantastic mix of thriller, British folk horror and touching story of a son and mother. It comes with plenty of tense battles for survival, blood and gore, but the mother and son relationship gives it its heart and it’s that which keeps you hooked and hopeful. Its also full of the quirks and humour that made its predecessor such a cult classic. Roll on its sequels.

Director: James Griffiths

Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden), once half of the folk music duo McGwyer Mortimer, is now a solo artist invited to Wallis Island by Charles Heath (Tim Key) to perform an intimate gig. What he isn’t aware of, is that super fan, Heath, has also invited McGywer’s former partner Nell (Carey Mulligan) to an impromptu reforming of the duo. Nell’s arrival is a shock and soon the trip becomes about trying to come to terms with the past, loss and moving on, not only for Nell and Hugh, but also for Charles who has his own reasons for wanting to see McGywer Mortimer perform one more time.

This is a big warm hug of a film. A study in loss, love and coming to terms with a future that was different from the one you’d imagined. It’s delivered in the most bitter sweet of comedies, full of laughs, that often quickly pivots into a thoughtful and melancholic moment.

What makes work, is its four perfectly judged performances. Basden as the self centered, self important “artist”. Carey Mulligan’s Nell, perhaps the most adjusted and lingers in the past less than the others. Sian Clifford as local shop owner, Amanda, who brings a charm in her relationship with Charles. But it is Tim Key who steals the show. He is the heart and warmth of the film. While Charles spends much of the time talking and talking, with a nervousness and silliness that you’d expect from a super fan with his heroes. But all of it is a cover for a hurt and sadness, and he hopes that memories from the past can make him come to terms with his sadness.

It’s a story that draws you in with its warmth, heart and humour. It balances its humour with a deepness of people dealing with loss and a want for what once was, while perhaps missing what could be.

The Ballad of Wallis Island is a bittersweet comedy. It’s a story about love, loss and a longing for what could have been. It’s well written and brilliantly performed by its ensemble cast. With Tim Key’s Charles the beating heart of the film. It’s full of warmth and heart and while there is sadness at its core, this is a big warm hug of a film

Director: Len Wiseman

Ballerina is the first cinematic extension of the “World of John Wick”. It centres around Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who, after a childhood trauma finds herself under the tutelage of the Ruska Roma and its director (Angelica Huston). Eve is training to be a Kikimora an angel of protection or revenge, depending on which side you are on. When an opportunity comes to avenge her childhood trauma, she takes it even though it is going to put her in conflict against, both a group who live by different rules to the Ruska Roma, and against the Roma’s themselves.

Extending the John Wick cannon has potential, a dark underworld, full of myth and legend. But Ballerina doesn’t really take advantage of any of that and instead serves up a rather average, predictable and occasionally dull revenge action flick.

It’s the story that really lets it down. It’s predictable and can’t help itself by signposting any potentially interesting twists nice and clearly. It also takes itself too seriously, what makes the Wick films work is their light touch, a sense of fun between the violence. This is much more stoney faced in its approach and feels heavy going. It also has a tendency to overdo its set pieces with many of them feeling too long, as it rolls from one gruelling fight-fest to another with little story or lightening of the tone.

On the plus side Ana de Armas is solid in the central role and delivers on the action front. We also see the late Lance Reddick, one last time. And the action sequences are the quality you’d expect from the World of Wick, with some, although not enough, creative ways of killing the bad guys.

Ballerina is a disappointing extension of the John Wick cannon. While Ana de Armas is solid enough, the film ignores all that is good about the Wick world. The plot is dull and predictable, signposting twists as clear as day. Action sequences are over cooked and the film lacks pace. It’s biggest fault is it’s oh so serious, and that lack of a lighter tone can make it feel a real slog. This may not stay long on The Continental’s movie channel!

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back and where we left him at the end of Dead Reckoning. He holds part of the key to defeating “The Entity” an AI that threatens to destroy all of humanity. The Entity’s human help, in the shape of Gabriel (Esai Morales), is there to stop him. Hunt’s mission, should he choose to accept it, is, as it was in Dead Reckoning, to find the Entity’s source code, poison it and destroy it. An adventure that will take him and his team across land, sea and air, in a high stakes battle for humanity’s future.

Where to start with this? It’s overly long, it has a nonsense story, a ridiculously unbelievable plot and most importantly it is a fanatically entertaining, wild rollercoaster of a film. It’s absolutely crazy and makes no sense and is brilliant for it.

This is not only how you make an action adventure, it is also the perfect example of how you should end a film franchise, it’s done at such a crazy scale, there is almost nowhere you could take it that wouldn’t feel a let down!

After it’s gentle start, this is a film that ramps up the tension and never stops, just when you think the film has taken you as far as it can, it ratchets up the stakes yet again.

It ticks all of the franchise boxes, self destructing tapes, face masks and all the crew are there with Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny as well as more recent additions includes Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and the excellent Tramell Tillman. 

Perhaps its most impressive feat is this as the 8th film and you could watch this having not seen the others and still have a blast.

The Final Reckoning, is likely the last of Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible run. What can you say, it’s overly long and the plot utterly ridiculous and makes no sense, but is brilliant for it, a fantastic rollercoaster of a film. It’s big and brash, full of breathtaking stunts and finds new ways to ratchet the tension. It’s a great example of how to end a film franchise, it goes huge and enjoys every minute of doing it. It’s not perfect but it’s close and a huge slice of cinema going fun.

Director: Marianne Elliott

The Salt Path tells the true story of Raynor “Ray” (Gillian Anderson) and Moth (Jason Isaacs) Winn. Ray and Moth have had their lives turned upside down by homelessness and a devastating health diagnosis. In an attempt to deal with it, they decide to set off on a walk along England’s Devon and Cornwall coast, a walk that gives them a purpose and inspires and challenges them in equal measure.

If you wondered what it would be like watching two people out for a walk for just under two hours, then The Salt Path answers that question. It’s a very gentle film, that delivers exactly what you’d expect. And that is probably both its strength and weakness. 

On the plus side, it is a redemption story, a couple shook to their core by both  financial and health related trauma. But as they take their long walk, they begin to overcome, see new options and see the positives in their life. But on the downside, the first half particularly, seems relentlessly grim and as much of an endless plod as the walk itself. It feels like a lot of toil, to not get particularly far, and where you do get to feels predictable and not very far from where you started.

On the plus side, Jason Isaacs is a fine character actor who is always watchable and is so here. Gillian Anderson is a little harder work, with an accent that does as much wandering as her character does, and a facial expression that doesn’t overly change regardless of the situation.

The film looks great and will encourage plenty of trips to Devon and Cornwall. And if you love a metaphor this is for you! But overall I’m not sure it does the Winn’s inspirational story justice.

The Salt Path is exactly what you’d expect if you are going to watch two people out for a walk for two hours. It feels like hard going to ultimately take you where you expect. Jason Isaacs is eminently watchable, and does keep you engaged. And it does look great and if you love a metaphor this will be your kind of film. But ultimately I’m not sure it does the true story the justice it deserves.

Director: Wes Anderson

Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) is a business man of questionable morals and regular plane crashes. After his latest scrape, he summons his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a trainee nun, and makes her the heir to his fortune. But there’s a catch, she must help him to complete his most ambitious, high risk, and likely to fail venture, his Phoenician Scheme. A scheme that is already in financial trouble, thanks to a secretive committee, whose exists to thwart Korda. The Korda’s accompanied by, Zsa-zsa’s tutor, Bjørn (Michael Cera), have a plan to meet with the investors and encourage them to plug the rather large gap in funds, using a bunch of schemes and cons to get there.

I have to admit, I do love the look and feel of a Wes Anderson film, and this was no exception. It ticks all the Anderson boxes. A starry cast, sumptuous colour, the fabulous symmetry of every shot and of course it’s story filled with quirky characters and fantastical story lines.

Its core characters. Del Toro, Cera and Mia Threapleton, carry the film with wonderful fun performances, but as always it’s the ensemble cast that help make it, Riz Ahmed, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeffery Wright and Richard Ayoade all are particularly memorable.

The film’s storyline is perfect Anderson material. A heist style plot requiring many bits to fit together, works wonderfully with the elegant scene building that is such a signature of Anderson’s films.

The story is not perfect and does meander a little too much and isn’t Anderson at his most sharp. But that didn’t matter overly, as I so enjoy the worlds his films create, which are fabulous places to spend time.

I do love a Wes Anderson film and the The Phoenician Scheme is very Wes! It looks as only his films do, with its starry ensemble and a quirky heist story that lends itself to Anderson’s style. If you like Anderson’s films, you’ll enjoy this. If you’re not familiar with them, it may be a quirk too far, or it may just be an in to Anderson’s wonderful world.

Director: Trey Edward Shults

In Hurry Up Tomorrow we find a fictionalised version of Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye. Here as a man who is a “mess”, depressed and angry at the ending of a relationship. He has stress induced vocal problems, and is almost dragged on stage to perform by his friend and manager, Lee (Barry Keoghan). Alongside this is another lost and angry soul in Anima (Jenna Ortega) who has issues of her own. But when the two are involved in a chance meeting, it leads to a night neither expects and one that will change them.

Passion projects can be very dangerous things. Sometimes great but sometimes, like Hurry Up Tomorrow, can be ill disciplined, pretentious, nonsense.

There are plenty of problems with Hurry Up Tomorrow, but at the core of it, is a film that is not as clever and deep as it thinks it is. Much of the film is shot like a fever dream, mainly as a self pitying The Weeknd, mopes around about a lost love, who makes it clear in the voice messages we hear, that he was very much the problem. All his sadness represented by close ups and hazy lights covering the screen, none of which really works. It’s not helped by his irritating manager, played by the usually wonderful Barry Keoghan, but this performance feels like a real misstep.

All that said, it is not without some moments. All of which centre around Jenna Ortega, as the mysterious Anima, the film only really works or has any cohesion when she is on screen. Her character has issues and a story that would make a much more interesting film. The films only real highlight comes when Anima uses The Weeknds music as part of a bizarre but entertaining torture. And to Tesfaye’s credit his own performance is pretty solid.

Hurry Up Tomorrow, is a film that is not as clever as it thinks it is. It may have a message to share but that’s mainly lost in this nonsense fever dream. Jenna Ortega tries her best to save it but can’t and Tesfaye is solid enough, although less said about Barry Keoghan’s performance the better. While I didn’t hate it, Hurry Up and End felt a more apt title.

Director Jake Schreier

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is disillusioned with her “cleaning up” job for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). When offered the chance to change, after one last mission, Yelena finds herself brought together with some unlikely allies including John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and the mysterious, Bob (Lewis Pullman) a seemingly innocent member of the public. But, when a dark presence threatens New York, the unlikely group, with some help from Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena’s father Alexei, the Red Guardian (David Harbour), team together to take it on and become unlikely heroes.

Thunderbolts* is another attempt to restart the Marvel machine. While it’s not perfect, it is a much more successful than some other recent ones.

It’s a film that does try to do something a little different, with a story that mixes a light touch, with a much darker story that explores loneliness and depression, and does it pretty successfully.

The balance is helped hugely by the excellent Florence Pugh, whose Yelena has been a recent Marvel high point. She manages to bring both real fun, balanced perfectly with the gravitas that the darker elements of the story need to ensure they are handled with sensitivity. Her pairing with Pullman’s Bob is the serious heart of the film, while it’s her fun back and forth with Harbour’s Alexei that is its light heart.

The action is fun, but it’s not an action filled adventure it is attempting to be a bit more than that. However that does mean at times it’s a little glacial in its pacing. But overall a more than solid effort.

Thunderbolts* is the latest rebooting of the Marvel machine and is a pretty decent attempt. Led by the imperious Florence Pugh, it tries to tell a more interesting story, with an exploration of depression and loneliness, balanced well with a light fun touch. While it does move a little slowly at times, there’s a solid story and a cast that comes together well, to give you plenty to enjoy.

Director: Peter Cattaneo

This film is inspired by Tom Michell’s novel, The Penguin Lessons, telling the story of his time spent as an English teacher at an exclusive school in Argentina. Set in 1976 Michell (Steve Coogan) joins the school at the start of a military coup. After a few days in Uruguay, he finds himself returning to the school with a new friend, a penguin. The penguin soon becomes a key part of school life, helping Michell to inspire his students, a confidant to other staff members and helps Michell breakdown barriers and make friends. But life changes when the military police begin taking people from the streets and when this strikes close to home, Michell and his penguin become an inspiration to make a difference.

This is a film that is set against Argentina’s military dictatorship and the 30,000 people who “disappeared” under their control. But if you are looking for a gritty tense exploration of the Argentinian junta, this is not that film, rather, this is a gentle tale that focuses on transformation and inspiration, rather than the terrifying reality of a military dictatorship.

Coogan plays a role you’ve seen him in before, the world weary, cynic who carries the weight of his own tragedy and does it with warmth and wit. He’s well supported, Björn Gustafsson as a fellow teacher, Jonathan Pryce as the school headmaster, Vivian El Jaber, as school cleaner and grandmother and of course the Penguin(s) who brings quite the personality to the role!

The Penguin Lessons, while set against the horrors of dictatorship and Argentina’s disappeared, tells a warm and inspirational story about hope and overcoming tragedy. Steve Coogan alongside his Penguin co-star both deliver plenty of heart and warmth to the story.  It’s no gritty look at the horrors of a military dictatorship, but it is a charming, inspirational story. Plus, it does have a Penguin!