Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: XBox Series X Review

Developed by Machine Games
Released by Bethesda
Platform: XBox Series X

The XBox family doesn't really have as many story-led games as it perhaps should - but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle upends that tradition brilliantly and demands that there be plenty of others.

Set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Last Crusade, The Great Circle gets off to a fantastic start allowing you to relive one of cinema's greatest sequences as Harrison Ford's Jones escapes a giant boulder and betrayal while searching for treasure in the jungle.

But it's from here where the game forges its own path, taking in the Vatican City, a conspiracy and much, much more that would be ruining the experience without spoilers. Suffice to say, the kind of globe-trotting, swash buckling adventure you'd get from the films is what you experience here.

While MachineGames have developed the Wolfenstein series and some of its footprints are scattered throughout this game, the company's swerved away from simply replacing its MO with a do-over and taken what works best about the Indiana Jones character and ran with it.

Chiefly the mix of tomb raiding, fighting, whip-cracking and adventure all gel together to make a game that's as enjoyable to play as it is to watch. From first person scale to get a sense of the regions to well-realised jungle areas, this is as immersive a game as it feels and as you'd hope.

With a series of levels that embrace the best of Indiana Jones' world and make it feel well-realised too, the game proves to be the surprise of the year - but a welcome one at that, and one that will for years to come be heralded as what strong games should be.

Sing Sing: Movie Review

Cast: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San Jose
Director: Greg Kwedar

Sing Sing could have been the kind of movie that is all too common within the prison genre.

A film about a group of society's wronged and wrongful men who come together to work in a theatre group within the facility and emerge as better people.

But director Greg Kwedar takes the basics of said trope and turns it into something that's relatable and highly watchable thanks to a compelling central performance from Colman Domingo and by using a raft of men who went through the actual Sing Sing programme in America.

Yet what emerges from the story is a portrait of those caught within a system yet enlivened by some of the opportunities it provides.

Domingo plays Divine G, one of the many actual people who went through the programme - and who wants to play Hamlet in the next show the group puts on - one which mixes time travel, comedy and the great Bard's story as well.

But G also faces the rigours of prison life - parole board hearings for his release, tensions with the other men etc. However, Kwedar gives over large portions of the film to scenes of the gang rehearsing, a loose and tangible dynamic between the troupe showcased.

As a result, the film feels alive in a different way, one that's more an appreciation of the arts and the lives involved. But it's nothing really without Domingo's performance, one which showcases so much with so little. Fundamentally he's a decent person, riddled with his own worries (his fear when he's about to be replaced by another shows much of the character's vulnerability) - but Domingo demonstrates that he is really one of Hollywood's power players, one who deserves a greater spotlight to shine.

Peppered with backstage shots showing nerves and tensions before a show is another familiar scene, but in Kwedar's hands, it becomes something that feels more alive and crackling with more energy than cliche.

Sing Sing is the kind of film that rewards your heart, while thanks to its real-life acting troupe showing that humanity will always thrive in the darkest of places.

What's on DocPlay in January

Here's everything that's streaming on DocPlay in January.

Enjoy a bumper DocPlay summer: rock out with Blur and Pulp, celebrate the cinematic genius of Powell and Pressburger, and embark on grand oceanic adventures.

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger

9 Jan • Exclusive

Hear Martin Scorsese wax lyrical about how the mesmerising films of two of Britain’s finest inspired his own adventures in cinema. 

Shackleton  •  13 Jan

The true story of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance. This epic new documentary streams in magnificent 4K.

Ice Maiden  •  13 Jan  •   Exclusive

Ice Maiden charts the uncompromising determination of Australian Lisa Blair, who became the first woman in history to sail solo around Antarctica. 

Prisoner X  •  16 Jan  •  Exclusive  •  Series

In 2010, a man was found dead in his cell at one of Israel's maximum security prisons. Held in solitary confinement under 24/7 surveillance, the guards didn’t know his name or his crime. They knew him only as 'Prisoner X'. The prisoner’s identity remained a mystery for more than two years, until an investigation revealed the man to be Australian citizen and Mossad agent, Ben Zygier. Digging into the personal and political fallout from his suicide, Prisoner X reveals faults, failures, and systematic silencing by Israel's notorious intelligence agency.

Mister Organ  •  20 Jan

Journalist and filmmaker David Farrier (Tickled) becomes fascinated by the late-night antics of a rogue wheel clamper in New Zealand. 

Blur: to the End  •  23 Jan  •  Exclusive

This all-access documentary captures the emotional return of BLUR, highlighting their new album and sold-out Wembley Stadium shows, showcasing the band’s enduring influence. Blur: Live at Wembley also streams on DocPlay.

Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets  •  23 Jan

Kiwi director Florian Habicht charts the journey of Britpop band Pulp to their 2012 Sheffield farewell concert. Celebrate 10 years of this irresistible and irrepressible music documentary. 

Maurice and I  •  30 Jan  •  Exclusive

A box office hit across New Zealand cinemas, Maurice and I is a powerful and enthralling exploration of partnership, loss and the enduring importance of architecture in shaping and enriching our lives.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Gaia Wise, Brian Cox, Luke Pasqualino, Miranda Otto
Director: Kenji Kamiyama

Set 183 years before The Lord of The Rings, the latest take on JRR Tolkien's work is an anime that's relatively big on spectacle, but low on emotional stakes despite the level of death taking place.

It's the story of Gaia Wise's Hera, a would-be Shieldmaiden of Rohan and the daughter of King Helm Hammerhand (voiced with Cox's towering belligerence) who finds herself caught in a battle of wills when a former friend Wulf turns against them.

After Wulf's father Freca is killed by a single strike from Hammerhand, he swears vengeance on their kingdom and threatens to tear them down systematically, plunging the region into the recesses of war and darker days.

Adapted from an appendix in the Lord of the Rings, the team of Phillippa Boyens and Peter Jackson do their best to turn a single page into a great film but what emerges from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a distinct feeling of the very familiar and the very unimaginative too.

It's fine as a portrait of the damage done by toxic males, and offers a strong lead in Hera, but the lack of any real emotion on the characters' faces makes it difficult to engage with at any deeper level. It's hardly helped by the fact the film really doesn't offer the franchise anything new in terms of what it brings to the table, other than an origin story for Helm's Deep.

Tbere are however moments that work - Wise's work as Hera makes her feel like a heroine rather than a superhero stuck in the body of a normal person. Her inspiring approach to problem-solving and taking charge in a traditionally male-led environment does what it should.

Originally envisioned as a 90 minute film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's bloat becomes apparent as it barrels towards its 2hr 10 minute run time. There's not enough to extend the story and it would have been a grander scale piece if perhaps its intimacy had been focused on and its scope cut back and edited.

As Miranda Otto's Eowyn says early on in the film, Hera's tale will not be mentioned in any future songs or ballads, and based on this, that's truly a shame - but in truth, it's possibly time to put the Tolkien world to rest for now, until someone can revolutionise the stories or bring them into the 21st century and beyond.

Kraven the Hunter: Movie Review

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott
Director: J C Chandor

Frustrating given its promise and cast, Kraven the Hunter squanders its premise thanks to a mix of tantalizing ends which were never going anywhere and mysteries that don't demand resolution but tease endless possibilities.

Following a mauling in Ghana from a lion (poorly executed by sub-par CGI) and saved by a few drops of a mysterious elixir administered by a young girl called Calypso, Sergei Kravinoff (Taylor-Johsnon) emerges from being dead for 3 minutes with new powers.

Years later Sergei and his brother live under the yoke of their tyrannical growling (and occasionally comatose) gangland father Nikolai (Russell Crowe). Pushed to the limit after his father's actions, Sergei breaks free and becomes a vigilante, hunting people he believes deserve punishing.

Both overlong and somehow undercooked, Kraven feels like a rote expansion of a universe unremarkably contracting in on itself.

While Taylor-Johnson has some charisma throughout, it's dulled by dialogue that's beyond awful and action that feels increasingly unrealistic and poorly executed. Even worse, with a paper-thin plot, what is a essentially a hunt film collapses under dull direction and thuddingly awful pacing that makes its two hour run time feel ridiculously overlong and padded.

Worse still, it feels lots of this was fiddled with after production, with parts of dialogue added in and editing issues clearly visible in some of the action sequences.

What's most annoying about Kraven The Hunter is what could have been. DeBose, Nivola and Abbott all make their characters seem plausible enough in parts, but the script and limp execution lets everyone down.

Ultimately, Kraven the Hunter brings down the curtain on Sony Cinematic Universe - but in a weak way. It's sadly symptomatic of the kind of apathy most of the films have been made with.

Juror No 2: Movie Review

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, Leslie Bibb, JK Simmons
Director: Clint Eastwood

Juror No2 sets out its formulaic store early on in its narrative, with Nicholas Hoult's Justin being told by his wife, played by Zoey Deutch, that he's perfect.

Within 30 minutes of that claim, it's clear he's not.

Sequestered to a jury despite his protestations that his wife's due to give birth in days, Justin finds he's sitting on the case of a man accused of killing his girlfriend after a barroom fallout. 

But seeing the location of the death and the body, Justin realises he was at the bar the night in question and hit something leaving the site - something he thought was a deer, but clearly wasn't....

Juror No2 could have had tension rippled throughout, an obvious courtroom thriller that would have had edges like John Grisham's raft of pulpy thrillers from back in the 90s where Matthew McConaughey drawled his way through. But instead, Eastwood plods through the story, giving it a kind of cosiness that settles more for slow-burn revelations than page-turning histrionics.

It largely pays off though, with a subtle story revealing the layers of the onion rather than a chapter-ending clanger being dropped on screen.

Hoult's impressive in the thriller that's more about how the justice system fails many, imbuing his Justin with the moral quandary that's necessary to bear but struggling with the weight of his own past, his fallacies to live up to his wife's expectations and his survival instinct in the face of doing the right thing.

Collette makes for a great prosecutor as well, a study in underplaying sheer determinance to mark a career for her District Attorney who comes to question her own path toward the justice.

With its ambiguous ending, Juror No2 is designed to spark debate - and perhaps given Eastwood's workmanlike eye behind the camera - from focusing on American flags and Lady Liberty to watching videos of how to be a juror in the American justice system - maybe there's a hint that subtlety was the key here rather than overt acting.

As a result, Juror No2 feels like it lacks a bit of dramatic oomph and opts for one or two misfires (step forward, JK Simmons) - but it's still a solid -if unspectacular - watch from Eastwood in the dying days of his career.

Juror No 2 is streaming now on Neon NZ

Doctor Who: Joy to the World: Review

An emotionally led story with ties to writer Steven Moffat's scripts of yesteryear and a vicious attack on a 2020 event, Doctor Who's latest Christmas special, Joy to the World is yet another reminder of the brilliance of its lead actor Ncuti Gatwa.

Having left behind companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) after the cataclysmic events of Empire of Death, the Doctor arrives a mysterious Time Hotel. It's there he meets a lonely Joy (Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton, Derry Girls), who's checking into a non-descript hotel room for personal reasons.

But soon the two of them are thrown together on an adventure involving a briefcase, dinosaurs and all of time.

Joy To The World is a return to the kind of festive fare witnessed first in Russell T Davies' The Christmas Invasion, where the threat is largely secondary to the more emotional core and a bit of Christmas cheesiness.

Beginning with a seemingly nonsenical trip around the globe, it takes but seconds to remember why Gatwa's the perfect guide as the two-hearted alien; he is still such a relevation, an amiable and warm presence, making the insane seem normal and pushing the desire to have you come along as a companion.

While Joy To The World largely feels like a series of mini-encounters thrown together for a larger story narrative, there's a lot of cohesiveness to the seasonal message of having friends and being surrounded by people you love (something that allows a scathingly overt rebuke from Moffat at the end to really sting).

A longer diversion provides plenty of fodder for Who fiction fans (and potentially Big Finish audio) as well as reminding of elements of Matt Smith tales The Lodger / Power of Three, but in each section Gatwa's Doctor has warmth with his mini companions - from Joel Fry's hotel worker through to Steph De Whalley's Anita. There's a lot of heart in these interactions.

And while Nicola Coughlan's Joy is not your traditional companion in the truest sense of being in every single scene, she absolutely nails every moment on screen. Shifting the gamut from breaking your heart to a self-aware feistiness swathed in sadness, she's a great foil to bring the Doctor back to life again. (And it would take a fool to not be able to see where Moffat's sentiment lies in this episode, and how it's wrapped up in a big cheesy Christmas glow).

Gatwa's first season may have had some ups and downs and been too short a time to spend with companion and host, but this Christmas special feels like the show's on a new footing once again and this lovely warm-hearted episode is exactly what the fractured world currently needs - without going too overboard on the saccharine.

Doctor Who: Joy To The World streams globally on Disney+ from December 26.

What's on Shudder in January

Here's everything that's streaming on Shudder in January.

Dark Match – Shudder Original Film

New Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ Friday 31 January

A small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying but too good to be true gig in a backwoods town only to learn, too late, that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader… and their event is now a pay-per-view fight to the death. Starring WWE superstar Chris Jericho, Sara Canning (Influencer, The Vampire Diaries), Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead, Snowpiercer) and Michael Ecklund (Antlers).

Horror’s Greatest – Shudder Original Series

New Episodes Premiere Every Tuesday Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ 

A deep dive into everything we love about horror -- from fresh looks at classics to unearthing scores of hidden gems, this series has something for every fright film enthusiast. A gallery of ghoulish pros, including actors, directors, writers, composers, and special effects artists, draw on their unique knowledge to answer the big questions: What are the must-see films in horror’s many sub-genres? What’s the appeal of horror tropes, and how do today’s filmmakers subvert our expectations? What shape does horror take in countries outside of the United States? The answers encompass the breath of the nightmares we watch for our entertainment. 

NEW ADDITIONS TO SHUDDER’S FILM LIBRARY

January 1

Mind Body Spirit

An aspiring yoga influencer embarks on a ritual practice left behind by her estranged grandmother. 

Invoking Yell

Set in 1990s, the story of three twenty-something women who venture into the woods to shoot a demo tape for their black metal band.

January 10

Hundreds of Beavers

In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.

January 20

Creep (2004)

Trapped in a London subway station, a woman who’s being pursued by a potential attacker heads into the unknown labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city’s streets. 

The Raid: Redemption

A S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.

Dear Kids (aka Strange Behavior)

A scientist is experimenting with teenagers and turning them into murderers. 

The Primevals

When a group of explorers go in search of a yeti, they find themselves taken captive by an ancient race of alien creatures. 

January 24

Lovely, Dark and Deep

Lennon, a new back-country ranger, travels alone through the dangerous wilderness, hoping to uncover the origins of a tragedy that has haunted her since she was a child.

January 27

The Stuff

A delicious, mysterious goo that oozes from the earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation, but the tasty treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers who only want to consume more of the strange substance at any cost begin infesting the world.

Patrick

A young nurse who’s just started working at a public clinic begins to suspect that a comatose young man may possess the powers of psychokinesis. 

Turkey Shoot

In a dystopian future where deviants are held in “re-education” camps, a freedom fighter and an innocent prisoner try to survive their decadent oppressors’ game of kill-or-be-killed.

New Life

A mysterious woman on the run, and the resourceful fixer assigned to bring her in. Their two unique stories inextricably link as the stakes of the pursuit rise to apocalyptic proportions.

What's on Neon in January

Here's everything that's streaming on Neon in January.

The Pitt (January 10, 4pm)

The Pitt is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh.

Stars: Noah Wyle, John Wells, Erin Jontow, Simran Baidwan, Michael Hissrich

Night Court Season 3 (January 17)

Unapologetic optimist Judge Abby Stone follows in her late father’s footsteps as she  presides over the night shift of a Manhattan courtroom and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics. A reboot of the beloved 80s sitcom.

Stars: Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory), John Larroquette

Harley Quinn Season 5 (January 17, 4pm)

Harley Quinn has finally broken things off with the Joker and sets out to become Gotham City’s greatest villain with help from Poison Ivy and a ragtag crew of DC castoffs, in this adult animated action-comedy series.

Stars: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, Tony Hale, Diedrich Bader, Matt Oberg

Movies

A Quiet Place: Day One (January 14)

When bloodthirsty alien creatures with super hearing attack New York City, Sam finds herself trying to survive in a dangerous new world where you must move in complete silence.

Stars: Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther), Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II), Djimon Hounsou

Back To Black (January 24)

The extraordinary life and music of Amy Winehouse. Inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores the many layers of the iconic artist, and the tumultuous relationship at the centre of one of the most legendary albums of all time.

Stars: Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville, Sam Buchanan, Harley Bird

Asphalt City (January 2)

A young paramedic is assigned to the night shift with an uncompromising and seasoned partner. As they work across a city in crisis, they are forced to make tough choices that can mean the difference between life and death.

Stars: Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Mike Tyson

The Clean Up Crew (January 11)

A crime scene clean up crew discovers a briefcase full of money. Now, they must go into battle with all those who want it back.

Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Antonio Banderas

French Girl (January 8)

Hopeless romantic Gordon is about to propose but his plans are thrown into chaos when his girlfriend is swept away to Quebec by a job offer from her ex – a sophisticated celebrity chef.

Stars: Zach Braff, Evelyne Brochu, Vanessa Hudgens

Freediver (January 16)

In this breathtaking documentary, freediving champion Alexey Molchanov sets out on a daring mission to break five world records. With each dive – and each breath – he risks blackouts and death, testing the limits of human endurance and survival in one of the world’s deadliest sports.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Movie Review

Cast: Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, Jim Carry, Lee Majdoub, James Marsden, Kristen Ritter,Tika Sumpter
Director: Jeff Fowler

The latest Sonic movie is at times akin to an overstuffed family gathering.

From the trio of Team Sonic (Knuckles, Tails, and the blue Blur himself) to two Dr Robotniks (played with meta touches by Carrey) and the inclusion of Keanu Reeves' troubled hedgehog nemesis Shadow, there's a lot going on.

Add in the human elements of James Marsden and Tika Sumpter as Sonic's defacto human family, the return of agency GUN and the brilliant Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, Robotnik's long-suffering lackey, and it's no wonder the beginning third of the film feels like an overload of hyperactive exposition and high speed chicanery.

But when this tale settles down into its planned execution, the amalgamation of Shadow's past contrasted with Sonic's upbringing and the simple message of "Make good choices", the film's more impressive thanks to the chance to breathe and take it all in.

In truth, Schwartz's Sonic borders on the irritating this time around, a series of continual quips undone by a seconds later obvious gag / punchline depriving much of the movie of oxygen. Elba's deadpan hilarity as Knuckles' literal translation of situations playing out never loses its comedy timing and Reeves imbues Shadow, the hedgehog from the wrong side of town, with a sense of both tragedy and emotion throughout.

Carrey's back to nonsensical form and the script peppers his arc with quips catering to his manic edge with ease - some of the best laughs come from his gurning and insanity, in moves that feel distinctly reminiscent of Ace Ventura. It's a welcome return to form for the more maniacal comic who made his name early in the 90s.

Yet the true star of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is actually the visual FX team, who've ensured every single frame of the obvious green-screenery unfolding feels naturalistic and as real as a practical set.

It's no mean feat as much of the script relies on the Team Sonic's trio speeding through scenery, or being up above earth. Every single second of every little FX feels vital, tangible and utterly incredible to behold.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 may be as fleeting a film as any on offer this holiday season and offer some vicarious pleasures, it won't be judged as a timeless classic of its genre even though it's fun and more cohesive than the rest - but what is timeless within it is the tireless work of those bringing the world to life and ensuring it doesn't look dated in years to come.

Mufasa: The Lion King: Movie Review

Cast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Mads Mikkelsen
Director: Barry Jenkins

Disney continues its push to remove the magic of its iconic characters by filling in backstory where there was no need in their latest release.

If you ever wondered how Mufasa became king, how Scar got his scar, how Raffiki found his stick or - believe it or not - how the rock was born where Mufasa roared over his kingdom, well you're in luck with Mufasa: The Lion King.

Whether or not you consider that luck largely depends on how keen you are to dive back into the live-animated world of Simba et al.

Forced to babysit cub Kiara while Nala and Simba disappear, Timon and Pumbaa are regaled by Raffiki's tale of how Mufasa and Scar, then known as Taka, came to be friends and frenemies 

Separated from his family by a flood, Mufasa (Pierre) finds himself lost until he's taken in by Taka (Harrison Jr). But Taka's father King Obasi (Lennie James) refuses to acknowledge the stray, causing a rift and dilemma in his son.

However, the pride faces a larger threat - a roaming pride of outside lions determined to rule everything in the land led by Mikkelsen's angry white lion, who's after revenge as well after the death of his own son at Mufasa's hands.

There is no doubting Mufasa: The Lion King's technical prowess.

From in your face POV shots of the lions as they're running to a seamless feeling you're watching a nature doco,the film feels vibrant and alive,rich in wildlife and deep in details. But a desire to keep cutting back to cave antics and in-jokes during the homeward bound riffing story does the flow no real justice and makes the whole thing feel episodic at best.

And the narrative is stymied by the fact both its protagonists and their band of followers must survive meaning dramatically the film is limp, lacking any frisson of danger despite a series of bloodless confrontations.

It's not helped by songs thrown in that are largely forgettable from Lin-Manuel Miranda, a constant reminder of the brilliance of Sir Tim Rice's ear for a good hook and timeless lyrics from the original animated film.

At 2 hours, the film also pushes patience as far as it's willing to go - there's only so far technical prowess can impress.  And while the lion's share of the joy of this is in its visuals, it's a lack of epic emotional edge that leaves you feeling this doesn't quite have the pride of place in Disney's catalogue as maybe it deserves. 

Still maybe that's the nature of the beast.

What's streaming on Disney+ in January

Here's everything streaming on Disney+ in January.

28 January

Paradise - Star Original Series Premiere

"Paradise" is set in a serene community inhabited by some of the world's most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.

10 January

Goosebumps: The Vanishing - Disney+ Premiere

“Goosebumps: The Vanishing” begins with fraternal twins Devin and Cece adjusting to life with their recently divorced dad, Anthony. When the duo discovers a threat stirring, they quickly realize that dark secrets are among them, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, Devin, Cece and their friends — Alex, CJ and Frankie — find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.

1 January

Alien: Romulus - Disney+ Premiere

This truly terrifying sci-fi horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its iconic roots. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young colonizers come face-to-face with the most relentless and deadly life form in the universe. Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu, “Alien: Romulus” is directed by horror master Fede Alvarez from a screenplay by Alvarez and frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Ridley Scott — who directed the original “Alien” and the series entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant” — produces with Michael Pruss and Walter Hill. Warning: Some flashing-lights scenes in this film may affect photosensitive viewers.

15 January

A Real Bug's Life: Season 2 Disney+ Original Series Premiere

Tiny heroes, huge drama! A REAL BUG’S LIFE is back for a thrilling second season that’s bigger and bolder than ever. Inspired by the World of Disney and Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life,” the Disney+ Original series from National Geographic takes us on another extraordinary adventure into the micro-bug world — where the forces of nature play out on a completely different scale and miniature creatures rely on amazing superpowers to make it through each day. Now, thanks to new cutting-edge filming technology, we are able to follow the incredible stories of the tiny heroes living in this hidden world, from the fast-legged tiger beetle escaping the heat of Malaysia’s beaches to the magical metamorphosis of a damselfly on a British pond to the Smoky Mountain luna moth whose quest is to grow wings, find love and pass on his genes all in one short night! Join our fun and witty guide, Awkwafina, on new bug journeys full of more mind-blowing behaviours and larger-than-life characters. This family-friendly series continues to show that A REAL BUG’S LIFE can be every bit as fantastical as any Pixar film!

22 January

Abbott Elementary: Season 4 Star Original Series Premiere

A workplace comedy following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal —as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

22 January

Tracker: Season 2 Star Original Series Premiere

Justin Hartley returns in TRACKER as Colter Shaw, a trusted lone-wolf survivalist who, driven by the troubles of his past, uses his instincts to find the missing and collect rewards. Supported by lawyer Reenie Green (Fiona Rene), his business handler Velma Bruin (Abby McEnany) and tech expert Bobby Exley (Eric Graise), Colter will stop at nothing to get the job done.

23 January

High Potential Star Original Series Premiere

Written by Drew Goddard (“The Good Place,” “The Martian”) and starring Kaitlin Olson, “High Potential” follows a single mum with an exceptional mind, whose unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual and unstoppable partnership with a by-the-book seasoned detective (Daniel Sunjata). Based on the popular French series “Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI),” “High Potential” stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan, Daniel Sunjata as Karadec, Javicia Leslie as Daphne, Deniz Akdeniz as Lev “Oz” Ozdil, Amirah J as Ava, Matthew Lamb as Elliot and Judy Reyes as Selena.

Also in January…

1 January

Star Original

Bob's Burgers: Season 15

Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae

5 January

Star Original International

Medalist

 

8 January

Series

Broken Karoake: Season 2

 

9 January

Star Original International

Ishura: Season 2

 

15 January

Series 

Macross Plus

Macross Zero

The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again

Movies

Macross Plus Movie Edition

The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012

17 January

Star Original

Roy Wood Jr.: Lonely Flowers

22 January

Star Original International

Whiskey on the Rocks

 

24 January

Star Original International

Shared Custody

29 January

Disney+ Original

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man

Series

The Great North: Season 4

New Episodes

Skeleton Crew New episode weekly on Wednesdays, finale 15 January

Bob's Burgers: Season 14 3 x new episodes 1 January

Return to Las Sabinas 5 x new episodes weekly every Monday- Friday

Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends: Season 3 1 x new episode 22 January

Morphle and the Magic Pets 10 x new episodes 22 January

Morphle 11 x new episodes 29 January

Stray: Nintendo Switch Review

Stray was always going to be a tricky game to port across to a smaller device. 

This once PlayStation exclusive excelled in its visual aesthetics and its detailed worlds that shone with the power of a console behind it.

So it was inevitable that Annapurna interactive would stumble into issues with this by porting it to a smaller device that lacks as much power as a next-gen machine.

But while largely the graphics falter a little, none of the original core gameplay suffers as a result of the move across - and the core gameplay still impresses.

For those unfamiliar with developer BlueTwelve Studio's game, you play a stray cat who falls into a walled city populated by robots, machines and bacteria - and who tries to return to the surface with the help of B-12, a drone companion.

It's a third person game that sees you playing as a cat, meowing as a cat, and generally feline fine doing so.

But where Stray works is in its lifelike motions and moves of the animal, leaping lithely from platforms, slinking across roofs, and climbing up obstacles. Puzzles litter the way, and the world offers some interesting edges to explore.

At its heart, it may be a cat simulator (you can claw things, knock things off walls, and scratch at floors) but it does it well. The puzzles are lighter fare aimed at guiding you to solutions rather than vexing you forever, meaning frustration is kept at bay throughout.

Even on a smaller scale, the heartfelt emotion hits as well as it always has. Stray will find a way into your heart and with its curious mix of dystopian story-telling and animal antics, it remains a potent game to experience.

Carry-On: Movie Review

Cast: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman. Sofia Carson, Theo Rossi, Dean Norris
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

It's very easy to write off Carry-On as another Christmas-tinged movie and dismiss it as a Die Hard-light film of a would-be terrorist and his victim, but French director Jaume Collet-Serra's cat-and-mouse game set inside an airport on Christmas eve is quite the tense watch.

Egerton's charming as Ethan Kopek, an airport security worker who's forced into a wake-up call after discovering he's about to become a father. Accused of sleepwalking on his ambitions by his girlfriend, Kopek decides on Christmas Eve to ask his boss for a chance to prove himself - just moments after showing up late to his daily briefing.

Against the odds, TSA Agent Kopek finds himself on the scanning machines - just as Bateman's menacing antagonist shows up in his ear, demanding Kopek scan through a bag and not alert anyone - if he wants his loved ones to live.

Carry-On has strong moments of suspense, mixed with a few moments of general absurdity as the dilemmas play out. 

But largely eschewing the desire to go hyper-silly and keeping this grounded (ironically for a story in an airport) works best for this blockbuster thriller that's perfectly suited for Saturday night entertainment.

Bateman's sardonic quips and deadpan delivery move him more into the dramatic edges than most roles have previously suggested - and it works well because of it. There are elements of early seasons of 24 (and one dilemma involving a boss distinctly so) that solidify Collet-Serra's intention to make this as white knuckle a ride as he can manage.

Yet it's in the one-two dynamic between an understated Egerton and a laconic Bateman that Carry-On works so well - it's a film that knows exactly what it wants to do and largely achieves it thanks to a taut amount of action and likeable performances.

What's on Netflix in January

Here's what's streaming on Netflix in January.

BACK IN ACTION

Premieres on January 17, 2025 

Years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Matt and Emily (Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz) find themselves dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown.

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, McKenna Roberts, Rylan Jackson, Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close

Country of Origin: United States

XO, Kitty: Season 2

Premieres on January 16, 2025 

Kitty returns to Seoul ready for a fresh start, but her plan for a drama-free semester fizzles fast amid new faces, messy crushes and family secrets.

Starring: Anna Cathcart, Minyeong Choi, Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Anthony Keyvan, Peter Thurnwald, Regan Aliyah

Country of Origin: United States

Missing You

Premieres on January 1, 2025 

When Detective Kat Donovan matches on a dating app with the fiancé who disappeared years before, she learns that some secrets are best left in the past.

Starring: Rosalind Eleazar, Ashley Walters, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, Sir Lenny Henry

Country of Origin: Great Britain

Cunk On Life

Premieres on January 2, 2025 

Deadpan documentarian Philomena Cunk confounds philosophers and academics in her quest to understand the meaning of life in this feature-length special.

Starring: Diane Morgan

Country of Origin: Great Britain

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Premieres on January 3, 2025 

Top dog Gromit springs into action to save his master when Wallace's high-tech invention goes rogue and he's framed for a series of suspicious crimes.

Starring: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh

Country of Origin: Great Britain

Gabriel Iglesias: Legend of Fluffy

Premieres on January 7, 2025 

In his 27th year in comedy, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias reminisces on the perils of life: from dating, to home break-ins, to turbulent plane rides, Gabriel is just here to save the world from eternal seriousness.

Starring: Gabriel Iglesias

Country of Origin: United States

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action

Premieres on January 7, 2025 

This jaw-dropping documentary goes behind the scenes of America's most controversial talk show to expose its biggest scandals, both on- and off-camera.

Country of Origin: United States

WWE Raw: 2025

Premieres on January 7, 2025 

WWE's groundbreaking, Superstar-studded in-ring series delivers live action, drama and unmatched athleticism every Monday night.

Country of Origin: United States

WWE Smackdown: 2025

Premieres on January 11, 2025 

WWE's top Superstars settle scores and spark rivalries in weekly in-ring competition featuring action-packed matches from the blue brand.

Country of Origin: United States

Single's Inferno: Season 4

Premieres on January 14, 2025 

A new batch of singles enter Inferno for a chance at love. With romance, competition and heartbreak on the line, who will succeed in finding the one?

Starring: Hong Jin-kyung, Lee Da-hee, Kyuhyun, Hanhae, Kim Jin-young

Country of Origin: South Korea

The Recruit: Season 2

Premieres on January 30, 2025 

A new graymail case sends Owen to Seoul, where a spy threatens to leak U.S. secrets unless the CIA assists him on a dangerous personal mission.

Starring: Noah Centineo, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Aarti Mann, Colton Dunn, Fivel Stewart, Kristian Bruun

Country of Origin: United States

Fly Me To The Moon: Apple TV+ Movie Review

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash
Director: Greg Berlanti

The idea of a screwball comedy set around the Apollo 11 lunar landing is, in theory, not a bad one by half.

But Fly Me to The Moon's desire to keep things aloft seems more earthbound than in the stars, thanks largely to a story that feels paper thin and a male lead who isn't quite the right fit for proceedings.

Johansson is Kelly Jones, an advertising executive who is fast and loose with the truth and even faster and looser with her client pitches. When word of her talent of being able to spin things reaches the government, she's contacted by Harrelson's fedora-wearing Moe Berkus, she's asked to help NASA win the publicity war for hearts and minds for the space race.

Heading down to Florida, Kelly begins a flirtation with Tatum's Cole Davis at a diner, but when the pair realise they will be working together, walls go up as they battle to ensure a future for NASA. However, Berkus decides the US must be successful in the Apollo 11 mission, and proposes the filming of a fake moon landing...

Fly Me To The Moon had potential to soar, but despite Johansson's deft touch and the script's occasional flourishes, most of what emerges here feels like a mismatch of casting and a lack of anything that really commits to the central premise.

Chiefly Tatum feels miscast, and attempts at humour from Davis' relatively straight role fall disastrously flat - and even the chemistry between the pair feels slight rather than stellar. Johansson emerges as the film's MVP, giving her Kelly the kind of sparkle and antithesis of a Mad Men cameo that's needed throughout - chiefly due to continued script lapses for her character and a tonal zigzagging required by the story.

More successful is the somewhat cliched film director embodied by Community's Jim Rash who scores most of the movie's zingers - and last minute forays into screwball territory feel slight as a black cat invades the set of the fake moon landing.

The biggest problem with Fly Me To The Moon is that it just doesn't seem to be able to commit to one tone or another; meshing sincerity with romance, light comedy with absurdism doesn't serve it well.

What's on Prime Video in January

Here's everything that's streaming on Prime Video in January.

Christmas has come early as blockbuster film Red One lands on  Prime Video. Join the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) as they form an unlikely pair in a mission to save Christmas.

What’s better than one wedding? Two weddings! Especially if they’re on the same day, same time, and same venue. Comedy icons Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell join forces for the first time in You’re Cordially Invited. The duo chaotically go head-to-head as they stop at nothing to uphold an unforgettable celebration for their loved ones.

Don’t miss Unstoppable, the inspiring true story of Anthony Robles  (Jharrel Jerome) who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit and unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams. Featuring an all-star ensemble cast including Jennifer Lopez, Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña and Don Cheadle. 

Following the emotional and physical fallout of a devastating tsunami, the survivors of the Kinloch Bravo face new threats in The Rig Season Two. Police drama, On Call, follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, California. Camille, Tye, Quinn and Angie are back in Harlem Season Three, more stylish and ambitious than ever before.

As summer continues, there are some massive titles launching in February we can give you a sneak peek of,  including the action-packed third season of Reacher. Reacher is thrust into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. Invincible returns for a third season as 17-year-old Mark Grayson is forced to face his past, and his future, while also discovering how much further he'll need to go to protect the people he loves, while a British remake of the Spanish Original Movie, Culpa Mia, My Fault: London brings the tumultuous love story of Noah and Nick into a whole new world.

RED ONE

AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY DECEMBER 12

2024’s must-see comedy event of the holiday season,  Red One, lands on Prime Video just in time for Christmas.

The electrifying action comedy Red One takes audiences on a whirlwind trip into a hidden world of mythology and magic.  Action superstars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans lead a star-studded cast on an unforgettable action-packed adventure into this mythological world, liberally seasoned with holiday laughs.

For the first time in history, the unthinkable has happened: Santa’s (J.K. Simmons) legendary North Pole outpost has been breached and the man himself has been kidnapped. Callum Drift (Johnson), Commander of the E.L.F. and head of security for “Red One” (Santa’s code name), springs into action along with Jack O’Malley (Evans), the world’s best tracker and the man responsible for unwittingly revealing Santa’s secret location. As the mismatched duo crisscrosses the globe to bring Santa home in time for his legendary annual run, they will have to confront the most treacherous of Yuletide dangers, from Christmas villains Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) and Grýla (Kiernan Shipka) to a trio of sinister snowmen. 

Directed by Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) and written by producer Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious franchise) from an original story by producer Hiram Garcia (Black Adam), Red One reinvents the Christmas story with an epic, cross-cultural thrill ride through a magical world.

Red One stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, and Kiernan Shipka.

YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED

AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 30 JANUARY

When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with preserving their family’s special moment while making the most of the unanticipated tight quarters. In a hilarious battle of determination and grit, the father of the bride (Will Ferrell) and sister of the other bride (Reese Witherspoon) chaotically go head-to-head as they stop at nothing to uphold an unforgettable celebration for their loved ones.

You’re Cordially Invited stars Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Ramona Young, Jack McBrayer and Celia Weston.

UNSTOPPABLE

AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 16 JANUARY

Unstoppable is the inspiring true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit and unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams. With the unwavering love and support of his devoted mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and the encouragement of his coaches, Anthony fights through adversity to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. But it will demand everything he has, physically and mentally, to achieve his ultimate quest to become an NCAA Champion.

Unstoppable stars Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Anthony Robles with Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez.

THE RIG

SEASON 2 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 2 JANUARY

Helicopters have taken the surviving crew of the Kinloch Bravo to a new secret offshore facility called the Stac, nestled deep in the extraordinary and deadly landscapes of the Arctic Circle. Here, the trapped crew must deal with the emotional and physical fallout of the devastating tsunami that destroyed the Bravo, and contend with swirling conspiracies, corporate conflicts, and new threats from the dark depths of the world’s ocean. The second series will continue exploring global themes -  weaving together the past, present, and future of the planet while taking the viewer to spectacular environments and drawing on the frontiers of cutting edge ocean technology - including the controversial world of deep sea mining. David Macpherson has created a new story that delivers epic thrills and gripping action for a compelling cast of characters, both returning and new. 

The Rig Season Two stars Iain Glen, Martin Compston, Emily Hampshire, Rochenda Sandall, Owen Teale, Mark Addy, Molly Vevers, Abraham Popoola, Nikhil Parmar, Stuart McQuarrie, Ross Anderson, Phil McKee, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Johannes Roaldsen Fürst, Alice Krige. 

ON CALL

SEASON 1 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 9 JANUARY

On Call is an adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, California. Shot with a mixture of hand-held cameras, bodycam and dash-cam footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.

The series stars Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars) as hard-charging but protective veteran officer “Traci Harmon,” who struggles to find her place in the department while training the next generation of officers. Brandon Larracuente (The Good Doctor) stars as “Alex Diaz,” an ambitious rookie who grapples with holding onto his optimistic outlook as he realizes the challenges he’ll face in today’s climate.

On Call stars Troian Bellisario, Brandon Larracuente, Lori Loughlin, Rich Ting, Eriq La Salle.

HARLEM

SEASON 3 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 23  JANUARY

After a shocking Season Two finale cliffhanger that left audiences on the edge of their seats, Harlem Season Three will follow the core four women on the precipice of change like never before. Whether it be motherhood, singlehood, sisterhood, complicated career journeys, or even more complicated families, our stylish and ambitious best girlfriends strive to finally choose themselves above all else.

ELEVATION

AVAILABLE FROM TUESDAY 28 JANUARY

Set in the post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.

Elevation stars Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson. 

MOLLY-MAE: BEHIND IT ALL 

AVAILABLE FROM FRIDAY 17 JANUARY

A new, exclusive access docuseries following social media star Molly-Mae is coming to Prime Video, Molly-Mae: Behind It All will take viewers beyond the headlines to uncover the real Molly-Mae, following her journey after her highly publicised break-up. We’ll see Molly-Mae adapt to the challenges of motherhood, all while preparing to launch her biggest business venture to date: ‘Maebe’. In this intimate look, we uncover how these experiences have shaped her into the powerhouse entrepreneur she is today.

This is Molly-Mae as you’ve never seen her before – raw, real and redefining what it means to be successful under intense public scrutiny.

The first three episodes will launch on 17 January and the remaining three episodes will drop in Autumn 2025.

LONGLEGS

AVAILABLE FROM FRIDAY 10 JANUARY

In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.

Longlegs stars Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage,  Blair Underwood.

TAROT

AVAILABLE FROM WEDNESDAY 1 JANUARY

When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings – never use someone else's deck – they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death to escape the future foretold in their readings.

Tarot stars Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika, Jacob Batalon, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson.

THE GARFIELD MOVIE

AVAILABLE FROM WEDNESDAY 1 JANUARY

Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

The Garfield Movie stars Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Snoop Dogg.

LOOKING AHEAD TO FEBRUARY

REACHER 

SEASON 3 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Based on Lee Child’s novel Persuader, in the third season of this action-packed series, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There he finds a world of secrecy and violence—and confronts some unfinished business from his own past. The series stars Alan Ritchson in the titular role as “Jack Reacher” with Maria Sten reprising her role as “Frances Neagley.”

 

Reacher Season Three stars Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Anthony Michael Hall, Sonya Cassidy,  Brian Tee, Johnny Berchtold, Roberto Montesinos, Daniel David Stewart, and Olivier Ritchers.

MY FAULT: LONDON

AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY

Following the global success of Spanish Original Movie Culpa Mia (My Fault) comes My Fault: London - a British remake of this Original Movie based on the first book of Mercedes Ron’s bestselling Culpables trilogy (Culpa Mía, Culpa Tuya, Culpa Nuestra).

When Noah's mother, Ella, falls in love with the very wealthy William, the two move from America to London to live with William and his son Nick. Upon arrival, the 18-year-old Noah meets bad boy Nick, and there is an immediate attraction between the two. Noah spends the summer adjusting to her new life, making new friends from Nick’s various circles, and navigating a complicated relationship with him while they fight to keep the attraction at bay. But unbeknownst to Noah, her estranged father has been released from prison and starts tracking her every move. Noah will ultimately be forced to deal with her devastating past while falling in love for the first time.

My Fault: London stars Asha Banks, Matthew Broome, Eve Macklin, Ray Fearon, Enva Lewis, Jason Flemyng, Kerim Hassan, Sam Buchanan, Amelia Kenworthy, Harry Gilby.

INVINCIBLE

SEASON 3 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

Based on the award-winning comic book series by Robert Kirkman, co-creator Cory Walker, and contributing creator Ryan Ottley, Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson, as he inherits his father’s superpowers and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he could have ever imagined. Everything changes as Mark is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he'll need to go to protect the people he loves.

Invincible Season Three stars Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, and J.K. Simmons, Invincible’s voice cast also includes Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, Grey DeLisle, Zachary Quinto, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Clancy Brown, Jay Pharoah, Mark Hamill, and Melise Jow.

The first three episodes of Invincible Season Three will be available to stream February 6, with additional episodic drops every Thursday through March 13.

BEST OF PRIME VIDEO IN 2024

CATCH UP ON THESE FILMS AND SERIES FROM THIS YEAR:

GLOBAL ORIGINALS

FALLOUT

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON TWO

MR. & MRS. SMITH

ROAD HOUSE

THE IDEA OF YOU

THE BOYS SEASON FOUR

I AM: CELINE DION

CROSS

THE STICKY

EXPATS

CHALLENGERS

MY OLD ASS

RICKY STANICKY

AUSTRALIAN ORIGINALS

THE OFFICE

DANCE LIFE

THE TEST

FIVE BLIND DATES

JANUARY TOP PICKS

TAROT (MOVIE) 1/01/2024

THE GARFIELD MOVIE (MOVIE) 1/01/2024

UNSUNG HERO (MOVIE) 1/01/2024

JURASSIC PARK (MOVIE) 1/01/2025

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK (MOVIE)  01/01/25

JURASSIC PARK III (MOVIE) 01/01/25

JURASSIC WORLD (MOVIE) 1/01/2025

RAIN MAN (MOVIE) 1/01/2025

THE RIG S2 (SERIES) 2/01/2025

ON CALL S1 (SERIES) 9/01/2025

LONGLEGS (MOVIE) 10/1/2024

THE CREATOR (MOVIE) 10/01/25

UBEL BLATT S1(SERIES)  11/01/25

UNSTOPPABLE (MOVIE) 16/01/2025

THE CALENDAR KILLER (MOVIE) 16/01/2025

MOLLY-MAE: BEHIND IT ALL (SERIES) 17/01/2025

HARLEM S3 (SERIES) 23/01/25

ELEVATION (MOVIE) 28/01/25

AFTER (MOVIE) 28/01/25

AFTER WE COLLIDED (MOVIE) 30/01/25

YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED (MOVIE) 30/01/2025

Red One: Prime Video Movie Review

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, JK Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Nick Kroll
Director: Jake Kasdan

There's a kernel of a great idea and concept in Red One, a film about the kidnapping of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

It has potential for a perennial Christmas Odd Couple film, but what permeates much of a bloated runtime is a lot of dark and dour CGI that never quite hits the mark.

Johnson plays the wearied bodyguard Cal, the head of security for Red One (AKA Santa AKA JK Simmons). On the eve of his retirement because he can't see the good in people anymore, Cal finds himself paired off with the world's number one tracker and perennial naughty list inhabiter, The Wolf aka Jack O'Malley (Evans, in a flatly humorous role) as they try and save Christmas - while working out who is behind the snatching.

While having a lot of potential as a festive film, Kasdan drapes proceedings in so much visual darkness, dour tones and a lot of ropey CGI. The end result means what could have been a frothy odd couple dramedy, complete with two leads who usually radiate charisma, is little more than a snoozefest that squanders its high concept.

Johnson is dialled down gruffness - with an obvious arc of a cynic being once again turned into a believer - and Evans is a wearied disbeliever whose journey is also obviously signposted. But whereas the two could have had frothy chemistry, most moments between the pair (other than toward the end) feel flat and uninspired.

It's a shame because the world-building and the Christmas backstory sets up several intriguing propositions and potential for enough mythos to propel any further stories and ideas. Bringing in the Krampus story and the idea of the world being swamped in naughtiness are good solid ideas, but here in Kasdan's hands, they feel limp, unexplored and unnecessarily dour.

Sadly, this Christmas tale lacks any of the magic you'd expect of a film entrant this time of year - complete with any lacking stand-out sequences, it's incredibly flat and while not entirely without some charm and potential, Red One feels like it could have placed just a little bit more under the cinematic Christmas tree.

Dream Productions: Review

Pixar Animation Studios returns to the world of Joy, Anger, Fear and Sadness for this bridging series that's set between Inside Out and the phenomenally popular Inside Out 2.

With Riley about to become a teen (and we all know how that turned out), Dream Productions turns its lens squarely on what's going on in her mind, rather than the emotions. 

But more specifically, what happens when she's asleep.

When long-time dream director Paula Persimoon (Paula Pell) is told that Riley's core dreams of Rainbow Unicorn and glitter bombs just isn't cutting the mustard anymore as she ages, she faces a choice -adapt to the new ways of the world or simply keep on doing what she's always done... Meanwhile, Riley's juggling the dilemma of going to her school dance - and everything horrific that it entails.

Dream Productions is a meta commentary on Hollywood - and the cynical may also suggest a commentary on Disney itself who've focused solely on their own past, determined to repeat prior successes.

Split up over four episodes and into a "mini series" format that doesn't suit it (a film would have been more beneficial), the show's actually a cleverly executed construct that revels in Pixar's trademark animation and aesthetics.

With fleeting appearances from Joy et al, the film grounds itself squarely in the Inside Out universe, while simultaneously expanding on what made the films work so well =- but the clever whipsmart comments and jokes are more confined to the film industry than the universality of growing up and consequently, the appeal feels a little more limited.

That's not to say it's not laugh out loud funny in parts.

From Richard Ayoade's deadpan performance as the arty director who wants to move his vision into the nightime world of dreaming away from the daydreams that Riley enjoys (does that cloud look like a hockey puck being one of the more memorable titles) to Pell's stuck-in-her-ways director, there's much to enjoy in this zippy, pacy series from Mike Jones.

But the script occasionally veers into the extreme rather than the grounded, meaning some of Dream Productions feels like it's going for deliberately wacky and zany rather than something that naturally progresses that way.

Its final episode becomes a real swipe at the industry itself, with writers strikes, director visions and the recent Hollywood conflicts over contracts firmly in Jones' eyeline. And while it's well-translated into its story vision, one can't help but feel that there are some grievances being aired throughout the series that are hard to shake, indicating a Hollywood world still bitterly divided.

At its heart, Dream Productions works best when it settles for good solid sight gags or witty word play. It's less successful in its barbs, and while it's still enjoyable enough fare, this feature-length long series feels like it's more suited to an older audience rather than its potential tween core.

Dream Productions is streaming on Disney+ now.

What's on Prime Video in February

Here's everything that's streaming on Prime Video in February.

REACHER 

SEASON 3 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Based on Lee Child’s novel Persuader, in the third season of this action-packed series, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There he finds a world of secrecy and violence—and confronts some unfinished business from his own past. The series stars Alan Ritchson in the titular role as “Jack Reacher” with Maria Sten reprising her role as “Frances Neagley.”

 

Reacher Season Three stars Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Anthony Michael Hall, Sonya Cassidy,  Brian Tee, Johnny Berchtold, Roberto Montesinos, Daniel David Stewart, and Olivier Ritchers.

MY FAULT: LONDON

AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY

Following the global success of Spanish Original Movie Culpa Mia (My Fault) comes My Fault: London - a British remake of this Original Movie based on the first book of Mercedes Ron’s bestselling Culpables trilogy (Culpa Mía, Culpa Tuya, Culpa Nuestra).

When Noah's mother, Ella, falls in love with the very wealthy William, the two move from America to London to live with William and his son Nick. Upon arrival, the 18-year-old Noah meets bad boy Nick, and there is an immediate attraction between the two. Noah spends the summer adjusting to her new life, making new friends from Nick’s various circles, and navigating a complicated relationship with him while they fight to keep the attraction at bay. But unbeknownst to Noah, her estranged father has been released from prison and starts tracking her every move. Noah will ultimately be forced to deal with her devastating past while falling in love for the first time.

My Fault: London stars Asha Banks, Matthew Broome, Eve Macklin, Ray Fearon, Enva Lewis, Jason Flemyng, Kerim Hassan, Sam Buchanan, Amelia Kenworthy, Harry Gilby.

INVINCIBLE

SEASON 3 AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

Based on the award-winning comic book series by Robert Kirkman, co-creator Cory Walker, and contributing creator Ryan Ottley, Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson, as he inherits his father’s superpowers and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he could have ever imagined. Everything changes as Mark is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he'll need to go to protect the people he loves.

Invincible Season Three stars Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, and J.K. Simmons, Invincible’s voice cast also includes Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, Grey DeLisle, Zachary Quinto, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Clancy Brown, Jay Pharoah, Mark Hamill, and Melise Jow.

The first three episodes of Invincible Season Three will be available to stream February 6, with additional episodic drops every Thursday through March 13.

Nosferatu: Movie Review

Cast: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Simon McBurney
Director: Robert Eggers

Nosferatu seems like the dream nightmare project for VVitch director Robert Eggers, a man whose singular vision for medieval-set stories and their dark imagery is second to none.

This slow-burn homage on the very familiar tale of a vampire wheedling his way into peoples' lives and wreaking havoc in society is the very antithesis of a film to be seen in the light.

A remake of FW Murnau's 1922 silent classic, this German-soaked version heads to 1838 where Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen is haunted by visions of nightmare fuel. Three years later, she is just married to Nicholas Hoult's Thomas, a would-be businessman searching for that first big score to make his name and his fortune.

That comes n the shape of Bill Skarsgard's Count Orlok, who, in absentia, is looking for a new property to inhabit. So, against Ellen's wishes, Thomas heads to secure his signature, setting in motion a chain of fatal events.

There's plenty of portent and black-and-white drained imagery in Nosferatu, a film that's more about atmosphere than any kind of urgency. But that proves to be no bad thing and while occasional nods to Murnau's original appear (the shadowy tendrils being perhaps the most obvious), this is defiantly an Eggers' film.

Nobody does far Eastern peasantry like he does - and scenes where Thomas heads to Transylvania to begin his work reek of destitution and desperation. But equally, early sequences that suggest of Ellen's connection to Orlok are deeply unsettling, setting out the stall that the two are intertwined and this dance is theirs alone.

And Rose-Depp's performance as the trapped Ellen looking to charge of her life and her situation is nothing more than impressive - and the physicality she brings to the role is speelbinding.

Not everything fires in Nosferatu though.

Willem Dafoe's Professor Von Franz borders too closely on OTT hamminess as the Van Helsing-type character, prone to loud proclamations of both exposition and unintended hilarity. Simon McBurney's Herr Knock squanders early evil subservience for something more comical, a disappointing decision made where subtlety would have anchored this more readily in the terrifying.

Thankfully, Skarsgard's Orlok, complete with deep intonations, rattling and wheezing breaths as well as extremely considered vocal tics, is a fabulously upsetting villain, who has dalliances with tragedy. Eggers wisely holds back the major reveal of his emaciated frame until later in the film - and a final sequence that demonstrates his complete form is as repulsive as it is compelling.

In no rush to get to its final destination, Robert Eggers' Nosferatu becomes more about the aesthetic than the story.

But with an aesthetic that's as terrifying and as discomforting as this one is, it's well worth staking a claim to.