Rental Family: Disney+ Movie Review

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hara, Mari Yamamoto
Director: Hikari

Rental Family has potential - an idea inspired by a side of Japanese life barely seen on screen and a story that could have teetered on exceptional.

Unfortunately, it falls into the mawkish side of things, and led by a Brendan Fraser who just falls back on looking glum in parts when the story demands it.

Fraser plays lost American actor Philip Vanderploueg, who broke through with a toothpaste commercial seven years ago and failed to reach any further heights. When his agent calls the jobbing actor, offering him a role that requires a sad American and pays well, he finds himself thrust unexpectedly into a funeral.

Afterwards, offered more work because the agency needs "a token white guy", Philip signs up, unsure of what he can give to the job and soon finds a connection he'd been missing in Japan. However, when he's asked to be the absent father of a young girl, whose mother wants to get him into a prestigious school, he finds himself in the toughest role he's ever had.

As an idea, Rental Family makes great fist of the need for connection in a world that sometimes shuns it. From plenty of interstitial shots of a busy Japan, swarming with people to scenes of Philip in his lonely apartment watching the lives of others, there's plenty of moments which mark out his inability to be accepted into life there.

Yet Hikari's story becomes one that dwells on its sentiment and makes its improbability stand out because of its narrative weaknesses. It's obvious that Philip is ill-equipped to be part of this world and the naivete that turns things around later on almost feels like an unabashed white saviour story.

Fraser is fine in the role, but the character development does evolve past a walking sad emoji in parts and as such, it holds back the film from excelling where it should. A more subtle approach and a building on the idea that he'll never fit in or understand (as one character tells him at one point) would have made this a more compelling and less mawkish watch.

As it is, Rental Family is a disappointment - it has its heart in the right place, but its execution leaves too much to be desired. And what could have been truly unmissable simply ends up feeling a syrupy mess that sadly sticks in the throat.

Keeper: DVD Review

Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Rossi Sutherland
Director: Osgood Perkins

Trading on a distinct feeling of unease and claustrophobia, director Osgood Perkins' latest slice of unsettling cinema won't be to everyone's taste.

It's the story of  Liz and Malcolm (Maslany and Sutherland), a couple who head to a family cabin in the woods for a weekend away on their one-year anniversary.  Being a self-confessed city rat xxx is already concerned about what could happen, but gives in to the idea of a trip - even if she has been gifted a beige cardigan by her beau. 

However, when Malcolm's brother Darren (Birkett Turton) ingratiates himself into their weekend, Liz is thoroughly rattled, a feeling only exacerbated when Malcolm is called back to the city on a medical emergency.

Left in the cabin, Malcolm begins to feel she's being watched - and stalked.

Keeper works well as an atmospheric take on an uneasy relationship, but slightly unravels when its true nature unveils itself later on and the exposition-heavy reveals come tumbling out. It also slightly fails to say much about the coercive nature of relationships and how people react in them, other than some one liners here and there about Liz being a "side-piece".

To say it'll be divisive is an understatement and it's too spoiler-heavy to discuss here. But the buildup to the crescendo of creepiness is perfectly paced, stressful viewing that makes great use of an architectural marvel in the woods and an angular setting. (Certainly, the amount of time the camera obsessed on corners of the house almost rivals David Lynch's ceiling fan cutaways.)

However, the film's largely held together by Maslany's varying degrees of shocked reaction, a trait that begins to wear thin in the final stretch of the movie, and which isn't quite enough to be as engaging as it perhaps should be.

A sparse narrative pervades the movie, and it does feel like the limited cast isn't quite enough to engage in parts. 

But Perkins builds on the work he's done with Longlegs and The Monkey, proving that he's more a master of abstract atmosphere than anything else.

There's an oddness coursing through Keeper's veins and while that hint of horror won't be enough for everyone, the genuinely upsetting and unsettling moments are more than enough to push audiences into a zone of discomfort throughout and appreciation of a director with a singular vision and execution.

Deacon Blue: Live Review

It's not until halfway through their fourth song Fergus Sings The Blues that Deacon Blue's lead singer the raspy-throated Scot Ricky Ross deems the audience worthy of a greeting.

By then, they've already raced through two songs from their brand-new album The Great Western Road and whipped the crowd into a frenzy with an exultant rockabilly-fused uptempo Queen of The New Year, thanks to the incredibly tight playing of the band, and the whirling dervish on stage that is Lorraine McIntosh.

Leonie Moreland (Red Raven News)

But when Ricky speaks, he's full of reflective joy, musing on how it's their last evening in New Zealand and that they'll do "some things you may know and some things you don't," before promising to take us all on a journey. 

And what a welcome journey it is to go on.

Forty years in any business is a long time.

But in the music industry, the longevity of bands of the 80s stretches now so far into nostalgia viewing that it can be hard to separate the past from the present - especially if there's a new album in tow as well.

So it is with Scottish troubadors, Deacon Blue, whose mix of ballads and power anthems saw them breakthrough in the late 80s and early 90s. This latest tour, which ended at Auckland's Bruce Mason Theatre, was a celebration of both their new album Great Western Road, their eleventh such release, and hits, such as Chocolate Girl and Wages Day which formed the peak of their early career.

Over time, the group's lost none of its power of performance and at times, it's hard to forget that these solid middle of the road numbers (in many casual listeners' eyes) are still incredibly catchy, packed full of choruses, bluesy riffs and just effervescent joy.

And it's a credit to them that the newer songs sit alongside their older numbers as some of their strongest work. Turn Up Your Radio, with its deceptive chorus, feels as much a part of the band as Real Gone Kid does. That's an impressive feat for any band, let alone one that's been going nearly four decades. Yes, experience pays, but quality always shines through.

Leonie Moreland (Red Raven News)

Though a mostly older and mostly ex-pat audience on a windy Sunday night in Auckland wouldn't have you believing age was anything to hold anyone back. Even Ross noted he wouldn't have the energy to match the woman dancing effusively in the front row of what can generously be described as an amiable jostle pit of fans. One couple were even performing ballroom dancing off to the side during Loaded, their eyes locked on each other, rather than the six talents on stage. 

It's perhaps telling that the group who made their name back in 1987 with a song called Dignity brought so much dignity of their own to the Bruce Mason Centre. With an extremely tight set and a perfectly honed craft, the group ploughed through 21 songs and an encore in just under two hours - and even left time for extended riffs in them and plenty of crowd interaction moments while the band played second fiddle.

"Since we were here last, the world has changed so much," Ross wryly noted at one point, before launching an impassioned plea for compassion and promising salvation to the captured masses. There were plenty of moments of euphoria too. 

From Real Gone Kid's Woo-hoo chorus through to a goosebump-inducing galloping version of Your Town (arguably one of their best-ever songs), via Chocolate Girl and red rose patterns swirling on the backdrop behind them during When Will You (Make My Phone Ring), there was plenty to remind of their strengths and prowess.

If Ricky was the calm and collected one on stage, he was complemented by the constant tambourine-twirling of Lorraine, a May Day queen dancer caught up in the spirit of it all. Extremely tight playing from drummer Dougie Vipond, keyboard player Brian McAlpine, guitarist Gregor Philip and bassist Lewis Gordon helped build the band's sound and was flawless throughout.

Leonie Moreland (Red Raven News)

And while the audience participation came to the fore plenty of times, Ross also used the rapport to pay tribute to the band's co-founder James Prime and Scottish health minister Jeane Freeman in separate songs that gave him the chance for his decency to shine through.

Great Western Road may have a more reflective edge and there's an argument saying the band's back catalogue offers more crowd-pleasing storming in a barn dance kind of vibes, but Deacon Blue's power remains after nearly 40 years. Their ability to deliver an incredibly energetic look back has served them well here, but the fact their new music feels as fresh and as exciting as their When the World Knows Your Name and Raintown entrants is a testament to their power and prowess.

Long may their stars shine. Their energy and decency still remain intact - they've lost none of it when success rightly came knocking on their door. Here's to them returning again in a few years' time. They ended with a cover of Warren Zevon's Keep Me In Your Heart. 

Based on that performance, you can bet we will.

(And also a word of endorsement for support act Steffany Beck. The Kiwi blues country singer has a real presence in a short set of just six numbers, half of which were cover songs. 

With an Alannah Myles-tinted Country Strong and a down and dirty Wild One, she proved she's got more than enough mettle and stage presence to match the version of Dasha's Austin and Dolly Parton's Jolene and enough material to stand on her own two feet as she vaults the ladder of success.)

PGA Tour 2K25: Legend Edition: PS5 Review

Developed by 2K
Released by 2K Games
Platform: PS5 

Golf on the console has always been a fascinating experience.

This latest revamped proposition from PGA2K takes last year's game and updates it with extra content and a wealth of upcoming golfing goodness.

At its core, the base game remains one of the most playable golfing simulators out there, thanks to the effort that goes into thinking about how exactly you'll shoot your shot. From contact to adding spin, PGA 2K25 has always been about ensuring the virtual version is as close to the real thing as it could be.

With the TrueSwing and EvoSwing, the game offers a very impressive level of feedback and quality of shot. There's little room for error, but given that it feels rewarding when it all comes together, that's no bad thing - and the skill level jumps needed for you to move within the game and progress are always carefully crafted. 

But at the end of the day, when it comes down to it, what matters with PGA Tour 2K25 is how it feels when it plays. And this feels as close to the real thing as you can get - from player rivalries to career modes, there's much to sink your teeth into if you're planning to undergo a long gaming session. Equally, if you just want to kick back and carry out a round of 9 holes, the game can satiate that too.

At the end of the day, PGA Tour 2K25: Legend Edition represents a great golfing simulator. It's hard to see how 2K will improve on this in the future.

Additional features for the PGA Tour 2K25: Legend Edition: 

PGA TOUR 2K25 Legend Edition Year 2 features the contents of the previously available PGA TOUR 2K25 Legend Edition, along with Member’s Pass Year 2, offering access to Clubhouse Pass Premium Seasons 6-8 and Clubhouse Pass Gear Pack Year 2, plus the all-new Pro Accelerator Pack, which replaces the previously-available Starter Pack and includes items intended to boost a new MyPLAYER’s stats, allowing them to compete at a high level quickly, as well as a limited-edition PING Iron and PUMA Footwear. PGA TOUR 2K25 Pro Edition features the contents of the previously available PGA TOUR 2K25 Deluxe Edition, plus the Pro Accelerator Pack. The Pro Accelerator Pack is also available for individual purchase for players who already own PGA TOUR 2K25.

Coming to PGA TOUR 2K25 on January 21, 2026, with the release of Season 5, is the first of the three 2026 Major Championships: The 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, free to play for all players. Future Seasons will introduce the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Aronimink Golf Club was last seen in PGA TOUR 2K21, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club last appeared in The Golf Club, and Royal Birkdale Golf Club makes its franchise debut. All players will receive the 2026 Majors Championships courses for free via automatic updates as they are released throughout 2026.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade: Xbox Series X Review

Developed by Square Enix
Released by Bandai Namco
Platform: XBox Series X

Expanding on the 2020 Intermission remake, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade continues the trend of updating the original game with a sheen and polish that makes it compelling to play and pleasing on the eyes.

With a version that offers Graphics and Performance levels of visual flair, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade makes playing the game once again an enjoyable outing for those wanting to dive back into the world.

For those unfamiliar with the story, players follow Cloud Strife as he becomes a mercenary with the eco-terrorist group Avalanche, which is abusing the planet's life essence. The story begins with him on a mission to blowing up a reactor before segueing into a wider yarn about the consequences of the chain effects of his action. 

The story's less of a thing here, because it's all about the hack and slash elements of the game, which sees blocking, dodging and attacking combining in one continuously enjoyable melee of action. Given how polished the new version looks, this is enjoyable to dive back into once again - even if there has been a six-year wait for this exclusive to head onto other devices.

The game's fluid and immersive and with animation that's worth watching, this latest version of Final Fantasy, finally making its XBox debut, is a game that really if you're a fan of the genre, you can't afford to be without.

The Choral: Movie Review

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Mark Addy, Roger Allam, Alun Armstrong
Director: Nicholas Hytner

To say that the Choral is a genial film that feels anchored in yesteryear may feel like damning it with feint praise.

But in truth, the crowd-pleasing set-up-north tone of a mismatched group of people coming together to learn song The Dream of Gerontius for a performance is the kind of movie the older generation get less of in multiplexes these days.

With the backdrop of World War I taking the eligible men away from their lives working at the mill in the UK Northern town of Yorkshire, it aims to mine the same kind of humour and heart as The Full Monty did way back when.

When the town's choir master chooses to sign up for war, the local society finds themselves bereft of a leader. However, hope comes to them in the form of Ralph Fiennes' refined and sophisticated Dr Guthrie - but with one issue. Having lived in Germany and with a penchant for quoting the foreign artists, he's dismissed as being a German-lover, leading to friction within the choir and the Yorkshire society itself. 

It's pretty obvious where The Choral is going as a film. In its gentle edges and wartime humour, British whimsy and generally affable approach to the whole affair, it never really achieves a depth as perhaps it could. It's rarely helped by a large cast of characters that feel lightly sketched over and achieve only moments of stereotyped expectation.

Then again, it never quite sinks into the cliche you'd expect and thanks to Fiennes' presence and the solid performance of the other players, the film feels like a comforting effort. Some of the more subtle edges, including a homosexual subtext and longing, are nicely played out and generally solidly executed.

It's not that it never hits the right note, because in truth, there's been much worse fare from British cinema - doused in a reality throughout of life, love and tragedy, The Choral occasionally hits some highs, but never leaves you regretting having watched it.

Ride 6: PS5 Review

Developed by Milestone
Released by Milestone
Platform: PS5

There's just something about getting on a bike and speeding off into the distance.

It's always been something that's been hard to capture for the console generation, given a lot of the previous sims have concentrated on the technical elements, such as grip and tyre performance. 

And yet, with Milestone's release of Ride 6, the genre has an entrant that feels as close to the real thing as seems humanly possible.

Photorealism has always been the developer's aim with the game - and in its sixth iteration, the game does feel at times like it could have nowhere really to go, given the depth that has pervaded the previous release. So it's pleasing to note that Ride 6 really tries to widen the appeal to an audience by introducing new elements, while never sacrificing the depth it's become known for.

Chief among these is a revamp of the career mode and something that's somewhat cribbed from the Forza Horizon series, a festival featuring motorbikes. RideFest aims to involve bikers in an all-round event that builds on the love of bikes with the pure joy of just getting on one and racing off.

With 22 groups of rides to be unlocked in career and over 300 bikes on offer, you can't accuse Milestone of skipping on the details. Add in to that, the fact you can edit and craft your own gear, split-screen modes and you've pretty much got a world that's worth diving into.

But at the end of the day, all of that is simply theoretical. The practicality of the game remains in how it plays, and Ride 6 feels like a superlative experience.

From realistic authentic sounds to feeling like the game grips you as it hurtles around corners on bikes, this is a sim that delivers. It may take a little bit of practice for newcomers and learning when to use the accelerator, the brake and rear brake will require a bit of patience, but when it comes together, it really does pull it all off.

Arcade mode makes the game more accessible as well and it's here that Milestone acknowledges wider growth is the only way forward for this franchise. It's a savvy move, and given the game has more than enough scope for everyone to be involved, it's a Ride well worth taking.

Control: Resonant gameplay revealed

Remedy Entertainment shares new details on Control Resonant’s shapeshifting weapons, navigating gravity anomalies, and more.

 

Learn how you’ll navigate a Manhattan unpredictably reshaped by otherworldly forces and battle fearsome forces by using our own supernatural abilities, including a shapeshifting weapon. 

Beast of Reincarnation reveals gameplay

This one-person, one-dog action RPG launches on PS5 August 4. Set in sci-fi inspired far-future Japan against the backdrop of a devastated world, Beast of Reincarnation follows Emma, a blight-corrupted outcast and her four-legged companion Koo, a malefact whose kind is supposedly a danger to the world. 

You’ll need to switch between Emma’s real-time, sword-based combat and directing Koo through a command system similar to a turn-based RPG. 

4: Loop reveals gameplay

Following up from last December’s reveal, Bad Robot Games Chief Creative Officer Mike Booth joined us at State of Play to delve into the core gameplay loop, mechanics and more of the four-player co-op shooter 4: Loop. 

You can check out the full breakdown in the video

007: First Light debuts trailer

State of Play debuted a brand-new story trailer for 007 First Light, offering PlayStation 5 players a deeper look at IO Interactive’s original take on the origin of James Bond. 

The video offers a glimpse of Bond’s exploits in Iceland, which puts him on MI6’s radar as a potential recruit for its newly revived 00 programme. The programme will see Bond cross paths with its training instructor, former 00 agent John Greenway, with two needing to work together to take on 009, a former British operative now turned rogue and on the loose. 

PlayStation State of Play showcase

State of Play will return this Friday at 11am. 

Tune in live this Friday at 11am for 60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe. February’s State of Play will spotlight eye-catching third-party and indie games headed to PS5, along with the latest from teams at PlayStation Studios.

State of Play broadcasts live February 13 at 11am NZDT on YouTube and Twitch. 

Spider-Noir releases first trailer

Prime Video debuted the official teaser trailer and premiere date for its groundbreaking new series, Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage in his first leading television role, premiering worldwide on May 27, 2026. Produced by Sony Pictures Television exclusively for MGM+ and Prime Video, the hotly anticipated series will debut domestically on MGM+’s linear broadcast channel on May 25, then globally on Prime Video on May 27, in more than 240 countries and territories thereafter. For a special and unique viewing experience, Spider-Noir will be available to stream two ways, in “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color” for audiences to choose their own adventure to watch.

Spider-Noir is a live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir. Spider-Noir tells the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.

Full cast includes Academy Award®-winning actor Nicolas Cage (Adaptation, Pig), Emmy Award®-winning actor Lamorne Morris (Fargo, New Girl)), Li Jun Li (Sinners, Babylon), Karen Rodriguez (The Hunting Wives, Acapulco), Abraham Popoola (Atlas, Slow Horses), with SAG Award®-winning actor Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, Day of The Fight), and Emmy Award®-winning and Academy Award®-nominated actor Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin, Harry Potter). Guest star cast includes Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Caldwell, Amy Aquino, Andrew Robinson, and Kai Caster.

 

Spider-Noir is produced by Sony Pictures Television exclusively for MGM+ and Prime Video. Emmy Award®-winning director Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) directed, and executive produced the first two episodes. Oren Uziel (The Lost City, 22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel’s The Punisher, Shantaram) serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Uziel and Lightfoot developed the series with the Academy Award®-winning team behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal. Lord and Miller executive produce for their shingle Lord Miller along with Aditya Sood and Dan Shear. Amy Pascal also serves as an executive producer via Pascal Pictures. Cage and Pavlina Hatoupis also serve as executive producers.

Fackham Hall: Movie Review

Cast: Thomasin MacKenzie, Damian Lewis, Hayley Mills, Katherine Waterstone, Tom Felton
Director: Jim O'Hanlon

When it comes to spoofing the likes of Downton Abbey, in many ways, it’s a very easy target.

The clipped speeches, the upstairs-downstairs shenanigans and the posh socialites of Julian Fellowes’ hit series is rife for parody, even if the films teetered on the unexpected edge of self-parody.

Enter Fackham Hall, a film that plumbs the puerile and fires so many sight gags, you get the sense there’s a feeling of desperation from the writers that at least something will amuse and titillate.

Unfortunately, unless you’re of an easily amused mind or partial to a few Dad jokes here and there, this scattershot approach to its subject leaves you wishing for the sophistication of the likes of Airplane, The Naked Gun or the gut-bustingly funny Top Secret.

Set in the 1930s and on the country estate of the Davenports, a stinkingly rich and frightfully oblivious family, it follows the fallout from daughter Rose (McKenzie, showing she’s got a wicked streak for delivery when it counts) as she pursues an illicit courtship with the latest addition to the downstairs staff – who may himself hold a secret.

Let’s be clear, there are attempts at clever humour in Fackham Hall. All of its players fully immerse themselves into the world co-created by the five writers, including comedian Jimmy Carr, who cameos as a “hilarious” vicar who puts the wrong emphasis on words from his liturgies to varying degrees of success.

It’s unfair to dismiss Fackham Hall as a laugh-free zone, but many of the finest moments feel ripped from the pantheon of better entrants. An extended riff on an Inspector Poirot character’s name reminds you that Abbott and Costello did it better nearly 90 years ago with their “Who’s on First?” routine; various lines feel ripped from the Leslie Nielsen school of stupidity – there’s clearly love for the wordplay (and sight gags) of the genre, including a genuinely funny Siri joke, but it all feels a little too much like it’s trying too hard at certain points.

Much like Downton Abbey itself, Fackham Hall all resolves in a highly neat way – and some will enjoy the gentle journey through parody.

But sadly, it feels that with a bit more control at the writing stage and a little more taut execution, rather than the formulaic fodder that unfurls on the screen, Fackham Hall takes its own title and applies it to its own audience and any complaints they may have.

Eternity: Apple TV Movie Review

Cast: Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, John Early, Olga Merediz, Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Director: David Freyne

A clever twist on the idea of the afterlife, director David Freyne's take on the romcom is an unmitigated blast of creativity that basks in an afterglow that may leave you contemplating your own future.

Essentially a traditional rom-com in which the heroine questions her choices in life and ponders the path-less-taken, Eternity sees Miles Teller and Elisabeth Olsen's Larry and Joan facing their own mortality.

While she battles end-stage cancer, he dies first after he accidentally chokes on a pretzel at a gender reveal party for family (after years of nagging by Joan to leave them alone). Awaking on a train, Larry finds himself living as a younger version of himself (one of Eternity's afterlife quirks is that you get to spend the rest of your life as the version of yourself when you were happiest) and heading to the Junction, a purgatory-like station / The Terminal where his AC (afterlife  coordinator) will help him through to the next stage.

But when he gets there, he's told he has only seven days to choose where next to go - prompting him to plead with his AC Anna (Randolph, excellent throughout) to let him wait for Joan's arrival. 

However, when Joan arrives, she finds her own afterlife thrown into confusion when her first husband Luke (a suave Turner) shows up, telling her he waited 67 years in the Junction for her after he died during the Korean War....

Eternity takes a great premise and imbues the tired trope with an (after)life full of quirk, warmth and whimsy. 

From endless sight gags about what other afterlives have on offer and which the confused Larry and Joan should choose, Eternity makes much use of its relative chamber-piece approach to the story. But there are weighty philosophical issues in this, which never once are thrown at audiences or bog down the story. 

There's a distinct feeling of what would you do in a similar position, while also leaving you pondering on accepting what you have now and possibly forever. These are big concepts which could pull down a film like this, but the warmth of the central players and the light touch of the script helps to keep things breezy for the most part. (A middle section could do with a trim, in truth.)

Eternity bristles with creativity and its trio make for timeless versions of the romcom heros and heroines. But rather than shade them in black and whites, all three of them play to the grey areas of their character - from Joan's inability to choose to Larry's insistence that after 65 years there's no decision through to Luke's lost life and love, it makes for an engaging love triangle.

It's a very charming film, one that provides unexpected moments of mirth and introspection and leaves wondering what forever would mean to you. On that front, spending a few hours with this Eternity is nowhere near long enough.

Eternity is streaming now on Apple TV

Crime 101: Movie Review

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Nick Nolte
Director: Bart Layton

Crime 101’s desire to take seemingly disparate storylines and blend them into one proves to be a frustrating attempt in a film that’s slick and stylish, but somewhat disappointingly really has little under the hood.

Hemsworth is Mike, a driver for hire and solo criminal whose push for perfection helps him initiate a series of jewellery heists without consequence in Los Angeles. Ruffalo is dishevelled and disheartened detective Lou, whose theory that a lone wolf is acting is scoffed at by his colleagues and sees him roundly mocked. And on the outskirts of this is Halle Berry’s Sharon Coombs, an insurer whose role in an insurance company is fading due to the men in charge dismissing her as ageing out.

When one of Mike’s jobs goes awry and he narrowly escapes with his life, the sense of self-doubt puts him on a path to apparent destruction – especially as his handler (a grizzled Nolte) believes he’s no longer needed.

Director Bart Layton knows how to layer the tension on in large swathes of Crime 101 and despite a stellar cast, the intersecting story spends an inordinate amount of time wallowing in set-up before delivering a payoff that’s not entirely worthy of the journey itself.

While a wiry Keoghan adds a spruce of energy to the somewhat muted proceedings, the film never quite reaches full throttle, despite looking entirely polished and impressive. (Even a car chase sequence feels adequate and perfunctory, rather than brimming with edge-of-your-seat stakes.)

It may look slick and may deliver in patches, but Hemsworth’s more muted and oddly twitchy performance, along with an arc that feels like it stumbles when it needs to soar, means Crime 101’s overall feeling is one of frustration and style over substance.

Small character moments, such as the final section of the film offers, add much to what’s gone on – but while it’s solid enough, the fact it’s taken nigh on two hours to get to this stage does little to expel any niggling edges of growing annoyance. Ultimately Crime 101 promises much, but unfortunately delivers not nearly enough to justify its polished occasionally tense movie.

Wuthering Heights: Movie Review

Cast: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, Shazad Latif
Director: Emerald Fennell

The long-awaited Wuthering Heights remake emerges onto the cinematic screen in a mixture of would-be Gothic grotesquerie and lust.

The 2026 version of the Emily Bronte classic opens with a dark screen, the sound of creaking and moaning bleeding from the speakers.

It’s meant to signify something seductive and illicit, but director Emerald Fennell’s penchant for misdirection here kicks in and the film lures you in, promising one thing and delivering another.

And yet, in many ways, as it takes on the tale of revenge-fuelled would-be lovers Cathy and Heathcliff, the overlong film follows a more traditional route than the time-swapping narrative and leans into the snark and dark humour among the pastel-filled fever dream that Fennell created with Promising Young Woman and Saltburn.

Early scenes focus on Heathcliff being brought into Wuthering Heights by Cathy’s monstrous father (Doc Martin’s Martin Clunes as you’ve never seen him) and their relationship developing as she gets to keep him like a pet.

Fast-forward a few years and Cathy, all petulance, pride and prissiness, is now grown-up (with Robbie inhabiting the wide-eyed role) and at a loss with her lot in life. Worried her father’s corraling and gambling has ruined them, and obsessed with the rich neighbours that have moved in, she heads to meet the Lintons, before injuring herself and unable to return for weeks.

When she does, she’s a changed woman, one who seems more hellbent on pursuing her awakening desires until a single moment separates her and Heathcliff for years…

“Wuthering Heights”, as Fennell has deemed it, captures the lusty confused desire of teenage years and sets it against the aesthetics that its director has become known for.

Vibrant colours burst out from the screen as Cathy herself blooms and a dollhouse motif that’s used throughout hints at her own frustrations in among the Gothic architecture and wind-swept landscapes of the wild moor on her doorstep.

And yet, in amongst the sumptuous visuals and thrillingly evocative score and solid performances, there’s little to grasp onto for emotional depth here. Whether it’s deliberate or not, not once does the tragedy of the piece feel like it’s come to the fore. Both Heathcliff and Cathy are monstrous and selfish in their own ways, their obsessions fuelled by a twisted revenge that only harms themselves, rather than those around them.

Lashings of humour outweigh the growing sense of toxic nastiness – particularly Alison Oliver’s Lady Isabelle, a girl lost and oblivious to the world around her, obsessed with dolls and crafting them from people’s actual hair.

In truth, “Wuthering Heights” could have lost maybe 20 minutes or so, and still have fit the director’s desires – but its sex-fuelled desire and longing still feels as relevant today as it did then – even if the film’s occasionally shallow take on the complexities of Bronte’s work is lost to a 21^st century audience.

Predator:Badlands: Disney+ Movie Review

Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi
Director: Dan Trachtenberg

The director of Prey, the Predator movie that revamped the franchise, returns with a new twist on the alien hunter series.

In this latest, shot in New Zealand, the film switches the traditional point of view from the victims of the hunter to the hunter himself (NZ actor Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi.)

The latest Predator starts brutally as the runt of the litter Dek (Schuster-Koloamatangi) is taught to fight by his brother Kwei. Knowing Dek's fate is to be cast out and executed by their father due to his weakness, there's a frisson of genuine heft in the film to start off with as we're forced to side with the killer creature that's terrorised others in the past.

But the shift to a softer predator only belies the general feeling of this film that's essentially an Odd Couple buddy riff with some sci-fi, a large dose of the wider mythology and a cute cuddly Grogu CGI buddy.

When Dek is sent to the deadly planet Genna on his own self-imposed mission to kill a creature, claim a trophy and head home for revenge, the stage is set for a hunt in the vein of prior Predator films.

However, what Trachtenberg does is to subvert expectations, by pitting the planet with all its deadly flora and fauna against him. Dek's mission to self-empowerment is further complicated by the discovery of half-synthetic Thia (a pixie humour-filled Fanning, who gets to showcase two sides of the same character thanks to the story) who promises to help him, in return for reuniting her with her missing torso.

To say more about Predator: Badlands is to diminish the slight narrative and to rob the audience of what unfurls. Needless to say, this B-movie creature feature lends itself more to the comedic than the bloody, but never scrimps on the action sequences (which in truth, become more garbled and amorphous the more CGI is involved).

Yet what emerges from Predator: Badlands is an intriguing expansion of the world that's spawned plenty of films since the first in 1987 - and Trachtenberg is clearly at home as he builds a world that he's clearly intent on populating with critters, threats and camaraderie.

The mix doesn't always quite work and the over-reliance on the CGI-led antics lets Predator: Badlands down in parts. But along the way, the journey is a genuinely enjoyable one that leans into exactly what you'd want from a film like this - and one which has seen its violence dialled down and confined to alien shenanigans to secure an R13 rating.

More than just a perverse coming-of-age film that's set in the Predator universe, and blessed by performances from a truly impressive Fanning and a solidly physical Schuster-Koloamatangi, Predator Badlands shows there's real potential again in this universe - and while it remains to be seen where Trachtenberg will take it next, there's some level of security knowing this is a talent who always surprises within the genre (witness Prey) and yet keeps it in the confines of what's expected.

Predator:Badlands is streaming on Disney+ now.

What's on Prime Video in March

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

Young Sherlock (March 4)

Starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After series) as Sherlock Holmes. From visionary director Guy Ritchie, Young Sherlock is an irreverent, action-packed mystery that charts the legendary origin story of the world’s greatest detective. All eight episodes of the series will premiere on March 4, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

When a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes meets none other than James Moriarty, he finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that threatens his liberty. Sherlock's first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever. Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

Previously announced cast members of Young Sherlock include Dónal Finn (The Wheel of Time), Zine Tseng (3 Body Problem), Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale), Natascha McElhone (Halo), Max Irons (Condor) and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech). Guy Ritchie directs the first two episodes and executive produces. The series is created for television and executive produced by showrunner Matthew Parkhill with executive producers Dhana Rivera Gilbert, Marc Resteghini, Simon Maxwell, Ivan Atkinson, Simon Kelton, Colin Wilson, and co-executive producers Harriet Creelman and Steve Thompson. Motive Pictures led physical production for Young Sherlock.

Good Fortune: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh
Director: Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari's debut film meshes a look at the gig economy, unions and It's A Wonderful Life with relative simplicity and not too much depth. But that's not to say it's without its vicariouis pleasures and laugh-out-loud moments.

Though perhaps in parts, it could have used a touch more of the absurd.

Ansari plays Arj, a would-be documentarian, who goes from job to job, barely getting by - certainly never getting ahead - and living in his car in various diners. Taking part-time jobs or random assignments, he spends his days living hand-to-mouth and looking for a big break.

But in the background of his life is Gabriel, a low-ranking angel, whose role is to stop people while texting and driving and save their lives. After Gabriel does this for Arj when he loses another job, he decides to follow Arj, believing him to be a lost soul in need of saving.

It's part altruism and also part Gabriel wanting to climb the ladder within his own angel hierarchy.

So when Arj takes an assignment to clear out opulent tech-bro Jeff's garage, he seizes on an opportunity and asks Jeff (Rogen, in relatively-dialled down mode) for a gig as his assistant. 

But given a peek into how the other half live, Gabriel decides to swap Arj and Jeff's circumstances in the hope that Arj will find something to cling to, without the need for excess. However, it doesn't quite go to plan....

Good Fortune has its moments - and while the sweetly rendered story is a little too saccharine and soft to truly dig into the economy's failings and the societal issues, it proves to be an amiable ride. It's a satire without real bite, a film of recognition, but one that wraps up everything so neatly at the end, it's almost twee.

Ansari plays an occasionally downbeat version of his Parks and Recreation character, all manic one moment and then loud the next. But he's an engaging character to latch on to and a symbol of what's wrong with the economy's hierarchy for those forced into various degrees of servitude.

Yet, Ansari does nothing major with this set-up, preferring instead to have peals of admonition and frustration from those watching growing in the background. It's a shame because while the film offers some truly hilarious off-kilter moments (including Reeves' angel bemoaning the fact he's gone from a celestial being to a chainsmoker), it never quite has the oomph to savage what it's seeing.

Rogen's understated performance speaks to the maturity he's finding as an actor, and Reeves proves to be excellent comedic fare as the Clarence the angel looking for his wings as the movie riffs on its It's A Wonderful Life-lite premise.

Keke Palmer makes the most of the scenes she appears in, but despite an empathetic performance, she's given too little to work with.

Good Fortune isn't quite as angelic as it wants, and closer inspection may leave you feeling it's not tapped into its full potential. But it has to be said, despite its triteness in places, if you happen to catch this film, you'll consider yourself more blessed by the Good Fortune of the cinema, rather than cursed by its demons.

Rivals season 2 is here

Disney+ has confirmed the award-winning hit series, “Rivals” will return for its second season on 15^th May with even more drama, wit and desire. The second season continues the adaptation of the late and much-missed Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved novel, “Rivals”, introducing the glamorous world of polo and surprising new twists, alongside heightened boardroom drama and deeper romantic entanglements. The Hulu Original series will return in two six-episode batches, the first will debut on May 15 with a three-episode premiere and the second batch will follow later in the year on Disney+.

The battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches a fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a dangerous new phase. More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power. 

Amidst the hedonistic glamour of 80s excess, the personal lives of our Rutshire heroes spiral into chaos. Marriages fracture under the weight of ambition, illicit affairs threaten to shatter families, and long-buried secrets ignite with explosive consequences. As rivalries push everyone to the brink, loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in the pursuit of victory. But what is the true cost of war?

Reprising their iconic roles are David Tennant (‘Doctor Who’, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’) as Lord Tony Baddingham, Alex Hassell (‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’, ‘The Boys’) as Rupert Campbell-Black, Aidan Turner (‘Poldark’, ‘The Hobbit Trilogy’) as Declan O’Hara, Nafessa Williams (‘Black Lightning’, ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody’) as Cameron Cook, Bella Maclean (‘Sex Education’, ‘London Tide’) as Taggie O’Hara, Katherine Parkinson (‘Humans’, ‘Here We Go’) as Lizzie Vereker, Danny Dyer (‘EastEnders', ‘The Football Factory’) as Freddie Jones, Victoria Smurfit (‘Bloodlands’, ‘Once Upon A Time’) as Maud O’Hara, Claire Rushbrook (‘Sherwood’, ‘Ali and Ava’) as Lady Monica Baddingham, Oliver Chris (‘The Crown’, ‘Trying’) as James Vereker, Lisa McGrillis (‘Maternal’, ‘Mum’) as Valerie Jones, Emily Atack (‘The Emily Atack Show’, ‘The Inbetweeners’) as Sarah Stratton, Rufus Jones (‘W1A’, ‘Home’) as Paul Stratton, Luca Pasqualino (‘The Musketeers’, ‘Shantaram’) as Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham, Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O'Hara (‘Wild Cherry’, ‘Pistol’), Annabel Scholey (‘The Split’) as Beattie Johnson, Gary Lamont (‘Boiling Point’, ‘Outlander’) as Charles Fairburn, Hubert Burton (‘Wolf Hall’, ‘Living’) as Gerald Middleton, Gabriel Tierney (‘Enola Holmes 2’, ‘The Winter King’) as Patrick O’Hara, Lara Peake (‘How To Have Sex’, ‘Reunion’) as Daysee Butler and Bryony Hannah (‘Talamasca’, 'Call The Midwife') as Dierdre Kilpatrick.

This season also sees the addition of new guest stars, Hayley Atwell (‘Mission Impossible’, ‘Agent Carter’) as Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and mother of his two children, and Rupert Everett (‘Napoleon’, ‘My Policeman’) as her husband Malise Gordon, Campbell Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor. Further names joining the ensemble include Maxim Ays (‘Boarders’, ‘Sanditon’), Holly Cattle (‘Young Sherlock’, ‘Mr Loverman’), Oliver Dench (‘Hotel Portofino’,  ‘Domina’), Amanda Lawrence (‘Malory Towers, Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Bobby Lockwood (‘Wolfblood, Here We Go’), Eliot Salt (‘Slow Horses’, ‘Normal People’), and Jonny Weldon (‘One Day’, ‘Brassic’).

“Rivals”, made by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios, is executive produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins (‘A Very English Scandal’, ‘Holding’, ‘EastEnders’), Alexander Lamb (‘Ackley Bridge’, ‘The Bay’, ‘We Hunt Together’), Felicity Blunt, Elliot Hegarty (‘Cheaters’, ‘Ted Lasso’), Olivier Award-winning playwright Laura Wade (‘The Riot Club’), “Rivals” author Dame Jilly Cooper and for Disney+, Jonny Richards. Eliza Mellor (‘The Midwich Cuckoos’, ‘Behind Her Eyes’, ‘Poldark’) returns as Series Producer. It is written by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Laura Wade, Sophie Goodhart, Sam Hoare, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Sorcha Kurien-Walsh and Dare Aiyegbayo, directed by Elliot Hegarty, Jamie J Johnson and Dee Koppang O’Leary.  “Rivals” is based on the novel of the same name, part of Cooper’s bestselling Rutshire Chronicles. The series was commissioned by VP Scripted Content for Disney+ EMEA, Lee Mason.

No Other Choice: Movie Review

Cast: Lee Byung-hun
Director: Park Chan-wook

Talk about eliminating the competition.

Oldboy director Park Chan-wook’s adaptation of novel The Axe delivers a somewhat satirical look at the world of unemployment, emasculation and the continuing rise of the machines in a tale that has a dark heart and a taut execution.

Squid Game’s Lee Byung-hun plays Man-soo, a wealthy patriarch who’s spent 25 years working in a paper company and who’s casually tossed to the side when an American company comes in. (The first use of the No Other Choice motif that runs through this.)

Believing he will be a part of the workforce again pretty quickly, Man-soo gradually loses his way and his sense of self as he futilely plays his way through auditions and applications, before happening on a way to eliminate the competition and ensure he will be the first choice for any future roles.

There’s a comedic edge to the beginning of proceedings which will either suck you in or repel you. Perhaps it’s not dark enough, or the satire is a little too close to home for some, but Chan-Wook and Byung-hun manage to turn a potential killer into a deeply sympathetic character whose motivations are universally relatable. As he struggles to be the family provider, he fails to see what’s falling apart around him, pushing him into more extreme ideas and blackly comedic situations.

But halfway through, Chan-wook tonally shifts proceedings into thriller territory, ensuring that the movie maintains an edge as it hurtles to its conclusion.

Depressingly, this feels like a globally relatable tale – one that takes old age or time served within a business as something that’s to be cast aside and put out to pasture. So in terms of the satire, it’s not as strong as it could be, given the worldwide shift into AI and the reality that abounds.

Ultimately, this is a watchable enough piece of cinema – perhaps a little more darkness would have ensured it hit a level much like Parasite did – but Chan-wook leaves you with No Other Choice but to saddle up for the journey and its conclusion.