Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Dec 5th Shudder)
The filmmaking duo of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani have
previously paid homage to the Italian genres of giallo (Amer, The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears) and spaghetti western (Let the Corpses Tan). Now with Reflection in a Dead Diamond they deliver their take on the Italian Euro-spy thrillers of the
1960s. The film stars Italian screen legend Fabio Testi as an elderly former spy who is forced to confront his past when
his neighbour mysteriously disappears.
It Was Just an Accident (Dec 5th cinemas)
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi (No Bears; Taxi Tehran) won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival for It Was Just an Accident, which sees him continue to defy his country's authoritarian regime. The
film is centred on a group of former political prisoners who kidnap a man
they believe was responsible for their torture.
Magazine Dreams (Dec 5th cinemas)
Jonathan Majors goes full Christian Bale with an extreme body
transformation in director Elijah Bynum's
Magazine Dreams. Majors plays Killian Maddox, a hulking bodybuilder whose loneliness
and inability to form relationships leads him down a dark path.
Influencers (Dec 12th Shudder)
Writer/director Kurtis David Harder delivers a sequel to his 2023 thriller
Influencer. Cassandra Naud returns to the role of manipulative villainess
CW. This time she's in the South of France where she has settled down with
her girlfriend Diane. But when CW returns to her murderous ways, it
threatens to end her relationship.
Preparation for the Next Life (Dec 12th cinemas)
Having garnered acclaim and an Oscar nomination with his documentaries,
director Bing Liu makes his narrative feature debut with
an adaptation of Atticus Lish's novel Preparation for the Next Life. The film stars Sebiye Behtiyar and Fred Hechinger as a
Chinese immigrant and an American soldier who embark on a romantic
relationship in New York.
Lurker (Dec 12th cinemas)
Following acclaimed work on TV's The Bear and Beef, writer/director Alex Russell makes his feature debut
with Lurker. The thriller sees Théodore Pellerin play Matthew, a loner who forms an unlikely
friendship with pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe). But as the line between friend and fan blurs,
Matthew's desire to stay in Oliver's circle turns deadly.
Ella McCay (Dec 12th cinemas)
Written and directed by James L. Brooks (Broadcast News; As Good as It Gets), Ella McCay stars Emma Mackey in the title role of a young politician preparing to become state
governor while dealing with chaotic family issues.
Sentimental Value (Dec 26th cinemas)
Director Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World) and his regular co-writer Eskil Vogt scooped the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film
Festival for their latest comedy drama Sentimental Value. The film sees Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas play sisters who find themselves reconnecting with their estranged
father (Stellan Skarsgard), a filmmaker about to tell their mother's story on screen.
Marty Supreme (Dec 26th cinemas)
After co-directing acclaimed movies like Good Time and Uncut Gems, the Safdie brothers have gone their separate ways, both directing their
own sports dramas. Benny just brought us the MMA biopic The Smashing Machine, and Josh is about to drop Marty Supreme. The 1950s-set film sees Timothée Chalamet play Marty Mauser, a professional ping pong
player inspired by real life player Marty Reisman.
The Housemaid (Dec 26th cinemas)
Based on the bestseller by Freida McFadden, director Paul Feig's The Housemaid stars Sydney Sweeney as Millie, a young woman who
takes a job as housemaid for a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar). Do things take a dark turn? You betcha.