Mufasa: The Lion King

This prequel has strikingly photoreal animation but a rather thin narrative

The Brutalist

Toweringly ambitious, powerfully involving epic immigrant story

The Room Next Door

Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton explore death with Pedro Almodovar

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Silly and funny action mayhem with a double dose of Jim Carrey

Babygirl

Stylish and refreshingly unapologetic erotic thriller with Nicole and Harris

The Count of Monte Carlo

Snappy, lavishly well-made French adaptation of the classic Dumas novel

SHADOWS' AWARDS
SWEEPSTAKES for 2025
And they're off!
See who's winning
awards season so far...

Is Josh the new 007?
21.DEC: O'Connor is rumoured to have overtaken Taylor-Johnson in the odds to become the next actor to play James Bond
===================
Hathaway & Bautista team up for the true action comedy Wedding Sting
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Gascon will lead LAS MALAS thriller
Wilson & Rife for ROLLING LOUD
Clarke & Ramirez in NEXT LIFE
Cox & Gooding back for SCREAM VII
Jackson, Culkin, Glover in TIMBER
Gerwig/Baumbach writing BARBIE 2
MORE >>

Jamie Lee is Jessica
18.DEC: Curtis is set to star in a big-screen reboot of the classic 1980s whodunit series Murder, She Wrote.
===================
De Niro, Stiller, Polo & Danner will be back for Meet the Parents 4
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Powell leads HOMEWRECKERS
Rice, Purnell, Gage in LOSER
Rockwell & Walken for HORSES
Leto joins ASSASSINATION cast
Skarsgard & Van Sant make WIRE
Disney plans a live-action TANGLED
MORE >>

Meet the Beatles
15.DEC: Dickinson, Mescal, Quinn and Keoghan are John, Paul, George & Ringo in Mendes' Beatles biopics
===================
Butler lined up to lead Guadagnino's remake of American Psycho
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Coel & McKellen in CHRISTOPHERS
White joins MANDALORIAN movie
Seyfried & Mckenzie for ANN LEE
Dawson up for GOOD FORTUNE
Redmayne & Henry join PANIC
Dogg/Besson reteam for LAST MAN
MORE >>

===================
27 Dec:
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
NOSFERATU
BETTER MAN
VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
VERMIGLIO
===================
3 Jan:
WE LIVE IN TIME
NICKEL BOYS
LADY LIKE
2073
===================
10 Jan:
MARIA
BABYGIRL
A REAL PAIN
HARD TRUTHS
THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
===================
17 Jan:
WOLF MAN
PADDINGTON IN PERU
HERE
EMMANUELLE
PRESENCE
===================
24 Jan:
THE BRUTALIST
SEPTEMBER 5
FLIGHT RISK
MORE >>

===================
Recently published reviews:
THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
MUFASA: THE LION KING
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
BIRD
BONHOEFFER
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
LOTR: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM
KRAVEN THE HUNTER

December TV Roundup
SCREEN: Disclaimer, A Man on the Inside, Monsters, Perfect Couple, Only Murders 4, Heartstopper 3 and more...

This is the greatest show
STAGE: Riches and Kearns are hilarious as Ball and Boe for 14 nights only at Soho Theatre...

A gleeful panto mashup
STAGE: Potted Panto makes a triumphant return to Wilton's Music Hall for the holidays...

Walk away the blues
DANCE: Rosas brings Exit Above,
an extraordinary explosion of
movement, to Sadler's Wells...

Run, stop, fall, rise
DANCE: RB Dance Company brings its award-winning tap-dancing sensation Stories to the Peacock until 2nd Nov...

Almost absurdly likeable
COMEDY: Larry Dean takes his must-see show Dodger on tour around the UK until next spring...

Elasticity and emotion
STAGE: Tom Gaskin brings his endearing, impressive Filibuster to Jackson's Lane, on tour until Nov 8th...

Kindness is a survival skill
INTERVIEW: An encounter with
The Wild Robot's creative team at
Annecy Film Festival...

68th London Film Festival
FESTIVAL: Reviews posted as I see films at London's fest of fests...

It’s time to party
COMEDY: Paly & Jay bring Ultimate Roadshow to London: Kings Head 25-28 Sep, Soho Theatre 29 Oct-3 Nov...

Lighten up
DANCE: Barcelona-based Chicos Mambo bring their playful ballet show Tutu to the Peacock Theatre...

Who wants to live forever
STAGE: Emma Hemingford's new play Foreverland at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 19th Oct...

===================
AUG TV: Bear, Shogun, Acolyte...
DANCE: Frontiers at Sadler's Wells
DANCE: Khan's Giselle, Sadler's Wells
STAGE: Sex Lives of Puppets returns
DANCE: Resurgence at Sadler's Wells
Shadows @ London's FrightFest
Shadows @ Edinburgh Fringe
STAGE: Jamie Allan's Amaze, London
STAGE: Frankie Goes to Bollywood
STAGE: Dorian musical at Southwark
STAGE: Jack Tucker at Soho Theatre
JUN TV: Ripley, Bridgerton, Hacks...
DANCE: NYDC's Wall, Sadler's Wells
STAGE: London Clown Festival, Soho
DANCE: Carlos Acosta's Carmen
Shadows @ Sundance London
STAGE: Jazz Emu's Knight Fever
STAGE: Piece of Me at Camden
MORE >>

Kraven the Hunter

Anti-hero action is intriguingly quirky but feels badly compromised

Queer

Dark, inventive sex-and-drugs drama with Daniel Craig & Drew Starkey

The War of the Rohirrim

Gorgeous but oddly unengaging animated Lord of the Rings prequel

That Christmas

Lively animated holiday adventure with a witty Richard Curtis script

Merchant Ivory

Engaging documentary about the groundbreaking filmmaking duo

The Six Triple Eight

Terrific true WWII story is cheesily made but engaging and important

Rumours

Nutty, offbeat political comedy from Canada starring Cate Blanchett

Moana 2

Colourful and engaging animated adventure sequel is a lot of fun

Your Monster

Uneven and gimmicky but engagingly offbeat horror romantic comedy

Gladiator II

Thunderous big-scale sequel with Paul Mescal & Denzel Washington

Joy

Warm and witty true British story about the first baby born by IVF

A Traveler’s Needs

Meandering Korean drama with the fabulous Isabelle Huppert

Red One

Familiar holiday action is livened up by Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans

Joy

Warm and witty true British story about the first baby born by IVF

===================
SKINCARE
CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER'S POINT
PADDINGTON IN PERU
HERETIC
THE PIANO LESSON
JUROR #2
BLITZ
ABSOLUTION
CHASING CHASING AMY
CELLAR DOOR
SECRETS OF A WALLABY BOY
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE
MEMBERS CLUB
MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK
MORE >>

September 5

Riveting thriller about journalists covering the Munich 1972 attack

Nickel Boys

Stunningly original drama set in a 1960s Southern reform school

The Last Showgirl

Pamela Anderson is terrific in this lovely ode to Las Vegas razzle dazzle

The Colours Within

Sophisticated anime teen drama is full of music and emotional resonance

The Order

Bracingly well-made dramatic thriller about an Iranian family in crisis

Bonhoeffer

Riveting biopic about the thoughtful theologian who stood up to Hitler

Nightbitch

Bracingly well-made dramatic thriller about an Iranian family in crisis

Day of the Fight

Powerfully moving boxing drama with Michael Pitt and Ron Perlman

Unstoppable

Involving true wrestling story with Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome

Never Look Away

Riveting doc about no-nonsense war-zone journalist Margaret Moth

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Bracingly well-made dramatic thriller about an Iranian family in crisis

Maria

Beautifully made drama with a terrific turn by Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas

Conclave

Riveting low-key Vatican thriller with Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci

===================
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
WICKED: PART I
FLOW
I'M STILL HERE
LAYLA
THE LAST DANCE
PIECE BY PIECE
NO OTHER LAND
ANORA
EMILIA PEREZ
MORE >>