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Shadows on the Wall

quote unquote I love work,
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tending to my plants.

— JOSH O'CONNOR

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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

film news
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 >>

box office

coming soon

===================
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

stage & 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...


August TV Roundup

SCREEN: Watching The Bear 3, Shogun, The Boys 4, The Acolyte, Fallout, The Curse and much more...

===================
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 >>

now showing

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 >>

recommended

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 >>

R E V I E W S   |   N E W S   |   F E S T I V A L   |   A W A R D S   |   Q & A   |   A B O U T   |   T A L K B A C K

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF,
COOK & BOTTLE-WASHER
Rich Cline
MEMBER
London Critics' Circle
GalecaFipresci
Online Film Critics Society

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--------------------
Rich Cline also reviews films for
BBC Radio, Sky, Boyz and others
. . . and he's available for work.


Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critic Critics' Choice Seal of Distinction

 
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