Shadows on the Wall

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Shadows reviews Trailers and other previews... ALL COMMENTS BY RICH CLINE
C O M I N G S O O N to the UK & US...	O N T H E H O R I Z O N can’t hardly wait...
1 Aug: THE NAKED GUN THE BAD GUYS 2 BRING HER BACK TOGETHER LATE SHIFT (Swi) DREAMS (Nor) 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA 8 Aug: FREAKIER FRIDAY WEAPONS THE PICKUP SKETCH YOUNG HEARTS LES MUSICIENS STANS 15 Aug: MATERIALISTS HIGHEST 2 LOWEST NOBODY 2 TOGETHER BAMBI: A TALE OF LIFE IN THE WOODS ANIMAL KINGDOM LOVE (Nor) WAR 2 22 Aug: THE LIFE OF CHUCK SORRY, BABY THE CEREMONY* SEX (Nor) BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN: Centenary Restoration 29 Aug: THE ROSES CAUGHT STEALING ROW BIG BOYS YOUNG MOTHERS (Bel) MOTEL DESTINO LITTLE TROUBLE GIRLS* (Svn) 5 Sep: THE CONJURING: LAST RITES HONEY DON'T ON SWIFT HORSES PAUL & PAULETTE TAKE A BATH* RIEFENSTAHL TWINLESS 12 Sep: DREAMS (Nor) ISLANDS* 19 Sep: SOLO SOVEREIGN 10 Oct: I SWEAR* 14 Nov: PARK AVENUE* 21 Nov: ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT RELEASE DATE TBC . . . CACTUS PEARS (Ind) THE DARK FANTASTIC DEPARTURES DIRTY BOY HEAVYWEIGHT HIGH TIDE HOW TO BUILD A TRUTH ENGINE A NIGHT LIKE THIS NIGHT STAGE (Br) OUR HAPPY PLACE PLAINCLOTHES THE PLEASURE IS MINE (Arg) TRAUMATIKA * reviews under embargo C O M I N G U P . . . • SEX. FREAKIER FRIDAY. WEAPONS. YOUNG HEARTS. LES MUSICIENS. THE PICKUP. FIXED. BAMBI: A TALE OF LIFE IN THE WOODS. SKETCH. GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE. ON SWIFT HORSES. CHRISTY. THE BITTER TEARS OF ZAHRA ZAND. • ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE. • TOGETHER. THE ROSES. HORIZON CHAPTER II. UNRELEASED FESTIVAL FILMS . . . • Raindance: BEAM ME UP SULU. BREAKWATER. A CELL PHONE MOVIE. FLAMINGO CAMP. IF YOU SHOULD LEAVE BEFORE ME. THE LONELY MUSKETEER. SOMEWHERE IN LOVE. • SXSW London: CIELO. THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE. TORO. • Flare: DREAMS IN NIGHTMARES. DRIVE BACK HOME. FATHERHOOD. A FEW FEET AWAY. MEA CULPA. MEMORABILIA. REALLY HAPPY SOMEDAY. SAD JOKES. SANDBAG DAM. SOME NIGHTS I FEEL LIKE WALKING. WE ARE FAHEEM & KARUN. WINTER KEPT US WARM. • FrightFest: THE DAEMON. DERELICT. FRIGHT. LADYBUG. SCARED SHITLESS. SCARLET BLUE. 7 KEYS. TOLL. See also: SHADOWS FILM FEST	FREAKIER FRIDAY dir Nisha Ganatra; with Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, Julia Butters, Manny Jacinto, Chloe Fineman, Rosalind Chao, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan 25/US release US/UK 8.Aug.25 After more than 20 years, the cast is back for this sequel to the wacky 2003 body-swapping comedy, a remake that was a surprisingly entertaining revamp of the 1976 original (which starred a young Jodie Foster). The trailers suggest amplified wackiness this time around, with even more of an epic swap-o-rama. Curtis and Lohan have great chemistry, and have proven themselves willing to dive into this nutty premise with enjoyable abandon. So even if we remain a bit dubious, we don't want to miss this one. THE ROSES dir Jay Roach; with Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Allison Janney, Andy Samberg, Ncuti Gatwa, Kate McKinnon, Jamie Demetriou, Zoe Chao 25/UK release US 29.Aug.25, UK 5.Sep.25 This looks like a much more overtly comical adaptation of adaptation of the novel previously filmed in 1989 as a very bitter black comedy by Robert Zemeckis. The chronical of an epic marital breakdown, the casting of Cumberbatch and Colman seems perfect. As does the superbly textured supporting ensemble, which feels rather stacked with scene stealers. Jay Roach is also a promising director, adept at mining families for dynamics that are engaging, scary and very funny. DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE dir Simon Curtis; with Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Joanne Froggatt, Paul Giamatti, Dominic West, Phyllis Logan, Penelope Wilton 25/UK release US/UK 12.Sep.25 Reuniting the sprawling ensemble for one last time, complete with a Julian Fellowes script, this Grand Finale has apparently been designed to bring this aristocratic family's story full circle after 15 years, 52 TV episodes and 2 movies. The story brings them into the 1930s as they are forced to face up to the changes around them. Whatever, we are more interested in furthering the knotty relationships amongst them. And we will definitely miss Maggie Smith's wry one-liners, which kept this ship sailing longer than expected. SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE dir-scr Scott Cooper; with Jeremy Allen White, Stephen Graham, Gaby Hoffmann, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Marc Maron, David Krumholtz, Odessa Young, Grace Gummer 25/US release US/UK 24.Oct.25 Casting Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen feels like a stroke of genius lateral thinking, as the actor will bring his tightly wound physicality to the role in a way that's bound to be fascinating. Scott Cooper has a strong history with musical biopics (see Crazy Heart), and the eclectic cast he has assembled bodes well - that the film will take a more intriguing approach rather than abroadly crowd-pleasing one. The UK release date hints at a possible London Film Festival slot. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER dir Paul Thomas Anderson; with Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Chase Infiniti, Alana Haim 25/US release US/UK 26.Sep.25 Paul Thomas Anderson has assembled an astonishing powerhouse cast for this action thriller about a group of former revolutionaries who reassemble when they are once again threatened by an old enemy. Of course, in Anderson's hands this won't play out in the usual cliched movie beats. And these actors will make sure that the characters will have unusually complex depth to keep us with them through the mayhem. Intriguingly, the film is sidestepping the autumn festivals. BUGONIA dir Yorgos Lanthimos; with Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Alicia Silverstone, Stavros Halkias, Aidan Delbis, Parvinder Shergill, Vanessa Eng Vanessa Eng, Yaisa 25/UK release US 24.Oct.25, UK 7.Nov.25 Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons reteam with Yorgos Lanthimos for this remake of Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 classic Save the Green Planet, a fiendishly clever action comedy that mixes zany antics with underlying thoughtfulness as it follows a guy who is convinced the world is about to be destroyed by aliens. It's impossible to know how Lanthimos and screenwriter Will Tracy (The Menu) will reimagine Jang's nutty highwire walk between nuttiness, emotion and pointed topicality. It's doing the festival circut this autumn. FRANKENSTEIN dir-scr Guillermo del Toro; with Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson, Burn Gorman, David Bradley David Bradley 25/UK release US/UK Nov.25 It feels like Guillermo del Toro has wanted to make this movie forever, as it plays into his strengths in telling monster stories that are infused with emotional undercurrents. It will clearly look terrific, and the cast is solid, anchored by Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi as the mad scientist and his indelible creation. Despite the dark, overwrought production design, this looks like an unusually faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley's groundbreaking novel. So the big question is what kind of theatrical release Netflix will give it. HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER II dir Kevin Costner; with Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Abbey Lee, Luke Wilson, Dale Dickey, Georgia MacPhail 24/US release US/UK tbc After his enjoyable three-hour prologue ended on an extended montage of scenes to come, we're hoping some resolution to the various plot strands Kevin Costner left dangling. Chapter 2 looks just as spectacular visually, with its expansive settings and colourful ensemble, including a promising glimpse of a sneering Giovanni Ribisi. After its premiere at Venice in 2024, word was that it's more of the same. Costner has plans for two further chapters, but there's still no release date for this one. Also on my want-to-see list... Summer: EDDINGTON THE PICKUP TOGETHER WEAPONS Autumn: A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY HIM THE HISTORY OF SOUND THE LONG WALK THE LOST BUS SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES GOOD FORTUNE ROOFMAN THE SMASHING MACHINE TRON: ARES NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T PREDATOR: BADLANDS THE RUNNING MAN Winter: AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH WAKE UP DEAD MAN Release TBC: NO OTHER CHOICE
Release dates: British film release schedules are much more fluid than American ones, so please be patient as I try to keep up with UK distributors. I'm working to keep this list up-to-date as they keep trying to outfox me. I'm sure it's personal. Embargoes: Britain's Film Distributors Association asks us to hold reviews until the week of release, and some distributors are even more restrictive. Normally, once the film is shown to a paying audience, either on release or at a festival, the full review can appear on the site. © 2025 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME \| REVIEWS \| NEWS \| FESTIVAL \| AWARDS \| Q&A \| ABOUT \| TALKBACK