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...
26 Apr: CHALLENGERS BOY KILLS WORLD THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES ORDINARY ANGELS NOWHERE SPECIAL SPY X FAMILY CODE: WHITE (Jpn) INFESTED (Fr) THAT THEY MAY FACE THE RISING SUN KIDNAPPED (It) OMEN (Bel) NORWEGIAN DREAM (Nor) 3 May: BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY (Geo) EVIL DOES NOT EXIST (Jpn) JEANNE DU BARRY LOVE LIES BLEEDING 10 May: AISHA 17 May: BACK TO BLACK CHASING CHASING AMY HOARD TIGER STRIPES (Mys) 24 May: KIDNAPPED (It) 31 May: BACKSPOT THE DEAD DON'T HURT* HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES PANDEMONIUM (Sp) ROBOT DREAMS (Sp) 14 Jun: AMA GLORIA (Fr) 21 Jun: THE BIKERIDERS GREEN BORDER (Pol) 5 Jul: THE DEAD DON'T HURT* ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY (Fr) UNICORNS 19 Jul: THE NATURE OF LOVE (Can) 2 Aug: SHAYDA 13 Sep: LEE RELEASE DATE TBC . . . BASS IMPACT* BIG BOYS CLOSE TO YOU CROSSING DRIFTER (Ger) HAAR I LOVE YOU, BEKSMAN (Ph) IN CAMERA LAYLA THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS RILEY SORCERY (Chl) THE SUMMER WITH CARMEN (Gr) * reviews under embargo C O M I N G U P . . . • ELAHA. JERICHO RIDGE. STING. THE FALL GUY. LA CHIMERA. THE BEAST. ADIOS BUENOS AIRES. LASSIE. MUCH ADO ABOUT DYING. THE IDEA OF YOU. IF. LAZARETH. THE ALMOND AND THE SEAHORSE. OUR MOTHERS. SOLO. • LOUD AND LONGING. BIRDER. WILL-O'-THE-WISP. • FURIOSA. ATLAS. KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. UNRELEASED FESTIVAL FILMS . . . • Flare: ALIGNED. BALDIGA: UNLOCKED HEART. CALLS FROM MOSCOW. COMMITMENT TO LIFE. DESIRE LINES. DON'T EVER STOP. LADY LIKE. MERCHANT IVORY. PINE CONE. TOLL. UNSPOKEN. WE FORGOT TO BREAK UP. WHAT A FEELING. • FrightFest: FAILURE. HOME SWEET HOME: WHERE EVIL LIVES. MINORE. THE MOOR. NEW LIFE. PANDEMONIUM. THAT'S A WRAP. TRANSMISSION. THE WEIRD KIDZ. WHAT YOU WISH FOR. • Bifan: BAD EDUCATION. DISORDER. EGOIST. THE EIGHTH SENSE. HAPPYMERRYENDING. LIFE OF MARIKO IN KABUKICHO. PRIVACY. SANA. WHALE BONES. See also: SHADOWS FILM FEST	KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES dir Wes Ball; with William H Macy, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Owen Teague, Dichen Lachman, Peter Macon, Neil Sandilands, Lydia Peckham 24/US release US/UK 10.May.24 Aside from the grammatically dodgy title, there are some lingering questions about this film, which is continuing the genuinely thrilling trilogy starring Andy Serkis. Director Wes Ball's only experience is on the three uneven Maze Runner movies, so we can only hope he can offer the robust storytelling this franchise requires. And it's also all-change on the cast. There are plenty of places this saga can go, but this will only work if it's involving, pointed and compelling. FURIOSA dir George Miller; with Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Charlee Fraser, Tom Burke, Angus Sampson, Nathan Jones, Daniel Webber, Alyla Browne 24/Aus release US/UK 24.May.24 Never underestimate George Miller, who took the world by surprise with Mad Max: Fury Road almost a decade ago in 2015 and picked up a series of awards (including Best Film from the London Critics' Circle). This one's a prequel, with Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the title role, so this is the origin story of Charlize Theron's character in Fury Road. There is a lot that we can expect here regarding both action and character detail, and we also know Miller will have several surprises in store. IF dir-scr John Krasinski; with Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina 24/US release US/UK 17.May.24 John Krasinzki is back with yet another twist on the horror genre, this time a much more comical, Monsters Inc-style romp involving imaginary friends and monsters. The trailer cleverly suggests a lot without supplying too many details, but the film looks both visually colourful and narratively inventive, with a terrific approach to effects as well. The stacked voice cast promises that none of the punchlines will have any trouble landing, so the main question is whether the story will grab our hearts too. INSIDE OUT 2 dir Kelsey Mann; with Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Ayo Edebiri, Adele Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser, Maya Hawke 24/US release US/UK 14.Jun.24 It's becoming increasingly difficult to remember those magical days when Pixar was resistant to sequels. That said, making a followup to 2015's hugely engaging hit Inside Out was a bit too obvious to pass up: namely following Riley into puberty. There's been a bit of recasting of her emotions this time, with the addition of Envy (Edebiri), Ennui (Exarchopolous), Embarrassment (Hauser) and Anxiety (Hawke). So let's hope the writers and voice artists really go for it. KINDS OF KINDNESS dir-scr Yorgos Lanthimos; with Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Hunter Schafer 24/Ireland release US/UK 21.Jun.24 Frankly, it doesn't matter at all what this movie is about. It's a reunion of Yorgos Lanthimos with Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe - and that should be enough to make it a must-see. Apparently, it's made up of three plot strands that explore issues of identity and fate, with a man trying to escape his destiny, a woman whose personality changes after a near-tragedy and another woman trying to find a spiritual guide. This eclectic cast looks frankly amazing. THELMA dir-scr Josh Margolin; with June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Richard Roundtree, Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Byer 24/US release US 21.Jun.24, UK tbc After premiering at Sundance, word has it that this is quite a lot of fun, most notably because it offers June Squibb a meaty leading role as a grandmother taking on a phone scammer. The timely topicality and sparky supporting cast offer plenty too look forward to here, so the biggest question is first-time feature filmmaker Josh Margolin. Hopefully he'll be able to include some understated moments and avoid going over the top with granny-on-a-mission mayhem. A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE dir Michael Sarnoski; with Lupita Nyong'o, Djimon Hounsou, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Kait Feeney, Thea Butler, Elijah Ungvary, Sunjay Midda Fran 24/US release US/UK 28.Jun.24 John Krasinski worked on the story for this prequel with writer-director Michael Sarnoski, whose drama Pig shows promise for the approach this film might take. It looks like another inventive take on the alien-invasion drama, this time focussing on the invasion itself rather than the aftermath, as the other two movies did. So chances are that it will have even more action, but the premise offers plenty of scope for originality, so lets hope that Sarnoski and this intriguing cast has some fun with it. TWISTERS dir Lee Isaac Chung; with Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, David Corenswet, Maura Tierney, Kiernan Shipka, Katy O'Brian, Daryl McCormack, Anthony Ramos, Sasha Lane, Brandon Perea 24/US release US/UK 19.Jul.24 Many people have tried to develop a sequel to the rollicking 1996 hit Twister, but it took three decades to get one on the screen. And surprise, it's directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari). It also has an eclectic high-powered cast like the original one did. There have been many rumours about how these two films will connect, but it doesn't really matter. Audiences will be looking for whizzy tornado effects work. And having vividly played characters might help make this a hit. Note that as a tie-in, I am appearing in a documentary about tornadoes on film, out this summer! Also on my want-to-see list... Spring: SLEEPING DOGS THE GREATEST HITS ATLAS EZRA YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA Summer: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO THE WATCHED DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE FLY ME TO THE MOON MAXXXINE ALIEN: ROMULUS BLINK TWICE KRAVEN THE HUNTER Autumn: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE SPEAK NO EVIL THE WILD ROBOT TRANSFORMERS ONE
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. © 2024 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME \| REVIEWS \| NEWS \| FESTIVAL \| AWARDS \| Q&A \| ABOUT \| TALKBACK