Shadows on the Wall

SHADOWS ON THE WALL \| REVIEWS \| NEWS \| FESTIVAL \| AWARDS \| Q&A \| ABOUT \| TALKBACK
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...
2 Oct: DIGGER APRIL X CHILD (Lux) THE PORTUGUESE HOUSE (Sp) KNIFE: THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SALMAN RUSHDIE THE LAST FIRST: WINTER K2 KIKUYU LAND (Ken) 9 Oct: THE SOCIAL RECKONING THE UPRISING THE LOST CHILDREN OF TUAM* WINTER OF THE CROW FJORD (Nor) THE YELLOW TIE BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY NAZA 16 Oct: FORGOTTEN ISLAND WHALEFALL CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' WINTER OF THE CROW CASE 137 (Fr) MUSK HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL 23 Oct: FATHERLAND WILDWOOD ALI G: WHO IZ I? CLAYFACE GHOSTS: THE POSSESSION OF BUTTON HOUSE POSSIBLE LOVE (Kor) THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS* 30 Oct: PRIMETIME WICKER QUEEN AT SEA GENTLE MONSTER (Aut) ON THE ROAD EVEREST: THE OTHER SIDE 6 Nov: WILD HORSE NINE ONWARDS AND SIDEWAYS* LA BOLA NEGRA (Sp) THINK OF ENGLAND 13 Nov: I PLAY ROCKY* FJORD (Nor) 20 Nov: I PLAY ROCKY* FILIPINANA (Ph) 27 Nov: IN WAVES* 8 Jan: INK 19 Feb: BUNKER RELEASE DATE TBC . . . THE BASICS OF PHIOLOSOPHY BUCKING FASTARD COMPANY THE ECHO CHAMBER A GOOD LITTLE SOLDIER (Fr) THE MAD WORLD OF HARVEY KURTZMAN MASPALOMAS (Sp) MISSION A PLACE TO HEAL (Fr) QUEER EDWARD II TEST * films I've seen, reviews under embargo C O M I N G U P . . . • TENZING. BEING HEUMANN. ALL OF A SUDDEN. THE SOCIAL RECKONING. YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER. WILDWOOD. GHOSTS: THE POSSESSION OF BUTTON HOUSE. WINTER OF THE CROW. COMEDIE FRANCAISE. 1 IN 2. THE APOLOGIST. • ACOSTA DANZA: CUBAN BAROQUE. HEATED RIVALRY. BALLET BLACK AT 25. TELLUS. PIA. HIDDEN. ACT OF GOD. • BEHEMOTH. THE UPRISING. SUNRISE ON THE REAPING. UNRELEASED FESTIVAL FILMS . . . • Venice: AGATA THE WRITER. ARRESTED MEMORY. BACK TO BUENOS AIRES. BEFORE THE WAR. A BIT OF LIGHT. CHILDREN OF THE MONKEY. DAU. DIANE IN THE LOOP. FALLING HOUSE. THE FIRE WITHIN YOU. FROM INSIDE OUT. THE GOOD LAWYER. GURIA. HOMBRE AL AGUA. HOUSE OF THE WIND. LONDON. LOVERS IN THE BLUE NIGHT. MOONFISH. NO PARADISE IF YOU ARE KILLED BY A WOMAN. OUR SHARE OF SAND. ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT. PLACE TO BE. TIJUANA, TODAVIA. SALON DE BELLEZA. TRICK. WHAT BELONGS TO OTHERS. • FrightFest: BAD KARAOKE. BLOOD SECRET. DO YOU WANT TO PLAY? DRACULA: THE NIGHT AROUND US. ELECTRIC MEAT. HY3NA. ITHAQUA. STARSUCKERS. VALLEY VIEW MOTEL. • Annecy: NOBODY. SOUL SHIFT. THE VIOLINIST. • Raindance: MY DAUGHTER'S HAIR. PESCADOR. THE TROLL. WHISKEY DIXIE AND THE BIG WET COUNTRY. • Flare: 10s ACROSS THE BORDERS. BLACK BURNS FAST. THE BROKEN R. CAN'T GO OVER IT. HUNKY JESUS. I AM GOING TO MISS YOU. JARIPEO. KEEP COMING BACK. THE LAST GUEST OF THE HOLLOWAY MOTEL. LOW RIDER. LUNAR SWAY. OUT LAWS. SATISFACTION. STRANGE RIVER. TO DANCE IS TO RESIST. UCHRONIA. WHAT WILL I BECOME? • Cinema Made in Italy: A BRIEF AFFAIR. FUORI. LA GIOIA. THREE GOODBYES. See also: SHADOWS FILM FEST	THE SOCIAL RECKONING dir Aaron Sorkin; with Jeremy Strong, Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen, Bill Burr, Gbenga Akinnagbe 26/US release US/UK 9.Oct.26 More than 15 years after the chilly intensity of David Fincher's The Social Network (2010), which outlined the creation of Facebook, writer Aaron Sorkin returns as both writer and director of this sequel, which sets out to explore the impact social media has had on the world. The cast is very strong, and Sorkin will no doubt invest the film with brainy dialog and a riveting plot. The question is whether it will be more engaging than the earlier film, more deeply allowing us to identify and resonate with the topic at hand. YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER dir-scr Bassam Tariq; with Mahershala Ali, Giancarlo Esposito, Tramell Tillman, John Cho, Tiffany Boone, Shakirah DeMesier, Laith Nakli, Abubakr Ali 26/UK release US/UK 9.Oct.26 After the underrated gem Moghul Mowgli, we're up for anything writer-director Bassam Tariq makes next. And this looks like another darkly involving drama that digs deeply into some rather big issues along the way. Mahershala Ali plays a devoutly religious hitman who has to confront his beliefs and his life as he travels across Houston to protect his children after the death of his wife. Sounds pretty intense, but Ali, Esposito, Tillman and Cho are all extraordinarily gifted at giving their characters surprising textures. WILDWOOD dir Travis Knight; with Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jemaine Clement, Richard E Grant 26/US release US/UK 23.Oct.26 Genius stop-motion animator Travis Knight is back with another gorgeous-looking adventure, this time centring around a young girl who heads off in search of her missing brother, discovering a magical world in the forest. The imagery is simply gorgeous, artistically rendered in Laika's astonishingly smooth and detailed. And the voice cast is a superb mix. It's also promising that the film reteams Knight with Kubo and the Two Strings screenwriter Chris Butler. GODZILLA MINUS ZERO dir-scr Takashi Yamazaki; with Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Miou Tanaka, Munetaka Aoki, Sakura Ando, Yuki Yamada, Min Tanaka, Michael Arias 26/Japan release UK/US 6.Nov.26 Following on from the unexpected success (and Oscar win) for 2023's Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki and much of the cast is back for this sequel. It's set in 1949, two years after the events of the first movie, as this beleaguered family has to face another full-on attack from gigantic creatures that emerge from the sea. As before, we expect the plot and dialog to be corny, with overwrought character drama. But what we really want to see are even more bracingly original effects that bring these monsters to vivid life. THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING dir Francis Lawrence; with Joseph Zada, Mckenna Grace, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culkin, Maya Hawke 26/US release UK/US 20.Nov.26 Set some 15 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this story fills in another chunk of the saga's back-story, 24 years before the events of the original movies. At the centre is Haymitch (We Were Liars star Joseph Zada playing a young Woody Harrelson), who finds himself in the Hunger Games on a fluke and sets out to break the entire system. There are terrific characters in Suzanne Collins' novel, and previous films have adapted the books faithfully, catching clever storytelling elements. So let's hope this one has a bit more spark than the last rather over-serious chapter. The cast definitely bodes well. PAPER TIGER dir-scr James Gray; with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, Gavin Goudey, Roman Engel, Cindy Katz, Yves Garvy, Victor Ptak, Semion Bogoyavich 26/US release US 20.Nov.26, UK 5.Feb.27 James Gray is a solid filmmaker, and he has assembled a terrific central trio for this thriller, which apparently begins as a family-style drama before things cut loose. The film has been well-received on the festival circuit, acclaimed largely due to the performances by Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller. So this looks like it might be a nice guilty pleasure movie, a throwback to taut 1980s grit. It's screening at the London Film Festival, but the UK release has been pushed back to February. BEHEMOTH! dir-scr Tony Gilroy; with Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Will Arnett, Matthew Lillard, Margarita Levieva, Hank Azaria, JoBeth Williams 26/US release US 4.Dec.26 Obviously, any movie that gives Pedro Pascal a meaty role is a must-see. And here he's playing a top cellist from a family of musicians returning home to Los Angeles. Writer-director Tony Gilroy is a master at character portraits, and like him the cast around Pascal is excellent at finding small details that have big impact. Arnett looks especially intriguing in the trailer. And clearly the music will play a big role in the story as well. Likely to pop up at some autumn festivals, although it's not at Venice or Toronto. No UK release date yet. AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY dirAnthony & Joe Russo; with Robert Downey Jr, Pedro Pascal, Florence Pugh, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Vanessa Kirby, Simu Liu, Chris Evans, Channing Tatum, Paul Rudd, Ian McKellen 26/UK release US/UK 18.Dec.26 Frankly, I'm not really looking forward to this overcrowded sequel, largely because there is so much riding on it. Marvel needs to prove that there's life in the Avengers, so they have included scores of characters and an astonishing cast list that seems to go on forever. How all of these characters will get a chance to have any presence is the big question, as it seems clear that the movie's main reason to exist is to kick off another flurry of storylines. Marvel is best when they simply tell a story, but maybe this will surprise us. Also on my want-to-see list... Autumn: PRIMETIME THE WEIGHT ANIMALS CLAYFACE I LOVE BOOSTERS KLARA AND THE SUN MATCHBOX: THE MOVIE RUNNER SACRIFICE VERITY YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING THE CAT IN THE HAT EBENEZER ELSINORE HEXED HOW TO ROB A BANK STEPS Winter: BAD LIEUTENANT: TOKYO THE DEBUT DUNE: PART THREE THE FURTHER MIS-ADVENTURES OF CLIFF BOOTH MR IRRELEVANT RAY GUNN WERWULF 2027: ICE AGE: BOILING POINT WIFE & DOG DAY DRINKER GATTO VARANASI
Release dates: British film release schedules are even more fluid than American ones, so please be patient as I try to keep up with 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 distributors are increasingly restrictive (and proscriptive) about when reviews can run. Normally, once the film is shown to a paying audience, even at a festival, the full review can be posted. © 2026 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME \| REVIEWS \| NEWS \| FESTIVAL \| AWARDS \| Q&A \| ABOUT \| TALKBACK