The last movie I saw was...

[Claret_and_blue]

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Netflix)

 

Started a re-watch of the Harry Potter films, still a good film all these years later and still very enjoyable.

[LeMarchand]

The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix)

 

A group of OAPs in the world's nicest retirement home love to solve unsolved cases. Then the owner of the home is found dead and it's up to them to solve the mystery, and those they uncover along the way.

 

Not read the books, but thoroughly enjoyed this. Pierce Brosnan's accent wavers a bit and I'm not sure about the casting of Tom Ellis and Richard E. Grant plus the ending isn't as pat as the tone of the film would lead you to expect but otherwise a fun romp. Well worth a look if you enjoy a bit of cosy crime. I'd certainly watch more in the series though, given the age of the cast, they need to hurry up and film them.

 

India Sweets and Spices (Prime Video)

 

Back for her summer break after her first year at Uni, Alia (Sophia Ali - Uncharted) finds herself rebelling against her parent's seemingly traditional lifestyle.

 

The trailer makes this seem like it's going to be a romcom but it turns into a mother/daughter drama. OK but nothing special.

 

Dead Like Me: Life After Death (Prime Video*)

 

George Lass is a reaper. Her and her team reap the souls of people who are soon to be killed unexpectedly. When they get a new boss their fairly successful way of working gets disrupted.

 

Delayed sequel to the TV show, this sees most of the original cast return for more reaping. OK, but it needed to have a bit more of an "ending". As it stands it seems as if TPTB were hoping the movie might be a springboard to a revival of the show.

 

*Now removed. Managed to watch with 3 minutes to spare!

[paulkerton]

Thursday Murder Club
Oh boy. Distinctly average, badly miscast in places (Pierce Brosnan and Richard E Grant in particular but also David Tennant and Henry Lloyd-Hughes) and a really poor choice of location (I read the book and I never saw the retirement home as a more ostentacious Downton Abbey!) Oddly paced, and it didn't seem to land it's set up and pay off. 

For example, the cold case that starts the story. Felt like it was dropped entirely at one point, then it was suddenly remembered at the very end.

Should've been a 4 part Sunday evening BBC thing.

Edited September 2, 2025 by paulkerton

[psydii]

Mulholland Drive.  Found in a DVD library in  an Airbnb. “Ooh I’ve not seen that, seem to recall people talking about it when it came out, yeah let’s watch that.”

 

If you know nothing of this film, I strongly recommend you watch it *before* learning anything more. It’s quite a ride.
 

 

A film so wilfully ambiguous that (to paraphrase the Wikipedia article) "it left even the film's own cast to speculate on its meaning"

Edited September 2, 2025 by psydii

[LeMarchand]

Ice Road: Vengeance (Prime Video)

 

Mike's brother (who died in the first film) apparently wanted his ashes scattered on Everest so Mike heads to Katmandu. Unfortunately for him, the bus his guide chooses also carries a young man who an evil developer wants dead. It's soon time for Mike to fire up his particular set of skills* take to the wheel and save the day.

 

The first film was one of those that I went into with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by. This one is a bit of a dud. Despite coming from the same writer/director it feels like a script that was found down the back of the sofa and slightly retooled to crowbar Liam Neeson in. Also, I know love knows no boundaries, but the ending felt forced.

 

*Sorry, wrong franchise.

 

KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

 

 

Once every generation in Korea a trio of girls are chosen to fight demons and - through the power of music - to unite the country and replenish the Honmoon, a magical shield that keeps the demons in place. The current incumbents, HUNTR/X, may be so popular that they can create a permanent Honmoon but lead singer Rumi hides a dark secret and a cunning demon has a plan to defeat HUNTR/X... by creating a boy band to steal their fans to the dark side.

 

The trailer doesn't do the film justice. Netflix were keen for me to watch it as we've watched a few Korean shows, but I really wasn't sold by the trailer (which doesn't even feature the best song). However, the film's subsequent successful cinema release (I feel sorry for any of the staff who had to go into a screen full of kids trying to sing along) and constant high placing in both the Netflix and musical charts piqued my curiosity so I watched it AND LOVED IT!

 

If you've been curious about it, it's time to get off that fence and join #Team HUNTR/X. I may even have listened to "Golden" a few times.

Edited September 9, 2025 by LeMarchand

[LeMarchand]

Love, Divided aka Pared con pared (Netflix)

 

Valentina and her grand piano move into an impossibly chic apartment in Madrid to prepare for her upcoming audition to become a concert pianist. The reason the rent is so cheap is because a very thin wall separates her apartment from that of a (physical) game designer who needs absolute silence and who has managed to drive away other renters. Somehow, sparks begin to fly between them and they begin a curious friendship where they never actually meet in person that soon develops into something more.

 

Cute Spanish romcom where the two leads don't knowingly see each other until close to the end of the movie. Luckily they both happen to be good looking. 

 

Ashes aka Kül (Netflix)

 

Gökçe is the unfulfilled wife of a book publisher who reads all the manuscripts for him. One day she starts reading "Ashes", a strange, magical, novel about a woman who falls for a man known only as "M" (not that one). Gökçe begins to trace the locations mentioned in the book and somehow seems to find herself living out the story.

 

Sounds, and looks in the trailer, a bit like it could have the same sort of tone as Chocolat. Unfortunately, after a reasonable start, it all gets a bit overwrought. Those who have watched other Netflix Turkish content may recognise Mehmet Günsür from The Gift (he looks a bit like a young Anthony Head in this) and Funda Eryiğit from the first couple of seasons of The Protector.

[LeMarchand]

Civil War (Prime Video)

 

A small group of war photographers/journalists make their way across an America in the grips of a civil war.

 

This and it was a great improvement on "Annihilation" and "Men", but still not the greatest. It's not really about the politics of the situation but about the way some people will fight because they can. I thought it also had something to say about war reporters and photographers seeming to enjoy the adrenaline hit of being in a combat zone. Kirsten Dunst's Lee does get a line to give her a noble reason, but Joel announces that the gunfire is getting him "excited" at one stage.

 

The first line of the film, with the Prez practising a speech about a "great victory, some say the greatest victory", and the fact that he is in his third term seem a bit pointed, though.

[LeMarchand]

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Cinema)

 

David (Colin Farrell) seems destined to be single for life, as does Sarah (Margot Robbie). The two meet at a wedding, having both hired cars from the same odd agency. They end up travelling together with their satnav wanting to take them on a strange journey that involves them walking through mysterious doors that take them to key events in their lives.

 

Colin Farrell + romance + inexplicable magic? I was hoping for something more akin to (A New York) Winter's Tale which I'm one of the very few who love. Unfortunately after the first couple of doors things get more "real" life; I would have liked a much lighter tone. There's a good idea there, but it never really gelled for me.

 

 

[LeMarchand]

Honeymoonish aka  شهر زي العسل (Netflix)

 

Noor is a wild party girl who finds out the guy she was expecting to propose to her has got married to a girl from school and is determined to make him regret that betrayal by getting married within a week.

 

Hamad is a career businessman with no interest in marriage until his father threatens to disown him and remove him from their business unless he gets married and provides a sonogram within a month.

 

Luckily they have mutual friends...

 

Quite a fun Kuwaiti romcom. One of the obstacles to the romance doesn't translate well (Hamad finds out Noor may be his sister - but this means that she may have been breastfed by the same woman more than five times rather than a full on "Game of Thrones" type thing) but a pleasant enough watch.

[LeMarchand]

Play Dirty Prime Video

 

After a heist, Parker (Mark Wahlberg) vows revenge on the woman who betrayed him and killed his crew. However he puts that aside when she offers an even bigger heist.

 

Fun Shane Black flick. Worth a look if you like his stuff.

[Dos_Box]

I went to see The Thing at the local Odeon last night. It's the first time I've seen it in years and its aged very well I must say.
I'd forgotten just how much of the film is about paranoia.
Hopefully off to see Good Boy tomorrow 😊

[6Foot2]

4 hours ago, Dos_Box said:

I went to see The Thing at the local Odeon last night...

 

"The Thing" is currently available to stream via ITVX

 

😃

[NegativeKillDeath]

The Thing, along with American Werewolf in London are the 2 films that my friends older brother introduced us to when we were about 11 or 12.

 

Recently been having an 80s binge. Rewatched Robocop, Total Recall, Running Man and Highlander.  

[ICTDirect_Dave]

I bloody love Highlander!  Contender for best movie soundtrack too!

[Dos_Box]

13 hours ago, 6Foot2 said:

 

"The Thing" is currently available to stream via ITVX

 

😃

I'd never seen it on the big screen before though, and it was a £5 ticket  

[LeMarchand]

Saiyaara aka सैयारा (Netflix)

 

Trailer contains lots of gratuitous male chest.

 

 

Heartbroken after being dumped at the altar, the slightly scatterbrained Vaani just wants to fulfil her dream of becoming a writer. Her first internship brings her into contact with Krish Kapoor, a singer/musician with a rock star ego, but not success. Can her lyrics and his music make a hit record and will they fall in love?

 

The trailer makes this look like it's going to be a bit of an overblown romance set in the world of Indian pop music (it's supposed to be rock, but sounds like the sort of anodyne romance songs in most Indian movies) but it takes a turn into something a bit tragic. I have to admit I did find it quite moving, though it could have done with being an hour shorter.

[LeMarchand]

Tron: Ares  (Cinema)

 

 

Generally ignoring the second film apart from a few Easter Eggs this has Dillinger's grandson searching for the "Permanence Code" so that he can build an army of cyberwarriors that will be able to function for more than 29 minutes in the real world. Meanwhile the heirs to Flynn's work are looking for the same thing for more altruistic reasons but find themselves up against the ultimate cyberwarrior: Ares.

 

I actually found this the most enjoyable of the three movies. Loved the red aesthetic of the Dillinger army and it kinda made sense. The NIN soundtrack was pretty good too. Shame it's likely to be the last for another decade or two. Also a shame that, despite having a couple of monologues about their music, there was only one Depeche Mode track.

 

WAR 2 Original Telegu version (Netflix)

 

 

After the events of WAR Kabir is working as an assassin but is, in fact, still working undercover for RAW (Research and Analysis Wing, here subtitled as R&AW) trying to trace the evil organisation, Kali. After he has to kill his old boss (at the latter's insistence) to maintain his cover the new boss of RAW (Anil "Who Want To Be Millonaire" Kapoor) assembles a team including the old boss's daughter/Kabir's ex- and new blood Vikram (N.T. Rama Rao Jr. - Bheem from RRR) to take down Kabir. Cue lots of OTT action sequences and plot twists.

 

Although it's extremely OTT and this time not just women and men find Kabir irresistible but a wolf sucuumbs his charms, this is quite fun. That said, it's way too long and could have done without an extended post-interval flashback showing how and why Kabir and Vikram are such best buds and probably the later flashback trying to convince us that Kabir's one true love is his old boss's daughter because we already knew all we needed to know from...

 

 

 

Unfortunately this was a surprise failure at the box office and while Alpha with Alia Bhaat is due out on Christmas Day the "YRF Spy Universe" is apparently "retooling". I had assumed this was to remove or make Katrina Kaif's character as she plays a Pakistani spy who is on the side of the angels which probably doesn't play very well in India at the moment, but maybe they have other problems.

[LeMarchand]

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Sky Movies)

 

Now a widow of four years, Bridget finds herself back in the dating game.

 

I guess it wouldn't be a Bridget Jones film without romantic mishaps, but it seems a bit cruel to deprive her of her happy ending. Although it plays like a "greatest hits" recap, there are some moments that made us laugh and couple of quite emotional ones. Some of Bridget's mannerisms were sort of endearing in earlier films, but come across as annoying here. Quite enjoyed it, but wouldn't exhort people to give it a go.

[LeMarchand]

A Merry Little Ex-Mas (Netflix)

 

A divorcing/I can't bear to say it... "Con******** Un********" couple are determined to remain as good friends as ever and that their teenage children won't find out until after Christmas, which will be the not-quite-traditional one that they've always had. Then the wife (Alicia Silverstone, looking naturally lovely and seemingly uncarved) finds out her hubby (Oliver Hudson) has already got a new lady (Jameela Jamil more or less revisiting her "Good Place" part). Luckily there's a hot Santa around...

 

The trailer has all the funny parts and if you can't work out the ending from it then you've failed RomCom 101. Very predictable and not destined to become a classic but an OK "brain off" watch.

[MicraMan]

Watched "Transformers Dark of the Moon" last night they've started going down hill, hard watches.

[LeMarchand]

Playdate (Prime Video)

 

NSFW language in trailer

 

 

Utterly preposterous action comedy that if you really shouldn't even start to question as otherwise you'll miss out a quite a fun ride.

[paulkerton]

Better Man
If you ignore all the timeline inconsistencies within the film, like how All Saint's Never Ever is number 1 before Robbie has met Guy Chambers even though his debut album came out before Never Ever was released as a single... Mentioning Oasis before they'd even been signed to a record label.... things like that, then it's actually quite a good film. Bit of a pity party, but that's Robbie for ya.

Even the Robbie as a "performing ape" thing really works. The problem is, it was never a $110,000,000 movie.
And it's also a musical biopic, of which there are almost none that are good. Especially when the artists are involved.
Not as good as Elvis, but a damn sight better than Bohemian Rhapsody.

Edited November 17, 2025 by paulkerton

[Dos_Box]

Went to see The Running Man on Friday. It's....meh.
I don't think action\non comedy films are Edgar Wright's forte, I didn't get on with Last Night in Soho either.

[LeMarchand]

Christmas Karma (Cinema)

 

 

Yes, it's basically "A Christmas Carol" with a slight Asian twist and, though the trailer does its best to hide it, lots of very poor musical numbers.

 

Mme LeMarchand wanted to see this despite my pointing out that her assertion that we ought to support Indian movies at the cinema if we wanted to see more was incorrect as it was a British film with Asian stars. It was slightly better than I expected and did occasionally tug at the heartstrings but not one to venture out to see.

 

You'll find yourself asking questions like:

 

With all the "known" British Asian actors, why is the only recognisable one Mrs Khan (the eagle-eyed might recognise Kash from "Extraordinary")? I'm not counting lead actor Kunal Nayyar as he's primarily known for the American "Big Bang Theory".

 

Why is the term "Scrooge" recognisable "in universe"?

 

Why is the lip-sync so bad, with some of the cast seeming to forget they're supposed to be singing?

 

Why aren't more of the songs more "Bollywood"?

 

Why didn't they get Priyanka Chopra to appear properly in the film rather than just picture-in-picture singing a Desi version of "Last Christmas" over the end credits?

 

Why would someone living in Hampstead still have an electricity meter? Even a miser would realise that it wasn't economical.

 

Why is Hugh Bonneville unrecognisable? (Even allowing for cadaverous makeup)

 

Why is the Ghost of Christmas Past from Mexican mythology?

 

Why cast an American as the Ghost of Christmas Present?

 

Why are there so few Asian actors in any of the scenes that don't involve Mr Sood's family and the cornershop?

 

Why are there no East Asians in London?

 

Most of all, and you can see a snippet of this in the trailer:

 

Why are we swinging back to treating refugees like they did in the 70s?

[LeMarchand]

The Family Plan 2 (Apple TV)

 

After the events of the first movie the Morgans are living a quiet life again until Nina, now studying in London, announces she wants to stay there over Christmas. Father Dan manages to get a consulting job there to enable the family to spend the holidays together but finds the they are in peril again, this time from a hitherto unmentioned brother.

 

If you liked the first one you'll probably enjoy this, though it's not  as good. Not one to rush to see, though.

 

The Life of Chuck (Mid price rental but Apple currently have it at £5.49).

 

 

One of those films that it's hard to describe without spoilers, this comes in three acts. The first follows a teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor, who must give good teacher as this is the second film in a row I've seem him in playing one) living the last days of what appears to be a slow apocalypse, the second features an episode in adult the life of the eponymous Chuck and the first covers his childhood.

 

The trailer made it look like the movie was going to be bringing all the feels and possibly cause localised dust problems affecting eyesight. Unfortunately the first act sets an increasingly creepy tone that lingers through the rest of the movie as you try to piece together what is going on. This puts a bit of a damper on the second act in particular, which is supposed to be joyous. Also the final reveal wasn't as visually stunning as I was expecting, not that it really needed to be but after all that build up..., and the decision at the end needed to be made clearer and/or given an extra line or two in the voice-over to give it more weight. I can see why it failed to make back its budget at the box office: King fans probably weren't keen on what appeared to be a feel good movie and those that wanted that were probably put off by Stephen King's name.

 

That said, as long as you don't go in expecting what the trailer seems to promise, the film is probably worth a look. It's one of those that sits in the brain afterwards and you might want to try again at a later date. Cautiously recommended.