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 Shadows reviews    
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ELLA MCCAY*
GOODBYE JUNE* 
ETERNITY 
LURKER
ELEANOR THE GREAT
PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT LIFE
SCARLET (Jpn)
THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE (Irq)
BABY
A FEW FEET AWAY (Arg)19 Dec: 
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH*
IS THIS THING ON?
THE HOUSEMAID*
THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS*
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tun)
COVER-UP26 Dec:
MARTY SUPREME
SONG SUNG BLUE*
THE HOUSEMAID*
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER
THE CHORAL
THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS*
THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE
THE PLAGUE
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Nor)
NO OTHER CHOICE (Kor)2 Jan:
SONG SUNG BLUE*
PETER HUJAR'S DAY9 Jan:
HAMNET
RENTAL FAMILY (Jpn)16 Jan: 
DEAD MAN'S WIRE
HEAVYWEIGHT
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tun)23 Jan:
THE HISTORY OF SOUND
NO OTHER CHOICE (Kor) 30 Jan:
IS THIS THING ON?
ISLANDS
NOUVELLE VAGUE (Fr)
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Ice)6 Feb:
TWINLESS
STITCH HEAD 
MY FATHER'S SHADOW (Ngr)
SCARLET (Jpn)13 Feb:
LITTLE AMELIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (Fr)20 Feb:
IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU
THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE
TWO PROSECUTORS (Fr)27 Feb:
SIRAT (Sp)6 Mar:
A PRIVATE LIFE (Fr)20 Mar:
LA GRAZIA (It)RELEASE DATE TBC . . .
C O M I N G U P . . .
UNRELEASED FESTIVAL FILMS . . . 
• LFF:
THE VILE• FrightFest: THE DEGENERATE. DON'T LET THE CAT OUT. NIGHT OF VIOLENCE. PIG HILL. WHERE IS JUAN MOCTEZUMA? • Raindance: BEAM ME UP SULU. BREAKWATER. A CELL PHONE MOVIE. FLAMINGO CAMP. IF YOU SHOULD LEAVE BEFORE ME. • SXSW London: TORO. • Flare: DRIVE BACK HOME. MEMORABILIA. SANDBAG DAM. WE ARE FAHEEM & KARUN. SHADOWS FILM FEST |
ANACONDA
dir Tom Gormican; with Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, Ione Skye, Ben Lawson, Diego Arnary 25/USrelease US/UK 25.Dec.25 After The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, director-cowriter Tom Gormican is back with about all-star meta-comedy thriller, this time a witty reboot of the gigantic snake franchise that centres around a group of friends who decide to remake a favourite B-movie adventure from their youth. Of course, things get outrageously crazy when they arrive in the Amazon, facing dangers both in nature and from ruthless people. Yes, it all looks a bit familiar, but Gormican is very good at over-the-top silliness. THE RIP
dir-scr Joe Carnahan; with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Scott Adkins, Nestor Carbonell, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sasha Calle 26/USrelease US/UK 16.Jan.26 Frankly, the plot of this thriller looks like it might have been adapted from a rejected script for Miami Vice, as it centres on policemen who don't know who to trust when they discover a huge stash of cash. But the fact that this finally returns Damon & Affleck to lead roles on-screen together means that there must be more to it than that. And the cast is packed with terrific actors who are sure to elevate the material considerably. Director Carnahan is a solid filmmaker, so we'll be hoping he brings some extra edge to this one. WUTHERING HEIGHTS
dir Emerald Fennell; with Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Alison Oliver, Owen Cooper, Martin Clunes, Hong Chau, Ewan Mitchell, Shazad Latif 26/UKrelease US/UK 13.Feb.26 It's natural that people will grumble whenever anyone takes on an adaptation of the iconic Emily Bronte novel, especially a filmmaker like Emerald Fennell who loves breaking rules. Casting Aussies in the lead was just the first perceived insult against staid British literary history, but bring it on! The pairing of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is seriously intriguing, and the gifted Fennell clearly isn't trying to be faithful to the details of the book. Instead, she is likely to focus on the wonderfuly gothic themes. Can't wait. CRIME 101
dir-scr Bart Layton; with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Halle Berry, Corey Hawkins, Monica Barbaro, Nick Nolte, Payman Maadi, Jennifer Jason Leigh 26/USrelease US/UK 13.Feb.26 Writer-director Bart Layton takes his time making movies, but his last one was the 2018 masterpiece American Animals, based on a true crime story. He's also reteaming with Barry Keoghan here, plus a superb ensemble cast in a story about a last-gasp heist and a tenacious detective. Layton's ability to combine character comedy with documentary-style realism is astonishing, so it's likely that we'll see several of these fine actors in a new light. GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE
dir Gore Verbinski; with Sam Rockwell, Michael Pena, Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Haley Lu Richardson, Tom Taylor, Asim Chaudhry, Elly Condron
Sarah 25/USrelease US 13.Feb.26 While the trailer looks like it's rather over-the-top, there's plenty of potential here for a guilty pleasure. It's a horror comedy about a scrappy guy (Sam Rockwell) who travels back from the future to warn humanity about the forthcoming AI apocalypse, and to recruit a team of hapless people who can hopefully prevent it. The eclectic cast looks like fun, and director Verbinski is gifted at managing madcap action for both laughs and thrills. Let's just hope it doesn't spiral too far out of control.
THE BRIDE
dir-scr Maggie Gyllenhaal; with Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, Louis Cancelmi 26/USrelease US/UK 6.Mar.26.25 There's been a lot of buzz swirling around this project as various people, including the cast, have reacted to Maggie Gyllenhaal's script for this reimagining of The Bride of Frankenstein. Her directing approach is clearly going to be rather out-there, set in 1930s Chicago with an attitude that perhaps echoes Poor Things. The idea of Christian Bale as the monster is enough to bring us in. But what we really want to see is Jessie Buckley cutting very loose indeed with something that looks truly outrageous. THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU
dir Jon Favreau; with Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver 26/USrelease US/UK 22.May.26 Disney seems to be scrambling to return a sense of purpose to its Star Wars franchise, now latching onto its most successful TV series and turning it into a movie. With Jon Favreau at the helm, this is likely to be pretty much exactly what we expect: a continuation of the series on the big screen. So let's hope they can ramp things up visually while maintaining the dry humour that brought the show's characters to life. Expectations aren't too high, largely due to Disney's creation-by-committee approach. 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/USrelease 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 more than a year later there's still no release date for this one. Will we ever see it? Also on my want-to-see list... 
Autumn: ADULTHOOD
THE ASTRONAUT
FAIRYLAND
THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10
Winter: 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
THE MOMENT
THE PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION
WE BURY THE DEAD
COLD STORAGE
HOW TO MAKE A KILLING
SCREAM 7
Spring/Summer: HOPPERS
PROJECT HAIL MARY
CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'
MICHAEL
MOTHER MARY
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2
TOY STORY 5
Release TBC: WILDWOOD
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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. © 2025 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME | REVIEWS | NEWS | FESTIVAL | AWARDS | Q&A | ABOUT | TALKBACK | ||
• MANAS. FRANZ. H IS FOR HAWK. REBUILDING.
THE PLAGUE. DRAGONFLY. 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE.