| SHADOWS ON THE WALL | REVIEWS | NEWS | FESTIVAL | AWARDS | Q&A | ABOUT | TALKBACK | ||
 Shadows reviews  
Trailers and other previews... | ||
|
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... |
|
16 Apr:
 IN THE EARTH
THE BANISHING
I'M NOT IN LOVE
SENSATION
TRUE MOTHERS (Jpn)
GUNDA (Nor)23 Apr:
BLACK BEAR30 Apr:
ABOUT ENDLESSNESS (Swe)
DEERSKIN (Fr)
LIMBO
NOMADLAND
TRUMAN & TENNESSEE: AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION*7 May: 
APPLES (Gr)
COWBOYS14 May:
THE MAN IN THE HAT21 May:
DREAM HORSE
SOUND OF METAL28 May:
TWO OF US (Fr)Jun-Sep:
AFTER LOVE
BOY MEETS BOY (Ger)
RURANGI
CICADA
THE FATHER
FIRST COW
FRESHMAN YEAR
LIMBO
THE MAN WITH THE ANSWERS* (Gr)
THE REASON I JUMP
P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE
SUBLET
SWEETHEARTDelayed:
MARTIN EDEN (It)
SUPERNOVA
WILD MOUNTAIN THYME 
THE WORLD TO COME* seen, reviews under embargo C O M I N G U P . . .
N O U K R E L E A S E D A T E . . .
SHADOWS FILM FEST |
NOTE: Even when cinemas are open in the US and UK, distributors are reluctant CRUELLA 
dir Craig Gillespie; with Emma Stone, Mark Strong, Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Joel Fry 21/UKrelease US/UK 28.May.21 While this looks like yet another Disney live-action cash-in, erm, reimagining of one of its animated classics, the powerhouse cast hints that it might be a bit more than that. As does the presence of I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie and The Favourite writer Tony McNamara. It's unlikely they'll have quite such a free hand here, but hopefully they can add their own subversive touches in telling the familiar 101 Dalmatians story through the eyes of the antagonist.
A QUIET PLACE PART II 
dir John Krasinski; with Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, Lauren-Ashley Cristiano, Wayne Duvall, Okieriete Onaodowan 20/USrelease US/UK 3.Jun.21 The first film was 2018's best break-out surprise, and it didn't scream out for a sequel, so let's hope Krasinski has found somewhere inventive to send these characters. Blunt, Jupe and Simmonds are so good that the idea of watching them do pretty much anything makes this a muse-see, and the trailer hints at some intriguing big twists, plus added Murphy and Hounsou. It's hard to imagine that this will be better than the original, but we can hope.
BLACK WIDOW 
dir Cate Shortland; with Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Ray Winstone, William Hurt, O-T Fagbenle, Robert Downey Jr 20/USrelease US/UK 9.Jul.21 Marvel finally gives Johansson the spin-off she deserved way back when she first played this character a decade ago. Of course, after the events of Endgame, it's unclear how this movie will fit into the over-arching Avengers story - a prequel? flashback? alternate reality? game changer? Whatever, the presence of superstars like Pugh and Weisz bodes very well indeed. As does the quirky hiring of Aussie director Shortland, gifted at making wrenching indie dramas. (Note that the UK release date is likely to slip back by at least 10 days due to cinemas being closed.)
FREE GUY 
dir Shawn Levy; with Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aaron W Reed, Alex Trebek 20/USrelease US/UK 13.Aug.21 There's a high concept behind this action comedy, which is about an average guy (erm, Ryan Reynolds) who discovers that he's a player in a startlingly violent videogame. It's not particularly clever, and Shawn Levy is the kind of director who emphasises the goofiness. He also keeps the audience entertained, so let's hope this is a guilty pleasure. if it's more than that, it's a bonus.
DUNE 
dir Denis Villeneuve; with Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling 21/Canrelease UK 17.Sep.21, US 1.Oct.21 Delayed an entire year by the pandemic, this looks like it will be a proper cinematic epic that deserves to be on the biggest screen possible. Frank Herbert's novels are so dense that they're difficult to adapt (of course, David Lynch made a thrilling attempt in 1984), and Villeneuve is a great choice as director, with his character-focussed approach and striking visual skills. The eclectic cast is properly exciting too, a superb mix of established actors among some bright young stars.
NO TIME TO DIE 
dir Cary Fukunaga; with Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen 20/UKrelease UK 30.Sep.21, US 8.Oct.21 Making a Bond movie seems to get more complicated year by year, and this one certainly went through some messy gyrations, including a false start with Danny Boyle and an 18-month pandemic delay. But Cary Fukunaga is a terrific filmmaker who should be able to bring something fresh to the franchise, and it will be interesting to see Craig reconnecting with figures from his previous 007 adventures. It's not only about the action - the story needs to be clever and engaging, and the characters just a little bonkers.
ANTLERS 
dir Scott Cooper; with Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan, Cody Davis 20/USrelease US 29.Oct.21, UK delayed This looks like an intriguing shift in direction for writer-director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), dipping into creepy horror alongside producer Guillermo del Toro. The low-key cast adds even more interest, avoiding starry leads for actors who are much easier to identify with as things turn seriously creepy in a rural Oregon community. And of course del Toro's visual effects experience clearly comes in handy when the monsters appear.
THE FRENCH DISPATCH 
dir Wes Anderson; with Timothee Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, Edward Norton, Elisabeth Moss, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban 20/USrelease US/UK delayed Wes Anderson assembles his starriest cast yet, which is saying something, for this collection of stories from a fictional magazine in a fictional French town. Anderson is terrific at weaving story strands together in a way that's entertaining, moving and often hilarious. And these actors are bound to have a lot of fun with the quirky characters he creates. And Anderson is great at making sure the audience has fun watching them.
Also on my want-to-see list... 
Spring: MONDAY
PERCY VS GOLIATH
THINGS HEARD & SEEN
TOGETHER TOGETHER
WITHOUT REMORSE
ABOVE SUSPICION
MAINSTREAM
OXYGEN
PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY
SPIRAL
THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
WRATH OF MAN
Summer: IN THE HEIGHTS
LUCA
THE GREEN KNIGHT
SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY
VOYAGERS
JUNGLE CRUISE
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU
RESPECT
THE SUICIDE SQUAD
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Autumn: THE BATMAN
HALLOWEEN KILLS
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
| |
|
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. © 2021 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME | REVIEWS | NEWS | FESTIVAL | AWARDS | Q&A | ABOUT | TALKBACK | ||
• GUNDA. HENRY GLASSIE: FIELDWORK. STEELERS.
EFFIE GRAY. INTO THE LABYRINTH. ME YOU MADNESS. HOMEWARD. STOWAWAY.
ANOTHER GAY MOVIE: DIRECTOR'S CUT. BEAST BEAST. HEAVY TRIP.
HOUSE OF CARDIN. MAKING SENSE THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES.
THE OAK ROOM. PERCY VS GOLIATH. SOME KIND OF HEAVEN.
LAND. THE MOLE AGENT. ALL IN.
ALONE. THERE IS NO EVIL. ESCAPING FREEDOM. HOSTS.
ECHO BOOMERS. WENDY. FIRST KISS.
