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 Shadows reviews    
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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... |
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TRAIN DREAMS
THE CHORAL
NUREMBERG
IN YOUR DREAMS
PETER HUJAR'S DAY
CHRISTY
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Nor)
ODYSSEY
GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE
BELEN (Arg)
EDEN & CHARLIE (Fr)
THE MARBLES
LOVE+WAR14 Nov: 
JAY KELLY
NUREMBERG
THE RUNNING MAN
NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T
PARK AVENUE*
NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER21 Nov:
WICKED: FOR GOOD
RENTAL FAMILY (Jpn)
THE THING WITH FEATHERS
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE
THE ICE TOWER (Fr)
CACTUS PEARS (Ind)
ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT28 Nov: 
WAKE UP DEAD MAN 
HAMNET
BLUE MOON
THE THING WITH FEATHERS
PILLION
CHRISTY
THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE
ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT5 Dec:
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Irn)
LA GRAZIA (It)
LITTLE TROUBLE GIRLS (Svn)19 Dec:
IS THIS THING ON?
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tun)26 Dec:
SONG SUNG BLUE*
THE CHORAL
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Nor)2 Jan: 
SONG SUNG BLUE*9 Jan:
HAMNET
RENTAL FAMILY (Jpn)16 Jan:
HEAVYWEIGHT
THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tun)23 Jan:
THE HISTORY OF SOUND 30 Jan:
IS THIS THING ON?
NOUVELLE VAGUE (Fr)
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Ice)6 Feb:
STITCH HEAD 19 Feb:
TWO PROSECUTORS (Fr)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: DREAMS IN NIGHTMARES. DRIVE BACK HOME. FATHERHOOD. A FEW FEET AWAY. MEA CULPA. MEMORABILIA. REALLY HAPPY SOMEDAY. SAD JOKES. SANDBAG DAM. WE ARE FAHEEM & KARUN. WINTER KEPT US WARM. SHADOWS FILM FEST |
NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T
dir Ruben Fleischer; with Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa,
Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Daniel Radcliffe 25/USrelease US/UK 14.Nov.25 The increasingly stacked cast of this third magical action thriller is a little worrying, because they will all need to get their screen time. These are guilty pleasure movies that work best when they don't take themselves too seriously, and also when they use in-camera magic tricks rather than cheating with digital effects. The most promising thing here that the new screenwriting team includes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who should inject more fun (and hopefully coherence) than previous chapters. NUREMBERG
dir-scr James Vanderbilt; with Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, Richard E Grant, Colin Hanks, John Slattery, Lotte Verbeek
25/USrelease US 7.Nov.25, UK 14.Nov.25 With a stacked cast and meaty subject matter, this dark drama will explore the psychological roots of the Nazi atrocities. Set just after the war ended as the legal cases were being established against the German leaders, this is bound to be intense and not very easy to watch. But the actors should be able to add intriguing nuances to these roles, and hopefully the present-day parallels will be both handled with a light touch and also present and accounted for. I'm avoiding reading reviews before I see it. WICKED: FOR GOOD
dir Jon M Chu; with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang 25/UKrelease US/UK 21.Nov.25 After the surprising high quality of first part, on every concievable level, it's a no-brainer that this is the year's most anticipated film. They were made at the same time, so the standard of production will be just as full-on. But the story takes a very different path in the second half, namely following Dorothy and friends as they travel the yellow brick road, but seen through the eyes of witches Glinda and Elphaba (Grande and Erivo). It's difficult to tamp down expectations, because we know it will be spectacular. Let's hope the emotional kick resonates. AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
dir James Cameron; with Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Cliff Curtis, Giovanni Ribisi, Sam Worthington, David Thewlis, Edie Falco
Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement 25/NZrelease US/UK 19.Dec.25 James Cameron continues with his passion project, which is turning into a franchise with this third instalment. The first trailer (which was shown to the press in 3D and was genuinely impressive) looks like an intriguing continuation of the story into a new realm, where Cameron can play around with new colours and textures in this increasingly varied distant planet. He's very good at creating simple stories that grab hold of the audience, matched by eye-catching imagery and groundbreaking special effects. So obviously, we'll all be there to see what comes next. 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. MARTY SUPREME
dir Josh Safdie; with Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Sandra Bernhard, Abel Ferrara, Geza Rohrig, Fran Drescher, Tyler the Creator 25/USrelease US/UK 25.Dec.25 Buzz has been strong for this comedy biopic about a ping pong player, and the trailer makes it look like a lot of fun. Josh Safdie makes his solo debut as a filmmaker (after his brother Benny made his own sporting biopic with The Smashing Machine), so it will be interesting to compare and contrast their storytelling styles. This also looks like another enjoyably immersive role for Timothee Chalamet, plus the return of Gwyneth Paltrow and a wonderfully eclectic supporting cast. SONG SUNG BLUE
dir-scr Craig Brewer; with Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Mustafa Shakir, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi
Ella Anderson, King Princess, Hudson Hilbert Hensley 25/USrelease US 25.Dec.25, UK 1.Jan.26 Frankly, this looks like a ridiculous crowd-pleaser, a blended family romance starring the always likeable Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as members of a Neil Diamond tribute band in the 1990s. And it's based on a true story. Expect lots of great music alongside the dramatic story, which includes some pretty serious story elements, from teen pregnancy to addiction issuesa and a serious car crash. THis is also a potential late entry into the awards race, with both Jackman and Hudson being mentioned for worthy performances. 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 there's after more than a year there's no release date for this one. Also on my want-to-see list... 
Autumn: SWIPED
ADULTHOOD
THE ASTRONAUT
FAIRYLAND
IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU
DIE, MY LOVE
IN YOUR DREAMS
KEEPER
PREDATOR: BADLANDS
THE RUNNING MAN
THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10
Winter: THE HOUSEMAID
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
THE PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION
THE RIP
WE BURY THE DEAD
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Spring: THE BRIDE
THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU
Release TBC: ETERNITY
NO OTHER CHOICE
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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 | ||
• BURY YOUR GAYS. NUREMBURG. THE RUNNING MAN. PILLION.
IN WAVES AND WAR.
IN YOUR DREAMS. WICKED: FOR GOOD. SUSU: ROAD TO REVENGE.
300 LETTERS. VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. BULL RUN.