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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...
40th BFI Flare: 18-29th March 27 Mar: THEY WILL KILL YOU SPLITSVILLE HOLY DAYS A MAGNIFICENT LIFE (Fr) THE LAST BLOSSOM (Jpn) TWO PROSECUTORS (Fr) DJ AHMET (Mac) ORWELL: 2+2=5 UNDERLAND 3 Apr: PALESTINE 36 (Pal) THE STRANGER (Fr) DJ AHMET (Mac) NIGHT STAGE (Br) D IS FOR DISTANCE 10 Apr: CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'* FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER THE CHRISTOPHERS* HAMLET THE STRANGER (Fr) CHAO 17 Apr: REBUILDING DEPARTURES DIAMONDS* (It) EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC* (Swe) MIROIRS NO 3 (Ger) 24 Apr: I SWEAR ROSE OF NEVADA* 1 May: WILD FOXES* (Fr) THE LAST ONE FOR THE ROAD* (It) 8 May: KOKUHO (Jpn) ROMERIA (Sp) 15 May: THE CHRISTOPHERS* THE ACTIVIST (Lit) 22 May: EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC* (Swe) 29 May: LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS 5 Jun: MADFABULOUS* 19 Jun: ROSE OF NEVADA* 10 Jul: THE LAST ONE FOR THE ROAD* (It) RELEASE DATE TBC . . . 213 BONES CIELO (Bol) COPPER (Mex) CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS DISREMEMBER HIGH TIDE KILL THE JOCKEY (Arg) MAGELLAN (Ph) NINO (Fr) PHANTOMS OF JULY (Ger) THE PLEASURE IS MINE (Arg) SOMEWHERE IN LOVE (Fr) * films I've seen, reviews under embargo C O M I N G U P . . . • STRANGE RIVER. YOU ME & TUSCANY. BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY. HOLY DAYS. THE LAST GUEST OF THE HOLLOWAY MOTEL. THEY WILL KILL YOU. THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN. POMPEI: BELOW THE CLOUDS. BLACK BURNS FAST. CHERRI. I AM GOING TO MISS YOU. ORPHAN. UNDERTONE. CHAO. KOLN '75. ALMOST US. THE BROKEN R. PERRRO PERRO. WHAT WILL I BECOME. APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS. • MICHAEL. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2. THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. UNRELEASED FESTIVAL FILMS . . . • Flare: 10s ACROSS THE BORDERS. HUNKY JESUS. JARIPEO. KEEP COMING BACK. LOW RIDER. LUNAR SWAY. MASPALOMAS. OUT LAWS. TO DANCE IS TO RESIST. UCHRONIA. • Cinema Made in Italy: A BRIEF AFFAIR. HEADS OR TAILS? FUORI. GIOIA. THREE GOODBYES. • LFF: THE VILE • FrightFest: THE DEGENERATE. DON'T LET THE CAT OUT. NIGHT OF VIOLENCE. 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. See also: SHADOWS FILM FEST	MOTHER MARY dir-scr David Lowery; with Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber, Jessica Brown Findlay, Sian Clifford, FKA Twigs, Atheena Frizzell 26/US release US 17.Apr.26, UK 24.Apr.26 David Lowery is a filmmaker who always surprises us (from A Ghost Story to The Green Knight), so I'm always looking forward to whatever he does next. This one looks dark and involving, as it follows a veteran popstar planning a comeback as she reconnects with her estranged best friend. These look like beefy roles for Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. And the music (by Charli XCX, Jack Antonoff and FKA Twigs) is integral to the story, so there's a strong potential for psychological intrigue. MICHAEL dir Antoine Fuqua; scr John Logan; with Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Juliano Valdi, Kendrick Sampson, Kat Graham, Laura Harrier, Derek Luke, Larenz Tate 26/US release US/UK 24.Apr.26 To be honest, I am only intrigued by this film due to the cast, with Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar in the title role and Colman Domingo and Nia Long as his imperious parents. Having grown up with the Jackson 5, I am also looking forward to how their childhood is depicted on-screen. But there are some big questions about this movie, mainly regarding how much ifluence the family had on the scriptand editing choices. And then there's Antoine Fuqua, a skilled director who isn't known for subtlety. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 dir David Frankel; scr Aline Brosh McKenna; with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Sydney Sweeney, Lady Gaga, Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux, Simone Ashley, BJ Novak, Tracie Thoms 26/US release US/UK 1.May.26 This 20-years-later sequel reunites the cast, writer and director of the hit comedy, and its premise looks promising as it addresses the decline of print media with old-school Miranda (Streep) battling former assistant Emily (Blunt), who now heads up a new-media outlet. It's hard to imagine that this won't be a lot of fun, as these talented people are unlikely to coast through this one. And it's also based on a follow-up novel, so it hopefully won't be the usual remake-style sequel. Fingers crossed. THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU dir Jon Favreau; with Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver 26/US release 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. DISCLOSURE DAY dir Steven Spielberg; scr David Koepp; with Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, Wyatt Russell, Eve Hewson, Elizabeth Marvel, Henry Lloyd-Hughes 26/US release US/UK 12.Jun.26 Steven Spielberg returns to the themes of classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. for what looks like a dark thriller about how humanity reacts to the reality that we are not alone in the universe. The cast is exceptional too, offering the potentian for lots of tantalising interaction between actors who know how to bring out nuance and emotion while simultaneously building suspense and intrigue. Of course, Spielberg is a master at orchestrating this kind of thing, so bring it on. TOY STORY 5 dir Andrew Stanton; with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Keanu Reeves, Annie Potts, Greta Lee, Bonnie Hunt, Wallace Shawn, Joan Cusack 26/US release US/UK 19.Jun.26 It's the franchise that won't die! Indeed, every film has felt like the concluding chapter in the saga of these loveable toys, and yet those bright sparks at Pixar continually find ways to breathe new life into their adventures. Andrew Stanton has been involved in all of the previous films as a writer, and this is his first as director (he also directed Finding Nemo and Wall-E), so the film is definitely in very good hands. And this voice cast has already created such indelible characters that we'd happily follow them anywhere. SUPERGIRL dir Craig Gillespie; with Milly Alcock, David Corenswet, Jason Momoa, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, Ferdinand Kingsley, Eve Ridley 26/US release US/UK 26.Jun.26 Frankly, there isn't a superhero movie coming down the pipeline that I'm truly looking forward to, but this one might be a bit more enjoyable than most, largely because Milly Alcock's chaotic moment in last year's Superman was the best scene in that film. And the ad campaign is playing up her messy approach to the character. So even if most of these bloated super-blockbusters are incapable of surprising us anymore, at least this one looks like it might contain a bit of offhanded fun here and there. 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/US release 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... Spring: MIKE & NICK & NICK & ALICE APEX OUTCOME I LOVE BOOSTERS PRESSURE Summer: THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD SAVAGE HOUSE SCARY MOVIE MINIONS & MONSTERS THE ODYSSEY SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA Autumn: MORTAL KOMBAT II WILDWOOD WILD HORSE NINE Winter: AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY DUNE: PART THREE 2027: 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