Hanna Flint

It’s still early days, but 2024 is already shaping up to be a gala year at the multiplex. Last year was a cracker – thanks to Oppenheimer, Barbie, Past Lives et al – but the next 12 months promise plenty, with Denis Villeneuve delivering a long-awaited Dune sequel, George Miller back at the bullet farm with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a resurrection of the Alien franchise, and a tonne of other big-screen fare to get excited about. So far, we’ve been spoiled rotten, with the achingly lovelorn All of Us Strangers, Yorgos Lanthimos’s riotous Poor Things, and Luca Guadagnino’s sexy AF tennis psychodrama Challengers just a few of the good reasons to get to the cinema. So, the criterion for entry: some of these movies came out in the US at the back end of 2023 – Oscars qualification required it – but we’re basing this list on UK release dates to include the best worldwide releases from between January and December. We’ll be updating it with worthy new releases as we go, so keep this one bookmarked. RECOMMENDED: 📺 The best TV shows of 2024 (so far) you need to stream🎥 The 100 greatest movies ever made🔥 The best movies of 2023

Television used to be considered one of the lowest forms of entertainment. It was derided as ‘the idiot box’ and ‘the boob tube’. Edward R Murrow referred to it as ‘the opiate of the masses’, and the phrase ‘I don’t even own a TV’ was considered a major bragging right. And for a long time, it was hard to say that television’s poor reputation was undeserved.  A lot has changed. Television is now the dominant medium in basically all of entertainment, to the degree that the only thing separating movies and TV is the screen you’re watching on. Now, if you don’t own a television – or a laptop or a tablet or a phone – you’re basically left out of the cultural conversation completely. The shift in perception is widely credited to the arrival of The Sopranos, which completely reinvented the notion of what a TV show could do. But that doesn’t mean everything that came before is primordial slurry. While this list of the greatest TV shows ever is dominated by 21st century programs, there are many shows that deserve credit for laying the groundwork for this current golden age. Chiseling them down to a neat top 100 is difficult, so we elected to leave off talk shows, variety shows and sketch comedy, focusing on scripted, episodic dramas, comedies and miniseries.  So don’t touch that dial – these are the greatest TV shows of all-time. Recommended: 📺 The best TV and streaming shows of 2023 (so far)🔥The 100 greatest movies of all-time🎬The most bingeable series on Netflix

⭑⭑⭑⭑✩ ¿Hay algo más tranquilizador que ver una película de Jackass? Eso podría ser algo extraño de decir dado lo ridículamente incómodo, por decirlo suavemente, que este grupo se ha estado poniendo durante las últimas dos décadas. Pero es reconfortante saber que cuando Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O y sus amigos se sometan a las acrobacias juveniles más peligrosas que puedan imaginar, se lo pasarán en grande.Jackass Forever ofrece exactamente eso, aunque esta franquicia es mucho más que un mosaico de travesuras locas y chistes. El veterano director de la franquicia, Jeff Tremaine, sabe exactamente cómo sacar lo mejor tanto de su elenco como de su camarógrafo para ofrecer escenarios a menudo meticulosos y siempre emocionantes. Ya sea tan simple como la clásica prueba de la taza (recibir un golpe en la entrepierna con un objeto de alta velocidad) o tan complicado como el ataque de un títere de pene kaiju (por mal que suene), los efectos prácticos y la cinematografía nunca se han visto tan cinemáticos. Una nueva guardia de bromistas se mantiene firme entre los old school, pero hay algo en el hastío del mundo de los dobles de riesgo que han sufrido durante mucho tiempo, Danger Ehren, Dave England y Preston Lacy, que hace que cada truco tonto en el que se dejan engañar sea mucho más divertido. Su miedo, ira, diversión y, finalmente, el alivio de sobrevivir para contar la historia, sin filtrar, brindan recompensas indefectiblemente entrañables a cada empresa loca, generalmente acompaña

⭑⭑✩✩✩ Hay una escena en la nueva entrega de Paul Schrader sobre la psique masculina estadounidense, en la que el antihéroe epónimo de Oscar Isaac, William Tell, sienta a su joven protegido Cirk (Tye Sheridan) en su habitación de motel para hablar seriamente con él. El temor envuelve a la pareja ya que la ambigüedad de la intención de este astuto podría ser una amenaza para la enojada existencia de este niño o un empujón aún más en el camino de la venganza contra un contratista militar en el que está tan rígidamente enfocado. "Cualquier hombre puede inclinarse", le dice William siniestramente a Cirk. Está describiendo la forma en que tanto un jugador de cartas como un interrogador militar, funciones en las que tiene experiencia, pueden forzar cada vez más una mano, o una persona, sin lograr los resultados deseados.Es una de las pocas escenas llamativas e interesantes de El contador de cartas , y es un símbolo del amor de Schrader por los protagonistas masculinos listos para inclinarse a sí mismos, desde Travis Bickle de Taxi Driver hasta Ernst Toller de First Reformed. Esta cinta  es un farol lento con pocas novedades que ofrecer.  El guionista y director utiliza su tropo favorito de hombre solitario para explorar la resaca traumática de la guerra contra el terrorismo de Estados Unidos a través de los ojos de un jugador de poca monta. La voz en off y las entradas del diario de William, escritas con caligrafía experta en las habitaciones de un motel, se vuelven aún más anodinas

Céline Sciamma has made a name for herself in the coming-of-age genre, earning acclaim for her trilogy of films ‘Water Lilies’ (2007), ‘Tomboy’ (2011) and ‘Girlhood’ (2014). Now the French filmmaker enters adult territory with ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’, which tells the intimate story of lesbian love between a late-eighteenth-century painter (Noémie Merlant) and her aristocrat model (Adèle Haenel). Prepare to fall hard for this one. When did you first conceive this story? ‘It was after [2014’s] “Girlhood”. I wanted to devote a whole film to a love story. My films have mostly been about the rise of desire as the discovery of oneself. Now it was all about crafting this love dialogue around equality, and the sexiness of consent. I think this is timeless and it belongs to today.’ Why did you decide to set the film in the eighteenth century? ‘People who don’t like the film say: “Oh, it’s lacking conflict. We don’t see the problem of homosexuality enough.” I didn’t set it in the past to push the forbidden side of it because it’s still forbidden. I mean, it [homosexuality] is not super-welcome today. This movie is all about equality and how things can be surprising because there’s no gender, age or intellectual domination – and we’re not playing with social domination either.’ Céline Sciamma with Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel. Photograph: Featureflash Photo Agency Why did you cast Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel? ‘The film was designed with Adèle in mind as the model and so, in

There’s no limit to the talent that London produces. We’ve seen actors like former Time Out guest editor John Boyega and Naomi Ackie become global superstars, bagging roles in the world’s biggest film franchises, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge is scooping up awards left, right and centre (congrats on the Golden Globe wins, Phoebe).  As one generation of London-born actors flies the nest to become Hollywood regulars, a new crop of local talent prepares to take their place. From James Bond star Lashana Lynch to ‘His Dark Materials’ newcomer Amir Wilson, here are some of the fresh, promising London actors to watch out for on the big screen this year.  RECOMMENDED: The best films of 2019

What was the first movie you saw at the cinema? ‘It was “The Wizard of Oz”. I can picture myself in the cinema with my family but can’t quite remember which one it was!’ What is your favourite cinema? ‘It used to be in Whiteleys in Bayswater, but it’s shut down now. You could have food and get the sofa beds for two. I would come with a little blanket and just kind of snuggle down to watch movies, but then you could just press a little switch and someone would come in and take your order. It was amazing.’ Where do you go now? ‘I love Everyman cinemas. Tickets are so expensive, you need a reason to pay instead of staying at home to watch TV. Super-comfortable seats and food and drink throughout is the dream.’ What was the last film that you loved? ‘I’ve missed a lot because I’ve been shooting but “The Favourite” was incredible. What a powerhouse movie with powerhouse women. The directing was really quirky and unexpected too.’ You’ve made a lot of movies in London. Which locations stick out in your mind? ‘I remember shooting “Spectre” next to Big Ben at night. We had the police blocking off the entire area. Only a Bond movie could shut down that part of London! I just thought what a privilege it was to be taking over my home town in this way.’ What is your favourite premiere memory? ‘It was the royal premiere for “Spectre” and it was the first time I was allowed to take a guest with me. I took my uncle, who has always been so incredibly kind to me. The thing is, they said that y

Waad Al-Kateab spent five years surviving in the Syrian warzone of Aleppo, with her doctor husband, to document the terror inflicted by President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. During their struggle, she conceived a daughter called Sama, and her new doc shares the story of bringing her into the world as it was being torn apart. When did you realise this footage could be made into a documentary? ‘Not until I left [Aleppo], because my expectation was that I would be killed. I knew I had to film everything, so someone could take this footage one day and do something with it.’ How did you get the footage out?‘Not until I left [Aleppo], because my expectation was that I would be killed. I knew I had to film everything, so someone could take this footage one day and do something with it.’ What cameras were you using? I started with my Nokia mobile phone and ended with a Canon 70, which I still have and is on display in my living room.’ Why did you choose to centre yourself in this story? ‘The idea was for it to [have] me as an activist, as a mother, as a woman showing the female perspective of seeing the details around us. I’m more interested in showing women’s feelings because I know what they mean.’ Is it important that Syrians tell their own stories rather than them just being relayed by Western journalists?‘Yes, it is very important. It’s what Marie Colvin was doing. She was smuggled into Syria illegally, and unfortunately, she was killed there, but she was giving voice to people w

Director Nadine Labaki has earned a growing following since debuting her 2007 film ‘Caramel’, thanks to her keen ability to present relatable social themes from an Arab perspective. With ‘Capernaum’, she focuses on the refugee crisis and a Lebanese boy (Zain Al Rafeea) who sues his parents for bringing him into the world. Prepare yourself for heartbreak. What makes you stand out as a filmmaker?‘I don’t care what is expected from me: neither as a woman nor as a filmmaker. I just do what my body needs to do and what my instinct tells me to do. No matter how good or bad the film is, I’m not talking about the quality of the film but the connection I have with people, with audiences. It’s a blessing.’ What was it about your young lead, Zain Al Rafeea, that made him right for the role? ‘I didn’t think we could find everything I was asking for in one child, but when I watched Zain in his casting interview I just knew it was him. It’s strange, four years ago I saw a child sleeping on the street and later that night I angrily drew the face of a child shouting at adults. When I compare that picture with Zain now, I see the same eyes, the same anger.’ Zain Al Rafeea (right) in ‘Capernaum’ The good and bad guys in ‘Capernaum’ aren’t clear-cut. What was the purpose of presenting a more silent villain? ‘The villain is the system, that’s why in the film you cannot judge. You have to be on this rollercoaster of contradictory emotions where you hate the parents and then love them.’ The film i

If you’re looking for a meditative experience without all the bending and stretching of a yoga class, Samsara is just the immersive ticket.  Taking its name from the Buddhist philosophy of the cyclical nature of life, death and reincarnation, Spanish filmmaker Lois Patiño takes audiences on a sensory journey. There’s little plot; instead, we follow the soul of an elderly woman called Mon (Simone Milavanh) as it travels from Laos to Zanzibar via our mind’s eye. Patiño offers a laconic stream of consciousness in three parts to engage viewers with cultural and religious traditions that connect the world. Opening in Laos, the camera slowly pans across a sea of Buddhist monks-in-training, eyes closed in meditation. The syncopated call of an unseen animal can be heard over the hum of crickets and the domestic goings-on in the temple around them. It’s a peaceful and patient soundscape that soothingly soundtracks the monks, in their vibrant orange robes, as they go about their daily routines.  If you’re looking for a meditative experience without all the bending and stretching of yoga, Samsara is just the ticket  The cast of non-actors adds to the gentle naturalism of the camerawork, as does the lean dialogue penned by Patino and co-writer Garbiñe Ortega. From two novice monks discussing their choice to study instead of continuing their impoverished lives working in rice fields, to the older women in Zanzibar fretting over luxury hotels polluting the water they farm seaweed in, Sams

In the opening moments of this spirited documentary about pioneering American-Korean artist Nam June Paik, the former director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney, and ICA Boston, David A Ross, recalls: ‘Until I learned how to listen to him, it was hard to hear him.’  Ross is talking affectionately about his early struggle to communicate with Paik. According to several other talking-head interviewees in the film, the artist – who died in 2006 – had a broken grasp of several languages. But the quote also speaks to how the mainstream art establishment often failed to understand the importance of his groundbreaking way of presenting the world through a technological canvas.   Thankfully for Amanda Kim’s wide-reaching, kinetic and vibrant documentary, Paik’s canvas was bountiful in rich visual images, thanks to his early adoption of television sets and video cameras. He was the OG video artist, after all, and works such as ‘Magnet TV’, ‘TV Buddha’, ‘Global Groove’ and ‘Electronic Superhighway’ provide a dynamic road map for an evolving avant-garde career that took him from Seoul to Berlin and ultimately to the status of New York stalwart. Editor Taryn Gould intersperses a breadth of archive footage, insightful interviews with artists, curators and collaborators, such as Marina Abramović, Ulysses Jenkins, and Paik’s artist-wife Shigeko Kubota, to bolster the story. Minari actor Steven Yeun delivers warm narration of Paik’s written thoughts. This is a wide-reachi

After four films and a TV series, it’s hard not to question whether Evil Dead has much more to offer. Yet in this frantic period of remakes, reboots, prequels and legacy sequels, this particular demonic franchise has found a gorily enjoyable way to rise again. A gnarly cold open nods its head to the franchise’s ‘cabin in the woods’ origins of the Sam Raimi films, but the main thrust of this similarly claustrophobic story takes place in a dilapidated apartment building in LA. It’s dark, dingy and provides the perfect nervy atmosphere for evil to lurk in. It’s also home to tattoo artist Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her three children Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher). They are struggling following the abandonment of their father, but soon Ellie’s guitar technician sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) arrives after discovering an unwanted pregnancy. These introductory scenes are maybe too  full of heavy foreshadowing for what gruesome moments are to come. When Danny finds a Book of the Dead in a secret cavern underneath their building, in rather basic ‘people in horror films clearly don’t watch horror movies’ fashion, he unwittingly unleashes the demonic creature and soon their family’s dysfunctional dynamic provides manipulative fodder to terrorise them with. The cast is solid but Sutherland is in her element as the first victim of demon possession. She shifts between the evil and mother personalities disturbingly well and every grab, eye twitch

Is a woman without children living a child-free or a childless life? That’s the existential question at the heart of French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski’s thoughtful dramedy about a fortysomething teacher who develops an attachment to her boyfriend’s daughter. On the surface, Rachel (Virginie Efira) seems to live a contented life. She has a good relationship with her students, her ex-boyfriend, and her father and younger sister, with whom she spends Jewish holidays. Then she meets handsome car designer, and fellow guitar player, Ali (Roschdy Zem). Their attraction is palpable; from their heady smiles to the close-ups of hands itching to touch – but this is a film staunchly told through Rachel’s perspective.  We see her desire play out in two ways: as a romantic partner luxuriating in the love and passion quickly developing with a man she sees a future with; and as a woman whose maternal affections have been awakened by his young daughter Leïla (Callie Ferreira-Goncalves). The longer Rachel spends with this gorgeous young girl, and the more Ali invites her to be a part of Leïla’s daily routine, the more apparent her tentative status as a caregiver is. Leïla’s mother Alice (Chiara Mastroianni) is still in the picture and while their interactions are mature and empathetic, Rachel must grapple with the fact that she may always be the third wheel in this family. Efira showcases this internal conflict with compassion, assuredness and believability to keep you invested in her journey

‘Not everything’s political.’ The eponymous Jean utters these words 15 minutes into Georgia Oakley’s period drama, set in North East England during the ’80s, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. Everything is political during Thatcher’s tenure – especially for gay and lesbians striving to live freely and authentically. Oakley doesn’t waste time capturing that oppressive ethos. Babble from the heteronormative dating show Blind Date reguarly makes an appearance as do radio reports debating anti-gay laws (the infamous Section 28 of the Local Government Act) and conservative posters shouting: ‘Are your children being taught traditional moral values?’ Jean, a closeted school P.E. teacher, played with quiet warmth yet subtle anxiety by Rosy McEwen, is navigating a washed-out world. Her daily life of work, home and family, is bereft of colour. She wears a uniform of white and pale tones as if to disguise her true self, blend in and avoid whispers or potential accusations of influencing her students with a gay agenda. Her short, bleached blonde hair might be her only giveaway, but even that look is achieved by removing colour so her queer transformation isn’t fully transparent.  Only when in lesbian spaces does her world become more vibrant, more alive. Reds and pinks colour the frame of a nightclub and her girlfriend Viv’s home. Their sex scenes are sensual and passionate. Viv is a vivacious spirit that Kerrie Hayes imbues with heart. She forces Jean to confront her own compli

It’s been ten years since the release of Welsh-Egyptian writer-director Sally El-Hosaini’s powerful debut My Brother the Devil and she’s still got tumultuous family ties on her mind with her stirring follow-up. This time, she focuses on the dramatic true story of two Syrian sisters and their perilous journey across Europe as displaced athletes with dreams of competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Casting real-life sisters Manal and Nathalie Issa as Sarah and Yusra Mardini brings an emotional truth to a film already brimming with cultural authenticity. El-Hosaini and her co-writer Jack Thorne (Enola Holmes) set the scene in Syria before the war cast a shadow on the Arab country. Families laugh and play in a rooftop swimming pool that could be mistaken for an English lido.When the civil war forces the five members of the Mardini family to move out of their spacious home into a tiny flat, Sarah and Yusra sneak out to socialise at a club while rockets go off in the distance. Throughout, their gruelling training is maintained by their strict dad (Ali Suliman), even as older sister – and fellow swimmer – Sarah loses interest in the face of their grim circumstances. This establishes friction with Yusra, the star athlete in their dad’s eyes, and will spark further sisterly tensions as their ideals and motivations collide.  It’s an underdog story filled with love, humour and authenticity  A near-death experience forces the family to let the sisters seek asylum in Germany with their

There’s a moment in My Policeman where Harry Styles’s eponymous copper Tom stands behind his love interests, school teacher Marion (The Crown’s Emma Corrin) and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson), as they marvel at a painting. Their eyes light up at the work of art on the wall while his dart back and forth between the pair, blankly. It’s a scene that represents not just the cultural differences between the trio, but the acting talent too, in a romantic drama that leaves you as cold as a dip in the English Channel. Directed by Michael Grandage, and adapted by Philadelphia screenwriter Ron Nyswaner from Bethan Roberts’s 2012 novel, the film takes place exclusively in England’s south coast town of Brighton, where the older versions of Marion and Tom (played by Gina McKee and Linus Roache) have been living a pretty uneventful life.  To Tom’s chagrin, she agrees to care for their old acquaintance Patrick (Rupert Everett), who cannot speak or move much after suffering a stroke. Thus begins the trips down memory lane; first through Marion’s recollection of her courtship with Tom in the 1950s, then through Patrick’s diaries, where the drab, cold lighting of the ’90s switches to a more saturated, warmer aesthetic. Styles certainly looks the dishy policeman in his uniform and out, so Marion and Patrick’s mutual infatuation with Tom is perfectly understandable. But beyond sharp tailoring, good hair and a dreamy smile there’s not much to the character or the actor who struggles to del

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is a solid reminder of what we love about Sam Raimi’s brand of moviemaking: both superhero (Spider-Man 2) and horror (Evil Dead II). While Benedict Cumberbatch’s original solo outing, directed by Scott Derrickson, delivered a cerebral LSD trip with a sinister inflection, Raimi’s penchant for gore is executed to euphoric effect. His nose for those old Spidey themes of responsibility and power, meanwhile, manifest in the three suitably weighty central performances. Screenwriter Michael Waldron has to pick up from multiple story threads left over from multiple other Marvel shows and movies, but does a solid job in delivering a mostly self-contained adventure. The story sees Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch, aka Elizabeth Olsen) coming to terms with the magical choices they’ve already made: his, in saving the world through his actions in Avengers: Infinity War; hers, in the false reality she conjured out of her grief in WandaVision. Non-MCU devotees might get lost amid all these callbacks, but at its heart, this is a simple tale of whether the price of happiness is worth the moral cost. (And they probably won’t be sitting through a Doctor Strange sequel in the first place.) There’s a couple of McGuffins in the form of two magic books representing good and evil, and a lot of wacky interdimensional travel, as Strange tries to track them down to prevent his universe collapsing with his new kinda

Is there anything more reassuring than watching a Jackass film? That might be an odd thing to say given how ridiculously uncomfortable, to put it lightly, this motley crew has been making themselves for the past two decades. But it’s comforting to know that when Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and pals put themselves through the most dangerous, juvenile stunts they could imagine, a hilarious time will be had. Jackass Forever offers exactly that, though this franchise is far more than just a patchwork of batshit crazy hijinks and dick jokes. Long-time franchise director Jeff Tremaine knows exactly how to get the best out of both his cast and camera people to deliver often meticulous, always rip-roaring set-pieces. Whether it’s as simple as the classic cup test (getting wellied in the crotch by a high velocity object) or as complicated as a kaiju penis puppet attack (as bad as it sounds), the practical effects and cinematography has never looked this cinematic. A new guard of pranksters holds its own amongst the OGs, but there’s something about the world-weariness of long-suffering stunt people Danger Ehren, Dave England, and Preston Lacy that makes every silly stunt they get suckered into that much funnier. Their unfiltered fear, anger, amusement, and, finally, relief at surviving to tell the tale provides unfailingly endearing payoffs to every mad enterprise – usually accompanied by one of Chris Pontius’s off-the-cuff zingers. This franchise is far more than just a patchwork of ba

No stranger to playing characters working at a higher frequency, Benedict Cumberbatch is an astute pick to play prolific cat painter Louis Wain in this wonderfully off-kilter period biopic. Director Will Sharpe takes a witty and playful approach to Wain’s eccentric life as a 19th century artist known mostly for his anthropomorphised feline subjects. But this is also a tender story about mental health that is both imaginatively and empathetically portrayed. Cumberbatch delivers a vibrating performance as Wain, whose dexterous skill with a pencil has earned him a full-time gig as an illustrator at the Illustrated London News, with a little help from father-like editor Sir William Ingram (Toby Jones). His own dad’s death has left him in charge of a boisterous but cash-strapped household of five sisters and a mother. A love affair with governess Emily Richardson (Claire Foy) gives way tragedy, followed by success, and the artist’s increasingly surreal and psychedelic cat pictures begin to reflect his deteriorating sanity.It’s an effervescent movie, one that reflects the colourful whimsy of Wain’s work and a far more vivid image of Victorian and Edwardian England than your usual period film (kudos to Suzie Davies’s dynamic set design). A dry wit echoes throughout but The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is not without sincerity too. Cumberbatch and Foy both balance those two tones superbly and their dynamic is endearing to follow, especially when a filter of melancholy is added. Narr

There’s a scene in Paul Schrader’s latest examination of the American male psyche, where Oscar Isaac’s eponymous antihero William Tell sits his young protégé Cirk (Tye Sheridan) in his motel room for a serious talking to. Dread envelopes the pair as the ambiguity of this card sharp’s intention could be a threat to this kid’s angry existence or a push even further down the path of revenge against a military contractor he’s so rigidly focused on. ‘Any man can tilt,’ William ominously tells Cirk. He’s describing the way both a card player and a military interrogator, roles he has expertise in, can increasingly force a hand, or person, without achieving the desired results.  It’s one of The Card Counter’s few arresting and intriguing scenes, and is symbolic of Schrader’s love for leading men ready to tilt themselves – from Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle to First Reformed’s Ernst Toller – but for all its moody moralising The Card Counter is a slowburn bluff with little new to offer.  The writer-director wields his favourite lonely man trope to explore the traumatic hangover of America’s war on terror through the eyes of Isaac’s small-time gambler. William’s voiceover and diary entries, written with expert penmanship in motel rooms made even more nondescript by his compulsive habit of covering every bit of furniture with sheets, deliver gambling tips, tricks and context for how he learned card counting while serving eight years in military prison.  His crimes involved torturing suspec

British writer-director Michael Pearce kept audiences guessing with his intriguing 2017 debut Beast and his follow-up is laced with just as much ambiguity. Co-written with Giri/Haji screenwriter Joe Barton and starring Riz Ahmed, Encounter incorporates elements of sci-fi creature feature lifted from the likes of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Faculty. Mostly, though, it functions as a character-driven, psychological journey. A seriously watchable one, too. It all centres on a dad with a mission to save his family from a worldwide parasitic invasion. A decorated Marine, who has served ten tours for his country, Malik Khan (Ahmed) is convinced that non-terrestrial micro-organisms have covertly arrived on Earth and are slowly infecting the populace. Malik kidnaps his two young sons, Jay and Bobby, from his estranged wife, who may or may not be infected. Pearce’s use of a muted colour scheme and restrained CGI help present the alien insects to subtle yet shuddering effect. As the three musketeers embark on a cross-country road trip to find the safety of a military base, tense obstacles and dangerous situations slow them down. Rarely does it lose its nervy pace, though, as new truths are revealed about Malik’s service history and mental state that puts everything into question. Ahmed is in his element as this anxious father who can switch between doting dad and petrifying patriarch with impressive ease. His trademark wide eyes often draw you into his humanity even when his

It’s not a gardening festival LEAFF stands for London East Asian Film Festival. It’s 11 days of movies from China, Japan, South Korea and all across the eastern bits of Asia (don’t come for Hindi cinema, basically). It’s not just screenings: filmmakers and stars will be in town for talks and Q&As at venues across London. There are 60 movies to pick from Check out Hing Fan Wong’s directorial debut ‘I’m Livin’ It’, Japanese con-artist docudrama ‘Erica 38’ and Thai thriller ‘The Pool’, which may make you give up swimming forever. Korean cinema is having a birthday bash (and everyone’s invited) It’s the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema and LEAFF is cracking open the soju to celebrate. There’ll be old favourites and new films screening, including hit family comedy ‘Inseparable Bros’ and coming-of-age drama ‘The House of Hummingbird’. Korean artists are also showcasing works at Tate Modern. It runs over Halloween, so expect scares ‘The Ring’ isn’t screening (you can put down your security blanket), but there are still plenty of jumps on offer. Hideo Nakata’s new J-horror ‘The Woman Who Keeps a Murderer’ screens on October 31. Keep an eye out for ‘Under Your Bed’ and ‘The Culprit’ too. Samurai fans are in luck There are Sunday screenings of samurai classics at Deptford Cinema during the festival, including ‘Sword of Doom’ and ‘Harakiri’. Look out for a double bill of Takashi Miike’s preposterously violent ‘13 Assassins’ and Kenji Misumi’s ‘Lone Wolf and Cub’ after the fest. It’s c