Review Category: Movie

This year has been a massive disappointment when it comes to legacy sequels of beloved ’90s and ’00s movies. We’re more than halfway through the year at this point, and we’ve already had duds such as Happy Gilmore 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but thankfully, with Freakier Friday, that curse has been broken.

Nisha Ganatra’s highly anticipated follow-up to the 2003 comedy classic Freaky Friday is wonderfully weird and hilarious, with a beating heart at its core. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan slip effortlessly back into their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman, their mother-daughter chemistry as sharp and endearing as ever.

The dynamic between newcomers Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons adds a vibrant generational twist, with both young actors holding their own against seasoned co-stars. Manny Jacinto’s warm yet subtly comedic turn as a romantic interest rounds out the ensemble beautifully. The film’s biggest strength lies in its balance of humour and sincerity. Ganatra’s direction keeps the pace snappy without rushing through emotional beats, allowing moments of tension and tenderness to land. The screenplay cleverly updates the premise for a post-2020 world, weaving in themes of blended families, cultural differences, and generational misunderstandings without feeling preachy.

While the plot occasionally veers into predictable territory, the execution is so confident and the performances so winning that it hardly matters. This sequel doesn’t just revisit familiar territory – it builds on it, delivering a heartfelt, crowd-pleasing story that feels both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly new. Fans of the original will find plenty to love, while newcomers will be charmed from start to finish.

FREAKIER FRIDAY is in cinemas now.

After making a head-pulverising occasion of arcane ritual in Talk to Me, filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou are back for another distressing communion with the dead. This time, it’s two recently orphaned siblings (Piper, played by Sora Wong, and Billy Barratt’s Andy), taken in by foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins) following their dad’s traumatic death. It doesn’t take Andy long to realise that something is amiss, and alarm bells soon ring at Laura’s peculiar fascination with his sister.

Where the brothers’ previous film was brightened with moments of levity from its group of friends, Bring Her Back offers no such respite. It’s a soul-torturing work of sustained misery; a pure and punishing bad time which only gets worse as the film’s sure-to-be-miserable endgame approaches. Talk to Me, for all its shocking moments of gore and self-violence, was something of a traditional spook-a-blast. By contrast, Bring Her Back is an exercise in discomforting unhappiness. A spook-a-buzzkill, if you will.

At its core, it’s yet another horror film about grief and trauma, although its commitment to bad vibes out-Babadooks even The Babadook. There’s no romanticising the process here. It’s ugly and confrontational and raw – a film specifically about the toxicity of grief and how that impacts those who survive. To utilise jump scares would be to cheapen the mood and atmosphere the brothers have built, and Bring Her Back is all the more powerful for its restraint and maturity. Those expecting the sort of gore and terrible imagery that Talk to Me showcased won’t be disappointed, though – somehow, it manages to top even that film’s head-smashing scene.

A lot rests on the shoulders of its young stars, and Barratt and Wong do some devastating work as Andy and Piper. The former, particularly, is put through the wringer as the film explores his traumatic past, present grief and uncertain future. It’s hard, often infuriating viewing, and Hawkins is perfectly pitched as the deeply creepy foster mum. That’s not to mention little Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), carrying the spooky child baton and then using it to commit some truly appalling acts of self-mutilation upon himself.

Bring Her Back is the worst time you’ll have with a movie this year; an unflinching, uncompromising supernatural thriller that’s ultimately far sadder than it is scary. We’d recommend a shower after watching but, honestly, a shower is the last place you’ll want to be.

BRING HER BACK is out in UK cinemas now.

The thrill of the celebrity red carpet, the flash of the cameras, and the excitement of the movie premieres. The Cannes Film Festival is renowned for its glamorous parties and deals being signed for the latest film projects. However, there’s another side to the annual event. One in which those without the eye-watering budgets hardly get a look-in. Occupy Cannes! follows the team from Troma as they attempt to promote the screening of their latest opus and generate distribution sales.

True to their indie philosophy, Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma team throw themselves into promoting Return to Nuke ‘em High not only with gusto but also with plenty of cardboard and gaffer tape. Sadly, it seems the authorities don’t see the funny side of their antics, and they find themselves shut down at almost every turn and with every stunt.

Documented by Lloyd’s daughters Charlotte and Lisbeth (as well as the whole Troma team), and assembled and directed by his other daughter, Lily-Hayes Kaufman, Occupy Cannes! is a wonderful celebration of the scrappy underdog. Everything is captured in vivid detail, from the moment Lloyd is refused entry to a Coen Brothers film for wearing the wrong type of dinner jacket to the outrageous streaking of Zac Amico. For every humorous moment, there’s a grim reminder of the indies’ struggles that brings things crashing back down to earth.

There’s no denying the passion of the volunteers who willingly give their time and energy to Troma and their devotion to Uncle Lloyd Kaufman and independent media. Among the crew, sleeping head to toe in a small apartment, are British director Liam Regan and the late Doug Sakmann, who, like many, have worked on Troma films at some level. Their determination and enthusiasm for Lloyd and the company are infectious. While the stunts they carry out on this visit are pared down from the wild, hotel-busting antics of previous years, there’s still plenty that the local enforcers object to. They even shut down a tribute to film critic (and Russ Meyer cohort) Roger Ebert. Toxic Avenger masks are certainly a no-no, but no matter how disheartening things get, the team ploughs on.

Occupy Cannes! succeeds in presenting the passion that independent art can inspire. And while we could liken it to a David and Goliath story, the conclusion isn’t as triumphant. We share Lloyd’s frustrations at trying (and often falling short) to make a splash in a pool infested with corporate sharks. It’s a fascinating look at the resilience of the little guy and the crushing power of the juggernaut of the big studios, who’ll think nothing of spending hundreds of thousands on big billboards, yet seem to be so afraid of the indies. Vive la révolution!

It’s been over 20 years since The Naked Gun 33 1/3, and The Lonely Island alumnus Akiva Schaffer’s reboot/sequel pays homage to the original trilogy.

Liam Neeson takes the reins as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr, son of the late Frank Drebin Sr. RIP Leslie Nielsen. (This is meant to be another off-screen son, not the baby we saw at the end of Naked Gun 33 1/3, although that would fit into the franchise’s comedy). In fact, a few of the characters are sons of the previous movies’ characters, including Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser).

This is referenced in a visual gag involving O.J. Simpson, showing they’re not afraid to push the boundaries on jokes, silencing the tiresome ‘everything is woke’ mob. Just in case you weren’t sure, a Bill Cosby joke is thrown in for good measure. The dry wit and slapstick humour that made the originals so successful are prevalent throughout. Some of it lands, and some of it doesn’t.

After reinventing himself as an action hero, Neeson is now masterfully flexing his comedic chops, as is Pamela Anderson, also going through a deserved career renaissance, as femme fatale Beth. They’re obviously enjoying themselves in this ridiculous spoof of a spoof, and their chemistry drives the film, involving a thin but very on-brand 1980s-style murder mystery plot.

We also get a prototype Danny Huston bad guy performance, as the sinister and charming tech giant Richard Kane. You can guess exactly the kind of character he plays before even watching the film, but it works well enough.

This new Naked Gun won’t go down in history as a classic, but it’s enjoyable ‘don’t need to think’ entertainment and a nostalgic throwback to the spoof films of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

THE NAKED GUN is in cinemas from August 1st.

Marvel’s First Family finally arrives, late to the party, with various iterations of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and even the Eternals having come and gone while we were waiting. And where have Reed Richards and his family been all this time? In an alternate universe, as the sole heroes of Earth-828.

You know the drill; Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) is the smart, stretchy one; wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) is the Invisible Mom; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) the flaming hothead, and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) the strong one. Because this is the second, third or fourth time we’ve encountered these characters (depending on whether or not you watched the 1994 misfire or 2015’s Fant4stic), precious little time is spent on set-up.

Instead, Matt Shakman’s MCU instalment finds Reed and Sue already married, and with a child on the way. This coincides with the arrival of the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who warns them that a potentially world-ending threat is coming in the form of eternally ravenous space giant Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson, and not a fart cloud this time). As a re-introduction to the Fantastic Four, it’s a brisk one, although Shakman gets the audience up to speed with charming use of this universe’s newsreels, Saturday morning cartoons, and talk show footage (welcome to the MCU, Mark Gatiss!)

Shorn of all ties to the larger cinematic universe, First Steps is the most accessible Marvel film in a long time. In stark contrast to this year’s Thunderbolts*, it largely goes without interruption from cameos, backstory or sequel set-up. Keen to know where all this is headed? A now as-standard post-credits scene has got you sorted. But until then, sit back and enjoy the ride.

‘Ride’ being an accurate descriptor for a film which, much of the time, feels like something out of Walt Disney’s EPCOT. Fans had long clamoured for a 60s-set Fantastic Four film, and First Steps delivers on the retro-futurism front. Free of all that nanobot nonsense which plagues modern Marvel, Shakman is free to play with old-timey uniforms, cute sidekick HERBIE and even a Fantasticar.

As for the foursome themselves, Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach prove to be Marvel’s strongest additions in years. Pascal and Kirby have chemistry for days as Mister and Mrs Fantastic, while the requisite banter between Quinn and Moss-Bachrach is perfectly on point. The film has a tendency to take its characters for granted, meaning that we don’t get to know any one of them that well, but there are some interesting flavours in Johnny’s surprisingly ambitious streak and Ben’s love of cooking. If anyone suffers, it’s Reed and Sue; he comes across as somewhat cold and distant, while she often has little to do but play the barefoot mom.

It may have moved universes, but First Steps has retained some unfortunate bad habits from the larger franchise. The running “clobberin’ time” gag is one of the film’s most tiresome, and an ugly CGI baby is one of the worst things the MCU has spat out since Quantumania‘s MODOK. Still, it’s a brighter and breezier film than any of Marvel’s recent efforts, brimming with renewed energy and enthusiasm for the future.

Is the MCU back on track? Assuming it ever went away in the first place (and we’d argue that Wakanda Forever and Thunderbolts* are almost on a par with the franchise’s best), this is another step back in the right direction.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is out now in UK cinemas now.

The Twisted Childhood Universe gains another ambassador in Dan Allen’s Bambi: The Reckoning, joining two Blood & Honey films and Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare in the assembly of a cinematic universe. Sorry, Poohniverse.

This grisly creature feature follows a mother (Roxanne McKee) and her young son (Tom Mulheron) as they attempt to survive the aftermath of a terrible car crash. The pair flee into the woods where they are pursued by an undead mutant deer, blindly set on avenging the death of his mother. Part Cujo, part Jason Voorhees, this version of Bambi is roughly what you’d expect from the franchise, although the creature design and effects are a bit more polished than anyone could have foreseen.

Granted, this particular take on Bambi won’t do much to win over naysayers of the growing subgenre of Edgelord Childhood Characters on the Rampage. Shot in 15 days, it’s even more rough around the edges than its predecessors, and feels more like a stepping stone to a larger universe than the rest. McKee and Mulheron do solid work against the onslaught, but clunkier performances from the supporting cast (which includes Love Island alumnus Samira Mighty) let the side down. If it were an MCU joint, it’d be The Hulk; clumsy and a bit ugly, but not without its charm.

At a breezy 81 minutes, Bambi: The Reckoning moves along at a healthy pace, leaving little room for the sort of filler that usually troubles such low-budget horror films. The murky cinematography grates, but the surprisingly ambitious action sequences and gnarly gore effects impress. Enlisting a dark version of Thumper next to its titular monster, it’s a twisted fairytale with teeth – teeth that are put to use in a startlingly bracing bite.

Look, whatever you make of these films, they’re a force of nature, much like the TCU’s Bambi. The series got off to a lukewarm start with 2023’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey before redressing the balance with a lightly retconned sequel and a surprisingly layered Peter Pan spin-off. Deftly utilising the 1942’s already traumatic themes, this is another solid addition to the canon, confidently wreck(on)ing Disney animation with scenes of high-octane violence and carnage.

Now four films in, the Twisted Childhood Universe looks as though it’s here to stay, much like the childhood icons it uses and abuses.

BAMBI: THE RECKONING is out now in the United States. It will premiere at UK FrightFest on August 21st, 2025.

Jean Luc Herbulot’s Zero takes two strangers and plants them in a deadly situation, fighting against the clock with odd tasks that mean death for seemingly innocent people.

The two men (only referred to as #1 and #, played by co-writer Hus Miller and Cam McHarg, respectively) have found themselves in a Dakar village with elaborate bombs attached to their chests. They are told to work together by an unseen antagonist who communicates with them via a mobile (voiced by the unmistakable Willem Dafoe). At each location they go to, an unrelated bomb explodes, leading the media to think these guys are terrorists. As the clocks count down, the ramifications get higher.

Rather than a simple ‘race against time’ thriller, Zero gets deep into a socio-political landscape in which the men are mere pawns in a greater, deadlier picture. Herbulot keeps things moving at a frantic pace, making it always entertaining even when the more disturbing aspects come into play. The pair have to grapple with their morals as well as their impending mortality. The urgency and pressure permeate through every scene. Occasionally, he briefly focuses on other characters, all given different numbers and impending countdowns. The story is bigger than the action we’re following.

In the final scene, we’re left reflecting on what we’ve seen in a different, much more worrying light. Yet for all the action and frantic tension, Zero is full of humour – not in a Hollywood buddy-buddy way, but naturalistic, complementing the heart-pounding thrills.

ZERO is in UK cinemas on July 25th and digital platforms on August 11th.