Director: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen, Bill Burr, Jeremy Strong
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 112 mins

A follow-up to The Social Network, The Social Reckoning is a legal thriller that dramatises the 2021 Facebook leak by whistleblower Frances Haugen. It’s once again written by Aaron Sorkin, who also steps into the director’s chair, replacing David Fincher. While Sorkin’s a fine writer, he’s got a chequered history as a director – Molly’s Game was fine, The Trial of the Chicago 7 was very solid, but Being The Ricardos was terrible. Jeremy Strong replaces Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, and the cast is lead by Anora‘s Mikey Madison as the whistleblower and Jeremy Allen White as Jeff Horwitz, the Wall Street Journal investigative journalist Frances talks to.

My expectations were low for The Social Reckoning and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this follow-up. It’s a completely different film to its predecessor, and the best way to consider this is as a companion piece – this leans far more into being a legal thriller than the original’s biographical drama framing. Sorkin spins a gripping yarn out of the fascinating data leak, and while the film would have been more timely if it had released a couple of years ago, it’s still an important story.

Mikey Madison’s magnetic as the intelligent, but social awkward data scientist. She shares an excellent chemistry with Jeremy Allen White as Horwitz, as the two continually try to break the ice – Horwitz’s tech knowledge is lacking, and Haugen needs to educate him in a way that doesn’t put her career at risk. There’s also a strong turn from Billy Magnussen as a snarly media relations executive for Facebook, who has to navigate Horwitz’s investigation. While Jeremy Strong is fine as the Goliath-like Mark Zuckerberg, he’s no Jesse Eisenberg and doesn’t have anywhere near as much charisma.

While The Social Reckoning is gripping, it could have really been something special with a more energetic director, such as Fincher. It’s competently shot by returning cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, but it’s lacking in visual style and despite the large-scope story, it feels smaller in scale. The film unfolds in a non-linear narrative, but things like a timeline being portrayed on-screen when we’re shifting years, feel rather static.

One of the crucial ingredients that made The Social Network really sing was Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pulsating electronic score. Here, they’re replaced by Alexandre Desplat – an excellent composer, but one faced with an impossible act to follow. He wisely doesn’t try to emulate them and some of the themes he’s concocted are excellent. However, the way in which the score is mixed into the film can sometimes be on the nose, and the score feels manipulative into how we’re supposed to feel in certain scenes.

While The Social Reckoning doesn’t quite reach the masterful heights of the original, it’s still a very reasonable legal thriller with an engaging script and some excellent performances. It’s a very solid follow-up that’s best viewed as a companion piece to The Social Network – there’s plenty to admire here.

Director: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 128 mins

The Uprising is the new film by Paul Greengrass, the former journalist turned film director known for his documentary style realism and shaky-cam technique. It stars Andrew Garfield as an unnamed ploughman in 1381, where Britain is ruled by the council of the 14-year-old Richard II (Woody Norman). The kingdom needs more money, and the council decide to up the taxes on the peasantry. When the ploughman comes to pay and sees the atrocious way the soldiers are treating people in the village, he accosts the tax collector and kills a soldier who tries to arrest him, sparking the Peasants’ Revolt.

A period historical drama is certainly a different genre for Green grass, most famous for his Jason Bourne entries and action thrillers, such as Captain Phillips and 22 July, to explore. While it makes some missteps, The Uprising is a visceral piece of work when it’s firing on full cylinders with some interesting themes. Greengrass’s shaky-cam technique is present and correct and while it might seem odd to use this in a period piece, I thought it made the action feel urgent and convey the chaos of this historical event. The recreations of the riots and some establishing shots of a period London are beautifully realised, and Greengrass knows how to drop you right in the middle of it. The film’s also bolstered by an excellent Volker Bertelmann’s score with some memorable themes.

There’s also some great performances – Andrew Garfield is reliably excellent as the ploughman and Cosmo Jarvis never puts a foot wrong as Wat Tyler. Woody Norman’s excellent as the monarch in a surprisingly multi-layered performance, who we first meet as an incompetent young 14-year-old. There’s also some suitably slimy performances from Tom Hollander, Stephen Dillane and Stanley Townsend as scheming members of the council.

There are two performances that don’t fully work though – Jamie Bell’s John Ball is thinly written and Thomasin McKenzie is simply miscast as Alyce, as a follower of John Ball. On a technical level, the sound mix with the dialogue is rather odd, with the dialogue sometimes muted and this is a film that I think would be better on a rewatch with subtitles.

The film’s main problem is it never quite settles on a theme to tie everything together. Greengrass says he wanted to make a film that mirrors the rage and disempowerment British people have recently felt with a historical event. And while he achieves this to a degree, the messaging is muddled. There’s also a bizarre coda at the end of the film that reframes Garfield’s ploughman that detracts from the rest of the film and it’s unnecessary.

While undeniably flawed, The Uprising captures the chaos of a change being campaigned for and the unintended consequences that can have. The visceral actions sequences have also stuck with me, and I suspect my opinion of the film may improve with a rewatch. But the unclear throughline message, a bizarre coda and the film being overlong are weak points – although I applaud Greengrass’s ambition for trying something new in an unfamiliar genre to him.

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 129 mins

Digger is the intriguing new big-budget Alejandro González Iñárritu film that sees the multiple Oscar-winning Mexican director pair with Tom Cruise and a star-studded cast for a satirical black comedy shot on VistaVision. Wearing rather a lot of prosthetics, Cruise plays an aging oil tycoon, who colludes with U.S. President Compson (John Goodman) to extract oil in Alaska and Greenland. Despite repeated warnings, Digger learns that one of his rigs has malfunctioned, and a sizeable ice shelf is hurtling its way towards Europe which will trigger environmental catastrophe, prompting him to very quickly meet with Compson and his staff to find a resolution.

The reception to Digger has been rather divisive, and this is a hard film to review because of several twists that have a fundamental effect on the story. I find myself mixed, erring towards being more negative than positive. This is a film that’s deliberately provocative, and while it has some admirable aspects, I found large portions of it a trudge. It reminded me of Dr Strangelove with elements of Don’t Look Up, the latter of which deals with similar themes with more profundity.

I’m generally not a fan of Tom Cruise, and his filmography is rather varied in quality – while I love Eyes Wide Shut, Collateral and Rain Man, he’s made than his fair share of films where I find him a smug screen presence. Cruise’s performance works here, and he conveys the absurdity of the wily oil tycoon with a real energy. It’s a shame he’s saddled with some rather indulgent dialogue, and a scene in which he delivers a monologue that some are touting as the film’s high point dragged in my view.

The always reliable John Goodman is the star of the show here though, with a very multi-layered character that demonstrates a lot of comedic chops. Jesse Plemons and Riz Ahmed are the other highlights, although I found Ahmed’s character often exhausting, and it’s a shame that Sandra Hüller and Michael Stuhlbarg get seriously short-changed with underdeveloped characters.

Outside of the performances, the film’s handsomely shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, who won an Oscar for his work on both Birdman and The Revenant. While Digger looks like an expensive film, there’s nothing here to rival the camera work of those films, be it Birdman‘s illusion of a single continuous shot or the tremendous opening battle of The Revenant. The production design is very admirable though, with the minutiae reminding me of a Wes Anderson film, and there’s an exceptional debut score by Cosmo Sheldrake, which does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Digger‘s biggest problem is ultimately its script and ideas – it often felt like an indulgence and it’s a film that’s very pleased with itself. The more I think about it, the more surface-level its ideas are. And it’s not a film that’s had much staying power, which is why I’m leaning more negative – I don’t see myself rushing to rewatch it. Iñárritu is a brilliant director and he really shines with his drama works. I’ve liked his satirical black comedies (Birdman, Bardo and now Digger) less, although this is a stronger film than Bardo, which I found a particular patience-testing exercise.

Director: Padraic McKinley
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, George Burgess, Sam Hazeldine
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 113 mins

The Weight is a historical drama and long-time editor Padraic McKinley’s directorial debut. Set during the Great Depression, Ethan Hawke plays Samuel Murphy, a World War I veteran and widower who’s struggling to provide for his young daughter Penny (Avy Berry). He loses his home early into the film and while attending a viewing, gets provoked into a fight by plainclothes policemen and is then sent to prison. A distraught Penny is sent to a children’s home. After four months, Murphy is transferred to the Deschutes County Convict Laboratory Camp, where prisoners can reduce their sentences by clearing roads and he quickly impresses Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) with his skills, prompting the Warden to offer him a dangerous job for an early release.

While The Weight has a rather straightforward plot and doesn’t really pack any surprises, this is a largely entertaining romp that’s clearly indebted to gritty 1970s New Hollywood cinema, such as Sorcerer and Deliverance. Although its familiarity means the film never really reaches greatness, it’s bolstered by an excellent Ethan Hawke performance – he conveys a man who can fix pretty much anything brilliantly and I really bought his relationship with his daughter and the stakes he faces. There’s fun supporting turns from Russell Crowe and Julia Jones too, with Crowe clearly enjoying himself. The score by Shelby and Latham Gaines does what you’d expect it to and never really elevates the film, and it’s dimly shot by Matteo Cocco with a graininess that evokes the time period.

There’s some skills that McKinley could sharpen – there’s some set pieces in this film that aren’t as exciting as they should be because they’re over too quickly and are poorly edited, which is ironic given his background. The film’s also oddly paced and after an excellent set-up, occasionally sags in its second and third acts. It’s been announced that McKinley will be directing the long-awaited Sicario 3 and what made both Sicario and Sicario 2: Soldado so strong were their heart-raising action sequences. I’m worried McKinley isn’t the right choice on the basis of this film. The Weight is ultimately a competent historical drama that’s anchored by Ethan Hawke’s committed performance and some suitably bleak cinematography, but not much more.

Director: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, J. K. Simmons, Anna Lambe
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 101 mins

Heart of the Beast is the new film directed by David Ayer, who’s credits include the excellent End of Watch and Fury, through to the guilty pleasure of The Beekeeper to the very flawed Suicide Squad and Bright. Here, he reunites with Fury lead Brad Pitt who plays James Belmont – a retired Special Forces veteran, trekking through the Alaskan wilderness with his German Shepherd, haunted by visions of when the two of them were in combat. When James crashes his plane after a mid-flight heart attack, he’s forced on a 58-mile trek to safety with his dog, facing all kinds of obstacles along the way.

Although it’s largely conventional, this is an excellent survival thriller that I found gripping from start to finish. Brad Pitt gives a terrific performance in what’s a very physical role and I really bought the bond between man and best friend, and how they both have PTSD from their wartime experiences. Apart from a fun turn by J. K. Simmons at the beginning and an appearance by Anna Lambe, this is mostly Pitt’s film and he really carries it.

Ayer knows how to stage an action sequence and there are some terrific set pieces here, especially the central plane crash, one involving a log crossing and an encounter with wolves. The film’s vividly shot by Mauro Fiore, and some of the aerial shots of the wilderness are stunning, showcasing the natural beauty juxtaposed with nature’s ferocity.

Although you could easily criticise Heart of the Beast for being conventional, it just does everything really well and it’s got a real emotional wallop in its final act. I felt for James and his dog throughout and my heart was racing through some of the set pieces. You could very easily call this film a lite version of The Revenant, but Heart of the Beast really works and it’s Ayer’s best film in a while.

Director: Na Hong-jin
Starring: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 156 mins

Hope is South Korean director Na Hong-jin’s first film in a decade, who last made the excellent supernatural horror, The Wailing, in 2016. His latest is a creature feature (and that’s not a spoiler because the trailer gives the game away) and reportedly the biggest budget South Korean film ever. The film opens as police chief Ko Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) inspects a dead cow with some villagers, with the cow having some unusual wounds. Shortly after, more cattle and the farm’s owner are found slain with similar injuries, and he teams up with retired colonel Ahn Nak-yeon (Lee Sang-hee) to track it down.

The first 45 minutes of Hope are excellent – Na Hong-jin crafts a simmering tension with the mystery of what could possibly be going on with some grim imagery. Mid-way through a gonzo chase sequence, the director then chooses to reveal the horror that’s been causing these deaths, and you’ll either get on board with the film or you won’t. While it shifts down a gear from that tension-fuelled opening, I still found plenty to like and I could overlook the dreadful CGI because the film is so ambitious. Hope melds all kinds of tones, from the horror to some truly comic sequences, such as a graphic autopsy and an extended story from an eyewitness that involves diarrhoea. There’s also a very solid score by Michael Abels, Jordan Peele’s preferred composer and it’s beautifully shot by Parasite cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo.

Unfortunately, the film falls apart in the third act, where it reveals more about the entities behind these horrific acts and becomes less about the characters that we’ve followed for the past two hours. It also teases a possible franchise continuation, which I found quite wearing. On top of that, what starts as a thrilling action sequence in the forest that then turns into a car chase becomes quite wearing at its climax because it’s overlong.

Hope is an odd film – it starts off brilliantly, then decides to reveal its hand which takes away some of the mystery, although that’s offset by some high-octane action sequences, arresting cinematography and moments of comedy, only to then completely fall apart in the final act. And that misguided final act really is a chore to sit through and the idea of having to sit through that again really puts me off rewatching Hope. It’s a shame because there’s so much good work here and Na Hong-jin continues to prove why he’s one of South Korea’s most exciting directors. While Hope has a lot of outstanding elements, it’s ultimately a deeply flawed misfire.

Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 94 mins

Resident Evil is the second reboot of the popular video game franchise, after the first attempt in 2021 failed critically. This reboot has an ace up its sleeve though in the form of director Zach Cregger. Cregger has proven himself in the horror genre twice now, with the excellent Barbarian and the even-better Weapons, which was my best film of 2025 and earned Amy Madigan a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. So why was he interested in directing a new Resident Evil film, when none of the previous efforts have been particularly liked? Well, it turns out Cregger is a lifelong fan of the videogame series and had a novel idea, wanting to replicate and explore the structural and narrative conventions of the series. This is a stripped-back 94 minute affair, with Austin Abrams starring as a medical courier, Bryan, who’s tasked with delivering a last-minute package to Raccoon City General Hospital.

Cregger has achieved the impossible – not only has he directed what’s easily the best Resident Evil film, he’s redefined how to adapt a video game for the big screen. This is a lean and mean thrill ride that hasn’t got an ounce of fat on it that really captures the feeling of playing the games with Dariusz Wolski’s kinetic camerawork. It’s particularly impressive how Cregger fully fleshes out Bryan as a character and equally makes him feel like a main character in a video game, where the camera will often pivot as he surveys his surroundings for threat, like a player would in a game. If Austin Abrams hadn’t already made a name for himself with Weapons, he’s certainly done so here with his earnest and empathetic performance.

There’s some terrific set pieces too, dripping with visual style and it’s a surprisingly funny film too, at times, be it from the odd character quip, the preposterous amount of blood or the absurdity of some of the monstrous creatures. Cregger also showcases his horror chops with some particularly fresh and unexpected jump scares. The film’s held together by Hays and Ryan Holladay’s score, which is clearly indebted to John Carpenter, although it’s a shame that some of the more experimental singles on the soundtrack haven’t made it into the film.

Resident Evil is a single-minded and superbly directed A-to-B thrill ride from start to finish. Although it’s not a film that requires its themes unpacking like Barbarian and Weapons, this showcases Cregger’s versatility and opting for this straightforward approach is the best thing he could have done for a property such as this. If there’s a flaw, it might be that the film peaks in its first act with Bryan driving his car through a snowy landscape and leaving a house – a rewatch will reveal if this is the case. But either way, Resident Evil is a giddily fun time and Cregger has achieved the impossible.

Director: Anthony Maras
Starring: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 100 mins

Pressure is an adaptation of the stage play of the same name by David Haig about meteorologist, James Stagg (Andrew Scott), who helps Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) plan the Normandy landings during the Second World War. Stagg is tasked with providing Eisenhower with an accurate forecast – it wouldn’t be wise for the troops to storm the Germans in poor conditions. While he’s stationed at Southwick House, he clashes with Colonel Irving P. Krick, who leads the US section of the team and predicts the weather based on historical pattern readings – Stagg quickly tells him this isn’t the right way to go about this because of Northern Europe’s unpredictable climate. Back at home, Stagg’s wife Liz (Tamsin Topolski) is pregnant and heading into hospital any day – but James is kept in the dark at Southwick House because outside communications are not permitted.

While you can occasionally tell Pressure is based on a stage play, this is a gripping war drama with some excellent performances. Andrew Scott is terrific in the lead as the mild-mannered, but fiercely logical Scotsman and Brendan Fraser is excellent as the towering Eisenhower. There’s fun turns from the rest of the star-studded cast, including Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis and Con O’Neill. Volker Bertelmann’s score is rousing, and it’s competently shot by Jamie D. Ramsay, especially a shot of bloodied bodies washing up on the French shore.

It’s just a real shame that there’s so many historical inaccuracies, with examples including but not limited to the fact that Norwegian Sverre Petterssen was the decisive meteorologist on whether D-Day could be carried out, that Stagg joined the staff just days before the invasion and that his wife gave birth to their son immediately after. While all of these ingredients contribute to Pressure‘s high stakes, knowing that what the film is representing isn’t true really cheapens it.

I can understand why biopics take some creative liberties, but fabricating events to this extent is just beyond the pail – Eddie The Eagle is another example of a very engaging biopic, but one that’s also cheapened by a ton of inaccuracies.

So while Pressure is undeniably a well-directed film with some top-notch performances and a thoroughly enjoyable cinema experience, it’s significantly marred by its historical inaccuracies.

Director: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 122 mins

The Death of Robin Hood is a new and darker adaptation of the 17th-century ballad and stars Hugh Jackman as an aged Robin who lives in a self-imposed exile. He soon finds himself wounded after a mission with Little John (an unrecognisable Bill Skarsgård) and recovers at a priory run by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), where he takes a shining to her and an orphaned girl. The film’s written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, who I haven’t been a fan of – I despised Pig, and A Quite Place: Day One was fine, but nothing more.

I feel similarly about The Death of Robin Hood. While a darker take on the heroic outlaw sounds interesting, there’s not much substance – certainly not enough for 122 minutes. Hugh Jackman’s reliably great in the lead, even if his accent wanders around a bit, but we’ve seen him play a washed-up wreck of a man many a time, for example in Logan. There’s a few good set pieces, especially the brutal central sequence where Robin sustains his injury. The film picks up somewhat once Jodie Comer’s prioress enters the fray, but not enough to sustain the film to the finish, where it begins to meander in its last act. I found Sarnoski’s meditation on the outlaw sporadically interesting, but I was never gripped and I think it would have fared better if 20 minutes were chopped.

Similarly, there’s the occasional arresting shot from cinematographer Pat Scola and the impressive sound effects of the changeable weather do a good job of conveying the harsh environment, especially when seen on a big screen. Jim Ghedi’s score is exactly what you’d expect for this kind of film, and doesn’t really bring much to the party. Ultimately, The Death of Robin Hood is a passable one-time watch that has a good Hugh Jackman performance and some occasionally interesting visuals, but that’s about it. Sarnoski has made a film that thinks it’s more important than it is.

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, Ewan Bremner, Sam Spruell, Guy Pearce
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 118 mins

The Dog Stars is the new Ridley Scott film, an adaptation of a post-apocalyptic 2012 novel by Peter Heller. Set in 2035, mankind has been almost eradicated by a devastating pandemic. Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a civilian pilot who lives with his dog, Jasper, and former Marine Bangley (Josh Brolin) on an airfield. They take it in turns to keep watch, and Hig regularly flies a small propeller plane with Jasper into a depopulated Denver for supplies. When Hig’s life gets further upended and he picks up on a radio signal from Grand Junction, he decides to leave the airfield and discover if that might be a better place to live.

Sadly, The Dog Stars has received a very muted reception, with many finding the film underpowered and derivative. That’s a shame because I found Ridley Scott’s latest to be a riveting and contemplative piece with some terrific performances and exciting set-pieces. It’s no surprise that the world building is first-rate, given Scott’s back catalogue – underneath the rural and lush landscapes lies a simmering threat that people’s lives are expendable. There’s some stunning aerial photography by Erik Messerschmidt and Scott directs the rare outbursts of violence with real flair – three characters trying to escape a field by plane is particularly tense, as is an action sequence set at an airport.

The performances are uniformly excellent – Elordi downplays the quiet Hig as someone who doesn’t know what to do with his life, while Brolin’s clearly having fun as the toughened Bangley. Margaret Qualley is brilliant as Cima, a young medic Hig encounters, as is Guy Pearce as her untrusting father, who may well be the highlight of the quartet. Although in smaller roles, there’s also fun turns from Allison Janney and Benedict Wong, and the largely acoustic guitar-based score from Harry Gregson-Williams compliments the film’s introspective tone.

The Dog Stars may not break new ground, but I really admired its reflective, yet downbeat tone and its willingness to take things at a gentle pace, with the script refreshingly prioritising developing its well-rounded characters, who bond over their shared losses. Although it’s a dystopian sci-fi, The Dog Stars is more akin to a futuristic Western. I had a great time with it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to be critically re-evaluated as time passes – this is an excellent late Ridley Scott effort and I’m looking forward to rewatching it.