This week Ana de Armas stakes her claim as an Oscar frontrunner for a remarkable turn as a Hollywood icon, plus we get into the Halloween spirit with creepy films for young and old. Enjoy!
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Blonde (Netflix)
Category: Drama
Ana de Armas - a scene stealer in last year’s No Time to Die - is now an Oscar and BAFTA frontrunner for her unforgettable performance in this Marilyn Monroe biopic. Showing the movie icon as more than just her flirty on-screen persona, de Armas gives Marilyn feelings, issues and depth, not to mention looking absolutely stunning too.
WATCH: Have you watched Blonde on Netflix?
The film itself can occasionally feel like hard work. Marilyn’s life was a bleak, intense and traumatic experience and it’s something we’re never allowed to forget over the near three hour running time of Blonde. But in amongst the movie’s slow pace and odd style choices (it constantly flits between colour and black & white) there’s still this powerhouse, awards-worthy central performance. And it’s one that everyone’s going to be talking about.
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris (cinemas)
Category: Drama
If ‘Emily in Paris’ feels a little too dangerous for you (!), try this cosy period charmer starring Lesley Manville as a widowed English cleaning lady who dreams of heading to the French capital to buy a Dior dress. After saving her pennies carefully that dream finally comes true, albeit with a a colourful cast of Gallic characters to make her trip even more adventurous than she could ever have imagined. In other hands a film this nice might have been icky, but with experienced stars such as Manville, Jason Isaacs and Isabelle Huppert on-board, you’ll be rooting for Mrs Harris every second of the way.
Smile (cinemas)
Category: Horror
It might not be Halloween for a few weeks but Smile gets the chills in early, telling the story of therapist Rose (played by Sosie Bacon, Kevin’s daughter) and a curse that reaches her via the emergency psychiatric unit where she works. What follows is an enjoyably cold and eerie horror movie, with Rose desperately trying to break the jinx that’s following her around (and which results in victims pulling a horrible grin just before they die). Predictable? Maybe. But if you’re looking for a few jumps and the odd sleepless night, Smile will make you happy.
Uncharted (Sky Cinema)
Category: Action
Uncharted is one of this year’s biggest hits and it’s a surprisingly old-fashioned adventure romp, albeit one based on a videogame. Tom Holland plays Nathan Drake, a talented chancer hired by mysterious treasure hunter Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to help him track down fabled gold from the 16th century - a task not helped by ruthless billionaire Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) also wanting to get his paws on it. The result is hardly groundbreaking but there’s a National Treasure-style charm about this, with a story that’s impossible not to be intrigued by, that makes Uncharted an enjoyable expedition for the whole family.
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+)
Category: Family
It’s actually happened! Twenty nine years since the first Hocus Pocus movie - and with a dedicated fanbase constantly asking for a sequel - the dastardly Sanderson sisters are back to cause mayhem in present day Salem, Massachusetts. Thankfully it’s with the original trio of actors too: Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy - all wicked and witchy enough to be deliciously devious but never forgetting that this a Disney family movie. Look out for British star Hannah Waddingham too, a sinister witch from the sisters’ past who first sets them off on a life of black magic. Creepy, cheeky fun.
Nope (rent on all major platforms)
Category: Thriller
If you were impressed - or even bemused - by Nope at the cinema, now’s the chance for a second viewing on the small screen. From the team that made Get Out and Us such unforgettably creepy hits comes this even more bizarre tale starring Britain’s own Daniel Kaluuya as Otis, an animal trainer who’s noticed some seriously weird goings on in the Californian sky over his ranch.
Steven Yeun, meanwhile, plays a neighbour (and former child star) who’s spotted the same unidentified flying object and is hoping to make some money from it. What follows is a sharp and sophisticated sci-fi thriller with plenty to say about our love of spectacle and rubbernecking.
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Operation Mincemeat (buy or rent on all major platforms)
Category: Thriller
A gripping and true 2nd World War story, focusing on the allied invasion of Sicily in the summer of 1943 - specifically about how it was kept secret thanks to a remarkable piece of deception. Colin Firth, Kelly McDonald and Matthew Macfadyen star as the London team tasked with making the Nazis look the other way as Allied forces prepare their advance and all are superb in this sly thriller about storytelling, deception and spinning life-saving lies.
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