Check out the full trailer for Dune: Part Three below:

Drawing from Dune Messiah, the story follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), now deified as Muad’Dib and ruling as Padishah Emperor. His holy war has torn across the galaxy, leaving devastation in its wake, and Paul now finds himself encircled by enemies, conspiracies, and the ever-present shadow of death. At the centre of this rising storm is Scytale, a Tleilaxu Face Dancer (Robert Pattinson), whose calculated and deeply personal conspiracy begins to unravel Paul’s fragile grip on power—and sanity.

 

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With Dune: Part Three, Villeneuve leans fully into Herbert’s most provocative ideas: that charismatic leaders are dangerous, that hero worship breeds ruin, and that even the most powerful figures are undone by their own inner flaws. It’s a bold thematic pivot that promises a darker, more introspective conclusion to the saga.

Once again, the scale is staggering. Arrakis returns in all its harsh majesty, while the consequences of Paul’s interstellar jihad echo across a broken universe. The returning ensemble is as formidable as ever, with Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem all reprising their roles. Notably, Jason Momoa returns as Duncan Idaho; reborn as the ghola Hayt, a haunting echo of the warrior once loyal to House Atreides.

 

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New faces further elevate the drama, including Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Paul’s sister; a formidable, almost otherworldly presence of immense psychic power. Opposite her, Pattinson’s Scytale emerges as a cunning and ruthless adversary, one who sees the fatal flaw in Paul’s empire and moves to exploit it.

 

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Dune: Part Three is shaping up to be an immersive, visually spectacular, and emotionally charged finale—one steeped in political intrigue, existential reckoning, and the devastating cost of absolute power. Following the monumental achievements of Dune and Dune: Part Two, this final chapter looks set to close Villeneuve’s epic with seismic force.

 

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Prepare to walk the sands once more when Dune: Part Three arrives in cinemas on December 17.

Image: Warner Brothers

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Building on the billion dollar smash success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, this next chapter sends everyone’s favourite moustachioed plumber far beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and straight into the stars. The new footage teases a bold, dazzling animated adventure that promises warp-speed fun as Mario and friends embark on their biggest quest yet.

Watch the brand-new trailer below.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) join Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) on an adventure into outer space and across the galaxy to face off against Bowser’s son, Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie).

Following the previous teaser that introduced the fan-favourite Yoshi, this new trailer raises the stakes considerably. Mario, Peach, Luigi and Toad suddenly find themselves in a whole universe of trouble as they contend not only with the tyrannical Bowser, but also his ambitious heir Bowser Jr.. What follows looks like a race across galaxies, with cosmic obstacles, wild creatures and dazzling new worlds standing between our heroes and total catastrophe.

And visually? This thing looks absolutely stellar.

The animation on display in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer is bursting with colour, energy and imaginative spectacle, delivering the kind of turbo-charged animated thrills that feel tailor-made for the big screen. From star-spinning planets to gravity-defying action beats, it’s shaping up to be one of the most energetic family blockbusters of the year — and one that Mario fans will want to experience with a packed crowd.

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But the fun isn’t stopping on-screen.

To celebrate the arrival of tickets going on sale, Universal Pictures New Zealand is preparing something truly spectacular for local fans. On the evening of Saturday, 14 March, Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower will light up with a massive projection event inspired by the film.

The large-scale display will transform New Zealand’s tallest landmark into a cosmic canvas, bringing the vibrant worlds of Mario’s galactic adventure to life in what’s being billed as an industry-first spectacle — a full-video projection celebrating Nintendo and Illumination’s next animated event.

Fans eager to catch the action live can head to:

• The base of the Sky Tower at SkyCity Auckland from 8:00pm to midnight on Saturday, 14 March
• Or anywhere in the city with a clear view of the tower lighting up the skyline.

It’s a fittingly big celebration for a franchise that has defined gaming for generations, and with Mario now blasting into the cosmos, the scale of the adventure is only getting bigger.

So mark your calendars — because when The Super Mario Galaxy Movie lands in cinemas on April 1, it’s bringing plenty of interstellar chaos, Mushroom Kingdom magic, and family-friendly blockbuster fun along for the ride.

Image: Universal Pictures

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As the world falls, young Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and into the hands of a Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). While two Tyrants war for dominance over the Citadel, Furiosa survives many trials as she plots a way back home through the Wasteland.

George Miller is a filmmaker unlike any other, and with a career spanning forty-five years, he’s created some of the most visually audacious, pulse-pounding and utterly moving pieces of cinema ever conceived. Bounding between genres and always seeking out new ideas and filmmaking techniques to experiment with, Miller is a visionary in the truest sense of the word, and audiences are now invited back to the Wasteland in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. As the follow-up to his critical and commercially lauded work on 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is a piece of narrative storytelling that helps to embolden the history of the Wasteland and gives context and a sense of origin to the living Valkyrie, Furiosa. Miller again utilises action as narrative, and Furiosa delivers on a far grander scope that is pure cinematic spectacle.

Miller and his creative team of fellow maniacs set about to do something broader with the narrative for this picture, and what we are delivered is a grand Odyessy in the purest of mythmaking styles. Drawing influence from the grand mythos of Ancient Greece and Rome, Miller fashions a narrative of survival and becoming, and gives audiences the blood-soaked saga of how Imperator Furiosa became who she is. This is a grand and lively cinematic experience, and it races towards you at high speed, and there ain’t no slowing down. Image and sound are Miller’s north star in bringing this picture to life, and you feel like you are witnessing some furious rock opera come to life before your eyes. With its organic textures and in-your-face action, there’s grit to the events that unfold on screen, which makes for a pure rush for audiences.

Rising British film star Anya Taylor-Joy is stepping into the Wasteland this time around, and she embraces the utter fury of Furiosa as she is thrown into the fray of battle and death that the Wasteland breeds. In a performance that is virtually devoid of dialogue, Taylor-Joy relies heavily on expression and action of movement in her performance as Furiosa, and this is a character that is running on pure instinct. The word best used to describe Taylor-Joy’s performance would most certainly be feral, and there’s an uncontrollable, almost animal-like quality to the seething rage that she brings to the screen. With one goal in mind, escape, Furiosa does all in her power to find her way back to the Green Place of Many Mothers, and there’s not a moment on screen where you don’t buy into Taylor-Joy’s commitment to Furiosa’s only goal. Her performance is one of equal parts bravery and savageness, and she won’t back down from taking her vengeance!

Chris Hemsworth is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and now he completely does a 180 with his performance in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. And he’s an utter scene stealer in every sense of the word as the Warlord Dementus. As utterly mad as a cut snake and thoroughly tweaked, Dementus is a despotic ruler of the great Biker Horde, a nomadic gang who roams and pillages the Wasteland of its resources. And his presence is utterly terrifying. Part messiah, part general, all maniac, Hemsworth’s Dementus is a physically imposing and dangerous presence, and his particular interest in Furiosa will entirely shape her life. This is Hemsworth like you’ve never seen him before. There’s absolutely no filter in his presentation of Dementus, and he gives an utter beast of a performance and creates one of the most lively, twisted and psychotic villains ever brought to the cinema screen!

George Miller is a filmmaker who attracts the best of the best when it comes to acting talent, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is no exception to this. Two of the film’s key supporting players, Tom Burke and Lachy Hulme, make an impression on audiences with their appearances, and both are rapidly different in their performances. Burke takes on the role of Praetorian Jack, the principal military commander of The Citadel, who instructs Furiosa in the art of ‘road combat’, and he’s an almost prototypical Mad Max character. Hulme, being the chameleon performer that he is, brings to life a younger and more sinister Immortan Joe, Furiosa’s liege lord, turned future enemy, and he’s damn scary in the role. It’s a lot of fun to watch Hulme square off with Hemsworth’s Dementus, and they’re just two bad bastards who will do whatever it takes to control the Wasteland. Returning Mad Max veterans Josh Helman and Nathan Jones return to the Wasteland as Scrotus and Rictus Erectus, the two scummy sons of Immortan Joe, and both are devilishly deranged in their performances.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is an example of pure action overload. George Miller and the entire cast and crew have done everything in their power to deliver some of the most adrenaline-spiking moments ever put on screen. The focus of this action is pure ‘road combat’, and with the film’s origin story, we get to see elements such as the construction of the War Rig and just how these early variants of this mechanical beast were tested on the ravaged outback highways. The most memorable moment in the film is the ‘Stowaway’ chase scene, and Anya Taylor-Joy is thrown headfirst into the carnage of a 15-minute chase scene filled with gunfire, explosions, and some of the most audacious action ever captured on screen. But action for Miller is not just mere spectacle; it has a key part in shaping the character of Furiosa, and these crazy beats will leave you wide-eyed with amazement.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is an opera of utter cinematic madness, and your adrenal gland will be working overtime with this full-on, all-out, shiny and chrome action spectacle. So sit down and buckle up for one hell of a wild rush!

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

The post ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Check out the final trailer for Furiosa below:

Along with the final trailer, audiences have now been treated to two brand new featurettes, Darkest Angel, and Motorbike Messiah, which give audiences an inside look into Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth’s transformative performances into Furiosa and her arch-rival Dementus, Warlord of the Wasteland.

Furiosa recently had its world premieres in Australia and London and made a considerable impression on audiences at the Cannes Festival, where it received glowing reviews and took audiences by storm. Its characterization, action sequences, and world-building have received exceptional praise, including a 15-minute action sequence that took 78 days to shoot and featured nearly 200 stunt performers!

Cast and crew have put everything of themselves into this production, and all of it will show up in an action extravaganza on cinema screens that will flaw audiences!

Here’s the official synopsis:

As the world falls, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and into the hands of a Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. While two Tyrants war for dominance over the Citadel, Furiosa survives many trials as she plots a way back home through the Wasteland.

Ready yourself for the sheer barking madness of the Wasteland when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives on cinema screens on May 23.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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So says Chris Hemsworth’s sneering, monstrous Wasteland warlord, Dementus, in the explosive first teaser trailer for George Miller’s much-awaited prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is sure to have your blooding pumping with full V8 force!

Watch the EPIC new trailer for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

As the world falls, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and into the hands of a Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. While two Tyrants war for dominance over the Citadel, Furiosa survives many trials as she plots a way back home through the Wasteland.

Starring emerging A-lister Anya Taylor-Joy in the role of the tough-as-nails Furiosa, this is the saga of how the enslaved child turned warrior avenger plays off two feuding warlords for the soul of the Wasteland, and this is going to be a cinema spectacle that you’re going to want to watch on the biggest screen possible.

2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road is regarded as one of the greatest films of the last decade, along with being cited as one of the best action films of all time, and the genius who is George Miller is now back to ramp up the action once more in this fast-paced and furious prequel film.

While the first teaser trailer only gives audiences an impression of what is to come with this monumental prequel film, it’s shaping up to be a hard-charging bit of excitement, and there’s plenty of full-bore V8 madness to get your adrenaline racing. Taylor-Joy looks slightly manic and unhinged as the brooding and vengeful Furiosa, who must face down the wrath and terror of Hemsworth’s Warlord Dementus. The Australian hunk is a grunge-up freak as Dementus and his alpha lord of the Wasteland bravado will make for plenty of interesting viewing for audiences.

This first teaser trailer is only a taste of what is to come, but Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will undoubtedly be one of 2024’s must-watch cinema events, and we’re eagerly waiting to learn more about the crazy that awaits with this colossal feature.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will arrive in cinemas on May 23, 2024.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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Young couple Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) travel to a remote island to eat at Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant run by celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), who has prepared a lavish molecular gastronomy menu where food is treated as conceptual art, although his approach to cuisine has some shocking surprises for the wealthy guests.

Director Mark Mylod’s The Menu is a classic puzzle-box thriller and while you enter the cinema expecting one thing, it delivers an altogether different kind of cinema experience. Part character study, part thriller and delivered with plenty of satire, The Menu finds a group of elite dinners invited to a very special celebration of molecular gastronomy at the lavish and world-class restaurant, Hawthorne, which is operated by the calculating and godlike restauranter Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). While the rest of the guests are enthralled by his culinary art, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young female guest runs afoul of Slowick and soon realises that this night is not what she thought it would be. And soon all hell breaks loose.

While The Menu is best savoured in one full serving, and spoilers should be avoided, I will say that this is a film that seeks to take deliberate narrative risks and they pay off big time in the long run. Sharply written, thrilling to watch and hysterically funny at the most absurd moments, Mylod’s The Menu is a darkly satirical look at consumer culture, elitism and the influencer crowd, and it’s a very smart watch. Moment by moment and course by course the direction of the narrative gets stranger and stranger, and some very scary thrills will make you sit up as Slowik’s menacing plan comes to the forefront of the narrative.

Cast as the central character in this very edgy watch is rising A-lister Anya Taylor-Joy who is becoming an absolute go-to talent and she gives her best performance yet in The Menu. Cast as the rebellious and bolshie Margot, who is lost to the concept and extravagance of her surroundings, and who soon suspects that all is not as it seems. Like everything in The Menu, Taylor-Joy presents audiences with an extremely layered and textured performance, and she’s right up against the uneasy tension of this narrative right from the start.

Facing off against Taylor-Joy’s interruption Margot is noted thespian and multiple Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes as revered celebrity chef Julian Slowik. And his is a dark and threatening presence. As Slowik, Fiennes presents a character who is forthright and stern in his presentation. A perfectionist in every sense of the word, his devotion to his culinary craft has turned him into a mad man and now this god-like figure is about to snap. Fiennes’s performance is laced with menace and intimidation, and his diabolical menu is served to the audience with both fright and understanding. He battles back and forth with Taylor-Joy’s Margot, and the two of them have excellent chemistry that takes this picture to another level.

Cast as the third wheel of the story is Nicholas Hoult as Tyler, an egotistical and snobbish foodie fanboy who is obsessed with Slowik’s work and whose unnerving neediness will make audiences cringe. This is all deliberate though, and Hoult gives a performance that marks Tyler as a deeply loathsome and unlikeable character, and as the narrative progresses we soon learn just how despicable and unpleasant he truly is. Hoult’s presence as Tyler is parasitic and leech-like, and his performance demands to be lauded for how detestable he makes this character. He plays off of Taylor-Joy with excellence, and their appearance together makes this film a very interesting watch.

The Menu is an edgy watch, and audiences will be swept up in the shocks, scares and satire very quickly. But it does play out at its own pace and there’s a lot going on to keep audiences entranced. Cinematography and production design plays a key role in the realisation of The Menu’s narrative, and this film is a gorgeous piece of cinema to witness. The work of cinematographer Peter Deming is beautiful to behold, and he captures the texture, colour and plating of The Menu’s gorgeous and meaningful dishes with a perfect eye. The production design of Ethan Tobman and the art direction of Lindsey Moran are also key parts of the film’s sense of mood, and the delicate and polished perfection of Hawthorne holds a dark and uneasy presence throughout the film, that impacts the intensity and punch of the story.

The Menu is a sharp and edgy piece of satirical comedy-horror, and there’s a lot going on in this picture that audiences will latch onto. It’s a very inventive and smart watch, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat right up to the final moment, and it makes for one hell of a bang.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Starring Alexander Skarsgard as Viking prince Amleth, who following the murder of his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke) at the hands of his evil uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang), Amleth sets out to revenge his father and take his kingdom no matter the cost.

Bringing this colossal epic to life up on the big screen is noted visionary filmmaker Robert Eggers’ who has shown with his last two pictures, The Witch and The Lighthouse, that he has the makings of an auteur, and The Northman again clarifies this. Regarded for his keenly detailed eye and maintaining a strong focus for narrative and character, Eggers devotes everything of himself as an artist to The Northman, and his commitment shows in every frame that makes its way to the canvas of the screen. Appearing as an almost Wagnerian painting, The Northman is utterly beautiful to look upon, yet it hides nothing back from the Dark Age in which its brooding narrative is set. This is an age of iron and blood, and while the locations of Norway, The Rus and Iceland are beautiful to look upon, they do not hide the savagery that takes place.

Eggers crafts The Northman as a truly epic film and looks back to the ancient Viking sagas for the setting for his tale, and he tells the revenge tale of Prince Amleth, which inspired Shakespeare’s own Hamlet. Broad in scope and scale, Eggers dives deep into Norse mythology for his tale and his is a story where both man and The Æsir are at work and where men turn themselves into beasts. The language and style of The Northman are utterly Shakespearian, and it is an altogether different kind of epic film that moves at its own pace and pays tribute to the Icelandic sagas of the past. Amleth’s path to his ultimate revenge is tempered with fire at every turn and he is a character who seeks every strike to last. And as we move forward in the narrative the drama grows deeper and the action wilder.

The film’s cinematography, production design, art direction, costuming, hair and make-up, armoury and general detail are utterly fantastic to look upon, with Eggers truly transporting his audience back to a different time and place. This is a true portrait of the Dark Ages, where life and blood run cheap and where fate and fortune intertwine with each other. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke focuses on a darkened palette of natural light, both in day and night to capture the dark, somewhat nihilistic tone of the narrative, and roaring fires and stark clouds cloak this film in light. The images he captures are vivid and present Alexander Skarsgard’s Amleth as an almighty titan, and the film’s wild excesses will capture your full attention. The Northman is simply stunning to look upon, and it is like watching an Arthur Rackham painting come to life.

Standing at the centre of Eggers’ mighty narrative is Alexander Skarsgard and this Scandinavian acting force gets to channel his inner Viking heritage as the vengeful and crazed Prince Amleth. Robbed of his kingdom and birthright, Skarsgard’s Amleth is now more animal than man, called the ‘Bear-Wolf’, he has become a ferocious berserker who knows no mercy and who lives for the war cry of the battlefield. But when destiny and fortune present themselves, Amleth seizes on his chance for vengeance and a dark road opens up before him to take it. Skarsgard is an utter beast as Amleth, exuding power and strength as the personification of rage, but as he begins his road to the quest for his own revenge, his character changes in unforeseen ways and is tested by dramatic choices. Skarsgard presents Amleth as a tragic-hero figure and as his quest changes him, as secrets are brought to life and the presence of fate interjects on his behalf, the ethics of his plan soon begin to weigh on his heavy brow. Skarsgard holds the gaze of his audience as Amleth and his raw performance is incredibly powerful in its presentation.

Standing beside Skarsgard is Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga of the Birch Forest, a Slavic sorceress who soon becomes a key part to his mission of revenge as well as the love of his life. Standing as a rare beauty in such a chaotic time, Taylor-Joy’s Olga of the Birch Forest is a strong and powerful woman whose wild sorcery gives her dangerous powers, and she is not one to be trifled with. As an actress, Taylor-Joy presents Olga as a survivor, and she shares incredible chemistry onscreen with Skarsgard, and as the narrative moves forward we see them come together in a primordial love that is touching and exhilarating to watch. Taylor-Joy also jumps headfirst into the muck and blood of production, and she puts her mark on the narrative.

Providing a key level of support to The Northman are performers Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawk and Willem Defoe and each has a key role to play in the film’s vengeance narrative. As the treacherous Fjölnir the Brotherless, Claes Bang makes for a striking adversary and he squares up to Skarsgard with sword in hand. Nicole Kidman grabs your attention as the complicated and cunning Queen Gudrún, Amleth’s mother and a woman who is not who she presents herself to be. And there’s plenty of venom laced into her performance. Ethan Hawke is an old-war dog as King Aurvandill War-Raven, Amleth’s father and Fjölnir’s brother who strives to teach his son to rule in the old ways, but who is cut down by cold iron and strikes the spark that leads to his son’s path of vengeance. And finally, Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool, brings Amleth guidance where needed, and his kooky performance is sure to keep the audience somewhat ill at ease.

The Northman is a film of savage fury and keeps to the history and customs of the Viking Age. As a portrait of a true pagan society, Eggers keeps everything related to historical accuracy and the strong themes of religion, blood ties and family legacies are sewn into the narrative. Questions of right and wrong and moments of perspective and clarity keep this narrative interesting and the audience guessing. There’s a true ferocity to the storytelling and its presentation in The Northman and when Amleth finally draws forth the demonic sword Draugr and sets to his task of vengeance blood flows and heads roll. Key cinematic moments including The Berserker Raid in The Land of the Rus, which is a fierce and haunting spectacle to witness, and the film’s climactic showdown on the gates of Hel, at the base of the Volcano Hekla, is an awe-inspiring sight to witness, especially when set to the rousing score of Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough.

The Northman stands alone as an utter triumph of the silver screen. As a thunderous portrait of the Viking Age and its incredibly complex and intricate character study, The Northman succeeds on every level of creativity and this Dark Age picture is sure to bound itself to your soul.

Image: Universal Pictures

The post ‘The Northman’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

In two brand new featurettes ‘Warriors Of Steel’ and ‘Becoming a Viking’, audiences get a first-hand glimpse of just what went into the making of Eggers’ new epic The Northman, and this is a film that did not stray from the mud, blood and steel of the Viking age in its construction.

Showcasing the extensive costuming, production design and weapon handling and stunt training that went into The Northman, audiences get a real ground-level look into Eggers’ extensive attention to detail and the painstaking process that was followed to bring the Dark Ages up onto the big screen.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Starring Alexander Skarsgard as Viking prince Amleth, who following the murder of his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke) at the hands of his evil uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang), Amleth sets out to revenge his father and take his kingdom no matter the cost.

The Northman is a bold and brutal epic that is set to take audiences by storm and it’s one you’ll want to be ready for when it arrives in cinemas on may 12.

The post Behold the ferocity of ‘The Northman’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Five young mutants, who are held against their will in a secret laboratory discover they are being experimented upon and stage an escape. And in doing so have to overcome their past sins and worst fears.

Adopting the cult classic Marvel comics superhero of the teenaged New Mutants to the big screen, director Josh Boone brings new energy and style to this new chapter of the X-Men franchise that does something different with the concept of the superhero genre, and results in something that will certainly get a reaction out of audiences. Boone places his focus on the infamous ‘Demon Bear’ storyline as he introduces us to a brand new group of mutant characters who include Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), Roberto da Costa (Henry Zaga) and Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt). This is a new cast of fresh characters who are all undergoing the trials and tribulations of their teenage years, and with their added mutations these traumas are only intensified even further.

Boone has a lavish template to do something unique with The New Mutants, and this resulting mix of a genre mash-up makes for a unique experience within the Marvel Universe. First and foremost The New Mutants is a teenage film that examines the trials, tribulations and changes that affect us all through these years. From the power of first love to the punk rock flair of rebellion, Boone brings all of this into New Mutants, and the presence of his cast helps to sell this. Then there’s the film’s unique superhero focus, and it’s here that Boone goes to town with a hard horror edge that makes you jump. There’s an energy of late 1980s horror works such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Carrie being played out in The New Mutants and this horror style, and it’s dark shadows keeps the audience on edge and creates the set-up for some super-powered showdowns.

Each of the cast has their part to play in The New Mutants and bringing the mean girl energy is Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin aka Magik. As the resident bad girl of The New Mutants, Taylor Joy has this shit-kicking, ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude that gives this movie it’s fire, and she’s a livewire in all her scenes. But while she might be bad, she, like the rest of her fellow ‘patients’ is also battling her inner demons and this juxtaposition makes for an interesting character. Taylor-Joy’s Illyana is also not afraid to show off her powers, and she revels in the attention and abilities that she possesses and long-time fans of this will get a kick out of it, along with the presence of her best friend and companion in the form of a purple dragon named Lockheed.

If Taylor-Joy’s Illyana has an opposite then it most definitely is Maisie William’s Rahne Sinclair, aka Wolfsbane. As a devoutly Catholic Scottish girl, whom also happens to be a closeted lesbian, Rahne has her own traumas to face, and her journey is one of self-acceptance of both herself and her powers in The New Mutants. On the behalf of William’s performance, Rahne’s character could best be described as shy and lurking, until she comes into the presence of new girl Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt), whom she can finally open up to in terms of both love and her mutant nature. In regards to her mutant transformation, William’s werewolf persona is pretty damn gnarly to watch and she sure is ferocious in her scenes when she decides to let the beast out.

In terms of sheer trauma, one character who exemplifies this the most is Charlie Heaton’s Sam Guthrie aka Cannonball. A poor boy from Kentucky, Sam arrives at the Institute after a devastating and horrific accident that resulted from his mutant power of combustible jet propulsion that left his father dead and Sam with some serious mental scars. As Sam, Heaton is a complete revelation as the character and ingrains himself in Sam’s headspace as this unsure, slightly frightened young man who is scared of what he might do next. Part of the fun of watching Heaton’s performance is seeing him grow as a character and even though he might be stressed out in the horrors that eventually surround all of the New Mutants it’s this situation that snaps him out of it and causes him to explode into his powers.

Playing the class jock of the picture is Henry Zaga as Roberto de Costa aka Sunspot, a rich kid from Brazil who has been locked up due to his parent’s wishes and who despite his pompous arrogance is hiding his own terrible secrets. In Zaga’s performance as de Costa, we get a through back to the rebellious rich kid jock characters of the 1980s, and there are his attempts to show-off his wealth and playboy lifestyle are a shield for the devastating pain he feels for the trauma that sent him to the institute. Like all of the characters, Roberto has to undergo some serious growth throughout this film, and as a character, he takes the longest to come into his powers. But when he does, you better watch out, because he heats up quick.

Finally rounding out the cast and taking on the position as the film’s central character is Blu Hunt as Danielle ‘Dani’ Moonstar aka Mirage. A young Cheyenne teenager who has only recently come into her powers, Dani is the audiences guide into the world of The New Mutants, and she has a long way to go to accept herself and her powers. Hunt brings great authenticity to the character of Dani and you buy into her uncertainty, pain and the hard road that she has to undergo to accept her place in the world, along with control over her uncontrolled and highly dangerous powers. Hunt brings the heart and soul to The New Mutants, and together with her other co-stars completes an exciting roster of character that classic X-Men fans will love to see realised up on the screen.

As a viewing experience, The New Mutants marks itself out completely from anything else that exists in the Marvel Universe, and from what we’ve previously seen displayed in the X-Men universe with it’s younger mutant characters. This film is dark, foreboding, violent and explosive. While it does take some time for the film’s narrative to settle in, once the horrors of Dani’s powers begin to manifest themselves in the second act things do start to get interesting and from there, it’s a ticking time bomb that explodes with the dramatic Demon Bear fight scene at the end of the film. Boone’s focus on theme and character is also of interest here in The New Mutants and Boone examines and plays with some unique ideas.

The New Mutants is a film that does something unique and different from the X-Men universe and injects into it a level of energy and genre that amps it up and shows it off in a new light. Whether we’ll see more of these characters in the years is still up in the air, but there’s a presence and unique sensibility about this burgeoning New Mutant universe, and I’d be very interested to see where these characters could go to from here.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Emma Woodhouse, “handsome, clever and rich”, meddles in the romantic affairs of her friends and loved ones.

Celebrated photographer Autumn de Wilde makes her directorial debut here with Emma and she brings an artists vision and deep attention to detail to this lavish screen work. Centring her focus on young Emma Woodhouse, de Wilde’s direction recalls both the classic narrative structure of the romantic comedy, along with drawing inspiration from the character study, and through her protagonist’s actions we gain a greater portrait of herself, and just what the relevance of love and attraction play within our lives. Emma is a darling little picture to look upon, and it’s utterly charming in its exploration of young love and youthful portraits. All of it can be attributed to de Wilde’s enchanting style of direction and a focus on character and emotional interaction between Austin’s classic cast of characters.

Taking on the role of the ‘handsome, clever and rich’ central character of Emma Woodhouse is rising star Anya Taylor-Joy and she’s sensational in the role. This young thespian perfectly plays the role of the juvenile gossip, and her stance as Queen Bee of Highbury and mischievous matchmaker gives Taylor-Joy plenty of room to play at with her performance. Being both flirty and closed off, Taylor-Joy’s Emma is very much an enigma, a young woman whose only preoccupation seems to be love, but whom for herself is rather closed off from it. While she’s very happy to play with the love lives of those closest to her, her own love life is rather interesting and Emma Woodhouse turns out to be a far more complex young woman than first thought of.

Emma is a great production for Taylor-Joy to showcase the length of her performance, and her ability to handle the dramatic, comedic and emotional cords of drama all at once. In an instant, she can go from the perfect young woman to a pouty and moody teenager, and a lot is going on to stretch Taylor-Joy’s command of this character. This young actress presents a very pretty figure in the role of Emma and she asserts herself as a young performer of tremendous talent and range with the part, almost in the mould of a young Cate Blanchett. I believe very much that this performance is a signal of great things to come in Taylor-Joy’s career.

Standing opposite Emma is Johnny Flynn as Mr George Knightley, a closed-off, rather cynical young gentleman who has known the flighty and flirty Emma her entire life and who disapproves of her matchmaking games. He’s very much the exact opposite of Emma in every single way and through the course of the film’s narrative, their shared story is very much of opposites attracting. Both Flynn and Taylor-Joy have terrific chemistry together and this adds a layer of believability to their constant back and forth bickering, and also helps to build out the bubbling level of sexual tension that exists between the two of them. While Flynn’s Knightley very much presents himself as a cynic, he’s a secretive romantic, who slowly sheds his armour and opens himself up to the emotions of connection and love when his feelings are matched with Emma’s. And with his guard down plenty of magic blossoms between these two characters.

Jane Austin has always been noted for her collection of amazing characters and Emma has an incredible list of them. There’s Emma’s best friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth), a mousy young woman who is a little bit oblivious to the length at which Emma schemes with her matchmaking, and who finds her relationship with Emma tested as she searches for a true love that will work for her. There’s the always sensational Miranda Hart as clucky spinster Miss Bates, who is all too eager to share the latest happenings with Emma, and who rubs this mean girl the wrong way at times with her eagerness. And how can we not forget the appearance of the great Bill Nighy as Emma’s hypochondriac and immensely superstitious father Mr Woodhouse, whom is aware of the talents of his younger daughter and knows that there’s more going on for her than she dares speak up about.

In terms of its cinematic experience, Emma is gorgeous to look at, and it feels as if one is almost looking at a Regency canvas come to life. A vast array of colours that move from crisp whites to silk creams, opulent casts of silver and gold, and a mix of pastel hues of green, blue, purple and of course pink jump off the screen in Emma, giving the film an incredible Romanticism to its visual style. From its grand production design to lavish costuming, Emma is a portrait of the Regency with all the trimmings, along with plenty of Baroque luxuriousness and audiences will find themselves watching this one in complete awe.

Emma is that perfect mix of romance and comedy and this production strikes a grand balance between the two of them. Austin’s original 1815 work is highly satirical in nature, and director Autumn de Wilde effortlessly translates this through in her lavish production with moments that shine with romance and will have you giggling with laughter. You feel so many different emotions when watching this movie. Scenes that illustrate this mix of comedy and romance perfectly include Emma’s interaction with her sister’s infant child which initially leaves her non-too pleased before giving herself the giggles, a hilarious meeting between herself and Miss Bates in a fabric store and the film’s glamorous centrepiece ball where Emma’s true feelings for Mr Knightley are first shown.

Emma is a beautifully rendered picture of youth and romance, and this classic tale comes to life with a contemporary relevance thanks to its direction from Autumn de Wilde and a magnificent performance from rising star Anya Taylor-Joy. This film is cute, sassy, hilarious, romantic and quintessentially heartwarming and you’ll be in love with what you see here.

Image: Universal Pictures

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