Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 48 minutes, Director – Francis Lawrence

50 teenagers take part in The Long Walk, maintaining a speed of at least 3mph or they get shot. Last one standing wins.

The Long Walk may not be as bleak as Frank Darabont’s adaptation of The Mist, but it certainly isn’t amongst the happiest of Stephen King adaptations, and certainly doesn’t have the life-affirming nature that some have found in The Life Of Chuck. It’s a downbeat look at another dystopian future where teens are battling in a last one standing contest with deadly results for the losers – fittingly, frequent Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence helms here.

50 teenagers from across the US are invited via optional lottery to take part in The Long Walk. Once given the sign to start by Mark Hamill’s gruff, state-message repeating Major they must keep a minimum speed of 3mph without stopping or straying from the path, otherwise they’re shot by the soldiers travelling in camera-holding military vehicles alongside the walkers. The protagonists are given warnings blared through speakers on the truck crawling behind them. If further in front these warnings, and eventual gunshots, echo with a haunting dread in the background – we’ve seen the gory consequences already.

The cast, led by the great duo of Cooper Hoffman (frequently crossing his arms across his chest as if to protect or comfort himself) and David Jonsson as #47 Raymond Garrity and #23 Peter McVries – initially reluctant to making friends knowing the fate almost everyone will likely meet before needing the friendship to get them through the trial – each display the growing panic and tiredness experienced as the days and miles go on. Ben Wang puts in a particularly effective physical performance, especially as his character gets quieter and quieter the more distance is covered, holding some of the most impactful moments encapsulating the darkness of the surrounding dystopia.

Tensions rise amongst the cast, mixed with the fear they’re experiencing as their numbers lower. Anger and desperation start to mix, especially in contrast to the ill-fated friendships formed. All well captured in the performances and overall flow of the film. The Long Walk certainly feels like one of King’s more difficult-to-adapt books, originally published in 1979 under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, however thanks to the consistent movement of the film and development of events there’s a maintained engagement throughout. One that makes the most of the on-edge nature of the weakening and injured characters which is put onto the audience.

Details of the world, and how the country got into the state it’s in, are given away in natural conversations about the walk, those watching from the side of the road and how the contenders came to take part in the first place – with the offer of a big cash prize, a wish granted and becoming a sign of hope for everyone struggling in America.

The journey is consistently downbeat and shocking with the brutal sights we see. Yet, not enough to have turned me away completely. There’s hope in the bonds we see form, even if some do lead to inevitable pain and tragedy. Tragedy which is established early on and continues to hang over the fatal walk.

A downbeat journey with consistent shock and pain that transfers from the characters in their growing fear and desperation, The Long Walk still has signs of hope in the bonds formed between the brilliantly performed protagonists, even if it does lead to inevitable tragedy which hangs over the film.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 2 hours 4 minutes, Director – Simon Curtis

1930, a new era has well and truly arrived and for some at Downton Abbey that may mean moving on and passing on the mantle, if financial woes don’t bring an end to everything.

Regardless of your relationship with Downton Abbey The Grand Finale is very much more of the same. How you respond that depends on your relationship with Downton Abbey. For those, like myself, who have never seen the series – in my case outside of the films – there seems to be a lot going on but it largely boils down to Downton facing financial struggles amidst signs that with the changing era the ways of the Grantham family may be becoming a thing of the past. Also, there’s a build-up to a county fair. Both involve the line of Michelle Dockery’s Lady Mary being almost turned away from society for being a divorced woman.

For those who are fans of the series there’s, as with the previous films, a good deal more involving the many characters, new and returning, which will more than likely engage and entertain. There’s much talk on different levels about retirement and promotions, all done with a loose enough bow to allow this to be a grand finale rather than the grand finale.

Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) is reluctantly facing the fact that he may soon have to pass on leadership of Downton, however with fellow Lords and Ladies selling off their grand houses due to the rising expenses of both London and the dawning ’30s it seems he may have to do the same. However, Lady Grantham’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) is also having troubles after the previous year’s Wall Street crash, although new friend Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola) is helping him see it through.

Everything is treated with little major stress or worry, this is a world where everything can be resolved with a dinner party, although there are some occasional raised voices. Mirroring the idea that this is more posh people having posh people problems, for which it’s rather difficult to feel much emotion about. There’s general watchability and engagement, and some amusement to be found – particularly as Jim Carter’s retired-again Mr Carson and Sophie McShera’s soon-to-be head cook Daisy are invited to join the county fair committee, to the disgust of Simon Russell Beale’s Sir Hector Moreland, against the idea of any input from mere servants. I could have gladly spent two hours watching a film just about this strand with its slight British underdog angle.

There are continued beats from previous films about characters being gay, although with this still being the early-20th century closeted – although there are aspects of this third film that feel like its less the society depicted and more the film being frustratingly scared to talk about sexuality; aside from one line spoken by Arty Froushan as Noël Coward. It’s a small point in the film that’s lightly brought up between Dominic West and Robert James-Collier’s characters but it still feels strained and awkwardly danced around when done so.

It contributes to more of the same from Downton. Generally watchable enough for outsiders, although how much there is to properly care about is a different matter, and with a good deal of everything and everyone for fans. This is a quaint, untroubling alleged finale for the Grantham family.

Once again, fans will get the most from the good deal that’s clearly going on in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. But for casual viewers there’s a fine enough, if unaffecting, closing chapter here.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 35 minutes, Director – Haruo Sotozaki

The hunt for demon Muzan (Toshihiko Seki) leads the Demon Slayer Corps to fall into a neverending castle where they must fight multiple upper rank demons whilst trying to escape.

If 2021’s Mugen Train, the first feature adaptation of hit anime and manga series Demon Slayer, was the express train, holding consistent action with a rarely dropped pace, then Infinity Castle is the delayed multi-stop one. While I still haven’t seen any of the TV series this continues from, as apparently the first of a trilogy of Infinity Castle films, it’s easy enough to get to grips with where things are from the opening few minutes. Young Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae) and fellow Demon Slayer Corps members are thrown into what seems to be another universe, a neverending, ever-shifting landscape of floors, walls, platforms and buildings. Whilst trying to hunt demon Muzan (Toshihiko Seki) in the confusing environment they must also face strong, upper rank demons, none of whom appear to be able to defeated in the usual ways.

In total there are only a few action upfront fights that make up the lengthy 2-and-a-half-hour run-time of the film. And rather than action being broken up with dialogue the style of Infinity Castle is more flashbacks, internal monologues, verbal exchanges, more internal monologues, opponent analysis and further internal monologues broken up with the occasional sword strike before diving into more of the former. The action itself is exciting and certainly has an impact both in terms of the visual style and intensity of the sequences. But, such moments feel constantly stalled by the eventual dives into lengthy flashbacks and dialogue.

It’s likely for fans of the show, and those more familiar with the narrative so far, that the film will work best, for those, like myself, who are coming to this relatively fresh then there’s perhaps a lot that might seem like overlong and unnecessary. Especially when it comes to the fact that one encounter which is drawn out for at least 45 minutes, if not more, feels as if things are about to kick off again multiple times before another flashback of internal monologue is cut to. It makes for a very drawn out and unevenly paced set of events which starts to hinder the impact of the action.

There are still points of interest and things to keep engagement, the first demon to be properly battled is an enjoyably playful and taunting force (voiced by Mamorou Miyano) and there’s effect in some of the flashbacks. However, the more the run-time goes on the more drawn out it starts to feel and as if the events of the film could have been condensed into something more concise, or at least more evenly paced. The stops in the brief flashes of action, and displays of powers and forces at play, are the biggest issue for this seeming first Infinity Castle instalment.

The idea of the endless nature to the world in which the characters appear to have entered are shown in brief shots as the ‘camera’ travels through it, effectively establishing the difficult task of just getting through it, let alone adding demons to the mix. For more casual viewers it may seem as if not a great deal has happened by the end of the long run-time, although for fans there’s likely a more emotionally engaging and affecting time to be found. Either way, there’s a lot to get through to get to the end, much of which slows down the thrills of the core action.

Infinity Castle’s overlong run-time appears to be formed by constant flashbacks and internal monologues disturbing the flow and excitement of the action sequences. There are still elements to like in the world and its fantastical elements, but they often feel briefly glimpsed amongst the growing sidetracks.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 15 minutes, Director – Michael Chaves

Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren are brought out of semi-retirement to take on one more case, involving a haunted item from their past terrorising a family home.

I’ve referred to the Conjuring franchise, and its various spin-offs, as horror movie cliché bingo on a number of occasions. Even more frequently I’ve criticised the ‘quiet, quiet, Bang!’ style of scares which have defined the franchise. Yet, when it came to the last instalment in the main series focusing on fighters of the paranormal Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren, The Devil Made Me Do It, I found a film that clicked with me more than the others – and I don’t think because of the still-under-restrictions COVID era where new big releases continued to be somewhat scarce.

Last Rites, the fourth and apparently final instalment of the main Conjuring films, claims to depict the toughest, most life-changing case ever faced by the Warrens. One which would unexpectedly span over 20 years and call back to their past. Having semi-retired, now going around colleges giving talks about their experiences with the paranormal to bored students who want to know if they’re like the Ghostbusters. However, when it seems that they could be the only people to rid the house of the Smurl family of demons they turn up to do whatever they can.

The point at which they arrive is likely closer to 90-minutes into the film rather than 60. The Warren’s past, current life with daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) introducing her boyfriend Tony (Ben Hardy) and the growing fear of the Smurl family after the introduction of a mirror to their household as a confirmation present for daughter Heather (Kila Lord Cassidy) all construct the various point built-up before the horror properly kicks off. There are some intended creepy scenes, largely involving the Smurl family, but much of what we see is more showing the Warrens life and distance away from the lives they once led, especially in the wake of Ed’s heart problems.

Yet, when the horror does start to kick off more frequently it all feels rather abrupt. A rushed set of sequences which hammer away at the aforementioned quiet, quiet, Bang! style which so easily leads to predictable attempts at scares. In total throughout the film’s 135-minute run-time I found only one effective scare, involving a sudden movement from Annabelle before the moment shifts into something more ridiculous.

What dampens the horror further once the Warrens and Smurls team-up to take on the possessed mirror causing the chaos in the house is the fact that for something that is meant to be the couple’s toughest and most personal case ever it all seems to be tackled with little strain from or pressure on them. The difficulty doesn’t feel cranked up at all, yet the opening and closing text pushes the fact that this was the case that caused them to stop this kind of work altogether. The noise is ramped up with screaming, shouting, clattering, thudding and the rising score, but none succeed in raising the fear factor or tension. The main feeling I got from the film was boredom as the same formula was once again being repeated. However, while this does seem to be a final outing for Wilson and Farmiga as the Warrens, whether that’s repeated for the last time for this franchise, as claimed, remains to be seen.

Another case of predictable scares for the Warrens pushes the feeling that, despite how often we’re told it is, this is far from the couple’s toughest case. As the horror sequences start to repeat boredom settles in more than it did in the lengthy build-up.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 13 minutes, Director – Spike Lee

Music mogul David King (Denzel Washington) gets an anonymous call demanding $17.5 million for his kidnapped son (Aubrey Joseph), only the start of a chain of events which will pull him in multiple directions.

It’s a bold move to try and remake Kurosawa. While Living did a good job of translating Ikiru into the stiff-upper-lip manner of the same era (the early 50s), Spike Lee has taken High And Low, and its based-on American novel King’s Ransom, and planted it firmly in the streets of New York City. There’s a confident stride and swagger to the film as the opening credits appear against the camera sweeping across the sparkling skyline to Oh What A Beautiful Mornin’.

Cue music mogul David King (Denzel Washington) – the man with the best ears in the business, even after 25 years. However, as major deals for the future of his record label and himself are about to be finalised David’s day takes a sudden turn. After a belcony conversation with his wife (Ilfenesh Hadera) the camera views his reaction to the phone call demanding $17.5 million for the return of his son, Trey (Aubrey Park) from behind a window. Quickly walking back inside he explains what’s happening, desperately trying to keep a calm exterior.

Soon, detectives are populating the penthouse trying to do everything they can to locate Trey and his kidnappers, alongside the son of David’s chauffer, Paul (Jeffrey Wright – effortlessly bouncing off of Washington in multiple contexts), Kyle (Elijah Wright). From here Lee builds up heat outside of the initial dramatic thriller in how he views the police’s rush to help the wealthy King and pushing aside/ lack of regard for Paul in almost the same situation.

The plot moves along well particularly during extended sequences where the action sensibility is ramped up. Scenes set on the New York subway are full of detail and tension as they flow like the movements of the cart. Capturing the rush of multiple perspectives as they near a goal, yet still fear something will go wrong. These moments are backed by Howard Drossin’s score. just about avoiding repetition in these moments and adding to the build up of tension. However, outside of such moments the music feels overbearing and at times completely unnecessary, threatening to take you out of the picture completely – like an intensified version of recent scores for Almodóvar films, where I’ve had similar feelings.

Things get somewhat lost in the final 20 minutes where an overlong feeling appears in the eventually stretched run-time, but beforehand the pace is largely kept up with the links between developments in the evolving narrative which pulls Washington’s character and his mind in multiple directions. Washington is on typically strong form, and he and Wright bring a feeling of stage performances to their turns in this film which add to the drama at hand.

Committing to the roots of its location and the identity that brings, Highest 2 Lowest is a well-charted, if overlong, thriller that keeps its developments and stakes exciting, with Washington and Wright’s performances managing to speak over an overbearing score.

Release date – 5th September 2025, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 29 minutes, Director – Ethan Coen

Private detective Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) finds herself investigating a possible murder which could link to a shady church, particularly its leader (Chris Evans).

Throughout Honey, Don’t! I had to constantly remind myself that what I was watching was meant to be a B-movie. Not because of any action spectacle of blockbuster elements, but more in the hope that it would perhaps excuse the trudge that cluttered trudge that was unfolding. While last year’s Drive-Away Dolls was an amusing-enough road-trip comedy the second instalment in Ethan Coen and co-writer wife Tricia Cooke’s lesbian B-movie trilogy, Honey, Don’t!, is simply a bad film.

Much of it comes down to the screenplay. As Margaret Qualley’s private detective Honey O’Donahue investigates a murder, initially suggested to be a car accident, with links to a local shady church – led by Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans – trying his best with very little) – where the overall vibe is televangelism without the cameras, every conversation seems to be constructed entirely with blunt, obvious dialogue. Almost everything that’s said feels as if it’s from a first draft, or maybe even notes from the first draft. The jokes don’t land, there’s little interest in the apparent mystery at hand and every single character feels like a bland, undetailed cut-out.

Despite the efforts of the cast, which also includes Aubrey Plaza as less love interest and more raunchy scene partner for Honey MG Falcone and Charlie Day as bragging homicide detective Metakawitch, the thankfully short run-time means that there’s quite a bit of cutting between perspectives. Especially when there are characters who are meant to be mysterious and working somewhat in the background, implying gang connections and outside forces around the activities in the church. While everything generally seems to be connected all the elements that seem to be playing out separately and as if telling different stories, adding to the cluttered feeling which clogs up much of the film.

Set in Bakersfield, California, there’s a feeling of a quiet, dusty town to the setting of Honey, Don’t! Apparently inspired by 40s detective flicks, and of course B-movies, there’s a feeling of a 70s or 80s setting which settles in quite a few times just down to the look and feel of things, yet suddenly someone will pull out a smartphone which reminds you that the setting is modern day, and almost takes you out of what little engagement there is left with the film. Quickly comes the point where even lines that on paper should be funny don’t get any form of response. While the film manages to pull itself back from being truly awful it never quite recovers and enters likable territory.

Instead, it remains a boring and ineffective crime comedy, lacking in the sharpness and wit that you’d perhaps hope for with a Coen brother involved (yes, that does include thinking about those scenes in Burn After Reading). Sometimes stylistically that feeling comes through with one or two of the visual elements and certain strikings of tone, but in the flickers where this is the case the screenplay creates a sudden reminder of the truly lacking nature of the film and stops from these feelings from fully coming through and creating any form of entertainment factor.

Honey, Don’t! isn’t awful or unbearable, although sometimes it threatens to near the latter, it’s simply a bad film. Filled with bland characters and a messy tangle of events there’s little humour or mystery to this crime comedy where, despite the efforts of the cast, constantly suffers from an utterly lacking script.

Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 58 minutes, Director – Chris Columbus

When a murder means the future of their retirement complex is put at threat, a club of cold case solvers (Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan) set out to solve the case and save their home.

Having heard interviews and conversations with Richard Osman about his hit Thursday Murder Club novels the impression I have of the novels is a series of self-aware yet cosy mysteries led by the charm of the characters. If this is the case, then in translation to the screen some of the character detail may have been lost, or the starry cast relied on for that, and the self-awareness may have been swapped for more traditional leanings. Yet, that tradition still manages to bring in a cosy aesthetic to everything that plays out.

Cosiness is the overriding factor of The Thursday Murder Club, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a simple, likable murder-mystery for the time it’s on that wouldn’t feel out of place (in f-bomb free form) on a Sunday afternoon BBC or ITV1 schedule. Will it linger long in the mind? Likely not. But, thanks to the cast the characters make for likable viewing as they try to find the person who murdered one of the owners (Geoff Bell) of the expansive retirement complex they live in, likely with the aim of pushing through a sale to convert the building into luxury flats.

A real murder provides a burst of excitement for the titular club, made up of former MI6 figure Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) trade union lead Ron (Pierce Brosnan) and new-recruit nurse Joyce (Celia Imrie), however they soon start to experience signs that they’re getting involved in something much darker, and far beyond their usual discussions of cold cases. The quartet appear to be enjoying each others company both on and off screen, and it helps to bring a burst of amusement and further likability to the characters that we see. A handful of gags work, largely helped by the energy that’s brought. Yet, there’s also a sense of emotion on one or two occasions which while slightly separate in tone to the rest of the film fits in rather well.

Elizabeth returns each day to her flat and her husband Stephen (Jonathan Pryce), often sitting at a small table with a chess set laid out on top of it. There’s a gentleness to their scenes as Stephen’s dementia is made clear, with Pryce giving an equally subdued yet effective performance with his very brief screen-time. Providing some of the most impactful moments and scenes. The rest of the ensemble, including Naomi Ackie as a police officer constantly given menial tasks around the station instead of proper detective work and David Tennant as the other owner of Coopers Chase, planning on making the sale, appear to also be having a good time and add to the overall easy-viewing nature of the film.

The narrative at hand may not be the most gripping or thrilling, but it has its moments and as a whole the tone is just right to make for that aforementioned cosy mystery style which seems to be aimed for and achieved. With the cast relaxed into their roles and the strands at play, which can sometimes feel more distant than perhaps intended, especially just as they’re being brought together, The Thursday Murder Club generally cruises along with few bumps as the mystery unfolds. If you’re looking for something more complex and rooted in twists and turns then Knives Out this is not, nor is it trying to be – and perhaps in the wake of being spoilt by those films there’s an expectancy from some for this to be more like that. But, for what it does, and seems to aim for, The Thursday Murder Club is generally successful in being a light, likable Sunday afternoon murder mystery.

Constructed with a good deal of tradition, The Thursday Murder Club is a largely unchallenging slice of cosy murder-mystery that might sometimes lean a bit too much into its starry cast, but still makes for likable viewing whilst on.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 47 minutes, Director – Darren Aronofsky

Looking after his neighbour’s (Matt Smith) cat leads bartender Hank (Austin Butler) into the circles of various New York City gangs as they all search for hidden money he knows nothing about.

Darren Aronofsky may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of ‘fun’ directors. His last two offerings alone have been 2017’s mother! and 2022’s The Whale, for which Brendan Fraser won a Leading Actor Oscar over Austin Butler in Elvis. It’s Butler who takes the lead in Aronofsky’s speedy caper through the streets of New York City.

After finding himself, once again reluctantly, looking after his neighbour Russ’ (Matt Smith, having as much fun with his character as he is his mohawk) cat, whilst he visits London to see his ill father, Hank (Butler) runs into two Russian mobsters trying to get into his neighbour’s flat. From there a corridor beating leads him to hospital for kidney surgery and into the circles of different criminal gangs, all looking for money which Russ has hidden.

The set-up is simple and it allows for the pressures from the different characters Hank comes across to have a joint effect while playing out separately. It brings in the feeling of a 90s ensemble thriller, perhaps pushed by being set in the grimier streets of 1998 NYC. This is a film that looks at an underbelly, for some of the city and for all the crime within it, and yet doesn’t use it to push a major sense of seriousness or edge, or just a downbeat nature. From the start there’s a sense of catharsis running throughout the film, one that’s maintained but occasionally changes meaning depending on the unfolding events.

Caught Stealing, adapted by Charlie Huston from his novel of the same name, is largely something different from Aronofsky as it moves along with a quick pace, bringing in occasional chuckles as lines begin to cross. Yes, there are moments of seriousness, particularly losses for the central character, but they still keep up with the surroundings for an overall enjoyable thriller. 

Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio properly turn up a good way through the run-time, yet as the Drucker brothers, simply labelled The Hebrews, their friendly and conversational nature, driving around in a minivan before launching gunfire at a wedding, is made sinister by the overhanging threat they carry with the potential to cut someone’s eyes out. While The Russians (Yuri Kolokolnikov, Nikita Kukushin) are quick to land a heavy punch, The Puerto Rican (Benito A Martínez Ocasio AKA Bad Bunny) is swift to remind of his gun and police detective Roman (Reigna King) may be even more no-nonsense than seems, it’s the differing presentation of the strict-Shabbos-observing brothers which has the most effect.

The strands, some of which are brought together to make things less busy and a stronger combined threat, create a handful of cat-and-mouse chases across the city. Well tracked by Aronofsky, Huston and editor Andrew Weisblum for an entertaining, 90s-esque thriller with enjoyable characters and performances which help to keep things moving along. It’s nice to see this more fun side to Aronofsky.

A cathartic, 90s inspired crime caper which keeps up its quick pacing for most of the time. There’s still a grime to the look and tone of Caught Stealing, but it helps to push its central character and those chasing after him.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 45 minutes, Director – Jay Roach

Architect Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and chef Ivy (Olivia Colman) have been known as a strong, supportive couple for years, however as their careers start to go in different directions tensions and arguments rise, leading to a messy, and perhaps deadly, divorce battle.

I’ve not read Warren Adler’s The War Of The Roses, but it seems from the two major film adaptations since its release in 1981 that it might be something of a difficult book to adapt. Or, perhaps, making a film about a married couple increasingly hating each other makes for something difficult to engage with. While the acknowledged biting British sarcasm delivered by Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman brings one or two light chuckles, as opposed to Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner’s bitter jabs and jibes – playing off of their Romancing The Stone pairing, helped by the presence, and direction, of Danny DeVito – in the 1989 take, there’s still an eventual distance created by the characters and their feud.

Much of the marketing has revolved around the more heated arguments between the pair as they hurtle towards a messy divorce, however much of this is confined to the final 20 minutes. Beforehand we get a story of Theo (Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Olivia Colman) Rose trying to keep things intact despite their growing frustrations with each others lack of understanding about their careers going in very different directions. After a design goes wrong leading to a building collapse, architect Theo loses all work while Ivy’s part-time shift at her own seafood restaurant – amusingly titled We’ve Got Crabs – expands after a positive review from a major critic, eventually leading to mass PR and additional locations opening.

As comments start to bring different sparks to the relationship, as mentioned by friends such as Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon’s Barry and Amy – the latter constantly trying to make unsubtle moves and flirtations on Theo, feeling taken from a film from almost 15-20 years ago – there are occasional chuckles from the central pairing. However, Tony McNamara’s screenplay is very hit or miss when it comes to the gags, and much of the time it misses.

The cast, which also includes the likes of Ncuti Gatwa and Allison Janney; in one all-in-the-marketing scene, all appear to be having a good time watching and making the escalating sparring, particularly the more sweary dialogue. However, the same feeling doesn’t always translate as the film takes its time building up to what it promises in both the advertising and suggestions of the eventual directions the narrative will take. As a whole, much like the ’89 take which felt like a re-edited sitcom in its overall tone and style that shifted every 20 minutes, The Roses feels overlong. The stages are clear with the occasional jumps in time and pushes as to where Theo and Ivy’s marriage is going.

Attempts are made to create a balance between the pair’s eventual back-and-forth behaviour and sabotage, largely in terms of both being as bad as each other; early on its the case of a lack of communication between them about how they’re feeling and coping with the ongoing changes in their lives and marriage. However, it’s very easy to pick a side when one character seems to be a good deal more stubborn and belligerent than the other, especially earlier on – perhaps stemmed from insecurity from having lost his job and not being the main breadwinner of the household, although this idea isn’t really delved into, or suggested, much.

As things get worse between Cumberbatch and Colman’s characters, leading to an awkward dinner party with their friends, the film begins to feel messier. While there are some chuckles at just how far they go with their efforts to get the other to give up their want for the house there comes a point where the aforementioned hate between the pair just stems to a point where there’s less and less humour. The characters almost seem to be unlikable, and therefore difficult to connect with and gain an emotional response from. It’s an issue which runs throughout The Roses, which consistently feels as if it has a foot slightly stuck in the past and never quite forms a proper connection with the central couple to truly see it through.

With more misses than hits The Roses struggles to create a proper connection with the central couple, only made worse by the lack of humour in their growing hate for each other across the overlong run-time.

Release Date – 29th August 2025, Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 42 minutes, Director – Macon Blair

Seeking revenge for his boss (Kevin Bacon) not helping him with his healthcare, a terminally ill janitor (Peter Dinklage) is thrown into toxic waste, turning into a powerful new being.

The opening shots of this reboot of The Toxic Avenger give a glimpse of a film as pulpy, schlocky and gory as the two years it sat on a shelf unreleased would suggest. Images of what’s to come rapidly flash across the screen before Peter Dinklage’s voiceover tells us that there’s much more to the story before all of this.

Instead of an awkward, bullied teenager the protagonist in this reboot is Dinklage’s janitor Winston. A struggling single step-dad to Jacob Tremblay’s Wade, with whom he has an attempted yet distant relationship with, often brought down by his own mind, scared of trouble and the dangers of the outside world. There’s little humour at the character’s expense, although some from his interactions with the outside world. Before his trippy transformation into the titular being, having been thrown into a pool of radioactive waste, he’s a sympathetic figure, trying to deal with the fact that he’s been given 6-12 months to live. A point which comes together with Winston’s attempts to talk with Wade which brings in a sense of heart to the proceedings. He’s not a loser, but certainly struggling to put himself across and have his voice heard in the world.

After the wealthy owner (Kevin Bacon) of the healthcare company he works for turns him away, Winston plots revenge. However, despite his hideous new green-skinned appearance (physically performed by Luisa Guerreiro in the full prosthetics, with Dinklage continuing to provide the character’s voice) – complete with large patches of lumpy purple burns – once granted super strength and a glowing and steaming radioactive mop to wield he’s fondly cheered on as ‘Toxie’ by crowds who learn of his heroism after stopping a hostage situation at a fast food restaurant. although flip-flopping on him throughout the film. There’s some likable, if brief, especially in comparison to the run-time, splatter here and there, but never quite anything that feels as pulpy as what this film could be.

As we go back and forth between Toxie and Taylour Paige’s J.J. Doherty trying to expose and take on healthcare company WHB, Bacon’s CEO, enlisting brother Fritz (Elijah Wood) and a loud techno-rap group as henchmen to sort out the man exposing their illegal activities and work with gangsters the overall narrative starts to almost feel tangled within itself. Less by complication more that the film appears to be caught up within itself. There are still occasional patches of humour – a running gag involving opinionated location titles consistently raises chuckles – and bursts of action, but the film almost seems to slow down, with the tongue-in-cheek, spoof-adjacent build-up being more interesting and enjoyable. This first half hour, while having a couple of bumps, largely involving Tremblay’s character away from his step-father, sets up an enjoyable and self-aware time.

What follows is still enjoyable in parts, but the self-awareness somewhat seems to fade in exchange for moments that are more in the realms of silliness, whilst still fitting into the world. The schlock and pulp hoped for isn’t quite present and it does cause the film to somewhat falter, especially as it seems to embrace its plot perhaps more than viewers might, or at least I did. Gore appears to be present to some degree to make up for the lack of stronger B-movie vibes, which are present in the opening stages and some of the visual aspects which appear, but this Toxic Avenger appears to waver with the crowds watching the film as much as he does with those in it.

Not as pulpy or schlocky as perhaps liked, brief but likable splatter doesn’t quite make up for this but there’s still enough to enjoy and raise a chuckle in The Toxic Avenger to help move it along, even as it gets caught up in its own narrative.