Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 41 minutes, Director – Jared Hess

A group of strangers (Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Danielle Brooks) are transported to a world made of blocks, under threat from a sorceress (Rachel House). To defeat her and get back home they must learn to use their imaginations and the elements of this new world.

A variation of a film based on Minecraft, one of the most successful games of all time, has been in the works for over a decade. Multiple directors and leads have come and gone through both live-action and animated forms, Steve Carell’s name was attached for a number of years, but the base of the game has largely remained the same. It’s summed up in the eventual Minecraft movie’s prologue: an endless sandbox where you can make almost anything using the blocks and elements which construct the world. A world of infinite possibilities, as long as you use your imagination.

While that might be the spirit of the game and its open world it hasn’t translated to the screen or narrative. When not focusing on Jack Black announcing items and figures as if the film expects an recognising round-of-applause the story constantly calls back to better takes on unleashing your creativity – The Lego Movie consistently comes to mind for much of the slow 101-minute run-time.

The narrative itself is light, as a group of near-strangers, each feeling as if they’re stuck at their various points in life, are thrown into the Minecraft world after following a magical orb. However, in order to get back they must restore the cube the orb connects to and defeat piglin sorceress Malgosha (Rachel House); intent on travelling from her dark dimension to the ‘Overworld’ and spreading a destruction which removes creativity. Acting as a guide for Jason Momoa’s former gaming prodigy Garrett ‘The Garbage Man’ Garrison and Sebastian Hansen’s young designer Henry – while older sister Natalie (Emma Myers) and, almost nameless, family friend Dawn (Danielle Brooks – the only person who seems to be aware that the script smacks of having five credited writers) are pushed aside with their own side-strand which involves simply walking around and finding the others – is Black’s Steve, having left Earth in exchange for the freedom of Minecraft many years ago.

For those unfamiliar with the game there’s little to access here. For those familiar with it, get ready for a whistle-stop tour of item namedrops before moving on to the next batch. There’s less a rove through locations and more just a working down the list of key game elements that haven’t been seen or mentioned yet. Thankfully, any fears of an uncanny-valley aspect to the largely-CG visuals are put to rest quite early on. There may be some quite obvious green screen/ lighting clashes here and there, but for the most part the live-action characters blend into the world fairly well, and the likes of animals and villagers are certainly nowhere near as horrifying as the dwarfs in Disney’s recent Snow White remake. One of the best elements of the film involves a Villager travelling to the real world and ending up on a date with a character played by Jennifer Coolidge. Each moment is brief, but they create some light humour with a couple of silly gags. Plus, they act as the best way of telling just how much of the film is left in terms of how far through the date we are.

The humour doesn’t quite spread back into the Minecraft world as the majority of the film lacks laughs and is largely hampered by the biggest issue of the fact that it’s simply quite boring. Again, we’ve seen the overall arc of the narrative done multiple times before, and even more creatively. It feels like someone else showing you their lacklustre builds as you sit behind them, looking over their shoulder, without having been able to see any of the build-up or exploring process which could have maybe at least made them somewhat worthwhile. The film certainly isn’t the wreck that some might have predicted, in fact it’s not really a wreck at all and contains some brief glimmers of amusement, mostly when not bogged down by the Minecraft aspects. Instead, it’s just a rather bland traipse which frequently preaches about imagination but doesn’t display a great deal of it itself.

For a film all about unleashing imagination and creativity, A Minecraft Movie feels heavily familiar to a number of other family films in its vein. There are some light moments of amusement scattered throughout, but they don’t stop the boring feeling of seeing someone else wander through their own uninspired builds.

Release Date – 4th April 2025, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 47 minutes, Director – Alex Scharfman

After hitting a unicorn on the way to the wealthy Leopold family’s estate, father and daughter Elliot (Paul Rudd) and Ridley (Jenna Ortega) struggle to keep their secret, especially when the creature is revealed to have healing powers.

Death Of A Unicorn feels very much inspired by the works of Ruben Östlund. It particularly feels like a response to his Best Picture-nominated Triangle Of Sadness. However, this film, acting as the feature writing and directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, leans much more into an Americanised satire, with jokes much less drawn out. It also doesn’t realise the slight irony of its eat the rich story led by such a starry cast.

Yet, perhaps the biggest issue when it comes to the humour is the fact that the film itself doesn’t have enough bite. While some of the performances do, Will Poulter as a wealthy CEO’s son truly goes for it and gives the standout turn of the film as the man spoilt by riches his whole life, the screenplay doesn’t quite provide enough satirically to truly provide the right push. Yet, there are still some chuckles to be found here and there, particularly as the Leopold family discover not just the unicorn which has been hidden in the back of father and daughter Elliot (Paul Rudd) and Ridley’s (Jenna Ortega) car, after hitting it on the way to the vast estate, but the fact that it has healing powers. With supplies seeming scarce their decision is to keep the secret to themselves and only tell their wealthiest and most unwell friends.

However, what they don’t expect is for more unicorns to turn up, to find the missing member of their pack. With deadly attacks now unfolding there’s a split between saving lives and coming up with a plan to capture the creatures and use them for further gain. As the third act, where much of this is contained, plays out there’s a successfully growing air of tension as the unicorns are shown much more closely. Yes, sometimes the clearly CG nature gets in the way in some instances, but there’s still some suspense and fear factor to them as they prowl corridors or create havoc in the grounds of the Leopold family. All while Ridley, against the trip in the first place and brought along by her lawyer father who wants to show his good family connections to his potential employers, insists that she and her dad try to escape, as she pieces together just how deadly unicorns can be from an ancient tapestry.

While it might not have quite enough bite in regards to its satire, there’s still a watchable nature to Death Of A Unicorn. It sees itself through relatively well, helped by the performances at the centre and a sense of engagement even if it doesn’t always raise the laughs that it may wish for. In fact, the laughs come through best with the more it leans into a sense of horror and the aforementioned terror. The tones might not quite work hand-in-hand, but they certainly compliment each other well and bring out the sharper edges of the narrative and characters. Perhaps because of in-the-moment decisions the upfront nature of what’s happening to everyone at the same time at these points in the second half.

For the most part, there’s enough within Death Of A Unicorn to see it through, especially once its elements are set up. The performances may be more on the attack than the screenplay, but there’s still a solid debut which manages to engage, and has some good effective moments when it leans into its horror in the second half.

Lacking the same bite or scathing nature as its seeming inspirations, Death Of A Unicorn’s cast feel a step above its screenplay, which creates a couple of chuckles here and there, but largely when working alongside its successful later-stage tension.

Release Date – 4th April 2025, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 29 minutes, Director – Jed Hart

When Nicky (Lyndsey Marshall) starts to lose sleep with her new neighbour’s nightly parties her attempts to calm things down lead to further torment.

In an age of social horror films Restless may be the most everyday. It’s also one of the most terrifying. As middle-aged nurse Nicky (a stunning Lyndsey Marshall) loses sleep with the noise created by her new neighbour’s nightly parties the torment grows when she tries to find some resolve, with nobody else in the road wanting to get involved.

Every decision leads to a seat-gripping, squirm-inducing sense of panic that the worst is going to happen. When she finally starts to drift off in the middle of the day, the only time it’s quiet, we see Nicky dreaming that young neighbour Deano (Aston McAuley) has crept into her home to stab her. While this moment is fantasy as the situation escalates and both parties grow increasingly heated in their responses to respective actions the threat rapidly increases. After one specific sequence of revenge the consequences see Deano almost breaking down Nicky’s door in a fit of rage, screaming through the letterbox and creating pure terror as Marshall’s character tries to hide.

Writer-director Jed Hart, in his feature debut, keeps everything stripped-back and naturalistic. It heightens the everyday sense of the horror, bringing in an air of familiarity as a story of nightmare neighbours jumps to worst case scenarios while still maintaining a believable atmosphere. Allowing for the tension to be ramped up as Nicky begins to fear for her life, becoming increasingly desperate in a fight she seems to be facing by herself – all while still facing the loss of her mother who used to live next door to her.

Marshall brilliantly captures the stress, panic and rising anger in her character as a war of quiet and noise breaks out with McAuley’s increasing aggression. The way she holds herself brings in the sympathy as you can see the toll the lack of sleep is plaguing on her. Alongside Hart they create the engaging world of realistic horror with great effect, making for a wonderful pay-off which completely flips the coin and is a pure joy to watch unfold.

Yet, we have to go through the relentlessly scary build-up to get there. The confirmation of her worst fears adds an emotional side to what she goes through, segueing from pure suspense into the emotion instead of suddenly just moving on. It helps with the flow and overall engagement to be found within Restless. Packing a lot into the short 89-minute run-time while not breaking or deviating for the horror genre that it sets itself up with.

Throughout I sat physically reacting to the panic and tension drawn out in a number of sequences, fearing the worst for the central character. Almost muttering as I willed her on to just go back and not go ahead with her in-the-moment impulses. I’m sure that this will be one of the scariest films of the year.

Bound to be one of the most terrifying films of the year, Restless is packed with suspense that plays into our own fears of worst case scenarios, wonderfully captured by Lyndsey Marshall’s growing anger and panic.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 56 minutes, Director – David Ayer

When his boss’s (Michael Peña) daughter (Arianna Rivas) is kidnapped, construction leader Levon Cade (Jason Statham) brings out his former royal marine skills to find her amongst Chicago’s organised crime scene.

Jason Statham has a pickaxe, and a sack of gravel, and a bucket of nails, and a gun. All of this applies to the first proper scrap in the opening ten minutes of A Working Man, Statham’s second team-up with director David Ayer following last year’s The Beekeeper. Unfortunately, none of it applies to the remaining 106-minutes as any form of creativity when it comes to fights and kills is thrown out of the window in exchange for near-impossible-to-follow punches and shootouts.

Levon Clade (Statham) may seem like a financially-struggling construction leader, however his past lies as a former royal marine. His work is quickly pushed aside, alongside any opportunity it has to add some fun to the action scenes throughout, as his past takes centre stage in the search for the kidnapped daughter (Arianna Rivas) of his bosses (Michael Peña, Noemi Gonzalez). However, in order to find Jenny, Levon must make his way through the shady world of Chicago’s organised crime scene. But why has Jenny been taken, and by who? Was she specifically targeted, mistaken for someone else? Is she going to be trafficked, held for ransom? And who actually wants her? It seems that Ayer’s screenplay, co-written with Sylvester Stallone – there are a number of action scenes and dialogue throughout which clunkily scream later-Stallone, think Rambo: Last Blood, as if the actor was envisioning himself in the lead role at some point or another – doesn’t actually know and is coming up with answers as it goes along.

It makes for a long near-two-hour run-time, which feels closer to three. We jump from location to location, gangster to gangster to mobster without any full idea of what’s going on. Yet, the framework still feels entirely familiar. Of course, Taken and its various copycat flicks come to mind. Yet, A Working Man seems to want to add even more layers to the maze-like hierarchy which Levon has to shoot his way through in order to find Jenny – wanting to keep a family together, whilst we see him early on struggling with custody of his young daughter (Isla Gie) after the death of his wife, with his violent past being used against him. Every times someone who seems like a key figure is taken down, at least two more crop up in their place. It leads to a scramble for screen-time amongst multiple villains without it always being clear how they link together.

It leads to an unnecessarily bulky film which becomes as frantic as the editing itself. The way the action in particular is cut means that almost none of it can be properly seen, so we’re simply watching a series of dimly-lit flashes with a barrage soundtrack of bullets, thuds and glass shattering. Yet, somehow it combines to increase the blandness of the film due to its overfamiliarity. We’ve seen all the characters, not helped here by a series of overexaggerated performances, and situations countless times before.

The entertainment factor of The Beekeeper isn’t present because A Working Man appears to not be aware of the potential it has for some madness, or simply fun. It treats itself with thorough seriousness and a stony-faced expression from start to finish, creating almost a barrier between it and the audience. The film simply forms itself early on as an overfamiliar slog confused as to quite where it stands with its many antagonists and in serious need of some self-awareness and just a simple sense of fun.

There’s little excitement of fun to be found in A Working Man’s too-serious-for-its-own-good demeanour. An overfamiliar slog with far too many antagonists to keep track of it leads to a bland jumble in need of some self-awareness and humour.

Release Date – 28th March 2025, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 50 minutes, Directors – Robert Olsen, Dan Berk

Assistant bank manger Nathan (Jack Quaid) has a medical condition which means he can’t feel pain, when robbers take the girl he likes (Amber Midthunder) hostage, he goes in pursuit.

The idea of action sequences revolving around the idea that the central character can’t feel pain could easily wear thin. While they play a key part in the bloody fights which happen throughout Novocaine, the main source of humour within them comes more from assistant bank manager Nathan’s (Jack Quaid) constant apologies when he strikes, stabs and slashes his opponent, and at times his own awkwardness. He doesn’t want to fight, or kill, but in order to save himself and the girl he likes he may have to, even if sometimes accidentally.

He’s in pursuit of the people who robbed the bank he works at, but more importantly for him took colleague Sherry (Amber Midthunder) hostage when the police show up early. With back-up ages away, he chooses to take a gun and a police car and chase after the criminals himself, however when they split up he needs to find a way to track them down, and save Sherry. Things move from location to location breezily, with plenty to like about the action and indeed the gags about Nathan’s condition bring about a good few laughs along the way.

Quaid leads with a likable presence, bringing out plenty of amusement in the uncertainty of his character in the frantic search that will hopefully continue the happiness he’s finally found in his life – the one person who brought meaning into it and stopped him from shutting himself away from the world. He leads the film with an energy that matches the overall style of a simply entertaining actioner. One with plenty of impactful punches and splatters, even if the main character can’t feel them.

There’s an energetic flow that connects things without feeling chaptered. Things might start to feel a little bit drawn out in the third acts multiple stages which start to push things with each extension. Particularly as fights get more brutal, and to some extent more unbelievable; even in the confines of a film such as this that leans into comedy and ridiculousness. There’s still an entertainment factor in just how far the film pushes itself, but what it’s missing is the same overall slight-anxious charm of the central character as he becomes more of a straightforward action hero. There’s still an element of Nathan as he was, but not quite to the same comedic extent as in the entertainingly thrilling fights of the bloody, search-based build-up.

A funny, entertaining actioner that wants to be just that, Novocaine is led by a likable central performance by Jack Quaid who brings about a number of laughs in bloody fight sequences which manage to not fall into a set of one-note gags.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 3 minutes, Director – Barry Levinson

Childhood friends Frank Costello (Robert De Niro) and Vito Genovese (De Niro) find their relationship growing tense over the decades as their ways of controlling New York City and fellow crime bosses differ.

The comparisons to Goodfellas and crime classics have been many for director Barry Levinson’s latest, The Alto Knights, so far. With writer Nicholas Pileggi behind the screenplay, and indeed Levinson’s past credits such as Bugsy, a throwback to the mafia movies of the 90s seems to have been expected. However, The Alto Knights is something of a quieter affair less about the upfront crime and more about the relationship between two crime bosses in the 50s, both with very different ways of getting things done.

We see much of the film’s events through the eyes of Frank Costello (Robert De Niro), trying to live his life peacefully as he fills the pockets of police and politicians. This is his business and he deals with things in a largely straightforward way. Meanwhile, Vito Genovese’s (also De Niro) business is violence. Often surrounded by gang members and henchmen, the film opens with a hit job he orders against Frank. The two grew up together as childhood friends, however over the decades tensions have grown in their relationship, particularly in a bid for control of New York City, and more importantly other crime families.

De Niro isn’t quite playing two leads, more a lead and key support. We see less of Vito than might be expected, and the two only really appear in two scenes together – handled well without the feeling of a gimmicky push of ‘look, it’s the same actor!’ The actor, who has suggested multiple times in the past that he’s done with crime movies, puts in a pair of good performances which in many ways the film rests on. While there may not be many differences, aside from the fact that Vito often wears a hat and glasses and appears to be inspired by Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, there’s enough to sell these as two separate figures and move the narrative along with them as their lives crossover multiple times, with some cases being more conflicting than others.

As the third act unfolds we see two different perspectives of a journey to a key meet-up, it’s a simple drive, but Levinson brings in a layer of growing tension, particularly for Frank, as the destination gets closer. It’s an extended sequence which while causing the run-time to be felt a little bit, acts as one of the most engaging points of the film. There’s a good deal to like throughout the subdued nature of the narrative, largely in scenes where we see the different behaviours and responses of the two bosses – as Frank testifies to congress Vito watches on TV, shouting at the screen and forming a highlight at the same time. Again, much of The Alto Knights seems to rest on the decision to bring De Niro in to play both roles and his performances, and luckily they’re effective turns which help to move things along and create a rift between the characters which still holds the impression of childhood friends who grew up together.

It doesn’t seem like Levinson is trying to go for Goodfellas, or those other notable throwback titles. Yes, there may be some shared elements and nods here and there, but as a whole this isn’t a film with the same darkness or bite. It has its moments of tension, largely after a good deal of build-up in the relationship and quiet feud between the two De Niro roles, and that feud is the central focus. The ways in which its organised and gone about, and the differences between the two figures responses. There’s an interest to be found in it and while the run-time could do with a slight trim, for the most part there’s an engaging and competently made crime boss drama at play.

Not the throwback to the likes of Goodfellas that some may be expecting, The Alto Knights is a more subdued affair that rests on the shoulders of Robert De Niro’s engaging central performances, making for a well made film with enough interest to see it through.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 49 minutes, Director – Marc Webb

After escaping from the kingdom ruled by her evil stepmother (Gal Gadot), Snow White (Rachel Zegler) plans to free her home and restore it to the caring community it once was.

The design of the dwarfs in Disney’s milestone 1937 take on Snow White was specifically sculpted to show off just how expressive animation could be. When the same physical characteristics are wiped across squat, CG replications, with imitated human flesh and skin, the effect from their first appearance marching one by one round a corner in a mine, towards the camera, is somewhat unsettling. With their introductory number of Heigh Ho being stretched out to almost five minutes and each figure being given some form of musical introduction each time the details seem to have settled down another is thrown directly into a close-up to try and capture a cartoon sensibility but simply adding to the horror-inducing nature of the number.

It’s a sequence that feels as if it was approved heavily by multiple studio executives after much back-and-forth between the ranks. While not the most present characters, when the likes of Doc, Sneezy and Dopey are on screen they just feel completely out of place with the various CG backdrops. Their scenes are largely confined to the familiar Snow White story which makes up much of the first half of Disney’s latest live-action remake – the first to be presented by them in the title.

The studio influence seems clear as, once again, the original segments in a remake are the strongest and somewhat save the film – although here there’s a lot of lifting to be done. Like with Guy Richie’s darker sections of Aladdin, often feeling the studio reins pulling it in, or David Lowery’s underrated take on Pete’s Dragon, Marc Webb’s film succeeds in the moments which take a step away from the familiar mould. As Rachel Zegler’s Snow White (more than holding up a tune or two throughout and bringing some life to some of the more lacking numbers – Disney have, somewhat understandably, tried to push character ballad Waiting On A Wish despite the presence of better songs from Pasek and Paul on the soundtrack) gets to know bandit and freedom fighter Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) a brighter, more energetic form comes to the narrative.

Kicking off with the film’s best song, Princess Problems, there’s a likable bounce back and forth between the pair. Zegler’s allowed to bring more to her character while still displaying the same through-and-through good-heartedness, and as a whole the film seems to shift and change. It becomes more wholly likable to give the lead star’s shoulders a break from carrying much of the weight. There’s just a brighter burst as Webb can play around with new material instead of the familiar beats of the original story as told by Disney all those decades ago, and watched by plenty of people young and old since. All by doing something different, and indeed giving the director that bit more freedom.

While we have to jump back to some familiarity by going back to Gal Gadot’s take on the Evil Queen, Gadot seems to be trying to replicate a panto villain but can’t quite muster the campness or energy. Yet, thanks to the mid-section there’s at least more of an original angle to things once the final key story beats have been ticked off. Zegler has discussed in many interviews in the build-up to the film’s release about the more empowering side to this film, the title character’s journey to becoming a leader and spreading fairness in her home kingdom, taken away by her stepmother who shut her away from the rest of the world as a servant for years. While the film itself might not go into this as hard as these interviews might suggest there’s still something more present which helps to move things along. Helped by the lead performance at the heart of much of the film’s events, and creating that initial spark of engagement when things are wandering around in what we’ve seen before.

These moments are generally fine, albeit while including the nightmare-creating sight of the dwarfs, but it’s very clear to see the elements that are holding things up, and the want to be more creative with this take on Disney’s oldest feature property. It means that Snow White is a largely amiable film which certainly has its standout moments but leans on two or three key elements to hold the weight of the heavily studio-influenced surroundings.

As with a number of Disney remakes, Snow White is at its best when leaning into originality. The bounce and energy of these sections, alongside Rachel Zegler’s central performance, lifts up the heavily studio-manufactured surroundings which while watchable have clear issues, and truly unsettling CG dwarfs.

Release Date – 21st March 2025, Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 24 minutes, Director – Yu Yang

In order to get their respective bodies back for good, Ne Zha (Yanting Lü) and Ao Bing (Mo Han) must inhabit the same body in order to complete deadly tasks to obtain a life-bringing elixir, however past battles may be incomplete and catching up.

Ne Zha 2 currently sits as the fifth biggest film of all time, the biggest animated film of all time and boasting multiple opening weekend records, including topping China’s chart. Yet, outside of its home country the release of the film, up until its various records and box office receipts, may be a quieter affair – although in recent weeks it’s also done well in the US. However, success has perhaps meant a bigger push for the film, including time on IMAX screens – where it’s surely to be best experienced.

In the climactic stages of the extensive third act there are some truly spectacular visuals. Waves of gold and black armies fly through the sky, colliding in a swirling paint-like mixture as they collide in battle. It may be part of a drawn out set of events which increase the run-time of the film, while staying afloat and keeping up engagement there’s still the feeling that this sequel is about 20 minutes too long. It’s a much more serious exchange, on a grander scale, to the fights and battles we see in the build-up – which tend to have a lighter tone with more humour mixed in – but never feels like it’s from a different film altogether.

The fights beforehand are largely centred around tests that feisty protagonist Ne Zha (Yanting Lü) is put through in order to obtain an elixir which will restore both his spirit to his body, and the same for friend Ao Bing (Mo Han) who inhabits the same body after an attack on Ne Zha’s home city means that the restoration doesn’t go as planned. While this is the general gist of the film’s opening stages so much happens in the first half hour that it could be easy to become lost in all the set-up. Multiple strands and villains are introduced after a short prologue recapping the first film, and much of it seems to happen all at once against the backdrop of a battle causing fiery havoc throughout the city.

Yet, from here things somewhat calm down narratively as the various tests begin to unfold. Ne Zha is a wonderfully entertaining character brimming with energy who carries much of the emotional journey of the film, and indeed its tonal shifts. These are handled effectively as they both add to and stem from his character. From successful fart and toilet gags – there’s only really one of each but they both raised a good laugh from me – to enraged jumps to seek revenge the way the film is told through him is somewhat quiet but knowingly done; and indeed increases the overall effect.

As things develop humour is still present and helps to bring a lighter sense to certain events, while still being balanced with the seriousness of certain instances and the drama at hand within the central character’s life, and that of his friend’s. Forced from their past, largely the previous film, are still active and threatening to catch up at any turn while they could themselves be walking into something much more sinister on the way to the elixir. It’s not a force that quite hangs over the events of the film but is more built-up to through the side-plots and actions of the villains throughout the film, all eventually coming together rather effectively for the climactic clash.

During this battle there’s a brief moment where a shot switches to a different animation style, just for a handful of frames, before going back to the one used throughout most of the film. It’s an amazing visual moment, pushing me back in my seat uttering a quiet “wow.” The tonal shifts in Ne Zha 2 are handled just as fluidly and with a good deal of impact, too. This is a visually and narratively richer film than the first entry, which while likable falters under familiarity, and an overall more entertaining experience with a good deal of spectacle held in the animation. Yes, it might feel overlong, but it still manages to fill that time with a good deal to keep you engaged and at times thrilled. Much stemming from the titular character who is a fiery bubble of enraged and playful energy.

While it might be overlong there’s plenty of strength to the visuals and tonal shifts within Ne Zha 2, with a good balance of action, drama and humour there’s a lot to like about a film that, much like its title character, hits hard and often knocks it out of the park.

Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 8 minutes, Directors – Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

When a robot arrives at her home possibly containing the consciousness of her late brother (Woody Norman), orphaned teenager Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) enters a robot exclusion zone looking for answers, with a tech billionaire (Stanley Tucci) trying to stop them.

With a much-mentioned $320 million budget, the Russo Brothers appear to have worried that the visual effects may be so distracting that everything else in The Electric State might not be seen or understood. Therefore, their direction appears to have largely been based around obviousness. Sure, we can understand how a character is feeling through a mixture of elements but can we see it spread across their face? It leads to exaggerated performances, particularly from lead Millie Bobby Brown, where characters feel as if they’re emphasising emotions in some form of pre-take exercise.

Maybe these performances are meant to contrast with the lack of emotion displayed by human faces on robot screens. As Stanley Tucci’s tech billionaire Ethan Skate, alongside robot hunter Colonel Marshall Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito) follow Brown’s orphaned teenager Michelle into the robot exclusion zone we see their in-person exchanges and the robot forms that hunt down Michelle and shaggy-haired black market tech dealer Keats (Chris Pratt, leaning into a familiar Chris Pratt performance). Their faces appear on tiny screens in the heads of the robots and throughout these scenes appear to display almost no emotion, as if that’s just something that happens with this technology. It creates a real disconnect which echoes throughout the film as in general there’s little emotional connection with the unfolding events, largely due to the fact that the plot beats feel so familiar, and in some cases underwritten.

Michelle’s reasoning for entering the exclusion zone relates to a robot which arrives at her home, claiming to contain the consciousness of her late younger brother (Woody Norman), although only able to speak in catchphrases from an old cartoon. In order to find out what’s happening she must track down robot leader Mr Peanut (yes, the American brand mascot – voiced here by Woody Harrelson), who was at the fore of the fight, and resolution, of the war between humans and robots when worker bots began to demand more rights. And thus we have an alternate 90s landscape full of futuristic technology, as if looking at the past’s view of the future.

Again, the visuals themselves are good and clear effort has been put into making the robots fit into the world shown, although not quite making up for the lack of character they have. Whether the visuals were worth $320 million is a slightly different matter, however a good chunk of that also seems to have gone towards getting quite a starry cast (including Ke Huy Quan, Colman Domingo, Anthony Mackie, Jenny Slate, Brian Cox and Holly Hunter).

However, the cast themselves struggle to bring a proper core to the film. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely’s screenplay is full of clunky lines of dialogue which strike a similar vein of obviousness, or occasionally stick out as needing a couple of tweaks, as to the directions of the film itself. The Russos appear to be wanting to go for a Spielbergian vibe to both the world and overall feel of The Electric State. As if this could be their Jurassic Park, their AI, or perhaps their Ready Player One – of which there are echoes of in this film, particularly in the final stages. Where things will go feel somewhat obvious from the early stages of Michelle’s isolation and distance from technology, refusing to wear the big virtual reality helmets which are mandatory for school classes, choosing to read a book instead.

There’s a watchable nature to the film as a whole, the biggest issue is because of the fact we’ve seen so much of it before it feels bland. Lacking in a sense of wonder, adventure and exploration which feels as if it should be rooted in a family sci-fi adventure such as this. Instead we get an overfamiliar narrative and set of events which don’t quite capture the imagination, or general engagement. It passes by for 2-hours, but never fully grabs your interest, despite some nice ideas of moments here and there in the exclusion zone once surrounded by the different robots, but even this feels as if it could be reaching for more instead of playing it so safe.

Lacking a full creative drive the overfamiliar nature of The Electric State’s narrative adds to the overemphasised obviousness of some of the performances and dialogue. Watchable, but largely lacking in entertainment and engagement factor.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 34 minutes, Director – Steven Soderbergh

Veteran spy George (Michael Fassbender) is on the hunt for a traitor involved in the selling of a top-secret device which if used could create global nuclear disaster, however could the person responsible be his wife (Cate Blanchett)?

One of my favourite screenings that I’ve been to was the LFF press screening for Knives Out. After Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc details not just who the murderer is but how the executed the twists and turns of their scheme a round of applause and cheers spread throughout the screening room. As Black Bag nears its conclusion in much the same way as it started, a group of colleagues sat around a dinner table, the big reveal is deserving of the same reception.

Michael Fassbender’s stony-faced and analytical spy George Woodhouse is hunting down a traitor within his close circle. Someone who has sold a top-secret device which could lead to tens of thousands of deaths in a nuclear disaster, increasing global tensions in the wake of it. After an extended opener seeing the potential suspects quizzed about their lives, relationships and resolves the elements are all in place for the game of suspicion to truly take shape. Yet, the person George most reluctantly suspects seems to be his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), also a spy and flying out on a secret mission in a couple of days. But, when lying is not just a part of the job but also the relationships at the core of the film how many layers have to be peeled back to find the truth?

Fassbender and Blanchett are fantastic in their respective roles, capturing a flirtatious wink within the central relationship which could be filled with deception. Back-and-forths and mistrust appear to be key to their years-long marriage, one noted by many in the organisation, but what they’re not showing isn’t a matter for either figure but the audience. George’s search is kept to those close to him, kept refined by the ways in which other figures are connected, whether it be romantically or through workplace shrink Dr Zoe Vaughn (Naomie Harris). With the refinement comes consistent links and developments which hold each other up and allow for the supporting cast (also including Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela and Pierce Brosnan, all on entertaining form) to each have chances to shine and be a major suspect.

Fittingly for the execution of the conclusion the developments begin to play out like a murder-mystery. There’s a delicious nature to the entertainment factor of the film and how slickly it cruises through its events, backed by David Holmes’ bouncing, jazz-inspired score. David Koepp’s screenplay is tight and focused, as is the final edited cut of the film, clocking in at a breezy 94-minutes. So much is contained in that time which grows from the key sequence towards the start, with a scene of table-based chat avoiding a stage-like feel as Steven Soderbergh’s camera remains focused throughout. Growing our interest in the arguments and tensions at hand from the initial quiet spark.

Once engaged, which happens quickly as the characters are clearly laid out from the early stages, the spy thriller narrative develops quickly with plenty of intrigue to be found in the possible yet uncertain layers of lies and deception. All leading to an applause-worthy reveal worthy of a fine murder-mystery.

Tightly told, Black Bag is a deliciously slick spy thriller which plays out with the entertainment factor and layered nature of a great murder-mystery, pushed by a starry ensemble who match the focus of the camera and bounce of the score.