G20 (2025) stars Viola Davis in this preposterous action film about the G20 conference coming under siege by mercenaries, a bit Die Hard meets one of the numerous Gerard Butler presidential films meets Airforce One. The US President has to try and save the day by kicking a lot of ass. At the end of a busy day, just the sort of mindless action film you need.
Mending The Line (2022) stars Brian Cox and Sinqua Walls and, despite being an (ultra) slow burn and just over two hours in length, I found it to be quite a captivating film. Moving and enlightening, too. War veterans from different eras and fishing, what more could you ask? Definitely one to watch.
I found Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) to be surprisingly entertaining. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant are amongst the cast and provide some good humour. Always dubious about movies based upon video games but this one is well worth watching.
The Six Triple Eight (2024) from Tyler Perry tells the true story of the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of colour to serve overseas in WWII. Audiences were more appreciative than the critics, as is often the case, and I found it to be an interesting watch.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) is based upon on a single chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula and is a slightly different approach to this legendary character. Predictable, but nevertheless a fairly solid adaptation of the classic tale. Enjoy the eerie goings-on.
Little Siberia (2025) is a quirky Finnish offering which has a bit of mystery, some nice humour and some deeper aspects, all centering around a priest in a small, but dying village after a meteorite falls through the roof a a car.
Light and entertaining with darker moments and a bit of mystery is the way I would best describe it, not a thriller as such which is the way it was promoted. Worth watching.
The Electric State (2025), a Russo Brothers film, is rumoured to be the most expensive Netflix production to date, costing over 300 million dollars. Although slated by the professional critics (who are usually best ignored), the audience reaction has been much more favourable.
It is long, just over two hours, and although it never really ‘springs into life’ and is never going to trouble the Oscars committee, it’s not a bad bit of pure escapism. And some cute robots. Grab the popcorn and give it a go would be my advice.
Squad 36 (2025) is a French thriller about a troubled cop who launches his own investigation when mysterious killings claim the lives of his former colleagues. Standard corrupt cops and political expediency scenario. A bit long at just over two hours, but it will keep you occupied.
Demon City (2025) is directed by Seiji Tanaka and tells a tale of revenge, an OTT movie where just about everything is sacrificed to bring you almost endless and constant fighting and gory violence. If you enjoy extreme violence and little else then this is possibly for you.
Sisu (2023) is a Finnish war movie which was popular, unusually, with both critics and audiences. Quite gritty and gory at times, it is a captivating watch which holds your attention throughout. Thoroughly enjoyable and one for action/war aficionados who want something just a little bit different. Definitely worth watching.
The Calendar Killer (Der Heimweg) (2025) is a German drama/mystery/thriller starring Luise Heyer and Sabin Tambrea.
Klara, a young mother, calls a telephone support line for women to get home safely, claiming that she will die that very night at the hands of a notorious killer….unless she kills her husband. Available on Amazon Prime, it is well worth a watch.
The Liberation Men (2024) follows Canadian soldiers in World War II Holland who are in a race against the clock to liberate a Dutch town before the Allies begin an artillery bombardment which could have a devastating effect on the local population.
Stilted dialogue and wooden acting abound, meaning the film can only aspire to reach the dizzy heights of ‘B movie’, although I doubt it will get there. I kept thinking ‘it must improve’, but it didn’t. Awful movie, well worth missing.
Elevation (2024) stars Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin and is a post-apocalyptic adventure set in the Rocky Mountains. A single father and two women venture out to face monstrous creatures in order to save the life of a young boy. Nothing really new but some good performances make it emminently watchable, so do give it a go.
After a voluntary 10-year hiatus/semi-retirement/long holiday, Cameron Diaz is back on our screens in Back in Action (2025) alongside Jamie Foxx and Glenn Close. Although pretty much a routine spy thriller with a substantial dash of comedy, it is nevertheless a fun movie which has proven more popular with audiences than critics. Sit back, grab a snack and have a good chuckle.
American Primeval (2025) is a 6-part western miniseries set in Utah in 1857 and features numerous historical characters – Jim Bridger, Brigham Young etc – and is obviously at least loosely based on real events. Violent, gritty, brutal and quite dark in parts, I really did enjoy it. Good westerns are few and far between these days. Enjoy.
