Hello there, and welcome to this week’s film roundup! Each week we run through the biggest new cinema releases and talk about why we’re looking forward to them. Today we have a killer debutante, a killer on a train, and probably the most exciting football competition you’ll see this week…
Usual disclaimer: unless otherwise stated, I haven’t seen these films. All of my opinions are based on trailers, early reviews and other rumours and buzz.
MaXXXine
Ti West’s 2022 film X – a low budget A24 horror in which an attempt to make a porn film in a secluded barn is violently derailed by the barn’s outraged octogenarian owners – was a fun seemingly standalone movie that didn’t feel like the start of a franchise. But shortly after it was released, it was announced that not only was it to be part of a trilogy, but the next film had already been greenlit before production had wrapped on the original. Shortly afterwards, the excellent prequel Pearl (an origin story of sorts for the killer old lady in X) wisely gave the hugely underrated lead actress Mia Goth a more central role. Having played Pearl in her youth in Pearl and (under a lot of prosthetics) as a retiree in X, as well as final girl Maxine in X, Goth now returns in trilogy closer MaXXXine to show what happened to that character after the events of X.
The plot here is that Maxine is looking to break out of porn and into horror movies, and from there to superstardom. But a killer is stalking the streets of Hollywood and targeting starlets, threatening not only her safety but also the blood-soaked secrets of her past. We already know from X that Maxine is desperate to be famous and is willing to go to great lengths to achieve her dreams, so will the killer have bitten off more than they can chew?
The cast for these films has become slightly bigger and better each time, and there are some great names in support here. Elizabeth Debicki is the director of Maxine’s horror debut. Giancarlo Esposito is playing a character named ‘Teddy Night, Esq’ which somehow seems like perfect casting even though I know nothing more than that about the character. We also get Bobby Canavale, Halsey, Michelle Monahan, Lily Collins and (in a nice bit of meta casting given the line in the trailer about actors who started out in horror films) Kevin Bacon, whose early credits include Friday the 13th.
It was easy to overlook her dual-role in X, but she was incredible in Pearl – the final shot of her face as the credits rolled particularly sticks in my memory as awards-worthy on its own. If this can showcase her talents even further then I would expect to see her in some much bigger movies in the future.
This is definitely one to watch, and if you haven’t already then I recommend catching up on X and Pearl first to fully appreciate where Maxine is coming from and what Goth is capable of. Just don’t watch them with any kids about. Or elderly relatives.
- MaXXXine on IMDB
- MaXXXine on Rotten Tomatoes
Kill
It is very quickly apparent from watching the trailer that Kill does exactly what it says on the tin. It is set on a train heading to New Delhi, where Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is due to be married against her will. But the true love of her life, army commando Amrit (Lakshya), is planning on stopping the nuptials and willing to battle his bloody way through carriage after carriage of bad guys to do it. Will he reach her before the train reaches its destination and Tulika’s destiny is sealed?
If you’re a fan of The Raid, or other slick one-man-versus-an-army action films like John Wick or this year’s Monkey Man, this should be one for you. The body count looks to be pretty spectacular and the kills are violent and messy. The claustrophobic atmosphere of a moving train and the reliance on hand-to-hand fighting instead of guns will make this feel like a feature-length version of the corridor fight in Daredevil. It seems to be getting some great reviews and is bound to get the adrenaline running.
- Kill on IMDB
- Kill on Rotten Tomatoes
Blue Lock. The Movie – Episode Nagi
Arriving not long after Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle brought anime volleyball to the big screen, Blue Lock is now doing the same with football in its first feature film adaptation, Episode Nagi. The anime (which has run for one series to date) follows a football tournament named Blue Lock, which is designed to find the best, and most egoistical, striker in the soccer world. Episode Nagi shows how one of the star strikers, Nagi, went from a talented but lazy high schooler to a hero of the tournament, before retelling the Blue Lock story from his perspective.
Like most films that spin off from anime shows, this will appeal massively to fans of the program but might be lost on anyone coming to it afresh. Judging by some of the online comments, part of the appeal of the film is seeing the other characters recast from Nagi’s perspective, such as his rivals becoming villains when the more objective show treated them as heroes. That will only work if you already know the characters and how they are treated in the anime. But as ever, if the trailer has piqued your interest, track down the anime and give it a go and you’ll probably enjoy the film. With only one season to catch up on, it’s a lot more accessible than longer running shows like Demon Slayer.
- Blue Lock the Movie – Episode Nagi on IMDB
- Blue Lock the Movie – Episode Nagi on Rotten Tomatoes
If you only see one film this week…
…watch MaXXXine. That Mia Goth is going to be a star…
Still in cinemas and worth a watch
- Kinds of Kindness
- A Quiet Place: Day One
- Inside Out 2
Trailer of the week
Looking to do for Batman: The Animated Series what X-Men ’97 did for the ’90s X-Men cartoon, new animated show Batman: Caped Crusader released its first trailer at the end of last week. The tone is appropriately dark and moody and there are glimpses of iconic villains like the Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn. With Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass) taking over as the voice of the Bat following the sad passing of Kevin Conroy, a stacked supporting cast including Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung and Minnie Driver, and Matt Reeves and JJ Abrams (alongside Bruce Timm, who helmed The Animated Series) on producing duties, this should be an exciting one to watch.
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