FILM REVIEWS AND NEWS

It is a period where the prestige of the awards season begins to collide with the bold, experimental, and sometimes wonderfully strange offerings of the new year. As we look toward the week commencing 26 January 2026, the schedule is looking remarkably robust, offering a slate that promises to challenge, entertain, and perhaps even provoke a few heated debates in the foyer.

Welcome to another monthly breakdown of what’s hitting the small screen. As we shake off the last of the January blues, Netflix is stepping up its game with a February slate that feels remarkably diverse. We’ve got a heavy-hitting documentary that’s already the talk of the film festival circuit, a high-octane Brazilian spin-off, some trademark Tyler Perry chaos, and a Spanish psychological thriller that might just be the hidden gem of the season.

This shift is perfectly exemplified in the latest offering from Amazon Prime Video, The Bluff. As we look ahead to its release on 25th February 2026, there is a palpable sense that director Frank E. Flowers has crafted something that is both a relentless thrill ride and a poignant exploration of maternal ferocity.

The news landed like a tremor in the geekosphere: Peter Jackson’s seminal fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, is set for a massive return to UK cinemas in January 2026. For a generation of filmgoers, this is nothing less than a pilgrimage—an opportunity to witness the vast plains of Middle-earth, the epic battles, and the quiet weight of a hobbit’s burden, all in the place they truly belong: the gigantic, light-eating darkness of the big screen.

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Hi Hsi, thanks for speaking with us. For those who don't know you, please can you tell us a bit about...

The challenge for me was capturing the emotions, the unsaid parts of the story, through composition, lighting, and framing.

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Hi Aimie, many thanks for speaking with us. Where in the world do we find you right now? Hello from...

★★★★ Directed by: Phil Dunn Written by: Phil Dunn Starring: Joshua Griffin, Shaun Mason, Ellie Piercy, Derek Elroy Short Film Review by:...

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Thank you so much for speaking with us. Where in the world are you right now? Hi, this is wonderful,...

★★★★★ Directed by: #MatthiasHarris Written by: #HishamKhan Starring: Hisham Khan, #SianHill, Matthias Harris and #AlexanderCornelius...

★★★★ Directed By: #NathanielUpshaw Written By: #SethWimmer Starring: #TimeWinters #JustinAvila

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Back in 2016, we reviewed a #shortfilm called Infinite, which starred George Mackay - who is currently...

★★★★★ Directed by: #HugoDiegoGarcia Written by: Hugo Diego Garcia Starring: Hugo Diego Garcia, #PietroMercieca, #IdirAzougli,...

★★★ Directed by: #AleixBuch Written by: Aleix Buch Starring: #JuliaMolins, #JosepMAlejandre and #VeronicaRobles Short Film Review by:...

★★★★★ Directed by: #AnthonyKalmeta Written by: Anthony Kalmeta Starring: #ConnorFalk, #DanielaNyffenegger, #LaneWray Short Film Review...

★★★ Directed by: #SethKozak, #DamianVeilleux Written by: Seth Kozak Starring: #KatarinaMorhacova, #MikeSutton, #ChrisKerson,...

★★ Directed by: #ChristopherBeech Written by: Christopher Beech Starring: Christopher Beech, #ChrisKhosa, #WilliamBanks, #RyanPorter,...

★★★ Directed by: #SaschaKarner Written by: Sascha Karner Starring: #LeighCarr, #RobertLowndes, #MirandaWinn Short Film Review by: Chris...

★★★★ Directed by: #JimmyStengel Starring: #DavidWilliams, #AshleyWilliams and #JourneyWilliams Music Video Review by: Rachel Pullen War...

★★★ Directed by: #SezenKayhan Written by: Sezen Kayhan Starring: #AyrisAlptekin, #MuratKiliç, #SezgiMengi, #CemBaza Short Film Review by:...