PICK OF THE MONTH

The Fall Guy (12A), Thu 2 May

Barbenheimer lives on with Emily Blunt and Ken himself, Ryan Gosling, taking the lead in comic, action thriller, The Fall Guy. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman back on the job after an almost career-ending accident. Aside from having to work alongside his ex Jody Moreno (Blunt) Colt is tasked with finding the movie star he’s stunting for who has mysteriously disappeared. Pretty soon he’s embroiled in a sinister criminal plot far more dangerous than, you know, jumping out of buildings and being set on fire for a living. Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu star while real life stuntman David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious) directs. It’s a big budget, edge-of-your-seat ode to stuntmen and good ol’ fashioned cinematic action.

Love Lies Bleeding (15), Fri 3 May

2023 was crowned the year of the rom-com and it looks like 2024 is the year of the lesbian power movie if Bottoms, Drive Away Dolls and now Love Lies Bleeding has anything to do with it. Rose Glass’s second movie sees Kristen Stewart’s reclusive gym owner, Lou, fall hard and fast for Katy O’Brian’s ambitious bodybuilder Jackie. But their love soon leads to violence – and lots of it – thanks to Lou’s criminal father (Ed Harris) and brother-in-law (Dave Franco). 80s set with a gym appropriate score to match the iron-pumping and the roid rage, watch for Stewart and O’Brian’s electric chemistry.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (12A), Thu 9 May

We know *eye roll* another remake of the Planet of the Apes, however our interest piqued when we heard this sequel is set to hit some big box office records come opening weekend – the money doesn’t lie, right? Set 300 years after 2017s the War of the Planet of the Apes and its role reversal time, humans are running feral while apes reign supreme, if reigning supreme involves a power hungry primate enslaving other monkey clans and waging war on people. Starring Owen Teague, Freya Allen, William H Macy along with some cracking CGI.

If (U), Fri 17 May

The star power involved in If is reason enough for a watch – Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina plus Steve Carell and John Krasinski reunited at last. It follows a girl (Fleming) who can see everyone’s imaginary friends, and so embarks on a journey to reunite IFs with their respective kids. Imaginative, heartwarming, and humorous enough to be enjoyed with or without kids.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (12A), Fri 24 May

Buckle up! The eagerly anticipated prequel to the Oscar winning Mad Max Fury Road drops this month and it is every bit as mad, sweaty and bloody as you’d expect. Anya Taylor-Joy takes on the role of Imperator Furiosa made famous by Charlize Theoron and the movie follows her abduction and determined survival in the post apocalyptic Wasteland. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke and Lachy Hulme join Joy for what we’re sure will scoop up George Miller a few more gongs if not another Oscar.

The Garfield Movie (U), Fri 24 May

Everyone’s favourite Monday hating, lasagne loving moggy is getting a feature film, right on time for some half term entertainment. After being reunited with his feral street cat father, Garfield, and Odie (of course) are forced into helping him with a risky heist – a far cry from their lazy, pampered, cheese-topped life with Jon Arbuckle. Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult and Brett Goldstein are among the celebs on voice over duty along with Snoop Dogg voicing a cat! A sure fire hit with the kids, which may leave you with a serious hankering for some cheese afterwards.

The Beast (15), Fri 31 May

Another month, another movie scaring us senseless about AI? You betcha but with Lea Seydoux and George Mackay tackling three-roles each, Bertrand Bonello at the helm and nods to Henry James’ seminal novella The Beast in the Jungle, this will knock your socks off! It’s 2044, AI advancements have pretty much taken over all facets of life and humans routinely have their feelings erased. Gabrielle (Seydoux) hopes in doing so she will find fulfilment, instead what she finds is three different incarnations of herself, across three different timelines all resulting in relationships with three different incarnations of Louis (Mackay). A heady mix of genres giving some serious Cloud Atlas vibes, it’s haunting, ambitious and a must watch.

Young Woman and the Sea (PG), Fri 31 May

If you loved NYAD, you’ll want to dive into the Young Woman and the Sea head first! The extraordinary true story of Trudy Ederle, who overcame adversity, animosity and jellyfish to become the first woman to successfully swim the 21 miles across the English Channel. Daisy Ridley is phenomenal as steadfast swimmer, Ederle, with Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler in supporting roles. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll feel ready to accomplish anything after watching, #girlpower.