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Woman standing in a traditional Chinese room bathed in deep red light, surrounded by glowing lanterns and candles, with scattered items on the floor.
In Praise Of

The colour of confinement in Raise the Red Lantern

by Angel Sun

Zhang Yimou’s 1996 drama utilises a spectrum of colours to reflect the domestic prison that a young woman finds herself in.
Black silhouette of a hand holding a phone displaying the TikTok logo, surrounded by floating red theatre masks on a bright green background.
Long Read

TikTok Cinema: Inside AI Microdramas

by Yalda Kesh

As AI-generated dramas flood our screens, what does their extraordinary rise reveal about the future of storytelling and our insatiable appetite for content? 
Illustrated portrait of an elderly man in a brown fedora and orange patterned shirt, set against a wavy orange and red halo on a brown background.
In Conversation

John Malkovich: ‘Good comedy is based on pain‘

by David Jenkins

The acting legend on channeling decades of personal passions into the role of a melancholy hitman in Wild Horse Nine.
Illustration of a moustachioed man holding a vintage film camera, wearing a brown shirt, against a wavy orange, yellow and brown retro background.
In Conversation

Sam Rockwell: ‘Really good actors are terrible liars‘

by Leila Latif

An alumnus of Martin McDonagh’s stage and screen work picks apart one of his funniest and most heartbreaking turns.
Illustrated portrait of a bearded man with white hair and blue eyes, wearing a red shirt, against a teal background with olive and amber silhouettes.
In Conversation

Martin McDonagh: ‘Avoidance of sentiment is always paramount‘

by Hannah Strong

Writing a follow-up to his beloved The Banshees of Inisherin was always going to be a tough task. Yet the playwright turned filmmaker has unearthed more cinema gold in his Easter Island-set CIA comedy Wild Horse Nine.
Two people sitting in tall grass between large moai stone statues on Easter Island, under a blue sky with white clouds.
Review

Wild Horse Nine review – a double act for the ages

by David Jenkins

A revitalising shot of pure entertainment from writer/​director Martin McDonagh that also operates as a salty critique of modern US foreign policy.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Godzilla emerging from crashing waves behind an aircraft, dark spines visible, grey stormy sky, low-angle cinematic shot.
Review

Godzilla Minus Zero review – a rock ’em sock ’em slog

by David Jenkins

Takashi Yamazaki’s quick turnaround sequel to 2023’s Godzilla Minus One replays the hits but with massively diminished returns.

4
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Young man in grey tracksuit and black beanie running on a beach with a pug on a lead, sea and pastel sky in the background.
Review

I Play Rocky – featherweight but fleetingly engaging

by Hannah Strong

Peter Farrelly‘s dramatisation of Sly Stallone‘s journey to the big screen is carried by the strength of its central performance.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Review

La Bola Negra review – a whirlwind of poetry and passion

by Rafa Sales Ross

The directorial twosome known as Los Javis deliver a head-spinning, era-spanning ode to political liberty inspired by the writings of Federico García Lorca.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two men on a bed with blue duvet — one sitting upright looking away, one lying back with hands behind head. Grey aerial map background.
In Praise Of

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands: Weekend at 15

by Emily Maskell

Andrew Haigh’s queer romance is made all the more special for taking place outside of the capital.

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