Reviews by Jennie Kermode

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Turner & Constable (2026)

  Review preview for Turner & Constable

  At one point there’s a a clever shot where the camera eases back and moves between rooms, bringing out the three-dimensionality of the paintings in the process.

  A comparison of the work of the two great landscape artists on their 250th anniversary, based around an exhibition in London.
• 
  In The Land Of Lost Angels (2019)

  Review preview for In The Land Of Lost Angels

  The story is simple. Mashbat’s approach to it is much more sophisticated.

  With time running out and a desperate need for cash, two Mongolian immigrants turn to crime as their only solution.
• 
  Red Riding (2026)

  Review preview for Red Riding

  A first stab at directing for actor Craig Conway, Red Riding scores high on atmosphere and is grounded by a strong central performance.

  After her mother's overdose, teen Red Riding moves from London to her estranged grandmother's Scottish estate, where dark family secrets, missing children, and a monstrous wolf blur reality, forcing her to fight for survival.
• 
  The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford (2026)

  Review preview for The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford

  It is, of course, Mullan’s film. He brings gravitas and emotional complexity to a story which could easily have collapsed otherwise.

  Kenneth, fixated on ancestor Douglas Weatherford, descends into madness as a fantasy TV show invades his town, disregarding traditions.
• 
  Effi O Blaenau (2026)

  Review preview for Effi O Blaenau

  Such is the force in Gwenllian’s performance that it would be almost impossible not to root for her.

  The tale of a young woman who learns firsthand the personal costs of societal shortcomings.
• 
  The Wizard Of The Kremlin (2025)

  Review preview for The Wizard Of The Kremlin

  Dano has chosen to use the same flat vocal expression throughout, a technique well suited to satire which might have worked if only the rest of the film had been a bit more lively.

  Russia, early 1990s. Amid post-Soviet chaos, a brilliant young man, Vadim Baranov, charts his path. First an artist, then a reality show producer, he becomes the spin doctor to a rising KGB agent: Vladimir Putin.
• 
  Unidentified (2025)

  Review preview for Unidentified

  This is a film with a deep interest in women’s lives, in the effects of continued inequality, and in the various means that women use to exercise agency despite this.

  A grieving mother, fueled by her passion for true crime, seeks answers when a teenage girl is found dead in the desert and the police investigation stalls.
• 
  The Dutchman (2025)

  Review preview for The Dutchman

  There’s a lot of very good work in The Dutchman.

  A successful black businessman, haunted by his crumbling marriage and identity crisis, is drawn into a sexualised game of cat and mouse with a mysterious white woman on a subway that leads to a violent conclusion.
• 
  OBEX (2025)

  Review preview for OBEX

  If you’re looking for a witty and heartfelt story with characters you can care about, you may find yourself falling head over heels.

  Conor Marsh lives a secluded life with his dog, Sandy, until one day he begins playing OBEX, a new, state-of-the-art computer game. When Sandy goes missing, the line between reality and game blurs and Conor must venture into the strange world of OBEX to bring her home.
• 
  Babystar (2025)

  Review preview for Babystar

  With a past working for a management company used by YouTube stars, Bongard knows his subject matter well.

  A family vlogger's teenage daughter discovers that her parents plan to have another child and begins to question the cost of her lifelong celebrity.
• 
  Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie (2025)

  Review preview for Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie

  The underlying formula is a simple one but the chaos around it is managed magnificently so that you can never be sure what will happen next.

  When their plan to book a show at the Rivoli goes horribly wrong, Matt and Jay accidentally travel back to the year 2008.
• 
  Molly Vs The Machines (2025)

  Review preview for Molly Vs The Machines

  Marc Silver’s film is refreshingly alert to the nuances of the issue.

  The tragic story behind a teenager driven to take her life by machines that were built to control people for profit.
• 
  The Baltimorons (2025)

  Review preview for The Baltimorons

  The connection that forms between them feels more real because it’s so unlikely. Duplass, co-writing with Strassner, has the skill to pull it off, and both lead actors are up to the task.

  Christmas Eve, a broken tooth, and just one dentist on call – thus begins the strange odyssey of the newly sober Cliff and the lonely Didi through the streets of Baltimore.
• 
  The Mortuary Assistant (2026)

  Review preview for The Mortuary Assistant

  Holland does an impressive job of keeping viewers on her side despite becoming an unreliable narrator.

  When, a mortuary science graduate takes a night job at River Fields Mortuary, what begins with routine work soon turns sinister as she faces terrifying supernatural forces, in this adaptation of the computer game.
• 
  Jimmy And Stiggs (2024)

  Review preview for Jimmy And Stiggs

  The pace is so manic, the action so intense, that it’s easy to be fully immersed in Jimmy’s experience.

  A filmmaker spirals into an out of control bender, during which he comes to believe that he has been abducted by aliens. Fearing they’ll come back, he contacts an old friend to help him gear up for war.
• 
  The Dreadful (2026)

  Review preview for The Dreadful

  A character-focused drama in a setting usually reserved for adventure, The Dreadful finds elements of horror in the psychological landscape.

  Two women's struggle to survive during the Dark Ages is complicated when a childhood friend returns with bad news.
• 
  Splitsville (2025)

  Review preview for Splitsville

  It’s hard to care about a film when those involved don’t appear to have done so themselves.

  Splitsville picks up with Ashley asking for a divorce, watching as the good-natured Carey runs to his friends, Julie and Paul, for support. He’s shocked to discover that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage; that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.
• 
  Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (2024)

  Review preview for Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up

  The film feels obliged to explain itself, indulging the audience too much.

  Porky Pig and Daffy Duck may be Earth's only hope when it is faced with the threat of alien invasion.
• 
  Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2025)

  Review preview for Mr. Nobody Against Putin

  Despite the depressing nature of what’s happening at the school, Talankin’s affection for his students and his resilient sense of humour ensure that the film is always engaging.

  As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia’s hinterlands are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, a brave teacher goes undercover to film what’s really happening in his own school.
• 
  100 Nights Of Hero (2025)

  Review preview for 100 Nights Of Hero

  Where the film succeeds is in the visual design of its world.

  A fairy tale about a maid who concocts a plan to help her mistress.
• 
  Bowels Of Hell (2026)

  Review preview for Bowels Of Hell

  The production values here are a cut above what one would normally expect for something with this theme and these characters.

  A mother battling trauma faces a surreal nightmare when toilets mysteriously transform into killer beings, forcing her to confront both her personal demons and these bizarre supernatural threats.
• 
  White Man Walking (2025)

  Review preview for White Man Walking

  Are there conversations that make a positive difference? Almost certainly – and the interesting thing is that some of them also prove challenging to Rob.

  A filmmaker sets out to walk 1,500 miles across the US wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt.
• 
  Butterfly (2024)

  Review preview for Butterfly

  The shifting colours of the rolling waves are exquisitely captured, dazzling to see.

  In the sea, a man swims. As he does, memories come to the surface. From his early childhood to his life as a man, all his memories are linked to water.
• 
  Viva Verdi! (2024)

  Review preview for Viva Verdi!

  Faces lined with their own history give voice to tales and melodies that loop back through the ages.

  At Milan's Casa Verdi retirement home, elderly opera stars and musicians mentor young students while sharing their remarkable lives.
• 
  Rabbit Trap (2025)

  Review preview for Rabbit Trap

  The film’s success hinges on its unwillingness to take sides.

  When a musician and her husband move to a remote house in Wales, the music they make disturbs local ancient folk magic, bringing a nameless child to their door who is intent on infiltrating their lives.
• 
  Everybody To Kenmure Street (2026)

  Review preview for Everybody To Kenmure Street

  Even for those who were present on the day, there are likely to be revelations.

  In May 2021, a UK Home Office dawn raid triggers one of the most spontaneous and successful acts of civil resistance in recent memory. In Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhood, hundreds of residents rush to the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbours.
• 
  Cardboard (2025)

  Review preview for Cardboard

  The 3D animation is full of personality.

  When an overwhelmed single dad pig moves his piglets into a trailer park, he fears he's failed his family. But soon his kids create a wildly imaginative game.
• 
  Under The Stars (2025)

  Review preview for Under The Stars

  Goes down easily, like a house red.

  A writer unhappy with his relationship travels to Puglia, Italy, to work on his book, and falls for a local woman.
• 
  The Three Sisters (2024)

  Review preview for The Three Sisters

  Is this a masterpiece of subtlety and sophistication, or is it just a bit empty?

  Three sisters living on an isolated island must rent out one of their houses.
• 
  Retirement Plan (2024)

  Review preview for Retirement Plan

  Deceptively simple animation shows Ray engaged in a variety of activities yet adjusts his body as little as possible, so that every movement is designed to tell us something, to contribute its own emotional nuance.

  A man in the throes of his overstimulated, energy poor midlife fantasises about everything he'd love to do in retirement, once he finally has the 'time'.
• 
  Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk (2025)

  Review preview for Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk

  The film doesn’t answer every common question that people have in this situation, but it does provide some context.

  A glimpse of everyday reality for people living in Gaza in 2024.
• 
  The Night Boots (2024)

  Review preview for The Night Boots

  Granjon’s forest is fuzzy and mysterious and full of strange possibilities

  The forest can be full of scary creatures, Eliot's parents caution, but the mystery might be too tempting for a kid who doesn't want to go to bed.
• 
  Bad Hostage (2024)

  Review preview for Bad Hostage

  Thorough and forthright.

  An examination of the concept of Stockholm syndrome and the realities of women's experiences during and after being held hostage.
• 
  Extremist (2025)

  Review preview for Extremist

  The contrast between modern facilities and regressive culture makes a wider point, whilst the strangeness of living with it is reflected in the final scene.

  A young Russian artist makes an anti-war statement by swapping food labels with pacifist messages in a Moscow supermarket, leading to her arrest and the threat of a 10-year prison sentence.
• 
  Playing God (2024)

  Review preview for Playing God

  It’s really a multiplicity of interconnected stories.

  Fragile clay sculptures come to life in a bare workshop, craving more than just existence. When their sculptor abandons them, they must discover the power of belonging.
• 
  Snow Bear (2025)

  Review preview for Snow Bear

  Snow Bear has an old fashioned quality which stands out in today’s landscape.

  A lonely polar bear creates a companion when he can't find friends in his harsh habitat.
• 
  The Return Of The King: Extended Edition (2003)

  Review preview for The Return Of The King: Extended Edition

  Numerous small changes work together to change the character of the battle.

  Gandalf and Aragorn lead the world of men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
• 
  Rental Family (2025)

  Review preview for Rental Family

  It’s not a showy performance, but it’s a standout.

  A lonely American actor living in Tokyo starts working for a Japanese 'rental family' company to play stand-in roles in other people's lives. Along the way, he finds surprising connections and unexpected joys within his built-in family.
• 
  The Two Towers: Extended Edition (2002)

  Review preview for The Two Towers: Extended Edition

  There is more world building here than in any other part of the trilogy, and the additional material means it’s better balanced with character development.

  While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
• 
  East Of Wall (2025)

  Review preview for East Of Wall

  There’s a particularity about this place that is etched into the screen.

  After the death of her husband, Tabatha - a young, tattooed, rebellious horse trainer - wrestles with financial insecurity and unresolved grief while providing refuge for a group of wayward teenagers on her broken-down ranch in the Badlands.
• 
  The Fellowship Of The Ring: Extended Edition (2001)

  Review preview for The Fellowship Of The Ring: Extended Edition

  Tellingly, despite all this extra material, the film does not feel slower and does not become boring. If anything, it’s better balanced, with a more fluid sense of momentum.

  A little Hobbit from the Shire sets out with eight companions on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
• 
  After The Hunt (2025)

  Review preview for After The Hunt

  Guadagnino is tilting at windmills and there isn’t even any wind.

  A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.
• 
  The Testament Of Ann Lee (2025)

  Review preview for The Testament Of Ann Lee

  Made with consummate care, the film stands out for its exquisite cinematography.

  An epic fable inspired by the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers, a radical religious movement that began in the late 1700s.
• 
  The Boy With White Skin (2024)

  Review preview for The Boy With White Skin

  With no means of situating events in a larger context, it’s all the easier to be overwhelmed by the sensory experience.

  Entrusted by his father to a group of gold-miners, an albino child embodies all of their hopes.
• 
  Dracula (2025)

  Review preview for Dracula

  Landry Jones is...expanding his range into a conventional space rather than delivering a refreshingly unconventional take.

  When a 15th-century prince denounces God after the loss of his wife he inherits an eternal curse: he becomes a vampire. Condemned to wander the centuries, he defies fate and death, guided by a single hope - to be reunited with his lost love.
• 
  Arco (2025)

  Review preview for Arco

  It’s the sort of sweet-natured fable that makes adults nostalgic for childhood, but both the near and far futures it presents are, to children themselves, already likely to seem out of date.

  In 2075, a 10-year-old girl, Iris, witnesses a mysterious boy in a rainbow suit fall from the sky. It’s Arco. He comes from an idyllic far future where time travel is possible. Iris shelters him and will do whatever it takes to help him return to his time.
• 
  Hedda (2025)

  Review preview for Hedda

  DaCosta has managed to create something which feels acutely contemporary and fresh.

  Three women striving for freedom in different ways collide at a party in a contemporary reworking of Henrik Ibsen's classic play.
• 
  Beyond Silence (2024)

  Review preview for Beyond Silence

  Carefully constructed and ably performed.

  Two women of different generations share similar trauma. After decades of silence for one and months for another, their paths diverge - one stays quiet post-confrontation, one speaks up.
• 
  Avatar: Fire And Ash (2025)

  Review preview for Avatar: Fire And Ash

  Where the story stumbles, the film is carried forward by action.

  Our heroes grapple with grief and encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe, the Ash People, as the conflict on Pandora escalates.
• 
  The Plague (2025)

  Review preview for The Plague

  Borrowing tropes from horror, the film adds an uncanny undercurrent to its drama.

  At an all-boys water polo camp, a socially anxious 12-year-old is pulled into a cruel tradition targeting an outcast with an illness they call “The Plague.” But as the lines between game and reality blur, he fears the joke might be hiding something real.