https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/feed/

The first big screen Star Wars movie since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker has earned a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is set to land in cinemas on Friday 22 May, picks up with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), aka Mando, and Grogu after the events of the Disney+ series, following the pair as they work with the New Republic to track down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy.

Along the way, they meet a new friend in Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), as well as a new nemesis in Rotta the Hutt (voiced of Jeremy Allen White).

The film is directed by the show’s creator, Jon Favreau, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.

The review embargo for the film lifted on Tuesday morning (19 May) and, at the time of writing, it's score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes sits at 63 per cent based on 68 reviews – indicating a mediocre reception from critics.

In our own Radio Times review, we gave the film 3 stars, with critic Patrick Cremona calling it "a diverting romp that doesn't quite have the scale or grandeur of the best entries in the franchise".

The review added that, while there are "some fun scenes" and "a few endearingly touching moments", "it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen".

Elsewhere, the film also scored 3 stars in The Guardian, while it was awarded 2 stars in The Independent, and 2 in The Telegraph.

Alongside Pascal, Weaver and White, the film also stars Jonny Coyne, Dave Filoni, Steve Blum, and the iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

Director Scorsese, whose works include Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, Taxi Driver and Killers of the Flower Moon, was revealed to be part of the movie's cast in a trailer back in February, and is voicing an alien owner of a food van.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Not so long ago (in a galaxy very, very near) it would have been unthinkable to suggest a world in which Star Wars was thought of predominantly as a small-screen concern. But in the seven or so years since the most cinematic of all the major film franchises limply ended its sequel trilogy with the disastrously received The Rise of Skywalker, our only window into a galaxy far, far away has been through a glut of TV shows on Disney+.

While there have been some undoubted highs during that stretch – with Tony Gilroy’s majestic Andor the clear pinnacle – there’s also been a sense that this TV-first approach was merely a brief blip before blockbuster status returned. 

What might not have been foreseen was that the return to the big screen would be born directly from one of those aforementioned streaming series. But that’s precisely what’s happened, with Jon Favreau returning to helm a bigger budgeted spin-off of his Pedro Pascal-starring hit The Mandalorian (with lovable sidekick Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, now also promoted to title character).

The result is something that – for better and worse – presents Star Wars at its most light, pulpy and throwaway. It’s the sort of engaging action-adventure story that will play best with younger audiences and those in search of a small dose of escapism, while lacking the grandeur and scale of the very best Star Wars tales.

A high level of expertise around the TV show, or indeed Star Wars lore more generally, is not a prerequisite. A snappy pre-titles action scene swiftly reintroduces us to Pascal’s Din Djarin and instantly establishes him as the mythic, near indestructible bounty hunter who can see off his enemies – in this case an outpost of former Imperial loyalists – with ease (and perhaps a little help from his adorable pal).

Soon, the pair are set off on a mission by their boss Ward (sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, in her Star Wars debut) at the request of the feared Hutt crime family (they of Jabba fame). Mando and Grogu have been tasked with rescuing family member Rotta from the clutches of the wicked Janu, who has kidnapped him and forced him to fight in gladiatorial duels for the pleasure of a baying crowd. 

And so they travel to Shakari – a moon whose design is inspired by Prohibition-era Chicago but has more than a touch of Blade Runner to its dark streets and neon lights – kicking off an adventure that will eventually sees them do battle with a vast array of the galaxy’s beasts.

Favreau is clearly having fun with those creatures, and across the runtime the audience are treated to everything from a melee in Rotta’s gladiatorial arena – where a string of horrific creatures are unleashed – to a monstrous swamp-dwelling basilisk-like creature that must surely count as one of the more imposing threats Mando has faced.

These action sequences, which use both CGI and practical effects, are generally fairly gripping though probably won't rank among the most memorable in the long-running franchise when all is said and done. 

Perhaps befitting of this particular property’s origins as a TV series, the plot is rather episodic and almost feels like it could have served as another series of the show. But it largely zips by at a steady clip, and an impressive score from double Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson adds some grandeur to the occasion. 

Of the high-profile new additions to the cast, Weaver feels wasted in a one-note role that gives her almost nothing meaningful to do, while it’s difficult to understand why producers bothered to cast a big name like The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White only to make Rotta's voice completely unrecognisable anyway. There is, however, a brief treat in the form of a vocal cameo from directing legend Martin Scorsese.

Grogu – who is flanked by an amusing posse of Anzellans – also gets plenty of moments to shine, and if the film can be said to have a major theme then it's the ways in which parent and child dynamics can adapt and even reverse over time. Or, as it is put in the film: "The old protect the young, and then the young protect the old."

In truth, it seems unlikely this is the film that will truly reignite the success of Star Wars on the big screen. But in the moment, The Mandalorian & Grogu is a diverting romp with some fun scenes and a few endearingly touching moments.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on 22 May.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu won the Palme D’Or almost 20 years ago for his 2007 film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and there’s every chance he’s just put himself back in contention for another major Cannes prize. His new effort, Fjord, is one of the clear highlights from this year’s Competition line-up at the festival.

The quietly gripping film sees him team up with a pair of recent acting Oscar nominees in Sentimental Value’s Renate Reinsve and Mungiu’s countryman and long-time Marvel star Sebastian Stan for a knotty, complex moral tale that functions both as a fascinating conversation piece and a first-rate work of thoroughly engrossing drama.

Reinsve and Stan – who previously starred together in the underrated psychological film A Different Man in 2024 – play Lisbet and Mihai Gheorghiu, a couple who have just relocated with their five young children from Romania to a small village in the former's Norwegian homeland. 

From our very first encounter with the family, it’s clear there's something a little off. In a striking opening scene that instantly establishes the film’s off-kilter atmosphere, eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) is told to hug her father and accept her “punishment”, although we're not told precisely the nature of the wrongdoing she has committed. 

We are soon to learn that Mihai and Lisbet are a deeply conservative religious couple and have raised their children accordingly. They adopt a strict disciplinary approach while restricting the use of such frivolous things as dancing and YouTube, and also possess a number of old-fashioned beliefs that seem unlikely to fly in the progressive nation they’ve just moved to. 

Still, to begin with, the Gheorgius are welcomed with open (if privately suspicious) arms by their amicable and well-mannered neighbours, including the local headteacher who asks his own slightly rebellious daughter to serve as a buddy for the new arrivals at school. 

But then comes a major turning point. After spotting some alarming bruises on Elia’s body during gym class – where they have been partaking in bouts of wrestling – a teacher contacts Child Protection Services. Almost before blinking, all five kids have been taken from their parents and an investigation opened into accusations of child abuse. 

Lisbet and Mihai are both bemused and affronted. Although the latter admits to having lightly slapped his children as punishment – something he says was considered perfectly acceptable in his own society – Mungiu leaves it deliberately ambiguous to what extent these bruises were actually inflicted by their parents or whether they may have come from another source (a wrestling class at school, for example).

What follows is a transfixing drama that poses a number of thorny questions. Are Mihai and Lisbet really on trial for these specific acts of supposed violence, or have they been targeted by the community because they espouse beliefs that put them out of touch with their new neighbours? The kids seem defensive enough of their parents, but then, could that be a by-product of the slightly sinister control their mother and father exert over them? 

And crucially, can it really be considered progressive to take children away from their parents simply because we disagree with how they are being raised and the values they are being passed down, even if we're unsure whether any actual crime has been committed?

The extended, dialogue-heavy trial scenes may put audiences in mind of another recent Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, and they're certainly equally riveting, with Mungiu's sharp dialogue and unshowy direction – full of long takes and visually interesting blocking – expertly drawing us into the case. 

Tonally, the film is perfectly judged, operating at just the right level of offbeat to be unsettling without ever dipping into anything too overtly absurdist. The same goes for the central performances; Reinsve and Stan intelligently play their characters not as monsters but as something more nuanced, and even if we take issue with the characters' parenting methods and value systems, we are able to empathise with their plight. 

It's all richly compelling stuff – a culture war drama that's provocative without being sensationalist.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

James Bond franchise star Léa Seydoux, who played Madeleine Swann in the two most recent films, Spectre and No Time to Die, has given her thoughts on the next film – and she had a mixed reaction.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Variety, Seydoux said she was "sad" about Amazon MGM Studios taking over creative control of the franchise.

That deal was announced last year, with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back from the franchise as part of a new joint venture agreement to house the James Bond intellectual property rights.

They have remained co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative rights.

However, despite Seydoux's sadness, there is one aspect of the upcoming film which has given her reassurance – the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing.

Seydoux said: "I was a bit sad when I heard that it was sold, but now that it’s Denis, I was like, 'Oh, at least it’s him, so it will be cinema.'"

She added of Villeneuve, who she worked with on last year's Dune Part Two: "He’s super cultured – he knows so much about cinema, but not only cinema."

Villeneuve will be directing the new film from a script written by Steven Knight. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing the project.

It was recently confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios that the casting process to find the next Bond has begun, with the studio releasing a statement saying: "The search for the next James Bond is under way. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."

Reports have suggested that Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, but it is not yet known who else is in the running.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Radio hosts Jordan North and Sian Welby are set to make cameo appearances in Toy Story 5, Disney has confirmed.

The fifth instalment in the Toy Story franchise is set to follow Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge in the form of a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet known as Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).

North is set to voice Garden Gnome in the UK release of the Pixar film, while Welby will play Inflatable Flamingo (pictured below), though further details of their characters remain under wraps.

Welby said in a statement: "The characters and world of Toy Story have formed such an iconic part of so many people’s childhoods, including mine, so being part of the journey has been a dream come true!"

North added: "Being part of Toy Story 5 is a pinch‑me moment. I grew up loving these films, so getting to join the gang is pretty surreal and special."

The main voice cast includes Tom Hanks, who's returning to voice Woody – although fans were quick to notice that the character was looking a little different in the most recent trailer – while Tim Allen is also reporting for duty as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack is back as the cowgirl Jessie.

Alongside Lee, other new additions to the cast include Ernie Hudson, Craig Robinson and Conan O'Brien.

North is best known for co-hosting Capital Breakfast alongside Welby and Chris Stark, as well as for his previous work on BBC Radio 1.

And he is no stranger to the world of animated movies, having previously voiced Mr Hack in Richard Curtis’s 2024 film That Christmas. 

Meanwhile, alongside Capital Breakfast, Welby is known for serving as a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning.

Toy Story 5 will premiere in cinemas on 19 June 2026.

The first four films in the Toy Story franchise are available to watch now on Disney+. Sign-up to Disney+ from £4.99 a month.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Huge Hollywood names including the stars of Lord of the Rings and X-Men are taking on a new graphic epic film from The Brutalist director.

Brady Corbet, who helmed the epic period drama starring Adrien Brody, will be joined by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender and Selena Gomez for the cast of his latest project.

Blanchett revealed her involvement in the upcoming film at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, letting slip during a masterclass that she is "about to work with Brady Corbet on a film".

The untitled project had already been confirmed by the Oscar-nominated director himself at the Storyhouse Screenwriting Festival in Dublin last month, where he revealed it had a mammoth 200-page script.

For context, 2024's The Brutalist had a run time of three and a half hours and the script was 165 pages long, so one can only imagine how lengthy this new film will be – but epic is certainly the right word.

Radio Times has reached out for comment.

Gomez's involvement in the film had already previously been reported, but now Blanchett and Fassbender have joined what appears to be an ever-growing, star-studded cast.

The new "genre-defying" film will be set in the '70s, Corbet revealed, and will be shot using very rare eight-perf 65mm cameras.

He said: "The film spans from the 19th century into the present day – it’s just predominantly focused on the ’70s. The film is really, really genre-defying."

Currently nothing else is known about the plot other than it will be an "X-rated" feature produced by Andrew Morrison for his Kaplan Morrison production banner.

The upcoming epic will be Corbet’s fourth feature film, having directed 2015’s The Childhood of a Leader and 2018’s Vox Lux before working on The Brutalist.

Cate Blanchett has a career spanning 36 years under her belt, during which she has worked with big directorial names, including Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro, David Fincher and Wes Anderson. Aside from Lord of the Rings, she is recognised from Carol, Ocean's 8, Tár and most recently Father Mother Sister Brother.

Michael Fassbender is best known for playing mutant supervillain Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) in the rebooted X-Men film series, while Selena Gomez began her career on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Ever since The Mandalorian's debut back in 2019, Grogu, then only known as Baby Yoda, has gone on to be one of the biggest stars in a galaxy far, far away.

It's no mean feat, given the franchise's history of iconic characters, be they humanoid like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, or more visibly otherworldly like Chewbacca and R2-D2.

Now, Grogu is headlining his own movie alongside the aforementioned Mandalorian, Din Djarin. The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released in cinemas on 22 May, with the duo going on a new adventure to rescue Rotta the Hutt.

Like Yoda himself in his debut film, The Empire Strikes Back, Grogu is brought to life through puppetry, and there's a whole lot which goes into bringing him to life behind the scenes.

To give us the low-down on just how this is brought about, we spoke with key puppeteer Mike Manzel. Read on for a full breakdown on how Grogu is brought to the screen, from general movements to his eyes, to even one big swimming scene in the new movie.

Becoming a puppeteer has been a journey. I studied art and digital communications; I interned at an animation studio; and then after that I did a lot of commercial work. But what I always wanted to do was puppets and special effects. That had been my dream ever since seeing my first film at the cinema – Star Wars! I have worked on many films, from Kill Bill to Jurassic World, but puppeteering Grogu for The Mandalorian was a full circle moment!

Grogu is a mixture of rod puppetry and remote-controlled animatronics, operated by a team of five primary puppeteers. I handle the arms and always have a rod on the body to control his movements. (This means working up close and being painted out in post-production). Dawn Dininger works the legs. Jason Matthews remotely operates the eyes, which are crucial for all kinds of facial expressions. Victor Broadley does the ears and the mouth – he gives him his little smile! And then Trevor Hensley controls head movements.

When all the operators are working together in combination it’s like a jazz band. This means a lot of rehearsal. We’ll often get the script and break it down. It might say, ‘in this scene Grogu is having something thrown at him’. So we’ll set up the room and we’ll act it out and shoot it with our cameras before getting feedback from [director] Jon Favreau. But also, like jazz, it means improvisation. On set Jon will usually talk to the puppet and say, ‘all right, Grogu, in this scene you are sad’ and we’ll do our part to react to that and make him sad!

Grogu is expressive! The eyes tell a lot. If he’s using the force, the eyes squint, the brow goes down – he’s getting focused. If he’s sad, the ears go down. Capturing that requires us all to play off each other and to sink into whatever emotion he’s feeling. There are certain expressions he struggles with. There’s only so much space inside the puppet to work with! But we’ve always been able to get around that and express something like exasperation in other ways. For the most part he’s able to nail it!

Grogu’s signature waddle has evolved. On the first season he spent a lot of time in his pram or being carried. We didn’t have rods on his feet at that point. So I was just hovering a little bit above him and carrying him along to make him do a little trot. It was only on The Book of Boba Fett when we started adding the rods to his feet and doing little pitter-patter steps here and there.

There are limits to the movements we can achieve with puppetry and animatronics. Grogu cannot clap! Conan O’Brien made a joke about that at the Oscars and we were like, ‘don’t point that out!’ There are things we’re always trying to improve but there's a lot of shots that are too complicated to achieve with just the puppet. That’s when Industrial Light & Magic’s CGI team steps in. But hopefully you can’t tell the difference because ILM always try to match it work to the puppet rather than a CG character.

The Mandalorian and Grogu presented a lot of challenges for the puppeteering team. One of the biggest involved scenes in which Grogu swims. There’s a lot of mechanics in the puppet and electronics and water do not mix well! We use two hero puppets for filming, as well as a few stunt versions, but we also had to develop a water-tight version. Dawn and I were in the water most of the day, splashing around and trying not to go under!

Pedro Pascal loves Grogu! He's definitely a daddy’s boy. Although in this film Grogu becomes more of a partner. On set, the actors focus on the puppet rather than us. And even though we puppeteer, we’re reacting off the actor. So if they say something to the puppet, we all react to that. It's just easier for them to think of Grogu as one character as opposed to five puppeteers!

The Mandalorian & Grogu is coming to cinemas on Friday 22 May 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Add The Mandalorian to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

The Lovely Bones director Peter Jackson has spoken about his decision to fire Ryan Gosling from the film despite the actor already having gained 60 pounds for the role.

The Lovely Bones was released in 2009 and starred Saoirse Ronan in the lead alongside Mark Wahlberg playing her father and Stanley Tucci as the villain.

Originally, Gosling had been cast as Jack Salmon, the role audiences know Mark Wahlberg for playing, but was dropped from the film after gaining a considerable amount of weight without Jackson's approval.

Now, Jackson has spoken about the decision to fire Gosling. At the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, he said: "I won’t talk about any particular examples of actors because it’s a personal, private thing and it’s not their fault.

"Anytime we recast an actor, it’s actually our fault because we didn’t get the casting right and we cast the wrong person for a role.

"It’s not because they did anything wrong. So, I’m not going to talk about individuals, but you just got to realise that what you were imagining isn’t really quite happening, which means that we got it wrong and so we take full responsibility."

Jackson continued: "Ryan is a fantastic actor, as we know. Films are a chemistry both on camera and behind the camera. They’re chemistry in terms of what the actor conveys to the audience of the film.

"It’s just a complicated sort of amalgam of communication of how somebody gels into a group of people, into a story, into a character. It’s complicated and usually you try very hard when you’re planning the film, casting it, trying to get that gel kind of right, but occasionally we make our own mistakes."

Gosling had already discussed the events back in 2010, saying he and Jackson had a "different idea of how the character should look".

Though Gosling never began filming The Lovely Bones, some "prep work" for the film had already been done – including bonding with lead Saoirse Ronan.

In 2024, the Irish actress also reflected on the recasting saying that she was "sad" to see Ryan go but that "the reasons why they [Jackson and Gosling] parted were totally valid".

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

The first-look at Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek in an emotional new queer drama that’s about to debut at the Cannes Film Festival has been unveiled.

Malek, who won the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the 2018 biopic, stars in The Man I Love alongside Tom Sturridge (The Sandman), Rebecca Hall (The Prestige), Luther Ford (The Crown)  and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear).

Directed by filmmaker Ira Sachs, from a screenplay Sachs co-wrote with Mauricio Zacharias, The Man I Love follows actor Jimmy George in 1980s New York as he prepares to take on what could be his final role.

As unveiled by Deadline, the first look for the film sees Malek’s George showing off his acting chops to an assembled party of friends, where he imitates famous Western icon John Wayne.

A synopsis for the film reveals that the film captures George "[living in an] extraordinary moment between great illness and death when, still, all beauty and love is possible".

The film, Sachs’s third in three years, is due to premiere at Cannes this Wednesday (20 May), where it’s nominated for both the Palme d’Or and Queer Palm.

Filmed in New York over 28 days last year, Sachs has said that preparation for the film actually took 15 years in total, with the story itself inspired by French director Maurice Pialat’s 1991 biopic Van Gogh, set in the final few months of the painter’s life, where his death was imminent.

"In that period [of his life], he lived and chose to live with such commitment to the creation of art,” Sachs said of the influence in his director’s note to the film. "That was the kind of film Mauricio and I decided to write: one in which death is present, but in actuality, nobody actively dies; they actively live."

The Man I Love is Malek’s first big film of 2026, following his starring role in last year’s post-World War II drama Nuremberg, and flashy appearances in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and as mysterious villain Safin in 2021’s No Time to Die, the final film to star Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach is preparing for the launch of Avengers: Doomsday this December, in which he’ll appear as The Thing alongside his Fantastic Four co-stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn.

Fans of his comedy-drama The Bear also got a surprise new episode recently; ahead of the acclaimed series' fifth season starting 25 June, a special prequel episode starring Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

After monumental delays director Guy Ritchie has finally given fans an update on the highly anticipated third Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey Jr.

The first film was released in 2009 with its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, dropping only two years later in 2011 with Robert Downey Jr taking on the titular role and Jude Law bringing as Dr Watson.

A third instalment was then announced in 2018 but since then no progress has been made.

But now director Guy Ritchie, who helmed the first two films, has updated fans about the possibility of an upcoming film, promising that "the appetite is there".

"I adore Downey, and I adored making those two movies," Ritchie said. "Look, I think it's just honestly a question of just aligning our schedules.

"I know the appetite for it's there, but the appetite for it from our side is there, too. So, we'd love to make that happen. I just don't know how it's going to happen. It's amazing that it hasn't happened."

While the update is promising, production starting for the film unfortunately still seems a long way off.

In 2019, it was reported that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher had been brought onto the project to take over from Guy Ritchie on the franchise for the third film.

Production even got as far as being given a rough release window of December 2021 but for unknown the reasons, the film never came to fruition.

In 2008, Robert Downey Jr took on the role of Tony Stark / Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has since been a part of a mammoth 11 films as the character which could explain why he hasn't been able to return to Sherlock Holmes just yet.

Sherlock Holmes has received many successful TV and film adaptations over the years, with MCU favourite Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the role in BBC's Sherlock from 2010 to 2017.

In more recent years, Superman actor Henry Cavill has portrayed the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character in Netflix's Enola Holmes and in its 2022 sequel.

Guy Ritchie has also continued to bring the character to life in the 2026 Prime Video series Young Sherlock starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Holmes.

The first two Sherlock Films are available to stream on Prime Video now – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

After a five-year hiatus, first-look imagery has dropped for the upcoming Call My Agent! film as the release date is confirmed – and it's coming this summer!

The French series, which ran from 2015 to 2020 and starred Camille Cottin, Thibault de Montalembert and Grégory Montel, among others, followed a group of talent agents working at the ASK agency.

It delved into their relationships with their clients, who were made up of actors playing themselves, with a host of French stars appearing across the episodes.

To the dismay of fans Call My Agent! concluded after only four series but with a standalone film announced in 2021. Now after a long five year wait, Call My Agent! The Movie will drop on Netflix on Thursday 10 September 2026.

The official synopsis for the film reads: "Five years after the agency closed its doors, Andréa is finally ready to direct her first feature film. When her lead actor quits and she falls out with her producer, she joins forces with Noémie – now a successful reality TV producer– believing she can easily manipulate her.

"But as she faces a complete recasting, on-set disasters, and a legal battle threatening the custody of her daughter, everything begins to unravel. One by one, the former ASK colleagues converge on this high-tension film set.

"Each arrives with their own role, their ego, and a fair share of old grudges—little do they know what this reunion truly has in store for them."

The hilarious cast known from the series will be returning for the film including Camille Cottin, Laure Calamy, Thibault de Montalembert, Grégory Montel, Nicolas Maury, Fanny Sidney, Liliane Rovère, Laetitia Casta, Vincent Macaigne, Ophélia Kolb, Anne Marivin and Laurent Lafitte.

If you haven't seen the series but the plot sounds familiar, that may be because the series was given a British remake called Ten Percent in 2022, which starred Jack Davenport, Lydia Leonard, Maggie Steed and Prasanna Puwanarajah.

That show only ran for one season on Prime Video and received mixed reviews from critics, with some stating that it too closely followed the beloved French original.

Written by Fanny Herrero and Lison Daniel and directed by Emilie Noblet, the Call My Agent! film promises to be just as funny as the TV show.

It has been produced by Mediawan – Mon Voisin Productions and Mother Production with the participation of France Télévisions.

Call My Agent! is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Hope, the madcap new movie from South Korean director Na Hong-jin, is probably not the first sort of film you’d imagine when thinking of the prestige of the Cannes Film Festival. Premiering – however improbably – as part of the Competition line-up at this year’s edition, this creature feature is a flawed but utterly breathless piece of action cinema that’s just bonkers enough to make up for its various shortcomings. 

Na's previous film was the creeping, occult-themed horror epic The Wailing – released to rave reviews a decade ago – but if you were looking to that effort for clues as to what to expect from his new one, you might want to think again. This is a very different sort of genre picture. 

We begin on a country road, where we find a cow that has been horrifically butchered by some unseen but clearly deadly predator. Police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) has been sent to investigate and as he questions a band of slightly hostile locals, a suggestion is put forward that perhaps a tiger was responsible for the nasty incident, although that doesn’t quite seem to add up with the marks on the deceased animal. 

In any case, it doesn’t take long for Bum-seok to rule out this possibility. Whatever this creature is, it is evidently still on the rampage, and the extent of the destruction – which includes cars being sent flying and a growing number of unfortunate people being mauled to death – makes it clear that it’s a fair bit bigger than a mere tiger. 

And so begins an electrifying chase as Bum-seok – a man who you sense would be out of his depth even with a threat a few degrees more routine than this – haplessly attempts to track down and shoot at the beast. In doing so, he encounters various locals going about things their own way and not always treating him with much in the way of respect. 

This opening section takes up the best part of an hour, and though there are no shortage of highlights later down the line, it's perhaps here where the film’s at its peak. Na’s expert staging of the hunt ensures the epic sequence is laced with near constant tension, while Hwang’s portrayal of the police chief’s bemused terror as the situation lurches increasingly out of hand provides precisely the right amount of comic relief without undercutting the suspense.  

It’s just beginning to appear that this might be one of those creature features where the big bad isn’t revealed until the very final act, when that theory is proven untrue in quite spectacular fashion. It’s at this point where the film’s first, and by some distance most major, flaw emerges. The CGI on display is undeniably iffy, and at times there’s the unmistakable feel of a video game in the way the creature moves. 

Quite how far you let this affect the fun is likely to vary wildly from viewer to viewer, but it’s hard to escape the fact that the film’s wow factor could have been amped up a further few notches with markedly improved visual effects and more original creature design. It’s a testament to quite how thrilling the surrounding action is that for many audience members, this aspect will hardly dim the experience at all.

 As we move into the second and third acts, there’s intermittently the sense that the film – which runs 2 hours and 40 minutes – is a little overlong, and some of its detours prove more effective than others. But the momentum is never paused for long enough for the well sustained tension to truly let up, and we’re also treated to some humorous asides, including a peculiarly detailed witness statement from an injured man.

The cast for the film – who all fully commit – is mainly Korean, with the main roles alongside the aforementioned Hwang going to Zo In-sung and Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon. But there are also key parts for a few major Hollywood stars, notably including married couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. It’s safe to say that both are completely unrecognisable here from anything we’ve seen them in before.

Hope is most certainly a film that will divide viewers, and it’s not especially difficult to find faults – including with some of its baffling hints at a deeper mythology. But as a crazy action spectacle – best enjoyed with an engaged audience – the sheer enjoyable thrill of it all is impossible to deny.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Tom Clancy’s everyman action hero Jack Ryan – as played by John Krasinski – is back for a feature-length outing, three years on from the fourth season of the Prime Video series that rebooted the character.

He may be a long way from Alec Baldwin, who played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990), or Harrison Ford, who starred as the character in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). But Krasinski’s easy-going charm means the show’s return fared a lot better than either Ben Affleck (in 2002’s The Sum of All Fears) or Chris Pine (2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) playing Ryan.

Sadly, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War – what a mouthful of a title that is – emerges as a bland action vehicle shorn of wit or vitality. This comes as a huge surprise given that Krasinski and Noah Oppenheim (who penned Kathryn Bigelow’s brilliant nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite) cooked up the story. In the past, Krasinski has more than proved his mettle as a screenwriter (and director) of the gripping horror A Quiet Place and its sequel, which makes the failure of this globe-trotting espionage tale all the more puzzling.

Bouncing between New York, Dubai and London, the story begins as onetime CIA analyst Ryan is out for a jog through the streets of Manhattan when he’s accosted by his former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce) and colleague Mike November (Michael Kelly). This being Hollywood CIA, Greer doesn’t just give him a call on the blower; he has to have suited-and-booted operatives in blacked-out SUVs appear, forcing him to duck and dive through a restaurant kitchen.

Now relaxing in a civilian job, the spy game is behind Ryan. "I don’t know if I was cut out for all this grey area stuff," he says, but soon enough, he’s dragged back in. There’s a rogue Black Ops unit at work, one that came to the fore after 9/11, led by the highly aggrieved, vengeance-seeking agent Liam Crown (Max Beesley), who seems to have the skinny on everyone he’s targeting.

Before long, Krasinski is in London, paired up with the highly capable MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller), as betrayal becomes the order of the day.

"Nobody inside or out can be trusted," says Marlowe, as bombs are lit and bodies and personnel are lost. To be fair, Miller is the film’s real high point. The British actress hasn’t done a great deal of action work in her career, but she seems right at home, whether she’s brandishing guns, speeding off on motorbikes in leathers or speaking Arabic.  

Arguably, in other hands, the script could’ve fared better, but director Andrew Bernstein seems hamstrung here. A veteran television director, on shows like Ozark, Fear The Walking Dead and It: Welcome To Derry, Bernstein is familiar with the Ryanverse, having helmed three episodes of the series.

But this never really feels like anything more than a TV movie. Whether it’s swooping shots over Dubai’s cityscape or a shoot-out in the streets of London, in the shadow of the Gherkin, it all feels like tourist’s-eye visuals.

Admittedly, there’s something amusing about watching a firefight outside a Sports Direct or near a double-decker bus that’s heading to Hackney Wick. But for the most part, the combat scenes feel like Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, the series of action-adventure stealth video games. Aside from a quick blast of Belinda Carlisle’s 1980s banger Heaven Is A Place On Earth on the soundtrack, and a visit to RAF Abingdon in Oxfordshire, there really isn’t much to lift the spirits here.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is released on Prime Video Wednesday on 20 May 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

While some superfans have seen the Harry Potter films time and time again, there are still some details even the most eagle-eyed viewers will have missed.

That's down to the level of detail from unsung heroes behind-the-scenes, like Art Director Gary Tomkins, who worked on all eight movies.

Speaking exclusively to Radio Times to mark the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (and the new Summer Feature at the Warner Bros Studio Tour), Tomkins revealed that there are some intricate sets that he worked on that were never actually seen on screen, including Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur Weasley's seaside home.

"Shell Cottage, we built on the seashore in Pembrokeshire," Tomkins recalled.

"It was a full-sized house. We built some of the interior and the exterior, with a garden. The walls themselves were built with shells, and we had a sculptor model up all the shells so it would be made like a stone building, but instead of stone, it was shells.

"All the shells had little, tiny barnacles on, a fantastic level of detail - all hand painted. The slates on the roof weren't slate, they were actually shells. We worked out how they would fit together. It was a huge level of detail. The garden was planted up, we had fences. We had part of the interior, we had curtains at the window - all of that.

"And then, when you see the final film, all you see is Shell Cottage in the background of the death of Dobby, and the actors in foreground. In the background, out of focus is Shell Cottage!"

However, Tomkins added: "You can barely see the cottage, let alone [the small details]. But, we did it, we knew it was there. We were always indulged, and we could afford to build beautiful sets, and it gave the director an opportunity to shoot in and around it.

"But the key shot that everyone remembers is everyone looking at Dobby, and not my beautiful house in the background!"

While Shell Cottage might not have had its shining moment on screen, one part of Tomkins' work that certainly did was Hogwarts Castle.

"Stuart [Craig, Production Designer] did a very sort of basic sketch - well, very elaborate sketch but a basic plan - from which myself and the other members of the team drew up, like an architect would draw up a house, we drew up the castle," he explained of the process.

"We were integrating the elements of the real world places that we shot on location, in Gloucester, Durham, and it pretty much came together as we had planned.

"In subsequent films, of course, because new things came in in the script that we weren't aware of when we built the first film, we had to change the design of the castle. So as you move through the films, the castle constantly changes its design.

"It's one of the only film projects I've been on over my entire career where continuity doesn't really matter, because you can say, 'Well, it's magic!'"

For Tomkins, the Studio Tour is a chance for both the behind-the-scenes details to be appreciated by the fans.

"I love the Studio Tour, because it is that perfect opportunity to show the public all of the detail that goes into the sets and props and costumes and everything else," he pointed out.

"Very often that's lost on the screen, but you can come here and you can get up really close to everything, and see the level of detail. It's an incredible level of detail that was put into everything.

"I'm just thrilled, and continue to be thrilled every time I come to the tour to see people enjoying that."

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

You can buy tickets to The Warner Bros Studio Tour now.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Just days after it was confirmed that auditions have now begun to find the next James Bond, Variety has reported on one candidate who is said to be part of the process.

The publication reports that Tom Francis, the actor best known for his stage work including Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, is one of the performers who has auditioned to play the iconic spy in the franchise's next film.

The publication states that Francis is "one of many performers jockeying for the part in a casting process that is ongoing and being overseen by Nina Gold".

Radio Times has approached Amazon MGM Studios and reps for Francis for comment.

Francis, who is 26 years old, may be best known for starring opposite Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard, but he also appeared in other stage productions including What's New Pussycat? at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End.

On screen, he has been seen in four episodes of the final season of Netflix series You, and in the streamer's 2025 film Jay Kelly. He will also soon be seen starring in theatrical film The Mosquito Bowl, alongside Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård.

It is not currently known who else has taken part in the audition process as of yet.

It seems that one actor who was previously rumoured to be a frontrunner, Cosmo Jarvis, will reportedly not be involved, with a spokesperson for the actor telling Variety: "Cosmo is not in the mix for the role of James Bond and is not auditioning for it."

News that the casting process is underway was confirmed in a statement from Amazon MGM Studios, with the company saying: "The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."

Whoever is cast will be starring in the currently untitled next Bond film, which will come from director Denis Villeneuve, screenwriter Steven Knight and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

James Gray has previously found fertile cinematic ground in tales of both Jewish family life in 20th century New York and the violent activities of the Russian mob, and those two elements combine to mixed success in this latest effort from the acclaimed American writer/director.

Paper Tiger – Gray's sixth film to premiere In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival – comes equipped with an A-list cast comprised of Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, and takes us to 1986 New York as we explore a close-knit family's descent towards crisis after they acquire some dodgy new business partners.

Chiefly, it is a tale of two brothers. Teller plays Irwin, a mild-mannered and somewhat nervous family man, who is married to Johansson's Hester and is just about the last person you'd expect to voluntarily sign up for any sort of danger.

On the other hand, Driver – in his most charismatic and magnetic performance in years – is Gary, the livelier and more brash of the two siblings who is idolised by Irwin's sons and well connected around New York (owing at least in part to a past in the NYPD.)

The film kicks into gear when Gary lets Irwin in on a business opportunity he reckons could see them both hit the big time. The scheme involves consulting for a Russian firm who are undertaking a clean-up operation of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, and though initially hesitant about the proposition, Irwin is quickly won over by his brother's smooth-talking manner and the promise of a quick buck. Before long they're heading to the canal to meet with a gang of contacts who don't exactly scream trustworthy.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that this may not go according to plan or, for that matter, that the resulting fallout will drive a wedge between the two brothers. Of course, that's precisely what happens, and – thanks to a shockingly naive blunder on Irwin's part – his whole family wind up getting caught firmly in the crosshairs too.

Gray has shown many times before that he's a muscular director with an expert grip on texture, so it's no surprise that for the most part Paper Tiger looks and feels great, with a hyper-specific sense of time and place. He also stages some impressive set pieces, especially a genuinely creepy home invasion sequence that proves just how sinister the threat posed by Irwin's new business partners is, and a late action scene that evokes the "tiger" of the title.

But for all that the film gets right, there's also a feeling that it's held back by a few narrative and tonal shortcomings. At some points its presentation of the American dream gone wrong is underbaked and perhaps even a little clichéd, while at others it lurches towards overblown melodrama, with Johansson guilty of some pretty hammy outbursts. In other words, Gray seems to be aiming for both operatic and intimate at once, and the film ends up not quite soaring in either of those modes.

It doesn't help that Johansson is underserved by a far weaker storyline than her male co-stars, and a plot point concerning her health feels rather clumsily tacked on, even as it ends up playing a key part in the wider narrative. The film is at its best when it fully dials up the tension, and more moments like the aforementioned break-in – and especially its impact on the whole family – might have been more effective in making us truly fear for their plight.

Still, Teller and Driver really are terrific – the latter especially great when we discover both the extent of his force and the limits of his bravado. And so even with those aforementioned flaws, there's plenty here to savour, and more than enough for Gray's relatively small but extremely devoted band of die-hards to celebrate.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

If you need inspiration for your next movie night, Prime Video has plenty to dive into.
Based on Stephen King’s novel, dystopian thriller The Long Walk follows teenage boys forced into a televised endurance march where slowing down means death. Starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, The Long Walk explores survival, friendship and the brutal cost of hope under an authoritarian regime.

2014's Inherent Vice stars Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin and Owen Wilson, following stoner eye Doc Sportello investigating his ex-girlfriend’s disappearance, uncovering a tangled web of crime and conspiracy, as well as fading 1970s counterculture.

Inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photobook of the same name, The Bikeriders tells the story of the Vandals MC, a motorcycle gang in 1960s Chicago that morphs from a refuge for outsiders to a sinister gang. Tom Hardy plays Johnny, the leader of the gang, and Austin Butler as Benny, a member of the club who finds himself torn between his loyalty to the gang and his partner Kathy (Jodie Comer).

How about Quentin Tarantino’s 1969-set Hollywood reverie Once upon a Time...in Hollywood, which follows fading actor Rick Dalton and devoted stuntman Cliff Booth (Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt), as their lives brush Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), against the looming Manson murders and changing industry?

Meanwhile, what could be a more enjoyable way to spend the evening than with classic romantic comedy Bridget Jones's Diary, about the protagonist's struggles against increasing weight, alcohol and cigarette addiction, and the anxieties of being a 30-something singleton? Helen Fielding’s novel is brought most satisfyingly to the screen by director Sharon Maguire, writers Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis, and particularly Renée Zellweger as Bridget.

For a more sobering watch, documentary film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin, tracing her life, work and involvement in AIDS activism and the art world, alongside her leadership of the group PAIN in campaigning against the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis.

You could try Oscar-nominated fare such as Nickel Boys and The Zone of Interest, plus original movies such as romcom Palm Springs and Saltburn, or feel-good pictures like hit musical Everybody's Talking about Jamie, meaning there is plenty for any film fan to choose from.

The streamer has developed a great habit of picking up some of the best cinema releases of recent years for its library – and one film that fits squarely into the category is Small Things like These, an emotionally devastating drama set in 1980s Ireland starring Cillian Murphy.

Those wanting horror fare can turns to movies including Longlegs and Heretic, while those looking for classics can enjoy the likes of From Dusk till Dawn and The Long Good Friday.

If you're looking for the best movies to watch right now, then look no further. Every movie on the list below has been hand-picked by Radio Times's team of experts, so you will know exactly which films you should dive into when you next log on to the streamer.

Our Prime Video pages (including best Amazon series) are updated regularly, so keep this page bookmarked as we'll have fresh recommendations you absolutely don't want to miss.

For those wanting something a bit different, we’ve also created shortlists of the best Netflix movies and the best Netflix series, as well as your guide to Disney+.

• Sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime Video and pay £8.99 a month after that.

There's not long to wait until this year's summer blockbusters start to arrive, but if you're already craving some spectacular movies then Netflix has you covered.

Love Lies Bleeding is a neon‑noir thriller set in 1980s New Mexico, following a gym manager and an ambitious bodybuilder whose intense romance drags them into violence. Featuring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian, it blends desire, crime and family secrets with pulpy, surreal energy.

Wes Anderson's period comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel is a multi-storied tale-within-a-tale revolving around a hotel in a fictional Mittel-European state across multiple time frames, but it’s terrifically funny if you can get into its groove. We follow concierge Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) amid art theft, murder accusations and inheritance disputes in fading Europe.

In the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davies, when Oscar Isaac’s eponymous struggling troubadour gets locked out of his apartment after chasing an escaped cat, his subsequent wandering becomes a metaphor for his stalled career. But music offers hope. Replete with the Coens’ trademark grotesques, this blues riff to lost opportunity is warmed through with the love of a good tune.

Set in the 1990s, I Saw the TV Glow sees two isolated teenagers bond over a strange late‑night TV series. As one disappears, the other grows obsessed, struggling with grief, identity and reality as the show’s mythology bleeds disturbingly into everyday life.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the iconic doll facing an unexpected existential crisis that propels her from Barbieland into the real world. Bursting with colour, comedy and sharp cultural commentary, it’s funny and thought‑provoking, with stand-out performances and songs. The film also features Ryan Gosling as Ken and is narrated by Helen Mirren.

Meanwhile, set against the backdrop of the 1969 moon landing, Apollo 10½: a Space Age Childhood blends memory and fantasy to follow a boy growing up in suburban Houston, who imagines being recruited for a secret NASA mission. The film is written and directed by Richard Linklater and features Milo Coy, with voice performances by Jack Black, Zachary Levi and Glen Powell.

Read on for our latest picks of the best movies on the streaming service right now – from recent releases like Anniversary and Train Dreams to classics such as The Dark Knight Rises and sex, lies and videotape – or head over to our guides to the best series on Netflix and best comedies on Netflix.

Alternatively, check out our helpful list of Netflix secret codes, which can help you unlock hidden movies and TV shows.

Updated weekly.

It sometimes feels as though horror remains one of the genres providing the most inventive output in recent times, and that point is proven again by this week's release, Obsession.

The acclaimed low-budget film from director Curry Barker follows a young man who wishes for his crush to love him more than anyone - with devastating, disturbing consequences.

Of course, if scares aren't your thing, there are plenty of other options in cinemas this week, including new releases such as Steven Soderbergh's The Christophers, starring Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, Ben Wheatley's Normal, starring Bob Odenkirk, and Hungarian historical drama film Orphan.

You can find our verdicts for all of these new releases below, while you can also discover our lowdown on the other major movies released in UK cinemas in recent weeks, including hit sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 and divisive biopic Michael.

Read on for your weekly round-up of all the films currently showing in UK cinemas.

Have we learned nothing from The Monkey's Paw? Apparently not, according to this clever, low budget, but genuinely frightening film from director Curry Barker (no relation to horror auteur Clive Barker). Bear (Michael Johnston) makes his heart's desire known when he wishes on a "One Wish Willow" charm: he wants his crush to love him more than anyone.

Nikki (Inde Navarrette) is instantly in thrall, but unsurprisingly, it doesn't go well. Talking about themes of consent in an intelligent and contemporary way, Obsession doesn't have a particularly surprising plot, but the way it's shot is innovative.

Utilising his meagre resources to the max, Barker pulls off at least one impressive and gory jump scare that is sure to shock audiences. Sincere, fresh and darkly funny (Bear's call to the "One Wish Willow" helpline is hilarious), this is an impressive film from Barker that begs the question, "What could he accomplish if he had a proper budget?" Be careful what you wish for. - Rosie Fletcher

Something isn't right in Normal, Minnesota. When interim sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) stumbles upon the town's terrible secret, he finds that everyone is prepared to defend it - or die trying.

Though best described as Hot Fuzz meets Fargo, this action comedy lacks the smarts and regional zest of both films. Odenkirk reunites with screenwriter Derek Kolstad following their 2021 hit Nobody, which minted the former sketch comic and Better Call Saul star as a late-career action hero.

But neither Odenkirk nor British director Ben Wheatley can enliven a plot that feels frankly tired, with its occasional bursts of grisly action. There's some minor entertainment value here, but between the film's dangling narrative threads, inconsistent characters, failed punchlines and clumsy editing, it sprawls all over the place. A baffling misfire from all involved. - Sean McGeady

The verbal tussles between two very different artists fuel this keenly entertaining comedy drama from prolific director Steven Soderbergh. Michaela Coel plays Lori, a struggling art restorer offered work by the resentful grown-up children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) of renowned painter Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), who might not have long to live.

The siblings' idea is that Lori will pose as Julian's assistant and gain access to his unfinished and fabled series of "Christophers" portraits. Lori will then secretly complete the paintings for auction after Julian dies - but can he be duped? As revelations and rug-pulls follow, Soderbergh's leads bring the smart, talky action to life.

Lori is faintly under-written but Coel's wary, watchful intelligence is nevertheless compelling, while McKellen's wry, wily turn as a man of many secrets is a slippery delight - and surprisingly poignant.

As this odd pairing bicker and banter, subtly layered ideas percolate between the lines. Touching lightly on themes of art, legacy, lost loves and generational divisions, The Christophers is a brush-stroked pleasure from a master director at work and play. - Kevin Harley

A young Jewish boy in 1957 Budapest longs for his late father in this austere, though awkward, drama. Set after the failed anti-Soviet uprising, Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) has endured a rough start to life; after his father was deported in 1944, never to be seen again, his childhood was spent in orphanages.

Now back with his mother (Andrea Waskovics), this troubled, mischievous boy grows increasingly resentful when a local butcher (Grégory Gadebois) takes the place of his father. "He's just like death," whines the boy.

Hungarian director László Nemes (Son of Saul) crafts an indelible portrait of 1950s Hungary, still reeling from Nazi terrors, antisemitism bubbling away. Newcomer Barabas is a magnetic presence as Andor, a child permanently angry at the world.

Yet, despite some lavish set-pieces, including a funfair-set finale reminiscent of The Third Man, the disparate elements never coalesce. More oblique than explicit, with this tale of postwar trauma Nemes paints a thematic canvas that never quite comes into sharp focus. A ravishing work, nonetheless. - James Mottram

The fate of the world hangs in the balance in this humdrum sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Inspired by the video-game series in which opponents fight each other with trademark moves and special powers, the story continues as Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), ruthless leader of the Outworld, looks to conquer Earthrealm.

Stopping him is an intrepid bunch of fighters including Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Cole Young (Lewis Tan), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Jax (Mehcad Brooks), all returning from the original movie. This group is joined by fan favourite character Johnny Cage (Karl Urban, excellent), a washed-up action star who must learn to channel his "fake" movie fighting skills into something more deadly.

Also bringing the one-liners is returnee Kano (Josh Lawson), but even this unctuous Aussie is not enough to aid director Simon McQuoid into evolving this sequel beyond an intergalactic smackdown, as characters weaponise everything from hand fans to hats. It all remains a largely tedious mix of solemn sci-fi, flippant pop culture nods and gory cartoonish violence. – James Mottram

• Read our full Mortal Kombat II review
• Read our exclusive interview with star Adeline Rudolph

This 'baa-rmy' whodunnit, based on Leonie Swann's novel Three Bags Full, turns the 'cosy crime' trend fully woolly as it pairs Babe-style talking animals with the backstabbers of Knives Out. The film finds a flock of murder mystery-loving sheep (voiced by the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston) investigating the poisoning of their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman), frustrated with the incompetence of the local police officer (a hilarious Nicholas Braun).

Emma Thompson steals the show as a no-nonsense lawyer, with Molly Gordon, Nicholas Galitzine and Hong Chau among the suspects. The simple story and sunny outlook are unlikely to satisfy die-hard mystery fans, but this works as a neat introduction for younger viewers to the conventions of the genre, with the scary stuff omitted.

Directed by Kyle Balda (Minions) and scripted by Craig Mazin (TV's Chernobyl and The Last of Us), the film overcomes an uncertain start and settles nicely into its quirky groove, buoyed by game performances. It’s plenty of fun for the whole flock, and the more it leans into its wackiness the more it succeeds. – Emma Simmonds

• Read our full The Sheep Detectives review

Talent versus birthright is the question posed by this lavishly realised, decade-straddling epic from Japan. It follows the orphaned son of a yakuza as he works his way up the rankings as one of the onnagata – the men who play women in Japan’s highly ritualised kabuki theatre. What emerges is an almost biblical tale of friendship and rivalry between gifted outsider Kikuo (Ryô Yoshizawa) and Shunsuke (Ryûsei Yokohama), the cosseted son of the kabuki master (Ken Watanabe) who first recognises Kikuo’s ability and takes him on.

As the action shifts from the 1960s to the 2010s, Sang-il Lee’s film presents its dramatic plot turns in stylised fashion, taking its cue from kabuki and cooling down what might otherwise be overcooked melodrama. It may be too restrained for some, but there are spectacular visuals and gorgeous costumes to feast the eyes on. It’s also a useful introduction to the glorious realm of kabuki, in which maidens are always expiring on stage, but look how stylishly they go! – Steve Morrissey

Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary provides the backdrop for this detail-packed and fast-paced documentary portrait of the British heavy metal veterans. The story begins in the mid-1970s, when street sweeper turned bassist Steve Harris refused punk’s allure to form Maiden. After two albums with singer Paul Di’Anno, the band's success accelerated upon his replacement with live-wire singer Bruce Dickinson.

Glory followed throughout the 1980s, and while exhaustion led to Dickinson’s departure in 1993, a reunion in 1999 gave Maiden an impressively stadium-filling second life. Mixing tributes from stars (including Chuck D and Javier Bardem) with deluges of archive footage, director Malcolm Venville hurtles through the group’s highs, lows and USPs.

Band mascot Eddie, Dickinson’s dramatic lyrics and the satanic panic era are explored, with drummer Nicko McBrain’s retirement in 2024 adding a touching note. There isn’t much room for critical or contextual analysis in what is, essentially, an unabashed celebration. But, as fans admit to weeping to live performances of all-in-this-together anthem Blood Brothers, Burning Ambition shows how steadfastly these rock stalwarts have earned that affection. – Kevin Harley

Anna Hathaway’s Andy Sachs returns to the elite fashion magazine she left two decades ago in this sharp-witted, if slightly indulgent, sequel to The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Made redundant from the paper that employed her as an investigative reporter, Andy finds herself back at Runway, still overseen by Meryl Streep’s scary editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.

With the magazine failing, Andy is desperate to sprinkle some journalistic integrity onto a title now driven by clicks – but can she rise to the challenge? Directed again by David Frankel, the film's main plus point is the reunion of its cast, with welcome returns for Stanley Tucci’s debonair stylist Nigel and the catty Emily (Emily Blunt), Andy’s tormentor in the original and now an exec at Dior. Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) is also a worthy addition as Miranda’s latest assistant.

Not everything sings, with a subplot about Andy's love life adding little, and there are a few too many self-satisfied cameos. However, the production looks divine as it pings from New York to Milan, and the script boasts some real zingers. A thoroughly enjoyable retread of a modern popcorn favourite, this is just like catching up with old fashion friends. – James Mottram

This deliciously ominous tale of a tetchy, emotionally stilted writer staying at a remote hotel with a cursed past certainly has echoes of The Shining. However, director Damian McCarthy plays around with that premise with his slow-burning folk horror, which sees Adam Scott's American novelist Ohm Bauman checking in at the rural Irish inn where his late parents spent their honeymoon, ostensibly to scatter their ashes.

After meeting banjaxed vagrant Jerry (a scene-stealing David Wilmot) in the woods, Bauman finds his curiosity piqued by the legend of a witch, and is only drawn in further following news of a disappearance at Halloween. Could the answers lie in the padlocked, haunted honeymoon suite?

What unfurls is a marvellous melange of murder mystery, supernatural eeriness and confined-space terror, nimbly marshalled by a director comfortably at home with all things horror. The claustrophobic tension is maintained throughout, with plenty of left-field plot turns and jump scares thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, Scott shines as a not especially likeable character, whose hellish descent into the unknown nevertheless remains utterly compelling. – Jeremy Aspinall

An award-winner at Cannes, director Valery Carnoy’s beguiling feature debut charts the coming-of-age growing pains of a teenage prodigy at a prestigious sports academy in rural France. Camille (played by Samuel Kircher) is riding high as the school’s top boxer, his ring craft promising a glittering future. That is, until a near-fatal accident upends his world.

Although his physical injuries are not career-ending, the psychological scars soon cause Camille to doubt his abilities and to question the brutality of the sport, much to the frustration of best friend Matteo (Faycal Anaflous) and their brash, unsympathetic teammates.

Kircher gives a beautifully gauged performance, whether displaying dynamic fight skills (deftly shot by Arnaud Guez) or vulnerability – such as when he befriends Yas (Anna Heckel), a fellow student happy to ditch taekwondo in favour of practising her trumpet in the woods. But Carnoy teases wonderfully naturalistic turns from the whole cast, many of them first-timers, in an exploration of friendship and masculinity that really hits home. – Jeremy Aspinall

Anne Hathaway is spellbinding as a pop-star fusion of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift in this surreal drama from David Lowery (The Green Knight). It follows the events that occur after Hathaway's titular musician reunites with her estranged ex-friend, fashion designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), following an emotional crisis — Mother Mary is desperate for a dress to wear for what may very well be her final performance. Their reopening of old wounds is explored in a dialogue-heavy character piece that aims to reveal exactly what lies inside of “MM".

Working in his usual heightened style, Lowery constructs a dense amalgamation of ideas that dissects the psyche of the professional performer. While this succeeds in its first hour, the second falls into an overly avant-garde, allegorical clutter that never quite lands despite some glorious musical sequences, a great wardrobe and an atmospheric soundtrack. Hathaway and Coel are magnificent in a film that so relies on their chemistry, with most of the 112 minutes playing out in a countryside barn-turned-studio. Unfortunately, their performances far outpace Lowery's uneven screenplay and highlight the shortcomings in an admirable examination of love and loathing that simply needed some finer tuning. – Chezelle Bingham

Superstar Michael Jackson’s rise to global fame is played out in an underwhelming biopic which charts personal and professional hurdles but brings the curtain down before reaching the scandals and controversies of the singer’s later years. The King of Pop is played by Jaafar Jackson, the real-life son of Michael’s older brother Jermaine.

He’s in constant conflict with a volatile father (Colman Domingo) but is determined to control his own career while spreading the message of peace, love and understanding through music. Not an especially strong actor, Jaafar is tasked with portraying his late uncle as a good-hearted but often misunderstood soul, in a mawkish screenplay that frames its subject as a saint-like figure who can do no wrong.

Domingo does what he can in a villainous role that’s largely written in clichés, but the remainder of the supporting characters, be they family members or music industry figures, are woefully under-represented. Well-staged musical numbers, replicating videos and TV appearances, are the film’s only saving grace. – Terry Staunton

• Read our full Michael review

A Cornish fisherman discovers that all is not as it seems in this distinctive, playful and haunting work. It opens as the titular ship, previously thought lost at sea, reappears at the docks of a small fishing village.

Crewing it up is Nick (George MacKay) and party boy Liam (Callum Turner), under the command of a flinty sea dog (Francis Magee). But after one voyage, their return brings them back not to the present, but to 1993 – where they’re mistaken for the crew that vanished.

Writer/director Mark Jenkin, who also edits the film and composes the score, has made his mark with eerie folk stories set in Cornwall, his previous features being Bait (2019) and Enys Men (2022).

This feels like a fusion of those two, a ghost-ship sea shanty married to a time-travel tale. It’s a head-scratcher that doesn’t easily yield its secrets, but it reeks of atmosphere. And its political punch – even just the shot of a local Post Office replaced by a food bank three decades on – lands with real power. – James Mottram

Based on a 2023 video game, and set almost entirely in the Japanese subway system, Genki Kawamura’s disquieting mystery turns the liminal space of the underground into something truly nightmarish. Having stepped off a packed commuter train, the protagonist – known only as the Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) – takes a call from his ex-girlfriend, who tells him she is pregnant and waiting for him at the hospital.

Does he want to keep the baby? As he tries to decide, he finds himself walking the same never-ending loop of passageway looking for clues to the elusive exit 8. By including hidden details for the viewer to spot, this sometimes feels like an actual game, but with added emotional depth.

Kawamura makes the most of the location’s strip-lit strangeness, throwing in some memorable jump scares along the way. But what really lingers is a deep existential dread at the idea our hero could be trapped in this prosaic purgatory forever. It may be faint praise, but this ranks alongside the very best video game adaptations ever made. – Matt Glasby

Despite some gruesome prosthetics and buckets of gore, Lee Cronin’s reimagining of The Mummy is a bit all over the place. After eight years missing, the daughter of journalist Charlie (Jack Reynor) and his wife Larissa (Laia Costa) unexpectedly returns home mute, traumatised and wrapped in bandages.

When she begins to exhibit increasingly disturbing, seemingly supernatural behaviour, Charlie enlists help to uncover exactly what happened to her – with sinister results. Fresh off the back of reinventing another beloved horror franchise with Evil Dead Rise, Cronin nobly aims for a blend of The Exorcist and Bring Her Back, though is unable to reach the heights of either.

While the film has flashes of terror, the heavy-handed, relentless jump scares leave you eye-rolling rather than eye-covering. Tonally, it is uneven, too, often attempting to mix humour with horror, but settling on neither, and the problem is further complicated by some shaky performances.

It’s frustrating, because with a strong concept and some decent imagery, there is potential here. In the end, though, the film delivers nothing that hasn’t been done before, and done better. – Chezelle Bingham

Brian Cox has earned a reputation as one of the most formidable actors of his generation, so you might expect his first film as director to contain a certain degree of dramatic heft. But Glenrothan – in which Cox stars alongside fellow Scot Alan Cumming – is a decidedly uncinematic affair; a stylistically bland drama that trades almost entirely in treacly sentimentality.

Cumming plays Donal, a jazz bar proprietor in Chicago who hasn’t returned to his Scottish homeland or seen brother Sandy (Cox) in decades. When disaster strikes at his bar, he is convinced by his daughter (Alexandra Shipp) to finally make the voyage home; a trip which swiftly reopens old wounds.

Cox has described the film as a "love letter" to Scotland, but nothing about the depiction of his homeland is textured or specific enough to feel like meaningful homage. Nor does the family feud, which is communicated through cloying flashbacks and stagey confrontation scenes, ring true.

Combined with an overegged score and unconvincing dialogue, it adds up to a plodding drama where virtually every choice is the most basic one. – Patrick Cremona

• Read our interview with Brian Cox

Josh O’Connor delivers another brilliantly understated performance in this lovely, lowkey drama from writer-director Max Walker-Silverman (A Love Song). He stars as Dusty, a cowboy whose livelihood is threatened after wildfires ravage his ranch and he is left to take up residence at a temporary trailer camp with other victims of the blaze.

At the same time, he attempts to bond with his adoring young daughter Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre), whose mother (Meaghan Fahy) he is now separated from. Walker-Silverman never reaches for melodrama, favouring a restrained and naturalistic approach that allows the characters and their relationships to feel impressively authentic and heartfelt – with the dynamic between Dusty and Callie Rose especially well judged.

Meanwhile Alfonso Herrera Salcedo’s gorgeous cinematography and an Americana-tinged guitar score from Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington give the piece a finely tuned Western sensibility. A quiet film that manages to retain a sense of hope and redemption at its heart while largely keeping platitudes at bay, it offers more compelling evidence that O’Connor is among the finest actors of his generation. – Patrick Cremona

Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid) and Regé-Jean Page (Netflix's Bridgerton) headline this sweet-but-silly Italian-set romcom. Bailey is Anna, a would-be chef who impulsively travels to Tuscany, cheekily bedding down in the empty villa belonging to the family of Lorenzo (Marco Calvani), an Italian expat she met back home.

When his folks catch her, they mistakenly believe Anna and their prodigal son are engaged – a mix-up further complicated when she develops feelings for Lorenzo’s cousin Michael (Page). With lush locations, blissful Mediterranean weather and gorgeous-looking food – not to mention Page with his shirt off in one sprinkler scene – director Kay Coiro (Marry Me) tantalises the senses, if not the grey matter, with a story that even references its own spiritual predecessor, the Diane Lane-starring Under the Tuscan Sun (2003).

The Italian stereotypes loom large, and there’s a saucy postcard humour to the script, but Bailey’s graceful presence and Page’s spiky lover carry the story through. A sun-kissed charmer, best seen with a Spritz in hand. – James Mottram

• Read our interview with Regé-Jean Page and Halle Bailey

Paranormal podcast presenter Evy (Nina Kiri) gets the shivers when her co-host shares an anonymous email of spooky audio files in this low-budget frightener that's woefully short on suspense. Piecing together the recordings of a couple singing nursery rhymes in their sleep, she and her colleague (an unseen Adam DiMarco) debate whether the files contain murderous messages when played backwards.

This offers Evy a brief respite from dealing with issues closer to home, including an invalid mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and ongoing struggles with alcoholism. As plots go, it’s frustratingly thin, not helped by pedestrian camera work that rarely ventures from the almost expression-free face of its lead actor.

Whereas box-office hits The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield helped establish the "found footage" chiller as a valid subgenre, the "found audio" variation struggles to make much of an impression. Writer/director Ian Tuason’s lack of pace or incident suggests the story might have been more robust as a half-hour short, rather than stretched out to feature length. – Terry Staunton

• Read our full Undertone review

At what point is a red flag impossible to ignore? That’s the principal question posed in this combustible film from writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) that takes the idea of pre-wedding jitters to wild extremes. Starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a Boston couple about to tie the knot, the story hinges on an early twist that comes when the pair ask each other about the worst thing they've ever done – and Emma drops a most unexpected bombshell.

This leads to Charlie reconsidering all he knows about his fiancée, but the revelation also swerves the plot into tricky territory with subject matter that demands more sensitivity than Borgli's characteristic mischief-making allows. It's an audacious blend and subversion of both the romcom and marital drama templates, and both stars prove saving graces.

Zendaya skilfully fashions a compelling enigma while Pattinson is genuinely charming as a beleaguered English fop whose life grows increasingly absurd. But by the end, this is far from satisfying; it's a film frustratingly engineered for discourse, not depth. – Max Copeman

• Read our full (spoiler) The Drama review

A white French national is arrested for fatally wounding a young local at an Algiers beach in this seductive, expertly realised take on Albert Camus’s 1942 existential classic. "I killed an Arab" notes Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) as he arrives in jail, before the film rewinds to events before the act. Meursault’s mother’s funeral, at which he shows little emotion, is followed by his meet-cute with the radiant Marie (Rebecca Marder).

But it’s his encounter with the slimy Sintés (Pierre Lottin) that leads him down a darker path. Adapted by director François Ozon, the script makes subtle adjustments to Camus’s work without ever demystifying its more enigmatic elements. Naming the victim, for example, gives more definition than Camus ever managed.

Shot in exquisite black and white, the sweltering feel, especially in the courtroom scenes, lends this a hothouse atmosphere that plays well on screen. Likewise, Voisin (star of Ozon’s 2020 film Summer of ’85) is wonderfully steely, his motivations tantalisingly out of reach. It adds up to a resonant study of historical French-Algerian tensions. – James Mottram

Nintendo’s video-game icons Mario and Luigi return for this follow-up to 2022’s CG-animated The Super Mario Bros Movie.

In the colourful Mushroom Kingdom, sibling plumbers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) meet Yoshi (Donald Glover), a green dinosaur-like figure with a rapacious appetite. Together, they must rescue Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) – sister to the kingdom’s ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) – who has been abducted by their enemy’s son, Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie).

Returning co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic keep the energy levels high, with scenes that feel like you’re playing Mario Kart or any one of the myriad platform-style Mario games.  There are plenty of Easter eggs, too, including Glen Powell voicing Fox McCloud, the protagonist from Nintendo’s Star Fox series.

Sadly, the humdrum story underwhelms, lacking in fresh elements, and Safdie aside, the vocal performances are as subdued as the script. Younger viewers, though, will delight in the trippy chaos. – James Mottram

Enid Blyton’s titular novels are adapted into this fantastical family film by director Ben Gregor. Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy play a pair of down-on-their-luck parents who, when their debts pile up, move with their three children to a ramshackle home in the countryside.

The youngest child (Billie Gadsdon) comes across a magical tree that is home to a collection of eccentric but mostly affable oddballs. With their help, she is transported to an eclectic array of lands, and eventually persuades her more cynical siblings to join her on this adventure of discovery.

Having previously co-scripted the screenplays for Paddington 2 and Wonka, Simon Farnaby has proven he has a deft hand for updating beloved children’s classics for modern audiences. This doesn’t have quite the same wit or spark, and occasionally strays from pleasantly endearing to mildly irritating.

However, there’s more than enough whimsical appeal to charm younger audiences, and a parade of famous faces from the British comedy scene provide an abundance of amusing moments. One scene featuring Lenny Henry, Michael Palin and Simon Russell Beale as a three-headed "Know-All" is a comedic highlight. – Patrick Cremona

Ryan Gosling’s mild-mannered science teacher heads to the far end of the galaxy in search of a solution to a dying sun that threatens life on Earth in this joyful and engaging sci-fi. The reluctant amateur astronaut negotiates tricky hurdles as his craft journeys through space, eventually teaming up with an alien whose own planet is facing a similar plight – a stone-like creature whom he names Rocky.

Drew Goddard’s screenplay is adapted from a novel by Andy Weir, the same pairing that brought us 2015’s The Martian, and there are obvious parallels to be drawn between Gosling and Matt Damon in the earlier film. However, Project Hail Mary morphs into a buddy movie of sorts with the introduction of Rocky, taking the narrative more towards the family friendly sense of wonderment of Steven Spielberg’s extraterrestrial tales.

Gosling’s boyish charm and charisma hold everything together, never allowing the jeopardy of his character’s predicament to overwhelm a heartwarming yarn with a rich seam of humour. – Terry Staunton

• Read our full Project Hail Mary review
• Read our interview with author Andy Weir

Pixar blends body-swap chaos with a story about empowering environmentalism in this film directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong. Teenage activist Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) is determined to save a forest glade from being bulldozed by Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm). After uncovering the clandestine experiments of her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), Mabel transfers her consciousness into the body of a lifelike robotic beaver.

She befriends a real beaver, King George (Bobby Moynihan), who calls on the assistance of other animal rulers – including Meryl Streep’s formidable Insect Queen – to protect the glade, before things go horribly wrong. Pixar’s take on beavers is as cute as you’d imagine, and the ferociously principled Mabel makes a fascinating hero.

The sparkling script from Jesse Andrews (Luca, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) boasts a meaty, moderately complicated story that engages without becoming too confusing. It’s not quite up there with the studio’s finest but this is still witty and wonderfully entertaining, with a positive message about coexistence and not judging our fellow humans too harshly. – Emma Simmonds

• Read our full Hoppers review

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

The Mandalorian and Grogu are back and this time their coming to the big screen alongside a few friends (and enemies).

After three seasons on Disney+, Mando and his adoptive son are getting the theatrical treatment in a film that promises to welcome new and existing fans alike.

The plot has largely been kept under wraps, however we do know that Mando and Grogu are working with the New Republic to hunt down and find Imperial warlords causing chaos across the galaxy. This journey brings the duo into conflict with the Hutts (of Jabba the Hutt fame), who are one of several parties vying for more power in this uncertain post-Empire time period.

The film is directed by the shows creator Jon Favreau, who previously directed Iron Man, The Lion King and Chef, and is written by Favreau and new Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is set in the years following Return of the Jedi, where the recently established New Republic is trying to take down various Imperial hold-outs across the galaxy to prevent the Empire from returning.

With a longer runtime and expanded (IMAX) scope, both Mando and Grogu are set to be joined by a whole slew of new and returning characters, including some fan-favourites from the various animated series.

Read on for a full guide to the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to release on 22 May.

You can find a full list of announced stars below – scroll down further for more information on the actors and the characters they are playing.

• Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin/The Mandalorian
• Grogu (and several puppeteers) as himself
• Sigourney Weaver as Ward
• Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt
• Jonny Coyne as Janu
• Steve Blum as Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
• Martin Scorsese as an Ardennian fry cook

Who is The Mandalorian? Orphaned during the Clone Wars, Din Djarin (or The Mandalorian), was raised as a foundling by the Mandalorians before the purge by the Empire that destroyed his home world.

Like another famous Mandalorian, Boba Fett, Din worked as a bounty hunter, taking out various targets across the galaxy before stepping up to care for his adoptive son and foundling Grogu. The adorable lone wolf and cub now work as hired guns for the New Republic, helping to take out rogue imperial warlords.

What else has Pedro Pascal been in? After a memorable turn in Game of Thrones, Pascal went on to star in The Last of Us on HBO and most recently joined the MCU in as Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Who is Grogu? The cutest little guy in the whole galaxy, Grogu is a former Jedi in training and a member of the same species as Jedi Master Yoda. He survived the Jedi purge known as Order 66 after being rescued by legendary Jedi Master Kelleran Beq before being adopted as a Mandalorian foundling by Mando.

What else has Grogu been in? Grogu is best known for his star-making turn in The Mandalorian where he was brought to life thanks to a mixture of animatronics, puppetry and CGI to create one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.

Who is Ward? Not much is known about Ward beyond the fact that she is a high ranking colonel leading the Adelphi Rangers for the New Republic. Having fought as a pilot during the war against the Empire, this former rebel will stop at nothing to prevent another war.

What else has Sigourney Weaver been in? The prolific and legendary actress has starred in a whole host of classic movies, including Alien and Ghostbusters, as well as recent hits like James Cameron's Avatar trilogy and Paul Schrader's Master Gardener.

Who is Rotta the Hutt? Rotta the Hutt is the son of infamous crime lord Jabba. Previously appearing in the theatrically released Clone Wars movie, where a baby Rotta was rescued by Anakin and Ahsoka, we'll be seeing a very different version of Rotta in the upcoming film.

First off, unlike many other Hutts, Rotta is highly trained and dangerous having honed his skills in gladiatorial fights. Whether he is a friend or foe to Mando remains to be seen.

What else has Jeremy Allen White been in? White started off life in the US reboot of Shameless before garnering acclaim for his performance as beleaguered chef Carmy in The Bear. Most recently, he played Bruce Springsteen in the biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere and is set to star in The Social Reckoning later this year.

Who is Janu? Little is known about Janu beyond the fact that he is a key figure in the Imperial Remnant and a potential close ally of Grand Admiral Thrawn. It's entirely likely that Janu isn't even the characters real name as Favreau has teased that Coyne may well be playing a well known character from Star Wars history.

What else has Jonny Coyne been in? A prolific character actor, Coyne can be seen in the third season of The Mandalorian, the Stephen King adaptation 11.22.63 and Once Upon A Time.

Who is Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios? Zeb is well-known and equally well-loved by Star Wars fans as a member of the crew of the Ghost in Star Wars: Rebels. A leading figure in the nascent Rebellion, Zeb has a tragic backstory as his species, the Lasan, were almost entirely wiped out by the Empire. An excellent warrior often acting as the muscle for the crew of the Ghost, Zeb has a particularly heart-warming character arc in Rebels, making his return even more exciting.

What else has Steve Blum been in? A renowned voice actor, Blum starred as Zeb in Star Wars: Rebels as well as voicing characters in Cowboy Bebop, The Legend of Kora and video games including Mortal Kombat.

Who is the Ardennian fry cook? We know very little about the proprietor of this particular food stall beyond the fact that he's the same species as Rio from Solo: A Star Wars Story, who was voiced by Jon Favreau.

What else has Martin Scorsese been in? The legendary director recently had a small but memorable role in The Studio on Apple TV. He's most well known for directing classics like The Departed, Goodfellas, Killers of the Flower Moon and many, many, many more.

The Mandalorian is coming to cinemas on 22 May.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

There may be plenty of movies available on streaming platforms and being released weekly in cinemas, but nothing quite beats the feeling of finding a hidden gem while flicking through the TV.

With such a raft of options – old and new – to pick from this weekend, it can often feel like a bit of an insurmountable task to find one that really tickles your fancy. But that's where we come in to do the hard work for you, picking out some of the most stellar options available to tune into.

This weeks selection includes everything from two caped crusader adventures, The Dark Knight Rises and The Batman, to Marilyn Monroe classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

There's something for everyone and if you're wondering where to find some of the best films on the terrestrial channels this week, we've got you sorted.

Read on for an expertly compiled list of the best flicks airing across the next seven days.

It Came from Outer Space - 3pm, Film4

Classic science-fiction drama based on a story by Ray Bradbury, starring Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush. Amateur astronomer John Putnam discovers a strange craft that has crash-landed in the desert. When he reports it to the local sheriff he faces ridicule, until the townspeople start to disappear. Read our full review

Two Mules for Sister Sara - 4:40pm, 5 Action

Western starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine. The Mexican Desert: when Hogan, lean, dusty and unshaven, saves a woman from a fate worse than death, he gets more than he bargained for. She turns out to be Sister Sara, a nun on a mission from God, and not Hogan's usual kind of woman. Read our full review

The Dark Knight Rises - 10:45pm, ITV1

Action fantasy concluding Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. There has been no sign of Batman in Gotham City since the defeat of the Joker eight years earlier. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, but he is forced to abandon his seclusion and don cape and cowl once more when merciless terrorist Bane threatens the city with annihilation. Read our full review

Triangle of Sadness - 11pm, BBC Two

Satirical comedy drama starring Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickinson. Following a major argument, up-and-coming influencer couple Yaya and Carl join a luxury cruise holiday on a superyacht. Their unstable relationship is further challenged when a nautical disaster leaves the couple, along with a handful of fellow passengers, stranded on a remote beach. Read our full review

10 Things I Hate About You - 1:05pm, Channel 4

Romantic comedy, based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Bianca Stratford is banned by her parents from going on a date until her older sister Katarina has a boyfriend, but unfortunately big sister has an excessively aggressive personality and only manages to send most boys running for cover. However, when a new guy arrives in town, Bianca's suitor Joey hits on a plan that could be the answer to their problem. Read our full review

The Teachers' Lounge - 9pm, BBC Four

Drama starring Leonie Benesch. When a high school is struck by a series of thefts, idealistic new maths and PE teacher Carla Nowak decides to take matters into her own hands. She sets a trap to identify the culprit, but soon finds herself facing a backlash from parents, colleagues and students. Read our full review

The Batman - 9:15pm, ITV1

Mystery thriller starring Robert Pattinson. When members of Gotham City's political elite are picked off by a serial killer, masked vigilante Batman - aka troubled young billionaire Bruce Wayne - investigates. In following the killer's carefully planted string of riddles, Batman is drawn into a murky conspiracy involving the city's criminal underworld, and finds himself targeted. Read our full review

Their Finest - 10pm, BBC Two

Wartime comedy drama based on Lissa Evans's novel Their Finest Hour and a Half, starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin. Catrin Cole travels from Wales into the thick of the London Blitz to work as a typist on propaganda films made by the Ministry of Information. And with the productions desperately needing a female perspective, Catrin seems the perfect person for the job. Read our full review

The Last Duel - 11:20pm, Channel 4

Historical drama starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. In the late 14th century, French knights Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris prepare for a duel to the death over the honour of Carrouges's wife, Marguerite, who has accused Le Gris of sexual assault. Le Gris has strenuously denied the charge. Who is telling the truth? Read our full review

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 2:30pm, BBC Two

Musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Despite already being engaged to a millionaire, showgirl Lorelei Lee continues to flirt with wealthy men when she sails to Paris with her best friend Dorothy. Read our full review

A Room With a View - 5pm, Film4

Period drama based on the novel by EM Forster, starring Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Denholm Elliott, Julian Sands and Daniel Day-Lewis. A young Englishwoman's first grand tour of Europe turns into an unexpectedly complicated journey of discovery. Arriving in Florence with her cousin as her chaperone, they take up their rooms at the Pensione Bertolini and begin to meet the other guests. Read our full review

God's Creatures - 10:40pm, BBC Three

Drama starring Emily Watson and Paul Mescal. Brian O'Hara returns to his remote Irish home town after an extended absence. His mother, Aileen, is determined to keep him around, but when Brian is accused of sexual assault, she faces a difficult decision. Read our full review

Brother - 10:50pm, BBC Two

Drama starring Lamar Johnson and Aaron Pierre. Over several years, two Ontario siblings struggle with life as the sons of Jamaican immigrants in a low-income area. During their childhood, the shy and sensitive Michael is protected and championed by older brother Francis, but as they join different friendship groups the pair gradually drift apart. Read our full review

In a Lonely Place - 8am, Talking Pictures TV

Classic film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. Given a chance to save his career, a talented but down-at-heel Hollywood scriptwriter baulks at the cheap novel he's been asked to adapt. Deliberating in a bar, he meets a girl who offers to help him, but her involvement only leads to trouble. Read our full review

Crazy Rich Asians - 11:10pm, BBC One

Romantic comedy starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh. New Yorker Rachel Chu travels to Singapore with her partner, Nick, for a friend's wedding, and discovers that Nick's family is hugely wealthy. They also expect him to remain in Singapore to inherit their hotel business - a plan that, as Nick's imperious mother Eleanor makes quite clear, does not involve Rachel. Read our full review

Destroyer - 11:45pm, BBC Two

Crime drama starring Nicole Kidman and Toby Kebbell. Seventeen years after taking part in an undercover operation that went tragically wrong, troubled LAPD detective Erin Bell attends a murder scene that indicates her old adversary is back in town. Deciding to track him down, Bell must face her demons in a case that threatens to derail her already fragile existence. Read our full review

Three Thousand Years of Longing - 11:20pm, Film4

Romantic fantasy starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. While staying in Istanbul, British academic Alithea Binnie unleashes a mystical djinn from an antique bottle. After Alithea refuses his offer of three wishes, the djinn proceeds to relate three fantastical tales from his long, storied existence. Read our full review

Theirs is the Glory - 1:50pm, Talking Pictures TV

Re-enactment of the battle of Arnhem during the Second World War, examining its place in a major Allied offensive to drive German forces from occupied Holland and the circumstances that led to the failure of the operation. The film focuses on the paratroopers of the British 1st Airborne Division, featuring veterans of the conflict playing themselves. Read our full review

The Da Vinci Code - 9pm, 5 Star

Mystery thriller based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou. When the victim of a ritualised killing is discovered at the Louvre, French cryptographer Sophie Neveu and Harvard professor Robert Langdon are called in to try to identify strange symbols cut into the body. They become embroiled in a deadly conspiracy that has shattering ramifications for Christianity. Read our full review

The Krays - 11:45pm, BBC One

Crime drama portraying the life of the infamous twins who became powerful underworld figures in 1960s London, starring Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp and Billie Whitelaw. Born in London's East End, Ronnie and Reggie Kray are brought up by their resilient mother Violet and her sisters, to whom they become staunchly devoted. Involved in bullying at school, the twins grow increasingly violent following their national service and spells in prison. Read our full review

Tomorrow Never Dies - 7:40pm, ITV4

Spy adventure starring Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce and Michelle Yeoh. Intending to reap the profits of increased ratings for his global multimedia empire, Elliot Carver attempts to ignite a conflict between Britain and China by sinking a British frigate and shooting down a Chinese fighter plane. The British Secret Service sends James Bond to verify suspicions that Carver is behind the incident. Read our full review

Saving Private Ryan - 10:40pm, BBC One

Second World War drama directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore and Edward Burns, and featuring Matt Damon. As the horror of the Normandy landings takes its toll, three brothers lie dead. Captain Miller is sent on a special mission in occupied France to bring home the fourth brother, Private Ryan - no matter what the cost. Read our full review

The Lobster - 12:45am, Film4

In a dystopian near-future, the law dictates that single people are taken to a hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or be transformed into animals and sent off to live in the woods. Sci-fi comedy drama, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Ben Whishaw. Read our full review

The Day After Tomorrow - 6:40pm, Film4

Disaster movie from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. When climatologist Jack Hall tries to warn Washington that the planet is facing an imminent, catastrophic climate shift, government officials fail to take him seriously. But, when the Earth abruptly plunges into a new ice age, it soon becomes clear that the human race is facing extinction. Read our full review

How to Marry a Millionaire - 10:45pm, BBC Four

Romantic comedy starring Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. Three beautiful young women who are determined to find wealthy husbands rent a luxurious Manhattan apartment together to impress affluent bachelors. Read our full review

Glory - 11:40pm, Film4

Historical war drama starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. In 1862, a young Union colonel is given command of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which is to become one of the first units of black soldiers to go into combat. But as the raw recruits embark on a rigorous training programme, they have to contend with racism from their own side. Read our full review

Legends of the Fall - 6:25pm, Film4

Epic drama starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. Three brothers, Alfred, Samuel and Tristan, are raised by their ex-cavalry father on a remote ranch near the Montana Rockies. Their lifestyle is irreversibly changed when Samuel brings home his beautiful fiancée, Susannah, and the brothers decide to join the army to fight in the First World War. Read our full review

Apocalypse Now - 9pm, Film4

Epic war drama starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall. In Vietnam, war-weary Captain Willard is drawn into a nightmarish world when he is ordered to assassinate a rebel American officer, Colonel Kurtz, who has established his own private army deep in the Cambodian jungle. Read our full review

In Time - 9pm, Legend

Sci-fi thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake. In a future world, people are genetically engineered to stop ageing at 25, with only one more year to live - unless they're wealthy enough to buy more time. When factory worker Will Salas is gifted more years by a man he saves from a robbery, it gives him the means to fight the system. Read our full review

Alien Nation - 11:20pm, Legend

Science-fiction thriller starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin. In Los Angeles, three years after thousands of aliens known as "newcomers" are integrated into Californian society, the uneasy co-existence between the people from space and humans is tested when a detective joins forces with a "newcomer" cop to track down a murderous gang. Read our full review

If you have Netflix, we have rounded up the best movies on Netflix and the best series on Netflix to watch now – and Disney Plus viewers can check out our best movies on Disney Plus guide. Got Prime Video? We also have the best movies on Amazon Prime.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

**Warning: Full spoilers for Obsession (2026) ahead.**

So far, 2026 has been a standout year for horror – from the likes of Undertone, Hokum and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple all making big impressions with their audiences. And, in some cases, being considered for the 'scariest movie of the year' crown.

In Curry Barker's directorial debut, Obsession, which boasts a mostly unknown cast, the entitled Barron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) gets a bit more than he bargained for after selfishly wishing for his childhood best friend and long-time crush Nikki (a fantastic Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him using a One Wish Willow – a small, seemingly harmless object purchased from a small, mystic shop that reveals itself to be anything but.

Soon, Nikki's desire for Bear becomes obsessive and violent: reciting disturbing stories, stabbing herself with a bottle and threatening to end her own life if Bear doesn't reciprocate her love.

If you're wondering just how those final moments played out for Bear and Nikki, read on to have Obsession's ending explained.

By the time Obsession reaches its climatic point, the spellbound Nikki has become completely and entirely devoted to Bear – who is rapidly beginning to regret his selfish decision and has become consumed by guilt. After work one evening, Bear calls the phone number on the back of the One Wish Willow packaging, where a voice on the other line reveals that his wish is permanent – and can only be reversed if the person who made the original wish dies.

Obviously shaken by that news, Bear drives home and finds Nikki standing in front of the door. She has been waiting for him for his entire shift, covered in her own vomit and urine. As he cleans her up, Bear mentions that he will be shortly heading to a gathering at his friend Ian's (Cooper Tomlinson) that evening. After quickly becoming enraged that she is not invited, Bear reluctantly invites Nikki along.

At Ian's, Nikki's unusual demeanour (as well as a harrowing story she recites from her Notes page) disturbs many of the party guests, including Sarah (Megan Lawless), a close friend of Bear's. Bear takes her home and puts her to bed, but as she sleeps, the 'real' Nikki's voice begs Bear for death.

Later that night, Sarah texts Bear and asks him to meet her. In her car, Sarah reveals that Nikki and Ian were sleeping together for some time before she miraculously fell in love with Bear, and suggests that she actually has something of a crush on Bear herself.

Then, in a moment that may very well be the biggest jump scare of the year so far, Nikki bursts through the car window and beats Sarah to death with a brick placed on the steering wheel.

Horrified, Bear attempts to purchase a second One Wish Willow to reverse his wish but quickly finds that he is unable to do so – you only get One Wish, after all. He drives to Ian's house and desperately attempts to explain the situation to him, begging him to wish for Bear's wish to be cancelled. Not believing him, however, Ian instead wishes for a billion dollars – and instantly, the money appears, raining on both of them from above.

Bear returns home and once again finds Nikki waiting for him. This time, though, she's got a gun.

Nikki begins to threaten Bear, accusing him of not loving her, when Ian appears in the doorway, excited to celebrate his newfound riches. Without a word, Nikki shoots Ian in the head. Bear grabs the gun and runs into the bathroom. He contemplates shooting himself but is unable, so swallows a bottle of pills from the bathroom cupboard instead.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Nikki finds a brand new One Wish Willow and, as Bear struggles in the bathroom, wishes for him to love her back.

Immediately, Bear walks outside and straight into Nikki's arms. They embrace, and Bear begins foaming at the mouth – overdosing on the pills he has taken. As Bear dies, Nikki picks up the gun, preparing to kill herself to be with him, but the moment Bear takes his final breath, the spell breaks and Nikki returns to her normal self.

Coming back to her senses, Nikki looks around at the destruction Bear has caused, and with two dead bodies in the room with her, screams.

What with Nikki surviving the film, there does seem to be a possibility that a second Obsession film might be on the cards – though of course nothing has been confirmed yet.

In an interview with Variety, director Barker said that there is scope for a second Obsession film, though was quick to add that he doesn't see any of the original characters returning. He explained: "I don’t think you’ll ever see a movie with these characters again, but it would be cool to expand this world with different characters."

Obsession is now showing in UK cinemas.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Even as developments have got underway in recent months on the next James Bond film, with the producers (Amy Pascal and David Heyman), director (Denis Villeneuve) and screenwriter (Steven Knight) being confirmed, fans have still been wanting an answer to that all important question - just who will play Bond?

Daniel Craig stepped down from the role after his last film, 2021's No Time to Die. Now, finally, it has been confirmed that the casting process is officially underway.

Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement: "The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."

Meanwhile, Variety has reported that this process of auditions has been going on for "the past few weeks", with casting director Nina Gold reportedly behind the search.

While Gold did not respond to a request for comment from the publication, it said that "a source with knowledge of the production confirmed her involvement".

An esteemed casting director, Gold has previously worked on series including Game of Thrones and The Crown, as well as films including Les Misérables, The Martian, Conclave, Hamnet and a number of entries in the Star Wars franchise.

This will be the first big screen Bond actor not to be cast by Debbie McWilliams, who was behind the casting of Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig.

McWilliams told Screen Daily in 2025: "I have now hung up my casting hat and have moved on to other film-related projects."

Last month, Amazon MGM Studios head of film Courtenay Valenti said of the new Bond film, during a presentation at CinemaCon: "When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class filmmaking team, including the brilliant director Denis Villeneuve, extraordinary producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, executive producer Tanya Lapointe, and screenwriter Steven Knight, you’re setting the stage for something that's truly worthy of the Bond legacy."

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Eight years have passed since Pawel Pawlikowski's magnificent Cold War earned him a best director nomination at the Oscars, and the Polish director has finally returned with his next effort. Fatherland – which has just premiered In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival – is another finely-tuned, typically accomplished piece of work from the internationally acclaimed auteur.

The subject this time around is Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler), the revered, Nobel prize-winning German writer who fled his homeland on the eve of the war and – in 1949 – made a well publicised return to receive the Goethe prize. The film finds him travelling across Germany with his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller), as he controversially makes plans to attend celebrations in both Frankfurt in West Germany and Weimar in the East – with both sides of the newly split country desperate to claim him as their own.

Over the course of their journey, we regularly find the pair driving past bombed out buildings and destroyed infrastructure, and the film makes the case that – barely four years on from Nazi rule – it is not just physically but emotionally and morally that the country and its citizens continue to lie in ruin.

Pawlikowski is operating in similar aesthetic territory to his aforementioned previous effort (and its 2013 predecessor Ida). Lukasz Żal's sumptuous black and white photography once again artfully transports us to a Europe still reckoning with the horrors of World War II, while the use of music – from lounge singers to Soviet choirs – is also key, both in terms of establishing the film's atmosphere and communicating the gulf between the divided nation.

Narratively, it's a very slight film – barely reaching 80 minutes – but it's also a cerebral and thematically rich one. Early on, at a press conference, Mann is asked where he considers to be his home, and he responds that although in a literal sense the answer is California, the question of where he belongs is a far more demanding matter.

It is that question which the film is intent on probing, and although Mann uses his acceptance speeches to call attention to the progressive German values espoused in the work of Goethe, it is clear from the cross-country trip that such a Germany no longer exists and perhaps never can again, a fact that Erika seems all too aware of. Their true home is a thing of the past.

One of the most striking scenes is the very first – a short vignette that finds Mann's son Klaus (August Diehl) nihilistically musing about his mindset on a phone call with Erika, with whom he has always been close. "I don't believe in anything any more" he tells her, adding that he "can't remember the last time I felt anything". It's the only time we see Klaus during the film, but his shadow – and his words – loom large over the whole piece, especially after a major revelation later in the runtime.

Another highlight comes at the Frankfurt party to celebrate Mann's award, where he and Erika find themselves brushing shoulders with members of German polite society who not so long ago had been content to sell their souls to fascism. "Imagine what they were up to four years ago," Erika voices at one point. She also has a run-in with her ex-husband Gustaf Gründgens, an actor now making unconvincing excuses for his close relationship with Hermann Göring.

Hüller – who, in 2026 alone, already has a Berlinale acting prize and a role in one of the year's most popular blockbusters to her name – is unsurprisingly stupendous. Her Erika moves from moments of steely resolve to those of deep vulnerability, and she displays the pain of navigating her broken fatherland and complicated family dynamic with great subtlety and intelligence.

If there's a downside, it's that although Fatherland barely hits a false note during its brief run-time, perhaps there is a sense at times that it's a little too economical; this is a hugely effective sketch which could perhaps have benefitted from being built out a little further. Still, it can't be denied that Pawlikowski skilfully crafts a bleakly atmospheric tale that leaves the audience with plenty to chew on.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

While 007 fans around the world continue to wait with bated breath for concrete news about James Bond's 26th cinematic outing, we to dipped into our archives to revisit the previous Bond films – all 25 of them.

We asked fans to vote for their favourite in the franchise, and with more than 1,000 votes cast, we can now present the full rankings to reveal the most popular film in the long-running series, according to its own fans.

Of course, debating the greatest entries in such a well-loved franchise is never going to lead to a state of perfect agreement, and it's likely some fans may find themselves a little at odds with the rankings below (you can check out our own ranking for a slightly different order).

But whether you agree or disagree, this list certainly makes for an interesting look at which films have stood the test of time best, according to the fans themselves.

Scroll down to find the full ranked list – along with our own official Radio Times reviews of each film from our archives.

Perhaps a surprising film to finish at the very bottom of the list, this third Bond outing for Pierce Brosnan was generally considered a step down from his first two 007 adventures.

RT Review:

In a welcome return to the gritty glamour of such early outings as From Russia with Love, this 19th James Bond film effortlessly juggles a topical plot about the global domination of oil pipelines with all the expected superspy elements. Plaudits should go to director Michael Apted for the stirring, not shaky, blend of casino, ski slopes and submarine components contained within a topical plot about the power struggle for global domination of pipelines from oil-rich Azerbaijan.

In his third outing as 007, Pierce Brosnan is as comfortable in the dramatic sequences as in the action scenes, which include a spectacular boat chase along the River Thames. Sophie Marceau is excellent as the woman Bond is sent to protect, while Robert Carlyle is well cast as a Russian villain. Though everything comes gift-wrapped in production glitz, there are many touching moments to temper the adrenaline-pumping thrills. – Alan Jones

Another Brosnan film comes in second from bottom, and perhaps it's no real surprise to see this one so low. The 20th film in the franchise overall is generally regarded as something of a misfire – with the reception to its more ludicrous antics eventually leading to the grittier rebrand with Daniel Craig.

RT Review:

The relentless pacing and director Lee Tamahori’s fluid style help enliven this 20th James Bond adventure, which marked Pierce Brosnan's last outing as the secret agent. From North Korea and London to Cuba and a dazzling Icelandic snow palace, the locations are inspired, even if the plotline and gadgets are more preposterous than ever (invisible car, anyone?).

Brosnan is on fine form as a betrayed and vengeful 007, combining the secret agent’s charm and throwaway wit with true toughness and a streak of venom. Such character-broadening traits ensure that the format never feels stale, while the introduction of Halle Berry as an equal, if underdeveloped, female sidekick is a coup.

However, their escapades are let down by some poor-looking CGI, while Madonna's grating theme song and cameo as a fencing instructor are simply dire. – Sloan Freer

Most Bond aficionados would tell you that a fair few of the later Roger Moore efforts rank among the weaker entries in the series. And despite solid turns from Christopher Walken and Grace Jones, Moore's very last appearance – as he was approaching 60 – is often seen as his lowest ebb.

RT Review:

Roger Moore stars as 007 for the seventh and final time in this below-average Bond movie. His smoothness is now a bit of a cliché, but there's still some action and excitement to be had.

Christopher Walken and his accomplice, girlfriend Grace Jones, are pretty scary as the baddies, but you don't get the impression that they're particularly evil.

Patrick Macnee, of TV's The Avengers fame, fares a lot better as Bond's right-hand man, and Tanya Roberts does what Bond girls do pretty well. But the plot doesn't really convince, perhaps because we've seen it or something similar so many times before. – Adrian Turner

Another poorly-regarded Moore outing, the slightly ridiculous Octopussy does have some fans due to the sheer bonkers-ness of it all – but clearly not enough to lift it into the top 20.

RT Review:

Loosely adapted from the Ian Fleming stories Octopussy and The Property of a Lady, this 13th James Bond movie is possibly the most frivolous in the series. The plot meanders all over the place, as Roger Moore’s 007 follows glamorous smuggler Maud Adams and renegade Soviet general Steven Berkoff across India and Central Europe.

All the usual gadgets are on view (including a crocodile-shaped submersible), but director John Glen (who would helm all five Bond movies made in the 1980s) never quite seems in control of either the breathless action or the overly glib dialogue. – David Parkinson

After coming out of the gates swinging with one of the very best Bond films in Casino Royale, hopes had initially been high for Daniel Craig's second film as the secret agent. But – in part due to the effects of Hollywood writer's strikes – the end result was a little muddled, failing to come close to the heights of its predecessor.

RT Review:

Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond had a famously troubled production, which may explain why it fails to deliver on the promise of its predecessor, Casino Royale. Picking up events directly after that film's climax, it sees Bond looking for answers after the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd.

The trail leads to Quantum, a mysterious organisation that has infiltrated the world's corridors of power and is moving to instigate a regime change in Bolivia. Marc Forster's take on 007 was hit by a writer's strike during its making, and the script suffers as a result, with the paranoid storyline as nonsensical as the Ian Fleming-inspired title.

But viewed solely as an action spectacle, there's still plenty of excitement, not least a close-up, shaky-cam fight in an anonymous hotel (très Bourne) and an artfully staged gun battle at the opera. Craig may be ill-served by the material on this occasion, but his committed performance as the spy hero remains eminently watchable. – Jamie Healy

Sean Connery returned for one final Bond outing in this 1971 release, after George Lazenby's only 007 flick On Her Majesty's Secret Service was greeted with a mixed reception. But luring back the old favourite turned out to be something of a poor call: this film isn't a patch on Connery's finest work as the character.

RT Review:

After You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery said "Never again" to reprising the role of agent 007, but after George Lazenby's sole effort in OHMSS he was lured back for a fee of over $1 million, which he donated to the Scottish International Education Trust.

This is one of the weakest Bonds, with its plot about diamond smuggling developing rather tiresomely into a chase with Moon buggies and Connery simply going through the motions.

The Las Vegas sequences have some dash, however, and Bruce Glover and Putter Smith make an intriguing double act of the gay hitmen, Wint and Kidd, but the best idea was never used: screenwriter Richard Maibaum's proposal to cast Gert Frobe as Goldfinger's twin brother! – Adrian Turner

This was Roger Moore's second time playing Bond – three years after his debut in Live and Let Die. Christopher Lee is terrific as iconic villain Francisco Scaramanga, but this is an otherwise middling entry – and better things were to come for Moore in his next adventure.

RT Review:

Roger Moore’s second outing as James Bond is actually an improvement on Ian Fleming’s novel. Christopher Lee makes a fine villain, sporting a golden gun, a third nipple and a tiny henchman called Nick Nack, wittily played by Hervé Villechaize.

Britt Ekland is funny, too, sending herself up as Bond's clueless assistant and surviving the most sexist scene in the entire 007 series: "Forgive me darling, your turn will come," Moore assures her after he's dallied with Maud Adams.

The use of the old Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth is clever, but there are major faults as well – notably the repeat of the pre-credit scene for the climax (borrowing from Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai) and the return of redneck sheriff Clifton James from Live and Let Die. Thailand's Phang-Nga Bay was a stunning choice of location, though it was soon to become a tourist trap. – Adrian Turner

Joint with the above is another Roger Moore effort – albeit one from a little later in his tenure – this was a more grounded affair than its immediate predecessor Moonraker. The result is a solid enough effort, but not one that especially stands out amongst the overall Bond canon.

RT Review:

This 12th entry in the 007 series provides no real surprises, with the exception perhaps of Roger Moore, who gets the chance to show a little more grit than usual. The plot revolves around the hunt for a device from a sunken spy ship, with French star (and Chanel model) Carole Bouquet providing class as the girl who may hold the key to the puzzle.

If Julian Glover is rather subdued as the number one villain, there's a colourful turn from Fiddler on the Roof star Topol as a rogue with shifting loyalties, and the eagle-eyed will spot Charles Dance as a killer. Bond veteran John Glen ensures that the set pieces are spectacular enough and thankfully plays down the gadgetry. – John Ferguson

Following on from his excellent debut GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan once again proved his credentials as a fine 007 in this second effort – even if the film around him isn't quite as good as his first. Still, there's lots of great entertainment value here.

RT Review:

For the first hour or so, this 18th James Bond movie is up there with the best of them: it has terrific pace, Pierce Brosnan’s 007 has romantic and rough-house appeal, Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese agent is more than a match for him in the action stakes, and the story has grip and even plausibility.

Sadly, the second half doesn’t quite sustain the momentum, while Jonathan Pryce’s media mogul (whose motto is "There’s no news like bad news") proves to be an unthreatening villain. Flaws aside, this was at the time the best Bond movie since the heyday of Connery. – Adrian Turner

After delivering one of the very best Bond films with Skyfall, it seemed Sam Mendes could do no wrong – but although his second film in the director's chair contains a few great scenes, some of the narrative decisions weren't particularly popular with Bond fans. Not up there with the best of the Daniel Craig era.

RT Review:

The box office-busting Skyfall gave director Sam Mendes a licence to take the James Bond franchise in any direction he wanted. And with Spectre he draws upon 007's ultimate foe to pull together Daniel Craig's three previous missions into one ambitious story arc. The name Spectre will be familiar as belonging to the shadowy antagonist of the original films, and the interesting conceit here is that Bond discovers he has a personal connection to the organisation's leader, Franz Oberhauser, played with smirking relish by Christoph Waltz.

While 007 slips MI6's leash to create his usual insurance-be-damned havoc away from home, a more thoughtful spy game emerges in London, with M (an enjoyably starchy Ralph Fiennes) coming under fire from Andrew Scott's obnoxious reforming bureaucrat. Once again, Mendes succeeds in delivering a prestige picture on a huge scale: its quality writ large in an epic pre-credits sequence set in Mexico City, a supercar chase through Rome and a train journey through the Sahara.

But the film over-congratulates itself with a surfeit of in-jokes and knowing references – and this game of Bond Bingo soon becomes a distraction. Whereas Skyfall owed much of its success to its downbeat mood and the vulnerability of its hero, Spectre forgoes that for a more bulletproof depiction of Bond and outlandish sense of escapism. However elegantly those recycled thrills are dressed up, the spy clichés sometimes veer dangerously close to Austin Powers-style parody. – Jamie Healy

It's safe to say this is a divisive one – Moonraker is certainly a far cry from the more gritty, serious Bond films we've been treated to in recent years. Still, despite no shortage of naysayers, there are enough fans of the silly sci-fi shenanigans to earn this a pretty decent spot in this ranking.

RT Review:

The 11th James Bond movie jettisons Ian Fleming’s novel and sends 007 into space. Weighed down by clunky special effects and nonexistent plotting, this movie seems to be merely an attempt to update the concept in the wake of Star Wars.

Roger Moore is at his least convincing as Bond, Michael Lonsdale makes a lacklustre master criminal and Richard Kiel, the towering henchman Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me, is reduced to comic relief.

Venice and Rio make for attractive stopovers, but too much of the budget is wasted on overblown spectacle, without enough attention being given to the basics. – Adrian Turner

With the first three films – Dr No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger – the Bond franchise got off to an incredible start. This fourth effort is still pretty good, but rather a step down in terms of quality when compared to those first three. Still, it was another major box office hit!

RT Review:

The Bond series went well and truly comic strip with this gadget-filled extravaganza that too often cuts plotline corners to squeeze in all the hi-tech hardware. Playing 007 for the fourth time, Sean Connery is still getting a kick out of the role, but he's less the suave spy and more the man of action than in previous outings.

Adolfo Celi makes a worthy opponent, playing a Spectre bigwig, but Claudine Auger is one of the least memorable Bond girls. Director Terence Young never quite solves the pacing problems posed by filming underwater, but John Stears's Oscar-winning special effects more than compensate. – David Parkinson

We're getting into some of the really classic ones now – and this Roald Dahl-penned outing contains some of the most iconic images in all of Bond, from Donald Pleasence as Blofeld to arguably the finest villain's lair in the franchise's history.

RT Review:

This is one of the best of the Sean Connery Bond films, despite the actor’s desire to quit the franchise. Having faked his own death, agent 007 is sent to Japan where he goes native and marries a local girl, all the while trying to prevent World War Three following the disappearance of US and Russian spacecraft.

The film has one of the all-time great screen villains in Donald Pleasence’s cat-stroking Blofeld, and director Lewis Gilbert keeps the pace up, while the script (co-written by Roald Dahl) is suitably arch. But this is really production designer Ken Adam’s triumph: the secret volcanic base, where the film’s explosive climax unfolds, remains definitive and much parodied. – Andrew Collins

This final adventure for Daniel Craig was a long time coming, although that gap will pale in comparison when we finally get the 26th entry in the franchise. In truth, it's something of a mixed bag – with a relatively unmemorable villain in Rami Malek's Safin – but there's enough good stuff here, including the explosive final act, to make it a fitting send-off for Craig.

RT Review:

Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as 007 ticks every hoped-for Bond-shaped box in a smart, absorbing thriller with some surprising twists. Disillusioned by earlier events, the now reclusive agent is lured out of retirement to thwart the spread of germ-based, DNA-specific weaponry, first developed by British intelligence, and now in the hands of Rami Malek’s sinister supervillain Lyutsifer Safin – a mission that forces him to confront uncomfortable truths close to home.

It’s arguably Craig’s most human portrayal in the franchise, a flawed and weary Bond dogged by regrets yet primed for the inevitable heroics, with assistance from paramour Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and Ana de Armas as a scene-stealing CIA agent.

Malek isn’t entirely convincing as the soft-spoken overlord intent on genocide (and is considerably less chilling than Christoph Waltz’s reprisal of Ernst Blofeld in a Hannibal Lecter-style cameo), but the wonderfully white-knuckle stunts and action sequences don’t disappoint. – James Mottram

Timothy Dalton's two films haven't always ranked among the most popular Bond entries, but their reputations have only continued to improve with age, and it's no surprise to see his first effort come close to cracking the top 10.

RT Review:

After the creaky pantomime of the late Roger Moore era, Timothy Dalton’s take on 007 is a breath of fresh air. Though lean and flint-eyed, his serious approach never takes the secret agent beyond our sympathy. For a story that segues from Soviet defection and arms dealing to the struggles of the Mujahidin, this is an endearingly human Bond.

He sweats, he bleeds and, unusually for the sleep-around spy, he falls in love – with Czech cellist Kara (Maryam D’Abo). It’s a freewheeling, romantic adventure with a sweetly staged prologue, nods to the gadget brigade and a hair-raising aerial scrap – one of the best of the series.

In common with many of the superspy's outings, the villains themselves are colourless but there’s a killer henchman – in this case the sleek, wordless Necros (Andreas Wisniewski). The hero’s warmongery is iffy and the finale a little lame; otherwise this is a savagely underrated escapade. – Mark Braxton

Into the top 10, and Dalton's second outing – which was also to be his last – comes in joint ninth position. At the time, it wasn't considered a huge success, and led to a long gap before the franchise was rebooted with Pierce Brosnan six years later, but it holds up very well indeed.

RT Review:

Timothy Dalton was not everybody’s choice to replace urbane Roger Moore when he retired his Walther PPK after A View to a Kill in 1985, a verdict confirmed by the limp response to The Living Daylights, his first mission as James Bond. But his second outing is an altogether tougher, grittier affair and is well suited to Dalton’s brooding incarnation of Ian Fleming’s superspy.

Indeed, John Glen’s fifth (and final) Bond film as director has more in common with the more visceral, bloody violence of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard than the wry silliness of the Moore era. You know you’re in virgin territory when Bond resigns the day job to go and get the brutal drugs lord (Robert Davi), who’s just fed his best mate to a shark on his wedding day.

This time it’s personal and Davi’s stone-faced Sanchez and his snarling knife-wielding henchman (played by a young Benicio Del Toro) prove formidable and unflinchingly nasty adversaries. But it’s not all business and no play for Bond, as he also gets up close and intimate with a sassy CIA agent (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez’s sultry girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto). 

It’s a watchable adventure boosted by impressive action sequences and a fiery climax with a bone-crunching punch-up. Pity Dalton didn’t have another crack at proving his secret-agent credentials. – Jeremy Aspinall

The film that started it all – introducing Ian Fleming's spy to the big screen for the first time and doing so with incredible style. It's generally accepted that this first outing was one-upped by the two immediate follow-ups, but that's more down to the mastery of those two than any particular lack of quality on the part of Dr No.

RT Review:

The James Bond series started in great style with this cleverly conceived dose of sheer escapism that, unlike later episodes, remained true to the essence of Ian Fleming's super-spy novels. Director Terence Young set the 007 standard with terrific action sequences, highly exotic atmosphere and witty humour.

There was also the sex, of course, and bikini-clad Ursula Andress couldn't have asked for a better star-making entrance. Looking back, it's easy to see why this caused so much excitement as it was entirely different from anything else. Sean Connery is just perfect as the dashing, debonair and ruthless secret agent with a licence to kill. – Alan Jones

The first film of Roger Moore's tenure, this effort – which boasts one of the most iconic theme tunes of all from Paul McCartney & Wings – is still regarded as one of the best of the Moore Bonds. It certainly proved once and for all that there was life in the franchise without Connery.

RT Review:

This eighth film in the James Bond series marked Roger Moore's first tour of duty as 007. The secret agent is up against the dark powers of voodoo in the sinister shape of Yaphet Kotto, while Jane Seymour’s tarot-reading Solitaire is Bond’s love interest.

Boasting as many cliff-hanging moments as a Saturday-matinée serial, this tale of a plot to flood the US with drugs allows Bond's adversaries – among them sharks, snakes and crocodiles – to be as mechanical as Moore himself.

There are some splendid action sequences, notably a speedboat leap that set a new world record, as well as the usual array of gadgetry and gizmos. – Tom Hutchinson

It's no surprise to see this effort ranking top of the Moore films – it's almost unanimously agreed upon that this was the high mark of the actor's seven-film stretch. One of the most purely entertaining in the franchise, it's a great mixture of what made the Connery films work while also playing into the strengths of Moore's lighter portrayal.

RT Review:

Nobody does it better than Roger Moore in this big-budget James Bond adventure. In a plot reminiscent of You Only Live Twice, 007 is dispatched to learn the whereabouts of some missing nuclear submarines. Along the way, he tangles with the metal-toothed Jaws (Richard Kiel) and an alluring Russian agent (Barbara Bach).

It’s far-fetched mayhem, of course, but with a welcome accent on character rather than just spectacle – although the pre-credits ski-jump stunt is one of the franchise’s best. Carly Simon’s theme song has stood the test of time, too. – Alan Jones

Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film is also his best – and it only just missed out on a place in the top five here. Brosnan instantly appeared a great fit for the role, and though his later outings divided opinion, it's generally agreed upon that he made a fine 007.

RT Review:

When M says to James Bond, "I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War," who can disagree? But, on his first mission as 007, Pierce Brosnan quickly established himself as the best Bond since Sean Connery, making a fetish out of the old-fashioned values of loyalty and patriotism.

The film also marked Judi Dench’s debut as the first female M, while Famke Janssen makes an eye-watering impression as a baddie who crushes her victims between her thighs. A stunning chase between car and tank through the streets of St Petersburg is among the action highlights, and the success of the film led to Martin Campbell returning to the director's chair to help launch Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale a decade later. – Adrian Turner

RT Review:

This was Sean Connery's own favourite of his six films in the role, and few would deny that it's a pretty good pick. Although Goldfinger narrowly beats it as the highest ranked here, in truth these films are both as close to perfection as the franchise got – films that introduced elements that continue to define the franchise all these years later.

Ian Fleming received a useful boost to his sales when President Kennedy listed From Russia with Love as one of his ten favourite books. It is also one of the most popular Bond movies and a terrific thriller in its own right, owing much to Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed's The Third Man in its marvellous atmosphere of foreign intrigue.

Superbly shot on location in a pre-touristy Istanbul, and closely following Fleming's original story, the film has Sean Connery's spy duped into smuggling a top-secret communist decoding machine, along with alluring Russian clerk Daniela Bianchi, from Turkey to the West via the Orient-Express.

Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as villain Rosa Klebb, and Robert Shaw is an impressive hitman who commits a terrible faux pas in front of 007 by ordering red wine with fish. – Adrian Turner

Perhaps the Bond film whose reputation has most improved over time, it's a mark of just how well-regarded George Lazenby's sole film as 007 has become that it cracks the top 5 here. It's interesting now to consider what might have been had Lazenby been allowed a couple more films to explore this take on the character, but as it stands he can boast of a perfect record in the role.

RT Review:

If any James Bond yarn is a cult film, it’s this one, so divided have fans and critics been since its release back in 1969 when producers turned to little-known Australian actor George Lazenby to take over from Sean Connery as Britain’s finest secret agent. Critics at the time were a tad underwhelmed, with the inexperienced Lazenby taking much of the blame, but he acquits himself well and certainly looks the part.

Irrespective of his shortcomings – and who wouldn’t have them compared to Connery – the sixth outing for 007 is a magnificently memorable adventure that sees Bond out to stop the dispersal of a killer virus by a bevy of beauties brainwashed by Telly Savalas's villainous Blofeld. The script throws up superb action sequences, nerve-frazzling suspense and breathtaking locations, and takes 007 to places he’s never been before emotionally.

Add the perfect heroine in Diana Rigg (fresh from playing Mrs Peel in TV’s The Avengers) as a wilful mobster’s daughter who’s every bit the suave spy’s equal in spirit, bravery and fighting chops; one of John Barry’s most evocative scores; and the incomparable Louis Armstrong singing We’ve Got All the Time in the World, and you have an adventure that’s right up there with the best of the franchise. – Jeremy Aspinall

A film that has often been put at the very top of the pile – and which has more memorable moments than just about any other in the series – Goldfinger has been narrowly pipped here by two of the more recent movies. Still, it's more than deserving of its place in the top 3 – and can perhaps feel a little hard done by not to be even higher.

RT Review:

The third big-screen outing for Ian Fleming's suave superspy ranks among the slickest of all James Bond movies. Endlessly entertaining and effortlessly performed, it's packed with classic moments. There's Shirley Eaton's legendary gold body paint; 007's close encounter with a laser; the duel with bowler-hatted henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata); and the midair showdown between Sean Connery's Bond and Gert Frobe's brilliantly bizarre villain who's obsessed by gold.

And let's not forget some hilariously OTT gadget designs from art director Ken Adam; the best name for any Bond girl in Pussy Galore (enthusiastically played by ex-Avenger Honor Blackman); and that Shirley Bassey theme song.

But what makes these individual facets so memorable is the way in which they're unshowily integrated into the gripping storyline by director Guy Hamilton, who even managed to revive Connery's flagging interest in 007 to coax his best performance of the entire series. – David Parkinson

It's difficult to imagine now that news of Craig's casting was initially greeted with skepticism – and even pure disdain – from some quarters, but he firmly squashed those doubts with this magnificent effort. Adopting a grittier style more in keeping with the action films of the day, this was about as successful a relaunch as possible. We can only hope that Bond 26 proves just as good an entry point into a new era.

RT Review:

Daniel Craig effortlessly made the role of James Bond his own with this 21st movie in the series. GoldenEye director Martin Campbell injects some Bourne-style grit into the proceedings, upping the violence content (the opening sequence, shot in grainy black and white, is particularly brutal). He also strips Bond of much of the slightly camp humour.

The plot is essentially an origins story, as a rough-around-the-edges Bond gains his two zeros (the two authorised kills he needs for his infamous licence) before tackling villain Le Chiffre (a splendidly thin-lipped Mads Mikkelsen) in a game of high-stakes poker.

Craig’s humanised, more flawed interpretation of the role balances Campbell’s physical direction and co-writer Paul Haggis’s sparing wit, while Eva Green provides an alluring love interest. Apart from a chaotic and overlong last act, this proved to be a triumphant new beginning for the franchise. – Adam Smith

And here's our winner! A lot was riding on the success of this entry – which marked the 50th anniversary of Bond on the silver screen – and as its position at the top of the pole proves, Sam Mendes and co were more than up to the challenge. Continuing the work that Casino Royale had begun by digging more deeply into Bond's psyche, it provided all the usual spectacle with a huge portion of emotion. A classic of the franchise.

RT Review:

Director Sam Mendes brings all the classic Bond elements together to make this 23rd film in the series one of the very best. The ever-impressive Daniel Craig begins his third 007 outing all washed-up, having been left for dead after a mission backfires. When national security is compromised, it's a bestubbled, battered and booze-soaked Bond that reports back for duty, casting serious doubts on his fitness for the job.

Likewise, the future of M (an outstanding Judi Dench) is called into question by a parliamentary committee eager to see her made accountable for her department's failings. Although Mendes is still best known for the Oscar-winning American Beauty, any doubts that he can deliver on the thrills front are quickly put to rest by a breathless pre-credits sequence through Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.

But perhaps the biggest stunt he pulls off is creating a convincing human drama – centred on the complex relationship between M and Bond {--} to ground the all-important action. Mendes is also helped by an intelligent, witty script (no cheap double entendres here) delivered by a fine cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Albert Finney. But it’s Javier Bardem as Silva, the campy, (almost too) Hannibal Lecter-like villain with a pathological need to settle old scores, who gets all the best lines.

The sheer class of the production is felt in Roger Deakins’s polished cinematography, Adele’s emotionally charged theme song and a beautifully judged appearance by that ultimate Bond accessory, the original Aston Martin DB5. Released 50 years after the first Bond film Dr No this production not only pays tribute to the series in style but paves the way for its form in the future. – Jamie Healy

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

If you ask five different James Bond fans what their favourite 007 film is, it's very possible (even probable) you could wind up getting five different answers – such are the strong opinions that continue to be held about the well-loved franchise.

But what if you asked over 1,000 Bond fans their favourite? Well, that's precisely what we did in an exclusive Radio Times poll, and we can now reveal the results.

While for many fans of the franchise, the glory days of the Sean Connery era have still never been surpassed, in the end it was one of the most recent films that came out top of our poll.

Skyfall – the 23rd film in the franchise and third starring Daniel Craig – was voted as the winner, quite fitting for a film that was intended to honour 50 years of the secret agent on the silver screen when it was released back in 2012.

Interestingly, it was another Craig outing – his debut Casino Royale – that finished second, while Connery classics Goldfinger and From Russia with Love came in third and fifth place respectively.

In fourth place was the sole George Lazenby offering, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a film whose reputation has grown more than any other in the franchise over the years – and which we previously named our favourite of the lot.

You can read the full ranked list now.

Speaking about Skyfall's victory, long-term 007 scriptwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – who wrote the screenplay alongside John Logan – said they were "thrilled" by the outcome.

"It’s fantastic to see Skyfall voted the number one James Bond film," they said in an exclusive statement to Radio Times, with the pair adding: "Perhaps it was the way the film delved into Bond’s background that really touched people, making it arguably the most personal 007 story."

They continued: "Sam Mendes brought a distinct vision to the film that was low on international travel and more a celebration of Britain.

"Javier Bardem was one of the very best villains, a great foil to Daniel Craig’s fallible but tenacious Bond, and Judi Dench effectively became the Bond girl as they drove up to Scotland. It also didn’t hurt that it had such a great song from Adele.

"We’re sure everyone will be thrilled the film continues to be held in such high regard. We are."

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

The Evil Dead franchise has now been around for a whopping 45 years. In that time it has garnered a massive cult following which only grows larger with each new film.

Sam Raimi was just 21-years-old when he wrote and directed all three films in the original trilogy, between 1981 and 1992.In the years since, there have been two further films – Fede Álvarez's 2013 reboot and Lee Cronin's 2023 effort Evil Dead Rise, meaning the latest film, Evil Dead Burn, is the third standalone entry into the franchise.

Whilst he hasn't written or directed the film, Raimi has produced it, as he did for the previous two, however, when speaking to Radio Times earlier this year, he revealed that he's largely taking a backseat in the creative process for this upcoming instalment.

"I’m there to give notes on the script and notes on the cut, notes on the casting, notes on the sound. But I’m not really making the movie, I’m more like a friend of the film trying to help it out."

Evil Dead Burn isn't the only franchise film getting ready for cinemas either, with the production of Evil Dead Wrath already underway from filmmaker Francis Galluppi for a 2028 release. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we've got to survive Burn first.

Here's everything you need to know about Evil Dead Burn, including when it will be released in cinemas and its cast.

Warner Bros Pictures has confirmed that Evil Dead Burn will be released on Friday 10 July 2026, meaning that at the time of writing there is just under two months to go - time to get excited!

The film was originally scheduled for 22 July but after successful preview screenings it was moved forward by 12 days.

Evil Dean Burn is a standalone entry in the franchise, meaning the plot does not follow on from any of the film's that came before it and so has an entirely new plot and characters.

The official synopsis for the movie reads: "After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. As one by one they are transformed into Deadites - turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell - she comes to discover that the vows she took in life… live on even in death."

The screenplay comes from French director Sébastien Vaniček, known for 2023's Infested, with Evil Dead Burn only his second ever feature length film.

Evil Dead Burn has a line-up of recognisable faces, foreign actors and rising stars. It stars Souheila Yacoub as the film's pink-haired protagonist with the Swiss actress most recognisable as Shishakli in Dune: Part Two.

Yacoub's career has mostly focused on dramas and thrillers but last year she appeared in The Carpenter's Son, a supernatural horror, alongside Nicolas Cage and FKA Twigs.

Like his co-star, Hunter Doohan also has an established connection to horror and gothic material before Evil Dead Burn, and is best known for his role as Tyler Galpin in Netflix's Wednesday.

The Evil Dead Burn cast is as follows:

• Souheila Yacoub as Alice
• Hunter Doohan as Jospeh
• Tandi Wright as Susan 
• Erroll Shand as Edgar Price
• Luciane Buchanan

Yes - there's a few! A teaser was released three weeks ago whilst the official trailer was dropped last week and is just about to hit 11 million views. You can watch it yourself below:

Evil Dead Burn will be released in cinemas on Friday 10 July 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Add Evil Dead Burn to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has defended his upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey amid an increasingly toxic backlash on social media.

Following the release of the film's trailers, much has been made of the apparent historical inaccuracies in both the dialogue (Tom Holland's character Telemachus saying that his 'dad' will return, which was particularly heavily criticised) and the armour worn by some of the characters (chiefly Benny Safdie's Agamemnon), with some noting that it more closely resembles the Batsuit worn in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.

In response to the latter point, Nolan said in a Time magazine profile: "There are Mycenaean daggers that are blackened bronze. The theory is they probably could have blackened bronze in those days. You take bronze, you add more gold and silver to it and then use sulfur...

"With Agamemnon, Ellen [Mirojnick], our costume designer, is trying to communicate how elevated he is relative to everyone else. You do that through materials that would be very expensive."

Nolan compared his approach to The Odyssey with what he employed in making Interstellar.

"For Interstellar, you're looking at, 'What is the best speculation of the future?' When you're looking at the ancient past, it's actually the same thing," Nolan said. "'What is the best speculation and how can I use that to create a world?'

"Hopefully they'll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don't want people to think that you took it on frivolously."

The Odyssey stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and pretty much everyone else in Hollywood and is one of the year's most anticipated blockbusters.

However, it's not just the film's historical accuracy that has faced backlash online.

Following the reveal that Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o will be playing the dual roles of Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra in the upcoming epic, the discourse around the film has turned increasingly toxic.

The world's richest man Elon Musk and some conservative commentators have criticised the casting of acclaimed actress Nyong'o in the role of Helen of Troy as well as the casting of Elliot Page in the upcoming film. Page is speculated to play the spirit of the Greek hero Achilles.

Musk claimed on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Nolan "wants the awards" when replying to a post that referenced the Oscars rules around diversity in prospective nominees, though, as Variety notes, those rules have little to do with casting.

It should also be noted that the characters depicted are mythological and are not inherently historical figures.

In regards to casting music star Travis Scott as a bard in the film, Nolan also told Time: "I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap."

Despite the discourse, the film looks poised to be a significant box office hit. Universal made the unprecedented decision to release pre-sale times for multiple 70mm IMAX screenings of the film a year before release – with screenings selling out within 12 hours of going on sale.

The Odyssey opens in cinemas on 17 July 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Adam Sandler is getting the band back together (again) for Grown Ups 3.

Fresh off of the success of Happy Gilmore 2, Sandler is once again teaming up with Netflix to release another sequel to one of his best loved and most successful film series.

The first two Grown Ups films tell the story of Sandler and his group of school friends who reunite in their middle age to try and recapture their youth following the death of a former mentor.

The third film is rumoured to be reuniting the cast of both previous entries including Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Selma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph, though Netflix hasn't confirmed any casting as of yet.

We do know that Grown Ups 3 will see Sandler once again team up with director Kyle Newacheck, who previously directed both Murder Mystery 2 and Happy Gilmore 2 for Netflix.

The plot of the threequel is under wraps but if previous Sandler sequels are a sign of what to expect there will surely be a revolving door of random celebrity cameos alongside the gang's zany antics.

Despite some rough reviews from critics, both Grown Ups films were a success at the box office grossing a combined $500+ million.

The film will mark the most recent collaboration between Sandler and Netflix, a partnership that has yielded some big hits for both the actor and the streamer including last years Happy Gilmore sequel, which garnered 46.7 million views in three days when it released in July.

Netflix hasn't released any details about the plot or release date for the film but we do know we can expect maximum silliness whenever it is released.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

The BFI has confirmed that new ITV natural history series Force of Nature will have its European premiere as part of its London Climate Action Week line-up this year.

The week-long programme is packed with screenings and events across BFI IMAX and BFI Southbank, which will highlight fresh perspectives on the climate crisis and explore our evolving relationship with nature.

Docuseries Force of Nature, which is narrated by The Walking Dead actor Andrew Lincoln, will premiere at BFI IMAX on 22 June, ahead of its arrival on ITV1 and ITX later this year. 

Through character-led storytelling, the docuseries focuses on nature’s resilience and survival in the face of hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires, showcasing both the ferocity of Earth’s forces and the ingenuity of animal survival.

Appearing at the BFI IMAX for a Q&A following this special preview will be ITV controller of factual Jo Clinton-Davis, Plimsoll Productions executive producer Mark Brownlow, and series producer Seb Illis.

The line-up will also include a 3D screening of Jurassic Park (1993) on 28 June at BFI IMAX, which will be introduced by The Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett, and a screening of Jaws (1975) on 31 May, which will be introduced by ZSL (Zoological Society London) marine scientists Dr David Curnick and Joanna Barke.

There will also be a screening of Brazilian Cinema Novo film Iracema: Uma Transa Amazônica (1975) on 25 June, as well as a showing of Brazilian Indian animated family adventure Noah’s Ark on 28 June.

Disney’s sci-fi animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) will also be shown at BFI IMAX on 27 June as part of the week-long line-up. The event will include a discussion with climate justice advocate Samia Dumbuya and film critic Kambole Campbell.

Elsewhere, movie fans can also look forward to Film Society 38 at BFI Southbank on 7 June – the Film’s Society’s tribute to women filmmakers – which will be introduced by BFI National Archive curator Bryony Dixon and feature a programme of films produced or directed by women.

This programme will include a screening of Mary Field’s Secrets of Nature (1930), a documentary film series which captures the world of fungi through micro-cinematography and time-lapse photography. 

Throughout June, to mark the recent centenary of his birth, the BFI is also set to celebrate the cinema of Ritwik Kumar Ghatak through screenings of A River Called Titas (1973) – his adaptation of Adwaita Mallabarman’s novel about a fishing community whose lives depend on a dying river – on 13 and 27 June.

For further details, visit the official BFI website.

Read more:

• Best films to watch on TV today, tonight and this week
• Sitcom icons Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Chris O'Dowd discuss their earliest film memories – and voicing The Sheep Detectives

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Fans have been absolutely restless to get their hands on the sixth instalment in the Scary Movie franchise.

Since the franchise began in 2000 it has garnered a true cult following, fans that are absolutely obsessed with the films and were ecstatic to hear the news that they would finally be getting a sixth one after a 13 year hiatus.

Scary Movie 5 came out in 2013 but, in a move that is still questioned to this day, the writers and producers decided to move away from the original cast and characters, much to the disappointment of fans.

But now Scary Movie 6 will be reuniting both original cast members and Scary Movie alumni alike for a new film that feels 26 years in the making.

So, when can fans expect to see it? And what films will Scary Movie 6 parody? Read on for everything you need to know.

Scary Movie 6 is set to be released in UK cinemas on Friday 5 June 2026.

It was originally scheduled for 12 June but was brought forward, seemingly to avoid competition with Universal’s Disclosure Day from director Steven Spielberg.

"We are currently in the edit for Scary Movie," actor Marlon Wayans, who plays Shorty Meeks, said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"The bad news is, we’re no longer going to be releasing on June 12. The good news is, due to the overwhelming response and the worldwide excitement, we are releasing a week earlier.

"That’s right: June 5th is the new date for Scary Movie! We’re starting off the summer with a bang and a laugh fest. So I’m really excited about coming early."

Based on reports and hints from the trailer there is a long list of movies, thrillers and viral moments that Scary Movie 6 will parody. After all, it has been 13 long years of horror since the last film, so it has a backlog of content to get through.

Scary Movie 6 will parody M3GAN, with the trailer featuring a mashup of Ghostface dressed as the AI doll. The Sunken Place from Get Out will be reimagined with Shorty, whilst Chris Elliott will reportedly play a parody of Nicolas Cage's villain from Longlegs.

Also included in the parody line up is Smile, Terrifier 3, The Substance, Weapons and A Quiet Place, amongst others. Sinners has also been chosen thanks to its Oscars success.

It was announced last year that both Anna Faris and Regina Hall would be returning to the franchise, reprising their roles as Cindy and Brenda after 20 years as both characters were not featured in Scary Movie 5.

The Wayan brothers are also making a comeback for the new instalment. As well as picking back up their on-screen roles for the first time in 23 years, they have also written the screenplay.

The sixth film will also reunite more of the original cast and Scary Movie alumni including, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro and Jon Abrahams, as well as Cheri Oteri and Chris Elliott.

Here is the cast of Scary Movie 6:

• Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell
• Regina Hall as Brenda Meeks
• Marlon Wayans as Shorty Meeks 
• Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins
• Dave Sheridan as Doofy Gilmore
• Jon Abrahams as Bobby Prinze
• Lochlyn Munro as Greg Phillippe
• Cheri Oteri as Gail Hailstorm
• Chris Elliott as Hanson

Yes! The most recent trailer is available to watch below:

Scary Movie 6 will be released in cinemas on 5 June 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

From Jimmy Stewart to Tom Hanks, from Marilyn Monroe to Julia Roberts, movie stars have changed our lives since the early days. Looming larger than life on the big screen, so often do their unforgettable performances bring happiness and touch us deeply.

Yet some go further still, whether it's using their fame as a platform for advocacy and breaking through racial or social barriers, or shifting the film industry itself and evolving the way we think about acting.

Here, then, is our list of 30 movie stars who changed the world.

Key films: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939)

“Hollywood owes Olivia a great deal,” remarked her sister and fellow actress Joan Fontaine. For it was de Havilland’s legal battles in court, fighting in 1943 with studio Warner Bros, that produced a landmark result in favour of the performer. The De Haviland Law, as it became known, forbade employers from enforcing a contract for longer than seven years, a decision that gave new-found freedom to artists and severely reduced the power of the studios.

Key films: City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936)

Hollywood’s most iconic silent movie star, thanks to his “Little Tramp” persona, Chaplin was a game-changer behind the scenes too. Seeking independence from the traditional studio system, he co-founded United Artists, alongside Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith. Established in 1919, this studio was designed to offer Chaplin and others creative control over their material. “The inmates are taking over the asylum,” remarked one executive, but this was a pioneering move.

Key films: Bright Eyes (1934), Heidi (1937)

A child star in 1930s Hollywood, Temple almost single-handedly rescued studio 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy. It was her experiences, alongside fellow actors like Jackie Coogan, that contributed to the passing of the California Child Actor’s Bill in 1939, ensuring 15 per cent of a child’s earnings were set aside in a trust. Later moving into politics, representing the US at the United Nations General Assembly, she continued to advocate for better and safer working conditions for child actors.

Key films: Fist of Fury (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973)

With a career that spans both Hong Kong and Hollywood, Lee became the first global Chinese superstar. A teacher before he was an actor, the San Francisco-born Lee developed ‘Jeet Kune Do’, a martial arts style heavily influenced by Buddhist and Taoist philosophies, which went overground when he began scoring roles in films like Enter the Dragon. Popularising Kung-Fu, Lee helped Asian actors gain a foothold in Hollywood. That he died aged 32 only increased the myth around him.

Key films: Mission: Impossible (1996), Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The last great Hollywood movie star, Cruise’s films have grossed $13.3 billion worldwide. But none was more important than his biggest hit, Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to his 1986 aerial blockbuster Top Gun, its $1.5 billion haul reignited the global box office that had been rocked by theatre closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” Steven Spielberg later said, echoing sentiments felt industry-wide. Cruise was cinema’s saviour in its hour of need.

Key films: Klute (1971), Coming Home (1978)

Part of the Fonda acting dynasty, she was a two-time Academy Award winner and kickstarted the fitness craze with her best-selling VHS Jane Fonda’s Workout. But it’s her activism that gets here included here. Nicknamed ‘Hanoi Jane’, after she was photographed with a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun, she spoke out against the Vietnam War – a lone voice that caused opposition in America. Promoting civil rights, environmental causes and women’s issues, she also protested the Iraq War.

Key films: The Defiant Ones (1958), In the Heat of the Night (1967)

The first Black man to win a best actor Oscar, for 1963’s Lilies of the Field, Poitier’s dignified and defiant characters mirrored his own life, as he emerged as one of the most important social justice activists of his generation. As hard-hitting as the slap he delivers to a white racist in Norman Jewison’s thriller In the Heat of the Night, Poitier broke down racial barriers, fighting against on-screen stereotypes and battling for Black civil rights off it.

Key films: Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953), Some Like It Hot (1959)

A brilliant comedienne, and a shrewd businesswoman, Monroe smartly navigated Hollywood in ways few actresses had done, until her tragic death in 1962, aged 36. Among her many influences, her bombshell image helped precipitate the sexual revolution in mainstream media, as her curvaceous figure came to represent a joyous embracing of the body. Becoming a symbol of beauty and desire, she shaped fashion, art (think of Andy Warhol’s famed pop art Marilyn print) and modern-day feminism.

Key films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973)

The Hollywood golden boy of his generation, Robert Redford went on to become a fine filmmaker, winning a best director Oscar for his 1980 debut Ordinary People. But it was his work establishing the Sundance Film Festival shortly after that remains his high point. Championing independent cinema, launching the careers of the Coens, Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino and more, Redford’s Sundance – named after his famed character in George Roy Hill’s western – became the focal point for America’s thriving indie scene in the '90s.

Key films: Heat (1995), Kiss the Girls (1997)

Ashley Judd will always be remembered as the first actor to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. Judd was a key on-the-record source in Ronan Farrow’s New Yorker investigation that ultimately precipitated Weinstein’s downfall. Her revelations opened the floodgates as more victims of abuse came forward, leading to the formation of the MeToo movement – one of the most powerful calls for social change in the 21st century.

Key films: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Few actors can claim they pioneered an acting style. Yet Britain’s Andy Serkis took motion capture and performance capture to the next level. Rigged with sensors to record his every move and facial expression, his turn as wizened creature Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy turned the world on to this groundbreaking technology. Refining these skills in films like King Kong and Planet of the Apes, Serkis also co-founded The Imaginarium, a production company specialising in performance capture technology.

Key films: National Velvet (1944), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

When Elizabeth Taylor was offered the lead in the 1963 epic Cleopatra, she orchestrated a deal that changed the way actors were paid. Fresh off her first Oscar win for BUtterfield 8, she negotiated with Fox Studios a landmark payout for the role – $1 million and 10 per cent of the film’s gross profit. The first actor ever to make $1 million for a picture, she ultimately earned a lot more – close to $7 million – when compensation for delays in the shoot was taken into account.

Key films: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Godfather (1972)

The godfather of the Method, Brando ushered in a new approach to performance that prioritised naturalism in a quest for emotional truth, far removed from the more mannered and performative acting style that came before him. Taking the Method from an established theatre technique and into movie acting, Brando influenced a generation of actors (De Niro, Pacino et al) as he pursued an approach that dug into personal memories and sensations to bring a character alive.

Key films: All That Heaven Allows (1955), Seconds (1966)

A leading man in Hollywood’s Golden Age, Hudson’s eclectic and impressive career saw him jump from Douglas Sirk and Doris Day to Dynasty. But there was another reason to remember him. In 1984, Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. A year later, he became one of the first celebrities to disclose his illness, shortly before his death, aged 59. It was a monumental moment, helping many to understand the seriousness of AIDS, then much misunderstood.

Key films: Legally Blonde (2001), Walk the Line (2005)

Actors set up production companies all the time, but few have been as successful as Reese Witherspoon. In 2016, the Legally Blonde star founded Hello Sunshine with the aim of focusing on female-driven stories. Hit after hit followed, with shows like Big Little Lies and The Morning Show. By 2021, Witherspoon sold a majority stake to Candle Media, with the company then valued at $900 million. Last year, she placed #82 on Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women list.

Key films: Roman Holiday (1953), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

An influence on fashion and femininity, the elfin Hepburn’s gold-standard career saw her win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award (yep, she’s an EGOT). But she was also a groundbreaking humanitarian. She became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1989, using her celebrity to spotlight crises in South America, Asia and Africa. Far more than a figurehead, she revolutionised how public faces could support such causes, taking on field missions in countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Ecuador.

Key films: Gods and Monsters (1998), X-Men (2000)

From a fruitful collaboration with the RSC to Hollywood glory, notably as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, Sir Ian McKellen has continued to push boundaries on stage and screen. Yet it’s his work as a gay rights activist that, perhaps, should be considered his greatest achievement. In the late '80s, he co-founded LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall to fight against Section 28, a controversial ruling that banned the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools and other public realms.

Key films: Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Jurassic World (2015)

One of India’s most acclaimed and intelligent stars, Irrfan Khan’s 30-year career saw him elevated to global icon. “An enormously valuable bridge between South Asian and Hollywood cinema,” as The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw put it, he went from credible work in movies like The Lunchbox to major stardom when he featured in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire and $1 billion hit Jurassic World. His premature death in 2020, aged 53, is one of modern cinema’s greatest tragedies.

Key films: Aladdin (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997)

Before Robin Williams signed on to play the Genie in Disney’s animated Aladdin, voice work for ’toons was done by specialists in the field, rather than famous actors. Williams changed all that. Improvising nearly 16 hours’ worth of material, Williams brought the same manic energy that he invested in his stand-up and films like Good Morning Vietnam. Meaning that the animators had to work to his outpourings, rather than the other way around, it set new standards in the industry.

Key films: My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007)

No actor symbolises commitment to a role more than Daniel Day-Lewis. Doggedly remaining in character as cerebral palsy sufferer Christy Brown for My Left Foot, it set the tone for a career of utter immersion in his roles, which no contemporary comes close to matching. With My Left Foot winning the Irishman the first of a record three Best Actor Oscars (There Will Be Blood and Lincoln would follow), he has rarely made a misstep across a peerless body of work.

Key films: Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926)

Artist Salvador Dalí called the works of seminal silent film actor-director Keaton “pure poetry”. More than that, “the great stone face” – as he was known thanks to his stoic, deadpan expression – transformed the medium. His wonderful physical comedy, performing all his own often formidable stunts, took silent cinema to new heights, creating a visual film language still in play today.

Key films: Titanic (1997), The Revenant (2015)

A teen heartthrob who became one of the biggest movie stars in modern Hollywood, DiCaprio became an early adopter of environmental causes, long before it was fashionable to go green. Establishing the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, a body that currently supports over 35 conservation projects around the globe, he has sought to bring attention to climate change, and the fragile state of our forests and oceans. Eco-documentaries The 11th Hour and Before The Flood, which he produced, further reinforce his crusading credentials.

Key films: Kings Row (1942), The Killers (1964)

With 53 pictures to his name, Reagan’s screen presence may have been overshadowed by bigger stars of the era. But it was his second act, as a Republican political force, that made him one of the most influential actors of all time. After a spell as governor of California, Reagan rose to become the 40th President of the United States between 1981 and 1989. Ushering in Reaganomics, as America jostled with the Soviets in the Cold War, you might say he even paved the way for Donald Trump.

Key films: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), On Golden Pond (1981)

In 1999, the American Film Institute named Katharine Hepburn the greatest female star of classic Hollywood. It was probably the least they could do. In a six-decade career, Hepburn remains the record holder in her field – with four Academy Awards for her performances. Moreover, she came to reshape the way women were portrayed on screen. Refusing to play “hatchet murderesses or alcoholic mothers”, she carved out a niche playing intelligent, assertive, independent females in films like The African Queen. Hollywood’s not been the same since.

Key films: Carmen Jones (1954), Porgy and Bess (1959)

Few Black actresses broke racial barriers like Dandridge. The first Black woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her title role in 1954’s Carmen Jones, the first to feature on the cover of Life magazine, and the first to open at the Empire Room at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, she opened doors for many to come. Later joining the National Urban League and the NAACP, Dandridge became a crucial voice in fighting prejudice in the entertainment industry.

Key films: Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

From stand-up and Saturday Night Live to leading man in films like Beverly Hills Cop – the highest-grossing movie of 1984 – Eddie Murphy shifted perceptions globally. Here, finally, was proof that a Black actor could open a movie to blockbuster numbers. Breaking down racial barriers that had blocked those who came before him, Murphy continued to use his power to promote fellow Black artists, with 1988’s comedy-romance Coming to America featuring an almost entirely African-American cast.

Key films: Top Hat (135), Swing Time (1936)

After establishing himself on Broadway, Astaire’s screen test at RKO didn’t go well. “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can dance a little,” a report was rumoured to have stated. But after pairing with dancer Ginger Rogers, making nine films together at RKO, Astaire revolutionised the way dance was portrayed in movies. Insisting on filming dance routines with a stationary, full-frame camera, showing dancers from head to toe, he also made sure these choreographed wonders were integral to the plot, rather than spectacle for its own sake.

Key films: Police Story (1985), Rush Hour (1998)

As director Edgar Wright once said: “No matter how many people try and rip off Jackie Chan movies, there’s something they can’t rip off which is Jackie Chan himself,” Now 72, Chan is unique. The legendary actor, martial artist and stuntman popularised a fusion of action and comedy – not just in his native Hong Kong but worldwide. Laying the path for Asian stars to work in Hollywood, Chan’s death-defying dexterity has influenced everything from Kill Bill to John Wick.

Key films: Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954)

One of the most significant actors ever to emerge from Asia, Toshiro Mifune is one of the first international Japanese superstars. Breaking stereotypes, he redefined the Samurai archetype for director Akira Kurosawa in key films like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, in turn inspiring the likes of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood for their Spaghetti western trilogy. Meanwhile, his work in Hidden Fortress was also instrumental as George Lucas built his screenplay for his Star Wars space opera.

Key films: The Long, Long Trailer (1954), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)

A beloved staple of stage and screen, Ball and her her partner Desi Arnaz co-founded Desilu Productions, a pioneering television studio behind her show I Love Lucy and the likes of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. After buying Arnaz out in 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major studio, which she sold five years later to Gulf+Western before it merged into Paramount. In 2020, Time magazine named her one of the most influential women of the 20th century for her achievements.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.