Unfortunately getting lumped in and overlooked amidst a sea of somewhat self-servingly indulgent "ode to cinema" productions, this Olivia Colman-led psychological drama is charming, bittersweet and melancholy in its study of a troubled mind during a troubled time.
What's new on UK streaming services for March 2023
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 08-MAR-2023, APPLE TV+: Two streaming titans both return for third seasons in March as The Mandalorian makes the jump to lightspeed on Disney+ and Ted Lasso aims for the corner of the net on Apple TV+. Does anything else get a fair look in from under the shadow of these flagship SVOD shows? Read on to find out…
Nailing a fitting farewell to Boseman, Wakanda Forever struggles in most every other respect, turning into almost 3 hours' worth of "I don't give a damn", in a 4K disc rendered largely pointless by a lack of Dolby Vision or IMAX enhancement and a release date after its Disney+ bow.
What's new on UK streaming services for February 2023
by Andy Bassett
Wakanda Forever, the last big Marvel movie of 2022 is February’s big opening player on Disney+ while Picard S3 draws its last pension cheque on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ sends The Reluctant Traveller off into the wilderness.
What's new on UK streaming services for January 2023
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 24-Dec-2022: Easing into a New Year after the all the indulgences of Christmas is never easy and for the main UK streaming services of Disney+, Amazon Prime Video UK and Apple TV+, getting the tone right between wowing subscribers straight out of the New Year’s Day gate and leaving a little off the plate to seductively tease releases for the forthcoming year will be a tricky balancing act. Have any of them got it right for Jan 2023?
Best Movies, TV and 4K Blu-rays of 2022 - Editor's Choice Awards
by Cas Harlow
The movies team takes a look back at 2022, highlighting some of the best theatrical and streaming movie release, TV shows, and 4K discs, as well as the studios behind them.
So…. the only question anyone wants to know is “was it worth the wait?” And of course, it’s not…. but James Cameron provides us with a gorgeous reminder of why he is one of the best proponents of ‘epic cinema’ we’ve ever had.
David O. Russell's screwball noir makes it to Disney+ only a few short weeks after its embarrassing curtailed theatrical run. The presentation in Dolby Vision and Atmos is competent enough. It's just a shame the film is such irritating sludge.
Reviving everybody’s 5th favourite 1980s fantasy movie, Jonathan Kasdan makes a smart move by ditching all but the title character from the regular cast, eschewing nostalgia beats for a genuine attempt at a continuation of the story.
What's new on UK streaming services for December 2022
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 22-DEC-2022 Disney+: The final month of 2022 has a pair of fan favourite spy series returning to streamers, a dollop of musical entertainment and a couple of new seasonal holiday movies hoping to join the exclusive ‘Christmas Classics Club’. Plus, there’s lots more besides…
The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (Disney+) Movie Review
by Cas Harlow
Peppered with fun - and funny - moments and one glimpse of heartfelt emotion, Gunn's Holiday Special is still a desperately lightweight TV movie romp packed with two too many time-filling live music performances.
Disney's Fantastic Voyage to the Centre of the Last Crusade is wondrously imaginative and a great little family flick, even if it'll go completely overlooked until it lands on Disney+ at Christmas.
Andor proves to be the Rogue One of Star Wars TV shows, with returning writer Tony Gilroy delivering the goods on this superbly atmospheric, claustrophobically tense tale of a Rebellion in the making - UPDATED FOR FULL SEASON REVIEW
15 years after the charming Enchanted, Disney unravels a belated, bloated, bottom-heavy sequel which is well-meaning, family-friendly Friday night fodder, and a cut above some of their recent efforts, but still a distinctly TV-movie style follow-up to the now near-classic original.
The almost impossible task of following in the indelible footsteps of Chadwick Boseman fell to the right people to deliver an elegant if slightly imperfect look at grief and loss while still staying true to the legacy of 2018’s ground-breaking original.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Disney+) TV Show Review
by Cas Harlow
Diving deeper into the paths chosen by the likes of Ashoka and Count Dooku, Tales of the Jedi provides some fabulously stylish, superbly scored, and surprisingly dark stories to enrich the expanded universe.
What's new on UK streaming services for November 2022
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 26-OCT-2022: November’s on the way and there’re the first signs of Christmas content creeping through, plus the streamers turn up the handsome with the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Ryan Reynolds and Harry Styles all gracing us with their presence.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+) TV Show Review
by Cas Harlow
She-Hulk lands as a fully-formed super-hero in a frothily, frivolously, fun first episode that only briefly oversteps into spoiled brat territory and massively benefits from 100% Ruffalo/Hulk participation - UPDATED WITH FULL SEASON REVIEW.
The Bear's million-miles-per-hour, exposition-less dramedy follows an award-winning chef's attempts to turn around a rundown Chicago diner, and is absolutely enthralling - UPDATED WITH FULL SEASON REVIEW
Marvel serves up an early Halloween treat with its first standalone special – a tribute to the monster movies of the 1930s, but is it any more than a diverting curiosity. You can read the review, but the answer is “not really.”
Criterion release Thor: Love and Thunder in 4K Dolby Vision with optional IMAX Enhanced aspect ratio, a full-bodied Atmos track and a second disc packed with extras... in the future, at some point when Disney get bored of not doing any of that.
A 72 year old Jeff Bridges reinforces his legendary status by going on the run as a former spy with a shady past, in this cracking, fabulously tense, 7-episode thriller - UPDATED 1st October for the UK release with a full season review
What's new on UK streaming services for October 2022
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 13-OCT-2022: The dead may walk no more but there are new Jedi tales to look forward to on Disney+. Meanwhile, Prime Video sees Catherine called Birdy yearn to escape her cage and Ewan and Ethan pop up on Apple’s Ray-dar.
More compelling than it has any right to be, Hulu's unauthorised chart of the rise and fall and rise and fall of "Iron Mike" Tyson is equal parts tragic and unpleasant, but never less than enthralling.
What's new on UK streaming services for September 2022
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 10-SEP-2022 (Disney+): The House of Mouse might be trumpeting its second Disney+ Day event and Apple TV+ sees the return of an animated favourite but there’s only one game in town for September really with Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power eclipsing even Disney’s beloved MCU and Star Wars franchises…
Thirty-five years and five sequels and spin-offs later, and finally we have a clever, original, and truly worthy Predator follow-up - UPDATED with review of the Comanche dub.
Disney+ confirms price increases coming in December
by Ian Collen
As Disney edges ahead of Netflix in paid subscribers across all of its platforms, the company also announces some notable price increases are on the way.
One of the greatest crime movies of all time sees its 2017 4K remastered 'director's definitive edition' finally earn a full 4K release... but it's still not very definitive is it?
Under the Banner of Heaven (Disney+) TV Show Review
by Tom Davies
“As a means of motivating people to be cruel or inhumane[…]there may be no more potent force than religion.” So said Jon Krakauer in his book, Under the Banner of Heaven. If there’s one thing this new Disney+ show based on the book demonstrates, it’s that.
What's new on UK streaming services for August 2022
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 04-AUG-2022: With the recent news that drought-like conditions could be on the way to the UK for the rest of the summer, we roll around to the August streaming schedule to take a look at what’s coming to the UK services and ascertain whether original streaming content is in danger of drying up too.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
More Evil Dead Strange than mad multiverses, this one's definitely for Raimi fans, earning a solid 4K release that, once again, is a harder sell to those with access to the IMAX Disney+ version.
The Gods of Thunder return for another light hearted comedy romp that this time manages to also take in midlife crises, terminal illnesses and… jealous tools?
UPDATED 28-JUN-2022: With summer in full swing and nothing now keeping folks from travelling around (apart from the usual airport chaos) is there enough on Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ to keep you indoors?
Marvel's second Ms Marvel is sparkly and spunky, infusing heartfelt social and family situations - born out of relatable cultural constraints - with a little bit of superpowered mayhem.
UPDATED 02-JUN-2022: June appears to be the month of returning favourites with Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+ all seeing fan approved and critically rated shows coming back for second or third outings. It does mean though that, across the board, Ms. Marvel is the only real standout debutante.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Movie Review
by Cas Harlow
More Raimi than Marvel; more WandaVision than Doctor Strange, Multiverse of Madness is as close to horror as the MCU is likely to get - Updated for 3D IMAX
May sees Disney going back to the Star Wars well for its next big series, Amazon Prime brings in a contractor and Apple treats subscribers to the wonders of the prehistoric world.
What's new on UK streaming services for April 2022
by Andy Bassett
Updated 07-APR-2022 Amazon Prime - NO TIME TO DIE ADDED: It’s Amazon and Apple which grab the headlining shows and movies in April but all the streaming services feel like they’re taking a pause before unleashing their flagship series in early summer.