Where zombies once defined the terror, The Bone Temple dares to ask a far more disturbing question: what if what survived the apocalypse was worse than the plague itself?

Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 YEARS LATER – but turning that world on its head – Nia DaCosta directs 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE. In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of THE BONE TEMPLE, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

A New Vision of the Rage

When 28 Years Later exploded into cinemas in 2025, it did so with punk-rock ferocity, reigniting the franchise with blood, rage, and furious energy. Its closing moments delivered a jaw-dropping revelation: the arrival of the sadistic and unhinged Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, played with chilling presence by Jack O’Connell. That final image promised madness to come, and The Bone Temple fulfils that promise in spectacularly unsettling fashion.

Handing the reins to Nia DaCosta proves to be a masterstroke. Rather than simply escalating the infected threat, DaCosta pivots the series in a bold and radical direction. The Bone Temple steps away from the relentless presence of the Rage virus and instead focuses on the moral decay of what remains of humanity. The infected may ravage the countryside, but it’s mankind’s twisted belief systems, cult mentalities, and capacity for cruelty that form the film’s true horror.

This is a grim, suffocating study of evil — one that crawls under the skin and stays there.

A Spark of Humanity Left Behind – Dr. Ian Kelson

DaCosta reframes the narrative by shifting perspective. While Spike remains present as an observer, the emotional and thematic core of the film rests with Dr. Ian Kelson, portrayed with haunting restraint by Ralph Fiennes. Kelson is a strange, weathered figure; a man clinging desperately to purpose in a world that has abandoned reason.

Still bound by his Hippocratic Oath, Kelson serves as a keeper of the dead, attempting to preserve dignity and meaning in the ruins. Fiennes delivers a quietly devastating performance, filled with vulnerability and moral exhaustion. His portrayal evolves in unexpected ways, revealing layers that transform Kelson from an apparent eccentric into something far more complex and tragic.

Through Kelson, The Bone Temple explores the notion of goodness as resistance — the idea that choosing compassion in a lawless world is itself an act of defiance. It’s thoughtful, unsettling, and deeply human.

Enter the Devil – Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal

Standing in stark opposition to Kelson’s fragile morality is one of the most disturbing villains modern horror has produced.

Jack O’Connell’s Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal is pure nightmare fuel.

Now serving as Spike’s grotesque “guardian,” Jimmy is the self-anointed ruler of a roaming cult: ‘The Jimmy’s’; a warped, Jimmy Savile–esque sect built on distorted faith, cruelty, and sadistic ritual. He wanders his self-proclaimed kingdom dispensing “charity” through violence, communing with the imagined spirit of his father, Old Nick, and enforcing his own twisted version of salvation.

O’Connell delivers a performance soaked in menace. His Jimmy is unpredictable, theatrical, vicious, and terrifyingly charismatic. Every scene he inhabits feels volatile, as though violence could erupt at any moment. And yet, DaCosta refuses to let him remain a simple monster. In a shocking third-act turn, Jimmy is taken somewhere deeply unexpected, resulting in one of the film’s most jaw-dropping revelations.

Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal feels destined to become an icon of 21st-century horror — a villain whose shadow will loom over the genre for years to come.

Horror Without a Safety Net

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a film that thrives on risk. DaCosta throws convention out the window, embracing the bizarre, the grotesque, and the outright deranged. You never quite know where the film is heading, and that unpredictability is its greatest strength.

The horror sequences are vicious, intimate, and genuinely upsetting, eschewing cheap shocks in favour of sustained dread. Violence is not stylised; it’s cruel, ugly, and purposeful. But the film balances its brutality with philosophical depth, interrogating free will, belief, and the thin line between faith and fanaticism.

Shocks arrive without warning. Revelations hit like blunt force trauma. And the film’s final moments lay chilling groundwork for the future of this ravaged world — one that suggests the worst may still be ahead.

The Final Verdict

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple launches 2026 with a ferocious statement of intent. It’s bold, confrontational, and deeply unsettling — a horror film unafraid to challenge its audience and its own legacy. By turning its gaze inward, away from the infected and toward humanity’s darkest instincts, the franchise finds terrifying new life.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Watch the all-new trailer for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 YEARS LATER – but turning that world on its head – Nia DaCosta directs 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE. In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of THE BONE TEMPLE, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

The new trailer for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple delves into a dangerous world of sheer inhumanity and wicked actions of the living, as it soon becomes clear that the zombie horde might not be the true horror of this new Britain.

It also sets the stage for a confrontation between Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), and the deranged terror of Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), and his pack of lunatic followers, ‘The Jimmys’ who have styled themselves into a Jimmy Saville cult, and who rules this forgotten land with an iron fist, and whose penchant for the sadistic will scare the living hell out of audiences.

This trailer has a considerable edge to it, and following the sprawling punk-rock horror vibes of 28 Years Later, we can only dream of what crazy, fiendish narrative that lies ahead when Sir Jimmy and Dr Kelson come to blows!

 

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Ready yourself for sheer barking, horror madness when 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple arrives in cinemas in the New Year on January 15.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s long-awaited third chapter of their zombie-horror cinematic rush, 28 Years Later, finally made its debut in 2025, and it was a jolt of mania to the senses of film fans with its intensity and sheer barking madness. In a cinematic landscape where formula reigns supreme, 28 Years Later was a wild, punk rock watch, and now director Nia DeCosta is ready to take the franchise to an even stranger place with its follow-up chapter 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

Watch the all-new trailer for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple:

Here’s the official synopsis:

n a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of THE BONE TEMPLE, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

Picking up immediately following the savage events of 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple will follow Alfie WIlliam’s Spike as he comes into the influence of twisted cult leader Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), a deplorable, vindictive sadist cloaked in the image of the infamous and reviled Jimmy Saville, who has his own manic fifedom to rule over and who has his own deadly plans for this untamed, barren Britain.

This first teaser trailer gives audiences a taste of the madness that is to come, and it’s utterly wild in what is presented. Audiences will sit up and take notice! Ralph Fiennes also returns as the sympathetic, but crazed Dr Ian Kelson, who stumbles into Jimmy’s crazed plan, and it’s about to get even crazier.

Boyle, Garland and DeCosta are ready to step things up a notch when it comes to the lore and landscape of 28 Years Later, and this film looks like it will really smack audiences in the face.

Brace yourself for things to get mental when 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple arrives in cinemas on January 15, 2026.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, participating in the selection of a new pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.

Edward Berger cements his status as one of contemporary cinema’s most visionary filmmakers with Conclave, a haunting and masterfully crafted tale of political intrigue and spiritual crisis. This is a film that grips you from its opening moments and holds you in its thrall until its final, soul-stirring frame. Adapted from Robert Harris’ novel, Conclave unfolds in the aftermath of the pope’s death, as the College of Cardinals convenes to elect a new pontiff. At the centre of this intense drama is Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a man grappling with his own crisis of faith while navigating the treacherous political machinations within the Vatican. Berger’s direction transforms this story into a gripping thriller, one that feels both deeply intimate and grand in its scope.

Ralph Fiennes delivers what might be the performance of his career as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. His portrayal is layered and profound, capturing a man torn between duty and doubt, conviction and despair. Fiennes commands every scene, imbuing Lawrence with a quiet intensity that becomes all the more compelling as the film’s secrets unfold. His nuanced performance reveals a man at war with himself, his faith tested to its breaking point as he confronts the weight of his responsibilities and the darkness within the institution he serves.

What sets Fiennes apart in this role is his ability to convey the internal conflict of Cardinal Lawrence with minimal dialogue, using subtle shifts in expression and body language to communicate the profound turmoil beneath the surface. From the quiet moments of prayer, where his eyes betray a haunting sense of doubt, to the explosive confrontations with his fellow cardinals, where his voice quivers with a mix of anger and desperation, Fiennes brings a raw vulnerability to the character. His portrayal is a masterclass in restraint, allowing the audience to feel every ounce of Lawrence’s struggle without ever overplaying the drama. As the narrative progresses and secrets are unearthed, Fiennes’ performance only grows more riveting. He captures the heartbreak of a man who begins to see the cracks in the very foundation of his beliefs yet must maintain a facade of strength and composure in the face of mounting pressure. The layers of his character unfold with each revelation, culminating in a series of emotionally charged moments that are as devastating as they are cathartic. His performance anchors the film, providing a deeply human perspective amidst the grandeur and political intrigue of the Vatican.

The supporting cast is equally stellar, each bringing depth and nuance to their roles. Stanley Tucci shines as Cardinal Bellini, whose liberal ideals clash with the institution’s traditions, yet who remains a trusted confidant to Lawrence, even if in this feverish election for the papacy, their opinions begin to clash. John Lithgow is delightfully sinister as the manipulative Cardinal Tremblay, his ambitions simmering beneath a veneer of civility. And Isabella Rossellini is a revelation as Sister Agnes, the enigmatic keeper of the Vatican’s deepest secrets. Her performance is a masterclass in subtlety, adding a layer of mystery and wisdom to the narrative.

Visually, Conclave is nothing short of breathtaking. Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography captures the grandeur and opulence of the Vatican with a painterly quality, evoking the works of the Baroque masters. Every frame is meticulously composed, a testament to Berger’s exacting vision. Complementing this visual splendour is Volker Bertelmann’s hypnotic and operatic score, which elevates the film’s emotional and thematic weight.

At its heart, Conclave is more than a political thriller. It is an exploration of faith, truth, and the human condition. The film poses challenging questions about belief, integrity, and the nature of power, all while maintaining a taut narrative pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant, a rare combination that sets it apart as a cinematic triumph.

Conclave is a testament to the power of cinema to provoke thought and stir the soul. With Edward Berger’s masterful direction, Ralph Fiennes’ towering performance, and its rich tapestry of themes and visuals, this is a film that will linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

Image: Roadshow Films

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From Kerikeri to Dunedin, the festival will screen from 23 October to 13 November, with five new locations making this the biggest British & Irish Film Festival to date.

Festival Director Fergus Grady is “excited to add Howick in Auckland, Napier, Whanganui, Masterton, and Rangiora to this year’s festival circuit” and plans on growing the festival further into regional New Zealand in the coming years.

Opening the festival direct from TIFF & Telluride film festivals comes Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, & Isabella Rossellini. Audiences have been wowed by the film and the premiere was full of gasps, cheers and applause, with the film now being widely discussed as a potential Oscar winner. Ralph Fiennes is also at his charismatic best in The Return, in which he stars alongside the fantastic Juliette Binoche in their first on-screen pairing in 28 years.

The line-up is full of further star-studded performances, including Andew Garfield & Florence Pugh (We Live In Time), Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne & Helena Bonham Carter (Four Letters of Love), Jude Law & Alicia Vikander (Firebrand), and Barry Keoghan (Bird).

The festival will host the New Zealand premieres for six documentaries, and a live concert which highlights the career of British band bLUR. Not to be missed is a documentary about the production company Merchant Ivory, which produced some of Britain’s most successful films from the 1960’s-90’s, including their most lauded films Howard’s End & The Remains of the Day. These two Oscar nominated films have been restored in 4K and are ready to be enjoyed on the big screen again as part of the festival.

Check out the full program below:

Opening Night Film

CONCLAVE: From Oscar-winning director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), Conclave is a riveting religious thriller that follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events–selecting a new Pope. Based on the international best-seller by Robert Harris, CONCLAVE centres on Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church.

Centre Stage

THE RETURN: Reunited for the first time since The English Patient, Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star in this gritty retelling of Odysseus’ return home from war. After 20 years away, Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognisable. The King has finally returned home but much has changed in his kingdom since he left to fight in the Trojan war.

WE LIVE IN TIME: Oscar nominees Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh deliver beautifully nuanced performances in this creatively structured romance drama from BAFTA-winning director John Crowley (Brooklyn, The Goldfinch). Tobias (Garfield) and Almut’s (Pugh) relationship has never had a dull moment. Since meeting after Almut accidentally ran over Tobias with her car, their time together has been chock-full of striking scenarios.

Enjoy the Drama

AMERICAN STAR: Ian McShane brings his brooding star power and presence to this gritty, intelligent and entertaining action thriller.

BIRD: Starring Barry Keoghan and tackling themes such as identity, sexism, loneliness, and class struggle, Bird is a compelling, ultimately joyous ode to the wondrous transition from childhood to adolescence.

FIREBRAND: In blood-soaked Tudor England, Katherine Parr (Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander), the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII (Jude Law), is named Regent while tyrant Henry is fighting overseas.

FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE: Nicholas and Isabel are made for each other, but fate does not always choose the easiest path to true love. As destiny pulls them together, so do family, passion, and faith drive them apart. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham-Carter and Gabriel Byrne

LIES WE TELL: The daunting, rambling estate of Knowl is no home for a young woman on her own, and certainly not for Maud (Agnes O’Casey, The Miracle Club)-just 18 years old. Freshly burdened with the sudden death of her father and granted inheritance to his entire estate when she comes of age at 21, Maud is alone, unschooled in the ways of society, and vulnerable. Winner of two Irish Film Awards.

POISON: Based on the acclaimed play by Lot Vekemans, POISON follows estranged couple Lucas (Tim Roth, Pulp Fiction) and Edith (Trine Dyrholm, Mary & George), who haven’t seen each other in ten years. Prompted by a mysterious summons from Edith, the couple reunite at a tragic location from their past

TARRAC: Aoife Ni Bhraoin (Kelly Gough, Broadchurch) returns home to help her father Brendan ‘The Bear’ (Lorcan Cranitch, Róise & Frank) in his recovery from a heart attack. Set against the backdrop of traditional Irish rowing, Naomhog, and filmed in Irish Gaelic.

THE SALT PATH: Based on the Sunday Times best-seller by Raynor Winn, The Salt Path is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor (Gillian Anderson) and Moth (Jason Isaacs) Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged English coast, from Dorset to Somerset.

WIDOW CLICQUOT: Based on the New York Times best-selling biography, Widow Cliquot is a visually impressive tale of resilience that leaves a pleasing aftertaste on the palette. The film tells the true story of the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (Haley Bennett, Cyrano) who, at the age of 20, became Madame Clicquot after marrying the scion of a winemaking family.

Music Lovers

blur TO THE END: an intimate moment in time with this most enduring of English bands, who have been at the heart of British culture for over three decades.

blur LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM: This unforgettable 2023 performance saw blur perform their iconic and much-loved songs for 150,000 fans in a transcendent, once-in-a-generation performance that delivered a sweep of ecstatic 5-star reviews.

Music History

THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES: Nick Broomfield’s engrossing new documentary uncovers the true story and legacy of Brian Jones, the founder and creative genius of The Rolling Stones. As a schoolboy aged 14, Nick Broomfield met Brian Jones, by chance, on a train. Brian was at the height of his success, with the world at his feet, yet just six years later he would be dead

Love and Laughter

CHUCK CHUCK BABY: A film of love, loss and music set amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory set in Wales.

THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE: Set in beautifully lush Irish countryside, is a heartwarming comedy about family, world peace… and sheep. Honouring his father’s last wish to reunite with the American side of his family, Irishman Ciáran (Colm Meaney, Layer Cake) calls his cousin, Barry (Paul Reiser, Mad About You), out of the blue with the offer for him to visit his homeland

THE RADLEYS: Based on the best-selling novel by Matt Haig, and co-written by comedian Jo Brand, THE RADLEYS is a scarily relatable black comedy with a bite. The Radleys are an ordinary family, or at least that’s what the neighbours think. No one would suspect that behind all of this, the Radleys hold a dark secret…they are vampires.

TIMESTALKER: The hilariously inventive TIMESTALKER is a romantic comedy about the eternal humiliation that is the search for love, spanning the most romantic epochs of history right into the future. TIMESTALKER follows hapless heroine Agnes (Alice Lowe, Sightseers) through time as she repeatedly falls for the wrong guy, dies a grim death, gets reincarnated a century later, before meeting him again and starting the cycle anew

Take Inspiration

HIGH AND LOW-JOHN GALLIANO: Directed by Academy-Award winner Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) delves into the captivating and complex life of the flamboyant and iconoclastic head designer at Dior, John Galliano, who soared to unimaginable heights before experiencing a public downfall that shattered his career.

MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER: Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When their famous logo came up on screen, Scorsese says, “You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic-real film magic.”

WILDING: Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling memoir by the same name, the visually stunning WILDING tells the story of a young couple that bets on nature for the future of their failing, 400-year-old estate. Isabella and husband Charlie Burrell battle entrenched tradition, and dare to place the fate of their farm in the hands of nature

Merchant Ivory

HOWARDS END: Nominated for nine Oscars and winning three at the 1993 Academy Awards, this dazzling adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel has cemented itself as a classic of the genre. Set in Edwardian England, class distinctions and troubled relations affect the relationships between two families and the ownership of a cherished British estate known as Howards End.

MERCHANT IVORY: The first definitive feature documentary to lend new and compelling perspectives on the partnership, both professional and personal, of director James Ivory (Oscar-winning writer of Call Me by Your Name), and producer Ismail Merchant.

THE REMAINS OF THE DAY: In 1993, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson reunited with the acclaimed Merchant Ivory filmmaking team for this extraordinary and moving story of blind devotion and repressed love. Based on the best-selling novel by Novel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.

There is something for everyone in this year’s Festival, so settle in with the programme book and choose your favourites! Learn more about the full line-up here.

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Watch the full trailer for Conclave below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), tasked with finding the successor to the deceased Pope, discovers the former Pope had a secret that must be uncovered.

Leading from the front with Conclave is two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes, who takes on the role of Cardinal Lawrence, a highly intelligent, thoughtful and questioning Cardinal who is given the responsibility to host the conclave that will elect the new Pope to rule over the Catholic faith, and who in his duty discovers a dangerous conspiracy that threatens the very foundation of the Church itself.

Fiennes brings his considerable presence and range to bear in the role of Cardinal Lawrence, who begins to suffer from a severe crisis of faith as he is encircled by a nest of vipers, all with their own ambitions as they vie to lead the church into the future.

A stacked supporting cast lends their considerable talents to the picture, including Sergio Castellito as the rigidly conservative Tedesco, John Lithgow as the potentially corrupt Tremblay, Stanley Tucci as the modest (and liberal) Bellini, and Carlos Diehz as the intriguing Benitez. All of these actors have a considerable force of drama at their disposal, and all will bring their aptitude for theatrics to this picture. And it shows in this gripping first trailer.

From the movement of this trailer, it’s clear that Berger is ramping up the energy with Conclave. The tension and stress placed upon Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence lead to a cinematic event that is a pure boiling point of intrigue and double-dealing, and you’ll be holding on for dear life with this picture.

Audiences seeking a highly intelligent piece of cinema that offers a pure rush of thrilling intrigue will be in for a very special cinema experience when Conclave arrives on the big screen on January 9, 2025.

Image: Roadshow Films

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Young couple Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) travel to a remote island to eat at Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant run by celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), who has prepared a lavish molecular gastronomy menu where food is treated as conceptual art, although his approach to cuisine has some shocking surprises for the wealthy guests.

Director Mark Mylod’s The Menu is a classic puzzle-box thriller and while you enter the cinema expecting one thing, it delivers an altogether different kind of cinema experience. Part character study, part thriller and delivered with plenty of satire, The Menu finds a group of elite dinners invited to a very special celebration of molecular gastronomy at the lavish and world-class restaurant, Hawthorne, which is operated by the calculating and godlike restauranter Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). While the rest of the guests are enthralled by his culinary art, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young female guest runs afoul of Slowick and soon realises that this night is not what she thought it would be. And soon all hell breaks loose.

While The Menu is best savoured in one full serving, and spoilers should be avoided, I will say that this is a film that seeks to take deliberate narrative risks and they pay off big time in the long run. Sharply written, thrilling to watch and hysterically funny at the most absurd moments, Mylod’s The Menu is a darkly satirical look at consumer culture, elitism and the influencer crowd, and it’s a very smart watch. Moment by moment and course by course the direction of the narrative gets stranger and stranger, and some very scary thrills will make you sit up as Slowik’s menacing plan comes to the forefront of the narrative.

Cast as the central character in this very edgy watch is rising A-lister Anya Taylor-Joy who is becoming an absolute go-to talent and she gives her best performance yet in The Menu. Cast as the rebellious and bolshie Margot, who is lost to the concept and extravagance of her surroundings, and who soon suspects that all is not as it seems. Like everything in The Menu, Taylor-Joy presents audiences with an extremely layered and textured performance, and she’s right up against the uneasy tension of this narrative right from the start.

Facing off against Taylor-Joy’s interruption Margot is noted thespian and multiple Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes as revered celebrity chef Julian Slowik. And his is a dark and threatening presence. As Slowik, Fiennes presents a character who is forthright and stern in his presentation. A perfectionist in every sense of the word, his devotion to his culinary craft has turned him into a mad man and now this god-like figure is about to snap. Fiennes’s performance is laced with menace and intimidation, and his diabolical menu is served to the audience with both fright and understanding. He battles back and forth with Taylor-Joy’s Margot, and the two of them have excellent chemistry that takes this picture to another level.

Cast as the third wheel of the story is Nicholas Hoult as Tyler, an egotistical and snobbish foodie fanboy who is obsessed with Slowik’s work and whose unnerving neediness will make audiences cringe. This is all deliberate though, and Hoult gives a performance that marks Tyler as a deeply loathsome and unlikeable character, and as the narrative progresses we soon learn just how despicable and unpleasant he truly is. Hoult’s presence as Tyler is parasitic and leech-like, and his performance demands to be lauded for how detestable he makes this character. He plays off of Taylor-Joy with excellence, and their appearance together makes this film a very interesting watch.

The Menu is an edgy watch, and audiences will be swept up in the shocks, scares and satire very quickly. But it does play out at its own pace and there’s a lot going on to keep audiences entranced. Cinematography and production design plays a key role in the realisation of The Menu’s narrative, and this film is a gorgeous piece of cinema to witness. The work of cinematographer Peter Deming is beautiful to behold, and he captures the texture, colour and plating of The Menu’s gorgeous and meaningful dishes with a perfect eye. The production design of Ethan Tobman and the art direction of Lindsey Moran are also key parts of the film’s sense of mood, and the delicate and polished perfection of Hawthorne holds a dark and uneasy presence throughout the film, that impacts the intensity and punch of the story.

The Menu is a sharp and edgy piece of satirical comedy-horror, and there’s a lot going on in this picture that audiences will latch onto. It’s a very inventive and smart watch, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat right up to the final moment, and it makes for one hell of a bang.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man and his protégé must race against time to stop them.

Taking audiences back to the very first chapter of the Kingsmen intelligence organisation in The King’s Man is writer/director Matthew Vaughn and he sets history on fire as only he can do. Bringing a focused and fast-moving energy to The King’s Man, Vaughn lights the furnace and sets the blaze hot for this sartorially savvy swashbuckling tale. Building off of the energy and rhythm that he brought to the previous films in the franchise, Vaughn and his team turn the clock back to the turn of the 20th century for The King’s Man and the dawn of mechanized warfare and the blood, guts and horrors of the trenches demands a new breed of hero and that’s exactly where Vaughn takes us this time around.

Vaughn lights history on fire with The King’s Man and for those who are fascinated with the dawn of the First World War, well they’ll be very pleased with how Vaughn and co-writer Karl Gajdusek pull from the true historical records to tell their story. Setting their story around and within the dawn of World War I, the director presents key historical events such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand to the squabbling of bickering cousins King George V, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicolas II to the mechanised horrors of the Western Front and he adds a terrific sense of scale and the grandiose to his narrative that he builds out before his audience. True life characters such as General Kitchener, Mata Hari, Erik Jan Hanussen, Prince Felix Yusupov and President Woodrow Wilson are all present and accounted for in The King’s Man and the result is a film that moves forward at a dramatic pace. While Vaughn’s focus is keenly focused on his narrative, he never loses sight of the true historical events and it’s amazing to watch how he uses the nuances of the past to bolster the story he presents in The King’s Man.

Standing front and centre in the middle of The King’s Man is legendary British thespian Ralph Fiennes and he’s a perfect fit to help establish the dawn of the world’s most intrepid spy agency. As the gentrified Lord Orlando Oxford, Duke of Oxford, Fiennes is a warrior of the old school and a debonair and capable operative. A veteran of the Sudanese campaign, honoured for his valour and the blood he spilt in it, he’s a man who has tried to live a different life, but who is drawn to do battle like an old lion when King and Country call for it. Fiennes gives Oxford a style and substance that is comparable to the likes of famed British adventurers such as Captain Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, and there’s a grand swashbuckling sensibility and proper knightly quality to his character. As Oxford, Fiennes is the presentation of the perfect 20th-century gentleman and the image of what all Kingsmen agents will follow in his footsteps.

While audiences have long known Fiennes for dramatic delivery, they’ve never seen him presented in this light before, and as Colin Firth did before him, Fiennes revels in his chance to be a secret agent. And he’s a damn impressive one at that. As the first Kingsmen agent, Fiennes’ Oxford is a debonair daredevil of the old guard and it’s fun to watch him take to the enemy with a sabre in hand. Fiennes literally jumps headfirst into the action of The King’s Man and whether it’s deploying the world’s first parachute or fighting a duel with the dangerous, deranged and maddening overlord known only as The Shepard, Fiennes’ Oxford proves that not all gentlemen are indeed ‘gentle men” and this modern-day knight errant makes for one hell of a hero.

Fiennes receives a key level of support in his quest to stop The Shepard’s plans for world domination in the film’s key supporting characters. There’s Harris Dickinson as his young and intrepid son Conrad, who desires nothing more than to follow in his father’s military footsteps and serve his country proud. Djimon Hounsou is in top form as Oxford’s valet and loyal compatriot Shola and he’s deadly with a blade. And then there’s Gemma Arterton is an absolutely scene-stealer as the no-nonsense nanny and sharpshooter Polly Wilkins, who won’t put up with any sulking on the Duke’s part and who is ready to put plenty of rounds down range when the time calls for it.

Particular praise for The King’s Man must also be delivered to actor Tom Hollander who portrays the key roles of royal monarchs King George V, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II, all of whom were related to one another as cousins, and all who looked distinctively identical one another. Hollander’s casting on Vaughn’s behalf is a great piece of meta filmmaking and the actor clearly had a blast getting to inhabit these key historical characters. He’s royal and majestic as King George V, gleefully villainous as Kaiser Wilhelm II and dramatically over his head as Tsar Nicholas II and Hollander holds the attention of the screen with each turn as these royal figureheads.

While the big bad of The King’s Man may be the mysterious megalomaniac known only as The Shepard, it’s Rhys Ifans as the gothic and deranged Grigori Rasputin who brings the villainy to the big screen. Long viewed as one of histories greatest villains, Ifans revels in the unsettling presence of Rasputin and he casts a grand and threatening shadow as the monstrous monk. With a certain rock-star flair, Ifans holds’ the audience’s attention as Rasputin and he’s a damn creepy villain who certainly gets under Oxford’s skin. A deplorable deviant and fiend, Ifans’ Rasputin is a steller test for Oxford and the Kingsmen to deal with and his performance will certainly make your skin crawl.

As a visual presentation, The King’s Man is gorgeous to look upon and Vaughn revels in the old-money aesthetic that he is able to apply to his cinematic canvas. From Oxford’s stately manor to royal palaces, to the blood and muck of the Western Front and The Shepard’s lair, The King’s Man is presented in a grand operatic fashion and audiences will lap up the images before them. There’s plenty of finely tailored sartorial stitching in The King’s Man as well, and the presence of the famed Saville Row plays an important part in this origin tale of the Kingsmen. Fiennes looks especially sharp in the array of perfectly tailored suits that he gets to don as the aristocratic Lord Oxford, and after watching The King’s Man you’ll have plenty of inspiration to book an appointment with your tailor.

Action is also the name of the game when it comes to The King’s Man and I had an especially cool time watching this film. The narrative’s setting with its late Georgian/early modern placement leads to plenty of wild sword duels and close quarter combat and this mix of blades and bullets certainly keeps things interesting. Two key scenes to bring up include Oxford and Shula’s confrontation with Rasputin and the wild and crazy fight that ensues, along with the brutal reality of trench warfare at the point of blade, club and axe and things get especially messy on the Western Front. Without giving spoilers away I will say that The King’s Man’s trench fight makes for one brutal watch and you’re adrenaline is sure to max out.

The King’s Man is a rousing tale of classic action-adventure tale and is presented with a real sense of showmanship and style on behalf of director Matthew Vaughn. It’s proper upper-crust cinema just the way we like it and makes the point that manners indeed maketh man.

Image: 20th Century Studios

The post ‘The King’s Man’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the full RED BAND trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man, Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and his protégé Conrad (Harris Dickerson) must race against time to stop them.

Visual maestro Matthew Vaughn jumps straight on into the action here in this bold new trailer for The King’s Man and frames it around an explosive confrontation between Fiennes’ Duke of Oxford, the adventurous Orlando Oxford and the sinister Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) and what follows is a symphony of brazen madness and explosive bombastic spy fun that audiences are going to be giddy over.

Acting as an origin tale, The King’s Man builds on previous trailers that we’ve seen and really cranks up the R-rated mayhem that the film promises. Bullets will fly, blades cut deep, heads um roll, and the staggering outlandish spy fun of this trailer is sure to leave you energised and pumped. As he has been seen in previous trailers, Fiennes is absolutely superb as the adventurous, noble and thoroughly capable Orlando Oxford, or has a mystic of the great Robert Scott about him and this adventurer for the ages is about to face his biggest challenge yet in form of the dangerous and psychotic Shepard (Matthew Goode).

Audiences have been waiting for The King’s Man with bated breath and the wait looks to have been well worth it thanks to this new trailer and audiences will be in for a rollercoaster of WWI spy action when The King’s Man arrives IN CINEMAS on December 22.

The post The explosive new trailer for ‘The King’s Man’ has arrived appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the all new trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man and his protégé must race against time to stop them.

Director Matthew Vaughn once again brings his signature style to this thumping action experience that is The King’s Man. This time around Vaughn says goodbye to Eggsy and the modern day Kingsman and instead takes us back in time to the dawn of the Kingsman Intelligence Service which was born out of the trenches of WWI, and introduces us to a group of dashing new heroes and plenty of dis-dastardly villains.

Taking on the film’s lead is venerated actor and gentleman performer Ralph Fiennes as The Duke of Oxford, a gentrified hero of the old world who is very much in keeping with the classic Scott/Shackleton adventurer and who enlists the help of his ward Conrad (Harris Dickinson) to help stop an escalating conflict that could set the whole world on fire.

Going up against the Kingsman, who also include the Djimon Hounsou’s brawling warrior Shola and Gemma Arterton’s classy and feisty Polly, are a collection of despicable villains including Rhys Ifans as Rasputin, who is sure to make for a terrifying arch enemy for the Duke of Oxford.

The crazy has been cranked up high for The King’s Man and the action looks epic on this one as The Duke of Oxford and his team of heroes dive into everything from the trenches of the First World War to the gentrified palaces of the Russian autocracy and the result is something that audiences will be spellbound with.

We’ve learnt that manners indeed maketh man, and audiences can prepare themselves to the witness the origin of this incredible action franchise when The King’s Man arrives in cinemas on September 18.

The post The brand new trailer for ‘The King’s Man’ charges forth appeared first on SpicyPulp.