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Film reviews

<p>Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in ‘Friendship’</p>

The Paul Rudd comedy Friendship is the funniest film of the year

Paul Rudd and the ‘I Think You Should Leave’ cringe-king Tim Robinson navigate an increasingly mortifying dynamic between newfound buddies in this breathtakingly awkward comedy

<p>Rihanna as Smurfette in the dismal animated reboot ‘Smurfs’</p>

Rihanna’s Smurfs movie is obnoxious, confusing and very unpleasant to look at

<p>David Corenswet in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’</p>

James Gunn’s Superman will make you believe in comic book movies again

<p>Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger in David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’</p>

David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds is more than just a thriller

<p>Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan in ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’</p>

The Ballad of Wallis Island is an upbeat spin on Stephen King’s Misery

A folk-rock hero (Tom Basden) is tricked into a reunion with his ex-bandmate (Carey Mulligan) in this gentle musical comedy about fame and fandom, that blessedly steers clear of mawkishness at every turn

The Ballad of Wallis Island is an upbeat spin on Stephen King’s Misery

A folk-rock hero (Tom Basden) is tricked into a reunion with his ex-bandmate (Carey Mulligan) in this gentle musical comedy about fame and fandom, that blessedly steers clear of mawkishness at every turn

<p>Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan in ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’</p>

<p>Gillian Anderson in ‘The Salt Path’</p>

This Gillian Anderson homeless tale is just too neat and tidy

<p>Steve Carell in Jesse Armstrong’s ‘Mountainhead’</p>

Mountainhead is an exquisite satire from the creator of Succession

<p>John Krasinski in Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain of Youth’</p>

Guy Ritchie’s radar for smart nonsense rescues Fountain of Youth

<p>Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal in Oliver Hermanus’s ‘The History of Sound’</p>

Cannes 2025

Paul Mescal’s gay drama The History of Sound is severely anticlimactic

<p>Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal in Oliver Hermanus’s ‘The History of Sound’</p>

Cannes 2025

Paul Mescal’s gay drama The History of Sound is severely anticlimactic

<p>The Disney live-action remake machine has rendered Stitch in spiritless CGI</p>

The live-action Lilo & Stitch is a travesty

<p>Mélissa Boros in Julia Ducournau’s ‘Alpha’</p>

Cannes 2025

The French horror film so tedious it prompted walkouts at Cannes

<p>Nicolas Cage in ‘The Surfer’</p>

The Surfer allows Nicolas Cage to go wild – then leaves him hanging

The actor plays a desperate businessman left stranded in the sweltering Australian heat in this manic thriller, but the film’s themes struggle to align with his go-for-broke performance

The Surfer allows Nicolas Cage to go wild – then leaves him hanging

The actor plays a desperate businessman left stranded in the sweltering Australian heat in this manic thriller, but the film’s themes struggle to align with his go-for-broke performance

<p>Nicolas Cage in ‘The Surfer’</p>

<p>Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-chan and Bowen Yang in ‘The Wedding Banquet’</p>

The Wedding Banquet is a sillier take on Ang Lee’s Nineties romcom

<p>Gunslinger: Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’</p>

Watching Alec Baldwin’s fateful western Rust is a miserable experience

<p>A delightful creation: Blake Lively in ‘Another Simple Favour’</p>

Blake Lively delights in the otherwise silly Another Simple Favour

<p>Trademark frown: Florence Pugh in ‘Thunderbolts*’</p>

Thunderbolts* is the best Marvel film in years – for one simple reason

<p>Trademark frown: Florence Pugh in ‘Thunderbolts*’</p>

Thunderbolts* is the best Marvel film in years – for one simple reason

<p>Ben Affleck in the action sequel ‘The Accountant 2’</p>

Ben Affleck sequel The Accountant 2 turns autism into a punchline

<p>The bird is the word: Steve Coogan in ‘The Penguin Lessons’</p>

Steve Coogan isn’t earnest enough for the dire The Penguin Lessons

<p>John Magaro in ‘September 5’</p>

Munich Olympics drama September 5 is the wrong film for the moment

Tim Fehlbaum’s film, focussing on the live TV coverage of the deadly attacks, takes an infuriatingly context-light approach to its subject

Munich Olympics drama September 5 is the wrong film for the moment

Tim Fehlbaum’s film, focussing on the live TV coverage of the deadly attacks, takes an infuriatingly context-light approach to its subject

<p>John Magaro in ‘September 5’</p>

<p>Misery business: Barry Keoghan in ‘Bring Them Down’</p>

Barry Keoghan spirals into catastrophe in the stark Bring Them Down

<p>Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Mike Leigh’s ‘Hard Truths’ </p>

Mike Leigh’s Bafta-nominated Hard Truths will make you laugh and cry

<p>Oscar frontrunner: Adrien Brody in ‘The Brutalist’</p>

Oscar frontrunner The Brutalist is a colossal cinematic achievement

<p>Behind Liu: a ghost haunts Rebekah and her family in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’</p>

Steven Soderbergh’s Presence radically subverts haunted house cliches

<p>Behind Liu: a ghost haunts Rebekah and her family in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’</p>

Steven Soderbergh’s Presence radically subverts haunted house cliches

<p>Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet in ‘A Complete Unknown’</p>

Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan biopic plays too safe

<p>Uncanny valley: Robin Wright and Tom Hanks in ‘Here’ </p>

Tom Hanks’s new film Here is a stilted, manipulative disaster

<p>Life’s a beach: Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in ‘Queer’</p>

Daniel Craig is marvellous in the erotic fever dream of Queer

Luca Guadagnino follows up his triumphant tennis drama ‘Challengers’ with another tale of seduction and desire

Daniel Craig is marvellous in the erotic fever dream of Queer

Luca Guadagnino follows up his triumphant tennis drama ‘Challengers’ with another tale of seduction and desire

<p>Life’s a beach: Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in ‘Queer’</p>

<p>It’s not a knockout: Aaron Taylor-Johnson in ‘Kraven the Hunter’</p>

Kraven the Hunter is an abysmal farewell to Sony’s Spider-Man universe

<p>I am (also) no man: Gaia Wise’s Héra in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’</p>

The animated Lord of the Rings is a rushed money-grab

<p>Dog’s dinner: Amy Adams in ‘Nightbitch’ </p>

Amy Adams deserves better than the dog’s dinner that is Nightbitch

<p>Depp trouble: Lily-Rose Depp in Robert Eggers’s ‘Nosferatu'</p>

Nosferatu is the most profoundly frightening horror film in years

<p>Depp trouble: Lily-Rose Depp in Robert Eggers’s ‘Nosferatu'</p>

Nosferatu is the most profoundly frightening horror film in years

<p>Lost at sea: Auliʻi Cravalho voices the titular seafarer in ‘Moana 2’</p>

Moana 2 needed better songs (which may be good news for parents)

<p>Papal person: Ralph Fiennes in ‘Conclave’ </p>

Ralph Fiennes’s Oscar-tipped Conclave needed more than shock and awe