At The Movies

Radical is a Mexican film based on real-life, following in the footsteps of To Sir With Love, Dead Poet’s Society and Dangerous minds. An inexperienced teacher arrives at a poverty-stricken school and turns its fortunes round. A world-wide favourite, it was the most popular film at last year’s Sundance Festival.

The Wild Robot is a heart-warming family film from Dreamworks Animation (Puss In Boots). A robot crashes on a desert island and takes on a job it’s not programmed for – mother to a baby gosling. Voice talent includes Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara. Directed by Chris Sanders (How To Train Your Dragon).

Megalopolis is Francis Ford Coppola’s multi-million dollar art film - about art, politics and the future. It stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman and Aubrey Plaza. It’s big, it’s serious, but is there anything in there?

Simon Morris weighs up the relative size of big empty spectacle and smaller stories with gripping characters. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is as spectacular as its name, but what’s it about? The Wild Robot is a surprisingly engaging tale of an abandoned appliance looking for a purpose. And Radical is the real-life story of a first-time teacher in a last-chance Mexican school.

Simon Morris sees plenty of things in common among this week’s films – horror, middle-aged women, French directors - in The Substance, Iris and the Men and Never Let Go. Is it a reflection of the times we live in, or completely random? In other words, is it a trend or just a coincidence?

Iris and the Men sees French favourite Laure Calamy (Antoinette dans les Cévennes) return in a hit from the recent French Film Festival. When her husband seems to ignore her, Iris has an answer – a dating app for dissatisfied marrieds. Suddenly it’s raining men! Written and directed by Antoinette’s Caroline Vignal.

Never Let Go is set in a dystopian future where a mother (Halle Berry) and her two young sons are under threat from a mysterious entity in the woods. Their only protection are the ropes attached to their cabin. Directed by Alexandre Aja (Crawl).

The Substance is a Cannes Film Festival winner, starring Demi Moore as an aging film-star who takes a potion that turns her into a younger version. But youth comes at a horrifying price. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat.

Simon Morris asks Annie Murray, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, why local audiences for New Zealand films are currently so low – around just three percent of the total box office? Is it poor promotion and publicity? Do audiences prefer streaming services to cinemas these days? Or are we simply making the wrong movies?

Director Tim Burton returns to his 1988 hit comedy about the afterlife. But does it still pack the same punch? It stars old hands Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, with newcomers Jenna Ortega and Monica Bellucci.

Simon Morris looks at three specifically targeted films - a sequel to Tim Burton's cult classic Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a popular documentary from a recent architecture film festival, Maurice and I, and a comedy-drama featuring a 93-year-old grandmother action hero - Thelma. He's interested to see if any of them can reach outside their audiences.

Maurice and I tells the surprisingly moving story of two of the most successful architects in New Zealand - Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney - their life, their times and their struggle to save their most famous building after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Thelma is the year's least-likely action hero on a mission to get back the money she lost to scammers. Starring 90-plus film veteran June Squibb she's out long past her bed-time, and she's not going back empty handed! Co-starring Robert Roundtree, Parker Posey and Malcolm McDowell.

Eileen is a Netflix noir, starring New Zealand actress Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) and Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) as co-workers in a juvenile prison whose relationship goes bad.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a tiny independent from Thailand that’s punching considerably above its weight. It’s being sold entirely on its ability to make audiences cry!