Film Reviews by Adam Ray Palmer
As the world slowly gets back on the right track (hopefully), it will mean one day very soon that cinema doors will be opening for a social distant movie experience.
So, for the month of July, for the first time in three months, I am stepping away from purely Netflix. As it stands, the below movies are out in July! If not, I have a backup for each… let’s get to it.
THE OLD GUARD
Charlize Theron is back with a bang. She is getting her action-thriller hat back out the wardrobe in The Old Guard. This Netflix original movie follows a covert team of immortal mercenaries who are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.
A TV director veteran in Gina Prince-Bythewood is in the director’s chair in what will be her fourth film as a shot caller. There are rumblings around the film world that The Old Guard is a proper old school thriller; ready to blow the surround sound of your lounge speakers on the opening night. Starring alongside the irreplaceable Theron is the brilliant Chiwetel Ejiofor and once Harry Potter darling, Harry Melling.
On Netflix: 10th July
TENET
Christopher Nolan just doesn’t do bad films. So, when that first Tenet trailer dropped a few months ago, I was pumped. It looks very much like the whole of Nolan’s back catalogue of movies into one film. Tenet centres on one man (John David Washington) who is armed with only one word — Tenet — and fighting for the survival of the entire world, he journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
Confused already? Well Nolan did make Inception! There’s so much mystery to this film currently, so much so that it would be crazy for it to be pushed back. If it is delayed, it has to be released on 02.11.20 right?
In cinemas: 17th July
Anyway, if this doesn’t get the go-ahead, I recommend a night in on the sofa with The Umbrella Academy; a series with lots to get your superhero teeth stuck into. Season one is live now!
MULAN
The live-action remakes have served Disney well over the last five years, and I think Mulan will be no different. The animation was a huge success, and 2020 is ready for another powerful female lead. The narrative is not only thrilling, but an important one. If the cinema release does go ahead, I’m expecting a great box office return here.
Mulan follows a young Chinese maiden (Yifei Liu) disguising herself as a male warrior in order to save her father. This movie was a classic when I was growing up, and I certainly have a soft spot for it. This is the live-action film that Hollywood has needed to put out for Disney. Bring it on.
In cinemas: 24th July Again, if this is pushed back, I recommended another night on the sofa with The King of Staten Island that is out on demand now. It’s a Judd Apatow comedy with much sensitivity – well worth your time.
What’s coming up with Cineroom?
For the next couple of months, Netflix and film screeners will still be my friends! There’s a few E-Festivals in the pipeline and we will go from there! For now, stay safe and stay home. Follow Cineroom on Facebook and Twitter and I’ll see you next month!
Adam Ray Palmer