REBEL DREAD
Fri 4 March
William E Badgley constructs an in-depth look at the life and times of the legendary Don Letts. With contributions from Jazzie B, Norman Jay and Mick Jones, this lush documentary examines Letts’ relationship with a nascent punk scene, and how he introduced dub and reggae to the punks, influencing a whole generation of bands.
He grew up in Britain during the late ’60s and ’70s, against an ever-present backdrop of racism, police harassment and violence. Finding meaning and shape to his life through the music he loved, he went on to become an award-winning promo and feature director, and a central figure in rock.
Rebel DreadTHE BATMAN
Fri 4 March
Matt Reeves directs a new iteration of the ‘World’s Greatest Detective’, promising a return to the darker, more brooding themes presented in the graphic novels by writers like Frank Miller and Jeph Loeb – in particular, the growing pains charted by the former’s iconic Year One.
You know the deal by now. There’s an orphaned billionaire, obsessed with wearing tights, hitting people and hunting action on moonlit streets. Suddenly, there’s a huge explosion and a dangerous criminal threat to the city he’s vowed to protect. Everyone’s favourite violent vigilante is now played by Robert Pattinson – which could be a perfect piece of casting to thrust a new dimension onto this evergreen antihero.
The BatmanA BANQUET
Fri 11 March
Starring Luther’s Sienna Guillory, Ruby Stokes from Bridgerton, Jessica Alexander and Lindsay Duncan, Ruth Paxton’s directorial debut is uncompromising and unsettling.
A widowed mother is tested to the limit when her teenage daughter appears to experience a profound moment of enlightenment. Then, the youngster starts to insist her body is no longer her own, but now in service to a higher power. Bound to her newfound faith, she refuses to eat, but loses no weight. In an agonising dilemma, torn between love and fear, her mother is forced to confront the boundaries of her own beliefs. Is this an act of adolescent rebellion or a psychological break? Do past traumas play their part?
A BanquetHIVE
Fri 11 March
Blerta Basholli directs this poignant Albanian film about the human cost of conflict. Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi and Aurita Agushi star in this Sundance triple award-winner, and Kosovo’s official submission for the Academy Awards, which traces the real-life experiences of Fahrije Hoti.
Like many women in Kosovo, Fahrije is hoping for news about her husband, who is still missing after the war. Widows are not expected to work, but to provide for her family she joins forces with other widows to start a business producing ajvar. Against a backdrop of civil unrest and lingering misogyny, Fahrije and her friends struggle to find hope in the face of an uncertain future.
HiveRED ROCKET
Fri 11 March
Directed by Sean Baker, this comedy drama indie hit sees Simon Rex as Mikey Saber, a formerly successful but now nearly penniless adult entertainer. After a 17-year absence, he returns to Texas City, his Gulf Coast hometown. Badly bruised and almost broke, he’s allowed to stay at the modest home shared by his estranged wife and her mother, provided he gets a job and performs household chores.
Hindered by a two-decade ‘gap’ in his CV, he eventually persuades a marijuana dealer to give him a job selling drugs. Unfortunately, he quickly discovers most of his former neighbours don’t really want him back in town.He might have the gift of the gab, but every decision only makes his situation worse.
Red RocketDOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA
Fri 18 March
Upstairs, downstairs and milady’s chamber, Simon Curtis directs a sequel to the enormously successful Downton Abbey. While everyone secretly considers opening a gift shop at the house (to offset the growing costs of running a country pile through some brisk fridge magnet and tea towel sales), our favourite gang of well-bred types decamp to a villa in France.
The 1930s are approaching, and the Crawley family get on with some polite conversation, sophisticated soirées and feel-good adventures. But can they enter the modern age with their dignity and good name intact? It’s a time of massive social change and geo-political upheaval, and even the formidable Lady Mary can’t stop that.
Downton AbbeyOPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE
Fri 18 March
Espionage, intrigue, international travel and no apologies to Dean Martin’s Matt Helm series from the ’60s (ask your grandad). We again hit a sweet spot for director Guy Ritchie’s talents. Starring glittering turns from Jason ‘The Stath’ Statham, Aubrey Plaza and Josh Hartnett, it’s a welcome rush of high-tempo action and occasionally ridiculous fun.
Super spy Orson Fortune and his team of top operatives recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star, Danny Francesco. They obviously need his help on a ludicrous undercover mission to stop billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds. He’s peddling a new weapons technology which threatens to disrupt the world order. Hugh Grant’s performance is worth the ticket alone.
Operation FortuneTHE OUTFIT
Fri 18 March
Can we ever get enough of Mark Rylance? I’m telling you it’s just not possible. Now he teams up with Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, and Johnny Flynn in the directorial debut of Graham Moore. This gripping and masterful thriller sees an unassuming émigré fearing for his life at the hands of a notorious group of gangsters.
Leonard is an English tailor who used to craft suits on London’s world-famous Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he now finds himself in Chicago, running a small tailor shop in a rough part of town where he continues to make beautiful clothes. Unfortunately, the only people who can regularly afford them are a particularly vicious local crime family.
The Outfit