Bad Habits Die Hard (2020). A young man gets to meet his girlfriend's family and discovers that they are more terrifying than he could ever have imagined. Satirical horror from Italian director Riccardo Papa that mixes dark humour and bloody death to great comic effect, it's absolutely hilarious for the most part and the ending makes perfect sense which you rarely get nowadays with a modern film. Fortunato Cerlino and Federica Sabitini are both outstanding in their respective roles. A- Available on M4uhd stream.
Arthur's Empire (2026). A burnt out magazine writer in search of a human interest story gets sent to Blackpool and meets elderly Arthur, whose antique hall is earmarked for closure with the building about to be turned into luxury flats. Small scale British drama that in its own wryly amusing way captures the moral malaise of today's Britain. Arthur's Empire is low budget filmmaking with a big heart and a fair amount of brain to go with it. Recommended. B Available on YouTube.
Parallel Tales (2026). Sylvie, a once famous but now fading author decides to spy on her neighbours across the way as she seeks inspiration for a new novel. Life imitates art, all the characters are voyeurs to a greater or lesser extent and what's real or fiction is the one constant theme that runs throughout Parallel Tales. French drama with a hint of mystery, the chaotic narrative can be a bit challenging at times but PT is still a fascinating watch, the starry cast (Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassell, Virginie Efira, Catherine Deneuve) are all superb, it's capably directed by Iranian auteur Ashgar Farhadi. A- Available on Look2movie stream.
