Wonderland.

SCREEN WONDERS

Venture into LA’s porn industry with A24’s Pleasure or transport into a modern dating dystopia in Amazon’s answer to Black Mirror: all in this week’s film round-up.

Ninja Thyberg A24 Pleasure

AMC: Soulmates

Ninja Thyberg A24 Pleasure
AMC: Soulmates

Soulmates

With Valentine’s around the corner, having the technology to find your soul mate sounds idealistic – or does it? From the creators of Black Mirror, Soulmates takes us 15 years into the future, whereby a company have developed a test that can determine the person you are meant to be with. But would you leave the life you’ve already built with someone to find the “best person” for you? Starring Bill Skarsgård , Stranger Things‘ Charlie Heaton and Malin Åkerman, the six-episode series takes us through various relationships, whereby they are put to the test through various trials and tribulations in their matching.

Pleasure

Ninja Thyberg A24 Pleasure
Ninja Thyberg A24 Pleasure
AMC: Soulmates

We heard A24 was attached to this film and we are already sold. Selected by Cannes and Sundance following its premiere, Ninja Thyberg’s Pleasure takes a deep look into the LA porn industry through baby-eyed newcomer Bella Cherry(Sofia Kappel), who comes to the city in hopes of pursuing stardom. But, all that glitters isn’t gold and we’re given an authentic look on what the industry has become. While no trailer has been released, A24 will release the full uncensored film as well an R-rated version later this year.

Dead Pigs

What do you get when you mix a bumbling farmer, with a feisty salon owner, a sensitive busboy and a bored rich girl? Apparently, a thousand dead pigs floating down a river. After her gusty solo adventure with Harley Quinn for Birds of Prey, Cathy Yan returns with high octane social satire Dead Pigs. Taking us through a complex network of narratives that brings this group together, Yan brings us into each of their lives with a witty script and strong cast. With The Hangover’s Mason Lee and Joker’s Zazie Beetz onboard, this film is looking like a head-turner.

Old

While his films often spark controversy, with the likes of Lady in the Water and the infamous The Last Airbender causing quite a stir between critics and fans, this doesn’t stop director M. Night Shyamalan as he is returning with psychological thriller Old. Set on a lush beach with a picture-perfect family, the thriller takes the phrase “I want to grow up” to another level, as somehow within a few hours, the family begin to age rapidly. With their entire lives reduced to a single day, the family must figure out what is happening to them and how to stop it before it’s too late.

Tyger Tyger

Dylan Sprouse’s new pandemic film isn’t related to COVID-19, as timely as it might be, it was filmed long before our own global crisis. Written and directed by Kerry Mondragon, Tyger Tyger takes us on Robin Hood journey, of sorts, as a woman (Sam Quartin) robs pharmacies and enlists a drug addict (Sprouse) to help distribute the stolen medication to those in need. The personal and magical story of love and addiction during a pandemic speaks to young people today facing daunting challenges, and is set for release on digital platforms on February 26th.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

With WandaVision currently taking up our Friday nights, we’re already craving another Disney+ series to takeover the gap when complete, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is looking like the right fit. Set to arrive March 19th, Man About Town cover star Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are respiring their roles of Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Solider for another action-packed adventure. In a new full-length trailer that dropped during the Super Bowl commercial break, we see the pair try and balance their tense relationship, while trying to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers aka Captain America.

Fast & Furious 9

With eight blockbuster films already breaking the laws of physics with turbocharged cars and ever-lasting runways, we’re not sure how the ninth film will raise the already sky-high bar, but with Cardi B, Bow Wow and Nathalie Emmanuel along for the ride, it might be possible. Debuting its adrenaline-fueled trailer during the Super Bowl commercial break, the film continues after The Fate Of The Furious where Dominic Toretto and his family must face his younger brother Jakob, a deadly assassin who is working with their old enemy Cipher (Charlize Theron). Additionally, Finn Cole, Sung Kang and Helen Mirren are all attached to the film that is taking us into outer space – strap in tight.

Raya and the Last Dragon

Make way for our new Disney princess as lone warrior Raya is set to blow Frozen out of the water. Featuring an almost entirely Asian American cast with the likes of Awkwafina, Sandra Oh and Gemma Chan, the latest Disney film transports us back in time to the world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived in harmony. But when sinister monsters attack the land, dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. 500 years later, warrior Raya is left to save the day with her companion Tuk Tuk, setting out to find the last dragon and save the day. The heartwarming drama is set to land March 5th on Disney+.