The Long Walk ★★★★☆
Directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez. 16 cert, gen release, 108 min
Gripping adaptation of Stephen King’s early dystopian novel about a walking race in a totalitarian United States. Fall behind and you are shot dead. The only survivor takes home the prize. Hoffman plays the introverted, dogged Raymond Garraty, a young man hoping to make up for sins against his father. Jonsson, among the best young British actors of the age, is an intelligent cynic with a mysterious scar. The two form a cautious friendship as antagonists drop around them. It’s gripping stuff that makes good use of unmistakable analogies. The walk is the US. The walk is life. Full review DC
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues ★★★★☆
Directed by Rob Reiner. Starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Kerry Godliman, Chris Addison, Nina Conti, Paul McCartney, Elton John. 15A cert, gen release, 84 min
This surprisingly touching sequel to the immortal This Is Spinal Tap finds the band, now into old age, re-forming for a gig in New Orleans. The film-makers satisfactorily blend an embrace of the old gags with a canny understanding of what has changed. Their manager now wants them to move like a K-pop act. Their new drummer is an open-minded lesbian. What really distinguishes The End Continues, however, is the creators’ decision to lean deeply into ageing. Disputes need to be healed more quickly, as this may be the last chance of reconciliation. A late flashback will set eyes dampening. Full review DC
RM Block
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale ★★☆☆☆
Directed by Simon Curtis. Starring Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Elizabeth McGovern, Paul Giamatti, Hugh Bonneville, Joely Richardson. 12A, gen release, 124 min
Finale? Promises, promises. The tiresome third movie wrung from the hit TV show Downton Abbey sends the titled Crawleys off to the races. For diehard fans of the franchise, that may be enough. For everyone else, this curtain call feels like midseason filler. The production designer Donal Woods makes a dull country-fair storyline look magical. But for all the nostalgic gibberish, this latest instalment stalls and curdles. Downton once possessed the charm to transform Allen Leech into a lord of the manor. Its dwindling appeal could now turn an ardent monarchist into a Kneecap fan. Full review TB
From Ground Zero ★★★★☆
Directed by Rashid Masharawi. Featuring Aws Al-Banna, Ahmed Al-Danf, Basil Al-Maqousi, Mustafa Al-Nabih, Bashar Al Balbisi, Alaa Damo, Awad Hana. 12A cert, limited release, 113 min
From Ground Zero, a collection of 22 short films created by Gazans under siege, was notably absent from Cannes film festival 2024 after it was controversially deselected from the programme. The films, curated by the Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi – who screened the collection on the Croisette anyway, in protest – vary in length and tone. Some are frontline reportage, some are fiction and others blur the line between categories. Cohesion is tenuous, but that mirrors the chaos and unrest of life in Gaza. Full review TB
