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James Mottram
SCMP Contributor
James Mottram is a film critic and journalist based in London. As well as writing for the SCMP for over 10 years, he’s also written a number of books on cinema including The Sundance Kids, The Making of Memento and Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History.
James Mottram is a film critic and journalist based in London. As well as writing for the SCMP for over 10 years, he’s also written a number of books on cinema including The Sundance Kids, The Making of Memento and Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History.
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival may have lacked its usual blockbusters, but that gave indie films more exposure. Here are 10 of the best.
A film within a film within a film, Bitter Christmas examines the relationship between life and cinema.
Director Yeon Sang-ho of Train to Busan fame explains how AI and social media anxiety inspired the zombies in his new horror film.
Fjord, set in a remote Norwegian village with stunning backdrops, explores a religious couple’s clash with Norway’s Child Protection Services.
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Director James Gray returns to his mob roots in this film about two brothers who fall foul of the Russian mafia in New York. Also stars Miles Teller.
This tale of voyeurism in Paris, starring Vincent Cassel, Virginie Efira and Isabelle Huppert, lacks any tension or romantic intrigue.
Little more than a series of cartoonish ultra-violent vignettes, Mortal Kombat II feels as antiquated as the amulet the characters chase.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 tackles journalism’s digital shift and changes within the fashion industry since the first film came out in 2006.
While the film is packed with great performances, it is an utterly sanitised view of Michael Jackson’s life and the allegations he faced.
Donald Glover, Brie Larson and Benny Safdie join the cast in this sequel to 2023’s hugely successful The Super Mario Bros Movie.
They Will Kill You delivers dark comic madness, with Zazie Beetz taking a magnetic turn as an ex-con battling satanic elites in New York.
Good casting and funny moments aside, this horror sequel with Sarah Michelle Gellar is heavier on bloodshed than on new ideas.
Ryan Gosling plays an astronaut on a mission to save Earth in this film directed by The Lego Movie’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Pixar’s Hoppers sees a young animal-lover use secret technology to pilot a robot beaver to recruit real ones and stop a construction project.
The filmmaker talks about her journey from Osaka to Hollywood and how her new film with Fraser as a fake dad was inspired by her childhood.
Controversy overshadowed an engaging selection at this year’s Berlinale, the best of which included Rose, Josephine and Queen at Sea.
Singaporean director portrays ordinary folk with dignity in the final film in his ‘Growing Up’ trilogy with Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler.
Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s beautiful debut feature is sure to excite fans of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, even if a muddled plot lets it down.
A beautiful conclusion to Anthony Chen’s ‘Growing Up’ trilogy, We Are All Strangers is a study of family and love in all its forms.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights captivates with stunning visuals in the Yorkshire Moors and sizzling chemistry between Elordi and Robbie.
The Norwegian drama with Stellan Skarsgard and Elle Fanning won the Grand Prix at Cannes and has 9 Oscar nods. What makes it so appealing?
McAdams has a ball as an office drone stranded on a desert island with her boss in this entertaining horror/black comedy from Sam Raimi.
Streaming platform Mubi teams up with Hong Kong’s M+ museum and Chanel to put the spotlight on 10 films, including a John Woo short.
Chris Pratt plays a detective accused of murder who has 90 minutes to clear his name in this ‘screenlife’ thriller that fluffs its third act.
Fiennes plays a bigger role alongside Jack O’Connell in this unsettling follow-up that sets the franchise up for a grandstand finish.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Sam Spruell star in this touching drama about a father struggling to bring up his two boys after his wife dies.
Hollywood faces a pivotal year of change in 2026, with the potential Netflix/Warner deal, AI actors and nostalgia fever among key factors.
Avatar: Fire and Ash sees the Na’vi again fighting for survival in an action-packed sequel that introduces Pandora’s menacing Mangkwan clan.
Full of puns, visual gags and a song written by Shakira and Ed Sheeran seemingly on constant play, Zootopia 2 is a fun if predictable watch.
