Along with four new cinema debuts (three of them suitably in the horror/thriller category for the day after Halloween AKA All Saints’ Day), this week also brings South African movie fans a few more specialist options. These include Bollywood offerings Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3; opera Grounded in very limited release; along with the one-week return of everyone’s favourite 80s welder-by-day-exotic-dancer-by-night tale Flashdance.
As for the four new films, learn more about them now.
From All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger comes mystery thriller Conclave, based on the bestseller by Robert Harris. Following the surprise death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with overseeing the covert process of choosing the Holy Father’s replacement. However, with the Catholic Church’s most powerful figures all locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers both a disturbing conspiracy, and equally dangerous secret. Also with Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini.
Filling your trashy sci-fi thriller quotient this week is Subservience. With his wife in hospital, Michele Morrone’s struggling father turns to a cutting-edge robot named Alice (Megan Fox) to help run the household. But the situation soon turns deadly when the android develops an obsessive attachment to her new owner, and decides that the true threat to his happiness is his family.
Despite the previous two films skipping cinema release in South Africa, notorious gorefest Terrifier 3 has made the cut, so to speak. In the latest instalment of this cultishly popular slasher series from writer-director Damien Leone, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their lives after surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre. Christmas looks like a chance to leave past events behind, until Art returns.
New week, new animated adventure that few people have ever heard of. A bit more self-aware and diverse than others, though, Rebellious offers a modern twist on the classic fairy tale formula, where headstrong Princess Mina (Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld) is kidnapped by an sorcerer, and initiates her own escape. Meanwhile, her scholarly fiancé Ronan must use his wits to reach her before his rivals.