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ESP’s chief film critic, Gavin Miller, and his 12-year-old son, Joshua, went to the opening weekend launch of the latest Star Wars movie – with a glorious IMAX screening of The Mandalorian and Grogu. After more than half a decade it’s great to see Star Wars back on the big-screen! Even though it’s not a part of the Skywalker saga – or has closer ties like previous spin-offs Rogue One and Solo – this is still an enjoyable romp in a galaxy far, far away. It’s left to boun

A deeply unsettling slow-burn horror that gets under your skin – and stays there. In what has already been a very strong year for the genre, Obsession is easily one of the stand-outs. Written and directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Curry Barker, the film follows Bear (played by Michael Johnston), a socially awkward young man whose fixation on a woman – Inde Navarrette’s Nikki – spirals into something increasingly disturbing after he is granted a wish that ‘she will love h

A gloriously ridiculous nostalgia trip that understands exactly what fans came for. When I was younger, me and my best mate spent countless hours playing Mortal Kombat. We’d sit there arguing over who got to be Scorpion, whilst button-mashing our way through fights. So it was a no-brainer inviting him to watch Mortal Kombat 2 with me. For both of us, it was a wonderful dose of nostalgia. We’d watched the 2021 reboot a few years ago, and while it was enjoyable enough, ther

A charming, surprisingly clever family mystery with real old-school heart. When my seven-year-old son and I first saw the poster for The Sheep Detectives, and he immediately announced that he wanted to see it, I’m not going to lie – I rolled my eyes a little. Yes, I’d done that terrible thing of judging a book by its proverbial cover. Having now seen it, I can happily admit I was far too quick to judge. Directed by Kyle Balda – the filmmaker behind animated hits like Minions

A glossy, nostalgic celebration that plays it safe – but still hits plenty of high notes. I used to make film review videos on YouTube with my best mate, and we came to the same conclusion: sometimes, analysing a film too closely can actually take away from the experience. You start searching for flaws instead of simply enjoying what’s in front of you. Lately, I’ve tried to just watch films without overthinking them – and that really shaped how I experienced Michael. Directed

Despite kudos for trying something different – this unravels into a disappointingly overlong bore. Director Lee Cronin had ‘money in the bank’ after his impressive 2023 Evil Dead Rise sequel – which brought him lots of genre acclaim – but this new take on the iconic monster franchise is tonally all over the place. With his pedigree – coupled with the decent trailer – this horror promised so much. But despite a few admirable ideas, this isn’t a lot better than the 2017 Tom Cru

Get ready, set – BAKE! The Great British Bake Off Musical will raise the roof as well as the Victoria sponge in this great new production. Westwood Musical Society have been entertaining us since 1930 and the latest talented team continue to bring us amazing quality performances that are always well put together and highly entertaining. Now they’re ready to cook up a storm with their production of The Great British Bake Off Musical at Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre running fr

A slick, sharply paced rise-and-fall story with plenty of charm – and just enough bite. A fair few years ago, I remember watching a documentary about two Scottish lads who told a lie that very quickly got out of hand. It’s one of those stories that stuck with me – the kind that randomly pops back into your head every now and then. So in many ways, it felt inevitable that one day it would be turned into a film. California Schemin’ tells that story. The movie follows two wannab

Yes, there’s definitely more fan service than you can squeeze into the Milky Way – but it still hits the spot when it comes to the target demographic. The uber-successful 2024 animated original didn’t thrive on its script, and this is absolutely no different. This definitely won’t bother the Best Animated Film nominations at the Oscars next year, that’s for sure. But it still does two massive things right: once again the world is a colourfully zesty palate of luscious eye-can

A slow-burning relationship piece that thrives on tension, secrecy – and one very bad decision. The marketing for The Drama was, quite simply, perfect. The first I heard about this film was when a rather amateur-looking photo of Zendaya (Dune) and Robert Pattinson (The Batman) appeared in the wedding announcements section of a newspaper – as if it were a genuine engagement notice. Naturally, the internet went into meltdown. Was it real? Was it a stunt? What was going on? Then

Cast phot: Red Wellies Photography We’re going ‘ga ga’ for PODS latest production of We Will Rock You – a killer of a great night out if you love Queen and musicals. It’s not easy to scale a West End hit to local theatres but they’ve put their stamp on it and so far we haven’t been disappointed by a PODS production yet. We have some amazing local talent here and the opportunities groups like this provide for local performers is to be applauded. The casting is great with every

A colourfully chaotic adventure that truly earns its ‘fun for all the family’ badge. The Magic Faraway Tree brings Enid Blyton’s beloved classic to the big screen in a vibrant, big-hearted adaptation directed by Ben Gregor, with a screenplay by Simon Farnaby. Having previously worked on family favourites like Paddington 2, Farnaby brings that same warmth and humour here, while also giving the story a noticeable modern polish – updating the tone and dialogue just enough to mak

The first major blockbuster of the year is a truly impressive spectacle – even if it does get a little repetitive along its route. This sci-fi adventure – from author Andy Weir (The Martian) – signals an impressive return to live-action from the directors behind the Spider-Man: Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie franchises. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had well-chronicled issues bringing the Solo: A Star Wars Story to the big-screen, but venture back into the galaxy to empha

A blood-soaked sequel that knows exactly what it is – and has a lot of fun with it. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come picks up right where the first film left off – quite literally. We once again find ourselves with Samara Weaving’s Grace, covered head to toe in blood, sitting outside the smouldering remains of a crime scene, calmly puffing on a cigarette. It’s an iconic image, and the sequel wastes no time throwing us straight back into the chaos. For those who haven’t seen the or

A fun premise that runs out of steam well before the film runs out of victims. Writer-director John Patton Ford – who previously made a strong impression with the gritty 2022 crime thriller Emily the Criminal – shifts gears into dark comedy for his latest outing. Though this time the results are far more scattergun. Glen Powell – still trying to move up the Hollywood ladder after headlining last year’s divisive The Running Man remake – stars as Becket Redfellow, a man disowne

A bold, stylish monster movie that almost stitches together something truly special. Reviews for The Bride! have been all over the place. I couldn’t help but notice that both The Times and BBC handed out four-star ratings, while Empire Magazine gave it just two. Having now seen it myself, I can honestly say I understand both sides of that debate. The film is written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal (star of The Dark Knight), following her acclaimed directorial debut, The Los

This definitely won’t trouble the Disney/Pixar animation greats – but there’s still much to enjoy with this eco-adventure. In the town of Beaverton, young Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) spends time with her Grandmother (Karen Huie) in the local forest glade, home to an eclectic range of wildlife – including a colony of beavers – and develops a deep love for the natural world. Years later – after her Grandma has passed – Mabel attempts to rally the community after popular town May

The classic horror franchise plays it incredibly safe with this fan-pleasing helping of nostalgia. This seventh instalment moves from the original playground of Woodsboro – via New York for the sixth movie – to the quiet home town of Pine Grove, where legendary original teenage survivor Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has built a new life. Here we get a stereotypical (and unfortunately quite monotonous) mom and daughter angst sub-plot to proceedings – after a commendable ope

A chaotic, high-concept sci-fi that feels strangely familiar... There’s something immediately intriguing about Have Fun, Good Luck, Don’t Die, the latest from Gore Verbinski, the lauded filmmaker behind The Ring and the original Pirates of the Caribbeam Trilogy. His knack for blending big ideas with off-beat tone is very much on display here, resulting in a film that feels both ambitious and gleefully unhinged. The story follows a man from the future, played by Sam Rockwell (

Photos: Jack Merriman Photography Lock your tickets in for The Shawshank Redemption at the New Theatre Peterborough this week. The clunk of the doors locking sends a shiver through you as the spotlight hits three half naked new prisoners clutching their clothes close as they begin their stretch inside. The oppressive and imposing set plunges you inside ‘the Shank’ capturing the claustrophobic confines of life in this brutal prison. The lighting and simple set changes are real