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Even though it looks like the trademark Minions tomfoolery is starting to wear thin – they at least tried hard to change up the narrative. With the third movie in the series – and seventh in the wider Despicable Me/Minions universe – there’s no doubt that the slapstick humour is being played out. There’s simply only so much you can do – even with much-loved one-dimensional characters – until the ‘well runs dry’. But kudos to the film’s creators for coming from a different ang

An entertaining cosmic adventure that never quite feels like the next big step for DC. When the rebooted Superman landed last year, the reaction from critics was mostly lukewarm. A lot of people seemed underwhelmed – but it had its supporters. Personally, I had a really good time with it. Sure, I thought it could have been stronger considering it was launching DC's brand-new cinematic universe, but I walked out entertained and optimistic enough about what was to come. That’s

A surprisingly heartfelt farewell! Blimey! I never thought I'd be writing about how a Jackass movie made me emotional. I remember being around 16 when Jackass first aired on MTV, and I genuinely couldn't have been more the target audience. My mates and I were obsessed - although, to be fair, so was seemingly every other teenager on the planet. Every Monday we'd meet up at school, talking about the latest stunts, laughing at what we'd watched and, despite the warnings at the s

The fifth instalment in any franchise has no right to be this good. While the Toy Story trilogy was nicely wrapped up in 2010, it’s no surprise that Disney/Pixar keeps milking this cash cow – and you could be forgiven for thinking the series may break at some point. The fourth movie didn’t quite shine as brightly as the first three – even though perfectly solid in its own right – so how would this prevent a potential decline? By making it poignantly topical – and with heaps o

Steven Spielberg returns after a four-year directing hiatus with an intriguing and thought-provoking slice of cinematic entertainment. This sci-fi thriller definitely comes into the ‘solid’ category of the legendary helmer’s movie work – but doesn’t quite compete in the upper echelons of his iconic back catalogue. In real terms it’s – in my humble opinion – about on a par with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. If that yardstick is any help of course, depends how much you li

The Wayans are back... but unfortunately they didn’t bring the magic with them. I have such a soft spot for the original Scary Movie, released at the start of the Millennium. To really show my age here, I can remember spending hours trying to download the trailer on painfully slow internet. Every half an hour or so, my mates and I would get another few seconds loaded, watch it, then laugh hysterically before waiting for the next bit to buffer. At the time, it felt like the fu

Photo: Tracy Shankland Peterborough actor set to terrify audiences in new Prime Video horror film Peterborough has produced its fair share of homegrown talent over the years, and here at ESP Magazine, we're always proud to shine a spotlight on local creatives who are making their mark. One of those rising stars is actor Jamiyka Jones, who is set to appear on screens around the world later this year after landing the title role in upcoming indie horror film The Snow Demon, dir

Everything seemed to be coming together for this blockbuster reboot of a dormant franchise – hoping for potential greatness. But sadly the Powers of Grayskull don’t seem to have been strong enough – as this tonally doesn’t really hit the mark. Mattel’s mega-popular range of toys, which sparked a childhood animation that were a weekly mainstay of schoolkids’ TV schedule (including mine), did manage to get an underwhelming Dolph Lundgren-led 1987 movie. But this universe was ye

This has pretty much come out of nowhere to already become one of the biggest indie horror hits of all-time – after a sensational opening weekend worldwide. It was actually my son, Joshua, who gave me the back story to this ‘found footage’ web series-turned-movie from creator Kane Parsons – who directs this in his film debut – which probably helped better than going in ‘completely cold’. And if it lives up to the hype will definitely depend on a certain point of view – as thi

This is an easy-going musical comedy – which works best when you stop comparing it to greatness. I walked into Power Ballad with huge expectations. I’m a massive fan of writer-director John Carney and his previous music-focused movies Once, Sing Street and Begin Again. All three are easy recommendations for anyone who loves films about music. This latest effort follows Rick (Paul Rudd), a former aspiring musician whose dreams of stardom never quite worked out, and who now mak

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

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

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