Our favourites this month
The movies onboard are handpicked from major award winning titles, festival favourites, Hollywood Blockbusters and World Cinema.
After Yang
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith
Set in the near future, After Yang explores what happens to a family when their android, Yang, malfunctions. As dad Jake (Farrell) investigates, questions of bereavement and rules of service arise in a ruminative character study that’s as thought-provoking as it is symbolic.
Ambulance
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González
Strap in. Because as you might expect from director Bay, this is a very fast-moving Ambulance indeed. In it is Gyllenhaal, who has stolen the medic wagon in question after his daring heist has gone awry. Now the chase is well and truly on – and what a pulse-pounding chase it is.
The Batman
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz
It’s been a long time coming, but this latest iteration of the dark knight starring Pattinson as Batman (sorry, ‘the’ Batman) has been well worth the wait. As Bats goes up against the fearsome Riddler, the result is Batman the way mother used to make: dark, tortured and intense.
Dog
Starring: Channing Tatum, Ethan Suplee
Dog lovers! Channing Tatum lovers! Film lovers! You’ll all adore this this wonderfully warm comedy about an army ranger who must escort the dog of his dead commander to the officer’s funeral. Needless to say, all does not go to plan.
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter
This second big-screen Downton outing sees Britain’s best-loved stately home playing host to a film crew. Needless to say, there are plenty of upheavals in store, but since it’s all done in the usual gentle fashion, the end result is a nice, warm bath in movie form. Bliss.
The Duke
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren
Based on the true story of the 1961 theft of The Portrait of the Duke of Wellington, this comedy from recently departed director Michell is an absolute treat. Broadbent is the somewhat hapless thief, Mirren his long-suffering wife. Both are (of course) superb.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis
Any attempt to explain a plot about the owner of a launderette (Yeoh) plunged into an insane adventure involving different versions of the same universe is bound to end in failure. So we won’t. Suffice to say, this is just as brilliantly insane and action-packed as it sounds.
The Humans
Starring: Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer
A film of psychological suspense, The Humans corrals a brilliant ensemble cast into the tale of the Blake family who get together to celebrate Thanksgiving. However, as night falls, strange things begin to occur and long-buried family tensions surface with tragic results.
Montana Story
Starring: Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague
Superbly performed mix of family drama and post-modern Western as siblings return to their childhood ranch in order to be with their dying father. In doing so, they must confront some long-buried secrets.
The Northman
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Alexander Skarsgård
From horror auteur Eggers comes this violent and offbeat tale of Viking prince Amleth, who sets out to avenge his father’s murder. It’s epic in scale, incredible to look at and packed with stunning performances. Kidman’s turn in particular is showstopping.
The Outfit
Starring: Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch
Superb, cerebral thriller in which Rylance – brilliant, as ever – plays an expert tailor who fashions exquisite clothes for a family of local hoodlums. One night, however, the mobsters make a demand that he can’t refuse. What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The Phantom of the Open
Starring: Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins
Hugely entertaining true-life story of how, in 1976, amateur golfer Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) managed to gain entry to The British Open Golf Championship. Flitcroft then went on to play the worst round in Open history – but became a national hero in the process.
The Quiet Girl
Starring: Carrie Crowley, Catherine Clinch
This exquisite Irish-language film tells the tale of nine-year-old Cáit, who escapes a toxic family life and goes to live with distant relatives on a farm. At first her kin seem be a breath of fresh air. However, all is not what it seems...
The Railway Children Return
Starring: Sheridan Smith, Jenni Agutter
Released in 1970, the original The Railway Children is a bona fide family classic. Four decades later, this sequel sees Agutter return as Bobbie (a grown-up version of the character she played before) and looks set to become every bit as beloved as its predecessor.
The Survivor
Starring: Ben Foster, Danny DeVito
No doubt about it, The Survivor is not exactly an easy watch, focusing as it does on the real-life tale of Jewish boxer Harry Haft, who fought fellow inmates while imprisoned in Auschwitz. After the war, haunted by his actions, Harry goes in search of redemption...
Top Gun Maverick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly
Taken from a videogame and owing a huge debt to Indiana Jones, this action-packed adventure might not be original but, thanks to the chemistry of stars Holland and Wahlberg, not to to mention some gobsmacking action sequences, is a pure joy from soup to nuts.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Tiffany Haddish
Nicolas Cage plays Nicolas Cage in this meta-comedy in which he takes a humdrum acting job only to find himself caught up with a superfan who may not be all he seems. Packed with action, very funny and featuring Cage doing peak Cage, this is a scream from start to finish.
Family and Kids
Traveling with little ones? The Kids section is a safe place to keep your kids entertained with movies, TV, audio and games suitable for small eyes and ears. For older children (and the young at heart), check out our Family genre.
Don't forget...
These are our top picks this month, you'll find plenty more movies to choose from once you're settled in onboard.
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