Film Focus

In episode 219 of Film Focus, I review The Mandalorian and Grogu, the next adventure from the Disney+ TV show and the first Star Wars film since 2019. Prior ot this film's release there was a lot of skepticism and concern. Having Star Wars return to the big screen with a sequel to a TV that not everyone has watched? Interesting. Then there was the marketing that didn't do much to sway people who w...

In episode 218 of Film Focus, I review The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to the box office hit of 2023. Going into this, I was cautiously optimistic. While the first film had incredible animation, a fabulous score, and plenty of varied game references, it fell short in terms of story and character development. With this sequel being based on one of my favourite games, Super Mario Galaxy, I...

In episode 217 of Film Focus, I discuss one of my most anticipated films of the year, Project Hail Mary—adapted from Andy Weir's bestselling novel and starring Ryan Gosling. I’ve been looking forward to this adaptation ever since it was first announced, and the early buzz only heightened my enthusiasm. I didn’t manage to watch it until a few days after opening weekend, but I saw it in IMAX and fel...

In episode 216 of Film Focus, I review two of the biggest trailers that dropped in March 2026: Dune Part Three and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Both of these films are in my top five most anticipated of the year, and I have been eager to see some footage for some time. However, I didn't expect to see trailers for both not only within a day of each other but also to be so good and to significantly bo...

In episode 215 of Film Focus, I recap my highlights from the 98th Academy Awards. I haven't covered the Oscars on this podcast since 2020, probably because I lost interest in nominations and winners from previous years. However, 2025 featured a number of films I enjoyed, and I was curious to see who would win in specific categories, especially for Best Score, Actor, Supporting Actor and Actress, D...

In episode 214 of Film Focus, I review Hoppers, Pixar's latest film. I didn't have much hype going into this film. However, having seen a trailer about two weeks before the film and read about the highly positive reviews, I found myself intrigued. So, is this another good entry for Pixar or not? Listen to this spoiler-free review to discover the answer! Theme music by Indi – check out his work: @i...

In Episode 213 of Film Focus, it’s a double bill of animation with The Day The Earth Blew Up and Goat. Both are visually stunning but have very different tones and ambitions. One taps into Looney Tunes nostalgia and chaos, whereas the other attempts to continue Sony Pictures Animation’s hot streak of redefining modern animation. But do they live up to expectations? Here’s my spoiler-free breakdown...

In episode 212 of Film Focus, I review 'Iron Lung.' Soon after the release of Return to Silent Hill, another horror game adaptation emerged. This one was produced on a much smaller budget and created by the well-known YouTuber Markipiler. I watched this film without prior knowledge, having only heard about it online a few weeks earlier and not watching any trailers. I was simply eager to discover...

In episode 211 of Film Focus, I review 'Return to Silent Hill.' So we now live in an age where video game adaptations are plentiful, and several of them are actually pretty good, especially on television; however, in film, it's still hit-or-miss, depending on the IP being adapted. With Return to Silent Hill, this is the third attempt to make a film based on the games, and this one is a direct adap...

In episode 210 of Film Focus, I review '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.' Hello everyone. I know it's a bit late, but I'm finally here with my first full review of 2026, and I couldn't think of a better film to start with than this one. Last year, '28 Years Later' was a memorable cinema experience. While it wasn't for everyone, some aspects of the film intrigued me enough to see its sequel. With N...

Good day to you, ladies, gents, and fellow people. Welcome to the first episode of the new year! In episode 209 of Film Focus, I share my top 10 most anticipated films of 2026. 2026 has a lot of interesting and varied films that will be released between now and December, and there's plenty to be excited about, but there's also a fair amount of concern. So, as usual, I'll discuss the films I'm look...

Good day to you, ladies, gents, and fellow people. In episode 208 of Film Focus, I share my top 10 films of 2025. There have been a lot of films released this year, and I haven't had the chance to see nearly as many as I would've liked, but I have compiled a list of my favourites, and I think it's a nice mixture of films. It has been a little tricky to put this list together, and several films did...

In episode 207 of Film Focus, I discuss the recent sneak peek of the upcoming Street Fighter film. I've been very curious about this adaptation from the moment it was announced, through the change of directors, to the official cast reports. The reception surrounding this film has been quite mixed, and with the release of the official character posters and teaser footage, the online conversation ha...

In episode 206 of Film Focus, I deliver a special discussion on the Predator franchise and the latest film instalment, Predator: Badlands — Adapt or Die. Initially, this was meant to be a review of Badlands, but as I reflected on the film more in the week after watching it, my thoughts expanded to the entire franchise. In this episode, I discuss the Predator films from 1987 to 2018, then cover Dan...

In episode 205 of Film Focus, I share my review of 100 Meters, the anime film adaptation of the manga created by Uoto. I’ve been curious about this film since late summer, and funnily enough, I never watched any trailers before seeing it. All I had was the premise and some posters online, but that was enough to pique my interest. I’m not a big sports fan, but if a film is made well, I’ll definitel...

In episode 204 of Film Focus, today, I return with my thoughts on the first trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. A few days ago, Nintendo held a short Nintendo Direct to show off the new trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, along with the announcement of who would be voicing Rosalina and Bowser Jr. As you may know from two previous podcast episodes, I love Mario Galaxy and think there’s...

In episode 203 of Film Focus, I return to my Hopes and Fears series for the the upcoming animated Mario film; The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Just over a week ago, Nintendo officially debuted the teaser trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and that announcement sparked many thoughts about what this sequel will contain. The Mario Galaxy games are some of the most beloved and contain a lot of mat...

In episode 202 of Film Focus, I return to my Hopes and Fears series for the upcoming Tron: Ares. So, Tron Ares is about a month away, and I'm cautiously optimistic about it, especially with the trailers. However, some aspects of the story and characters concern me. In this episode, I wanted to share my hopes and fears for the film. Hope you enjoy this episode. Theme music by Indi – check out his w...

In episode 201 of Film Focus, I share my thoughts on the first trailer for Mortal Kombat 2 and the second trailer for Tron: Ares. Both films debut in October, and I am excited yet cautious about both. Mortal Kombat 2 is a sequel to the 2021 film, which I enjoyed but recognised had several issues. I am cautiously optimistic about the sequel, given the cast and interviews from the creative team, whi...

In episode 200 of Film Focus, I finally get to discuss one of my most anticipated superhero adaptations in years — The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It’s felt like a long road to get to this film. Over the years, we’ve seen several Fantastic Four adaptations, but none have truly captured the spirit of the source material or resonated with audiences the way other superhero films have. Now, with Marv...

In episode 199 of Film Focus, I share my thoughts on the new DC superhero film; Superman. There has been a lot of hype and concern about this film since its annoucnement, from James Gunn being chosen as the director to casting to the era of comics that would be influencing the film, and so on. The point is, there was a lot riding on this as it was not only another try at bringing Superman to the b...

In episode 198 of Film Focus, I share my thoughts on the latest film in the Jurassic Park/World franchise; Jurassic World Rebirth. After the last entry in the Jurassic World series, I was ready to take a break from the franchise, but then Universal announced another instalment sooner than I expected, and I was sceptical. However, with the inclusion of David Keopp and Gareth Edwards as writer and d...

In episode 197 of Film Focus, I share my thoughts on the latest Pixar film; Elio. Pixar have been in an odd place in the last 5 years with the reception of their films released during and after COVID floating between good to okay with a couple exceptions to the rule. And while I had seen some of the advertising for Elio, there wasn't anything that seemed too enticing for me. However after hearing...

In episode 196 of Film Focus, I finally get to share my review of the latest film from director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland; 28 Years Later. Since it was announced I was very much on board for this film and it has been one of my most anticipated films of the year. I was very curious to see how we would return to this world and what has changed since the previous films in the series. So was...

In episode 195 of Film Focus, I review the latest film in the Predator series; Predator: Killer of Killers. So this is not only the first anmated film in the franchise but also the first anthology too. And with solid trailers and knowlegde that Dan Trachtenberg had returned to help direct this project, I had many reasons to be excited. So was the film a good time or not? Well listen to this spoile...