Dave Calhoun is Time Out's Global Chief Content Officer, based in the UK. Dave has held several roles at Time Out in both the UK and the USA, including Global Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Global Film Editor. He started his career at Time Out directing cinema coverage for Time Out's London magazine. He was previously Deputy Editor at Dazed and has worked for organisations including The Guardian, the British Film Institute, Hibrow.tv and Bafta.

Dave Calhoun

Dave Calhoun

Global Chief Content Officer

Articles (139)

The best animated movies of all time to add to your watch list

The best animated movies of all time to add to your watch list

Cartoons aren’t just for kids, of course. But for most kids, cartoons are where a love of movies often starts. No matter how highfalutin your taste in movies as an adult, chances are, your first cinematic obsession was an animation – whether it was a classic of Disney’s Golden Age or its ‘90s renaissance period, a Pixar heart-tugger or perhaps even a Studio Ghibli masterpiece. It’s a love most of us never never fully grow out of, either. Ask any parent about the joys of early child-rearing and they’ll undoubtedly tell you about showing their kids a cartoon they loved as a young’un. It’s a magical experience you get from few other forms of entertainment.   But the best animated movies don’t just appeal to kids, nor childhood nostalgia. They work on multiple levels, for broad audiences and age groups. In composing this list of the greatest animated movies ever made, we polled Time Out writers and experts including Fantastic Mr Fox’s Wes Anderson and Wallace and Gromit’s Nick Park, and the results run the gamut, from from those Disney, Pixar and Ghibli no-brainers to stop-motion nightmares, psychedelic headtrips, illustrated documentaries and bizarre experimental features that are decidedly for adults only. The movies on this list may make you feel like a kid again – but they may also blow your grown-up mind in ways you never expected.  Written by Trevor Johnston, David Ehrlich, Joshua Rothkoph, Tom Huddleston, Andy Kryza, Guy Lodge, Dave Calhoun, Keith Uhlich, Cath Clarke and M
Os 100 melhores filmes de terror de sempre

Os 100 melhores filmes de terror de sempre

Um homem sábio e violento perguntou certa vez: "Gostas de filmes assustadores?". A pergunta certa, porém, é: quem não gosta de filmes assustadores? Não existe emoção mais poderosa do que o medo. E podemos experimentá-lo de forma controlada, através do entretenimento. Claro, todos temos os nossos limites: nem todos estão preparados para ver um palhaço demoníaco a serrar uma mulher ao meio (embora os lucros de bilheteira sugiram que há um número surpreendente de pessoas que está). Mas até os mais medrosos gostam de um pequeno susto de vez em quando. O género de terror está a viver um grande momento de renascimento, tanto junto dos espectadores como da crítica. Em 2024, alguns dos maiores e mais comentados filmes do ano (I Saw the TV Glow, O Coleccionador de Almas, A Substância e o sucesso de bilheteira Terrifier 3 – Aterrorizante) pertencem ao género. Mas o terror tem uma longa história, que remonta ao início do cinema. Quer ter os nervos à flor da pele? Com estes 100 clássicos, é provável que o encontrem escondido atrás do sofá quando os créditos finais estiverem a rolar. Textos de Tom Huddleston, Cath Clarke, Dave Calhoun, Nigel Floyd, Phil de Semlyen, David Ehrlich, Joshua Rothkopf, Nigel Floyd, Andy Kryza, Alim Kheraj e Matthew Singer. Recomendado: As escolhas dos peritos
The 100 best British movies

The 100 best British movies

British cinema is as diverse and ever-shifting as the country itself. In 2024, it encompasses everything from David Lean’s historical epics to Ken Loach’s socialist missives, and Steve McQueen’s muscular biographical dramas to Joanna Hogg’s intimate mood pieces. Danny Boyle’s pitch-black comedy ‘Trainspotting’ is a quintessential British film – but so too, in another way, is the Richard Curtis-penned romcom ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. And more recent dazzling recent such as Charlotte Wells' aching coming-of-age tale ‘Aftersun’ and Molly Branning Walker's prickly, ambiguous ‘How to Have Sex’ are pushing the medium into bold, bracing new territory. In compiling this list of the best British movies of all-time, we surveyed a diverse array of actors, directors, writers, producers, critics and industry heavyweights, including Wes Anderson, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Sam Mendes, David Morrissey, Sally Hawkins, Thandiwe Newton and the late Terence Davies. Unsurprisingly, it’s a richly varied and fascinating collection of must-see movies. Written by Dave Calhoun, Tom Huddleston, David Jenkins, Derek Adams, Geoff Andrew, Adam Lee Davies, Paul Fairclough, Wally Hammond, Alim Kheraj, Matthew Singer & Phil de Semlyen Recommended: 💂 50 great British actors🔥 The 100 best movies of all-time🎥 The 100 best movies of the 20th century so far🇬🇧 The 100 best London songs 
The 100 best movies of all time to watch right now

The 100 best movies of all time to watch right now

Even for someone who’s been mainlining movies since they were in diapers – and one of those film geeks who wants to know what the thousandth and second film they need to watch before they die is – I’m constantly awed by the cinematic canon. From the early silents of Keaton, Chaplin, Wiene and Eisenstein, which established the building blocks for the horror, comedy and action movies we still flock to see today, not to mention their editing and storytelling techniques, to the epic visions of contemporary auteurs like Christopher Nolan, film is an artform that continues to evolve and astonish. The medium has survived the advent of telly, the arrival of streaming and the filmography of Pauly Shore, and I’m optimistic it will continue to blow us away for decades to come. So what are those definitive masterpieces that continue to dazzle and delight many years after they first came out? Our team of experienced film writers debated, squabbled like kids and finally parsed down thousands of choices into a list of a mere hundred. It’s totally subjective, of course, but we believe this century of classics belongs in the pantheon. And even if you disagree with the picks, my hope is that every one of them will spark joy – whether for new viewers or anyone looking to revisit them. Possibly for the umpteenth time in the case of The Godfather, Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark and a few others. Have a browse and share your thoughts with us on social media.  🔥 The best films of 2024 (so f
The 100 best horror movies of all time

The 100 best horror movies of all time

A wise, violent man once asked: ‘Do you like scary movies?’ The better question, though, is who doesn’t like scary movies? Is there any feeling more exhilarating than a jolt of fright, especially if it’s in the form of entertainment? Sure, we all have our limits: not everyone is up for watching a demonic clown saw a woman in half. (Although the box office returns suggest a surprising number of people are.) But even the most squeamish scaredy cats enjoy a light bump in the night every now and then, especially when October rolls around. Horror is the midst of a major renaissance moment, commercially and critically. In 2024, some of the biggest, buzziest movies of the year – I Saw the TV Glow, Longlegs, The Substance and the aforementioned box-office shocker Terrifier 3 – belong to the genre. But horror has a long history, dating back to the earliest days of cinema. Looking to have your nerves rattled? These 100 classics are guaranteed to have you hiding behind your couch by the time the credits roll. Written by Tom Huddleston, Cath Clarke, Dave Calhoun, Nigel Floyd, Phil de Semlyen, David Ehrlich, Joshua Rothkopf, Nigel Floyd, Andy Kryza, Alim Kheraj and Matthew Singer Recommended: 🔪 The best new horror movies of 2024 (so far)🔥 The 100 best movies of all time👹 Cinema’s creepiest anthology horror movies🩸 The 15 scariest horror movies based on true stories
The 50 greatest gangster movies of all time

The 50 greatest gangster movies of all time

Damn it feels good to be a gangster. Or at least, that’s what the movies tell us. In reality, it seems like a bum gig. Always looking over your shoulder, unsure of who you can trust. Do you even have time to enjoy all that ill-gotten money you’re making? On screen, though, the gangster life has a certain glamour, even if it depicts many of those same drawbacks. Living outside the law? Having money, power, respect? Sounds pretty fun, at least to experience vicariously for two hours at a time. And so, here is our tribute to cinema’s gangsters, in all their many forms, from hard-boiled mobsters to yakuza enforcers to street-level bosses ruling over city blocks. Gangster movies are themselves diverse: some are loud and violent, others smooth and calm. Some are horrific, others romantic or funny or just plain weird. So let’s crack open the bank vault and look around – because in these films, crime does pay. Recommended: 😬 The 100 best thriller movies of all-time💣 The 101 best action movies ever made🔪 The 31 best serial killer movies🕵️ 40 murder mysteries to test your sleuthing skills to the max
The best comedy movies of all time

The best comedy movies of all time

Comedy gets no respect, no respect at all. Sure, everyone loves to laugh, and just about every film buff has a comedy movie they hold close to their heart. But for some reason, when it comes to awards and canonisation, comedies still get short shrift in the history of cinema. That’s probably because, more than any other genre, comedy is dependent on context. What’s funny in 1924 might land with a thud in 2024. And that’s to say nothing of varying tastes in humour.  That makes coming up with the best comedy films of all time especially tricky. We had to ask ourselves: what makes a truly great comedy? There’s many criteria, but one of the most important is the question of: ‘Is this film still funny now, and will it still be funny five years, ten years… a century from now?’ With the help of comedians like Diane Morgan and Russell Howard, actors such as John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker and a small army of Time Out writers, we believe we’ve found the 100 finest, most durable and most broadly appreciable laughers in history. No matter your sense of humour - silly or sophisticated, light or dark, surreal or broad - you’ll find it represented here.  Recommended: 🔥 The 100 best movies of all-time🤣 The best comedies of 2024 (so far)🥰 The greatest romantic comedies of all time
El TOP 5 de la cartellera de cinema

El TOP 5 de la cartellera de cinema

Si ja és difícil estar al dia de tot el que es pot fer a Barcelona, imagineu estar al dia de tot el cinema que es pot veure a la nostra cartellera! Per això en aquesta llista trobareu les nostres cinc pel·lícules favorites, algunes que s'estan a punt d'estrenar i també aquelles imperdibles que no podeu deixar escapar abans que desapareguin dels cinemes (i no us oblideu de consultar la llista de les estrenes del mes). NO T'HO PERDIS: Les 51 millors pel·lícules per veure en família
As 100 melhores comédias: os filmes mais hilariantes do cinema

As 100 melhores comédias: os filmes mais hilariantes do cinema

A comédia é um género frequentemente ignorado pelos prémios e pela crítica. Mas produzir uma grande comédia, uma comédia intemporal, é uma das maiores conquistas no cinema. É uma forma de arte em grande parte dependente do contexto: aquilo que faz uma plateia chorar a rir em 2024 pode ser recebido mais tarde com olhares vazios – nem sequer é preciso passar meio século, como é muitas vezes o caso; bastam alguns anos de diferença. Por isso mesmo, aqueles que nos fizeram rir durante décadas são verdadeiramente especiais. Para elaborar esta lista das 100 maiores comédias de sempre, pedimos a comediantes como Diane Morgan e Russell Howard, a actores como John Boyega e Jodie Whittaker e a uma pequena legião de escritores da Time Out sobre os filmes que mais os fazem rir, e por mais tempo. Ao fazê-lo, acreditamos ter encontrado as melhores, mais intemporais e amplamente apreciáveis 100 comédias da história do cinema. Independentemente do seu sentido de humor – disparatado ou sofisticado, leve ou sombrio, surreal ou mais abrangente – vai encontrá-lo representado aqui. Recomendado:🔥 Os 100 melhores filmes de sempre🥰 As melhores comédias românticas de sempre
The 101 best sex scenes in movies of all time

The 101 best sex scenes in movies of all time

Sex scenes are back! After a chaste period that had the internet wondering why cinema had lost its libido altogether, big-screen nookie has made a comeback. From Poor Things’ orgy of ‘furious jumping’ to Passages’ complex, elicit ménage à trois, to All of Us Strangers’ tender gay romance and Femme’s much less tender one, sex is everywhere you look – and it’s all to the good. Because while Jermaine Stewart wasn’t wrong when he sang that: ‘you don’t have to take your clothes off to have a good time’, some well-judged on-screen sex can definitely help a filmmaker tell their story – and ideally, not in a porn-y, lascivious, exploitative way. Because as a means of deepening a romance, building character, shocking and provoking an audience, there’s plenty to be said for kicking off the undies and getting down to it. But there’s a bigger story here, too, because the story of sex scenes is the story of cinema: a slow evolution from Hays Code-era censorship to a more open and honest view of human behaviour marked by sudden advances in what’s depicted – and more than a few regressive ones, too. The good, the bad and the ugly – looking at you, Last Tango in Paris – are all represented by the 101 entries below, a list that show how films’ steamier sides has shaken up the medium – and the world. Sorry Jermaine, but we’re taking cinema’s clothes off.  Written by Dave Calhoun, Joshua Rothkopf, Cath Clarke, David Ehrlich, Phil de Semlyen, Daniel Walber, Trevor Johnston, Andy Kryza, Daniel Wa
ギャング映画ベスト30

ギャング映画ベスト30

タイムアウト東京 > 映画 >ギャング映画ベスト30 映画の歴史が始まって以来、映画人は法の外で生きる人々に魅了されてきた。この世紀余りの間、ギャングの神話にはトンプソン・サブマシンガンを乱射するハードボイルドなマフィアから、拳銃さばきを芸術の域にまで高めたヤクザの殺し屋、スリーピーススーツを着た大物マフィア、ブロックの端までしか縄張りを持たないストリートレベルのボスまで、多くのキャラクターが登場してきた。 ギャングという職業はじつに多様で、それはギャング映画も同じだ。確かに派手で暴力的な作品も多いが、頭脳的なもの、物悲しいもの、氷のように冷たく静かなもの、ロマンティックなもの、コメディタッチのもの、気味の悪いものなど、さまざまだ。ここでは、タイムアウトワールドワイドが選ぶ歴代最高のギャング映画から30作品を紹介する。 では、我々とともに銀行に押し入り金庫の扉を開けてみよう。大丈夫。取り上げた作品の中では犯罪は割に合うのだから。 関連記事『ナイトアウトを思いきり楽しむ方法』『人生で観ておくべき、日本映画ベスト50』
Te invitamos a ver Indiana Jones y el Dial del Destino

Te invitamos a ver Indiana Jones y el Dial del Destino

La quinta película de Indiana Jones juega a lo seguro en territorio familiar y logra un impulso energético que se mantiene durante su larga duración, en parte sosteniendo momentos humanos más tranquilos al mínimo. Indiana Jones y el Dial del Destino nos muestra a Indiana (Harrison Ford) como un académico malhumorado y afligido a fines de los sesenta en Nueva York, lo que le permite al envejecido arqueólogo y aventurero rozarse brevemente con la modernidad de la carrera espacial y los jóvenes hippies. El director James Mangold y los escritores, incluidos los hermanos Butterworth, saben lo que realmente hace funcionar al viejo Indiana: nazis, trenes a toda velocidad, cuevas espeluznantes y serpientes aterradoras. Y aquí los tenemos todos, comenzando con un prólogo ambientado en Europa en los últimos días de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y continuando con un villano nazi con anteojos (Mads Mikkelsen) que sigue a Indiana de un período al siguiente. Ah, y el propio Arquímedes tiene un cameo. Hay ecos de historias pasadas y rostros familiares (para los fanáticos nostálgicos), pero la nueva en la escena es Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), la ahijada de Indiana e hija de su compañero. Helena sabe lo que hace en lo que respecta a la misión de la película: recuperar una máquina que dobla el tiempo, la Antikythera, construida por el mismo barbudo Arquímedes. Pero Helena adopta un enfoque mercenario de la antigüedad. “Lo único en lo que vale la pena creer es en efectivo”. Teniendo en cuenta qu

Listings and reviews (402)

Hold On to Your Butts

Hold On to Your Butts

3 out of 5 stars
There’s nothing specifically Christmassy about this fun, DIY-flavoured spoof run-through of the entire plot of Jurassic Park which is headlining the festive season at Dalston’s Arcola Theatre. But this likeable and deeply silly show nevertheless has the anarchic spirit of panto lingering below the surface. You’re never far from shouting ‘behind you’ at an imaginary dinosaur, or, more accurately, an actor with three cones on his head pretending to be an ill triceratops.  The less you know about Jurassic Park, the more likely you are to be confused as two actors – Jack Baldwin and Laurence Pears – tear through the entire story of the 1993 movie. But at least being lost won’t feel like a slog. The show’s energy and inventiveness is impressive enough to drag audiences through stretches when they’ve lost the plot, which the company recalls with remarkable fidelity while allowing themselves plenty of side gags and improv moments. Charlie Ives acts as an onstage foley artist, giving us live sound effects from dinosaur roars to buzzing electric fences, all using the likes of glass jars, cutlery and a computer keyboard. Leaning into frenetic physical comedy, Baldwin and Pears dash through all the main characters, from Richard Attenborough’s madcap theme-park entrepreneur to Sam Neill’s kid-phobic paleontologist. The doomed lawyer is a red tie tethered around one of their hands; the film’s little-boy character is just a red backpack they carry with them.  If you’re looking for throwawa
Hard Truths

Hard Truths

4 out of 5 stars
It’s over 50 years since British filmmaker Mike Leigh made Bleak Moments – a debut title that set the tone for a career if ever there was one. Leigh is now 81, and his wise and painful new film, Hard Truths, is the story of a London woman, Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a middle-aged wife and mother stuck in a cycle of anger and resentment that Leigh is not about to break simply because it would give us a sense of relief.  Pansy is played with remarkable power by Jean-Baptiste. Put simply: Pansy is a piece of work. She snaps constantly at her family, husband Curtley (David Webber) and adult son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett), and both of them are near-mute in the wake of her constant, bitter hectoring. She picks arguments in shops and car parks. She doesn’t have a nice word to say about anyone. The only person to whom she shows vulnerability is her sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin), a hairdresser whose warm rapport with her own grown-up, confident, happy daughters is in sad contrast to the absence of any real connection in Pansy’s suburban London household. Bleak moments? There are too many here to count – so many, in fact, that they coalesce into an upsetting portrait of someone whose plunge into depression and self-loathing is deep. It also means the moments of joy and relief – and they’re here – are extremely welcome.  The moments of joy and relief are extremely welcome In scale, this is a small film for Leigh; it feels contained and restricted. But that feels appropriate for P
Pan Pacific Orchard

Pan Pacific Orchard

5 out of 5 stars
This architecturally swaggering hotel opened its doors in summer 2023 and is impossible to miss if you’re passing through Singapore’s busy, upscale Orchard Road district. Pan Pacific Orchard appears from a distance like an ultra-modern experiment with Jenga or space-age Lego, with four huge open spaces designed into the body of the towering building, top to bottom, and three huge, plant-covered columns doing the job of holding the entire thing together. It’s a bold statement of the hotel’s attempt to fold nature into the fabric of the hotel, inviting the outside world in, rather than shutting it out. You can imagine a building like this popping up in a future instalment of the Avatar movies, and it's fully deserving of its title as the best tall building in the world in the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Development (CTBUD) Annual Awards for 2024. Pan Pacific Orchard is no less enchanting up-close: its open-aired reception area embraces the city’s warm air rather than battling against it with incessant air conditioning. You step off the chilled ground-floor courtyard straight into the hotel’s bright and welcoming downstairs restaurant (where the daily breakfast is a feast of local and international options). It’s a bold theme that continues as you move upwards through the hotel: almost the entire fifth floor is dedicated to an outdoor pool area with its own aqua bar; the 11th floor has its own lawn primed for special events; and the 18th floor offers a final al fresco sp
An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls

4 out of 5 stars
This review is from 2016. ‘An Inspector Calls’ returns for 2024. Did Stephen Daldry know something we didn’t? This revival of the director’s landmark 1992 National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s 1945 play ‘An Inspector Calls’ opened a day after the result of the US election. How could anyone in the audience have heard the echo of Priestley’s plea for goodwill, compassion and solidarity and not thought it could have been written yesterday? Back in 1992, Daldry blew the cobwebs off Priestley’s 1912-set play by stressing two things: the ’40s context in which he wrote it, and its universal appeal – how it’s about us. So we still drop in on the upper-crust industrialist Birling family – mum, dad, son, daughter and the daughter’s fiancé – in an Edwardian town. They’re drinking, laughing and gossiping at home one evening when the mysterious Inspector Goole arrives with questions for each of them about a young local woman who has committed suicide. One by one, each member of the family is put on the spot about their links to the dead woman. Priestley’s argument – not always subtle, but in the end effective – is that none of us lives in a bubble. Our actions have consequences. In this production the Birlings’s home looks like a creepy, lopsided doll’s house: it’s slightly too small for them and for the show’s opening minutes they’re locked inside and we strain to hear and see them, like observers at a human zoo. Outside, a silent ensemble headed by a young boy in shorts is dress
Hilton Porto Gaia

Hilton Porto Gaia

4 out of 5 stars
The Hilton Porto Gaia is a stylish recent addition to Vila Nova de Gaia (or just Gaia), which is technically a separate city from Porto, but in reality it’s just a quick walk across the bridge and the Douro river from the city centre. It’s a short way up a hilly side street that you’ll find the Hilton. It’s a slick, unapologetically modern hotel with the air of a luxury business hotel. Its public spaces are airy and welcoming, starting with the large lobby, and crowned by its cocktail bar, Magma, which has great views across the river to Porto. The hotel’s facilities are generally strong – it has a wellness centre, complete with swimming pool – and my experience was that the overall service was warm and easy. The hotel’s food and drink offering hits a high standard. It offers a sprawling and varied buffet breakfast in a spacious dining room. I was happy to try some impressive local dishes and wine at dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Composto, where the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.  I was lucky to try one of the hotel’s King Duplex Suites, one of its most expensive and spacious options, but all the rooms feel fresh and contemporary (the hotel only opened in 2001).   Neighbourhood The riverside area of Gaia that houses the Hilton has been redeveloped in recent years and become a popular spot for eating and drinking. There are several port wine cellars to visit in the area, and if you’re especially excited about local foodstuffs there’s also the Fantastic World of Po
Hotel Wallace - Orso Hotels

Hotel Wallace - Orso Hotels

4 out of 5 stars
The Hotel Wallace is one of seven charming and affordable boutique hotels run under the umbrella of the Orso brand in Paris. The Wallace’s 45 rooms are decorated in a ‘rétro-chic Italienne’ style that nods back to the 1970s Italian Riviera and the rooms range from cosy singles to spacious junior suites with views of the Eiffel Tower, which we tried on our stay and found extremely comfortable. They also offer a two-roomed suite designed for parents travelling with children. The ambiance is fashionable but relaxing, and it has a homely air. Within seconds of a quick welcoming encounter with the friendly staff on reception, you’re in the property’s typically cosy Parisian lift and being whipped upstairs to one of its small, quiet room floors.  A handful of simple details elevate the experience of a stay here The Wallace is a great base for exploring the city and a welcome place to return home after a busy day exploring Paris. It has a hot tub on the roof, plus a small gym if you’re looking to work off any excess cheese, and it also has two bar spaces, one on the roof for the warmer months and another in a basement courtyard space where they also serve a continental-style (unsurprisingly) breakfast. The recently-launched Tuco Bar concept serves cocktails and aperitif bites (hummus, mozzarella, hams) every evening from Tuesday to Saturday, moving between the indoor and outdoor space depending on the season (and weather). The hotel is not a culinary destination (you can’t get a fu
The Xara Palace

The Xara Palace

5 out of 5 stars
Places to sleep are rarely as tempting as the seventeenth-century former palazzo that houses The Xara Palace hotel in Malta’s Mdina. The tiny fortified hilltop town (current population: less than 300) is the island’s former medieval capital and towers above its surroundings, allowing for fantastic views over the countryside towards the current capital of Valletta and out to sea. Once the home of medieval knights, Mdina is more recently famous for welcoming TV and movie productions including Game of Thrones. It’s an enchanting place to lose oneself among its warren of narrow passages and sandstone buildings, especially at night, when all the tourists have disappeared and you’re very likely to have the run of the town pretty much all to yourself. The Xara Palace is affiliated with the prestigious Relais & Chateaux network and it retains the essence of Mdina’s historic charm. It’s now run by Justin and Nicola, the adult children of the same owners who lovingly restored the building in the 1990s and opened it as a hotel in 1999. You can feel the personal touch throughout, not least through the enticing local artwork and antiques which are scattered throughout the building and the rooms. We were lucky enough to stay in the wonderful Presidential Suite, the finest example of the hotel’s several duplex rooms and suites, and with an unbeatable view out onto the courtyard leading to the hotel entrance. There are various suites on offer, two of them with a terrace and a hot tub, and th
Anora

Anora

5 out of 5 stars
A massive jittery comedown of nervous laughs follows a giggly, addictive high in Sean Baker’s Anora. Its wild energy and cynicism-free compassion matches the writer-director’s previous deep dives into the margins of American life, from Tangerine and The Florida Project to Red Rocket. Again, sex work is a no-judgment matter of fact for Baker: the glowing, sparky heroine of Anora is 23-year-old Anora herself (a brilliant Mikey Madison from Better Things), or ‘Ani’ as she prefers: she’s a lap dancer in a Brooklyn club who gets into an out-of-hours paid-sex relationship with Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a stupidly rich Russian young layabout two years her junior. A responsibility-free manchild – endearing but highly slappable – Ivan pays Ani for sex and company as they camp out in his parents’ party-central waterside Brooklyn mansion, smoking weed and gaming on the couch. They even speak a little Russian together, as Ani grew up with a Russian grandmother in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach. Things move fast. Days later, Ivan is paying Ani for a whole week in Vegas with his pals and – hold tight – proposing marriage. It’s all beaming smiles and devil-may-care partying as Ani – and Baker – runs with the crazy momentum of the whole thing, saying ‘yes’, accepting a ring, finding it genuinely cute when Ivan says he loves her, and, finally, marrying him in Vegas’s Little White Chapel.   The smiles soon fade, with Baker bursting the cosy bubble of this fledgling relationship. When Ivan’s oligarch
The Shrouds

The Shrouds

3 out of 5 stars
You, too, might feel like you’re trapped in a grave during the low points of this sombre, claustrophobic and deeply personal oddity from Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg (The Fly, A History of Violence). It’s a film of bold ideas and moments of terrific atmosphere and visual power, but those strengths are often neutered by a lack of storytelling precision, with various strands coming and going. Yet for its faults, you can’t escape the late-career, and late-life, honesty here: you can feel the madness of loss running through it. It’s flawed, but still worth experiencing for its dark imagination and black humour. ‘Grief is rotting your teeth,’ the dentist tells Karsh (Vincent Cassel), a Toronto tech entrepreneur whose stacked grey hairline immediately nods to Cronenberg himself. Grief is also rotting Karsh’s mind, which was already occupied with death. He’s a businessman who runs a high-tech cemetery with a restaurant attached. Here, for a price, bodies are buried in high-tech shrouds fitted with tiny cameras which allow relatives of the dead to observe the bodies of their loved ones from the grave, via screens fitted in headstones and connected to apps. Elon Musk will surely take notes. Cronenberg usually tells stories with more verve and storytelling power than this Karsh has recently buried his own wife Rebecca (Diane Kruger) in this peculiar fashion. But it’s not just the haunting images of her decaying bones that keep her top of his mind. She’s still present in every st
Caught by the Tides

Caught by the Tides

4 out of 5 stars
This dreamy, arresting, dialogue-light latest from Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke (Ash Is Purest White) is a poetic, musical and reflective portrait of one woman’s journey to find an old lover – but equally importantly to find herself – set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing nation.  Jia presents his frequent star (and wife) Zhao Tao (incredibly captivating here) as Qiao Qiao, a young woman from Datong in northern China. We follow her as she leaves her home city, searching for a disappeared former boyfriend, Brother Bin (Li Zhubin). Following a stormy relationship, Bin has abruptly left both Qiao and Datong for a life of shady property development in the middle of the country. But as time goes on Qiao’s search feels less like a search for a person and more like a search for soul and for meaning in a country where so much is changing so quickly. Caught by the Tides is more a montage of music and miscellaneous episodes than anything representing a traditional drama. It’s strongly propelled by music – from Chinese classical music to techno to rock – and it’s a heady visual mix of styles and formats: from grainy, phone-like footage in a documentary style, to much more pristine and considered imagery. It is set – and was actually shot – over more than 20 years, between 2001 to 2023, so the passage of time feels unusually real, giving us people and places who genuinely age and transform over the years. There’s so little conversation, it often feels like a silent film It’s a
Lula

Lula

3 out of 5 stars
You don’t come to Oliver Stone, the American maker of epics like JFK and docs like Comandante about Fidel Castro, for sober, balanced journalism encouraging you to make up your own mind. Big spoiler before you see this lively doc full of great archive footage: Stone really likes Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (better known as just ‘Lula’), the three-time Brazilian president of the left who served time on corruption charges in the previous decade and returned to frontline politics to beat the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and win a third term in 2022.
 There’s something endearing about how much of a fanboy Stone seems to be as he sits down to meet a glowing Lula ten months before his most recent election victory. It’s that interview – amiable and fawning – which punctuates the biographical run of Stone’s doc. But it’s also a tiny bit embarrassing, not least when he asks Lulu about Bolsonaro: ‘Where does this creature come from?’ It comes soon after the dominating score delivers a cue presumably titled ‘Enter the Villain’ accompanying images of the extreme right-wing ex-president.  It’s an arresting piece of hagiography from the director of JFK
 Not liking Bolsonaro is fine (even welcome), but it doesn’t inspire trust in the doc when Stone comes across so nakedly narrow in his focus, apparently trusting only the very pro-Lula investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald to give him context on screen about the complicated corruption scandal. Again, it’s fine if Stone wants to proclaim Lula’s
Limonov: The Ballad

Limonov: The Ballad

3 out of 5 stars
Ben Whishaw is miles away from his comfy gig as the voice of Paddington Bear as the impressive star of this punky, challenging biopic about the life of Eduard Limonov – a self-professed literary antihero whose final chaper (he died in 2020, aged 77) saw him involved in radical right-wing Russian politics and waving the flag for the country’s annexation of the Crimea.  If you’ve no idea who Limonov was, the subtitle of Emmanuel Carrère’s 2014 book on which Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov (Leto, Petrov’s Flu) bases this film, is a snappy intro: ‘The Outrageous Adventures of the Radical Soviet Poet Who Became a Bum in New York, a Sensation in France, and a Political Antihero in Russia’.  That’s a fair summary of the film’s story, but it also captures the spirit and tone of Serebrennikov’s film, which crashes through time and space with a similar mercurial force as Limonov apparently did through life.  Limonov, born in Russia and raised in Kharkiv in Ukraine, was already a poet when he moved to New York in the 1970s, and it’s that scuzzy chapter of his life, followed by his time in Paris in the 1980s, over which Serebrennikov mostly lingers. Even before he left the USSR, Limonov was outspoken on the idea of ‘exiled dissidents’, spitting bile on successful contemporaries like Solzhenitsyn and Yevtushenko who, in his mind, too comfortably inhabited the role. (Serebrennikov surely has his own thoughts on the matter, having himself fallen foul of Putin’s government as a contro

News (33)

Ya hemos visto 'Indiana Jones y el dial del destino' y es la aventura que todo el mundo esperaba

Ya hemos visto 'Indiana Jones y el dial del destino' y es la aventura que todo el mundo esperaba

Esta última y quinta película de Indiana Jones se asegura el tiro regresando a un territorio familiar y sostiene el impulso durante sus dos horas y media de metraje, en parte dejando los momentos más íntimos al mínimo estrictamente necesario. 'Indiana Jones y el dial del destino' encuentra a Indy (Harrison Ford) como un académico irritable y afligido en la Nueva York de finales de los años 60, lo que permite al envejecido arqueólogo y aventurero enfrentarse brevemente con la modernidad de la carrera espacial y los jóvenes hippies. Pero el director James Mangold y el equipo de guionistas de este último hurra de un Ford que tiene 80 años saben qué hace que el viejo Indiana funcione: nazis, trenes a gran velocidad, cuevas escalofriantes, serpientes espantosas, un revoltijo del mundo antiguo y un viaje al norte de África. Tenemos de todo, empezando con un prólogo ambientado en la Europa de los últimos días de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y continuando con un nazi con gafas (Mads Mikkelsen) que sigue a Indiana. Ah, y el propio Arquímedes tiene un cameo, pero tendréis que ver la película. Hay ecos de historias pasadas y caras conocidas (para los aficionados nostálgicos), pero la novedad es Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), la ahijada de Indiana e hija de su camarada académico (Toby Jones, muy divertido). Helena sabe lo que hace en relación con la misión de la película: recuperar una máquina de doblar el tiempo, Antikythera, construida por el barbudo Arquímedes. Pero tiene un enfoq
Ja hem vist 'Indiana Jones i el dial del destí' i és l'aventura que tothom esperava

Ja hem vist 'Indiana Jones i el dial del destí' i és l'aventura que tothom esperava

Aquesta darrera i cinquena pel·lícula d'Indiana Jones s'assegura el tret tornant a un territori familiar i sosté l’impuls durant les seves dues hores i mitja de metratge, en part deixant els moments més íntims al mínim estrictament necessari. 'Indiana Jones i el dial del destí' troba Indy (Harrison Ford) com un acadèmic irritable i afligit a la Nova York de finals dels anys 60, cosa que permet a l'envellit arqueòleg i aventurer enfrontar-se breument amb la modernitat de la carrera espacial i els joves hippies. Però el director James Mangold i l'equip de guionistes d'aquest últim hurra d’un Ford que té 80 anys saben què fa que el vell Indiana funcioni: nazis, trens a gran velocitat, coves esgarrifoses, serps espantoses, un poti-poti del món antic i una estada al nord d'Àfrica. Tenim de tot, començant amb un pròleg ambientat a Europa en els últims dies de la Segona Guerra Mundial i continuant amb un nazi amb ulleres (Mads Mikkelsen) que segueix Indiana. Ah, i el mateix Arquimedes té un cameo, però haureu de veure la pel·lícula. Hi ha ressons d'històries passades i cares conegudes (peixet per als aficionats nostàlgics), però la novetat és Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), la fillola d'Indiana i filla del seu camarada acadèmic (Toby Jones, molt divertit). L'Helena sap el que fa en relació amb la missió de la pel·lícula: recuperar una màquina de doblegar el temps, l'Antikythera, construïda pel mateix barbut Arquimedes. Però té un enfocament mercenari pel que fa a l'antiguitat. "
I went to see the Queen lying in state and eight hours later I still don’t know why

I went to see the Queen lying in state and eight hours later I still don’t know why

It’s 5.30am on the Thursday before the Queen’s funeral, and I’m snaking along the sort of soul-sapping switchback queue you might see at Luton if every Ryanair passenger decided to take their summer trip at the exact same hour on the exact same day. A chirpy volunteer with a big plastic bag is taking banned snacks and drinks off queuers and redistributing them to the shivering crowd to gobble quickly before they enter Westminster Hall. Let no one throw peanuts at a Beefeater. ‘Oooh, suddenly I’m everyone’s friend,’ smiles the volunteer on snack-handout duty. ‘There’s a big bag of Haribo here. Anyone? Oh, it’s already open.’ Someone grabs it anyway and starts shoving wobbly sugar bits down their throat. On the grass here in Victoria Tower Gardens, there’s a woman sitting alone with her head in her hands, face sloping, eyes staring as if she’s just staggered out of Shangri-La at Glastonbury. The line of stinking Portaloos adds to the festival vibe. So do the fluorescent wristbands we’re all wearing. Another Queuer asks if she’s okay. She is, she’s just knackered. Her legs have given way and she’s having a breather. Photograph: Jess Hand In front of me in the queue are two jolly adult Scouts, a couple, complete with neckties and woggles. They seem to know half of the volunteers along the route, many of them fellow grown-up Scouts. ‘We must catch up.’ ‘Let’s see each other soon.’ The Queue is quickly becoming the air-kissing highlight of London’s Scouting social season. I don’t
Why Time Out is leaping into the Metaverse – and how to get involved

Why Time Out is leaping into the Metaverse – and how to get involved

At Time Out we love sharing cities with you – and we love shining a light on the most exciting experiences and communities within them. Which is why it feels natural for us to continue guiding you through the virtual experiences of the rapidly emerging Metaverse – and also to make our own first step into the Metaverse by launching a Time Out House in the new virtual community, Metropolis World, which you can access and explore yourself from today. Just as Time Out exists to unlock the best of great cities like London, New York, Sydney and Tokyo in the physical world, so we increasingly want to unlock the emerging communities and spaces of the virtual world – so that we all know what to embrace and avoid in this developing space which merges digital and physical experiences like nothing before it.  But what is the Metaverse? Fair question – hard and fast definitions are slippery and tough to pin down right now, which is why we have put together this handy cheat sheet that dives into some of the key questions and definitions. The author Matthew Ball has recently spent over 300 pages attempting to define it in his book The Metaverse and How It Will Revolutionize Everything. Ball sums up the Metaverse as: ‘a persistent and interconnected network of 3D virtual worlds that will eventually serve as the gateway to most online experiences, and also underpin much of the physical world.’ At Time Out, it’s a movement – often characterised as ‘the next Internet’ – that we want to join and
Five seriously unexpected moments in the brand-new Princess Diana doc

Five seriously unexpected moments in the brand-new Princess Diana doc

With Spencer and The Crown both tackling the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, the appetite of audiences for stories about her shows no sign of fading 25 years since her death. The latest of them, The Princess, just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Made by British filmmaker Ed Perkins, it’s a documentary formed entirely of archive footage (ie: no interviews, no voiceovers). And there’s plenty of that to choose from, given that Diana was endlessly covered by the media from the moment her relationship with Prince Charles became public in 1980, where this film begins. The Princess retells her story from a new perspective by giving all these clips room to breathe, holding a chilling mirror to the strange effect Diana had on her country and the world beyond. Here are five of the film’s more eyebrow-raising scenes.  1. A newsreader casually mentions that the family of 19-year-old Diana has ‘vouched for her virginity’  The engagement of Diana Spencer, 19, and Prince Charles, 32, caused a media frenzy that never really stopped until her death in 1997. At one point in The Princess we hear a solemn newsreader explain how Diana was a good pick for the wife of a future king because of her innocence and her lack of previous sexual partners. The same newsreader then goes further, explaining that her family has ‘vouched for her virginity’. He might as well be talking about a prize cow.  2. A skinhead gets a Diana tattoo on the eve of her wedding  The Princess shows how Diana and Cha
A new film project invites us to embrace the uncertainty in our lives

A new film project invites us to embrace the uncertainty in our lives

Facing up to uncertainty and big decisions is a challenge that pretty much everyone has had to face on some level in the past 18 months. Where is this all heading? How much longer will this go on? Should I stay on the same path or take a leap into the unknown? IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? Those sorts of questions underpin a unique new film and science project that’s emerged from London called The Uncertainty Experts (which Time Out is happy to be supporting as a media partner having been given a sneak preview of the project at pilot stage earlier this year). The Uncertainty Experts is an experimental film event, but it’s also a live science project designed in tandem with scientists at UCL to test and stretch each of our abilities to withstand uncertainty in our lives. If it has a mission, it’s to turn uncertainty into a positive rather than something which stops us sleeping well at night. The Uncertainty Experts will be screening online over three Tuesdays this November, and everyone taking part is expected to watch all three episodes and to get involved by taking part in digital surveys and virtual tasks. It’s a tough project to explain, but as someone who took part in the project’s pilot earlier this year along with 500 others, I can tell you that it’s a challenging and surprising experience. It’s in one way a bold live film event and, in others, it’s a community wellness project. It’s hectic and invigorating. It challenges you to ask some hard and rewarding questions about
‘The Crown’ Season 3 review: long may this royal soap opera reign

‘The Crown’ Season 3 review: long may this royal soap opera reign

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The third series of ‘The Crown’ brings with it an almost wholesale change of cast and new problems to pile on old as we meet the British royal family in 1964. The challenges of the newly permissive 1960s are met almost entirely by a largely drunk Princess Margaret (an entertaining, if unfocused Helena Bonham Carter) dealing with her philandering husband Lord Snowdon (Ben Daniels). Elsewhere in the royal household it might as well be the 1860s when it comes to moral matters – not counting the high cut of the skirt worn by Princess Anne (a deliciously dry Erin Doherty). Prince Charles makes his first appearance in the series as an adult, with Josh O’Connor playing him as a gentle but haughty idiot, and he suffers the full weight of The Firm when his desire to marry Camilla Shand (Emerald Fennell) is well and truly nixed by the joint efforts of the Queen Mother (a near-silent performance by Marion Bailey) and Lord Mountbatten (Charles Dance, of course). Yet there is one very twentieth-century phenomenon lurking in this series: the midlife crisis. As Olivia Colman takes over from Claire Foy, her Queen is more settled and forthright, but also prone to paranoia and anxiety, especially when it comes to Cold War threats, and to the distraction of racehorses. Meanwhile, her husband, Prince Philip (Tobias Menzies), enters a full-on crisis of purpose, brilliantly expressed in an episode when Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts visit the Palace and the Queen’s cons
'Rogue One' : que vaut le premier spin-off de 'Star Wars' ?

'Rogue One' : que vaut le premier spin-off de 'Star Wars' ?

Des rebelles qui ont du cran, un méchant ricanant, quelques plaisirs nostalgiques et des troubles politiques : Gareth Edwards livre un prequel de ‘Star Wars’ agréable et grinçant. Ce nouvel épisode de ‘Star Wars’ – dont l’histoire se déroule peu de temps avant celle du tout premier de la saga, sorti en 1977 – ressemble à un conte d'action autonome et dynamique, mettant en scène un groupe de résistants au sein de l'Alliance rebelle. Cette bande de combattants enragés, dirigés par Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones, une héroïne complexe, pas toujours attachante ; ce qui est assez rafraîchissant), se regroupent pour mener une attaque contre l'Empire – dont le plus visible salopard est le militaire Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn, tout en menace tranquille et huileuse). Frénétique, parfois irrévérencieux et un peu décousu, ‘Rogue One’ se plaît à rendre troubles les idées de bien et de mal, créant d’inattendues nuances de gris. En revanche, le film botte en touche les thèmes quasi-spirituels de la saga auxquels on pouvait pourtant s’attendre : ici, la Force n'est pas particulièrement présente, et les habiletés de combat à l’ancienne se révèlent plus importantes. Remonter dans le temps de la saga offre également une jolie possibilité de ressusciter, parfois, les plaisirs des films antérieurs – des bons vieux X-Wings à la présence d’un Dark Vador bien furax. Plus vous vous souviendrez du ‘Star Wars’ de 1977, plus l'histoire de ‘Rogue One’ prendra de sens. Dans le premier film, la princesse Leia
The real story behind ‘Rillington Place’

The real story behind ‘Rillington Place’

If, like us, you cowered behind the sofa watching Tim Roth and Samantha Morton in the BBC's new serial killer series ‘Rillington Place’ last night, prepare for the full, shocking story behind the drama. Warning - potential spoilers abound.   If you mention the name ‘John Christie’ to an older generation of Londoners, they’ll know exactly who you’re talking about. Christie was a serial killer hanged for his crimes in 1953. He’s now being played by Tim Roth in the new three-part drama series ‘Rillington Place’, with Samantha Morton playing his wife, Ethel. But what is the real story behind John Christie’s murders? Who was he? Why did he become notorious? And what happened to the real Rillington Place in west London? What did John Christie do? John Christie killed at least eight women between 1943 and 1953 in his flat at 10 Rillington Place in Ladbroke Grove, west London.         Where is the real Rillington Place? This Ladbroke Grove street was demolished in the late 1970s – after having been renamed Ruston Close in 1954 shortly after the murders were uncovered (at the request of residents). The site of 10 Rillington Place now sits roughly in the area of St Andrew’s Square, which is off Bartle Road. Who was Christie? Originally from a large family in Yorkshire, Christie served in World War One as an infantryman and was gassed – reportedly causing him to speak in a whisper for the rest of his life. He married Ethel in 1920 in Sheffield but they were separated between 1924 and 1
Why Netflix's new show ‘The Crown’ will change everything you think you know about the Queen

Why Netflix's new show ‘The Crown’ will change everything you think you know about the Queen

In November, Netflix will drop its most ambitious Originals series ever, ‘The Crown’ – the first season of a drama that'll tell the story of the entire reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Its creator and writer is Peter Morgan, who has previous with Her Maj – he wrote the movie ‘The Queen’ and the play ‘The Audience’, both starring Helen Mirren. We've had a sneak watch of all ten episodes, and can report that this is as good as it gets – exciting and smart drama. Claire Foy is terrific as young Elizabeth II, who we first meet in her twenties: her father, George VI (Jared Harris) is still king and she’s recently married Philip (Matt Smith). The first series examines how she copes with the responsibility of becoming Queen and explores the major relationships in her life: her husband; her first Prime Minister; her sister Princess Margaret; and her uncle, the former Edward VIII. It’s about power, duty, politics and tradition, and we’re hooked. Here are five things you need to know about The Crown 1. Claire Foy's performance will make you think twice about Queen Elizabeth II Claire Foy, 32, is best known for playing Anne Boleyn in the TV series ‘Wolf Hall’. ‘The Crown’ is going to make her a star. She’s flawless as the young Queen in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Minus the grey rinse, the young princess we meet is a privileged but sensible young woman, struggling with her own inadequacies (her lack of a proper education is a big theme). Foy – working with a genius script by Peter Morga
Why Netflix's new show "The Crown" will change everything you think you know about Queen Elizabeth II

Why Netflix's new show "The Crown" will change everything you think you know about Queen Elizabeth II

In November, Netflix will drop its most ambitious Originals series ever, The Crown – the first season of a drama that'll tell the story of the entire reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Its creator and writer is Peter Morgan, who has previous with Her Maj – he wrote the movie The Queen and the play The Audience’, both starring Helen Mirren. We've had a sneak watch of all ten episodes, and can report that this is as good as it gets – exciting and smart drama. Claire Foy is terrific as young Elizabeth II, who we first meet in her twenties: her father, George VI (Jared Harris) is still king and she’s recently married Philip (Matt Smith). The first series examines how she copes with the responsibility of becoming Queen and explores the major relationships in her life: her husband; her first Prime Minister; her sister Princess Margaret; and her uncle, the former Edward VIII. It’s about power, duty, politics and tradition, and we’re hooked. Here are five things you need to know about ‘The Crown’ 1. Claire Foy's performance will make you think twice about Queen Elizabeth II Claire Foy, 32, is best known for playing Anne Boleyn in the TV series ‘Wolf Hall’. ‘The Crown’ is going to make her a star. She’s flawless as the young Queen in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Minus the gray rinse, the young princess we meet is a privileged but sensible young woman, struggling with her own inadequacies (her lack of a proper education is a big theme). Foy – working with a genius script by Peter Morgan –
The actress playing the Queen in Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ thinks 'the royal family could be massively pissed off'

The actress playing the Queen in Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ thinks 'the royal family could be massively pissed off'

Claire Foy, who plays the Queen in ‘The Crown’, Netflix’s new ten-part drama series covering the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, has revealed to Time Out that she doesn’t care very much what the real royal family thinks of the show. ‘They could be massively pissed off,’ Foy told us ahead of the series’s release this week. ‘But I’m not going to bump into the royal family in Covent Garden! I’d be more concerned if I could walk down the street and meet someone who could say: “You’re a fucking liar! I hated sitting there watching you!” That’s not going to happen.’ Set in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the first two series of ‘The Crown’ are said to have cost the streaming service £100 million. It’s Netflix’s biggest gamble to date. The first ten episodes cover just a few years and see Elizabeth marry Philip (Matt Smith) at 21, lose her father, King George VI (Jared Harris), at 25 and deal with several national crises and one veteran Prime Minister, Winston Churchill (John Lithgow), before the age of 30. If the first two series are successful, ‘The Crown’ could run and run, covering events up to the present day. Foy might not be worrying what the royal family thinks of ‘The Crown’ – but how would she vote if we had a referendum on the monarchy? ‘Oooo! Whether to keep them or get rid of them? Of course I’d want to keep them! That’s literally my heart just going, “No, don’t get rid of them, that’s not necessary at all. They’re lovely!” But I realise that’s not a vie