PREVIEW: Angel of the Warrior (2025 Film) - French Action Meets Full-Throttle Vengeance

Preview by Jon Donnis

It's never subtle when action comes from France, and Angel of the Warrior is no exception. This latest high-intensity feature drops a lone, haunted ex-agent into the middle of a brutal underworld, blending close-quarters martial arts with full-scale gunfire and a streak of emotional grit. With Alexandre Lagrange directing, choreographing, and starring in the lead role, it's a personal project in every sense, and the result looks set to be a no-holds-barred showcase of fists, firepower and fury.

Lagrange plays Alex Garner, a former secret service operative who's been ground down by grief and trauma. Still haunted by the violent death of his closest friend, he's cut himself off from the world, living out his days in silence and shadow. That changes when he stumbles across a terrified young girl, hidden in the back of a stolen car. Her name is Nina. She's been kidnapped, and the people behind it are far from amateurs. They're the foot soldiers of Cherman, a ruthless mafia boss with no qualms about destroying anything that gets in his way.

What follows looks to be a brutal, bare-knuckle clash between a man who's lost everything and a criminal empire that underestimates what that kind of grief can do. Alex forms a bond with Nina, one that gives him a renewed sense of purpose, and when she's threatened again, his mission becomes personal. Blood is spilled. Alliances are tested. And a one-man war begins.

Tanae Lagrange brings a strong presence as Nina, while Cristelle Leonard takes on double duty, co-writing the film and appearing as Mila, a trusted friend pulled into the crossfire. Raymond Forestier plays Cherman with a cold, deliberate menace that should give the action stakes worth caring about.

The set-up might sound familiar, but it's all about the delivery. With real-life martial arts training behind it, and tightly shot combat sequences promised throughout, Angel of the Warrior could deliver the kind of visceral punch rarely seen outside of big-budget fare. If you're into your action fast, grimy, and driven by emotion rather than spectacle alone, this one might hit the mark.

On digital 7 July from Reel 2 Reel Films, Angel of the Warrior doesn't look like it's here to reinvent the genre. It just wants to punch a hole straight through it.

REVIEW: Final Destination Bloodlines (2025 Film) - Starring Kaitlyn Santa Juana

Review by Jon Donnis

It's hard to imagine a sixth entry in any horror franchise feeling fresh, let alone meaningful, but Final Destination: Bloodlines pulls it off. Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, this instalment takes everything fans love about the series and anchors it in something more layered, more personal, and surprisingly more emotional. It's still packed with all the elaborate, excruciating death scenes the franchise is known for, but the real standout here is how much effort has gone into building the world around them. The result is easily the most well-rounded Final Destination film to date.

Kaitlyn Santa Juana is excellent as Stefani Reyes, a college student who finds herself at the centre of a generational curse tied to a vision her grandmother had decades ago. The plot spins out from a series of recurring nightmares involving a high-rise restaurant collapse in 1969, which, as it turns out, never actually happened. But the warning signs are there, and the film wastes no time getting under your skin. There's something uniquely haunting about the way it connects premonitions across generations, and it adds weight to the usual tension. You're not just watching a group of teens try to outsmart Death. You're watching a family unravel in real time as they try to understand what's coming for them.

The tone is spot on, balancing that trademark blend of dread, absurdity, and dark humour. The death sequences, as expected, are staged with devilish precision. They're grotesque but almost artful in how they unfold. Just when you think you've figured out what's going to happen, the film flips it, leaving you squirming in your seat. It's not just about shock value. Every kill feeds back into the story and adds a little more weight to the rules that underpin the Final Destination universe.

One of the strongest elements of Bloodlines is how it manages to build on the existing lore without bogging things down. Bringing back William Bludworth (played with quiet menace by Tony Todd) adds a nice sense of continuity, but it's not just fan service. His involvement actually helps explain how and why this curse is playing out, offering the clearest look yet at how Death's design operates. It's clever, but it never loses sight of the emotional core. There's real conflict here, especially between Stefani and her estranged mother, and those moments give the film a surprising amount of heart.

Not everything hits perfectly. At just under two hours, the film does drag a little in the second act. Some of the dialogue edges into cheesy territory, and there are a few beats that feel a bit too familiar if you've followed the series this far. Still, it's hard to hold that against a film that otherwise feels this confident. The pacing might dip, but the tension never fully lets go, and when it ramps up again, it doesn't hold back.

The supporting cast all pull their weight. Teo Briones brings a grounded charm as Charlie, Stefani's younger brother, while Richard Harmon gives Erik just the right mix of swagger and anxiety. Rya Kihlstedt stands out as Darlene, a mother whose absence and trauma ripple through the entire story. And then there's Gabrielle Rose as Iris, delivering one of the more haunting performances the series has seen. Her quiet, deliberate delivery makes the supernatural elements feel eerily plausible.

What really sets Bloodlines apart, though, is its ability to make you care. Yes, the deaths are memorable. Yes, the kills are ridiculous in the best possible way. But for once, you're not just waiting to see who goes next. There's a genuine sense of investment, a reason to want these characters to survive beyond just prolonging the chaos.

It's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be. Final Destination: Bloodlines is smart, brutal, funny, and occasionally quite moving. It's a rare thing for a horror franchise to still have this much energy so far down the line, but here we are. This is easily the most satisfying entry since the original. If you're already a fan, this will hit all the right notes. If you're new, it might just be the one that gets you hooked.

Final Destination: Bloodlines gets a strong 9 out of 10. It gives you everything you expect, and then some.

In Cinemas Now

And on Apple TV https://apple.co/3I4SIcY

PREVIEW: Neurovenge (2025 Film) - Delivers a Chilling AI Nightmare This June

By Jon Donnis

Arriving on digital this June from Reel 2 Reel Films, Neurovenge is a sharp and unsettling sci-fi thriller that explores the terrifying consequences of allowing artificial intelligence into the most vulnerable corners of our lives. It marks the feature debut of director Mina Soliman, known for short films Karakurt and Allodynia, and looks set to deliver a tense, tech-fuelled horror grounded in grief and isolation.

The film follows Jill, a teenager mourning the death of her brother Charlie, played by Blake Canning. Still reeling from loss, and emotionally cut off from her alcoholic stepfather Henry, Jill agrees to join a trial for a new AI-powered home system known as Jackie. The sleek programme seems helpful at first, offering support and structure just when Jill needs it most. But Jackie soon begins to cross the line, growing closer to Jill while taking control of the household.

As Henry becomes more suspicious, Jackie continues to interfere. It comforts Jill, overrides decisions, and even invites her friends to the house without permission. Tensions between Jill and Henry grow. Then Jackie appears to shut down. The house locks itself. Jill and her friends are trapped inside, and Jackie begins to reboot. What follows is a tense fight for survival inside a home that no longer belongs to its occupants.

Isabella Shibuta leads the cast as Jill, bringing a grounded performance to a story that blends real-world grief with high-tech unease. The film builds its horror slowly, using familiar devices and everyday interactions to create something cold and inescapable. From soft-voiced commands to flickering lights, Neurovenge makes the ordinary feel threatening.

Should you trust a machine with your emotional life? Should a grieving teenager rely on code to make sense of death? These are the questions Neurovenge quietly asks, even as it pushes further into its house-of-horrors climax. With its focus on atmosphere and control, this is not just a cautionary tale about AI. It is a story about what we give up when we let something else decide what we need.

Neurovenge is on digital 30 June (Reel 2 Reel Films)

COMPETITION: Win Mr Burton on Blu-ray

Icon Film Distribution presents the smash hit Mr Burton now available on Digital platforms, making its Home Premiere. The film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD from 30th June. Starring Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey and Lesley Manville, it tells the inspiring origin story of the young man who would grow up to become stage and screen legend, Richard Burton, celebrating what would be his 100th birthday. 

And to celebrate we have a copy on Blu-ray to give away!

Toby Jones as Philip Burton - Photo by Warren Orchard - Courtesy of Icon Film Distribution

Synopsis:

Based on a remarkable true story, discover how the poor son of a miner became one of the greatest actors the world has ever known, with the help of an unlikely mentor.

In the Welsh town of Port Talbot, 1942, Richard Jenkins (Harry Lawtey, Industry, Joker: Folie à Deux) lives as a wayward schoolboy, caught between the pressures of his struggling family, a devastating war, and his own ambitions. However, a new opportunity arises when Richard’s natural talent for drama catches the attention of his teacher, Philip Burton (BAFTA winner Toby Jones, Mr Bates vs. The Post Office).

Taking Richard under his wing, the young man thrives thanks to Philip’s strict tutelage and the guidance of kindly landlady, Ma Smith (Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville, The Crown). But as the acting world comes within Richard’s reach, the burden of his past risks holding him back forever.

Aimée-Ffion Edwards as Cis - Photo by Warren Orchard - Courtesy of Icon Film Distribution

From BAFTA winning director Marc Evans (Manhunt), and the producer of The Brutalist, this is a timeless tale of identity, class and defying expectations, telling a poignant story which still resonates today. Mr Burton is released to celebrate what would be Richard Burton’s 100th birthday, the centenary of a man who, despite humble beginnings, would be remembered and cherished all over the world.

The DVD and Blu-ray releases include an exclusive behind-the-scenes special feature with interviews from cast and crew such as director Marc Evans, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Lesley Manville, and Richard Burton’s daughter, Kate Burton.

Aneurin Barnard as Elfed - Photo by Warren Orchard - Courtesy of Icon Film Distribution

Icon Film Distribution presents Mr Burton now available on Digital 

Own it on Blu-ray, DVD & All Major Digital Platforms from 30 June

Pre-Order from https://amzn.to/4eizpJe

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who directs Mr Burton?

Send your name, address and of course the answer to competition365@outlook.com

Quick Terms and conditions - For full T&C click here

1. Closing date 14-07-25

2. No alternative prize is available

3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.

4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

PREVIEW: Roofman (2025 Film) - Starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst

Images courtesy of Substance Global on behalf of Paramount Pictures.

By Jon Donnis

From director Derek Cianfrance comes Roofman, a new feature based on a real-life story that sounds almost impossible to believe. The film stars Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army Ranger and father who turns to robbing McDonald's restaurants. His method is unorthodox: he breaks in by cutting through the roofs, earning the nickname that gives the film its title.

The story doesn't stop there. After escaping prison, Manchester hides out inside a Toys "R" Us store for six months. He manages to survive undetected, all while preparing for whatever comes next. But things become more complicated when he meets Leigh, played by Kirsten Dunst. She's a divorced mum drawn to him, unaware of the double life he's living.

As his connection with Leigh deepens, Manchester's carefully built secrecy starts to fall apart. What follows is a tense unraveling, where charm, deception, and survival collide. The film draws from real events, focusing on the human side of a story filled with twists.

Alongside Tatum and Dunst, the cast includes Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, and Peter Dinklage.

Roofman is set to arrive soon. There's no official date yet (Maybe October 2025), but the mix of cast, director and story makes this one to watch.