PREVIEW: Catching My Stalker: A Chilling True Story of Fear, Obsession and Fighting Back

Image: Ch4 Press

By Jon Donnis

Channel 4 has commissioned a powerful new documentary from Story Films, titled Catching My Stalker (working title). It tells the true story of Grace, a young woman living in Watford whose life was turned upside down when she became the target of an obsessive stalker. What began with uneasy feelings soon escalated into something far more terrifying. Alongside her boyfriend Daryl, Grace found herself pushed to the edge, discovering that those meant to protect them were unable to intervene in time.

What makes this story so striking is not only the seriousness of the threat, but the way Grace and Daryl responded. When they realised that no one was going to stop the stalker, they made the decision to act. With a doorbell camera, phones, and an obsession with true crime, they began to record everything. What they captured would later become the key to justice. Their own evidence led to the conviction of a man who simply refused to let go of a fantasy.

Told through first-hand interviews with Grace, Daryl, and those close to them, the film explores the emotional weight of being hunted. It also shows the deep frustration of not being taken seriously by authorities. The couple's recordings form the backbone of the documentary. Viewers see and hear obsessive messages, voice notes, footage from their front door, and even moments captured on police bodycams. It unfolds almost in real time, with each piece of evidence offering a clearer look at what was really happening behind closed doors.

The setting is suburban, familiar, almost comforting. But on these ordinary streets, daily life becomes a kind of survival. Baking in the kitchen while studying the behaviour of murderers. Attending mixed martial arts classes that double as a form of therapy. Every detail underscores the way fear creeps into every corner of a person's life when they are being followed.

Director Helen Waddell, known for her observational style and careful attention to psychological depth, describes the film as more than just a crime story. She says it also touches on the wider themes of gender, consent, self-doubt, and the quiet strength needed to take control of a dangerous situation.

The documentary is part of Channel 4's First Cut strand, known for introducing bold new work. Executive producer Liza Williams said the film shows not just the horror of stalking, but also the resilience people find in each other. Despite feeling powerless and ignored, Grace and Daryl fought back together. Their openness and honesty form the emotional core of the documentary.

Commissioning Editor Rita Daniels expressed her admiration for Grace's courage and persistence. She called it impossible to comprehend the scale of what Grace endured and the police's inability to act in time. Her decision to share this experience speaks volumes about her commitment to helping others understand the reality of stalking.

Story Films, the team behind this project, is already known for hard-hitting documentaries. Their work on To Catch a Copper recently won a BAFTA for Factual Series. Co-founded by BAFTA-winning filmmakers David Nath and Peter Beard, the company continues to build a strong reputation for combining true stories with emotional honesty and sharp storytelling.

Catching My Stalker is more than a portrait of fear. It is a reminder of how broken the system can feel for victims, and how ordinary people can achieve the extraordinary when pushed beyond their limits. Through quiet courage, relentless determination and careful documentation, Grace and Daryl took control of their story. And now, they are telling it.

COMPETITION: Win The Box Man Limited Edition on Blu-ray

Gakuryu Ishii, director of such cult classics as Electric Dragon 80000v and The Crazy Family takes on the 1973 novel “The Box Man” by Kōbō Abe (Woman in the Dunes), an adaptation 40 years in the making! And finally released by the great people at Third Window Films.

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

Synopsis:

Starring Masatoshi Nagase (Mystery Train) and Golden Globe winning actor Tadanobu Asano (Shogun)

A man with a cardboard box over his head wanders the streets of Tokyo. Peering at the world through a peephole, he incessantly writes down in a notebook what he can see. The photographer Myself spots the man and is fascinated. He decides to do the same thing and become a box man himself. But his path to get there is not easy; countless challenges and dangers lie in wait. They include a fake doctor who wants to rob him of his box-man identity; a military man who seeks to use him for the perfect crime; and a mysterious woman who does everything she can to seduce him. Can Myself achieve his dream of becoming a box man?

Third Window Films presents The Box Man

Pre-Order from https://hmv.com/store/film-tv/blu-ray/the-box-man

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who directs The Box Man?

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 07-07-25

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: Monsters of California (2025 Film) from Blink–182’s Tom DeLonge

Preview by Jon Donnis

Tom DeLonge, best known as a founding member of Blink-182, turns his long-held obsession with the paranormal into a full-blown sci-fi feature with Monsters of California. Arriving on UK digital platforms on 7 July 2025 via Plaion Pictures, this teenage adventure drama dives into government secrets, UFO lore and unexplained phenomena, all through the lens of one teenager's search for the truth.

Set in sunny Southern California, the story follows Dallas Edwards, played by Jack Samson, a teenager still reeling from the unexplained disappearance of his father. While his family has slowly begun to move forward, Dallas remains fixated on the idea that something larger is at play. Alongside his friends Riley (Jared Scott) and Toe (Jack Lancaster), he spends his days in abandoned buildings, chasing ghosts, and speculating about extraterrestrial life. When they stumble across classified documents connected to Dallas's father, a former fighter pilot, things quickly spiral beyond their control.

What begins as a curious search turns into a dangerous pursuit. With the help of Dr Walker, one of his father's former colleagues played by Richard Kind, Dallas tries to uncover the meaning behind the files. Meanwhile, his Uncle Myers, portrayed by Casper Van Dien, is part of the military force determined to keep those secrets hidden. As they dig deeper, the friends are pulled into a web of hidden truths and shadowy organisations, and the mission becomes more than just personal.

DeLonge's inspiration comes from the sci-fi classics of his youth. He has described the film as a mix of UFOs, skateboarders and Bigfoot, referencing the early Amblin films that sparked his imagination. That influence shapes the tone of the film, which balances its science fiction elements with humour, friendship and a sense of youthful defiance. Echoes of E.T. and The Goonies are present, but the story keeps its feet planted in a contemporary world where the line between conspiracy and reality feels increasingly thin.

The supporting cast includes Gabrielle Haugh and Arianne Zucker, both known for their work in Days of Our Lives, adding extra weight to the film's emotional core. The script moves between light-hearted moments and high-stakes revelations, keeping the tension grounded in the characters' relationships rather than special effects alone.

What gives Monsters of California its distinct flavour is not just the plot, but the way DeLonge blends real-world paranoia with the restless energy of teenagers who refuse to accept easy answers. Dallas and his friends are not heroes in the traditional sense. They are just kids asking the kind of questions that grown-ups have stopped trying to answer. That stubborn curiosity pushes the film forward and lends it a human edge, even as the story edges into the strange and unbelievable.

While the mystery around Dallas's father drives the plot, the heart of the film lies in the bond between the characters and the fear that sometimes the truth is not just out there, but much closer than anyone realised. It is a film about chasing something impossible and finding yourself somewhere unexpected. And for DeLonge, it is a project that connects the obsessions of his youth with a story that feels personal.

Monsters of California does not try to hide what it is. It is loud, curious, and unapologetically interested in the unexplained. For anyone drawn to stories of hidden files, secret bases and teenage rebellion, it offers a ride worth taking.

On UK digital platforms 7 July 2025

Apple TV - https://apple.co/44b1RIf

REVIEW: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025 Film) - Starring Tom Cruise

Review by Jon Donnis

Ethan Hunt has always been a man running out of time. In Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, that race finally reaches its end, and it does so with the kind of energy, scale and conviction that has come to define the series. Tom Cruise returns for one last mission, and if this is really his final run as Hunt, he's going out on a towering high.

Set just weeks after Dead Reckoning Part One, the story wastes no time setting the stakes. The Entity, a self-aware rogue AI, is expanding its grip on global weapon systems. It's doing so with the help of a fanatical doomsday cult, making the threat less digital and more terrifyingly physical. Governments want control, alliances splinter, and Ethan refuses to give up the one thing that might stop the collapse. From there, the film takes off with the kind of momentum few blockbusters manage to sustain.

Christopher McQuarrie is once again behind the camera, and he knows exactly what to do with this world. The pacing is sharp, the tension builds steadily, and the action is shot with clarity and precision. There's a practical quality to it all that still feels fresh. Real explosions, real stunts, real locations. No CGI overload or hollow digital noise. Instead, we get cold oceans, brutal hand-to-hand fights, and a late sequence that involves Cruise doing something completely unhinged at altitude, just to prove he still can.

Cruise, now firmly in his sixties, doesn't play Ethan like a man pretending to be twenty years younger. There's experience behind the performance. The weight of all his choices sits just behind the eyes. But the fire is still there. Whether he's diving into arctic waters or sprinting through chaos, it all feels grounded in character, not just spectacle. He's not just doing these stunts to show off. He's doing them because Ethan believes this is the only way forward.

The supporting cast does more than just fill space. Hayley Atwell's Grace has evolved into a confident presence, not just a sidekick. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames continue to carry the emotional load of the team. Pom Klementieff's Paris feels unpredictable and human in all the right ways. Angela Bassett, now in the Oval Office, brings a cool resolve that balances the growing global panic. And Henry Czerny's Kittridge continues to play the perfect political counterweight to Ethan's sense of personal duty.

The action scenes aren't just loud. They're smart. One early mission inside a Cold War sonar base is full of tension and smart problem solving. Later, the team faces off against time bombs, assassins and underwater survival in a way that never feels repetitive. Every moment is used. Nothing drags. The final stretch pulls together everything the series has been building towards, without turning into an overcooked finale.

Importantly, The Final Reckoning keeps the franchise grounded. There's no needless commentary or clumsy messaging. It sticks to story. It sticks to character. It respects its audience by giving them exactly what they've come to love. Real stakes, clear objectives, team dynamics and a moral centre. No woke agenda, just pure, high-quality action filmmaking.

There's sadness to the ending, not because it falls short, but because it signals a real farewell. Cruise has said this is his final outing as Ethan Hunt, and the film treats that with quiet dignity. There's no drawn-out goodbye. Just a sense that the journey has reached its natural conclusion. It's earned. And it lands.

What started nearly thirty years ago as a slick, contained thriller has grown into one of the most consistent and beloved action franchises in modern cinema. The Final Reckoning honours that history, raises the bar once again, and walks away before it wears out its welcome.

This is blockbuster cinema done right. Big, bold, heartfelt and made with care. Not many films feel like proper events anymore. This one does.

Score: 9.5 / 10

Cruise may be stepping off the train, but he leaves it moving at full speed.

In Cinemas Now!

LEGEND Turns Up the Heat This July with Explosive Channel Premieres

Images: Clout Communications on behalf of Legend

By Jon Donnis

July on LEGEND is going full throttle, packed with gritty thrillers, sky-high action and a strong dose of '80s nostalgia. With a slate of seven channel premieres taking over primetime, the month promises enough tension, spectacle and chaos to keep viewers hooked all the way through.

Line of Duty (2019)

Leading the charge on Saturday 5 July is In the Line of Duty (2019), a real-time action thriller starring Aaron Eckhart as a disgraced cop chasing redemption after fatally gunning down the only lead in a child abduction case. With the Chief of Police's daughter still missing, things spiral fast when the kidnapper's brother shows up seeking revenge. Courtney Eaton co-stars as a live-streaming reporter caught up in the mayhem.

Kicking off on Thursday 10 July at 7pm, The Fall Guy makes a welcome return. The second season of this classic 1980s series continues Colt Seavers' double life as a stuntman and bounty hunter. Played by Lee Majors, Seavers juggles death-defying action scenes and chasing fugitives, all backed by his iconic theme song. It's bold, unapologetic fun, straight from the heyday of network television.

Best of the Best (1989)

Later that same night at 9pm, the martial arts cult favourite Best of the Best (1989) makes its LEGEND debut. Eric Roberts stars as part of a mismatched American kickboxing team facing off against a relentless Korean squad. What starts as a competition grows into something far more personal, with emotional stakes that match the physical ones.

D.O.A. (1988)

Saturday 12 July sees the arrival of D.O.A. (1988), a neon-lit neo-noir thriller in which Dennis Quaid has just 24 hours to figure out who poisoned him. Everyone is a suspect, including Meg Ryan's character, as they race through a night laced with paranoia and passion. Directed by Max Headroom creators Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, the film blends noir tension with late '80s edge.

Best of the Best II (1992)

On Thursday 17 July, the sequel lands. Best of the Best II (1992) shifts the action to Las Vegas where revenge is the only goal. A brutal underground fighting arena known as The Coliseum sets the stage, and with one of their own murdered, the returning team must confront their deadliest opponents yet.

Then, on Saturday 19 July, Nicolas Cage does what only Nicolas Cage can in Primal (2019). As a hunter transporting a rare white jaguar aboard a cargo ship, he ends up facing not one but two deadly predators. When a political assassin escapes and lets the big cat loose, the ship turns into a floating trap filled with teeth, claws and bullets.

Burning Rubber (2019)

More family tension unfolds in Burning Rubber (2019) on Thursday 24 July, with John Travolta taking the wheel. He plays a former racing star forced back into competition when his son joins a rival team. With Michael Madsen and Shania Twain in supporting roles, this high-octane drama blends speed with strained family ties and unforgiving trackside rivalries.

Rounding things off on Saturday 26 July is Terminal Velocity (1994), a high-flying, mid-'90s action spectacle starring Charlie Sheen. What begins as a routine skydiving lesson takes a sharp turn into international espionage when Sheen's character gets pulled into a tangled mess involving the Russian mafia and a suspicious parachuting incident.

Whether it's the martial arts mat, a racing circuit or thirty thousand feet in the air, LEGEND's July line-up doesn't ease off the gas. Packed with cult favourites, classic action and newer thrills, the channel is dialling things up to maximum impact.

LEGEND is available on Sky 148, Virgin 149, Freeview 41 and Freesat 137.