PREVIEW: Rememory (2026 Film) - Starring Michaël Cohen

Preview by Jon Donnis

Action thrillers rarely hinge on an idea as unusual as this. Rememory arrives on UK digital 29 June, with a premise that blends reincarnation with a relentless crime chase, setting the stage for a story that moves as quickly as it intrigues. At its centre is David, a French police officer drawn far from home to Thailand, following a lead that sounds almost impossible to believe.

That lead comes in the form of Ravi, a young boy who claims to remember a previous life as Floyd, a man once connected to a dangerous criminal network. Rather than dismiss it, David sees an opportunity. Alongside his colleague Joanna, he begins to piece together the fragments of Floyd’s past through Ravi’s memories, using them to track a criminal enterprise that has remained just out of reach. It is an uneasy alliance, built on something neither fully understands, yet too valuable to ignore.

The stakes rise quickly as those same memories place Ravi in immediate danger. The closer David and Joanna get to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the organisation they are pursuing will do anything to silence the boy. What follows looks set to be a tense race against time, where protection and pursuit become one and the same. With its mix of high-speed action and a concept rooted in memory and identity, Rememory promises a thriller where the past is not just relevant, it is the key to everything.

Rememory, arriving on UK digital 29 June, thanks to Miracle Media.

How to Deal With Endless Sequels and Reboots

A penny for Quentin Tarantino’s thoughts now that Toy Story 5 will soon be released in theaters. Indeed, we’d love to know his thoughts after it was rumored that Toy Story 6 and 7 are being probed for the future. The Pulp Fiction director famously cited Toy Story 3 as his second favorite movie of the 21st century. Perhaps even more famously, he refused to watch Toy Story 4, suggesting that the perfect ending to the trilogy was enough.

Tarantino is, of course, well known to not be a fan of sequels, refusing to visit them in his own work (Kill Bill does not count), but he has probably got the best strategy for dealing with unwanted sequels, like Toy Story 4, he just doesn’t watch them.

It is perhaps the best defense of those who are not too bothered about sequels and reboots, not only not watching them, if you don’t want to, but getting into the frame of mind that one film does not detract from the other. For example, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny doesn’t taint the superlative Raiders of the Lost Ark, even if the anger caused by these unnecessary additions to the canon is everywhere.

There is, of course, nothing inherently wrong with sequels. Sports fans will happily watch the Super Bowl every year, they’ll bet on the NBA MVP with gusto, and they’ll get excited when the Red Sox play the Yankees around a dozen times a season, so why get upset when a movie comes out in theaters?

We shouldn’t be affronted by sequels and reboots

Much of it comes back to a sense of ownership. The new Harry Potter series, while a reboot, is getting hammered by (some) fans of the original movies, as if there were an affront to them. But why take the view that the existence of the new series detracts from the original one? It’s another matter if you sit down to watch the new series, and it ends up being bad, which could well be the case, but why get mad at something that you have no intention of watching?

There is perhaps a sense, too, that the existence of sequels occupies a space that would otherwise be left for original movies. There is some weight to that argument because you do hear movie insiders, particularly actors, talk about how studios are reluctant to take chances on original ideas. However, there is a counterpoint: more movies are being made today (or at least in recent years, as there is still a hangover from Covid-19) than ever before. Roughly speaking, about three times (670) more major motion pictures were made in 2025 compared to 1990 (236).

The problem might come from the fact that the majority of sequels hog the limelight and the box-office. 12 of the 13 highest-grossing movies of the 2020s are sequels. The only exception on that list was Barbie. So, if you come at if from that angle, then you can say, yes, we do have a problem. But among the releases coming up this summer, another Scary Movie, another Jackass, and Tarantino’s favorite, another Toy Story, there are loads of original movies, from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey to The End of Oak Street to Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. There’s enough to get excited about on the big screen, so don’t worry about the sequels and remakes.

PREVIEW: Hunting Party (2026 Film) - Starring Mark Wingett

Preview by Jon Donnis

British thrillers have always had a knack for peeling back the surface of authority, and Hunting Party leans straight into that tradition with a premise that feels both timely and quietly unnerving. Set against the imposing backdrop of a secluded country estate, the film introduces a world where those entrusted with upholding the law begin to reshape it in their own image. What starts as a whispered frustration with a failing justice system soon spirals into something far more dangerous, as a hidden circle of judges abandon restraint and embrace a brutal, ritualistic form of punishment.

At the centre of it all is Eve Campbell, an MI5 agent already carrying the weight of a damaged reputation. Her investigation pulls her into a tightening web of secrets, where every answer only deepens the sense that something is profoundly wrong. The film pairs her perspective with the escalating plight of Jay Doherty and his father Danny, who find themselves caught in a nightmare after being framed for a crime they did not commit. Their story adds urgency and emotional stakes, grounding the wider conspiracy in something immediate and human. Meanwhile, the Hardin family stands as a chilling embodiment of power unchecked, their estate becoming both playground and prison.

There is a deliberate tension running through the setup, one that suggests Hunting Party is less interested in simple thrills and more concerned with the uneasy space between justice and vengeance. The idea of authority figures acting as judge, jury and executioner carries an obvious weight, and the film appears keen to explore how easily that line can blur. With a cast drawn from across British film and television, and a director already familiar with morally complex storytelling, the stage is set for a thriller that aims to be as thought provoking as it is intense. Often fiction mirrors reality, and in the UK right now, it feels very apt. Hunting Party arrives on digital platforms on 11 May courtesy of Miracle Media, inviting viewers into a game where survival is uncertain and the rules are written by those who believe they are beyond them.

Apple TV - https://apple.co/4eMqFx9

Why Watching Movies Abroad Is Getting Harder, and the Workaround Millions of Travelers Already Use

You packed your bags. You landed. You opened Netflix. And suddenly half your watchlist is gone.

Sound familiar? It happens to millions of people every single year. Streaming geo-blocking is not a glitch, it's a feature. A deliberate, carefully engineered wall between you and the content you're paying for.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/5082566/

The Invisible Wall: What Is Streaming Geo-Blocking?

When you travel abroad, streaming platforms detect your IP address and match it to a country. If that country doesn't have the licensing rights to a specific show or movie, you simply can't watch it. It doesn't matter that you've had a subscription for five years. The rights are regional, and that's final.

The scale of this problem is staggering. A 2023 analysis found that Netflix's US library contains over 5,800 titles, while many European catalogs hover around 2,500 to 3,500. That's a gap of thousands of titles, vanishing the moment your flight lands.

Why Content Access Abroad Has Gotten Stricter

It used to be more relaxed. Platforms weren't great at detecting location mismatches, and travelers could often access home libraries without issue. That changed fast.

Studios and broadcasters have pushed hard for tighter enforcement, threatening to pull licensing deals from platforms that allow regional leakage. So Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and others invested heavily in detection systems. The goal: make sure you only watch what your region is licensed to show.

The Human Cost of These Restrictions

Imagine finishing a TV series at home, then traveling for work for three weeks, only to find the next episode is blocked in the country you're in. Or a family abroad trying to watch local news channels from their home country to stay connected. Or students on exchange programs trying to access educational streaming services they're subscribed to.

This isn't a luxury problem. For many people, access to home libraries is about staying connected to culture, language, and community. The restrictions don't just limit entertainment, they cut people off.

VPNs: A Security Tool That Also Unlocks the Web

Before we talk about using a VPN to stream content, it's worth stepping back. VPNs, Virtual Private Networks, exist primarily as a cybersecurity tool. They encrypt your internet connection, shield your data from surveillance, and protect you on public Wi-Fi networks in airports, hotels, and cafés.

But they also change your virtual location. When you connect through a VPN server in your home country, websites and streaming services see that server's IP address instead of your actual one. That's why a VPN has become the go-to method for millions of travelers who want to access home libraries and bypass regional restrictions. For Smart TV users specifically, setting up a proper Android TV VPN solution like VeePN makes the whole process seamless. No manual configuration, just a few taps and your TV behaves as if it never left home.

How Many People Actually Use VPNs While Traveling?

The numbers are hard to ignore. According to a 2024 report by Global Web Index, roughly 1 in 3 internet users worldwide has used a VPN in the past month. Usage spikes noticeably among frequent travelers and expats.

In regions with stricter internet censorship, parts of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, VPN usage can exceed 40% of the online population. People aren't just using them to stream movies. They're using them to overcome internet censorship and reach websites that are entirely blocked in certain countries.

What "Changing Your Virtual Location" Actually Means

When you connect to a VPN server in, say, Germany or the US, your traffic routes through that server. To the outside world, you appear to be browsing from that location. Streaming apps see a German or American IP. They serve you the corresponding library.

It's not magic, it's basic network routing. But it's remarkably effective. Most premium VPNs maintain large server networks specifically optimized to stream content securely and without buffering.

Why Free VPNs Usually Aren't Enough

There's a tempting shortcut: free VPNs. They exist, they work sometimes, and they cost nothing. But the tradeoffs are significant.

Free VPN providers often cap bandwidth, log user data, show ads, or sell usage data to third parties. Speed is usually throttled to the point where video becomes unwatchable. And they tend to be the first ones detected and blocked by streaming platforms.

Choosing the Right Tool for the Right Device

Not every VPN works the same on every device. A solution that works perfectly on your laptop may be clunky or unavailable on your Smart TV or phone.

For laptop users who do a lot of browsing, a browser-level option can be a quick, lightweight fix. For example, an extension for Chrome can unblock streaming apps and overseas content directly within the browser. This is especially useful for students or remote workers dealing with access issues in university networks or restrictive corporate environments.

The Practical Reality: What Travelers Actually Do

Most seasoned travelers set up their VPN before they leave home. It's easier to configure when you're not in a rush at a foreign hotel. They choose a server in their home country, test it with their streaming apps, and then leave it running in the background.

The experience, once set up, is essentially invisible. You just watch Netflix overseas the same way you always have. No pop-ups, no error messages, no missing titles.

Is It Legal?

This question comes up constantly, and the answer is more nuanced than most people expect. In the vast majority of countries, using a VPN is entirely legal. It's a tool, like any other privacy software.

However, streaming platforms do include language in their terms of service discouraging or prohibiting circumventing geographic restrictions. Whether a platform will cancel your account over VPN use is a different question, most don't, and enforcement is rare. But it's worth knowing the distinction: legal to use, technically against some platforms' terms.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Won't Go Away

Streaming geo-blocking is a product of a fragmented global licensing market that was built long before the internet existed. TV rights were sold country by country, territory by territory. Platforms are now stuck navigating hundreds of different contracts just to show one movie worldwide.

Until the licensing model fundamentally changes, which would require studios, broadcasters, distributors, and governments to agree on something, these regional walls will stay up. And until they do, travelers will keep looking for ways to maintain subscription access from wherever they happen to be.

REVIEW: No Ordinary Heist (2026 Film) - Starring Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke

Review by Jon Donnis

Colin McIvor’s No Ordinary Heist leans into its roots with quiet confidence, drawing from the Northern Bank robbery without ever feeling chained to it. Co-written with Aisling Corristine, the film settles into Belfast in 2004 and quickly makes clear that this is not about spectacle. It is about pressure. The kind that builds slowly, sits in the room, and never quite leaves.

At the centre are two men who would rather not share a conversation, let alone a crisis. Eddie Marsan’s Richard Murray is all tight control and simmering frustration, while Éanna Hardwicke’s Barry McKenna moves through life with a kind of careless energy that borders on self-destruction. Their relationship starts off brittle and only becomes more complicated once their families are dragged into a tiger kidnapping. With Richard’s wife and Barry’s mother held hostage, the pair are forced into an uneasy partnership that never quite settles into trust.

What stands out most is how deliberately the film handles tension. There is no rush to get anywhere. Instead, it lingers in small, telling details. A cigarette burning down to the filter. A glance that lasts a second too long. A silence that says more than any line of dialogue. These moments accumulate, and before long the atmosphere feels thick enough to cut. McIvor’s direction keeps things grounded, resisting the urge to overplay the drama. It works in the film’s favour. The stakes feel real because they are treated as such.

The performances carry much of that weight. Marsan is reliably excellent, bringing a kind of brittle authority to Richard that hints at deeper insecurity. Hardwicke, though, is the one who leaves the stronger impression. His Barry is unpredictable in a way that keeps the audience slightly off balance. One minute he is reckless and frustrating, the next he shows flashes of vulnerability that make you reconsider him entirely. Their back and forth gives the film its pulse. You believe the resentment, but you also sense the strange bond forming under pressure.

There is also a strong undercurrent of social tension running through the story. Workplace hierarchies, old grudges, and the lingering divisions of a place still finding its footing all feed into the narrative. It adds texture without ever feeling forced. The heist itself becomes almost secondary at times, overshadowed by the human dynamics that drive it forward.

That said, the film is not without its drawbacks. Anyone familiar with the real events may find the plot a touch overcomplicated. In reality, the situation was more direct, and the film’s added twists can feel like embellishment for the sake of drama. It is understandable from a storytelling perspective, but it does slightly undercut the authenticity the film works so hard to establish elsewhere.

There is also the question of accessibility. The dialogue leans heavily into local accents, which adds to the realism but may prove challenging for some viewers. If you are not used to it, subtitles might become essential, and that can affect how easily you settle into the rhythm of the film.

Even with those issues, No Ordinary Heist remains an engaging watch. Its relatively tight running time keeps things moving without overstaying its welcome, and the balance between tension and character work is handled with care. It never feels bloated or self-indulgent.

In the end, this is a film that succeeds because it keeps its focus narrow. It does not chase grand statements or flashy set pieces. Instead, it builds a story out of distrust, fear, and reluctant cooperation. The result is something that feels both intimate and quietly gripping.

No Ordinary Heist lands as a strong, character driven thriller with enough edge to keep you invested throughout. An easy 8.5 out of 10.

Out Now on Digital

Apple TV - https://apple.co/419iyTB