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Burner arrives as a new female led action thriller from writer and director Robert Orr, set to make its UK digital debut on 1 June courtesy of Seven Tales. It follows a familiar but combustible setup, where a second chance at life is quickly threatened by the weight of a violent past that refuses to stay buried.
At the centre of the story is Kiki, played by Kacy Owens, who is released from prison and regains custody of her teenage daughter Lola Ray, played by Akina Wylie. Kiki is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, trying to build something stable after her release, with motherhood giving her a clear focus and a reason to move forward.
That fragile stability does not last long. Her violent drug dealing ex husband, played by James Oliver Wheatley, reappears and drags her back towards the criminal world she has tried to leave behind. His return brings immediate danger and the kind of pressure that threatens not just her freedom, but her relationship with her daughter as well.
As the situation tightens, Kiki is forced into a position where avoidance is no longer an option. The story pushes her towards confronting her past directly, with the suggestion that the only way out might involve destroying the ties that once defined her life, even if that comes at a heavy cost.
Burner positions itself as a fast moving, tension driven thriller built around survival, loyalty and consequence. With its focus on a mother fighting to protect her daughter while facing down a criminal past that refuses to let go, it is shaping up as a release that leans heavily into personal stakes and escalating danger.
There was always going to be controversy around a new adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The 1945 novella is one of the most famous political allegories ever written, a savage attack on authoritarianism (Stalinism) wrapped inside a deceptively simple story about rebellious farm animals. Trying to modernise it was already risky. Turning it into a family friendly animated comedy drama with a coming of age storyline was asking for trouble.
Andy Serkis’ version certainly looks polished enough on the surface. The animation is decent throughout, colourful and energetic without ever feeling particularly groundbreaking. It has the sort of glossy streaming era style that feels designed to keep younger viewers engaged, even during the more dialogue heavy moments. The voice cast also does a solid job with what they are given. Seth Rogen brings a smug arrogance to Napoleon that works surprisingly well, while Kieran Culkin’s slippery Squealer is probably the closest the film gets to capturing the manipulative spirit of Orwell’s original work. Kathleen Turner gives Benjamin some much needed gravitas, and Woody Harrelson’s Boxer has genuine warmth.
The biggest change comes through Lucky, the newly created piglet protagonist voiced by Gaten Matarazzo. The film positions him as the audience surrogate, caught between Snowball’s idealism and Napoleon’s corruption. It is a very obvious attempt to reshape Animal Farm into something more accessible for modern younger audiences, complete with emotional arcs, friendships, romance subplots, and a more hopeful ending. Whether that sounds appealing probably depends entirely on how attached you are to Orwell’s original vision.
That is where the film completely falls apart.
Serkis and writer Nicholas Stoller take Orwell’s razor sharp political allegory and sand down nearly every uncomfortable edge. The original story was bleak, cynical, and deliberately uncompromising in its condemnation of totalitarian ideology. This adaptation instead shifts focus toward generic corporate greed and modern billionaire corruption, replacing Orwell’s specific warnings about Communism with a far broader and far safer message about wealthy corporations and consumerism. Frieda Pilkington becomes the central villain looming over the story, while Napoleon’s descent into tyranny feels secondary by comparison.
The result is a film that often feels embarrassed by the source material it is adapting.
There is a strange sense throughout that the filmmakers wanted the cultural recognition of Animal Farm without actually wanting to engage with what Orwell wrote. The darker political themes are softened, the satire becomes muddled, and the story is constantly interrupted by sentimental moments designed to make the audience feel hopeful. Orwell never intended Animal Farm to be uplifting. That discomfort was the entire point.
The film also bends over backwards trying to modernise itself for contemporary audiences. In doing so, it loses the identity that made the novella endure for generations in the first place. Changing the foundations of such an iconic story in order to align with modern political tastes feels deeply misguided. Orwell’s novella was itself a direct criticism of far left ideology and authoritarian collectivism, yet this adaptation awkwardly sidesteps that history almost entirely. Instead of challenging audiences, it plays things as safely as possible.
Even structurally, the film struggles. The pacing is uneven, jumping awkwardly between comedy, political drama, emotional speeches, and disaster movie spectacle. The climax involving the collapsing dam and water tower feels more like something from a generic animated adventure than the tragic inevitability Orwell crafted. By the final scenes, with Lucky staring hopefully toward the stars, the film barely resembles Animal Farm at all.
There are occasional glimpses of what could have been. Benjamin’s scenes retain some of the bitterness and cynicism that the story desperately needs, and the gradual rewriting of the farm’s laws remains effective because it is one of the few ideas lifted directly from Orwell that still carries real power. But these moments are drowned beneath the film’s relentless need to soften every hard edge.
The only way to even try to enjoy Animal Farm is to pretend you have never heard of George Orwell or the original book. Viewed entirely on its own terms, it is a mediocre animated film with decent visuals and a talented cast. Viewed as an adaptation of one of the most important political novels ever written, it becomes something far more frustrating.
Why anyone thought this was a good idea is beyond me. It feels less like an adaptation and more like an attempt to reshape Orwell’s work into something ideologically safer and easier to market to modern audiences. In the process, it strips away nearly everything that made Animal Farm worth adapting in the first place.
Ladies First, directed by Thea Sharrock, is a 2026 American comedy centred on Damien Sachs, an advertising executive whose life is turned upside down when he is thrust into a parallel world where women hold the dominant positions in society and business. Damien, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, begins as a powerful and self assured figure at the Atlas advertising agency, where he is on the verge of becoming chief executive. After manipulating a pitch meeting for a Guinness beer campaign aimed at women and being forced to promote a woman to cover his lie, he selects Alex Fox, a long serving but overlooked creative director played by Rosamund Pike. This decision sets off the chain of events that leads to his collapse into an alternate reality.
In this new version of the world, Atlas has been reshaped by reversed gender power structures. Alex Fox, who was previously a sidelined creative at the company, now occupies the senior leadership role Damien once held. Ruby, Damien’s assistant played by Emily Mortimer, has been promoted into an executive position. Felicity Chase, played by Fiona Shaw, is now the chief executive of the company, while Fred Powell, played by Charles Dance, has been reduced from senior leadership to a more subservient assistant role. Even Glenda, formerly a cleaning staff member, now sits as chair of the board. Damien struggles to understand this new order and is later told by a mysterious figure known as the Pigeon Man, played by Richard E Grant, that he must reclaim power within this world if he is to return home.
There are clear strengths in the film’s cast and its central premise. Sacha Baron Cohen fully commits to Damien’s descent from control into confusion, while Rosamund Pike gives Alex Fox a steady authority that grounds the more exaggerated ideas around them. The supporting cast, including Emily Mortimer as Ruby, Fiona Shaw as Felicity Chase, Charles Dance as Fred Powell and Richard E Grant as the Pigeon Man, helps to establish a recognisable corporate environment even when the narrative becomes increasingly surreal. The initial concept has clear satirical potential, and there are moments where the reversal of workplace roles creates a sharp, if fleeting, sense of comic tension.
The weaknesses become more apparent as the film progresses. The central idea is repeated rather than expanded, with Damien repeatedly placed into situations that mirror his earlier behaviour, which quickly becomes predictable. The comedy relies heavily on humiliation and reversal without introducing enough variation, and the tone settles into a familiar pattern of setup and correction. As a result, the satire loses some of its bite, and what begins as an interesting premise gradually flattens into a more conventional redemption story.
By the final act, Damien returns to his original world after another collapse in the parallel reality. Back at Atlas, he attempts to change his behaviour and make amends, including offering Alex Fox a more meaningful leadership role within the company. Alex’s campaign idea proves successful, while Damien steps back from his earlier arrogance and accepts a shift in outlook. The story closes with a sense of reset, while the Pigeon Man begins the process again with another man drawn into the reversed world.
Ladies First has a strong concept and an impressive cast, but it struggles to develop its premise beyond repetition. The gags fall flat as the one joke structure is stretched across feature length, and the comedy funnels into a predictable arc of comeuppance and redemption. It feels like a sketch idea expanded too far, with limited progression beyond the initial reversal concept.
The film ultimately comes across as 40 years too late in its idea, relying on workplace gender reversal humour that no longer feels relevant. In a modern context, where women have already held the highest political offices, including three female Prime Ministers in the UK, and where claims around workplace inequality such as a gender pay gap are widely contested in the way the film frames them, the satire feels blunt rather than sharp. As a result it becomes uneven and predictable, never quite delivering on the sharper satirical potential it hints at early on.
The result is a concept that should have worked better in another era, but here feels overstretched and underpowered. It scores a 4 out of 10.
Picking up the threads from the 2021 instalment, this sequel leans fully into the tournament chaos, throwing Earthrealm’s champions into a darker, louder, and more unashamedly video game version of interdimensional war. At its centre is Johnny Cage, a washed-up martial arts actor pulled into Raiden’s desperate defence of Earthrealm, and Karl Urban gives the role a wry, self-aware edge that helps hold the film together even when everything else is flying fists and fractured alliances.
The strongest part of the film is its action. The combat sequences land with impact, staged with a clarity and aggression that suits the source material. There is a rough, physical energy to the fights that feels intentionally old school, closer in spirit to 1990s martial arts cinema than modern glossy fantasy action. That choice works in its favour. The film never tries to sand down the brutality, and fans of the games will find plenty of familiar moves, characters, and finishing blows brought to life with a willingness to go as far as the material demands.
There is also a clear sense of fun running through the whole thing. Mortal Kombat II never takes itself too seriously, and that balance of gore and humour gives it a strange but effective rhythm. Johnny Cage’s presence adds levity without undermining the stakes, while the wider ensemble cast keeps the energy moving even when the story threatens to become overloaded. For fans of the franchise, the sheer density of characters and references will feel like a reward in itself, with more fighters and deeper cuts from the lore than any previous film in the series.
Visually and tonally, it embraces its identity fully. It is loud, bloody, and deliberately a bit rough around the edges, like a studio production that has decided polish is less important than personality. That aesthetic choice will not appeal to everyone, but it gives the film a distinctive texture that sets it apart from more restrained modern action releases.
That said, it is not without problems. The pacing is uneven, with stretches that feel slightly stretched out before snapping back into intensity. At around an hour and forty five minutes, it still manages to feel longer in places, particularly when the narrative shifts between multiple factions and betrayals. The story itself is dense, occasionally overstuffed, and can lose momentum as it juggles too many character arcs at once.
It is also very clearly a film that will divide opinion depending on familiarity with the source material. Fans of the games and the genre are likely to embrace its excess, while mainstream critics who are less invested in the franchise may find it noisy and chaotic. It does not make much effort to soften its edges or explain itself to newcomers, and that will inevitably narrow its appeal. (Basically ignore the mainstream critics, for what do they know).
Even so, the overall experience lands firmly on the positive side. Mortal Kombat II understands its identity, embraces its brutality, and commits fully to being a spectacle-driven martial arts fantasy. It is gory, it is playful, and it looks and feels like a throwback in the best possible way. Despite its uneven pacing, it delivers enough energy and entertainment to justify its existence.
On balance, it is a strong sequel that knows exactly what its audience wants and delivers it with conviction. A solid 8.5 out of 10.
Turning a successful streaming series into a feature film can be risky. Television allows characters and political intrigue to breathe, while films often lean harder into spectacle and momentum. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War lands somewhere in the middle. Directed by Andrew Bernstein and written by Aaron Rabin and John Krasinski, the film delivers an entertaining and polished espionage thriller, even if it occasionally feels too comfortable playing by the numbers.
John Krasinski returns as Jack Ryan, once again stepping into the role with confidence. Ryan is pulled back into the world of covert operations after an international mission collapses and exposes a deadly conspiracy involving a rogue black-ops unit. With the threat escalating by the hour, the story pushes Ryan into a desperate race against time alongside trusted allies Mike November, played by Michael Kelly, and former CIA boss James Greer, played by Wendell Pierce. Sienna Miller also makes a strong impression as MI6 officer Emma Marlow, bringing fresh energy to the established dynamic.
The film’s biggest strength is easily its presentation. Ghost War looks fantastic throughout, with glossy cinematography and a scale that gives it a genuine cinematic feel rather than simply resembling an extended episode of the television series. The action scenes are particularly well handled. Fight sequences feel grounded and believable, avoiding the exaggerated style that often weakens modern action thrillers. There is real weight behind the violence, and the tension remains consistent across the film’s larger set pieces.
The music also deserves praise. The score keeps the pace moving while adding an extra layer of urgency during the film’s more suspenseful moments. Combined with the sharp editing and strong visual style, it helps maintain momentum even when the story itself starts becoming familiar.
The explosive finale is another highlight. After steadily building pressure across the runtime, the final act delivers the kind of large-scale payoff fans will likely want from a Jack Ryan film. It is chaotic, tense and satisfying without completely abandoning the grounded tone that made the series popular in the first place.
The returning cast continue to work well together, particularly Krasinski, Kelly and Pierce. Their chemistry carries much of the film, and there is an easy sense of history between the characters that helps the emotional moments land naturally. Sienna Miller also fits into the world surprisingly well, giving Emma Marlow enough intelligence and presence to avoid feeling like a generic late addition to the franchise.
That said, Ghost War does not entirely escape criticism. One of the strongest aspects of the Jack Ryan television series was its intelligence. The show often focused on political tension, surveillance, analysis and slow-burning espionage. The film moves away from that approach in favour of brute force action and constant urgency. While that certainly keeps things entertaining, it also removes some of the depth that made the series stand out from other spy thrillers.
There is also a lingering sense that the film was designed mainly for existing fans rather than newcomers. The relationships, callbacks and character dynamics rely heavily on audience familiarity with the series. Anyone jumping into the franchise for the first time may feel as though they are missing part of the bigger picture.
Despite ticking all the right boxes for a modern espionage blockbuster, Ghost War never quite shakes the feeling of being a very safe production. The rogue operatives, ticking-clock tension and global conspiracy elements are all competently handled, but very little feels fresh or unexpected. At times, the film comes across as another polished, algorithm-driven streaming action thriller rather than something truly memorable.
Still, it remains entertaining throughout. The pacing rarely drags, the action is strong, and the performances are consistently solid. As part of the wider world of Tom Clancy adaptations, it comfortably earns its place and should satisfy fans looking for another tense mission with these characters.
As someone who enjoyed the Jack Ryan series, I had a good time with Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War. Unfortunately, the film plays things so safely that it becomes difficult to remember once it is over.
Worth watching for fans of the series, even if it never fully reaches the intelligence or freshness of the show itself.
I score Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War a safe but entertaining 7.5 out of 10.
