PREVIEW: The Martini Shot (2026 Film) - Starring John Cleese, Sir Derek Jacobi, Matthew Modine, Morgana Robinson, Fiona Glascott, Stuart Townsend and Jason London

Preview by Jon Donnis

Matthew Modine steps into the spotlight in The Martini Shot, an existential comedy drama that blends humour, reflection and a touch of the surreal. Known for performances in Full Metal Jacket and Batman Begins, Modine plays Steve, an eccentric filmmaker facing a terminal illness. Instead of retreating, he turns towards one final creative push, setting out to make what he sees as his parting masterpiece.

Writer director Stephen Wallis shapes the story with a light but thoughtful hand. Cineuropa describes the film as 'With tact, creativity and simplicity, Stephen Wallis has crafted a beautiful picture about life, death, love and art… brilliant and poetic' . That tone seems to run through the entire project, balancing life's biggest questions with moments of warmth and offbeat charm rather than heavy drama.

Steve gathers a curious mix of friends and colleagues to help bring his so called transcendental film to life, heading out to rural Ireland for the shoot. As his belief that he might be the only real element in his universe takes hold, the lines between past and present start to blur. Faces from different parts of his life appear, both living and dead, forming an unconventional crew that feels as unpredictable as his own state of mind.

The cast around Modine reads like a roll call of familiar talent. John Cleese, Sir Derek Jacobi, Morgana Robinson, Fiona Glascott, Stuart Townsend and Jason London all join the ensemble, giving the film a rich mix of comic timing and dramatic weight. It suggests a story that shifts tone easily, able to be playful one moment and quietly reflective the next.

As Steve's health declines, the urgency grows. He tries to settle old scores and make sense of the life he has led, searching for meaning while time steadily runs out. The question hanging over everything is simple and human. Can he find peace before the final curtain falls.

Combining surreal and supernatural touches with a philosophical core, The Martini Shot promises a journey that is both strange and heartfelt. After a multi award winning festival run, it arrives on UK digital on 2 March through Miracle Media, inviting viewers to sit back and follow a filmmaker chasing one last shot at understanding life itself.

PREVIEW: Finding Emily (2026 Film) - A Wrong Number, A Right Connection

Preview by Jon Donnis

Finding Emily arrives in UK cinemas on May 22, bringing a mix of romance, humour and campus chaos built around one small mistake that sets everything in motion.

The story follows a lovesick musician who is accidentally given the wrong number for the girl he believes is his dream match. Instead of walking away, he joins forces with a focused psychology student and the pair set out to track her down. Their search quickly snowballs into a campus wide frenzy, stirring up confusion and excitement while quietly testing their own hearts and ambitions along the way.

Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice lead the cast, with Alicia MacDonald directing. The film is produced for Working Title by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, whose past titles include Bridget Jones, About Time, Love Actually and Notting Hill. Across their work, those films have earned 14 Academy Awards and six Best Picture nominations. Olivier Kaempfer also produces, following credits that include Lollipop and Polite Society.

With its mistaken number set up and two unlikely partners at the centre, Finding Emily frames a simple idea that spirals into something bigger, blending romance and comedy as the chase unfolds across campus.

COMPETITION: Win Good Boy on 4K Ultra HD

From Visions Home Video comes the release of Good Boy on 4K Ultra HD

And to celebrate we have a copy to give away!

Synopsis:

Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human owner, and best friend, Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. 

From the start, two things are abundantly clear: Indy is wary of the creepy old house, and his affection for Todd is unwavering. 

After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence only he can see, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. 

When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife.

Pre-Order from https://amzn.to/4cdctw0

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who directs Good Boy?

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 23-02-26

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.

REVIEW: Greenland 2: Migration (2026 Film) - Starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin

Review by Jon Donnis

Greenland 2 Migration picks up five years after the Clarke comet ended the world, and it wastes little time reminding you how fragile what remains of humanity really is. Ric Roman Waugh returns to direct, and the tone is immediately familiar. This is not a film obsessed with scale for its own sake. It is far more interested in how people endure, what they cling to, and what they are willing to lose to protect those closest to them.

The story follows the Garrity family as survivors in an underground Greenland bunker, now living with the consequences of a planet locked into violent tectonic shifts, electromagnetic storms and radioactive fallout. When their refuge collapses and a tsunami wipes out most of the remaining community, the film pivots into a grim migration across a shattered Europe. Liverpool, London, Dover, Calais and finally the ruins near the Clarke impact site form a bleak road movie through a continent barely holding together. The journey structure is familiar, and at times the script does lean into expected beats, but the emotional throughline keeps it grounded.

Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin carry the film with believable, restrained performances. Butler's John Garrity feels worn down by years of survival and quiet sacrifice, while Baccarin's Allison has grown into a leader shaped by loss rather than bravado. Their chemistry sells the idea of a family that has endured the unendurable. Roman Griffin Davis steps into the role of Nathan with confidence, and the character's desire to prove himself adds tension without tipping into melodrama. Amber Rose Revah's Dr Amina brings warmth and intelligence to the early part of the journey, making her fate hit harder than expected.

Where the film really succeeds is in its set pieces. The destruction of the Greenland facility, the chaos in Liverpool, and the military front lines near the crater are sharply staged and often genuinely tense. The effects work is mostly solid, especially when depicting environmental instability rather than outright explosions. A few CGI moments feel rushed and slightly undercooked, but they rarely derail the momentum. Waugh also hints at a developing world order, with militarised safe zones and whispered rumours on survivor networks, which gives the setting a sense of history rather than randomness.

Emotionally, the film earns its ending. The idea that the impact crater itself has become a place of healing, free from ash and storms, is handled with sincerity rather than spectacle. John's final moments are simple and effective, focused on protection and legacy rather than grand speeches. It is a quietly hopeful note in a genre that often mistakes nihilism for realism.

At just over 90 minutes, Greenland 2 Migration is tightly edited and refreshingly lean. There is very little wasted time, and the pacing keeps the stakes high without exhausting the audience. While the narrative can feel formulaic in places, and a handful of effects shots could have used more polish, the film's heart is in the right place.

Greenland 2 Migration turns out to be a surprisingly strong sequel to a film many people had half forgotten. Strong lead performances, well judged action, and a focus on moral integrity over empty spectacle push it comfortably over the line. I enjoyed it and would give Greenland 2 Migration a solid 7.5 out of 10.

Out Now in Cinemas

NEWS: Beyond Trainspotting: Revisiting Irvine Welsh’s Cultural Legacy

By Jon Donnis

More than three decades ago, a Scottish writer quietly put pen to paper and created something that would ripple far beyond the page. Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting did not just tell a story, it helped reshape modern British culture. What began as a raw, unfiltered book grew into a landmark film and launched a wave of adaptations that carried Welsh's voice across the world, turning both the story and its creator into something close to legend.

First published in 1993, Trainspotting quickly gathered momentum. Its impact was immediate and far reaching. Theatre productions followed. Then came Danny Boyle's iconic film, which introduced a little known cast to global audiences and cemented the story's place in popular culture. Sequels and even a stage musical kept the momentum going, each new version reinforcing just how deeply the material had connected with a generation.

Now, to mark the 30th anniversary of the film, a new feature documentary turns the focus back to the man at the centre of it all. Beyond Trainspotting: The World of Irvine Welsh, directed by Ray Burdis and Ian Jeffries, is set to make its UK debut on 16 February 2026 through Miracle Media, offering a fresh and personal look at the writer behind the phenomenon.

The film follows Welsh as he reflects on his life and career from the very beginning. It explores the moments that shaped him, including personal tragedies along the way, and shows how his distinctly Scottish voice found its audience. His work, known for its dark humour and unvarnished honesty, feels as potent now as it did when it first appeared.

More than a simple retrospective, the documentary aims to introduce the man behind the words. It presents an eye opening and entertaining portrait of how one writer's vision left a lasting mark on a whole generation, proving that Trainspotting was never just a book or a film, but a cultural moment that continues to echo decades later.

With its digital release set for 16 February 2026, Beyond Trainspotting: The World of Irvine Welsh stands as both a celebration and a reflection, revisiting the story of how a single novel grew into a defining piece of British storytelling history.