PREVIEW: The Session Man: Nicky Hopkins

Preview by Jon Donnis

The Session Man: Nicky Hopkins is one of the greatest session musicians you’ve probably never heard of now a new feature documentary celebrates the unsung rock and roll hero whose contributions helped create some of the most iconic music of all time

There is a certain irony in how some of the most recognisable music ever recorded can be traced back to a man whose name rarely made the sleeve. That quiet absence is exactly what makes the arrival of The Session Man feel so overdue. Landing digitally in the UK on 4 May 2026 through Reel2Reel Films, the documentary turns its full attention to Nicky Hopkins, a musician whose influence has long echoed louder than his public profile.

Directed by Mike Treen and produced by John Wood alongside Mike Sherman, the film sets out to correct that imbalance. It traces the life of a pianist who helped define the sound of an era while deliberately staying out of its spotlight. Hopkins built a career across more than three decades, navigating personal setbacks while quietly shaping the recordings of some of the biggest names in popular music.

His list of collaborators reads like a map of rock history. He worked extensively with The Beatles, even contributing to solo work from all four members, including John Lennon’s Imagine. His relationship with The Rolling Stones was equally significant, appearing across fourteen of their albums. From The Kinks and The Who to Rod Stewart, Dusty Springfield and Jeff Beck, his fingerprints are everywhere. The reach extends even further, touching the work of Cat Stevens, Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker, Art Garfunkel, Ella Fitzgerald and Carly Simon, among many others.

Across more than 250 albums and countless singles, Hopkins developed a style that felt instantly recognisable yet never intrusive. His piano lines carried songs without overwhelming them. You hear it in Revolution, in Sympathy for the Devil, in Angie, in Jealous Guy, in You Are So Beautiful. Each track carries a trace of his touch, a subtle lift that turns a good recording into something lasting.

Recognition, when it finally came, arrived long after his passing. Over thirty years on, Hopkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025, with another honour set to follow at the Musicians Hall of Fame on 28 April 2026. The timing gives this documentary a certain weight. It feels less like a rediscovery and more like a correction.

Narrated by Bob Harris, the film gathers voices from across that golden era, including Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Peter Frampton and Bill Wyman. There is also a more personal perspective through his widow, Moira Hopkins, who helps bring the man behind the music into clearer focus.

The Session Man does not try to rewrite history. It simply fills in the space that was always there, the space behind the piano, where one of rock’s most important musicians quietly shaped the sound of a generation.

On digital 4 May from Reel2Reel Films

APPLE TV - https://apple.co/4dJn3f3

PREVIEW: Content (2026 Film) - Stars Adam Meilech

Preview by Jon Donnis

Content arrives as a sharp, uneasy blend of satire and psychological horror, with Adam Meilech, known for The Leak and Junk Male, pushing found footage into the era of constant scrolling and online performance. It takes the DNA of Creep meets Unfriended and reshapes it into something built for the modern attention economy.

Following a strong festival run, including Grimmfest 2025, the film is now set for its digital debut on 27 April through GrimmVision, bringing its unsettling vision to home screens.

At the centre is AJ, played by Meilech himself, a modern-day renaissance figure in the influencer world who presents as an actor, writer and director. Beneath that curated identity sits something far darker, a stalker, kidnapper and outright psychopath who treats real lives as raw material.

Using hacked phones and laptops, AJ surveils his targets as though they are characters in a private production, erasing the boundary between reality and fiction in pursuit of what he believes is his cinematic masterpiece. The result is a world where every screen becomes both stage and trap.

Already described as “unpredictable, unhinged and batshit crazy” by Slasher Reviews, Content positions itself as a scarily charged piece of digital horror, landing on 27 April for its online release.

Apple TV - https://apple.co/4muEqCH

COMPETITION: Win New Directors from Japan: Takashi Ono's I Am Baseball on Blu-ray

From Third Window Films comes New Directors from Japan: Takashi Ono's I Am Baseball and other Showa-inspired stories, released on Blu-ray 20th April 2026.

And to celebrate we have a copy to give away!

New Directors From Japan is a series which focuses on new talent coming from Japan’s “jishu-eiga” (ultra-independent) scene of filmmaking, exploring films and talent emerging from the vibrant scene which lives through Japanese “mini-theatres” (independent cinemas) that have given rise to so much that is great in Japanese cinema.  

Synopsis:

Takashi Ono’s I Am Baseball was released in Tokyo’s Cinema Rosa on August 19th, 2023.

Cinema Rosa has been the current mecca for independent Japanese cinema and the birthplace of such successes as One Cut of the Dead and A Samurai in Time. I Am Baseball was a huge hit there, so much so that it continued to play in Japanese cinemas for more than one year, earning its tag of a “rongu-ran” film (Long Run - A film or play that is well-received and continues to be performed for a long period of time). Despite his very young age and lack of proper budgets, Takashi Ono’s style in I Am Baseball and his earlier student films recreate the late Showa Era (1950s-80s) in a fun and charming way, and are explored in this limited edition set of four films from the director:

Pre-Order from https://amzn.to/4c8Iy7X

Enter now for a chance to win.

Who directs I Am Baseball?

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 27-04-26

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.

PREVIEW: MUTINY (2026 Film) - Starring Jason Statham

 

Preview by Jon Donnis

Jason Statham returns to familiar territory with MUTINY, a hard-edged action thriller that wastes no time throwing its lead into chaos. After witnessing the murder of his billionaire employer and being set up as the fall guy, Cole Reed is forced off the grid and onto a cargo ship, where survival quickly turns into something far more dangerous. What begins as a personal mission for revenge soon unravels into a wider conspiracy, suggesting the truth behind the killing runs deeper than anyone expected.

The film builds its strength around a solid supporting cast, including Annabelle Wallis, Roland Møller, Ramon Tikaram, Arnas Fedaravičius, Jason Wong and Adrian Lester, each bringing their own edge to a story that looks set to balance brute force with intrigue. Direction comes from Jean‑François Richet, whose past work suggests a steady hand with fast-paced, high-stakes storytelling, while the script from Lindsay Michel and J.P. Davis leans into a globe-spanning narrative packed with tension.

Behind the camera, the production pulls together experienced names, with Statham also producing through Punch Palace Productions alongside Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures. That mix of star power and production backing gives MUTINY a confident feel before it has even hit screens. With a UK cinema release set for 21 August before landing on Sky Cinema later in the year, this one is clearly aiming to deliver a straight, no-nonsense action ride with just enough mystery to keep things ticking over.

PREVIEW: 10FT Down (2026 Film) - Starring Austin Buchanan

Preview by Jon Donnis

A chance meeting in a late night bar sets the tone for something far darker in 10FT Down, a psychological thriller that looks set to lean heavily into tension, control, and the fragile edges of the human mind. The setup alone suggests a tightly wound story that trades on atmosphere as much as plot, beginning with a simple encounter that quickly spirals into something far more disturbing.

The story follows Lawrence, played by Austin Buchanan, who finds himself waking up in captivity after crossing paths with a mysterious woman. What follows is not a straightforward survival tale, but something more layered. He is held by identical twins, Holly and Willow, both played by Bryn Booth, and their dynamic seems to sit at the heart of the film. One can imagine a constant push and pull between them, with differing attitudes towards their prisoner creating an uneasy balance that is unlikely to hold for long.

What stands out is the suggestion of a shifting emotional landscape. As Willow begins to form a bond with Lawrence, the situation becomes less clear cut. It hints at a story where roles blur, where victim and captor are not as fixed as they first appear. That uncertainty feels central to the film’s identity, especially as buried secrets begin to surface and the narrative starts to question what is real and what is not.

The influence of Ronald Fairbairn’s Object Relations Theory adds another layer to consider. Even without seeing how deeply it is explored, the idea points towards a focus on relationships, perception, and the way people internalise one another. In a confined setting like this, that kind of psychological angle could carry a lot of weight, especially if the film leans into character rather than spectacle.

As a prequel to 8000 Ft Up, it also carries the added intrigue of expanding an existing world, though it appears to stand on its own as a contained and intense experience. The promise of twists and a gradual descent into uncertainty suggests a film that aims to keep viewers off balance, never quite allowing them to settle.

10FT Down is due to arrive on digital platforms in the UK on 13 April, and on paper at least, it looks like a claustrophobic and unsettling watch, one that is less about escape and more about what happens when control slips and reality begins to fracture.

Apple TV

https://apple.co/3QcWuVK