David R. Walker

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Spiderman: Brand New Day

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Jacob Batalan, Florence Pugh, Lisa Colon-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei

Running Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes

Film Rating:  8 out of 10

Tom Holland, the 30 year old star of the Spiderman franchise has come a long way from his first Spiderman film which was released back in 2017, when he was just 21 years old. From Spiderman: Homecoming to Spiderman: Brand New Day, Holland has embraced the role of the legendary New York web slinger as he grew from a high school kid that discovered superhero powers to his latest film as a late twenties young man who is finding his new powers both a burden and a blessing.

Five years after Spiderman: No Way Home, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton injects some oriental charm into Spiderman: Brand New Day in the form of red clad ninjas. When the trailer for this film was released, I knew it would do well at the box office.

After all who doesn’t love Spiderman fighting ninjas?

The cinema houses will be packed. Indeed they are. This film is showing in multiple cinemas at every cinema house across the planet.

Along with an extremely buff and competent Tom Holland as Spiderman, Zendaya reprises her role as the elegant MJ along with Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Poor Things) as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk and Jacob Batalan as Ned Leeds.

In the first three films there was always a clear villain. In Spiderman: Brand New Day, the villain is an elusive shape shifter that can enter people’s bodies and move onto the next one, which in a city like New York that becomes extremely handy.

Enter the fabulous Sadie Sink (The Whale) as the vengeful Jean Grey as she tries to penetrate the ironically named department of damage control led by Bill Metzer played by Tramell Tillman.

Before Spiderman can meet his younger, fierce and feisty villain, he must battle The Hulk and flying red ninja’s in some epic and beautifully shot fight sequences whose impressive visual effects should be rewarded.

Naturally the chemistry between Zendaya and Tom Holland is undeniable but it is really Holland’s growth into the role of Spiderman that is most exhilarating and is the reason this film is so spectacular. A notable scene between Spiderman and Yelena Belova from Black Widow fame is clever and quite sexy as they meet in a steam bath. Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (Little Women) reprises her role as Yelena Belova as she helps Spiderman figure out what Jean Grey wants.

Coupled with the buddy scenes between Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal, Spiderman: Brand New Day works on multiple levels as a fantastic superhero film with high production values in the capable hands of the Hawaiian director that knew exactly what would make this film so successful.

Set entirely in New York, Spiderman: Brand New Day is a celebration of one of the most iconic superhero’s as he outgrows his teenage years and becomes a capable and brave man, trying to win back the girl he loves while dealing with the loss of his beloved aunt May played in flashback scenes by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny), while battling malevolent forces and looking after his own health.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spiderman: Brand New Day gets a film rating of 8 out of 10 and is darker in tone but is definitely worth seeing.

Highly recommended viewing for those that love the entertaining web slinging franchise.

My Friend

Director: Mohamed Zran

Cast: Fethi Akkari, Mamadou Diallo

Running Time: 85 minutes

Country of Origin: Tunisia

Festival: Durban International Film Festival

Language: Arabic and French with English Subtitles.

Film Rating: 7 out of 10

PLEASE NOTE THERE WAS LIMITED PUBLICITY AVAILABLE FOR THIS FILM: POSTERS & STOCK IMAGES.

Tunisian director Mohamed Zran’s 85 minute film My Friend closed the 47^th Durban International Film Festival https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/ and follows the nocturnal and nefarious wonderings of a Senegalese immigrant to Tunisia Idrissa who decides to assist Hassan, a down and out old man who has been badly injured and is sleeping in the doorway of someone’s home in Tunis.

My Friend is shot entirely in one take with no editing, which makes the film engrossing but also difficult to watch as the audience follows the adventures and horrors of Idrissa as he valiantly attempts to get Hassan to a hospital in Tunis which is unfortunately on the outskirts of town perched on a hill.

As Idrissa and Hassan ward off racist attacks and attempted muggings by discontented youths in a nocturnal Tunis, My Friend follows the story of the two men as they attempt to get to safety. No good deed goes unpunished as Idrissa soon finds that he is robbed and his immigration papers which allow him to stay in Tunisia are stolen.

Tunisia is also a stopping off point for migrants to get from central Africa to Europe as it is a stone’s throw away from the flashy resorts of Italy and France in the Mediterranean.

Broke, injured and hungry, Idrissa and Hassan press on towards their destination, a hospital which should be a place for healing and medical assistance but turns out to hold a fate far worse for Idrissa.

My Friend is a fascinating and daunting exploration of an unlikely friendship at the tipping point of it collapsing as Hassan, a Tunisian citizen will find all the help he requires while Idrissa, a Senegalese outcast will be treated as a hostile pariah.

Director Mohamed Zran’s film My Friend is recommended as an arthouse film and unfortunately does lack commercial appeal but stands up as a scathing judgement of Tunisian society who views foreigners as non-citizens, a trend which seems to be replicated the world over.

Tackling issues of homelessness, poverty, immigration and the lack of human kindness, My Friend gets a film rating of 7 out of 10 and was a fitting film to end off the Durban International Film Festival. If viewers catch it on a streaming site or elsewhere be sure to watch it.

The Invite

Director: Olivia Wilde

Cast: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton

Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs or Sentimental, screenwriters Rashida Jones and Willl Cormack recreate this quartet drama in director Olivia Wilde’s new adult comedy The Invite starring Oscar winner Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), four time Oscar nominee (A Complete Unknown, Birdman, American History X and Primal Fear) Edward Norton along with comedy star Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde who complete the cast.

Now it’s extremely difficult to make a film with just four actors and not use any of the usual mise-en-scene like glamourous locations or a fabulous apartment to add panache to the story.

Director Paul Feig did it correctly in the sumptuous but unhinged domestic thriller in the 2025 film The Housemaid incorporating an amazing house with sleek New York locations.

Don’t Worry Darling director Olivia Wilde battles to keep the momentum going in The Invite which focuses on uncommunicative husband and wife played by Seth Rogen and Angela.

Joe is the absent-minded grumpy husband with constant back pain, a comic foil to the practical yet anxiety ridden Angela both expertly played by these two actors. After a long day at a second rate music school in San Francisco, Joe comes home to their beautiful apartment to the news that Angela has invited their mysterious but kinky neighbours for dinner. An unexpected invite that Joe is not impressed with.

The neighbours Pina and Hawk are exotic and strange, both exceptionally well played by Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton. Cruz is especially brilliant at nonchalantly unravelling the multiple marital issues that Joe and Angela are desperately trying to mask.

As the two couples settle down for a competitive dinner made only more tolerable by multiple tequila shots and large amounts of weed, the conversation takes a weird turn. For Pina and Hawk are into some niche ways of spicing up their sex life.

As a film, The Invite is saved by excellent performances by Seth Rogen and Penelope Cruz however the dialogue is lacking in times and could have been polished with wit and sarcasm as opposed to those awkward pauses. The aesthetics of The Invite could have been improved considering that this film is not visually interesting except for the character interaction and the great plot twist.

The Invite will find a contemporary adult audience that enjoy more mature comedies which encapsulate all the current social anxieties that torment 21^st century couples.

The Invite gets a film rating of 7.5 out of 10 and is enjoyable but not perfect. Recommended viewing.

No Good Men

Director: Sahrbanoo Sadat

Cast: Sahrbanoo Sadat, Anwar Hashimi, Yasin Negah

Running Time: 1 hour 43 minutes

Countries of Origin: Norway, Denmark, Germany and Afghanistan

Festival: Durban International Film Festival

Language: Pashto and Dari with English Subtitles.

Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Afghan director Sahrbanoo Sadat both stars in and directs an autobiographical tale of a female TV reporter for Kabul News in the heady and catastrophic months before the fall of Afghanistan in April 2021 to complete rule by the Taliban after the untimely withdrawal of American troops by the Biden Administration in her new film No Good Men, which premiered at the Berlinale in February 2026.

Sadat plays the outspoken TV journalist Naru in a completely patriarchal society where even the thought of a female camerawoman is frowned upon. In No Good Men, Sadat paints all the men in Afghanistan as violent, dominant and in complete control, which is not far from the truth since the Afghan women had no rights at all. Even when Naru has to navigate looking after her three year old son Liam played by Liam Hussaini, his father, the wayward womanizing husband of Naru kidnaps the son from play school and Naru has no way of getting her child back except through complete submission to her husband.

Naru meets TV anchorman Qodat played by Anwar Hashimi, a mild mannered by strong principled handsome man who strikes up a fondness for this feisty female journalist in a society which was about to be ruled by complete patriarchy.

No Good Men with it’s vibrant beginning and  dazzling insight into Afghanistan before the Taliban took over is beautiful tale of one woman whose destiny changes forever when she meets Qodat who makes the ultimate sacrifice at the critical moment when her life undergoes a full upheaval.

With flashy scenes of Kabul News footage of wedding bombings and disastrous interviews with the inept Afghan government which simply abandoned the country the moment the American troops withdraw from Kabul, No Good Men is a poignant and funny tale of Naru and her lover Qodat whose love is never fully explored due to a country on the verge of collapse.

With funding from Norway, Denmark and Germany, No Good Men directed by Sahrbanoo Sadat is worth seeing providing an interesting romantic comedy about constrictive gender relationships, doomed love and a vibrant society on the verge being destroyed forever.

When Margaret Atwood wrote the brilliant dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale about a society in which women’s rights are completely nullified by a toxic male dictatorship she based her ideas on visiting Afghanistan in the 1980’s before the Russian invasion. No Good Men, without the pity or sadness, shines an expert light on Afghanistan before the fall and how even in these extraordinary circumstances, love can flourish.

No Good Men gets a film rating of 7.5 out of 10 and is worth seeing. Director Sahrbanoo Sadat does a brilliant job of shining a cinematic light on a forgotten country whose vibrancy has now been extinguished. Recommended viewing.

Fosta

Director: Eldon van Aswegen

Cast: Thulani Headman, Valentino Barrioseta, Black Coffee, Richie Hawtin, Ed Sheeran, Skrillex, Themba Fassie, Siphe Fassie

Running Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Languages: English and Xhosa

Country of Origin: South Africa

Festival: Durban International Film Festival

Film Rating: 8 out of 10

Please note this film is a documentary.

South African cinematographer and film maker Eldon van Aswegen makes his feature film directorial debut with his film Fosta which had its world premiere at the 47^th Durban International Film Festival on Friday 24^th July 2026 and is a superb documentary about Cape Town based DJ Thulani “Fosta” Headman, who was a former gang member who effectively turns to electronic dance music as a means of transforming his life.

Expertly directed by Eldon van Aswegen, Fosta is a fascinating and relevant documentary about the successful trajectory of a former ex-convict as it traces his journey from his township roots in Langa, Cape Town to his chance meeting with Barcelona based events promoter Valentino Barrioseta who visits Cape Town to take a break from the hectic dance scene on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza.

While Barrioseta is in Cape Town he takes a tour to Langa where he meets Thulani and recognizes Thulani’s talent as an electronic music DJ. Before long the Spanish events promoter invites other international DJs including American DJ Skrillex and British Canadian DJ Richie Hawtin to Cape Town to meet Thulani “Fosta” Headman and witness his talent.

After revitalising the dance scene in Langa, Fosta recognizes the possibilities of working with an international promoter but is reluctant to just disappear overseas and not bring anything back to the community.

Fosta as a documentary has high production values and features great interviews with Fosta and the other international DJ’s as the non-fiction film follows him as he travels first to Amsterdam and then London and Glastonbury, whereby Barrioseta introduces him to some influential music festivals and exposes him to the international DJ scene.

Together with some international fundraising, Fosta, Skrillex and Valentino Barrioseta give something back to the community of Langa by building the Bridges for Music academy – https://bridgesformusic.org/ and registering the DJ and Talent music development school in the UK as a charity.

Eldon van Aswegen choses to make a vibrant documentary about Fosta combining elements of taped interviews with touches of bright yellow animation and tells a compelling story about positive transformation and skills development and the potential for the South African electronic dance music scene to shine on the international stage.

Fosta is a fantastic documentary, uplifting and innovative and is highly recommended viewing.

Fosta gets a film rating of 8 out of 10 and will interest 21^st century contemporary DJ and dance music lovers. Worth seeing.

The Odyssey

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Corey Hawkins, Logan Marshall-Green, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Samantha Morton, John Lequizamo, Benny Safdie, Himesh Patel, Jovan Adepo, Andrew Howard, Lupita N’yongo, Shiloh Fernandez, Elliot Page

Running Time: 2 hours and 52 minutes

Film Rating: 9 out of 10

After winning the best director Oscar for Oppenheimer back in 2023, Christopher Nolan takes on the daunting and dazzling task of bring Homer’s The Odyssey to the big screen and he succeeds in a majestic epic worthy of every accolade available come awards season.

The Odyssey is truly breath taking, horrifying and riveting held together by a plethora of stunning performances mainly by Matt Damon as Odysseus the lost king of Ithaca who goes away and fights in the Trojan wars and leaves his wife Penelope and young son Telemachus alone and unprotected.

Odysseus does go an epic war adventure from the bloody and ruthless capture of Troy using the infamous Trojan horse to travelling to a series of mythical islands along with his brave group of warriors as they collectively encounter cyclops, son of Zeus and the witch Circe, a terrifying performance by Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown, In America) who deserves another Oscar nomination, before Odysseus is washed ashore on another island and held by Calypso played by Oscar winner Charlize Theron (Monster).

He has no memory and has no idea what is happening back in Ithaca or what happened to his soldiers.

Back in Odysseus’s homeland, his now grown up son Telemachus expertly played by Tom Holland is trying to pacify the group of vicious suitors as they feast nightly at his mother’s palace. Penelope fantastically played by Oscar winner Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) is regal and unrelenting for she will not succumb to the wishes of these men who sense her vulnerability while her legendary husband is lost in the Aegean Sea. The Odyssey is as much about an adventure as it is about the family: a mother, father and a son who is trying to salvage his inheritance while clinging onto the dream that his kingdom will survive.

Anne Hathaway is extraordinary as Penelope especially in the scenes with her and her primary suitor the ruthless Antinous brilliantly played by Robert Pattinson who also deserves an Oscar nomination.

Will Odysseus come back and save Ithaca? Has the ancient world truly recovered after the Trojan wars or has the very foundations of ancient Greece been undermined causing the Gods to seek vengeance?

Christopher Nolan is a master at world building and antiquity is no exception, from the beautiful costumes by Ellen Mirojnick to the production design by Ruth de Jong, the aesthetics of The Odyssey are visually astounding accompanied by the pristine cinematography by Hoyte van Hotema in an epic poetic narrative which is as much about war and betrayal, as it is about love and vengeance.

On every level The Odyssey is monumental, an unmatched cinematic achievement which will draw the audience in from the sapphire ocean voyage among strange islands to the final climatic scene in the palace of Ithaca whereby Penelope has to test the mettle of her lustful suitors. For she knows that in the world of men, she has to show her own strength.

Possible acting Oscar nominations for Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Samantha Morton and Robert Pattinson but definite nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Sound.

See The Odyssey for the Battle of Troy. See the Odyssey for the vengeance of Odysseus. See The Odyssey for an imaginative retelling of Homer’s classic epic poem about the voyages of a strategic warrior and the impending fall of an empire.

Highly recommended viewing The Odyssey gets a film rating of 9 out of 10 and is absolutely essential viewing on the biggest screen possible.

Supergirl

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Milly Alcock, David Corenswet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, Ferdinand Kingsley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, Jason Momoa

Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Film Rating: 7 out of 10

Cruella and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie returns to the big screen with an origin story about Superman’s kryptonite cousin Supergirl brilliantly played by Milly Alcock who briefly appeared in last year’s film Superman.

Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl appears at the beginning of the story to be an intergalactic party animal celebrating her birthday in a very debauched fashion with Clark Kent aka Superman checking in on her via video link from Earth. Kara hasn’t come to terms with her Supergirl status, her powers as a superhero or her inherent responsibility to fend off evil.

Evil in this form comes from the villain Krem wonderfully played by Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl, Rust and Bone, Far from the Madding Crowd) who displays his nastiness when he shoots Krypto, Supergirl’s adorable dog with a poison dart after Ruthiye played by Eve Ridley comes to Supergirl for assistance after her family are brutally murdered by Krem.

Krem leads a violent band of misogynistic men who capture young girls all across the galaxy as brides for this evil tribe of maniacs. A storyline which scriptwriter Ana Nogueira lifts straight out of Furoisa: A Mad Max Saga. Supergirl and Ruthiye kick start some serious girl power as they go up against Krem and his band of miscreants. They do have some help from the cigar smoking biker Lobo played by Jason Momoa last seen as Aquaman who seems to relish this role.

Supergirl does appear to possess a script that is all over the show and appears as a pastiche of several film franchises in one: Star Wars, Mad Max and even Dune. There are more aliens in this film than is necessary.

The best scenes in the film are the back story of Kara Zor-El as a young girl on the dying planet of Krypton whereby her parents Zor-El played by David Krumholtz (Oppenheimer) and Alura Zor-El played by British actress Emily Beecham (Cruella, Hail, Caesar!) who was so brilliant in the historical series King and Conqueror, put young Supergirl in a capsule and send her to earth with specific instructions that her tall handsome cousin will look after her. Those scenes are beautifully done with clear inspiration from the Dune franchise.

Schoenaerts is brilliant as Krem, all studded in black leather and speaking in a harsh accent with crazy eyes and enough virility to keep the Manosphere going into the next century. The juxtaposition between him as the uber-male villain and Supergirl as the blond and blue eyed saviour of the world is revealing. For a good superhero film to work, you have to have a truly evil villain that feels nothing at killing innocent people, slave trading and darting adorable dogs.

The first half of Supergirl is a bit unsteady although the world building is brilliant and filled with imaginative detail. The second half gets better with Milly Alcock holding her own and showing an inspiring character development as Supergirl embraces her powers and helps Ruthiye rid the galaxy of megalomaniacs like Krem. The end scene is wonderful as Superman appears in his full suit and bonds with his Kryptonite cousin in an apartment in Metropolis.

There will definitely be a Supergirl sequel and I enjoyed this stand alone superhero film.

Supergirl gets a film rating of 7 out of 10 and although it lacks an original narrative, the film is entertaining and visually astounding. Recommended viewing for a good popcorn film.  

Palm d’Or:  Fjord directed by Cristian Mungiu

Best Director: (tie) Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi (The Black Ball) and Paweł Pawlikowski (Fatherland)

Best Actor: (tie) Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, Coward

Best Actress: (tie) Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, All of a Sudden

Best Screenplay: A Man of His Time, Emmanuel Marre

Palm d’Or:  It was Just An Accident directed by Jafar Panahi

Best Director:  Kleber Mendonça Filho, O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent) – Brazil

Best Actor:   Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress:  Nadia Melliti, La Petite Dernière (The Little Sister) by Hafsia Herzi

Best Screenplay:  Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, Jeunes Mères (Young Mothers)

Disclosure Day

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Elizabeth Marvel, Tommy Martinez

Running Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes

Film Rating: 7 out of 10

Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp collaborates again with Oscar winning director Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) in his new film Disclosure Day which is a strange mix of a 1980’s action movie and a weird throwback to Spielberg’s earlier 1977 alien film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

On one level, Disclosure Day is extremely well made with beautiful cinematography with long-time collaborator Oscar winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) and features some extraordinary scenes particularly the train sequence when the two main leads Margaret Fairchild brilliantly played by Oscar nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) and Dr Daniel Kellner played by Josh O’Connor (Challengers, God’s Own Country) are escaping some gun tottering government agents.

In Disclosure Day, the aliens are not out there in the galaxy but they have already arrived on earth and they have two human emissaries: the weather girl from Kansas City, Margaret and the young and hot headed Daniel Kellner. British actor Josh O’Connor does well in a big budget blockbuster as the male lead and has sufficient screen time with Emily Blunt and his former co-star Oscar winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) who he starred in together in the British period drama Mothering Sunday back in 2021.

Firth plays Noah Scanlon, the leader of a shady organization with links to the government who is intent on keeping the alien existence secret from the rest of the world.

Luckily the headstrong Margaret, a feisty weather girl from Kansas City who suddenly develops telepathic powers and dumps her guitar loving blonde boyfriend Jackson played by Wyatt Russell, son of Hollywood stars Golden Hawn and Kurt Russell, as she goes on a mission to meet up with Daniel and his girlfriend Jane played by Irish actress Eve Hewson (Bridge of Spies, Robin Hood).

As Daniel and Margaret rush to the location of Hugo Wakefield played by Oscar nominee Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing), who is committed to exposing the truth about the existence of extraterritorial life forms, Scanlon and his private army try to eliminate the couple before the imminent disclosure.

Audiences must remember that this is all set in the Midwest – Missouri to be exact in a film featuring mostly a British cast. Disclosure Day starts off exceptionally promising with the usual Spielberg flourishes which made such films as War of the Worlds and Minority Report so brilliant.

Unfortunately, David Koepp’s script goes off the reservation when the actual moment of disclosure occurs in a world filled with instant news. The critical moment of Margaret telling the world about the existence of aliens lacks the profundity required to make Disclosure Day memorable.

The narrative becomes weird and characters start falling off the screenplay never to be seen again. There is even deer, wolves and aliens that appear in strange wheelchairs….

Disclosure Day has a great director, an adequate cast but the narrative is clunky and unsubtle. It becomes too literal and obvious which is done to appease an American audience.

Disclosure Day gets a film rating of 7 out of 10 and is an enjoyable film but not ground-breaking. Spielberg needed a better scriptwriter and a more American cast if the entire film is set in the Mid-West.

It’s not believable that a weather girl from Kansas City would become the chosen one for representatives of E.T. Recommended viewing but not essential.