Who says Wednesday, says cinema. Today, we present you the films of the week, to guide you in the dark rooms.
1. The War of the Roses
Genre: dramedy
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Samberg
Synopsis: Ivy and Theo are an ideal couple with everything: successful careers, a flourishing marriage, extraordinary children… However, behind the façade of this ideal life, a storm is brewing. As Theo’s career collapses and Ivy’s is on the rise, their previously suppressed resentments and rivalry quickly surface. Forty years after the last film The War of the Roses with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, the 2025 version features a new couple. This remake, directed by Jay Roach and written by Tony McNamara, director of Cruella, offers a modern adaptation of the 1989 black comedy.
2. The Woman Who Knew Too Much
Genre: drama
Director: Nader Saeivar
Cast: Maryam Boubani, Nader Naderpour, Abbas Imani
Summary: Tarlan, a retired dance teacher in Iran, witnesses a murder committed by an influential government figure. It concerns the feminicide of her adopted daughter. She reports it to the police, who refuse to investigate. She must then choose between succumbing to political pressure or risking her reputation and resources to obtain justice. The drama portrays the daily life of a family in the context of restrictions on individual freedoms, especially those of women, in Iran after the September 2022 protests. Exercised at all levels, from public to private, power controls every action and gesture of women. Impunity, corruption, and justice are denounced by the director, who was inspired by his life and the movement “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
3. Escape From the 21st Century
Genres: action, adventure, science fiction
Director: Yang Li
Cast: Ruoyun Zhang, Yang Song, Manzi Zhuyan
Summary: Three teenagers, in 1999, discover that a simple sneeze allows them to travel through time. Facing an extraordinary adventure, they are tasked with a crucial mission: to protect the world. Yang Li’s aesthetic brings a certain revolution to Chinese cinema, first through an uncommon genre but also by using successful digital effects. He offers only live-action and 2D animation.
4. Prince – Sign O’ The Times
Genre: musical documentary
Directors: Prince, Albert Magnoli, David Hogan
Cast: Prince, Sheila E., Sheena Easton
Summary: The album “Sign O’ The Times” by Prince is widely appreciated for capturing Prince’s creative essence, combining electrifying concert sequences with cinematic narration, powerful visuals, and a sound that transcends musical genres. Acclaimed by critics, the film was directed by Prince in 1987. The main artists are Prince, Sheila E., and his band of musicians, and it has been digitally remastered on IMAX (immersive technology, ed.).
5. Trapped – Caught Stealing
Genres: thriller, comedy
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz
Summary: Hank Thompson was a great high school baseball player, but he can no longer play. Other than that, everything is fine. He dates an extraordinary girl, works as a bartender at night in a dim bar in New York, and his favorite, downtrodden team is making an unexpected comeback towards the title. When his punk neighbor Russ asks him to look after his cat for a few days, Hank has no idea he’s going to find himself in the middle of a gang of mobsters. They’re all after Hank, and he doesn’t even know why. To escape their clutches, Hank must muster all his energy and stay alive long enough to figure out the situation.
The director of Requiem for a Dream (2000), Black Swan (2010), and The Whale (2022) immerses viewers in the 1990s, without compromise.
