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The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
2025's best movies (so far) include 'Sinners,' 'Sorry Baby' and 'One of Them Days'
Often the best movies of the second half of the year come almost preordained as the Oscars Industrial Complex revs into high gear. The first half, though, can offer more of a thrill of discovery. The first six months of 2025 have offered plenty of that, including indie gems, comedy breakouts and sensational filmmaking debuts. Here are our 10 favorites from the year's first half. The Ballad of Wallis Island 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' is the kind of charming gem that's easy to recommend to any kind of movie lover. It is goofy and friendly, has an armful of lovely folk songs, an all-timer of a rambling character, in Tim Key's eccentric and completely lovable Charles, Tom Basden's grumpy, too-cool straight man, and the always delightful Carey Mulligan. 'Wallis Island' is a film about letting go and moving on told with humor, wit and a big heart. Also hailing from the British Isles is the equally delightful 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl." (streaming on Peacock) —Bahr One of Them Days The big-screen comedy has been an almost extinct creature in recent years, but Lawrence Lamont's 'One of Them Days' gives me hope. Not only was this buddy comedy a surprise box-office hit, it is probably the exhibit A in the case of Keke Palmer Should Be in Everything. She and SZA, in her film debut, play Los Angeles housemates in a madcap race to make rent. (Streaming on Netflix) —Coyle Sorry, Baby There's a sequence in Eva Victor's delicate, considered and disarmingly funny directorial debut, 'Sorry, Baby' that kind of took my breath away. You know something bad is going to happen to Agnes, it's literally the logline of the film. You sense that her charismatic thesis adviser is a bit too fixated on her. The incident itself isn't seen, Victor places their camera outside of his home. Agnes goes inside, the day turns to evening and the evening turns to night, and Agnes comes out, changed. But we stay with her as she finds her way to her car, to her home and, most importantly to her friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie). This is a film about what happens after the bad thing. And it's a stunner. (In theaters) —Bahr Black Bag Arguably the best director-screenwriter tandem this decade has been Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp. They were behind the pandemic thriller 'Kimi' and another standout of 2025, the ghost-POV 'Presence.' But their spy thriller-marital drama 'Black Bag,' starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as married British intelligence agents, may be their best collaboration yet. It's certainly the one with the most delicious dialogue. How has it taken the movies this long to make a dinner scene with spies dosed with truth serum? (Streaming on Peacock) —Coyle Materialists Celine Song's 'Materialists ' might not be the film people wanted it to be, but it's the film they need in this land of high-end dating apps, designer dupes and everyone pretending to live like minor socialites on Instagram. A thoughtful meditation on money, worth, love and companionship, this is a film that upends everything we've come to think we want from the so-called romantic comedy (the idea of prince charming, the inexplicable wealth that's supposed to coexist with middle class mores). Lifestyle porn will always have a place in the rom-com machine, but this is a populist film, both modern and timeless, that reminds us that love should be easy. It should feel like coming home. 'Materialists' is simply the most purely romantic film of the year. (In theaters) — Bahr Sinners Not only does the wait go on for Ryan Coogler to make a bad movie, he seems to be still realizing his considerable talents. There are six months to go, still, in 2025, but I doubt we'll have a big scale movie that so thrillingly doubles (see what I did there) as a personal expression for its filmmaker as 'Sinners.' This exhilarating vampire saga is ambitiously packed with deep questions about community, Black entertainment, Christianity and, of course, Irish dancing. (Streaming on Max) —Coyle Pavements In a world of woefully straightforward documentaries and biopics about musicians, Alex Ross Perry decided to creatively, and a little chaotically, upend the form with his impossible-to-categorize film about the 90s indie band Pavement. Blending fact, fiction, archive, performance, this winkingly rebellious piece is wholly original and captivating, and, not unlike Todd Haynes's 'I'm Not There,' the kind of movie to turn someone who's maybe enjoyed a few Pavement and Stephen Malkmus songs into a fan. (In theaters, streaming on MUBI July 11) —Bahr April A rare and exquisite precision guides Dea Kulumbegashvili's rigorous and despairing second feature. Beneath stormy spring skies in the European country of Georgia, a leading local obstetrician (Ia Sukhitashvili) pitilessly works to help women who are otherwise disregarded, vilified or worse. This is a movie coursing with dread, but its expression of a deep-down pain is piercing and unforgettable. (Not currently available) —Coyle On Becoming a Guinea Fowl A visually, and thematically arresting marvel, Rungano Nyoni's darkly comedic, stylish and hauntingly bizarre film about unspoken generational trauma takes audiences to a place, I'm guessing, many have never been: A Zambian family funeral. And yet its truths ring universal, as the elder generation turns their heads from the awful truth that the dead man, Fred, was a predator and pedophile, while the younger wonders if things must stay as they are. (Streaming on HBO Max on July 4) --Bahr Friendship On TV, Tim Robinson and Nathan Fielder have been doing genius-level comedy. Fielder hasn't yet jumped into his own films, but, then again, it's hard to get an epic of cringe comedy and aviation safety like season two of 'The Rehearsal' into a feature-length movie. But in 'Friendship,' writer and director Andrew DeYoung brings Robinson, star of 'I Think You Should Leave," into well-tailored, very funny and dementedly perceptive movie scenario. He plays a man who awkwardly befriends a cool neighbor (Paul Rudd). While their differences make for most of the comedy in the movie, 'Friendship' — which culminates in a telling wink — is really about their similarities. (Available for digital rental) — Coyle
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Miranda Hart reveals her plans to return to the limelight... and what avenue she plans to take as she says she's 'really keen to get back to some silliness'
Miranda Hart has revealed her hopes to return to creating comedy - ten years after her hit show last aired. The comedian, 52, had been off the nation's screens for four years when she spectacularly revealed her three-decade battle with Lyme disease and wedding joy as she launched her autobiography last year. She has previously said that she 'missed laughter' in her time away from TV, adding that she was 'really keen to get back to some silliness now'. But it now seems that she is finally ready to get back to the drawing board - after confessing her hopes to actor Tim Key after a screening of his new film The Ballad of Wallis Island. 'Miranda Hart came and she said: "That's very freeing. I'd like to make something again,"' the Alan Partridge star told the Elis James and John Robins show. James, joking that the film had been so good it had forced him to give up on his writing dreams, responded: 'You've lost James and won Hart.' Key, 48, replied: 'It's swings and roundabouts. We've turned you off and Miranda back on.' It comes as the star shared a cryptic social media post, a quote from Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. It said that 'when you let go of the frantic search for validation, you find yourself exactly where you are meant to be, with the tools you need to go forward. It is from this place of quiet assurance that the most beautiful things emerge.' Miranda has kept a low-profile in recent years. The comedian rose to fame with her self-titled sitcom series in 2009 and went on to star in Call The Midwife as Chummy from 2012 until 2015. In 2017 it was revealed Miranda would not be returning to Call The Midwife, citing a busy work schedule as her reason. But she later revealed during an stand-up gig in London that she had been suffering from 'ill' health She was last seen in 2020's film adaptation of Jane Austin, where she played 'harmless chatterbox' Miss Bates. Meanwhile, a 10th anniversary special of Miranda, filmed at the London Palladium in 2019 and described by Hart as 'a party (not a new episode)', also aired in 2020. It took medics 33 years to discover Miranda had been battling with the bacterial infection Lyme disease, after initially mislabelling her as being agoraphobic - an anxiety disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations. She recalls running out a doctor's appointment in floods of tears after they told her she was 'TATT' - 'Tired All The Time' and said: 'I just don't know what to do with you.' Meanwhile, a 10th anniversary special of Miranda, filmed at the London Palladium in 2019 and described by Hart as 'a party (not a new episode)', also aired in 2020 The comic finally received the diagnosis in lockdown and believes she contracted Lyme disease when she 14 after battling nasty flu-like symptoms in Virginia. The star then shared that she was also diagnosed with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. In an extract from her book I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You, which she shared in her monthly newsletter, Miranda offered an insight into the height of her health struggles while doctors failed to find the cause of her symptoms. The comedian, who also shared in her book she had married surveyor Richard Fairs, admitted that she felt increasingly 'alone' as it no one seemed to understand the height of her struggles. Miranda admitted that before meeting Richard, she had 'given up' on the idea of ever tying the knot. She said: 'It makes me think of the recent joy of getting married, which I had sort of given up on the possibility of, and also the young me dreaming. I've always been a dreamer. It's very emotional.' But she admitted she immediately 'fell in love' with Richard 'there and then,' just moments after they first met in real life. MailOnline revealed in October that Miranda and Richard had exchanged vows last July at a 1,000-year-old church in the picturesque Hampshire village of Hambledon, attended only by a handful of family and close friends, all of whom were sworn to secrecy. 'Miranda Hart did get married in St Peter's and St Paul's Church,' the vicar of the 11th century church, Reverend Elizabeth 'Liz' Quinn said. 'But I am not going to discuss anything about it because Miranda has released everything she wants to be known about her marriage and her wedding in her book. And I am not going to go against her wishes.' Renowned as one of the most beautiful villages in the South Downs National Park, Hambledon has become the base of Miranda's close-knit family. Her parents, retired Royal Navy Commander David Hart Dyke, and mother Diana, bought a beautiful mansion there seven years ago, and later her sister Alice, to whom she is extremely close, moved in next door.
Scotsman
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
I paid a visit to the place where cinema has come to die
Getty Images Box office takings are still the measure of popularity, but for how much longer? Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... If you want a glimpse into a dystopian future, head to Ocean Terminal in Leith. Walking around the decaying carcass of a once glittering shopping centre is to see what life will be like when the last store you actually want to visit finally closes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But the grimmest experience awaits upstairs. With it's multiple screens showing movies all day long, a visit to Vue Cinema used to be a bit of a treat. You could buy tickets using a touch screen and the seats were super comfy. Then came Covid. Since then someone seems to have pressed rewind. The touch screens are gone and have been replaced by an app that never works. So instead you have to queue up to buy tickets from a person - just like in the old days. Except this person also sells the buckets of popcorn and gallon sized drinks which take ages to prepare, hence the long, snaking queue. And that is why Vue Ocean Terminal is the place where cinema has come to die. You can queue up for 10 minutes to buy a ticket for a movie in a shopping centre that looks like a scene from after the zombie invasion, or you can stay at home and wait a week for it to appear on a streaming platform. It's that simple. I went to see a brilliant British film called 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' with Tim Key and Tom Basden because I think they are terrific and I want their movie to be a success. Box office takings are still the measure of popularity, but for how much longer? Having battled with the app, braved the queue and complained to the manager I eventually managed to see what will probably be my favourite film of the year but it was with a handful of people in the room…. and no wonder. The cinema experience is in freefall. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I understand the economics. With revenues declining there is no great incentive for cinema chains to invest in their product. Instead the focus seems to be on slashing costs and squeezing every last penny out of the business model before it folds….and nobody seems to care. Well the customer cares. We've all had a long love affair with this form of entertainment. Most people can tell you about their first film and have special memories of big movie going occasions….date nights, birthday outings, special double bills and the treat that is going to a movie in the afternoon. And then there is the shared communal experience of going to see films like Schindler's List, Philadelphia, Austin Powers and the latest James Bond film. Those moments when we all laugh together or the grief hangs so heavy in the air that you have to reach for a hankie. All that will be lost when we end up sitting in our viewing pods at home staring at giant screens that also monitor our health and doomscroll social media for us. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Tom's Guide
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
The best movie of 2025 (so far) you missed in theaters just arrived on streaming — and it's a hilariously heartfelt watch
I have a well-documented love of all things dark, from twisting crime thrillers to brutal horrors. My favorite movies of the year list usually ends up stuffed with flicks that can be considered pretty bleak in tone. But, I do have a slightly sappy side as well, and my love for 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' proves it. I caught this British comedy-drama in theatres last weekend, and while my expectations were relatively low ahead of watching, after 100 joyful minutes I walked out of my screening with a broad smile on my face, convinced I'd just seen a frontrunner pick for the most overlooked movie of 2025 (so far). 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' received only a limited theatrical release in the U.S. back in March, which means an awful lot of people didn't get to see it on the big screen. That's a real shame. But fortunately, life is all about second chances (a theme of the movie itself), and now this heartfelt movie is available to stream on Peacock or via PVOD on platforms like Amazon and Apple. If you were one of the many who didn't get to catch 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' in cinemas earlier this year, I strongly implore you to seek it out on streaming, because it's something very special. Here's why I love it so much. Charles Heath (Tim Key) is a reclusive lottery winner, living on the eponymous Wallis Island off the coast of Wales. He's also the world's biggest superfan of folk music duo McGwyer Mortimer. Unfortunately, the band, made up of Herby McGwyer (Tom Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), who were previously romantically involved, broke up 10 years ago, and haven't played a show together live since. Using his lottery winnings, Charles convinces them to both come to the island, reunite, and play a very intimate concert for an audience of one. Once on the island, old tensions flare up, and McGwyer and Mortimer find themselves grappling with their past and their present. They also have to tolerate Charles' fawning fandom and personality quirks. Eventually, the increasing tensions between the pair put the dream gig under threat. 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' wormed its way into my affections almost immediately. That's thanks in large part to the comedic brilliance of Tim Key. The flick opens with McGwyer arriving on the island in a small boat with a giddy Charles welcoming his hero, and this brilliant scene sets the tone. From the off, one thing becomes immediately apparent: Charles just cannot shut up. He is a persistent babbler and fills every silence with a running stream of nonsense. Loads of his lines had the entire audience in my local theatres laughing out loud, but as the movie progresses, we slowly peel back the layers and learn there's more to Charles than just his extreme levels of fandom. Charles very quickly became my favorite character of the movie, partially because he's just hilariously funny, with Key's sense of comedic timing second to none. But also because when it becomes clear exactly why he loves McGwyer Mortimer's music so much, I almost shed a tear (almost, I swear). The folk music duo themselves have more than a little bit of Fleetwood Mac about them. And when they are reunited on Wallis Island for the first time in a decade, there's a heavy distance between them. But this slowly erodes as they get back into the swing of playing music together and fondly reminisce on the past. However, the fact that Mortimer now has an American husband (Akemnji Ndifornyen) only adds to the underlying tension. I'm not a folk music fan per se (Taylor Swift's Folkmore duology is about as far into the genre as my Spotify playlists dip), but the musical element fits the tone perfectly. The original McGwyer Mortimer tunes are a surprise highlight and are performed by Basden and Mulligan. There's a lot more to 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' than just cringetastic humor from Charles' foibles and inability to stop talking for even a moment; there's a real melancholic nature about the movie. This element shines through most brightly via McGwyer, a cynical character, whose solo career is stalling, forcing him to create 'commercial' music he has no passion for. His time on Wallis Island and the chance to reconnect with his old partner begin to change his outlook and his sweetheart slowly starts to shine through. This arc, while hardly original, really works wonders. I also have to give kudos to 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' for not playing out exactly as I expected. In the first act, I rather arrogantly, perhaps, assumed I had the whole movie mapped out beat-for-beat, but instead, it takes a more unexpected (and very welcome) route. There's no shocking twist or anything of that nature, but the ending is a little more wistful than I anticipated. 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' is a tender comedy-drama, filled with likeable characters (even if they take a little while to warm up), beautifully understated music and a heartfelt story. Basden, Mulligan and especially Key are all fantastic, and by the end, you'll be wishing that you could take a trip to the remote (fictional) Wallis Island to nourish your soul and meet Charles. You don't need to just take my word for it that 'The Ballade of Wallis Island' is worth streaming. The movie currently holds a near-perfect 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This rating comes from more than 100 reviews and has earned the movie a Certified Fresh seal. 'The Ballad of Wallis Island hums along a sweet melody without lapsing into outright sentimentality, mining a great deal of warmth from its humble premise,' reads the site's 'Critics Consensus,' and viewers agree, rating it an equally impressive 93%. These scores speak to the movie's quality and how effectively it charms you. It's such a special little movie, and I'm hoping its arrival on streaming opens it up to a richly deserved wider audience. I can't wait to rewatch it on Peacock, and it's now entered my rotation of comfort movies I turn to on rainy days. If somehow all this praise hasn't convinced you to give 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' a watch (do you have a heart made of stone?), check out my full roundup of the top new movies arriving across streaming services. But if you want to save some time, just go watch this one now, it's a comfort blanket of a movie that will have you reflecting on your life and lost loves.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
South West's largest comedy festival returns this weekend
The South West's largest comedy festival has returned for its second year -promising to be twice as big as the first. The Exeter Comedy Festival, which features more than 60 shows in 15 venues across four days, is taking place this week until Sunday 8 June. Pubs, hairdressers and piano shops are among businesses across the city which were converting into temporary venues. Bridget Christie, Tim Key, Reginald D. Hunter and David O'Doherty are among some of the big names appearing. "We can't wait for people to see all the great shows we have to offer," festival organiser Georgia Thomas said. Audiences will find both established TV comedians and strong local acts on the line-up. Taskmaster's Bridget Christie and Mark Watson are among those to come, while Tim Key launched his new poetry book L.A. Baby! in an interview with cult-favourite Daniel Kitson on Thursday. Cornish Comedian of the Year Ben Treloar and Exeter's own Ed Tripp will also be appearing. In 2022, JoJo Maberly performed her first ever stand-up gig in Exeter. Three years later, after scooping up an armful of awards, she's back with her full length show Angst & Angstability. "When I started there was one gig a week so I would go every week and write new material," she said."Now there are so many shows coming to the festival - it's so great to see the comedy world come alive in Exeter." The weekly gig, Locally Sourced, is still going and its organisers are the brains behind the festival. "In the days of social media, gathering people together is an almost revolutionary act," organiser and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Will Adamsdale said. "And yet when we do it, we love it and feed off it."An exhibition of art produced by comedians performing at the festival is open to the public at the Exeter Picturehouse.
