This Week's Picks | 52nd Edition

Published on 25 July 2025 at 02:00

Cinematic Fireworks and Streaming Revelations Await!

This week’s curated lineup spans the globe — from the psychological horror of Australia and the U.S. to political tension in Norway, espionage drama from India, and soulful solitude in the Scottish Highlands. We also travel to Greece, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, the UK, and South Africa through cinema and streaming gems that deliver depth, imagination, and emotional resonance.

Don’t miss the chance to dive into these thrilling worlds!


In Cinemas

The Bad Guys 2

Animation | Comedy | Adventure | Action | Family

A stylish, action-packed return with fresh feminist flair. Expect chaotic fun, dazzling animation, and a showdown between “reformed” baddies and rogue girl gang brilliance.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: A crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws, The Bad Guys are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys, when they are pulled out of retirement and forced to do “one last job” by an all-female squad of criminals.

Writers: Aaron Blabey & Christina Hodson

Cast: Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, Alex Borstein, Awkwafina, Sam Rockwell, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Brooks, Mariah Bakalova, Omid Djalili, Katherine Ryan, Anthony Batarse, Jason Tenandar

Music Composer: Daniel Pemberton

Production Designer: Luc Desmarchelier

Producer: Damon Ross

Editor: Jesse Averna

Directors: Pierre Perifel & JP Sans

Release Date: 25 July 2025

Screening Territory: Global

Production Country: US

Cert: PG

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvLHYox_Vq8&t=2s

Rating: 5 stars
3 votes

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

From the directors of Talk To Me, this possession horror blends occult ritual with intimate sibling trauma. Visceral scares meet emotional weight — horror that haunts and hurts.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. From the directors of ‘Talk To Me’ comes a soul-shaking possession horror that cannot be unseen.

Writers: Danny Philippou & Bill Hinzman

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Liam Damons, Mischa Heywood, Olga Miller

Cine-grapher: Aaron McLisky

Composer: Cornel Wilczek

Production Designer: Vanessa Cerne

Costume Designer: Anna Cahill

Editor: Geoff Lamb

Producers: Samantha Jennings & Kristina Ceyton

Directors: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou

Screening Territory: Global

Release Date: 26 July 2025

Production Country: Australia

Production Location: Adelaide & Lightview, South Australia

Cert: 18

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I15ttCedfY&t=5s

Rating: 5 stars
3 votes

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In Cinemas

Space Sci-Fi | Adventure | Action | Superhero | Family

A fresh reboot grounded in family-first heroism. With cosmic scale and emotional core, it reintroduces Marvel’s original super-team to a new generation, while setting up a space epic.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.

Writers: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, Kat Wood, Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Ada Scott, Matthew Wood, Angela Jones, Jay Underwood, Maise Shakman, Michael Bailey Smith, Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller

Cine-grapher: Jess Hall

Composer: Michael Giacchino

Costume Design: Alexandra Byrne

Production Designer: Kasra Farahani

Producers: Kevin Feige & Mitchell Bell

Editors: Nona Khodai & Tim Roche

Director: Matt Shakman

Release Date: 24 July 2025

Screening Territory: Global

Production Locations: Pinewood Studios - Buckinghamshire, Durdle Door – Dorset, Middleton Mine – Derbyshire Dales – UK, Oviedo – Asturias, Spain

Production Country: US

Cert: 12A

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-WdRqzSJ9w&t=3s

Rating: 5 stars
3 votes

Drama | Action | Thriller | War

Political mind games meet battlefield realism. Think The Crown meets Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but with a modern, pan-national edge.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: A tale of every spy can end up being a conspiracy theory. But their truth can never be disregarded. A name that will be remembered by the masses in the coming years. The Silent crown longing for a new ruler finds a new name, a powerhouse of aura, a persona that no one will dare to ignore.

Writer & Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri

Cast: Rukmini Vasanth, Bhagyashri Borse, Vijay Deverakonda, Satyadev Kancharana, Koushik Mahata, B.S. Avinash, Keshave Deepak, Bhannu Prakshan, Manikanta Varanasi, Sriram Reddy Polasane

Cine-graphers: Jomon T John & Girish Gangadharan

Music Composer: Anirudh Ravichander

Costume Design: Neeraja Kona

Production Designer: Avinash Kolla

Producers: Naga Vamsi S & Sai Soujanya

Editor: Navin Nooli

Release Date: 30 July 2025

Screening Territory: Worldwide

Cert: 16

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McPGQ-Nb9Uk&t=91s

Rating: 4 stars
3 votes

Streaming TV Series

Drama | Thriller | Crime | Mystery

A taut, character-driven thriller that flips the assassin trope on its head. Complex family dynamics and scenic Greek isolation make this perfect for fans of Killing Eve and The Night Manager.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Secluded on a remote Greek island, retired assassin Julie has a somewhat thorny reunion with her estranged son, Edward, visiting from England. Armed with questions around new information on his paternity, Edward battles to find the right time to speak to his frustratingly distant mother. But, when the moment finally presents itself, things take a deadly turn as Julie’s dangerous past catches up with her and they are forced to flee the island and go on the run together.

Writers: Krissie Ducker, Hamish Wright, Harry Williams & Jack Williams

Cast: Freddie Highmore, Keeley Hawes, Gerald Kyd, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Devon Terrell, David Dencik, Georgina Bitmead, Tsvetolyub Illiev, Ivan Nenchev, Dionisis Moustaklis, Oleksandr Yatsenko, Florin Piersic Jr., Benjamin Lake, Yiorgos Kakakios, Ibraim Candido, Alan Dale, Gina Gershon, Jack Davenport, Lace Akpojaro, Emilio Gotterbarm, Chike Chan, Ali Fardi, Elie Hadad, Richard Dormer, Kevin Kiernan-Molloy, Aurora Marion, Soroush Helali, Regis Romele, Andreas Karras, Ino Badanjak, Nikos Kasapis, Mia Soteriou

Cine-graphers: Laurent Bares & Arni Filippusson

Composer: Dominik Scherrer

Costume Design: Ray Holman

Producer: Nige Watson

Editors: Dan Crinnion, Andrew McClelland & Sadaf Nazari

Directors: Lisa Mulcahy & Daniel Nettheim

Release Date: 25 July 2025

Streaming On: Prime Video

Production Locations: Zappeion Hall, Salamis Island, Parthenon and Acropolis of Athens - Greece

Production Country: UK

Cert: 16+

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnyyaHNqk0Y&t=5s

Rating: 4 stars
3 votes

Adventure | Period Drama | History

A stunning adaptation with sweeping visuals, grounded by deep emotion and historical nuance. An 11-year-old boy’s journey of science, survival, and selfhood becomes timeless and timely.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Washington Black follows the 19th-century odyssey of George Washington “Wash” Black, an 11-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny. When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom and love. As he navigates uncharted lands and impossible odds, Wash finds the courage to imagine a future beyond the confines of society.

Writers: Esi Edugyan, Blaize Ali-Watkins, Ann Cherkis, Michael Cobian, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, Jennifer Johnson & Marco Ramirez

Cast: Sterling K. Brown, Tom Ellis, Rupert Graves, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Ernest Kingsley Junior, Edward Bluemel, Eddie Karanja, Iola Evans, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Tattiawna Jones, Billy Boyd, Rick Worthy, Julian Black Antelope, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Chris Patrick-Simpson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Jamie Hector, Matthew Lemche, Diem Camille, Bill Chernin, Nia Thompson

Cine-graphers: Gabriel Beristain & Peter Menzies Jr.

Composer: Cameron Moody

Costume Design: Paula Bradley & Coxy

Production Designer: Giles Masters

Producers: Matthew Mahoney, Judd Rea, Abby Victor

Editors: Bradinn French, Joseph Hatton, Aimee Jennings, Jordan Goldman & Sarah C. Reeves

Directors: Maurice Marable, Wanuri Kahiu & Rob Seidenglanz

Release Date: 23 July 2025

Streaming On: Hulu & Disney+ (International)

Production Locations: Nova Scotia – Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia – US, Morocco, Iceland & Mexico

Production Country: US

Cert: NC16

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImlSbn43MU&t=14s

Rating: 5 stars
3 votes

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In Cinemas

Drama | Crime | Thriller

The rise of an accidental cyber-criminal. A chilling, relevant portrait of the ethical slippage in a digital age — gritty, grounded, and laced with moral ambiguity.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Efemini, a down-on-his-luck everyman whose life changes forever after a chance meeting with an old friend. Forced by circumstance to suppress his principles and explore a life of cybercrime, he finds himself making ever-greater moral compromises to stay ahead of the consequences of his new choices and broadening tastes.

Writer & Director: Kemi Adetiba

Cast: Bucci Franklin, William Benson, Bimbo Akintola, Stella Damasus, Michael O. Ejoor, Chidi Mokeme, Lilian Afegbai, Sunshine Rosman

Cine-grapher: Kabelo Thathe

Composer: Oscar Heman-Ackah

Costume Designer: Ikechukwu Urum & John Joseph Angel

Producers: Remi Adetiba, Oscar Heman-Ackah & Kemi Adetiba

Editors: Kemi Adetiba, Daniel Anyiam & Remi Adetiba

Release Date: July 18

Streaming On: Netflix

Production Location: Lagos

Production Country: Nigeria

Cert: 18   

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLxhNzvqToY&t=4s

Rating: 4 stars
3 votes

Comedy | Drama

Feel-good vibes meet sharp commentary on ambition and identity. A bilingual time-hopping dramedy perfect for binge-watching.


Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: In 1984, Maximo Gallardo's dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime at Acapulco's hottest resort, Las Colinas. But he soon realizes that working there will be far more complicated than he ever imagined.

Writers: Eduardo Cisneros, Jason Shuman, Chris Spain, Austin Winsberg, Jon Jack, Ilse Apellaniz, Eddie Quintana, Tamara Yajia, Bernardo Cubria, Celeste Klaus, Francisco Cabrera-Feo, etc.

Cast: Enrique Arrizon, Fernando Carsa, Camila Perez, Vanessa Bauche, Eugenio Derbez, Chord Overstreet, Damian Alcazar, Regina Reynoso, Jessica Collins, Rafeal Cebrian, Bianca Marroquin, Regina Orozco, Carlos Corona, Gabriela Milla, Carolina Gomez

Cine-graphers: Grant Smith & Eduardo Enrique Mayen

Composer: Bo Boddie

Costume Design: Leticia Palacios & Malena De la Riva

Production Designer: Nicolas Scabini

Producers: Alejandra Cárdenas, Lorenzo O’Brien, Joe Cristalli, David Waco, Nathan Perkins, Sonia Almanza Gambaro, Francisco Cabrera-Feo

Editors: Maura Corey, Ryan Neatha Johnson, David Dean, Jeff Hall, Nina Lucia, Richie Edelson, Sandra Montiel, Luisa Maria Martinez Arcaraz, Ruben Navarro, Cynthia Ruiz, Stephanie Ledesma & Annie Popko

Directors: Jaime Eliezer Karas, Nicole Treston Abranian, Victor Nelli Jr., Tristram Shapeero, Robert Sneider, Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, Claire Scanlon, Dean Holland, Richard Shepard, Oscar Almengor & Austin Winsberg

Release Date: 2021 - 2025

Streaming On: Apple TV+

Production Locations: Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco - Mexico

Production Country: Mexico

Languages: English & Spanish

Cert: TV-14

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YKi_05emo&t=19s

Rating: 5 stars
3 votes

Streaming Films

Psychological Drama | Thriller | Horror | Mystery

An unsettling descent into madness and reinvention. Think Black Swan meets Hereditary. Deeply psychological and fiercely feminist.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: When Milla, a socialite and meek housewife, believes she has contracted a mysterious illness with no cure, she starts to spiral into madness. She is betrayed not just by the mutiny in her body, but also by the disbelief and rejection from her own family. Only when she starts sabotaging the mythical perfection of her rosy life, can she finally transform into a healed, new, if impure self.

Writers: Andri Cung & Lucky Kuswandi

Cast: Marissa Anita, Dion Wiyoko, Gisella Anastasia, Mima Shafa, Widyawati Sophiaan, Mayan Hasan, Hatta Rahandy, Kiki Narendra, Aida Nurmala, Fadi Alaydrus, Agnes Naomi, Gilbert Pattiruhu, Melissa Karim, Feli Sumayku, Alvin Adam, Jeremie J. Tobing, Alexa Jeslyn Hendrawan, Jasmine Laura Arendsen, Caitlyn Sevlin

Cine-grapher: Batara Geompar

Composer: Abel Huray

Costume Design: Fadillah Putri Yunidar

Production Designer: Teddy Setiawan

Producer: Kevin Ryan Himawan

Editor: Dinda Amanda

Director: Lucky Kuswandi

Release Date: 24 July 2024

Streaming On: Netflix

Production Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Production Country: Indonesia

Language: Indonesian (Subtitles & Dubs in International Languages) 

Cert: TV-MA

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz7CtQVHMEk&t=60s

Rating: 4.6666666666667 stars
3 votes

Thriller | Comedy | Horror | Mystery

Theatre, betrayal, blood, and wit. A meta-dark comedy that toys with audience expectation. If The Menu and Deathtrap had a snarky love child, it’d be this.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Brent is not a happy director. For weeks, he's had to watch an awful play -- his awful play. Adding insult to injury, he's convinced his wife is having an affair with his idiot leading man. Fortunately for Brent, the theatre’s Janitor has been mopping the stage long enough to know a dark secret that may help rid him of his troubles. That is, so long as he’s willing to get some blood on his hands.

Writer & Director: Max Tzannes

Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Malcolm McDowell, Antwone Barnes, Isabella Blake-Thomas, Rachel Alig, Brennan Keel Cook, Jaclyn Mofid, Trevor James, Lanelle Scott, Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh, Christian T. Chan, Ethan Daniel Corbett, Jonathan Fishman, Daniel Dasent, Zackry Colston, Jonathan Fisman, Danny Di Torrice, J.R Gomez, Abbie Georganna

Cine-grapher & Editor: Jacob Souza

Composer: David San Miguel

Costume Design: Claire Mildred

Production Designer: Caey Rose Daniel

Producers: Richard Berger, Tyler Friesen & Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh

Release Date: 25 July 2025

Streaming On: Apple TV, Amazon, Verizon Fios, Hoopla, Fandango

Production Country: US

Cert: NR

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A6lQhUnsnc&t=12s

Rating: 5 stars
3 votes

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Documentaries

Environmental | Political | Social Justice

Essential viewing. A piercing critique of capitalism vs climate justice. Told through the human stories behind Cape Town’s water crisis.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: In 2018, Cape Town narrowly averted completely running out of drinking water. In a country sitting 29th on the list of water-scarce places in the world, this became a ghastly harbinger of things to come. The city council committed to take urgent action to protect the supply of water by enforcing a policy of limited access. Capturing Water follows the unfolding fight, led by working class activist Faeza Meyer, to overturn water cuts-offs, which are punitive to the Cape’s many poor and crowded dwellings. From the mayor self-financing crucial infrastructure to the communities living with sewage spills, and the campaigners fighting land developers that threaten the city’s aquifers, this expertly crafted documentary exposes the lethal pitfalls of market-led solutions to the water crisis.

Cine-graphers: Nic Hofmeyr, Mathew Robinson & Duncan Tilley

Music Composer: Philip Miller

Producers: Anita Khanna, Koni Benson & Nic Hofmeyr

Editors: Geert Vueskens & Megan Gill

Directors: Rehad Desai & Anita Khanna

Release Date: 22 June 2025

Streaming On: Prime Video, Apple TV, Jman TV & YouTube

Production Country: South Africa

Languages: Afrikaans & English

Cert: 13

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09Pe7puQ_8E&t=164s

Rating: 5 stars
2 votes

Experimental | Observational

A poetic ode to solitude, time, and change. Minimalist, meditative, and hauntingly beautiful. A must for lovers of slow cinema and nature’s introspection.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Bogancloch is where Jake Williams lives, nestled in a vast highland forest of Scotland. The film portrays his life throughout the seasons, with other people occasionally crossing into his otherwise solitary life. At the heart a song, an argument between life and death, each stating their case to rule over the world. The film is without exposition, it aims at something less recognisable, a different existence of reality observed in discrete moments. A sequel to Two Years at Sea (2011), charting a subtly changing life in a radically changing world.

Cast: Jake Williams, Nerea Bello, Shane Connolly, Alasdair Roberts, Rachel Smillie, Keng Keng Tang, Tomas Dimbleby Weber

Cine-grapher, Editor & Director: Ben Rivers

Producers: John Archer, Sarah Neely & Ben Rivers

Sound Designer: Chu Li Shewring

Release Date: 30 May 2025

Streaming On: Amazon Video & Apple TV

Production Countries: UK, Germany & Iceland

Language: Scots

Cert: U

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u6TJ88JxMs&t=61s

Rating: 4.5 stars
2 votes

Political | Advocacy | Investigative

Explosive and timely. This no-holds-barred doc confronts extremism and freedom of speech in the digital age. Brave, polarising, and necessary.

Synopsis, Credit & Trailer

Synopsis: Norwegian Democrazy A deep dive into the fiery intersection of free speech and hate speech, spotlighting the contentious actions of Islam-critical group SIAN (Stop the Islamization of Norway), whose incendiary protests require extensive police protection. The film exclusively accesses SIAN's leader, Lars Thorsen, his associates, and anti-racist activists. As tensions escalate, this doc examines the intricate challenges democracies face in confronting extremism.

Writers, Producers & Directors: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning

Cine-grapher: Fabien Greenberg

Music Composer:

Editor: Linn Heidi Slåttøy

Release Date:  5 March 2024

Streaming On: Prime Video & Apple TV

Production Country: Norway

Language: Norwegian (International Language subtitles)

Cert: 12

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWQK9uoX9gk&t=137s

Rating: 5 stars
2 votes

From cosmic threats to personal reckonings, this week’s lineup offers genre excellence across all formats. Whether you crave emotional depth, adrenaline rushes, or provocative reflection, there’s something tailored to your mood.
Your screen, your stories — pick your next obsession.


*Posters, Synopses and Trailers are copyrights of the original owners.


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