THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE Dir: Loren Bouchard/Bernard Derriman


(12A) (102 mins)


After 11 years on television, the cult cartoon phenomenon gets a cinematic upgrade which hopefully will have some comedy meat on its bones. Earlier, comparable transitions like The Simpsons Movie fell short of expectations – but this low-key, laidback family comedy, in which family man Bob Belcher (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) runs his dream burger restaurant with his wife and three kids, has charm that can hopefully transcend its usual 22-minute running time. A ruptured watermain creates a massive sinkhole in front of Bob’s Burgers, blocking its entrance and ruining chances for a lucrative summer. The family are on the verge of ruin, with the kids stumbling across a mystery that could save all their patties. Voiced by series regulars Kristin Schaal, Dan Mintz, John Roberts and Eugene Birman as the Belcher family, plus Kevin Kline’s Mr Fischoeder, this will no doubt please fans of the show and be worthy of its big-screen outing.


Out Fri 27 May


FIRESTARTER Dir: Keith Thomas


(15) (100 mins)


Another retelling of the Stephen King novel, after a previous incarnation from 1984 that starred a young Drew Barrymore. This Firestarter loosely follows the same lines as both the novel and the first film, with a bearded Zac Efron playing Andy McGee: experimented on by a secret government entity called The Shop, as a consequence McGee developed psychic powers. When he has a child – yes, Efron now plays parent roles – with another participant in this group, played by Sydney Lemmon, their daughter Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) also turns out to have abilities. She can set fire to anything with her mind, so naturally she’s a weapon that The Shop want back; a chase ensues, parents trying to keep her safe amidst the growing conflagrations. A now- familiar riff on superpowers but with the extra potency of King as source material, this – in the immportal words of The Prodigy – could still be another twisted firestarter.


Out Fri 13 May


MEN


Dir: Alex Garland (18) (120 mins)


A frightening new cerebral horror from Alex Garland, the mind behind Ex Machina, Annihilation and Devs, that boasts a creepy premise. Jessie Buckley plays Harper, a woman escaping to the English countryside following the death of her ex-husband (played by Paapa Essiedu). On arriving there, she meets Rory Kinnear, well, everywhere: he is Geoffrey, owner of the country house Harper stays in, and also portrays the local vicar and policeman to name but two. This is no Nutty Professor gig for Kinnear, however: his prescence unsettles and disturbs in a variety of ways as this tricksy film unfolds. This is Garland’s third film as director, bringing his storytelling sensibilities to a tale of grief and misogyny; Men will intrigue, alarm and, crucially, be more interesting than most other films out there. Buckley’s stature as an actress has grown and grown, and here she has her first real horror film lead. Be prepared to be unnerved.


Out Fri 20 May


THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE Dir: Andrew Dominik


(15) (104 mins)


A special one-off global cinema event, with musician Nick Cave performing in a special stripped-back musical documentary with the collaboration of director Andrew Dominik. The Australian singer works in tandem again with the Kiwi creative behind his last concert film, One More Time With Feeling. That film about the life and work of Cave dealt with the tragic loss of his son, something that has obviously impacted his work massively since. This new film captures a powerful, emotive rehearsal period for Cave’s UK tour at Battersea Arts Centre, containing songs from the superb albums Ghosteen and Carnage and staged with bare aplomb. Dominik also shows behind-the-scenes moments between Cave and Warren Ellis as they go through the process – catching creative insights as well as the superb music, making this an unmissable experience for anyone interested in Cave and his unique voice.


Out Wed 11 May


TOP GUN: MAVERICK Dir: Joseph Kosinski


(12A) (100 mins)


Do you feel the need… the need for speed again? Well, someone apparently thought audiences did, with this very belated sequel to the jingoistic homoerotica of 1986’s Top Gun, the film that launched Tom Cruise into the stratosphere. He returns as Maverick, the grinning pain in authority’s behind who has chosen not to rise up the ranks of the armed services and remaining a lowly test pilot. When a risky mission calls on him to teach some hotshot pilots how to fly, he is initially reluctant, and top brass in the shape of Jon Hamm is not impressed. Matters are further complicated when the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards), who died in the first Top Gun, shows up. His call sign is Rooster (Miles Teller) and the friction between him and Maverick forces the cocksure Cruise to reflect on his past amidst the predictably amazing F-16 aerial footage. The pilots may now have a woman (Monica Barbaro) in the cockpit, but let’s hope this sequel isn’t just flagwaving and an advert for the armed services.


Out Fri 27 May


VORTEX


Dir: Gaspar Noe (15) (140 mins)


A devastating drama from cinema’s often most outrageous director, Gaspar Noe after all gave us the hellish dancing of Climax and the gruesome violence of Irreversible. Vortex may seemingly be a low-key affair by comparison, but one that will strike deep. Acclaimed horror director Dario Argento takes on a rare acting role as a man with a heart condition struggling to finish a book on cinema, living alongside his wife Francoise Lebrun who is succumbing to dementia. They both live in a Paris flat and are visited by their son (Alex Lutz), a recovering drug addict who can barely look after himself, let alone his ailing parents. Shot in split-screen with cameras following separate characters, this will come with Noe’s stylistic flourishes, superb acting and a realistic portrayal of love and illness. It might not sound like an uplifting watch, but it will be told with skill and compassion.


Out Fri 20 May


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