Film reviews, curated lists and film club favourites
Exploring cinema beyond the obvious
Rhiann’s Reels brings together my written film reviews and the films discussed through Sandhurst Film Club and a virtual film club, both founded by me, reflecting an ongoing conversation about cinema.
LATEST REVIEWS
“Cinema is a reflection of society and, in most cases, has the ability to be a mirror and not just show the problems but also give solutions and help them reach a large number of people through faces and voices that matter.”
– Kirti Kulhari
IN CINEMAS NOW
Effi O Blaenau (2026) Review – The Geography of Inequality
In one sentence: A troubled young woman begins to imagine a different future as she struggles against the poverty and isolation of life in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Where we are born can shape our lives in ways we rarely choose. Opportunity, education and even hope are often determined as much by postcode as personal ambition. Towards…
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The Odyssey (2026) Review – An Epic Reimagined
In one sentence: Following the Trojan War, Odysseus embarks on a perilous journey home, battling monsters, Gods and his own humanity along the way. Few stories have shaped literature quite like Homer’s The Odyssey. More than 2,500 years after it was first told, Christopher Nolan brings one of history’s greatest adventures to the big screen,…
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Rosebush Pruning (2026) Review – All Bloom, No Roots
In one sentence: The arrival of an outsider unsettles a wealthy family’s already fragile relationships, exposing long-buried tensions and uncomfortable truths. A great cast can often be enough to tempt you into a film, raising expectations long before the opening scene. Unfortunately, Rosebush Pruning is a reminder that even exceptional actors cannot always rescue a…
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The Invite (2026) Review – An Evening of Uncomfortable Truths
In one sentence: Neighbourly drinks take an unexpected turn, forcing two couples to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves, their relationships and what they really want. Some evenings have a way of revealing far more than we ever intended. A casual conversation can expose our insecurities, challenge our relationships and force us to confront uncomfortable truths…
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500 Miles (2026) Review – The Journey Home
In one sentence: Two young brothers flee their fractured home and travel to their estranged grandfather’s house in Ireland, where some of their happiest family memories were made. Sometimes a film quietly arrives in cinemas with very little fanfare. No huge marketing campaign, no endless trailers, just a simple promise of a good story. These…
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Madfabulous (2026) Review – A Most Extravagant Life
In one sentence: A flamboyant Welsh aristocrat inherits a vast fortune and spends it pursuing art, performance and self-expression, regardless of the cost. It is not often that you get the opportunity to watch a Welsh film in the cinema, so when the chance presents itself, it is worth grabbing with both hands. For such…
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Disclosure Day (2026) Review – Looking Beyond Ourselves
In one sentence: As evidence of extraterrestrial life threatens to become public, the world braces for a revelation that could change humanity forever. Blockbuster season has officially arrived with Steven Spielberg’s latest film. The director who helped define the modern summer blockbuster returns to one of his favourite genres, science fiction, with a story that…
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Backrooms (2026) Review – More Questions Than Answers
In one sentence: When a struggling furniture store owner discovers a mysterious liminal space hidden behind the walls of his shop, his attempts to understand it draw others into a surreal and increasingly dangerous world. A24’s popularity is growing with each of its movies and its latest film, Backrooms, directed by its youngest director, Kane…
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Obsession (2026) Review – Be Careful What You Wish For
In one sentence: A shy young man uses a mysterious wishing toy to make the woman he loves fall for him, only to unleash an obsession far more terrifying than he ever imagined. Have you ever wished the person you liked felt the same way about you? In an age of love bombing and blurred…
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Michael (2026) Review – The Rise of an Icon
In one sentence: Michael is a biopic charting Michael Jackson’s rise from child star to global icon that focuses on his musical genius and early life. There has been significant anticipation surrounding the Michael Jackson biopic, not only for its scale, but for what it chooses to include or exclude. Once the biggest star in…
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FEATURED
Films in Other Languages 🌎
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Master Cheng (2019) Review – A Slow Burn Served with Heart
In one sentence: When a widowed Chinese chef and his young son arrive in a quiet Finnish town searching for a mysterious contact, an unexpected kitchen partnership sparks healing, friendship and a gently unfolding love story. Not every film needs high stakes or dramatic twists to leave an impact. Master Cheng proves that a story…
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Rental Family (2026) Review – Performing Connection in a Lonely World
In one sentence: Rental Family follows a struggling American actor in Tokyo who finds unexpected purpose when he begins performing emotional roles in real people’s lives, blurring the line between acting and genuine connection. In a world that feels more connected than ever, many people are quietly lonelier and cinema has become a space to…
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Balloon (2018) Review – A Remarkable True Escape
In one sentence: Balloon tells the astonishing true story of two families who attempt to escape across the Iron Curtain in a homemade hot air balloon. Mark Twain once said “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t”and no quote could ring truer for German…
FILM CLUB PLAYLISTS
One song from each of the movies we have watched in my two film clubs
Rhiann’s Reels 