At The Movies

Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews the new Spanish road trip drama Sirāt, the second season of the John le Carré adaptation, The Night Manager and the four-time academy award nominated courtroom thriller, A Few Good Men.Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews the new Spanish road trip drama Sirāt, about a father searching for his missing daughter with the help of a group of travelling ravers in North Africa. That’s in cinemas now.On paid streaming, Prime Video has the second season of the John le Carré adaptation, The Night Manager, starring Tom Hiddleston as the once reluctant and now professional MI6 agent, Jonathan Pine. His quiet life observing the after hours activities of British intelligence targets is disturbed by the reemergence of surprising old faces.Dan’s free streaming option is on TVNZ+: the four-time academy award nominated courtroom thriller, A Few Good Men. Ambitious military lawyer (Tom Cruise) defends two Guantanamo Marines accused of murder. Also starring Jack Nicholson.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Michelle Langstone looks at three films making waves internationally, including The Bride, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s punk inspired retelling of the Bride of Frankenstein story, South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s dark satire No Other Choice, and the Cannes Grand Prix winning drama Sentimental Value from Norwegian director Joachim Trier.Sentimental Value Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKbcKQN5YrwThe Bride Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhgcUArO3UoNo Other Choice Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKZpuG_ezvYGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Is there too much plot in The Bride? Should some ideas be left on the page aka Charli xcx The Moment? Heartwarming goodness from Tenor: My Name is Pati. Film critic Dominic Corry has some thoughts on these new releases. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Boris Jancic joins Culture 101 to unpack Baz Luhrmann’s latest Elvis documentary, revisiting the life and cultural legacy of Elvis Presley through archival material and newly assembled footage. He also reflects on key moments from this year’s BAFTA Awards and what they signal for the rest of awards season. Plus, a look at streaming platform MUBI, its curated approach to cinema, and why it continues to attract audiences seeking international and independent film.EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Movie trailerGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, previews the 2026 Wellington and Auckland film societies' programmes. He also reviews The Swedish Connection; a drama about the Swedish and; One Title: Football in Greenland a short documentary about the 2025 Greenland Football Championship from the BBC. Every Friday Nights' film and television critic Dan Slevin joins the programme to talk about the best new releases, what's streaming and something you can watch for free. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Wonder Man, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Merrily We Roll Along, a recording of the 2022 Broadway revival and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Wonder Man, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a struggling Los Angeles actor with secret superpowers (Disney+), and Merrily We Roll Along, a recording of the 2022 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musical starring former Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe (AroVision). Dan's free streaming option this week also stars Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (TVNZ+).Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Michelle Langstone reviews three new films, beginning with Emerald Fennell’s much discussed adaptation of Wuthering Heights and its bold creative choices. She then explores the Māori gothic horror Mārama, highlighting its themes of colonial violence, spiritual lineage, and striking cinematography. Finally, she delves into If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a dark portrait of a mother on the edge that blends sensory overload, surreal escapes, and a standout performance from Rose Byrne.Watch the trailers here:Wuthering HeightsMāramaIf I Had Legs I’d Kick YouGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Does 'Wuthering Heights' live up to all the hype? What's the story behind local new release 'Mārama'? Get the latest on both films with critic Kate Rodger. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nights' resident screen critic, Dan Slevin is back with more movie and TV recommendations. His picks this week are Space 1999, We Bury the Dead, Death by Lightning and This Is New Zealand. Nights' resident screen critic, Dan Slevin shares his picks of the week with Mark Leishman. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Dan Slevin reviews Is This Thing On?, Bradley Cooper’s comedy drama starring Will Arnett as a stand up comic navigating divorce and co parenting while rebuilding his career; the anime Scarlet, where a grieving medieval princess on a quest for revenge is pulled into a mysterious realm between life and death; and Shelter, a tense thriller starring Jason Statham as a reclusive islander forced to confront his past after rescuing a girl from the sea.Watch the trailers here:Is This Thing On?ScarletShelterGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin is back for the first Short-Cuts of 2026. He’s got one pick playing in cinemas, one streaming and one you can watch for free.Watch the trailer here:It Was Just An AccidentGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Thanks for joining RNZ 'at the movies'. We're making this podcast the new home for all the movie reviews appearing on RNZ National. Join us to hear our great cast of New Zealand’s best reviewers discuss the latest releases from must-see blockbusters to indie gems. BYO popcorn!Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In the very last At The Movies, Simon Morris looks back on 24 years of movies – a quarter century that started with the first Lord Of The Rings, and an Oscar for Russell Crowe, and ended with two of the biggest films of the year, both made in New Zealand – The Minecraft movie and Avatar: Fire and Ash. But mostly he picks some (very) idiosyncratic favourites over the years, including the world’s smallest hit musical, the youngest action hero and the four best endings. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In the penultimate At The Movies, Simon Morris looks back over an eventful year. Apart from the usual winners and losers, he produces his personal Top Three (there seem to be four of them), his picks for the New Faces of 2025, and the traditional, annual Cate Blanchett Award for Being in Everything. Who will win this coveted award? And why has nobody in the western world heard of the biggest film of the year by a country mile? The country being China…. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Simon Morris kicks off the first of the final three At The Movies with films all connected with some old favourites. Wake Up Dead Man director Rian Johnson's career started with the neo-noir Brick back in 2005. Jennifer Lawrence, star of Die My Love, arrived five years later in 2010’s Winter’s Bone. And Zootopia 2 is the sequel to another favourite released in 2016. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Die My Love is a harrowing tale of a marriage under stress, with a dream team before and behind the camera. Produced by Martin Scorcese, directed by Lynne Ramsay (We have to talk about Kevin) from a book by Alice Birch (TV’s Normal People), it stars Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) and Robert Pattinson (Twilight) with Sissy Spacek (Carrie). Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Wake Up Dead Man is another Knives Out mystery, starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. Among the star-studded list of suspects are Josh O’Connor (Challengers), Glenn Close (The Wife), Andrew Scott (Ripley) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker). Written and directed, as always, by Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi) .Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Zootopia 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the popular animated film about a city entirely populated by animals. Will the rookie police team of bunny Judy Hopps and fox Nick Wilde discover what happened to all the reptiles? Featuring Ke Huy Kwan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) as the voice of Gary De Snake. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Dead of Winter sees Dame Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) shunning the English costume dramas for a gritty thriller set in the frozen North. Can she rescue a kidnapped teenager, with only her grit and determination? Directed by Brian Kirk (TV’s Day of the Jackal). Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Simon Morris notes that A List stars are no longer enough to command big cinema audiences. Is it the end of the line for movies like Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, Dead of Winter, with Dame Emma Thompson, and Prime Video’s After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield?Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details