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Interweaving an emotional narrative between historical fact and seemingly plausible guesswork/fiction to the point that it feels a wholly realistic possibility, this year’s Academy Award Best Picture nominee Hamnet (2025), co-written and directed by Chloé Zhao, provides an intriguing look at the life of William Shakespeare and his family tied into his legendary tragedy Hamlet. Also co-written by Maggie O’Farrell – who wrote the novel of the same name that the film is based upon, the narrative takes a years long look at the Shakespeare family. Opening with an explanation that the names of Hamnet and Hamlet were basically interchangeable at this time in history, that will certainly come into play later.

After director John Kosinski got the need for speed while making the big smash hit sequel Top Gun: Maverick back in 2022, he clearly wanted to stay in the fast track, deciding to co-write and direct what has become one of the 2026 Academy Award Best Picture nominees – F1: The Movie (2025). With racer Lewis Hamilton on board as a producer and the film making team getting permission from all of the actual F1 racing teams, they shot at real Grand Prix weekends throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons, with a faux garage set up between the Mercedes and Ferrari pits... making things look as accurate and impressive as possible. Following longtime driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt – who did most of his own racing), he has become a jack of all trades of sorts – driving everything from F1 and Daytona, to taxi in New York, he is basically a meandering racer-for-hire.

It is not too often that a mid or post-credit sequence leaves much of an impact as things come to a close. Usually meant to add a few final jokes to a comedy (think Airplance! or Old School), show some silly bloopers, or tease for a future film (Marvel has thrived thanks to these hints pointing towards coming storylines and movies), a rare example of something having a true impact on a narrative is Ryan Coogler’s period horror film Sinners (2025). A most dynamic feature melding many intriguing elements, the first thing that will be noticed is the time and setting – Clarksdale, Mississippi during the Great Depression (specifically 1932). Following twin brothers ‘Smoke’ and ‘Stack’ Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan), and to a slightly lesser extent their cousin Sammie...

A blackmailing scheme that leads right to the top, plenty of political tomfoolery, a black militant causing many an issue on the darker side of life, a smut king involved with numerous dirty coppers, and more all revolve around a dynamic robbery in the Roger Donaldson directed film The Bank Job (2008). Set in London, England circa 1971 and loosely based upon numerous real and rumoured happenings from the time, the main narrative follows Terry Leather (Jason Statham – The Beekeeper; Snatch.), a small time former crook and now used car dealer/garage who is still down on his luck thanks to owing money to the wrong sort of people.

Being labeled as the final entry in the franchise in both title and talk from those in the know, The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025), produced by original mastermind James Wan and directed by Michael Chaves (who also manned the third feature), there is no denying that it has a finale feel to it... though, like any lucrative cinematic domain, a haunted door is always found swinging open for another sequel. Now twelve years on from the original horror filled offering, this adventure follows Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) both forward and backward, opening with a flashback to very early on in their paranormal investigating days when their daughter was first born (keep your eye on an ominous antique mirror), then jumping forward some twenty-two years later into the 1980s... where they’ve taken a step back from their inspections due to Ed’s weak heart.