Essentially, the initial four characters are invited to sit around a campfire by the sinister aid and asked to share tales of horror and fear to feed the spirits that dwell within the woods surrounding them. The film then becomes a collection of nightmare-fuelled storylines under the guise of your cliched campfire tall tales of ghosts and goblins told by kids at camp. This is where the film may split audiences with each story being reminiscent of the childlike stories you might tell other kids to scare them late at night (with some being more graphic than others) and in nature rather obvious and slightly disjointed at times.

The genius (intentional or otherwise) is that the storylines are, at times, laugh-out-loud funny due to their on-the-nose outcomes or twists that even a 12-year-old could probably see coming. But fortunately, the reminder that we, as an audience get between each story, is that these short stories are being told by friends, who are intent on amplifying aspects of shock and surprise, almost to a comedic degree.

Had these short stories been told independently of one another, they would have worked fine, but their obviousness and their cheeky charm would have probably come across as weird and ill-placed without the interwoven plot holding them together.

Something not apparent, until the credits roll, is that each sub-story has been written by a different writer. Looking back that is rather apparent, with each plot having a different tone and style, with genres clashing based on each person’s interpretation of what truly scares them.

The film star Richard Brake, Andrew Lee Potts, Bill Fellows, Rufus Hound and a list of actors too long to recount, with no one being any better or worse than the other, all culminating in a well-acted hour and a half. Again, how the story progresses allows the acting to be farcical at times, almost like a mate saying, “And then he turned around and said this”. Whether this was by design or pure coincidence is hard to say for sure, but it works better than you’d think.

Production value is there, and the camera work is better than most in this genre, showing just as much as you need to keep you drawn in, whilst still leaving you guessing. The final story in particular had me gleefully gasping at the shocking quality of detail shown on screen, for what I expected to be more of an ‘off-screen’ kind of B movie.

Fans of tongue-in-cheek horror and short storytelling will surely enjoy each minute. Not quite the quality of horror you’d get from the VHS franchise (2012 – 2024) or the stardom we’ve seen in Ghost Stories (2017) but still a good night of fun to enjoy with friends; just not quite hot enough though to toast marshmallows on.

A  love letter to classic horror, Lore is premiering exclusively on the Icon Film Channel from 26th August, sign up for a 7-day free trial at iconfilmchannel.uk or via the Icon Film Channel on Amazon Prime. Lore will be available to stream exclusively on the IFC Channel from 26 August, in Select UK Cinemas from 27 September and then available on Home Entertainment from 21 October 2024.

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There are only a select few movies that both test an audience’s patience and attention span, whilst also showcasing some of the most astonishing shots of terrain there are to be seen on screen. ‘American Star’ manages to proportionately draw you in with dramatic, slow panning shots of Spain’s dusty mountain landscape one minute whilst pushing you away with its likely intentional, but equally frustrating, expansive moments of silence.
Director Gonzalo López-Gallego takes the term ‘Pinter Pause’ to the extreme, with the character Wilson not even speaking a word throughout the initial 10 minutes of the movie, as well as there being frequent moments of awkward silence between pivotal characters. These silences are certainly there to give audiences adequate time to reflect on the meaningfulness of what few conversations do take place but don’t help with the difficult pacing.

That’s not to say that every film has to cram dialogue into every minute of its runtime for it to be engaging. ‘American Star’ discernibly falls into an art house category of nuanced movies that you would normally find at a film festival rather than one you would watch with your friends on a Friday night. Due to its more engaging aspects being the vibrant location and filming style.

The minimalist cast is led by veteran actor Ian McShane, known for performances in John Wick and American Gods, and the 81-year-old gives an unsurprisingly grounded performance of a most unlikely hitman on holiday. The handful of supporting actors give equally fair performances, with Gloria (Nora Arnezeder) being the residential bartender and Wilsons’ private tour guide of the island. Others include Max (Oscar Coleman), the young influential child whom Wilson takes a fondness for, and Ryan (Adam Nagaitis) the reminder of what outstanding work Wilson has to do in the first place.

Riddled with foreshadowing and symbolism, the movie doesn’t allow the audience time to figure things out for themselves but rather shows them the literal intent of unfolding events. Whether it be the band covering Europe’s hit song The Final Countdown at a communal bar being the reflection of how this would be the final assassination for Wilson, or the imagery of an old, washed-up sea vessel crumbling into the ocean mirroring the washed-up persona of old Wilson himself. The film often felt more like a toured book of planned occurrences than a movie with surprise and allure.

It is hard not to compare one movie to another, and unfortunately for ‘American Star’, I often found myself comparing themes with the cult film ‘In Bruges’. Although not remotely of the same genre, the themes around assassins on their days off and the grand imagery of Europe’s stunning locations, often left me wondering if the film was at all inspired by the other and sadly, it just didn’t compare.

Watched at the right time, in the right setting with the right people, ‘American Star’ could certainly be appreciated by most, however, with audiences watching movies from the comfort of their couches rather than via the big screen experience, the scenes of striking cinematography will be lost on many and the added sluggish pacing will likely kill much attention spans quicker than a hitman on holiday.

American Star is coming to UK Cinemas & Digital Platforms on 23 February 2024.

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Lead actor Kay Tse, who’s better known for her massive success in the Cantopop music genre, plays eldest sister, Cat. Cat is the main driving force for the bulk of the movie and it’s mainly her development that we follow on screen.

The rest of the cast give similarly impressive performances and, what’s more impressive, most haven’t professionally acted before! Co-stars Anna hisbbuR (younger sister) and Rondi Chan (Son) are making their big screen debuts, and I guarantee most audiences couldn’t have guessed that based on these performances alone. Both effortlessly showcase the deeper emotions a family in disagreements often has to face, and they are led by an excellent performance from Kwan Wai Pang (professionally known as Teddy Robin) as ‘King’, father to the two sisters. At 78 years of age Teddy proves that acting is equally an old man’s game.

The heart and soul of the movie is the music, so it makes sense that the entirety of the cast is musically apt, but it’s truly astonishing just how musically talented the cast truly is.
The plot at face value is about a disjointed family thrust back together following the death of the mother and we follow as the four go about their lives, with occasional heated confrontations, largely in part due to some dissimilar views on what a family is and what they should do for one another. However, the movie also intertwines other various plot points together such as the trials and tribulations of a starving musician as well as some insightful looks into an illness that over 55 million suffer from.

As good as this is for a first attempt at feature-length filmmaking, the film suffers largely in part due to the fact it is packed full of stereotypical metaphors, which often draw away from the great moments of real character development for an ‘ahh’ moment later on. These don’t detract from the film’s overall charm and enjoyment by any means but act more as a reminder of the director’s possible nervous attempts to show development rather than letting the audience notice it naturally.

Obviously, a film about musicians, starring musicians and directed by a musician is going to have some excellent music and it does. The musical talent is most admirable when nine-year-old Rondi slaps his drumsticks (or chopsticks) atop a drumkit, or any flat surface, to exhibit his character’s emotional state at that time to an impressive level. As a drummer myself, I was trying to establish if the young actor was actually performing the beats and fills himself, and to my surprise… I believe he was. What’s equally as impressive as the young drummer’s talents, is the director’s recognition of the good use of silence in a movie, which she uses to add real emotional depth and elevate moments of real sorrow.

Overall, Band Four is a movie for both lovers of music and lovers of screen and can be appreciated by all. It doesn’t particularly break any moulds but rather embraces the age-old techniques and runs with them. With a great cast, great musical score, and some surprise moments of gloom, Band Four could be a great launching point for a new director and an exciting debut for the novice actors’ future careers.

Band Four will be in UK Cinemas from 15th December

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For me, their pounding beats were a fondly remembered part of my past, but this latest documentary shows a band very much in the now. This is not simply a nostalgia trip or a final swansong, and that is what makes the film all the more interesting.

As they told us years ago, ‘wild boys never lose it’. And 40-plus years on the band is proving their lyrics true. The release of A Hollywood High comes on a roll of recent creative achievements including the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year; headlining London’s Hyde Park; performing at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace; closing the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in their hometown of Birmingham; launching a global world tour and releasing their 15th studio album, Future Past.

Indeed, Future Past is a good way of describing the feel of watching this music documentary. For many who grew up listening to Duran Duran, songs on the film such as ‘Ordinary World’ and ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ bring a wave of nostalgia. The band’s distinctive sound means that even for lapsed fans, like myself, new songs like Invisible and Anniversary have a familiarity. If you haven’t followed them for a while Duran Duran are still the band you know and love, but there is a definite sense that they haven’t been and aren’t standing still. This is very much a band living in the now.

Unusually, the film has three directors: Gavin Elder, (David Gilmour: Live At Pompeii, Duran Duran: Five Years), Vincent Adam Paul (The Red Hot Chili Peppers Live from the Pyramids, American Music Spotlight) and George Scott (American Masters, Buddy Holly: Rave On). This reflects the range of the documentary that includes new interview material with the four remaining members: Simon le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor; unseen archival footage that includes former guitarist, Andy Taylor, and a full-length concert at the end.

The music is the focus of the interviews too, especially how the band conquered the US to lay their star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Each band member is interviewed individually, giving a more considered talking heads style than the banter of the group interview footage of their early days, which is still fun to watch. The recent footage with Nick Rhodes feels the most authentic, as if we are getting a genuine insight into his artistic relationship to music and the band.

For some fans the interview elements might feel a little short, but it’s as if the band is purposely leaving the audience wanting more. The interview and archive footage leads up to an intimate rooftop set of 12 tracks, old and new, filmed live at The Aster in Los Angeles with the iconic Capitol Records Tower (the band’s original record label home).

A Hollywood High is exactly that – another reminder why Duran Duran is one of the most successful bands of all time and why, if we have confined them to our past, it’s time to listen again.

Duran Duran: A Hollywood High is available on UK Digital Download from 6 November 2023.

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Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story is a documentary about famed actor, Robert Englund, best known for his portrayal as the knifed-glove-wearing baddie, Freddy Krueger, in the ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ saga. It looks at Englund’s entire repertoire of movies, TV shows, and early onstage productions throughout his seven decades as a performer on screen and stage, as well as dissecting his acceptance as a genre-defining icon, which potentially cost him his freedom as a diverse character actor going forward.

Unlike some other documentary-style films following the life of an entertainer, Dreams and Nightmares is told primarily first-hand by Robert himself, through memories and tales, and it’s this intimacy and involvement from Englund that garners intrigue and attention throughout its rather lengthy screen time of just over two hours.

Starting when Robert was a young boy launching himself into acting as an unexpected but respected stage performer in the ’60s, we learn how this craft wasn’t always his intended lifelong dream, but rather blossomed from a natural ability to make people laugh. Comedy and comedic timing are something many know Robert for, and it is spoken about frequently by the many guest interviewees.

Movie stars such as co-star Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and Lin Shaye (Insidious) give burning praise for Englund’s craft and capacity to make each and every scene memorable for audiences and comfortable for them as performers. As well as discussing their collective experiences on set, we gain some insightful titbits into the actor’s personality off-screen. These interviews work well by adding glances at the other guests smiling or laughing in agreement with one another, almost as if they were in the room together recalling fond memories.

As well as numerous exclusive video recordings of interviews with Robert and guests, audiences are treated to both animated depictions of the tales being told as well as photos taken of the actor during his time off camera. The former is possibly the most interestingly done, as it strengthens the exploration into one of the actor’s most prolific genres, body horror, by twisting and pulsating images of people’s faces. Often, I found myself feeling uncomfortable due to the unusual movement of the photo’s foreground or focal point (often Robert in some kind of disfigured makeup).

What doesn’t work quite as well as the image manipulation however is the loud soundtrack, which is regularly playing underneath whilst the interviewees are talking. Often used to add suspense or excitement to the dialog, the talking is merely lost underneath the brash music track, which is a shame when every bit of dialogue is as valuable as the next in understanding Robert’s career choices and personality traits.

The biggest takeaway from the documentary is the argument that Robert’s talent as an actor was possibly squandered when he became such a worldwide iconic movie character thus becoming typecast as such. Although Robert and fans acknowledge and appreciate his success it is debated at what cost, a quote from within the documentary perfectly summarises his difficult career following the Elm Street franchise well – ‘Does KISS get sick of playing rock and roll every night? Probably. But that’s what everyone is there to see’.

Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story will be available on Blu-ray and Digital Download from 6 November 2023.

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After the death of his pregnant wife, Rachel (Gaia Weiss) caused by a fatal car crash, Eric (Tom Hughes) accepts a job as a shepherd as a means of taking time to recuperate on his own. Shepherd is a profoundly unnerving and eerie portrayal of the overwhelming grief and pain that can consume a person, turning the mind into a muse for the demons within us.

Except with Shepherd, the horror is external, too. Aside from his hostile and shifty employer, Fisher, played by a brief but blood-curdling performance from Kate Dickie, Hughes carries the storyline through his psychotically charged performance that aids as a testament to the actor’s impressive talent. Extensive dialogue is absent from the script, and the film relies on the regularly recycled tropes that come with the ‘depressed man spirals into madness’ plotline. The film begins with a generous dosage of horror with constant hallucinations that blur the line between Eric’s nightmares and reality; and a plethora of red flag warnings against the island (which the protagonist expectantly ignores) is credited to the talents of the filmmaking crew who provide a reliably sinister take on the familiar subgenre of indie, isolated horror.

In the first act, Eric is accompanied by a teaser of creaking floorboard sounds and lipstick stains, just enough to trigger his fight or flight response and pique the audience’s interest. From piercing sounds of whistling wind, screeching crows and the iconic Scream like echoes of a ringing phone, Callum Donaldson’s sound design is manipulated perfectly to compliment the haunting setting.

Visually and thematically alike to Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, director of photography Richard Stoddard captures the elegantly sombre atmosphere of the island. With wide-angle shots of the imperilling vast open land and unforgiving crashing waves that barricade Eric from escaping the hellish reality, to close-up shots that translate the terror and disorient in Eric’s eyes.

Unfortunately, the subtext and themes don’t land with as much impact as Owen intended without solid writing. Owen’s focus on visual artistry, plot twists and jump scares supersede the vital connection between the character, story, and audience. Whilst Eric’s trauma and depression cause him to be a character detached from the outside world both physically and mentally, this grieving and guilt-stricken character lacks clear motivation.

Owen encapsulates the notion of ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ with a safe yet successful psychological Gothic horror that pays homage to the classics that came before it. Shepherd provides the ghostly chilling experience that you’d expect – a must-watch for fans who find comfort in the unsettling.

The Shepherd from Parkland Entertainment / Darkland Distribution is available on digital download from 21 February 2022.

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A freedom of information request from 42 police forces in England and Wales found 5,441 Sexual Communication with a Child offences recorded between April 2020 and March 2021 – an increase of around 70% from recorded crimes in 2017/18. And almost half of the offences used Facebook-owned apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

Caught In The Net successfully takes statistics like this, which the public can quickly become desensitised to, and humanises the data into a harrowing watch.

The documentary follows three actresses, Tereza Těžká, Anezka Pithartová, and Sabina Dlouhá, all aged 18 or older, portraying 12-year-old girls online. The crew compiled memorabilia from the women’s childhoods and created three replicas of little girls’ bedrooms. Aside from the fake names assigned to each actress, the line between truth and façade is blurred once the fishing for predators online begins.

A code of conduct appears on the screen, laying out eight rules, which vary from the actresses must only respond and never approach anyone first, to ‘no flirting, seducing or provoking’. The code also explains that ‘psychologists, sexologists, lawyers and criminal investigators’ were consulted during the project. What follows over the 10 days is an expose of more than 2,458 sexual predators that the three women have to filter with resilience while maintaining a childlike and naive exterior that revoltingly appeases these paedophiles.

The incredible actresses take a utilitarian approach to this project and subject themselves to the salacious exploitation of men online. They’re bombarded with unsolicited nudes and child pornography videos while enduring the heavy turmoil that comes with tantalising predators. Yet, despite the knowledge that child predators are indulging in their bodies and performed naivety, the actresses rarely break character – a testament to their talent and dedication to the injustice.

The documentary doubles as a realist horror with abrupt reels of pixelated nude photos accompanied with intense, raucous music playing out like jump scare. The blurred faces and pixels hide the graphic imagery but reveals the sickening obscenity within every exchange. The film unnervingly but necessarily removes the mental barrier that allows a viewer to dissacociate from the horrific reality of child abuse, forcing the audience to confront the unimaginable head-on.

The first half of ‘Caught In The Net’ sets itself up for an opportunity to explore the psychological impact that online abuse can have on a child. Or, even the effect this project had on the actresses who, rather than playing fictitious characters, immersed younger versions of themselves into the traumatic territory. Instead, the documentary repeatedly revels in video chat conversations that present nothing more than the obvious moral message that the audience became aware of early in the film. The documenatairans could have better utlisied the professional psychologists and lawyers they hired to provide a crucial exploration into the minds of the victims or predators. Unfortunately, the few ‘gotcha moments’ barely compensate for the psychological torture the cast and crew endured, with an ending absent of legal justice or even a slither of catharsis.

Regardless of its flaws, the harrowing documentary is grounded in the devastating reality experienced by too many children. So, in a society that silences this subject matter for being too taboo, ‘Caught In The Net’ is the necessary loud noise we need to hear.

Caught In The Net is available on Digital Download from 7 February 2022.

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Marvin has been away for 17 years, serving his sentence, after being rightfully convicted, in his early 20s, of the brutal murder of an old woman. He returns without fanfare, skateboarding the final stretch into town along straight, empty featureless roads.

Stopping off at a roadside cafe, he shares a cigarette out back with a waitress. Good-looking, well-toned and decorated in artfully designed tattoos (which we assume pre-date his stay in prison), it’s no great surprise when the dowdy, bored waitress offers sex. Marvin politely yet firmly declines. He’s going home.

It’s a less than happy homecoming. In his absence, his brother has killed himself and he soon learns that his mother, Bernadette (played with steely restraint by Kathy Bates), is terminally ill. The approach of death is not (at least at first) enough to thaw Bernadette’s hostility towards her miscreant child. Others too, in this midwestern town, are unwilling to forgive and forget. The dead woman’s blustering, violent grandson, Russell (played with impressively pompous vim by James Jordan), is determined to drive Marvin out of town.

Whilst the priest, Father Browning (Stephen Root) seems genuinely glad he’s back, Marvin’s only genuine supporters are his drug-addled best friend, Wade (Derek Richardson, slurring and gurning with considerable charm) and Bernadette’s resolutely compassionate nurse, Jayden (Lil Rey Howery leaning one degree back from a halo in this role).

Though her loudmouth brother rages against the convict’s return, single mother, Delta (Aisling Franciosi) – having been too young at the time of the killing to grasp the full horror of her grandmother’s death – finds herself increasingly conflicted. When Marvin is subjected to a brutal and humiliating assault (which he barely resists) a bond begins to form between the two. The script does not quite earn this relationship, but there’s enough chemistry between the two to sell it to a willing audience.

As Bernadette wheezes and stumbles towards the grave, will Marvin’s contrition win redemption and love, or is there yet more of a penalty for him to pay?.

The performances are universally strong. Franciosi’s Delta is resilient but floundering before Marvin appears, while McLaughlin’s Marvin fits impressively into the damaged yet decent, strong and not-quite-silent model Clint Eastwood used to own.

Franka Potente (writer and director) shows a gift for creating multi-dimensional characters (as an example, Russell’s violent posturing is neatly offset by a tender affection for his sister’s toddler).

“Home” feels like Potente flexing her off-screen creative muscles (cinema goers will know her as an actor – most famously opposite Matt Damon in “The Bourne Identity”). The story proceeds with a measured but purposeful gait, well fitted to its environment. It has that ‘things will take as long as they need to take’ attitude, so characteristic of inland America. Once or twice – as in the climactic scene in church – this results in it being underwritten and under-directed, but even this is in welcome contrast to the hyper-dramatic emotional foghorning of many US films. Here we have a US setting and US cast, but a production team that is largely German. It’s an interesting blend. I’d be glad to see more.

Home is available on digital download from Amazon, AppleTV, Sky Store, Virgin Media and Google Play.

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Trying to condense Titane into a short synopsis almost feels like a disservice to the complexity of this masterpiece. But, nevertheless, Titane is a body horror about a pregnant serial killer who has sex with cars and poses as somebody’s missing son. And yet, may be one of the most resonating and moving films you’ll ever watch – only if, you embrace its absurdity.

The film follows the double life of stripper and serial killer Alexia, played with fluidity by Agathe Rousselle. The film opens with Alexia and her father in a car accident, resulting in her having a titanium implant inserted into her head. Fast forward to Alexia as an adult, dressed like your typical, cool alt-girl with a mullet haircut and wearing fishnets. Presumingly a cause from her psychological trauma, Alexia is a mechaphile who acts on her impulses to have sexual intercourse with motorcars, which incidentally impregnates her.

Just as you’ve come to allowing yourself to absorb the outlandish plot and violently piercing sound and graphics, the film takes a sharp turn. Alexia poses as Adrien, the son of quietly grieving father, Vincent (Vincent Lindon) whose son went missing ten years ago. Visually and stylistically alike to Gaspar Noe’s films, Climax and Irreversible, Titane has a similar air of energy and extremity, but with much more heart.

Ducournau’s story is brought to life by Agathe Rousselle’s captivating metamorphic performance, accompanying the pulsating soundtrack and electric visuals. Alexia is a character seeking unconditional love amongst a debris of trauma. Rousselle encapsulates a balance of bite and warmth that elicits an unexpected sense of empathy towards a character who could understandably elicit no compassion for Alexia when just words on the page of a script, or performed by any other actress. Rousselle grounds the fantastical narrative featuring scenes of murdering rampages and sex with cars in authenticity with an enthralling performance that radiates a deep sense of longing.

The familiar father and son dynamic, commonly explored in cinema, is explored in Titane too, but here dismisses the restrictive gendered stereotypes tethered to the paternal label. The on-screen relationship between Adrien who represents progressive ideologies, contrasting with Vincent who represents traditionalist views, is a tender depiction of fear, desperation and unrequited love enhanced by Lindon’s spectacular, multifaceted performance as a father desperate to love.

The true beauty of Titane lies in the thematic web crafted by Ducournau. The intertwining of trauma and the ways it can manifest in a person’s life through the link between a car crash and Alexia’s mechaphilia, to the surrealist portrayal of the rapid merging of humankind and technology told through the contortion of Adrien’s body with machinery. With delicacy, Ducournau layers a plethora of existential discourse amongst the chaos and absurdism.

The film claws into the psyche of Adrien and Vincent through visceral scenes of self-harm that they inflict onto themselves for contrasting reasons, but both tied to the constricting expectations held by society. Both characters attempt to keep-up their physical appearances to align with their gender identity – Adrien’s abusive rejection of his pregnancy as if it was malleable and Vincent’s addiction to injecting steroids into his body. These graphic scenes serve the body horror genre, evoking nail-biting and stomach-churning in the audience whilst triggering a mental awareness of the transgressive commentary.

Titane scratches at the surface of your skin, crawling along your arms and down the back of your neck and lurks at the back of your mind long after its runtime. As absurd, illogical, and mad as it is, Titane is human. Like picking a scab and drawing blood, Titane claws at the discomforting fears that blemish our minds – but in turn, bleeds the love and acceptance within us all.

Titane is showing at Home, Manchester and cinemas nationwide, certificate 18.

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No, this isn’t another spin-off from the popular 1990 kid’s movie Home Alone. But fans of the Home Alone franchise will enjoy the gentle capers of these two hapless crooks who find themselves out witted and softened by two curious kids.

Dressed as Santa and his elf, thieves Frank and Vince flee the scene of their crime and break into another nearby home only to find this one isn’t as empty as they hoped. Inside are 8-year-old Liam and his younger sister, Olivia, 4 (played by real life siblings Lorenzo and Mia McGovern Zaini). Being Christmas Eve, their usual babysitter isn’t available from the agency. So, imagine their surprise when they think their mum has arranged Santa and his helper to step in.

Inside the Santa/Looter’s sack the children find a magic book that brings to life a cast of animated characters whose stories reflect elements of all their lives and lead the two villains to start considering the rotten choices they’ve made in life.

Youngsters who have access to Amazon Prime Video will no doubt recognise PB, Swifty and the other characters from animated series, Arctic Friends. And while it seems strange to give the cartoon new life inside this story, the familiarity of the characters works well to quickly draw kids into these sub-plot adventures.

Meanwhile, just like the Joe Pesci turnaround from GoodFellas’ gangster to comedy villain in Home Alone, here the grown-ups can have a chuckle at seeing Reservoir Dogs actor, Michael Madsen swap his hard man Mr Blonde image for jester elf, Vince.

Back in their real world, Liam starts to suspect that Frank (Tom Arnold) may not be either Santa or the babysitter his mum has hired to read their bed time stories for the night.

Expect high jinks and some twists and turns along the path to a feelgood, happy ending with a touch of make believe – it is Christmas after all.

Christmas Thieves rated PG is available on Digital Download.

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