Kent


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pick-of-the-month">PICK OF THE MONTH</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hamnet-nbsp-12a-fri-9-jan"><em>Hamnet</em>&nbsp;(12A), Fri 9 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="HAMNET - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters This Thanksgiving" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xYcgQMxQwmk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>It’s already taken the literary world and the West End by storm – now<strong>&nbsp;<em>Hamnet</em></strong>, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, is getting the full Hollywood treatment, and believe us,&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/film-review-hamnet/">it is worth the hype</a>. At the helm? Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao (<em>Nomadland</em>), with none other than Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes on producing duty. Paul Mescal stars as a fictionalised young Shakespeare, with Jessie Buckley as his wife Agnes. The story charts the couple’s early relationship, the loss of their only son Hamnet, and the grief that would go on to shape some of Shakespeare’s most famous works. Prepare for heartbreak *packs extra tissues* and serious awards buzz.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-song-sung-blue-nbsp-12a-thu-1-jan"><em>Song Sung Blue</em>&nbsp;(12A), Thu 1 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="SONG SUNG BLUE - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters This Christmas" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZqU7iiHFCzw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>Start 2026 the right way with Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson and a full-throttle Neil Diamond sing-along.&nbsp;<strong><em>Song Sung Blue</em></strong>&nbsp;tells the true story of down-on-their-luck musicians Mike and Claire Sardina, whose fortunes flip when they reinvent themselves as a Diamond tribute act, Lightning and Thunder. It’s an emotional, feel-good musical rollercoaster – steer clear if Neil Diamond (or Jackman’s pipes) aren’t your thing, but for everyone else it’s shaping up to be a joyful first watch of the year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-28-years-later-the-bone-temple-nbsp-18-fri-16-jan"><em>28 Years Later: The Bone Temple</em>&nbsp;(18), Fri 16 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE - New Trailer (HD)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QlF68NIz8dg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>Just when you thought you’d waved goodbye to the&nbsp;<em>28 Days/Weeks/Months&nbsp;</em>franchise in 2025, the brilliant&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/film-review-hedda/">Nia DaCosta</a>&nbsp;takes Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s zombie apocalypse to terrifying new levels. In<em><strong>&nbsp;The Bone Temple</strong></em>, the infected undead are no longer the greatest threat – it’s the depravity of some of the survivors you really need to worry about. Case in point: Jack O’Connell’s Jimmy Crystal (and no, his blond wig isn’t the worst crime he commits), the cultish leader of a gang of Jimmy Savile lookalikes. If that doesn’t sell it to you, Ralph Fiennes and Cillian Murphy rejoining the fold definitely will. Yep, we’ll be ordering extra-large popcorn to hide behind, resolute in the fact that we won’t be sleeping for a month – but we’ve stuck with it this far.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rental-family-nbsp-12a-fri-16-jan"><em>Rental Family</em>&nbsp;(12A), Fri 16 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="RENTAL FAMILY | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n0pqP6ClcE8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>We’re fully here for the Brendan Fraser-aissance – and his latest role is another quietly powerful turn. Set in contemporary Tokyo,&nbsp;<em><strong>Rental Family</strong></em>&nbsp;follows a struggling American actor who stumbles into an unexpected job: working for a “rental family” agency, playing everything from long-lost uncles to absent fathers for clients in need of emotional connection. As his roles begin to blur with reality, he finds unexpected intimacy, purpose, and meaning in the most unlikely places. Directed by HIKARI (<em>37 Seconds</em>), this is a tender, beautifully observed exploration of belonging, and one of Fraser’s most moving performances yet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-h-is-for-hawk-nbsp-12a-fri-23-jan"><em>H is for Hawk</em>&nbsp;(12A), Fri 23 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="H Is For Hawk - Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RJ29BBXfN64?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>Another literary sensation to get a sprinkling of star power is Helen Macdonald’s much lauded memoir&nbsp;<strong><em>H is for Hawk</em></strong>&nbsp;which chronicles her journey of buying and training a goshawk as an outlet for grief, following the sudden passing of her father.&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/film-review-h-is-for-hawk-12a/">Claire Foy dazzles in the role</a>, not just in her portrayal of Helen’s heartbreaking journey, but also as a falconer (she has serious skills). Brendan Gleeson, Denise Gough and Josh Dylan also stars in this tender, quietly humorous and life-affirming story – the kind that makes you laugh, cry, and maybe even eye a bird of prey differently.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-history-of-sound-nbsp-15-fri-23-jan"><em>The History of Sound</em>&nbsp;(15), Fri 23 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="THE HISTORY OF SOUND | Official Trailer | Now Streaming Exclusively on MUBI" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YfEYUoefwb8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p><strong><em>The History of Sound</em></strong>&nbsp;is a&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/film-review-the-history-of-sound-15/">gorgeously shot, slow-burning romance</a>&nbsp;from<em>&nbsp;Living&nbsp;</em>director Oliver Hermanus, starring the ever-swoonable Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. They play Lionel and David, two music-obsessed students who meet at the Boston Conservatory before reuniting years later, post-WWI, to travel across America recording folk songs. What starts as a passion project soon becomes a life-changing love story – intimate, melancholic, and carried by sizzling chemistry between its leads. And just like that, you’re going to be&nbsp;<em>obsessed</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mercy-nbsp-12a-fri-23-jan"><em>Mercy</em>&nbsp;(12A), Fri 23 Jan</h2>



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSS4yqd0x6o\
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<p>Rebecca Ferguson is judge, jury and executioner in the high-octane sci-fi thriller,&nbsp;<strong><em>Mercy</em></strong>. Set in a near future where the justice system has had a radical shake-up, suspects have just 90 minutes to prove their innocence – or face death. The system is the brainchild of Detective Raymond (Chris Pratt), who soon gets a taste of his own medicine when he’s put on trial for the murder of his wife. With the clock ticking, he must use photos and recordings stored in the cloud to prove he didn’t do it, all while chained to a chair. Think&nbsp;<em>24</em>’s relentless countdown meets the claustrophobic tension of&nbsp;<em>Phone Booth</em>&nbsp;– this one will have you on the edge of your seat.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-this-thing-on-nbsp-15-fri-30-jan"><em>Is This Thing On?</em>&nbsp;(15), Fri 30 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="IS THIS THING ON? | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x4jx0Xgc_Pc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>Bradley Cooper directs and stars alongside Will Arnett and Laura Dern in this film inspired by Liverpudlian comedian John Bishop’s life? Yep, you read that right, and this unlikely mash-up turns out to be an&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/is-this-thing-on-film-review/">unexpectedly charming crowd-pleaser</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<strong><em>Is This Thing On?</em></strong>. Arnett plays Alex, whose impending divorce and textbook midlife wobble send him to an open-mic night, where a flailing attempt at stand-up sparks a surprising second act – on stage and off. Funny, tender and quietly romantic, it’s a feel-good story about starting over, taking risks, and realising it’s never too late for a fresh punchline, or a second chance at love.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nouvelle-vague-nbsp-12a-fri-30-jan"><em>Nouvelle Vague</em>&nbsp;(12A), Fri 30 Jan</h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Nouvelle Vague | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UufRzKVFseg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>A love letter to cinema with a wink,&nbsp;<strong><em>Nouvelle Vague</em></strong>&nbsp;dives into the beautiful chaos behind Jean-Luc Godard’s&nbsp;<em>Breathless</em>&nbsp;– all cigarette smoke, rule-breaking and youthful rebellion. Directed by Richard Linklater, this exuberant reimagining captures the scrappy, thrill-of-the-moment energy that launched the French New Wave, with Zoey Deutch, Guillaume Marbeck and Aubry Dullin bringing the drama, glamour and creative mayhem to life. It’s stylish, playful and a total treat for film lovers.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-like-what-you-see-keep-reading"><em>LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? KEEP READING</em></h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://kent.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/film-and-tv-shows-released-in-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Films and TV shows we’re most hyped about for 2026</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/everything-you-need-to-know-about-rivals-season-2-release-date/">Rivals 2 is rolling! Here’s everything we know so far + NEW pics</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/legends-of-the-fall-of-old-hollywood-the-new-acting-elite/">Legends of the&nbsp;fall&nbsp;(of old Hollywood) – the new acting elite</a></li>
</ul>


To the cinema! 9 new movies to brighten up your January

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