SONG SUNG BLUE really hit my sweet spot. A perfectly pitched underdog biopic that wears its goofy heart on its sleeve, proudly embracing the dizzying feel of TV movie melodramas. And wow, at a daunting 133 mins, it sure goes down easy. 🌩

A bunch of great write-ups from our team this week -- including news of IMBOLG, an upcoming Dublin festival celebrating women who terrify, both on screen and behind the camera.

🟠🟢🔵

HAMNET received 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress, Picture and Director. Read our review by @cynicalfilm.bsky.social: “Zhao’s vision isn’t subtle, but it reaches for big emotions and achieves them, sometimes in spite of itself.” headstuff.org/entertainmen...

The Academy overlooking Daniel Lopatin’s Marty Supreme score has to be the biggest snub. A downright shame.

As the RESIDENT EVIL game series gears up to celebrate the big 3-0, join us at HeadStuff as Thomas Caffrey revisits Paul W.S. Anderson’s ambitious six-film adaptation of the iconic franchise. First up: Resident Evil (2002) 👇 headstuff.org/entertainmen...

I’M DOING A THING I asked a bunch of people working in the film industry “When’s The Last Time You Cried in a Movie Theatre?" They spilled their guts over 300-500 words, and if you subscribe (for free!!) you’ll get those words delivered fortnightly. reelfeels.substack.com

I’M DOING A THING I asked a bunch of people working in the film industry “When’s The Last Time You Cried in a Movie Theatre?" They spilled their guts over 300-500 words, and if you subscribe (for free!!) you’ll get those words delivered fortnightly. reelfeels.substack.com

A strong contender for poster of the year this. Stunning! Hand-painted by Ghanaian artist D.A. Jasper.

For MLK Day on @letterboxd.social I decided to do a list of essential Civil Rights and Black Liberation movies.

At our opening night screening of THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB we were honoured to be joined by its director Kaouther Ben Hania and producer Nadim Cheikhrouha. The Q&A was hosted by Donald Clarke. We urge audiences to see this film. THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB screens at the IFI now: https://bit.ly/4sOYcvc

I wrote this

In cinemas from today.

“In Ireland, when presented with the facts of the Palestinian struggle, government ministers seem to have perfected the art of performative hand-wringing and meticulous double-speak … while ensuring that no practical measures are taken” THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB full review 👇

Ffs… www.thejournal.ie/complex-arts...

An annual selection of artist and experimental film that brings together a range of voices from contemporary Irish and international practice, aemi's 2026 touring programme DESIRE LINES premieres at the IFI. 📆 Thu 22nd ⏰ 18.30 🎟 https://ifi.ie/film/ifi-aemi-desire-lines/

With #28YearsLaterTheBoneTemple out in cinemas, here’s a throwback to Ireland’s StoryHouse Festival where director Nia DaCosta chatted about the movie’s editing process, navigating studio notes and test screenings. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

Now entering THE BONE TEMPLE

New crockery alert!! @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social

“If I Saw The TV Glow was about how ‘there is still time’, Castration Movie Anthology i. Traps is about what happens when you are several years into transition, and it’s not a happy ending.” ✍️ @padz1312.bsky.social reviews part one of Louise Weard’s CASTRATION MOVIE: headstuff.org/entertainmen...

“In Ireland, when presented with the facts of the Palestinian struggle, government ministers seem to have perfected the art of performative hand-wringing and meticulous double-speak … while ensuring that no practical measures are taken” THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB full review 👇

“The vista is bleak. But a film like this disallows complacency.” It’s a privilege to be publishing Ciarán O’Rourke’s review of THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB — I’ll be pumping your timeline with it as much as possible. 🍿in cinemas Jan 16 @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social headstuff.org/entertainmen...

"The intensity of Buckley and Mescal’s performances bleeds off the screen" HAMNET is out in cinemas TODAY! ✍️ read @cynicalfilm.bsky.social's full review below. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

If the passengers leave the Titanic then the iceberg wins

DR. CALIGARI (1989) • One of those films I wish I made. Not because everything about it—the off-the-wall aesthetics, over-sexed performances and lurid colours—is so up my alley, but from the looks of it, this thing was a damn fun shoot! Shudder’s copy looked v crisp, but had be yearning for VHS fuzz

🧡💚💙

"It felt like we were witnessing a key development in the mythology of Ireland” SAIPAN directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa visited @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social last month for a special Q&A. ✍️ Here's Jonathon Boylan with a recap. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

"It felt like we were witnessing a key development in the mythology of Ireland” SAIPAN directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa visited @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social last month for a special Q&A. ✍️ Here's Jonathon Boylan with a recap. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

"The intensity of Buckley and Mescal’s performances bleeds off the screen" HAMNET is out in cinemas TODAY! ✍️ read @cynicalfilm.bsky.social's full review below. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

"Zhao’s vision isn’t subtle, but it reaches for big emotions and achieves them, sometimes in spite of itself." our HAMNET review ✍️ @cynicalfilm.bsky.social 🍿 in cinemas from Friday headstuff.org/entertainmen...

Last day to catch PETER HUJAR'S DAY @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social — hard to pass up!

"Zhao’s vision isn’t subtle, but it reaches for big emotions and achieves them, sometimes in spite of itself." our HAMNET review ✍️ @cynicalfilm.bsky.social 🍿 in cinemas from Friday headstuff.org/entertainmen...

From the grind of poverty to the perfection of porridge via samurai and swearing, read film editor @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social's write-up of Scottish film in 2025

"Slick and smart, Saipan effectively communicates its tragicomedy to non-sporting cinephiles, and should reignite the old debate for football fans too." It's Saipan Week on Film In Dublin, starting with our review - what did you think of the Keane/McCarthy film? filmindublin.ie/2025/12/26/s...

Welcome to Food with FiD, a totally original, never-been-done-before video series where we recreate meals that you've seen in movies...from Ireland. We're starting with the Cheese Sandwiches as seen in Saipan, part of #SaipanWeek: filmindublin.ie/2026/01/06/f...

MARTY SUPREME was a fine way to kick off my year in cinemagoing @lighthousecinema.bsky.social Faces! Beautiful, funky, shot-on-film faces. And that ending… reminds me of the last shot in Paul Morrissey’s Spike of Bensonhurst — a sweet suffocation.

MARTY SUPREME was a fine way to kick off my year in cinemagoing @lighthousecinema.bsky.social Faces! Beautiful, funky, shot-on-film faces. And that ending… reminds me of the last shot in Paul Morrissey’s Spike of Bensonhurst — a sweet suffocation.

Join us next Thursday 8 January at 18.00 at IMC HEADFORD ROAD GALWAY for the unique screening of the superb THE BOTANIST (dir. Jing Yi, 2025), winner Grand Prix, Generation Kplus, Berlin International Film Festival 2025 TICKETS/BOOKING: imc.ie Support by @artscouncilireland.bsky.social

Favourite first-time watches of December 2025: • Holiday Affair (1949) • The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed (2023) • Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special (1988) • Portrait of Jennie (1948)

Plenty to still catch up on, but here’s what I’ve been grooving with this past year.

Incase you missed it — here’s our list of top-ranking outliers, shedding some light on the films that perhaps fell under your radar this year. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

Before I share my personal favourites from 2025, we HeadStuff film writers are back to finish off the year with our traditional Top 10 picks. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

Tatiana Schlossberg, daughter of Caroline Kennedy, has died at 35. In November, she wrote about receiving a terminal diagnosis following the birth of her daughter. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/hsZC7S

Plenty to still catch up on, but here’s what I’ve been grooving with this past year.

Before I share my personal favourites from 2025, we HeadStuff film writers are back to finish off the year with our traditional Top 10 picks. headstuff.org/entertainmen...

‘75/‘25 is the biggest project I’ve ever undertaken. 9 months, 28,500 words, 19 film comparisons and a lot of hours researching. Spent more time on the damn Vietnam War this year than Ken Burns! All been worth it, I’m genuinely proud of it and can’t thank @filmindublin.bsky.social for the support

Viewing habits during this Xmas-New Year stretch call for a Letterboxd where we can log films by minutes watched: Today I’m logging 23mins of The Italian Job, the 6mins of Von Ryan’s Express I saw over my uncle’s shoulder, and the bit in Back to the Future where Marty invents the skateboard.

Inspired Yuletide family viewing this. In just two hours Bond goes from laying flowers at his wife’s grave to having sex with an orphan at Margaret Thatcher via a parrot.

“For all its background comedy, the Keane-McCarthy clash never feels less than momentous on the screen.” our SAIPAN review ✍️ Ciarán O’Rourke 🍿 in Irish cinemas from Jan 1 headstuff.org/entertainmen...