Damon Smith

Despite a tumultuous few years, there’s a bright future ahead for the special administrative region of China with a British past, says Damon Smith.

Despite a tumultuous few years, there’s a bright future ahead, says Damon Smith

Jim Carrey as Ivo Robotnik and Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) in Sonic The Hedgehog 3, directed by Jeff Fowler, Copyright: Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Review: In literature and on screen, vampires are often depicted as sensual and alluring creatures of the night, armed with the power of hypnosis to woo potential victims into a compliant fugue and quash resistance to tapered dentistry plunging into a jugular vein. Director Robert Eggers’ visually resplendent remake of FW Murnau’s 1922 silent Gothic melodrama, itself an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula that resulted in a copyright infringement lawsuit from the author’s estate, employs similar seduction techniques.

This week's film reviews from LondonNet Film Critics. Read a full review of Emma (U) and Sonic the Hedgehog (PG), view trailers and a list of cinemas.

Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold. Photo: Macall Polay. Copyright: Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Lukas Gage as Patrick and Sophie Thatcher as Iris in Companion, directed by Drew Hancock. Copyright: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Review: In a few brief years, voice and gesture-prompted virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa and Gemini and artificial intelligence chatbots have become casually embedded in the fabric of our everyday lives. No longer the stuff of science fiction and fantasy, these complex learning models have become invaluable best friends that set reminders, quickly research important information, play music, make travel plans and check the weather forecast. Written and directed by Drew Hancock, Companion is a survival thriller that solders together narrative circuitry from Ex Machina and Don’t Worry Darling to imagine the next logical step in this queasy amalgamation of human and mechanised worlds: lifelike androids designed to cater to our every whim, especially carnal desires.

Damon Smith sets sail on Disney Cruise Line's latest ship, which sets new standards for immersive play and storytelling.

The 1,119-foot-long Triton-class ship is perfect for everyone