By Linnea Pettersson - Young Audiences Coordinator

Despite some of the big studio blockbusters moving their release dates to the new year, cinemas across the country are still producing exciting and varied programmes with plenty to get stuck into.

For those familiar with the work of director Ben Wheatley, an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s masterpiece Rebecca is tantalisingly intriguing. From thrillers about contract killers and weapons deals gone wrong to murderous caravanning couples and dystopian satires, Wheatley’s blend of psychological deep-dives and social surrealism promises to deliver a unique take on a classic that will stand out from those that have gone before (most notably Hitchcock’s infamous, Oscar-winning adaptation of the same title in 1940).

In the newest release, Lily James stars as a young newlywed who arrives at her husband, Maxim de Winter’s (Armie Hammer) family estate on a windswept English coast. She soon finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife, the enigmatic Rebecca, whose legacy lives on long after her death. Kristin Scott Thomas fills the iconic role of Mrs. Danvers, the vindictive head housekeeper of the family estate who is determined to drive the new Mrs de Winter away from the property and out of her mind... 

There has been a notable shift in mainstream documentary releases of late, with increased and urgent focus being placed on themes around the plight of the natural world and our impact on its future. With the words of David Attenborough in his gripping witness statement film, A Life on Our Planet, still working their way around the nation, the screen is now set for Greta Thunberg. 

There has been great disparity in how these two figures have been talked about and presented, despite both driving toward a common goal, with Thunberg receiving intense and sustained vitriol from media outlets and even world leaders. From Swedish filmmaker Nathan Grossman comes, I Am Greta, the story of the teenage climate activist featuring compelling, never-before-seen footage. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta - a shy schoolgirl with Asperger’s – in her rise to prominence, and her galvanising global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her astonishing wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. 

I Am Greta and Rebecca will be showing from Friday 16 October and an exclusive Q&A with Thunberg will be screening before the 2pm show on Sunday 18 October.

As published in the Sheffield Telegraph - 15/10/2020