(by Ray Nayler, published 2025)

Very much a political science-fiction novel. AIs become PMs and run countries; high-tech makes the totalitarian surveillance state near-inescapable; a new invention makes changing people’s very minds possible. It is, though, for me one of those novels that might have been better as a non-fiction polemic (and the acknowledgements helpfully point to the various non-fiction books that inspired it). ★★★☆☆

I suppose a real TV adaptation of The Last of Us would have the viewer experience, over and over, all the horrific ways Ellie can die in each encounter–with that grim musical cue each time. This game is a technical marvel, etc. etc., but also genuinely unpleasant to play. I soldier on because it’s supposed to be brilliant, but right now it’s three stars–just like Alan Wake 2 this is not as deep as it thinks it is (and doesn’t even have a rock musical hidden inside).

This article by Eric Kain does a very good job of exposing the fundamental problems of characterisation and motivation in the two lead characters. While he writes he “still had something resembling fun while playing” I am not sure I had any fun at all. I would have stopped if it hadn’t been for all the plaudits and 10/10 reviews.

★★★☆☆ (mainly for the technical artistry).

I’ve now played 67 hours of Street Fighter 6. Since Steam and the other services started counting, I’ve only spent more time on Minecraft, Warframe, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2. It deserves to be in their company–it’s a fascinating game, with a skill ceiling that seems to go forever and, as I praised back in August, a suite of tools that allow you to improve your play. I have reached Silver 4 rank, which is nothing for a fighting game aficionado, but for this 45 year-old seems just fine. Time is limited, and I have other things I want to play (I finally have started the original Hollow Knight and have also returned to the dour Last of Us 2) but I now understand why for some a good fighting game will be all they want to play. ★★★★★

(dir. Richard Donner) I was worried this wouldn’t live up to my memories of watching this when younger, but no–this remains a superb action film. Quality practical effects and a high standard of cinematography (see this interview with DP Stephen Goldblatt) elevates the standard plot. Well worth the rewatch. ★★★★☆

(dir. Danny Boyle) This is the coming-of-age story of a 12 year-old boy, Spike, who is growing up on island off the coast of a quarantined British Isles. When his father takes him to the mainland for the first time he encounters an “alpha”–a stronger and more intelligent type of “infected”–and also sees a mysterious fire in the distance….

Excellent acting and an unpredictable script makes this the best zombie film I have seen in recent times. It also balances the horror with a dark sense of humour that keeps it more enjoyable than the grim seriousness of The Last of Us. I’m looking forward to the sequel. ★★★★☆

This first-person adventure game was developed by Swedish developers MachineGames, who were previously responsible for Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. It is, however, less a shooter and more a simple stealth and puzzle game that allows you to punch your way clumsily out of messing up.

Credit must be given for all the work that went towards making this seem like the Indiana Jones film we never had: Troy Baker’s impersonation of Harrison Ford and the quip-filled script strike exactly the right tone. The story also captures the B-movie blend of adventuring and mystery of the original trilogy, complete with a despicable Nazi villain and a final act veer towards the supernatural. Special praise also for composer Gordy Haab, whose original music is good it could almost be John Williams himself (read an interview with Mr Haab on his scoring here).

The actual gameplay is very straightforward–sneak up behind baddy, whack him on the head with whatever implement is at hand, and if you are noticed by other enemies then sprint off and hope they will lose track of you. Puzzles are heavily signposted. Fist fighting is fine but not particularly engaging. The game has a strange combination of elements that never fully cohered for me, but I did enjoy my time adventuring.

★★★☆☆ (But add an extra star if you are a big Indiana Jones fan.)

(dir. Wes Anderson) I remember loving Rushmore when it was released, but otherwise have often found Wes Anderson’s films more twee than inspiring. I was surprised, then, when The Phoenician Scheme proved to be genuinely funny. All the usual hallmarks of his style are still there, and some of the actors he loves to cast turn up in minor roles, but the plot moves briskly and the jokes keep on coming. ★★★★☆

Many were baffled why Disney had greenlit a prequel series to the prequel film Rogue One, but Andor is the best Star Wars has been since Empire Strikes Back. Dispensing with the space wizard and magic sword fantasy, this shows how the Empire’s galactic fascism was maintained and how its oppressive rule seeded its own destruction. The script is intelligent, the characters diverse and well-acted, and its short two seasons are plotted impeccably. The best science fiction series in a long, long time. ★★★★★

(dir. Mike Nichols) This is an almost flawless comedy. Robin Williams restrains his excess and provides pathos, Nathan Lane is outrageous but finally sympathetic, Hank Azaria scene-steals as Agador the houseboy, and even Gene Hackman’s comedy timing is surprisingly strong. Its setting in South Beach also provides a now nostalgic 1990s dayglo seminude rollerblading backdrop to the story. ★★★★★

(dir. Henry Selick) The first film by Laika Studios, based on a Neil Gaiman novella. It’s a beautifully imagined world and the technical artistry of the stop-motion is, as always with Laika, staggering. ★★★★☆

Sleeper Beach, by Nick Harkaway (2025)

The follow-up to Titanium Noir (2023) continues the story of Cal Sounder, a detective investigating crimes involving “Titans”, genetically-altered long-living humans. Much as the last book, it is a somewhat old-fashioned noir novel with the spice of sci-fi elements and is well-written fun. ★★★★☆

(dir. Anselm Chan 陳茂賢) There are multiple protagonists in this film: Dominic Ngai (Dayo Wong), a wedding planner forced to switch to the funeral business during the Covid pandemic; “Hello” Man (Michael Hui), a Taoist priest upholding old funeral traditions; and Man’s two adult children, Yuet (Michelle Wai) and Ben (Chu Pak Hong). An excellent script and strong performances enliven all of these characters and despite a 140-minute length (in the director’s cut) it doesn’t feel in the least self-indulgent. It did well in the Hong Kong Film Awards, but lost Best Film to Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. I would have given this the top prize. ★★★★★

(dir. Wim Wenders) Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho), a reticent toilet cleaner in Japan, enjoys a simple daily routine that rarely changes. The film shows us this routine, and then shows a number of events that upset Hirayama’s carefully-arranged “perfect days”.

The meditative pace reminds me of The Taste of Things, but while that film showed showed how the slow preparation and enjoyment of food was intertwined with personal relationships, this is a much more solitary film. Hirayama’s combination of work, 60s & 70s American music, photography, restaurants, and reading is his way of finding contentment, but the life of this “urban hermit” in ultra-modern Tokyo seems far less appealing to me than being in love with your cook in the Loire Valley.

Putting aside the comparison, however, some searching about the film took me to an interesting article by Luca Galofaro on ArchDaily, pointing out Perfect Days’ connections to Moriyama-San, a 2017 documentary about a Japanese “enlightened amateur” living in Tokyo, and to an article about the Buddhist possibilities of being an Urban Hermit by Mu Soeng. Well worth a read if you enjoyed the film’s tranquillity. ★★★★☆

(dir. Martin Brest) What could have been a hokey and familiar drama about a scholarship kid at an elite high school taking on a Thanksgiving job looking after a blind man becomes far more affecting because of a good script from Bo Goldman and a mesmerising performance from Al Pacino. ★★★★☆

Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents (by Octavia Butler, 1993 & 1998)

Butler’s vision of a future America sadly seems closer today than it may have in the 1990s. The two books are examinations of how faiths and beliefs might change in a decaying nation, and the beginning of Trump’s second term has made it clear that fundamental societal values can indeed shift with surprising rapidity. Butler’s unflinching approach to the violence and death in her story also makes many other dystopian tales seem far too kind to their protagonists in comparison. These are excellent novels. ★★★★★

Vaxxers: A Pioneering Moment in Scientific History (by Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green, 2021)

Written by two of the lead scientists working on the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, this is full of interesting detail about how the vaccine was developed and tested at record speed. ★★★★☆

Your Life is Manufactured: How We Make Things, Why It Matters and How We Can Do It Better (by Tim Minshall, 2025)

Some of the examples here felt familiar to me, but others, like Strix in the Isle Man (maker of kettle “blades”) or the tree-harvesting machines (YouTube video here) were fascinating. ★★★☆☆

(dir. Coralie Fargeat) Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is an aging Hollywood star who decides to take “The Substance” to try and retain her job and celebrity. She spawns a second, younger self, “Sue” (Margaret Qualley), but the delicate balance between these two selves cannot be maintained indefinitely….

I was unimpressed by the first half of this film, which seemed unoriginal in conception and execution. However, the second half gleefully takes its body horror to a degree that is both deeply revolting and hilarious. I am not squeamish, but some of this I had to watch between my fingers. This will become a cult classic, at least for those with strong stomachs. ★★★★☆

Careless People: A story of where I used to work, by Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025)

This exposé by the former Facebook Directory of Global Public Policy reveals the social media giant’s leadership is even worse than you imagined. It is the degree of ignorance of the wider world and the lack of attention to anything apart from the company’s growth that was most damning to me, although Sheryl Sandberg’s sexual harassment of her staff and Zuckerberg needing others to explain to him how Facebook helped Trump get elected (the first time) are equally dispiriting. ★★★★☆

(dir. Steven Soderbergh) George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is a British intelligence agent tasked with discovering which of his fellow agents has stolen a classified piece of software code-named ‘Severus’. The first step in his investigation is to throw a dinner party at his home, inviting all the suspects, including his wife (Cate Blanchett)….

Soderbergh (also handling the Director of Photography and Editing roles) is very effective here with a tight, dialogue-heavy script from David Koepp (Mission: Impossible, Jurassic Park, Raimi’s Spiderman and more). Its London spies are a blend of John le Carré and modern Bond film, with the casting of Pierce Brosnan and Naomi Harris a not-so-subtle metatextual wink about its inspirations. The film is more funny than tense, but a speedy 94 minute running time and a cast clearly enjoying themselves make the time fly by. ★★★★☆