Film highlights in May...

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3

CERT

tbc (150 mins)

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper

Directed by James Gunn

Film critics back in 2014 predicted that Guardians Of The Galaxy would prove to be Marvel Studios’ first flop. They were wrong. The film went on to earn $772million (£622million) at the worldwide box office. Its 2017 sequel outperformed even that, accruing $863million (£695million) across the globe.

On the eve of the release of the third movie in the series, the franchise’s leading man, Chris Pratt - who was catapulted to stardom by the original film - has not been slow to pour salt on the critics’ wounds by pointing out to them just how wrong they were. It’s a strategy that could well see said film reviewers sharpening their nibs in the hope that Guardians finally falls flat on its face with this latest offering. But, according to actor Dave Bautista, who plays Drax, the critics are going to be sorely disappointed. “Unlike a lot of franchises, we’re leaving with our best,” he told Uproxx. “We haven’t been watered down as we’ve gone along, but I think we’re leaving with our best film.”

Released Wed 3 May

Hypnotic CERT tbc

Starring Ben Affleck, William Fichtner, Alice Braga, Jeff Fahey, Kelly Frye, JD Padro Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez’s sleight-of-hand movie finds Ben Affleck playing the role of detective Daniel Rourke.

While investigating a string of heists, Rourke becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government programme...

Hypnotic has been two decades in the making, according to Rodriguez, who also wrote the script. “It’s like a Hitchcock thriller on steroids,” he told Collider. “That’s all I can say. As soon as you see the first trailer, you’ll go ‘I got it. I’m there.’ It’s that kind of a movie. A lot of twists, a lot of turns... It’ll be very energetic.”

Released Fri 12 May

Love Again CERT 12a

Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion, Russell Tovey, Celia Imrie, Lydia West Directed by Jim Strouse

What if a random text message led to the love of your life?

In trying to deal with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old mobile number… not realising that said number has been reassigned to the new work phone of journalist Rob Burns. Rob is captivated by the honesty of Mira’s beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of Celine Dion (here playing herself), he enlists the megastar’s help in figuring out not only how to meet Mira in person, but also how to win her heart.

Released Wed 10 May

Book Club: The Next Chapter

CERT tbc (107 mins)

Starring Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Don Johnson, Andy Garcia, Directed by Bill Holderman

If you like your Hollywood heroines to have a lived-in, cosmetically enhanced look about them, then Book Club: The Next Chapter is definitely the film for you.

Boasting a combined age of several hundred years, the four household names playing the lead roles of Diane, Vivian, Carol and Sharon here reunite five years after the original film. And this time the quartet of friends are reaching for their passports and heading for their dream destination of sun-kissed Italy... Don Johnson and Andy Garcia also contribute to the celebratory wrinkle fest.

Released Fri 12 May

The Little Mermaid CERT PG (135 mins)

Starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, and the voices of Daveed Diggs and Jacob Tremblay Directed by Rob Marshall

With the first full trailer for The Little Mermaid generating in excess of 108 million global views in just 24 hours, Disney is understandably bracing itself for a tidal wave of success with this live-action version of the 1989 animated movie.

Halle Bailey is the eponymous half-woman half-fish in a film that sees Melissa McCarthy taking on the role of the villainous Ursula.

As well as featuring reimagined versions of songs from the original - including Under The Sea and Part Of Your World - the new release also includes a smattering of original tunes. “There’s no bigger Little Mermaid fan than me,” producer Lin-Manuel Miranda told Variety, “but we found a couple of opportunities for some other music that I can’t wait to see.”

Released Fri 26 May

Fast X CERT tbc (140 mins)

Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel Directed by Louis Leterrier

The 10th film in the Fast & Furious saga, Fast X launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s biggest global franchises. Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever had to face: a terrifying threat, emerging from the shadows of the past, who is determined to shatter the Toretto family once and for all...

Released Fri 19 May

About My Father CERT tbc (89 mins)

Starring Robert De Niro, Kim Cattrall, Leslie Bibb, David Rasche, Anders Holm, Sebastian Maniscalco Directed by Lauren Terruso

The Machine CERT tbc

Starring Mark Hamill, Jess Gabor, Mercedes De La Cruz, Bert Kreischer, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jimmy Tatro Directed by Peter Atenico

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is on a hot streak right now, and he’ll be hoping this brand-new comedy scores another bulls-eye hit for him.

The movie’s plotline sees Sebastian, playing himself, being encouraged by his fiancée (Leslie Bibb) to bring his immigrant hairdresser father, Salvo (De Niro), to a Memorial Day barbecue with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family (one of whom is played by Sex And The City favourite Kim Cattrall). But as the gettogether develops, it becomes clear that not everything is going smoothly, and it isn’t too long before a significant number of feathers get seriously ruffled...

Maniscalco and De Niro previously appeared together in Martin Scorcese’s epic gangster movie, The Irishman.

Released Fri 26 May

Bert Kreischer rose to fame as a standup comedian known as The Machine, and in his signature-set he recounts his true experience with Russian mobsters while on a boozesoaked college trip. Now, 23 years later, that trip has come back to haunt him, as he and his estranged father (Mark Hamill) are kidnapped back to Russia by the mob, to atone for his ‘crimes’. Together, Bert and his dad must retrace the steps of his younger self (played by Jimmy Tatro), while at the same time attempting to find common ground in their often-fraught relationship.

Released Wed 31 May