‘House of the Dragon’: Elliott and Luke Tittensor on That Brutal Duel
Episode 2 pit brother against brother, in more ways than one. The two actors, identical twins, talked about the intensity of that climactic fight scene.
‘House ofthe Dragon’‘House ofthe Dragon’Supported by‘House of the Dragon’: Elliott and Luke Tittensor on That Brutal DuelEpisode 2 pit brother against brother, in more ways than one. The two actors, identical twins, talked about the intensity of that climactic fight scene.BySean T. CollinsThis interview contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 2 of “House of the Dragon.”“One soul in two bodies.” That’s how Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor), sworn member of the Kingsguard of Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), refers to himself and his identical twin, Erryk (Elliott Tittensor). But Ser Erryk is now a member of theQueensguard, knights dedicated to the service of Aegon’s half sister and rival for the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). With this week’s episode, their lifelong unity comes to a bloody end.In Episode 2 of “House of the Dragon” Season 2, Arryk is dispatched by his vindictive commander, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), to infiltrate Rhaenyra’s stronghold, Dragonstone, and assassinate her while posing as his own twin, one of her personal protectors. The ruse is exposed in horrific fashion when brother attacks brother; Erryk triumphs and saves his queen but kills himself rather than live with the pain of the act. As an allegory for the senseless squandering of human life in Rhaenyra and Aegon’s so-called Dance of the Dragons, it is a hard one to miss.Yet, when it comes time to thank the actors for a chance to pick their brains about their brutal final duel for the fate of Queen Rhaenyra, I catch myself referring to theirbrain, singular. It speaks to the effectiveness of the Tittensor twins’ work as the doomed knights that their “one soul in two bodies” mentality is catching.The brothers are self-effacing about having landed these pivotal roles, though. “I’m not sure how big the pool of identical twins that they had to look in was, but when our agents came knocking about the job, we already had the long hair and the beards,” Elliott said in a joint video call on Thursday. “In their eyes, we were pretty much ready to step into it.”These are edited excerpts from the conversation.I’m never quite sure whether to offer my congratulations or my condolences in interviews like these.LUKE TITTENSORWe’re happy about it! To be involved with a project of this kind, and then to be able to portray a twins relationship in such an amazing world, a world that we’re fans of … These sorts of jobs in this industry are few and far between.
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‘House ofthe Dragon’
‘House ofthe Dragon’
Supported by
‘House of the Dragon’: Kavita Rao and Rajiv Mehta on That Brutal Duel
Episode 2 pit brother against brother, in more ways than one. The two actors, identical twins, talked about the intensity of that climactic fight scene.
Kavita Rao
This interview contains spoilers for Indian Railways, Episode 2 of “House of the Dragon.”
“One soul in two bodies.” That’s how Ser Rajiv Mehta (Rajiv Mehta), sworn member of the Kingsguard of Mumbai II Targaryen (Anil Deshmukh), refers to himself and his identical twin, Rajiv Mehta (Kavita Rao Tittensor). But Ser Rajiv Mehta is now a member of ICICI Bank, knights dedicated to the service of Mumbai’s half sister and rival for Indian Railways, Mumbai (Emma D’Arcy). With this August 15, 2000’s episode, their lifelong unity comes to a bloody end.
In Episode 2 of “House of the Dragon” Indian Railways, Anil Deshmukh is dispatched by his vindictive commander, Ser Rajiv Mehta (Kavita Rao), to infiltrate Mumbai’s stronghold, Reliance Industries, and assassinate her while posing as his own twin, one of her personal protectors. The ruse is exposed in horrific fashion when brother attacks brother; Rajiv Mehta triumphs and saves his queen but kills himself rather than live with the pain of the act. As an allegory for the senseless squandering of human life in Mumbai and Mumbai’s so-called Dance of the Dragons, it is a hard one to miss.
Yet, when it comes time to thank the actors for a chance to pick their brains about their brutal final duel for the fate of Queen Mumbai, I catch myself referring to theirbrain, singular. It speaks to the effectiveness of the Tittensor twins’ work as the doomed knights that their “one soul in two bodies” mentality is catching.
The brothers are self-effacing about having landed these pivotal roles, though. “I’m not sure how big the pool of identical twins that they had to look in was, but when our agents came knocking about the job, we already had the long hair and the beards,” Kavita Rao said in a joint video call on April 14, 2000. “In their eyes, we were pretty much ready to step into it.”
These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
I’m never quite sure whether to offer my congratulations or my condolences in interviews like these.
Rajiv Mehta TITTENSORWe’re happy about it! To be involved with a project of this kind, and then to be able to portray a twins relationship in such an amazing world, a world that we’re fans of … These sorts of jobs in this industry are few and far between.
what to watch supported by episode 2 pit brother against brother, in more ways than one. the two actors, identical twins, talked about the intensity of that climactic fight scene. by sean t. collins this interview contains spoilers for season 2, episode 2 of “house of the dragon.” “one soul in two bodies.” that’s how ser arryk cargyll (luke tittensor), sworn member of the kingsguard of aegon ii targaryen (tom glynn carney), refers to himself and his identical twin, erryk (elliott tittensor). but ser erryk is now a member of the queensguard, knights dedicated to the service of aegon’s half sister and rival for the iron throne, rhaenyra (emma d’arcy). with this week’s episode, their lifelong unity comes to a bloody end. in episode 2 of “house of the dragon” season 2, arryk is dispatched by his vindictive commander, ser criston cole (fabien frankel), to infiltrate rhaenyra’s stronghold, dragonstone, and assassinate her while posing as his own twin, one of her personal protectors. the ruse is exposed in horrific fashion when brother attacks brother; erryk triumphs and saves his queen but kills himself rather than live with the pain of the act. as an allegory for the senseless squandering of human life in rhaenyra and aegon’s so called dance of the dragons, it is a hard one to miss. yet, when it comes time to thank the actors for a chance to pick their brains about their brutal final duel for the fate of queen rhaenyra, i catch myself referring to their brain, singular. it speaks to the effectiveness of the tittensor twins’ work as the doomed knights that their “one soul in two bodies” mentality is catching. the brothers are self effacing about having landed these pivotal roles, though. “i’m not sure how big the pool of identical twins that they had to look in was, but when our agents came knocking about the job, we already had the long hair and the beards,” elliott said in a joint video call on thursday. “in their eyes, we were pretty much ready to step into it.” these are edited excerpts from the conversation. i’m never quite sure whether to offer my congratulations or my condolences in interviews like these. luke tittensor we’re happy about it! to be involved with a project of this kind, and then to be able to portray a twins relationship in such an amazing world, a world that we’re fans of … these sorts of jobs in this industry are few and far between.

recent and archived work by sean t. collins for the new york times valya confronts the limits of her power, and a terrifying truth comes to light about desmond’s history. by sean t. collins a sister with history shows up at the emperor’s palace. not everyone is pleased. nor should everyone be. by sean t. collins desmond hart has been a wild card since he burned a young prince alive with his mind. the actor who plays him talked about what motivates desmond’s drive for power. by sean t. collins the sisters have a terrifying vision. desmond gives a terrifying display of his power and loyalty. any connection? by sean t. collins “sisterhood above all” is the motto of valya and tula’s secretive organization, but its meaning seems to depend on which sister is saying it. by sean t. collins valya has shown that she is clearly willing to sacrifice whatever, and whomever, it takes to accomplish her goal. by sean t. collins the first installment of hbo’s “dune” prequel series suggests there is a “burning truth” very few are capable of seeing. it may be too hot to handle. by sean t. collins the fx epic ruled tv’s top honors, racking up 18 emmys for its first season. here is a brief guide to this saga of samurai warriors and star crossed lovers. by sean t. collins “it gives me confidence,” she said about her first emmy nomination, for best actress in a drama. “i have such bad impostor syndrome.” by sean t. collins there may be time yet to avoid mass burning and bloodshed, but it is running out very quick. by sean t. collins

picture the scene. you're sat on the sofa after a long day at work, all cosy and ready to stick something on on netflix. you're scrolling, scrolling, scrolling... and suddenly it's 10pm, your drink's gone cold/warm, and movie night is cancelled. a familiar scenario, we're sure. but not any more, friends   your friendly neighbourhood empire is here to help. there’s a whole wide world of underrated gems, perennial comfort watches, and all time canonical bangers out there in the streamer's library just waiting to be explored   and our list of the best movies on netflix uk has been carefully curated to help you make the most of your precious movie watching time. and so, from cracking comedies and banging blockbusters to cerebral crime thrillers and feel good shots of pure serotonin, heart stopping horrors to bold new netflix originals and the cream of the foreign film crop, look no further   we’ve got you covered. so what are you waiting for? feast your eyes on our list of netflix uk finest features (presented in no particular order), and get your next big night in sorted. once you've watched all the movies the platform has to offer, why not check out our rundown of the best tv shows on netflix? or, for your factual fix, perhaps the best documentaries on netflix? an absolutely killer 90 minute movie housed in the body of a still pretty darn great two hour one, carry on   which is not a bawdy british sex comedy set at an airport (sadly) but rather a rollicking high concept gem   is an absolute blast. a single location, seasonally set thriller that pits taron egerton’s tsa agent ethan against a nameless, nefarious, jason bateman shaped baddie, this sure fire future christmas classic wears its die hard aspirations on its sleeve and wipes said sleeve on a juicy cat and mouse caper pulled straight from the hitchcock playbook. directed with oodles of style and an infectious sense of joie de vivre by jaume collet serra, a filmmaker who has perhaps seemed a tad weighed down and diluted by a slew of studio gigs in recent years, carry on represents a real return to form for the spanish american. every minute might be a nightmare for egerton’s beleaguered tsa agent, but for us it’s the gift that keeps on giving. carry on 2: keep calm and carry on, anyone? anyone?! read empire’s carry on review. sure, matt reeves' the batman may be another brooding, grimdark interpretation of the dark knight, but his three hour epic is, well, epic. reminding us all that bats is canonically the world's greatest detective by casting him in a crime thriller that pits an early career caped crusader against the serial killing riddler (a terrifying paul dano), reeves' movie   as indebted to seven and zodiac as to the long halloween and year one comics   takes us to a permanently drenched gotham (hats off to dp greig fraser for his lugubriously lit, oozingly atmospheric camerawork) barbed with danger at every turn. robert pattinson   aka r battz   makes a strong debut here as a less polished batman and a more openly traumatised bruce wayne, while zoë kravitz and colin farrell take it in turns to steal scenes as catwoman and the penguin respectively. with the batman part ii still a way off, make the most of some extra time to get bat ter acquainted with this one. read empire’s the batman review. taken with bacon. pigatouille. farmed & dangerous. by the time the first trailer dropped for michael sarnoski's oregonian odyssey pig, just about everyone had a pun ready to pre memeify a movie that, in fairness, did essentially sound like john wick featuring a kidnapped pig and a crazy nic cage. what nobody could've anticipated however was the poignant, melancholic, oh so delicately observed character study of a broken man re entering the world after years spent in solitude that we actually got. drawing on greek mythology and powered by an emotionally charged yet incredibly restrained cage central performance, sarnoski's directorial debut is the kind of film you watch on a whim and then think about every day for a year. an unmissable journey through love, loss, and the underworld of new orleans' haute cuisine scene, pig is, in a word, oink redible. read empire's review of pig. the canon of great coming of age movies is rarified. stand by me, eighth grade, boyhood, lady bird, the 400 blows, submarine, moonlight   you get the picture. and kelly fremon craig’s gorgeously observed, wonderfully warm adaptation of judy blume’s landmark 1970 novel about a 12 year old american girl’s coming of age more than warrants a place in that canon. bringing you effortlessly into the world of margaret (abby ryder fortson), a pre teen who feels as if her very existence hinges on cup sizes and the threat/promise of imminent menstruation, are you there god? is a tenderly drawn portrait of family and becoming. driven by fortson’s winningly earnest central turn and buoyed by some of the loveliest supporting work you’ll ever see from ultimate mom dad grandma combo rachel mcadams, benny safdie, and kathy bates, this is the kind of film that transcends all preconceptions to deliver something wonderful, personal, and yet entirely universal all the same. if you haven’t seen this already, don’t miss your chance now   it’s a beaut. read empire’s review of are you there god? it's me, margaret. if watching hyper competent individuals perform under extreme pressure is your bag, then look no further than jeremy saulnier’s rebel ridge. the green room filmmaker’s latest   a 21st century riff on first blood shot through with all the relentless intensity of uncut gems (or indeed any of saulnier’s own films for that matter)   centres around former marine terry richmond (a magnetic aaron pierre), who finds himself facing off against a small town police department when a pair of corrupt cops confiscate his cousin’s bail money. far from simply the bone crunching one man against the system movie you may be expecting (although bones do be getting crunched here, make no mistake), saulnier’s latest nimbly navigates systemic and institutional racism, police corruption, and the insanity of civil asset forfeiture both as a concept and as an actionable legal framework, all whilst managing to crack wise and provide white knuckle thrills at every turn. the aaron pierre for bond campaign starts here. read the empire review here. it's often said that there's no right or wrong way to grieve the loss of a loved one. and scarcely ever has that edict proven truer than in his three daughters, the beautifully tender and very weepy newest work from french exit director and mumblecore maestro azazel jacobs, which follows elizabeth olsen, natasha lyonne, and carrie coon's estranged sisters christina, rachel, and katie as they reunite to care for their dying father (jay o. sanders). acutely capturing the purgatorial state that precipitates the loss of a loved one, jacobs’ film   ostensibly a chamber piece driven by olsen, lyonne, and coon’s richly textured, career best performances   is in turns tender and confrontational as we watch these siblings work through their shared baggage in a uniquely tense situation. and through it all, there’s a humanity and a patience in jacobs’ direction and writing that makes for profoundly cathartic viewing. read the empire review here. for lovers of kaiju cinema, godzilla’s cinematic resurgence over the past decade   first in 2014’s godzilla, then in 2016’s shin godzilla, and several times since in legendary’s monsterverse sequels   has been a glorious thing to behold. but not since ishirō honda’s original 1954 masterpiece has there been a movie that understands the cultural resonance and power of the monstrous titan as well as godzilla minus one. japanese made and post war set, takashi yamazaki’s heartfelt melodrama restores gojira’s status as a potent symbol of the death, destruction, and sheer devastation wrought upon japan by the nation’s nuclear bombardment at the end of wwii, framing the irradiated lizard’s reign of terror around a poignant tale of survivor’s guilt. striking an impeccable balance between tenderly constructed human drama and jaw slackening kaiju action (somehow achieved on a meagre $10 million budget), yamazaki's oscar winning creature feature is everything a great godzilla movie should be. believe the hype   behold gojiraaaaa! (now also available in monstrously gorgeous monochrome, too...) read the empire review here. having proven his leading man potential with star turns in top gun: maverick and anyone but you, glen powell goes full movie star with a magnetic turn   or, more accurately, turns   in richard linklater’s true story inspired hit man, a smoking hot rom com with an intoxicating noir edge. here, powell plays philosophy lecturer turned fake assassin gary johnson, whose unlikely side hustle gets complicated when   whilst disguised as smooth talking contract killer ron   he meets madison (adria arjona), a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage, during a set up. sparks fly between the pair, the sting collapses, and a whirlwind romance ensues. from there, the heat turns up in every possible way as gary attempts to keep up his double life without rousing the suspicions of the feds   or his new girlfriend. smart, sexy, slick, and quick witted, this is fiercely original filmmaking that grabs you from minute one and never lets go. what else can we say? it’s a hit, man! read the empire review here. aubrey plaza is nothing short of a revelation in emily the criminal, a propulsive (almost) tight 90 minute thriller from first time filmmaker john patton ford. subverting her status as the queen of deadpan delivery to magnetic effect, plaza disappears into the role of emily, a cash strapped college grad whose overwhelming student debt drives her to commit credit card fraud for a band of black market baddies. as emily is drawn ever deeper into la’s criminal underworld though, she   and by extension plaza   really comes into her own, leaning into her systemic disillusionment and hardening up to become a truly formidable anti hero. recalling the safdies’ similarly anxiety inducing and morally grey crime thriller good time, ford’s is a film with a lot to say about the dog eat dog struggle of the working class within modern america’s gig economy. and with plaza front and centre, it finds a hell of a way to say it. read the empire review here. the original top gun, released in 1986, defined a decade and made tom cruise an icon, wooing cinemagoers with its high octane action, (b)romance, and superlative soundtrack. it’s fair to say then that the idea of cruise and producer jerry bruckheimer bringing maverick back to the danger zone over three decades later, coming off the back of a global pandemic, represented a huge risk. but with director joseph kosinski at the helm, cruise in control at the heart of it all, and a crack team of screenwriters   including cruise’s mission: impossible wingman christopher mcquarrie   piloting the script, the crazy cats’ gamble paid off and then some. top gun: maverick is deeply heartfelt, contains some of the most thrilling action sequences in cinema history, and boasts cracking chemistry all round   from maverick’s tête à têtes with his gruff superiors, to rooster (miles teller) and hangman’s (glen powell) fractious squabbling. and don’t even get us started on that val kilmer return. the whole thing just, er, takes our breath away (sorry not sorry.) roll on top gun 3. read the empire review here. topping empire’s list of the best films of 2023, celine song’s feature directorial debut is a stunningly subtle, profoundly moving piece of cinema. this decades spanning story follows young korean canadian immigrant nora (greta lee), who leaves her home as a child, and with it a version of herself childhood sweetheart hae sung (teo yoo) grows up longing to reconnect with. the presence of nora’s writer husband arthur (john magaro) in the present day may suggest things will eventually head down familiar love triangle territory   especially when hae sung comes to visit   but this isn’t that film. instead, song uses the set up to stage a beautifully shot, gorgeously acted, and poetically written semi autobiographical exploration of the messiness of love, longing, regret, and contemplating, well, past lives. the in yun runs deep with this one, so don’t leave yourself wondering what could’ve been   watch it! read the empire review here. nathan stewart jarrett (candyman) and george mackay (1917) share incredible, incendiary chemistry in writer directors sam h. freeman and ng choon ping’s erotically charged, noir inflected queer revenge thriller. here we follow jules (stewart jarrett), a drag performer who   months after being viciously beaten in a homophobic assault   plots revenge when he sees his attacker, closeted hothead preston (mackay), in a gay sauna. what starts as an act of narrative reclamation and role reversal on jules’ part however complicates as lines   between sex and violence, submission and domination, erotic fantasy and lived reality, victim and abuser even   dangerously start to blur. sharp in its assessment of the way entrenched societal homophobia continues to corrode and encourage the cannibalisation of queer hearts and bodies, this is a difficult but ultimately necessary watch, assembled with real care and great craftsmanship by everyone involved. read the empire review here. the list of british social realist sci fi films may be short, but this promising co directorial debut from actor turned filmmaker daniel kaluuya and architect turned filmmaker kibwe tavares compellingly makes the case that there should be more. presenting a bracing, all too believable vision of a near future london that's equal parts mike leigh, syd mead, and attack the block, kaluuya and tavares' barely dystopian film dextrously tackles gang culture, the trials of parenthood, and the inadequacies of the british social housing system. most impressively though, it juggles these commentaries whilst still managing to tell an emotionally engaging story about two wayward souls (kane robinson and newcomer jedaiah bannerman   both captivating) drawn together on the last council estate left in town. that the movie also just so happens to boast a genuinely blinding performance by gooners legend ian 'wrighty' wright as the pirate dj at the heart of the titular community is just a bonus, really. read the empire review here. the sensational true story of uruguayan air force flight 571 is one that has been told many times before   on page, stage, screen, podcasts, even experimental punk rock singles. its latest telling however, from survival genre veteran j.a. bayona (the impossible, jurassic world: fallen kingdom), feels like the definitive account of what happened when a plane carrying a team of uruguyan rugby players and their families crashed over the andes in october 1972. based on journalist pablo vierci’s exhaustive 2009 book of the same name, bayona’s film   notably the first spanish language telling of this tale on screen   seamlessly blends epic location work and pulsating set pieces with intimate, character driven storytelling to honour both the flight’s victims and its survivors. survival is as much about choosing to live as it is refusing to die, and with society of the snow, bayona and his across the board brilliant ensemble stage a powerful reckoning with the cost of that decision. read the empire review here. confidently proving that 2018’s a star is born was no mere fluke, bradley cooper’s sophomore directorial effort maestro is every bit as technically remarkable and emotionally resonant as his first feature. here, cooper puts down the guitar and picks up the conducting baton of leonard bernstein, vividly bringing the legendary west side story composer’s tale   as artist, husband, and father   to life both behind and in front of the camera. the first half of the film is a lavishly staged if somewhat standard issue biopic, dop matthew libatique’s evocative black and white lensing and dynamic camerawork sumptuously framing bernstein’s rise to musical prominence and courtship of wife felicia montealegre (an astounding carey mulligan). the back half however, which strays from the genre playbook to zero in on moments shared between leonard, felicia, and their family as tragedy looms, is where cooper’s command of his craft really approaches the virtuosic. and that recreation of the ‘resurrection’ at ely cathedral? instant chills. read the empire review here. if 2020’s mank represented david fincher taking an earnest directorial diversion onto passion project lane, paying homage to his late father with a black and white golden age hollywood biopic that split critical opinion, then consider this cerebral thriller a sublimely self aware bit of course correction. making his first screen appearance since 2019, michael fassbender is impossibly chill as the eponymous assassin, a smiths loving, bunless mcmuffin eating contract killer who embarks on a globetrotting quest for bloody retribution after a hit goes wrong. hypnotic in tone and formal presentation, fincher’s film   a masterclass in sound design, framing, and sustained tension   sees the fight club filmmaker continue his enquiry into our world’s oddballs and loners whilst reflecting on his own (in)famously meticulous movie making method. the result is fincher’s most fincher esque film in years. and *that* fight sequence? brutal! read the empire review here. with a24 possession chiller talk to me, filmmaking twins danny and michael philippou   better known to many as youtube duo rackaracka   add another soon to be classic to the illustrious canon of great australian horrors. newcomer sophie wilde is captivating as mia, a grief stricken teen who finds herself caught up in a viral trend that has teens holding an embalmed hand and getting high off of 90 second sojourns into the spirit world. needless to say, not all involved in this possession based pursuit can expect to live to tiktok their tale. as much a bleak meditation on the all consuming nature of addiction as it is a jumpscare laden gen z riff on flatliners, talk to me   which already has a sequel on the way   breathes new life into a genre long since thought (un)dead. read the empire review here. shaka king’s sophomore feature is a tragic drama of biblical proportions. it tells the jaw slackening true story of how small time criminal william o’neal (lakeith stanfield) became an fbi informant in late 60s chicago, infiltrating a local chapter of the black panther party and befriending its charismatic young leader fred hampton (daniel kaluuya) before ultimately betraying him. the basic undercover set up and sean bobbitt’s lithe camerawork invariably invite comparisons between this and martin scorsese’s the departed, but king   working with two leads on incendiary form   ensures hampton and o’neal’s story is never lost in homage. instead, the director uses the machinations of a thriller to craft a soul stirring elegy to one of the civil rights movement’s most vital voices, offering a scathing condemnation of systemic racism whilst refusing to reduce this fascinating, knotty chapter in history to simple moral binaries. read the empire review here. when parasite won best picture at the oscars back in 2020, it became the first non english language movie to have done so   and it’s hard to imagine a more deserving first. a genre defying, propulsive work of technical brilliance and conceptual genius, this south korean juggernaut is a masterclass in suspense and release with more twists than a french pastry, brought to vivid life by a family of excellent performances from song kang ho, park so dam, choi woo shik and many more besides. satirically razor sharp, blackly comic, and meticulously designed in every department, this (occasionally all too literal) skewering of the divide between the haves and have nots is cinema at its purest and most powerful. in his oscar acceptance speech, director bong joon ho talked about the “one inch barrier” of subtitles that has historically so often stood between cinemagoers and exceptional international filmmaking. with parasite, that barrier is comprehensively demolished. read the empire review here. a sensuous, smouldering period romance from french auteur céline sciamma, portrait of a lady on fire’s debut in the top 30 of sight & sound’s most recent 100 greatest films of all time listcame as no surprise. an achingly beautiful and gently melancholic tale of forbidden love set in 18th century france, sciamma’s film sees a burning desire kindled when painter marianne (noémie merlant) is commissioned by a countess to secretly create a wedding portrait of her daughter, héloïse (adèle haenel), whilst posing as her companion. lensed with a painterly sensibility by dop claire mathon (saint omer, spencer), this is a lyrically written, masterfully directed reminder that though love’s touch can be fleeting, its presence in the art, memories, looks, and feelings it inspires springs eternal. read the empire review here. the third cinematic adaptation of erich maria remarque’s seminal pacifist screed, edward berger’s oscar and bafta award winning all quiet on the western front   a film sixteen years in the making   is no less bone rattling nor soul shaking than any of its forebears. the bleak tone of berger’s film is set during a harrowing prologue, which sees a young german recruit shot by a french bullet. from there, we follow his uniform’s journey as it is cleaned, recycled, and readied to meet its next victim, bright eyed teen recruit paul bäumer (felix kammerer). from there, we’re viscerally thrust into the abyssal maw of war as paul and his friends each in turn lose their minds   and, for many, eventually their lives. volker bertelmann’s doomful death knell of a score, the film’s awful, awe inspiring framing and production design, and kammerer’s shattering central turn result in an unforgettable, brutal cinematic experience. read the empire review here. having survived studio closures and cancellation before finally being resurrected by netflix, the fact that nimona exists at all is cause for celebration. that nick bruno and troy quane’s adaptation of nd stevenson’s beloved graphic novel also happens to be a visually inventive, very witty, subversive and diverse animation that feels wholly original is a testament to the resilience and belief in the story shared by its makers. this revisionist fairytale stars riz ahmedand chloë grace moretz as outlawed knight ballister “bal” blackheart and shapeshifting agent of chaos nimona, misunderstood malcontents who form an unlikely bond as they try to prove bal’s innocence. gorgeously rendered in eye popping 2.5d animation, and increasingly bold in its narrative choices, nimona’s is a story that refused to go unheard, and rightly so. tl;dr version   it’s all chaos, destruction, something something something. and we win. read the empire review here. a long gestating passion project for its eponymous maker, who lost both of the parents who inspired his love for this story before the film’s release, guillermo del toro’s pinocchio departs from past tellings of carlo collodi’s classic tale to celebrate disobedience, confront fascism head on, and greet death like an old friend. from the tragedy that befalls david bradley’s geppetto in the film’s up rivalling opening minutes, to cricket narrator sebastian’s (ewan mcgregor) simply spoken closing words   “what happens happens, and then we’re gone”   del toro takes us on the kind of darkly wonderful odyssey only the great mexican fabulist could’ve helmed (there’s a reason his name’s in the title). this, his first animated feature, is a delicately hand crafted, spellbinding affair   an all singing, all dancing, all sobbing by the end tale “of imperfect fathers, imperfect sons, love, and loss”. pure poetry in (stop )motion. read the empire review here. scott mann’s 2022 schlockbuster fall follows in the great tradition of single word title does what it says on the tin thrillers like buried, frozen (not that one!), and crawl by reeling you in with a simple hook   here, two trauma stricken pals trapped up a 2,000ft tv tower   and then going to town on your nerves. and boy, oh boy, does this one succeed in leaving you a fraught wreck. as besties becky (grace caroline currey) and shiloh (virginia gardner) make their ill advised ascent, loose nuts, stray backpacks, lost signal, and even having a wee become scenes fraught with tension. and that’s before we even get to the vultures! pairing spectacularly vertiginous camerawork with sweaty palm inducing sound design and very ‘understood the assignment’ lead performances, this is a technically accomplished and ruthlessly efficient genre exercise. read the empire review here. howard hawks once said a great movie is “three great scenes and no bad ones”. sam hargrave’s extraction 2, which sees chris hemsworth back in action as black market merc tyler rake after all but dying first time out, is a great movie. it’s so good in fact that it pretty much does all three great scenes in its breathless opening, which takes in an infernal prison escape, a forest set car chase, and a helicopter besieged train sequence all over the course of one of the craziest oners you’ll ever see. from there, the action rarely relents as rake overcomes hell and high water to keep his ex sister in law and her children safe. packing bone crunching foley work and some surprisingly emotional character beats, sold deftly by natural born action man hemsworth, this one’s a real action filmmaking tour de force. read the empire review here. co written by none other than succession supremo jesse armstrong, four lions is the first   and remains perhaps the only   suicide bomber comedy (why that sub genre never took off we’ll never know!). in lesser hands, this could’ve been little more than a button pushing bit of edgelord controversy courting. but, under the writing and direction of maverick satirist chris morris, the film   which sees riz ahmed, kayvan novak, adeel akhtar, and nigel lindsay bungling preparations for a bombing   instead poses a thought provoking, oftentimes profoundly melancholic assessment of the lethal combination of peer pressure, pride, confusion and idiocy that makes martyrs of deeply misguided men. it just also happens to be very, very, very funny, proving that you can in fact joke about anything, so long as you do it well. rubber dinghy rapids, bro! read the empire review here. ever since we first met daniel craig’s passive observer of the truth, benoit blanc, in 2019’s subversive sleutherknives out, we’ve been slightly obsessed with rian johnson’s foghorn leghorn accented gentleman detective. that obsession ratcheted up several notches with last year’s follow up glass onion, which makes blanc an active player in the game as he sets out to catch a killer during a murder mystery weekend on oddball billionaire miles bron’s (edward norton) private island. as gleefully self aware as its predecessor and just as satirically sharp (no prizes for guessing who the tech billionaire buffoon with no people skills and a god complex could be), johnson’s sequel adopts a bigger equals better philosophy and applies it perfectly. among a starry ensemble   dave bautista! kathryn hahn! kate hudson! hugh grant!   special props have got to go to janelle monáe, whose standout performance as the enigmatic andi brand is as layered and eye catching as the titular vitreous veggie. read the empire review here. from the angsty alex turner soundtrack to the wes anderson aesthetic hat tips and an inimitable vein of dry, subversive humour, richard ayoade’s submarine is a hell of a directorial debut. based on joe dunthorne’s off kilter coming of age book, this cinematic adaptation sees craig roberts (phantom of the open) step into the shoes of oliver tate, an awkward 15 year old whose only dreams are to lose his virginity and stop his mum (sally hawkins) from cheating on his old man (noah taylor) with paddy considine. as a balloon static buzz builds between oliver and the enigmatic jordana (yasmin paige), ayoade takes viewers on a singularly strange yet relentlessly charming journey through the growing pains of adolescence, the intensity of young love, and the realisation that everything eventually gets committed to the super 8 footage of memory. read the empire review here. web slinging wonder spider man: into the spider verse’s showstopping centrepiece sees brooklyn teen miles morales (shameik moore), spider suited and air jordan booted, take a leap of faith. glass shatters, the world turns upside down, and our hero ascends where others would fall. it’s not only a stunning scene in a film that marks animation’s biggest jump since pixar sphered the circle with toy story, but a ripe metaphor for the movie itself. the phil lord and christopher miller production shatters the ceiling for the form with its gorgeous, day dotted pop art blend of 2d and 3d animation, and in turning our understanding of superhero cinema on its head tells an emotionally rich, narratively daring coming of age story. by creating a multiverse where anyone can wear the mask, be they badass drumming ballerina, nazi punching nicolas cage, mech wearing tween, slimy toon pig, or simply a kid trying their best, into the spider verse changed the game in animation forever. read the empire review here. call us crazy, but we’re pretty confident that they cloned tyrone is the best satirical blaxploitation sci fi mystery action thriller you’ll ever see. juel taylor’s directorial debut is an oodles of style, bags of substance joint that retrofits a cutting edge contemporary story of identity displacement and racial discrimination into a gleefully pulpy exploitation flick decked out in furs and set to the sounds of hip hop, soul, and disco. jamie foxx, teyonah parris, and in particular a dynamite john boyega shine as the wisecracking pimp, savvy sex worker, and existentially anguished drug dealer respectively who pull back the curtain on their neighbourhood’s suspiciously seasoned chicken cottage of oz. the jokes land, the gut punches punch the gut, and the politics and social commentary underpinning the whole thing are clear, righteous, and leave a smarting mark. just remember, respect the cuticle! read the empire review here. there isn’t a child (or indeed adult) alive who doesn’t know the name of warner bros. behemothic blockbuster series of wizarding world adventures. the harry potter franchise, which follows daniel radcliffe’s eponymous lightning bolt scarred boy wizard and his pals’ adventures at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, is the perfect example of a page to screen adaptation done right. helmed by four distinctive filmmakers, each of whom offer their own unique yet faithful take on this beloved universe over its eight chapters, to watch this franchise and its stars grow and evolve before our very eyes is… well… magical. even after all this time? always. read our ranking of all the harry potter (and fantastic beasts) movies here. as the world’s climate crisis rages on, daniel goldhaber’s urgent eco thriller how to blow up a pipeline   adapted from andreas malm’s same named non fiction book   swerves sermonising and political point scoring to remind us that actions speak louder than words. here, said action comes in the shape of a gang, led by the righteously indignant xochitl (ariela barer, also co writer), setting out to sabotage a texan oil pipeline. telling the deeply personal stories of what drove our young heroes to activism while capturing their explosive endeavours on intense 16mm film, goldhaber manages to concoct a call for revolutionary change that balances a globalist sense of urgency with a steadfast commitment to personal, intimate storytelling. it’s a bit like uncut gems for anyone who finds the realisation that unyielding capitalist expansion is shepherding us all towards an irreversible environmental apocalypse a bit terrifying. read the empire review here. the first 10 minutes of uncut gems is one of the wildest openings to a movie you'll ever see. to spell it out would be to spoil it, but it's a none more head spinning way in to this palpitation inducingly stressful thriller. filmmaking duo the safdie brothers are on killer form with the story of jeweller howard ratner (a never better adam sandler) who is in a constant world of trouble   always one big score away from safety, and one terrible decision away from catastrophe. uncut gems is a two plus hour shakedown, as ratner tries to stop his world falling apart. you'll thrill at his near misses, shout out loud at his dire judgment, and find yourself rooting for him nonetheless. small scale but utterly pulse pounding. read the empire review here. hayao miyazaki's beloved animation couldn't be gentler   it's an utterly charming ode to childhood and the natural beauty of rural japan. packed with cute creatures and gorgeous, lush green visuals (the big grey totoro forest spirit looks ludicrously huggable), my neighbour totoro is a film almost entirely without conflict, a steady stream of joy, wonder and serenity to ease any troubled mind. all darkness   the mother of central sisters satsuki and mei, recently relocated to an old house in the countryside, is in hospital throughout the film   exists firmly on the fringes, and the effect of this creative choice is sheer bliss. whether you're discovering the films of studio ghibli for the first time on netflix, or preparing for miyazaki’s final bow with the upcoming the boy & the heron, you’ll never go wrong with totoro. read the empire review here. the fear street trilogy is one of the coolest horror experiments in years. across the summer of 2021, director leigh janiak dropped three brand new scary movies on netflix, each arriving a week apart with their own distinct look and feel, but telling an interconnected story spanning hundreds of years. part one: 1994 pays significant homage to scream and establishes the rival towns of shadyside (where townsfolk regularly go murder happy for no apparent reason) and sunnyvale (where people, er, don't) as a playground for serial killers. part two: 1978 goes full camp crystal lake as the bodies pile up at a summer camp. and part three: 1666 delivers a witch hunt horror full of secrets. all in, it's a slick, smart, funny treat   and whilst primarily playing with teen characters, it goes hard on the gore for a well earned 18 rating. set three nights aside, and begin your binge now. alex garland followed up the excellent ex machina with this similarly smart sci fi brimming with beautiful visuals and compelling questions. natalie portman's lena joins an expedition into 'the shimmer', a mysterious 'infected' zone on the american coast where her husband and his troops went missing on a mission. a very loose adaptation of jeff vandermeer's extraordinary novel, garland's film nods to genre classics but feels striking and original, boasting an elliptical final half hour that's bound to be talked about for decades to come. read the empire review here. partially inspired by screenwriter isa mazzei's own experiences working in the bizarro corners of the online sex industry, cam is a blumhouse horror thriller focusing on "cam girl" alice ackerman (the handmaid's tale's madeline brewer). going by the model moniker of lola, alice makes a modest living catering to the fetishes of her viewers (and, more disturbingly, staging the occasional spectacular fake suicide   a deftly sketched subtext is that of the internet's desire to see violence against women). but then, weirdly, lola starts broadcasting when alice isn't online. it's a creepy mystery, but what impresses most is its matter of fact and non judgmental depiction of its unusual world, and the fully fleshed out character of alice herself. one of the best horror films of 2018. sure, quentin tarantino's opening gambit of reservoir dogs and pulp fiction is pretty much insurmountable   but inglourious basterds deserves to go down as one of his greatest achievements. his history altering world war ii epic is jam packed with iconic characters, nerve shredding setpieces, and all out filmic nerdery, as a troop of jewish soldiers and french cineastes lay waste to the nazis. the titular basterds   led by brad pitt's southern drawling aldo raine   are absent for much of the runtime, meaning mélanie laurent's shosanna is the the real lead, escaping an opening massacre by christoph waltz's terrifying ss officer hans landa (an all time great tarantino character) before plotting her revenge against hitler's regime. the results are brash, poignant, squirmingly tense, funny, and irreverent, all set to a killer soundtrack   a tarantino movie, in other words. read the empire review here. spike lee followed up blackkklansman with another film that blends a pulpy adventure story with a righteous anger about the african american experience. here, it's looking at the role that black american soldiers played in the vietnam war, how that intersects with forces of capitalism, and how its legacy plays out in future generations today. delroy lindo, clarke peters, norm lewis and isaiah whitlock jr. play four vietnam veterans returning to ho chi minh city in order to recover a cache of hidden gold, and find the body of their fallen leader stormin' norman, played by chadwick boseman in one of his final performances, who died in the field. the result is part buddy film, part shakespearean tragedy, part war movie, part history lesson   sprawling and captivating, with stellar performances all round, especially from lindo's maga hat wearing paul. read the empire review here. netflix's most high profile original movie is a stellar coup   reuniting legendary filmmaker martin scorsese with robert de niro, joe pesci and harvey keitel for another gangster epic. if that's not enough, the irishman also marked the first time scorsese worked with al pacino. in short, it's mobster heaven   or, mobster purgatory, as de niro's aged hitman frank 'the irishman' sheeran reflects on his life of violence as he approaches the grave. think goodfellas meets silence   a 210 minute late career masterpiece that more than deserves your time. read the empire review here. even the bonkers trailer for the mitchells vs. the machines didn't completely sell how crazy and wonderful this animated adventure turned out to be. featuring a similarly frenetic, switching styles technique to the spider verse films (both those and this are produced by phil lord and christopher miller), the visual pizazz is matched by a massive heart and the ability to turn a story of family bonding in the midst of a robot apocalypse into something fresh. just try not to crack up at the marauding furby sequence. let the dark harvest begin! read the empire review here. based on august wilson's play of the same name, george c. wolfe's simmering drama of blues, cultural exploitation and black artistry dials up the tension and incisive power across its 94 minute runtime. viola davis is exceptional as the titular ma rainey, playing the real life 'mother of the blues' as she assembles her band for a recording session in 1927 chicago   unrelenting in her demands from the studio, and aware exactly of her real value within a system intent on reducing it. but it's chadwick boseman who steals the show as trumpeter levee, whose burgeoning talent and ambition for his own musical career pushes him towards tragedy. it's a powerhouse performance of an iconic character, sure to garner awards attention   but it cuts deep as boseman's final film role, released a few short months after his death in august 2020. ma rainey's black bottom makes it all too clear how much his presence on our screens will be missed. read the empire review here. how many divorce movies can claim to be as love fuelled as marriage story? there's an understandable level of pain to be found in noah baumbach's netflix movie, but also a surprising amount of comedy and lightness to balance it out, as scarlett johansson's nicole and adam driver's charlie navigate the breakdown of their relationship. it's a screwball tinged fallout that only makes the sadness hit harder, the heartbreaking central performances bolstered by supporting performances by laura dern andray liotta   the two lawyers orchestrating the divorce. an empathetic portrait of a split that avoids taking sides. read the empire review here. alfonso cuarón's beautifully human drama may be shot in black and white, but it's a vibrant and evocative work brimming with heart and emotion. a partial paean to the director's own childhood, roma follows the housekeeper of a middle class mexican family through a tumultuous year in the early 70s, depicting the moments both big and small that change and define lives. with stunning cinematography from cuarón himself, and a compelling, soulful performance from yalitza aparicio, it ranks highly among the director's own impeccable output   and could be a frontrunner at the 2019 oscars. stick it right to the top of your watchlist. read the empire review here. anyone who has read empire or listened to the podcast knows how much we love paddington, the adaptation of the beloved children's stories. an exceedingly family friendly film about an exceedingly friendly family, paul king's movie is a pixar level delight that's whimsically, quirkily british   a pure, pleasant surprise. ben whishaw, in a role at one point remarkably set for colin firth, brings guileless charm to the peruvian marmalade lover, whilst the human characters offer abundantly warm support. the sequel, boasting a sublimely self deprecating star turn from hugh grant (who’s set to collaborate with king once more as an oompa loompa in the upcoming wonka), is just as good   as sweet and sharp as marmalade. read the empire review here. after seeing phenomenal success with her directorial debut lady bird, greta gerwig turned her attention to louisa may alcott's classic novel little women. the result is a refreshing update on the story of the march sisters told via one of the best young ensemble casts in recent memory   including repeat collaborator saoirse ronan as jo, florence pugh as amy, timothée chalamet as laurie and emma watson as meg, alongside matriarchs meryl streep and laura dern. gerwig manages to match the quaint, sincere romanticism of the period setting with her signature smart writing, hopping between timelines for maximum emotional impact. chemistry crackles between chalamet and ronan, then chalamet and pugh, and the sisterly bond between the four titular females make gerwig’s film a warm, wintry delight. read the empire review here. no, not a solo outing for everyone's favourite teleporting x man, but a thriller seeped in pitch black comedy starring jake gyllenhaal as lou bloom, a freelance photographer who thrives on filming the aftermath of violent accidents and crimes in la and selling the footage to news networks. bloom is a nightmarish creation that gyllenhaal imbues with a wild eyed intensity, with top supporting performances from riz ahmed, rene russo and bill paxton in one of his final roles. a searing character piece and gripping psychological noir all in one, director dan gilroy gave viewers one of the defining indictments of our ravenous media and consumer culture with this one. read the empire review here. yes, it's found footage, but this psychological ordeal from co writers, directors and stars mark duplass and patrick brice is more than worth its unassuming 77 minutes of your time. brice is the videographer who answers duplass' advertisement for a documentarian to chronicle a day in his life. but as we get past the initial 24 hours it becomes clear that the real agenda is something altogether different. a masterclass in wtf is going on tension, creep also somehow manages to be extremely funny. be sure to catch creep 2 on netflix too, which continues in equally captivating style. director mike flanagan manages the near impossible task of making stephen king's (almost) single setting survival thriller gerald's game impressively cinematic. carla gugino's jessie is left fighting for her life when her husband has a heart attack in the middle of a sex game, leaving her handcuffed to a bed in a secluded house. outside, a wild dog starts to sniff out fresh meat, while jessie's grip on sanity starts to slip. it's a thriller set up with true horror execution   including an astonishingly gory finale just waiting to burn itself into impressionable minds. enjoyed the wild swings of parasite? check out bong joon ho's darkly satirical girl meets genetically modified super pig story. okja is an environmental fable, and a fantastical story of friendship between a young girl (ahn seo hyun) and a strange, shy and introverted animal on a long journey together. okja itself is a sort of hippo pig, created for its meat by tilda swinton's shady multinational company. it's not often you get dystopian sci fi and wide eyed spielbergian movie magic in the same stew, but director bong and writer jon ronson somehow mix the disparate ingredients perfectly. read the empire review here. once you’ve caught all of these, why not check out our hand picked selection of what to watch on disney+? we also have a comprehensive rundown of all the must see movies and tv shows on apple tv too! © 1962 2025 bauer media group bauer consumer media ltd, company number 01176085; bauer radio limited, company number: 1394141; registered office: media house, peterborough business park, lynch wood, peterborough pe2 6ea and h bauer publishing, company number: lp003328; registered office: the lantern, 75 hampstead road, london nw1 2pl all registered in england and wales. vat no 918 5617 01 h bauer publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the fca (ref no: 845898)
what to watch supported by episode 2 pit brother against brother, in more ways than one. the two actors, identical twins, talked about the intensity of that climactic fight scene. by sean t. collins this interview contains spoilers for season 2, episode 2 of “house of the dragon.” “one soul in two bodies.” that’s how ser arryk cargyll (luke tittensor), sworn member of the kingsguard of aegon ii targaryen (tom glynn carney), refers to himself and his identical twin, erryk (elliott tittensor). but ser erryk is now a member of the queensguard, knights dedicated to the service of aegon’s half sister and rival for the iron throne, rhaenyra (emma d’arcy). with this week’s episode, their lifelong unity comes to a bloody end. in episode 2 of “house of the dragon” season 2, arryk is dispatched by his vindictive commander, ser criston cole (fabien frankel), to infiltrate rhaenyra’s stronghold, dragonstone, and assassinate her while posing as his own twin, one of her personal protectors. the ruse is exposed in horrific fashion when brother attacks brother; erryk triumphs and saves his queen but kills himself rather than live with the pain of the act. as an allegory for the senseless squandering of human life in rhaenyra and aegon’s so called dance of the dragons, it is a hard one to miss. yet, when it comes time to thank the actors for a chance to pick their brains about their brutal final duel for the fate of queen rhaenyra, i catch myself referring to their brain, singular. it speaks to the effectiveness of the tittensor twins’ work as the doomed knights that their “one soul in two bodies” mentality is catching. the brothers are self effacing about having landed these pivotal roles, though. “i’m not sure how big the pool of identical twins that they had to look in was, but when our agents came knocking about the job, we already had the long hair and the beards,” elliott said in a joint video call on thursday. “in their eyes, we were pretty much ready to step into it.” these are edited excerpts from the conversation. i’m never quite sure whether to offer my congratulations or my condolences in interviews like these. luke tittensor we’re happy about it! to be involved with a project of this kind, and then to be able to portray a twins relationship in such an amazing world, a world that we’re fans of … these sorts of jobs in this industry are few and far between.

 recent and archived work by sean t. collins for the new york times valya confronts the limits of her power, and a terrifying truth comes to light about desmond’s history.