The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

This week’s new films in Cairo cinemas offer a little bit of everything, including an flighty animation, a scary magic box and a potentially fantastic adaptation of a remarkable true story starring the one and only Tom Cruise…

American Made

What’s it About? This week’s stand-out release comes in the form of an 80’s-set biographical drama that follows a pilot who becomes a drug smuggler, before eventually becoming a DEA informant.

Why it Might Be Good: Whatever you think about him, there’s no denying Tom Cruise’s sheer magnetism as a leading man – especially when the character is morally-ambiguous, as is the case here. In addition, one of Hollywood’s most underrated action directors, Doug Liman, is in charge; this may not turn out to be a classic, but the sum of its parts will certainly make for an entertaining film.

Why it Might Be Bad: Many have commented on Cruise’s performance, saying that, rather than embodying his character, he just delivers his same old shtick. Overall, through, the film has been criticised for being a little too lightweight with its heavyweight subject.

Wish Upon

What’s it About? This week’s dose of horror comes tells the story of a teenage girl and a magic box. Said box grants the girl wishes, but with dire consequences – someone close to her always dies.

Why it Might Be Good: It’s times like these that we wish we could start with ‘Why it Might Be Bad’, because it’s slim picking for why Wish Upon might be good. There’s a good chance this will eventually find a cult following, because of the below…

Why it Might Be Bad: It’s already been trashed by critics for being neither scary nor original. There’s something campy about the very core of the plot, but at no point does it seem to intend to use that to its advantage, instead presenting it as a serious horror.

A Stork’s Journey

What’s it About? Also known as Richard the Stork, this German-produced animation tells of an orphaned sparrow that is taken in by a family of storks. When said storks set off on their annual migration, the non-migrating sparrow sets off on a journey to join them.

Why it Might Be Good: Everything is set-up for a wacky road (or sky) adventure and, unlike so many animations coming out of Europe, it all looks gorgeous.

Why it Might Be Bad: Big names aren’t a necessity for animations, but the lack of familiar names will certainly put it at a disadvantage at the box office. Building on from that, the voice work seems over-the-top and, in a film that seems to have a lesson – the pursuit to find an identity and to belong – a little of subtlety goes a long way.

To find out where and when you can catch these films in the capital, check out the Cairo 360 Cinema Guide.