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New in Cairo Cinemas: What to Expect From This Week’s New Film Releases

New in Cairo Cinemas: What to Expect From This Week’s New Film Releases
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Cairo 360

Wednesday isn’t quite The New Thursday, but it is exciting all the same – it’s the days that sees Cairo cinemas lay out their buffet of new movie releases. This week, like all the best buffets, there’s a little bit of something for everyone – horror, historical drama, adventure and sci-fi.

The Circle

What’s it About? Based on David Eggers’ novel of the same name, The Circle tells of a young tech worker who quickly rises through the ranks of a powerful internet company called The Circle and quickly realises that there’s much more at play when it comes to technology’s effect on privacy, surveillance and freedom.

Why it Might Be Good: With the legendary Tom Hanks and the en vogue Emma Watson leading a cast that also includes John Boyega of Star Wars: The Force Awakens fame and Bill Paxton’s last role before his untimely death, there’s no shortage of acting skill on display. Plus, the topic at hand is as relevant as ever, so it could well strike a chord with some.

Why it Might Be Bad:  Yes, privacy is a hot-topic button in the digital world, but it’s subject that few have presented any real, unique insight about and the fact that it is a science fiction film suggests that it could wrap what is a relevant topic in the fantasia of sci-fi tropes.

The Promise

What’s it About? This one’s a bit heavy: set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire and during the Armenian Genocide, The Promise focuses on a real-life love triangle between and Armenian medical student, an American journalist and an Armenian-born French woman.

Why it Might be Good: If you thought The Circle had an impressive cast, then think again. We all know that Christian Bale is one of the best working actors today (when he’s in the mood), but don’t be surprised if the brilliant and underrated Oscar Isaac steals the spotlight. Throw in the ill-explored setting and you have a potentially very rich film.

Why it Might Be Bad: It all really depends on the actors – love triangles always make for interesting filmic plots, but how the film will portrays its setting is equally as important, as is the way it pads out the events of the Armenian Genocide. So far, reviews have been mixed – some have hailed it for being a sweeping epic, while others have criticised it for dipping into soap opera territory.

The Lost City of Z

What’s it About? Speaking of real-life stories, The Lost City of Z is a biographical drama that follows British explorer Percy Fawcett’s search for a lost Amazonian city in 1925 – a search that ended with him disappearing.

Why it Might Be Good: Reviews have been positive thus far and have held the film as a rare classic exploration epic, while other praise has gone to director James Gray who is slowly garnering a reputation for his visual style and narrative approach to big stories like this.

Why it Might Be Bad: Lead man, Charlie Hunnam, can be a little one-note and, even after his lead role in TV show, Sons of Anarchy, he hasn’t had too much movie success to speak of. It’s all on his shoulders, basically.

The Devil’s Dolls

What’s it About? This week’s dosage of horror comes in the form of The Devil’s Dolls, which tells of a city that comes under a curse that sees ‘worry dolls’ cause their owners to commit gruesome murders. The film follows a police detective who battles to get to the bottom of the curse in order to save his daughter.

Why it Might Be Good: Oh man, we always get stuck on what to say about the latest horror dribbled out but the film industry. There are evil dolls and young possessed girls, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Why it Might Be Bad: This one’s not so tough. This sounds derivative, clichéd and completely un-engaging. If you don’t want to take our word for it, then look no further than its reviews, which have panned the acting, the special effects and the plot.

Stay tuned for all the info you need for this week’s new films with the Cairo 360 Cinema Guide – showing times, cinema locations, reviews and more.

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