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Spring has sprung, along with a whole host of fresh new films to be enjoyed on the big screen. Here we highlight the top new releases out this month in UK cinemas that have the power to captivate, educate and thrill young audiences. Read on to discover our recommendations, as well as related titles available to watch on Into Film+.
Thunderbolts* (12A) - in cinemas 2 May
Marvel Studios presents a darker and more emotional side to franchise with just as much laughter and actions, celebrating unconventional antiheroes. The fiery Yelena Belova, whose difficult past in a ruthless training program is introduced in the film Black Widow, is on a mission to take down the manipulative Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. After finding herself ensnared in a death trap along with other disillusioned misfits Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker, the group embark on a dangerous journey that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. It's time for them to move on from their dysfunctional dynamics and unite - before it's too late.
A New Kind of Wilderness (12A) - in cinemas 9 May
Echoing the spirit of Captain Fantastic (available to watch on Into Film+) but grounded in the messy realities of everyday life, this documentary meets Nik, an Englishman, and his Norwegian wife Maria, as they try to live a sustainable life off-grid on a farm in the forests of her homeland. They have three children, whom they are raising 'wild and free' in nature. However, when tragedy strikes their family, the outside world begins to intrude: the home-schooled children get their first taste of mainstream education and Nik's commitment to their indipendent lifestyle is deeply tested. A poignant exploration of family resilience, delving into the heart of the Norwegian wilderness.
Seeking Mavis Beacon (15) - in cinemas 9 May
If you grew up in the US in the late 80s and 90s, there's a high chance that your initiation into the newfangled world of IT was under the guidance of a certain Mavis Beacon, an elegant Black woman who was the face of ‘Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing', a popular gamified software program designed to teach touch typing. But who really was Mavis, and where is she now? A picture of corporate success and Black female empowerment, her legacy inspires two self-styled detectives to make a documentary untangling a mysterious web of marketing fictions, image rights, and cultural identities, exploring what it means to be a Black woman in cyber space today.
The Wedding Banquet (15) - in cinemas 9 May
In this fun and heartfelt rom-com, two queer couples hatch a plan to benefit all of them but come up against cross-generational and cross-cultural challenges. The film revolves around four friends made up of two same-sex couples: Lee and Angela, and Chris and Min. Lee and Angela are struggling to fund another round of IVF, while Min's visa is about to expire and he faces returning to Korea where his family don't know he's gay. And so, Min makes a desperate proposal: he'll marry US citizen Angela, in return for the money to fund their next IVF attempt. But when Min's grandmother arrives in the US to be a part of the wedding ceremony, things take a turn.
Good One (15) - in cinemas 16 May
Coming of age stories often explore a loss, but they can also capture indescribable yet hugely relatable moments of growth, realisation, and self-knowledge. Seventeen-year-old Sam goes on a camping trip with her dad Chris, a zealous hiker with all the gear, and his old friend Matt, a failed actor who talks big but whose life is falling apart. Sam humours the two middle-aged men but feels uncomfortable on their behalf, acutely aware of an unspoken distance between them, and how embarrassingly out of touch they are with the younger generation. She tries to maintain the peace, offering wise insights from a young and hopeful perspective, until a line is crossed, and she has had enough.
Lilo & Stitch (certificate TBC) - in cinemas 23 May
The joyful 2002 Hawaiian-set Disney animation (available to watch on Into Film+ Premium) about the friendship between a lonely child and a fugitive alien has had a live-action remake. A little girl called Lilo lives in Hawaii with her older sister Nani, who struggles to look after them both after their parents died a few years ago. Their life is turned upside downs when a destructive little alien hides out on their island after escaping intergalactic law enforcement. Thinking he is a funny-looking dog, Lilo happily adopts the creature and names him Stitch, and he proceeds to wreak havoc. But with other aliens in hot pursuit and suspicious social workers in the mix, can Nani, Lilo and Stitch stick together as a family?
Please note: Film is a powerful tool for learning, helping to develop critical thinking, empathy, and an understanding of different perspectives. Our films have been selected with consideration to age-appropriateness, safeguarding, the curriculum and statutory and non-statutory guidance to schools. Some of our films and resources include sensitive content which is highlighted in the guidance that Into Film provides with each film. Educators should carefully watch or read all elements of any content and must ensure they are following their own school's policies and guidelines prior to using films and resources in the classroom or in after-school clubs. The final decision to use any film or resource sits with teachers, who should decide what is appropriate for their students using their professional judgement and their knowledge of their students, their school context and their community. Teachers must follow their school's safeguarding protocol if a student is distressed or makes a disclosure as a result of the use of any film or other content.
How Do I Get Started?
To access Into Film+, all you'll need is an Into Film Account - it's completely free, and only takes a moment to set up. Into Film+ is free to use for all UK state schools that hold a valid Public Video Screening (PVS) Licence from Filmbankmedia.
Filmbankmedia PVS Licences are paid for on behalf of schools by all local authorities in England and by some local authorities in both Wales and Scotland. Into Film NI cover the license cost for some schools in Northern Ireland. For further information on licensing in your locality please see our FAQs.
If you're a state school in England that's funded by the Department for Education, you will automatically have access to Into Film+ Premium, which offers an extended catalogue of 700+ titles. Find out more about Into Film+ Premium in our FAQs.
If you don't have a PVS Licence, or aren't already covered, then a licence can easily be obtained from Filmbankmedia.
Filmbankmedia
Filmbankmedia licenses and distributes film and TV entertainment to many groups and is the licensing authority we work with to ensure schools, libraries and youth groups have the permissions to screen films from our catalogue.
* Screenings for an entertainment or extra-curricular purpose require a PVS (Public Video Screening) Licence from Filmbankmedia. State-funded schools in England are covered by the PVS Licence.
The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.
