York film preview: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and La Chimera

He came. He saw. He mo-capped.

When Planet of the Apes was rebooted back in 2011, few expected the ensuing trilogy to be quite the artistic and commercial success that it became – and that was due in no small part to a Gollum-level motion capture turn from Andy Serkis as the heroic Caesar, who went on a compelling journey from captive chimp to battle-hardened revolutionary.

Now that he’s departed for the great treehouse in the sky (yes where else would a treehouse be, but you know what I mean), it’s time for a new hero to rise in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – but will it be all gorilla no filler or a load of monkey see, monkey doo-doo?

Swing by the cinema this week to find out – but if you’re gibbon it a miss, you can join Josh O’Connor’s louche grave robber in La Chimera, or revel in Rebel Wilson’s dramatic rebirth in The Almond and the Seahorse…

New releases

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Seven years after the conclusion of its highly acclaimed reboot trilogy, the simian sci-fi franchise returns with this new chapter, which picks things up three hundred years after the story of Andy Serkis’ courageous Caesar came to a close.

With apes now the dominant species on planet Earth, the rise of a dangerous new leader equipped with ancient human technology threatens their peaceful way of life – but young chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague, It) starts to question what he has been told, and together with a feral human called Mae (Freya Allan, The Witcher) he embarks on a dangerous journey which will shape the future of apes and humans alike.

The revived saga has earned a reputation for both show-stopping set-pieces and captivating characters, so this new instalment has a lot to live up to – here’s hoping that incoming director Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) can continue to steer the series in interesting new directions.

La Chimera

Not content with tearing up the tennis court in Challengers, The Crown’s Josh O’Connor has been picking up more rave reviews for his performance in this highly acclaimed Italian drama.

O’Connor stars as Arthur, a rakish Brit abroad in the 1980s who finds plentiful work in the ranks of the local tombaroli – gangs of grave robbers who rely on his nose for buried treasures to help them hit paydirt – while being haunted by memories of his lost love.

Director Alice Rohrwacher’s magical realist tale was a big critical hit following its premiere at Cannes last year, with Barbie’s Greta Gerwig among those lining up to sing her praises, while the Guardian hailed it as ‘garrulous, uproarious and celebratory in her absolutely distinctive style’.

The Almond and the Seahorse

Rebel Wilson stars in her first non-comedic role in this British drama about two women struggling to care for partners who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Sarah (Wilson) is an archaeologist who feels adrift following her husband Joe’s (Celyn Jones) diagnosis of anterograde amnesia, which has caused severe personality changes in the man she loves.

When she crosses paths with architect Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg) in a residential hospital unit, the pair find solace and connection in their shared experience.

Other screenings

Family-friendly films

You can catch previews of two major upcoming releases this weekend in the form of IF (Cineworld, Everyman, Vue, Sat 11th/Sun 12th) – a pivot to wholesome animated fantasy from A Quiet Place director and former Office drone John Krasinski – and The Garfield Movie (Cineworld, Everyman, Vue, Sun 12th), which sees Chris Pratt give voice to the Monday-hating moggie.

When it comes to budget-priced viewing, to quote Basil Fawlty, “If you don’t like duck, you’re rather stuck”, with mallard-related mishaps the order of the day in Migration at both Cineworld (Sat 11th/Sun 12th, £2.50) and Vue (Sat 11th/Sun 12th, £2.49).

City Screen offer an alternative option in the form of anime Lu Over the Wall (Sat 11th, £3.30), the tale of a singing mermaid whose voice causes humans to compulsively dance (I’m pretty sure that’s Croatia’s entry for Eurovision this year), while Everyman’s Toddler Club is screening last year’s Disney centenary musical Wish (£6.25 child/£8.65 adult and toddler).

The Deadites awaken and it’s Lithgow vs Bacon: old favourites back on the big screen

Horror fans are guaranteed a groovy time at Everyman on Friday evening as Bruce Campbell revs up the chainsaw in Evil Dead II, which is this week’s selection in their regular Late Nights slot (Fri 10th).

Keeping it cult, title of the week goes to The Cars That Ate Paris – showing at City Screen on Sun 12th, this 1974 Australian comic horror concerns a small rural town with a suspiciously high rate of automobile accidents, and intriguingly is the first feature from director Peter Weir, who would go on to direct the rather more high-minded likes of Dead Poets Society and The Truman Show.

Sun 12th also sees City Screen continue their current season celebrating films which were shot (or, in this case, appear to have been shot) in one continuous take – this week it’s the turn of Sam Mendes’ acclaimed WW1 thriller 1917.

And just to remind you that British cinema contains multitudes, there’s a 30th anniversary re-release for 1994’s classic black comedy Shallow Grave, director Danny Boyle’s punkish calling card about three Edinburgh flatmates, a corpse and a whole lot of cash – dig in at Cineworld (Tues 14th) and Vue (Fri 10th, Sun 12th, Mon 13th).

If you’re looking for a mellow alternative to all those stressful antics, then head down to City Screen on Mon 13th as their Coen brothers season pours a White Russian and puts its feet up in the company of The Big Lebowski.

Moving from one hirsute rambler to another, Thurs 16th offers a chance to see Billy Connolly at the peak of his powers in newly restored documentary Big Banana Feet, which follows the comic on his 1975 tour of Ireland.

And finally, it’s time to head back to the 80s as two pop cultural icons celebrate their 40th anniversary – first up, Cineworld and Vue are hosting a special Transformers event on Weds 15th, screening the first four episodes of the classic animated series alongside an exclusive reunion table-read with the original voice actors.

Holding out for a hero? Hold out no longer, as Kevin Bacon faces off against stuffy old John Lithgow in Footloose (Everyman, Sun 12th, Tues 14th) and demands the right to dance with an ardour and vigour he would later deploy in the service of hawking superfast broadband.

Only one way to finish, really – take it away, Kenny…