Belfast (2021):

Set in Ireland in the 1960s, this film was both written and directed by Kenneth Branagh which he based on actual events that he experienced as a boy growing up in the title city. "The Troubles" as they were called by those in Northern Ireland at the time, while much of the outside world saw it as a combination of civil war and terrorism that pitted the centuries-old battle between Protestants and Catholics, lie at the heart of the story that largely revolves around nine-year-old Buddy. "Buddy" is actually the childhood version of Kenneth Branagh, and what emerges is a character study and a cross-section of Irish life as seen through the eyes of the young boy. He lives on a street that is primarily Protestant, with some Catholics sprinkled into the mix. Buddy's family consists of his father (Janie Dornan from the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movies, a man who was home only every second weekend, as his out-of-town construction job kept him away; his loving mother (Catriona Bawlf of "Ford VS Ferrari,") and his grandparents (Dame Judy Dench and Ciaran Hinds), along with an older brother whom we never really get to know. Despite the fact that they live in a powder keg neighbourhood where barbed wire and barricades are part of daily life, kids are still kids, having fun, playing games, and trying to figure out the enigmatic behaviour of the adults around them. Buddy idolizes his dad, whom we learn has a gambling problem which puts tremendous financial pressure on the family, but he's still Dad and he is loved. The love in the family in troubled times is inspiring, and as the story progresses, we get the sense that this cannot end well for anyone. A small movie, shot in black-and-white, with a great soundtrack consisting of eight Van Morrison (born in Belfast) songs, with tension at every turn, this becomes a rewarding and important little film that is a pleasure to see. Rated 14A.

Demonic (2021):

South African native and Vancouver Film School graduate Neil Blomkamp (“District 9”) wrote and directed this horror-thriller about an estranged mother and daughter and just how they got that way. South African actress Nathalie Boltt (“Riverdale”) is Angela, the mom who did many bad things over the years, leaving a number of people dead as a result. Her daughter Carly (B.C. born Carly Pope) has refused to talk with mom for some years because of the mother’s serious misdeeds, and now, mom is in a coma, and Carly is approached with the message that a small group of “interested parties” can help Carly contact her comatose mother. It becomes clear to Carly, almost too late, that there is a dark, supernatural underpinning to all of this, and that her mother’s previous behaviour may not have been her fault. Victoria native Michael J. Rogers (“Continuum,” “Fringe”) also stars, along with Alberta’s Terry Chen. Shot entirely in B.C., mostly in the Kamloops area. Rated 14A.

Run & Gun (2022):

Mark Dacascos (Wo Fat on “Hawaii Five-0”) previously worked on the Vancouver-shot TV series “The Crow,” is one of a handful of actors that you may recognize in this direct-to-video crime action-thriller. It’s all about Ray (Britain’s Ray Millikan), who led a life of crime, but is now reformed, is a model citizen, and just wants to settle down in the suburbs and start a family. Unfortunately, Ray’s past catches up with him when his contacted by a blackmailer who wants Ray to do “one last job” or Ray’s past will be divulged and he will never be safe. It’s a simple delivery of a package, but at the drop point Ray is double-crossed and now he not only has to worry about the law, but he has to worry about assassins on his tail. In order to survive, Ray will have to use all the skills that he used to cause trouble in his previous life, to get back to living his ideal life. Veteran TV and stage actor Richard Kind also stars. Rated 14A.

Against the Ice (2022):

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ("Game of Thrones") leads the cast here in a historically accurate story of the exploration of the North in the first Netflix original from Denmark and Iceland. Coster-Waldau plays Captain Ejnar Mikkelson who led a Danish expedition to Greenland bent on proving that it was one island, and not broken up into several, some of which were being claimed by the United States circa 1909. He left his crew behind with the ship and set out cross country with just one inexperienced crewman, and in a journey that took far longer than expected, ultimately found the one-island proof that he was seeking. When he returned to the ship he found it crushed by ice floes and abandoned, with the brutal northern winter setting in. If you liked the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton in "Endurance," you will find this an excellent journey of man against nature. Rated 14A.

Robin Robin (2021):

This stop-motion animated film from the UK tells the story of a little baby robin who rolls out of her nest onto the ground, and who is saved, and then raised by a family of mice. As Robin gets older, she begins to realize that she is not a mouse, and that maybe she doesn't really belong with this family. A heart-warming story with an excellent message that both children and parents will enjoy. Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files") provides one of the major voices in this British made film. Rated G.