Having received universal acclaim for his outstanding lead performances as Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller in FX’s outlawed motorcycle club crime drama Sons of Anarchy, Charlie Hunnam – the unlikely lad from the north east of England – has gone from strength to strength. Since Sons of Anarchy launched him into the mainstream, Hunnam has landed a number of scorching lead roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and James Gray’s remarkable true-life epic about early 20^th century British explorer Percy Fawcett The Lost City of Z which comes to Blu-ray, DVD and digital on 24^th July courtesy of StudioCanal.

Although there is no doubt that Hunnam is now an international movie star, it wasn’t always that way as he began his career on television, appearing first in three episodes of Byker Grove in 1998, before the big time beckoned with his first major role as the love-smitten Nathan Maloney in Queer as Folk (1999), a critical success that ranked at number 13 in The Guardian’s 2010 list of “The Top 50 TV Dramas of All Time”. Subsequently, Hunnam gained his first lead cinematic role as Nicholas Nickleby in the 2002 film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Further film roles came through in the mid-noughties, most notably a pivotal character in the critically acclaimed drama Cold Mountain (2003) and a less memorable stab at a cockney accent in British football hooligan flick Green Street (2005). As noted, though, it wasn’t until Sons of Anarchy that Hunnam thrust himself to the forefront of Hollywood’s long list of leading men.

Let’s take a look at what he’s been up to since then…

Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)

Here it is, then: Hunnam’s breakthrough role. As Jax, the grizzly, hardened and morally flawed biker from the Californian coast, Hunnam led from the front across seven seasons of the TV drama. Centring on both the personal and family life of Jackson “Jax” Teller and his biker crew-cum-organised crime syndicate SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original; based on the real life Oakland motorcycle crew Hell’s Angels), Sons of Anarchy explores the themes of vigilantism, government corruption and racism in fictional Californian town, Charming. Jax lives for the club, but as the seasons pass he questions the violent extremes his peers will go to in the name of “business”. A stunning turn from Hunnam that grabbed the attention of casting directors across the globe.

Pacific Rim (2013)

Treasured visionary filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro has long been known for his incredibly imaginative and detailed monster creations, which he provides in spades with this colossal monster knockout. However what was most notable about the director’s first real stab at a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster was his human characters, and how relatable and believable they were in amongst the incredible Robot vs Monster action set pieces, unlike many other films of this nature.

This was true none more so than for Hunnam’s protagonist Raleigh, who is tasked with leading the fight against giant beasts who have come to destroy earth from another dimension, by piloting robot behemoths to take them down. Hunnam, as expected, brings much needed life to his lead character that could so easily have been lost under all the incredible crashy, smashy CGI.

The Lost City of Z (2017)

Based on author David Grann’s non-fiction bestseller, The Lost City Of Z is the incredible true story of pioneering British explorer Percy Fawcett, who journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century. In the film, Hunnam stars as the ill-fated explorer who, despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment that regarded indigenous populations as savages, returns time and again to his beloved jungle; discovering evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region in an attempt to prove his case. A big role and one that caught the attention of critics, Hunnam’s performance in the film further cements his credentials as a leading man, and a big screen force to be reckoned with.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

This summer, British director Guy Ritchie cast Hunnam as the eponymous Arthur in his action-packed fantasy epic, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, in which he starred alongside a heavily eye-lined Jude Law. As expected, Ritchie brought his signature dynamic style to the Excalibur myth, tracing Arthur’s journey from the streets to the throne, via a sword in the stone. However the film struggled at the box office; not even a cameo from Ritchie’s bezzie Golden Balls could entice the audiences that were expected. Nevertheless, Hunnam’s performance was by and large considered a good one, and yet another high profile leading role to add to his impressive 2017.

Papillon (2017)

Up next, Hunnam will star opposite Rami Malek in the titular role of Papillon, an upcoming biographical film directed by Michael Noer. Based on the best-selling autobiography by the French convict Henri “Papillon” Charrière, Papillon charts Charrière’s escape attempts from the brutal penal colony on French Guiana. The film, which is now in post-production, is a remake of the 1973 American crime drama prison film of the same name starring Steve McQueen (as Papillon) and Dustin Hoffman (as Louis Dega, as played by Malek in this version). Big shoes to fill, but something tells me Hunnam is up to the task…

The Lost City of Z is out on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download from 24^th July.

By Orla Smith.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been less than two years since Netflix got in the original film game. Since the autumn of 2015, they’ve gone from the cautious release of Beasts of No Nation to a schedule that’s practically film-a-week.

At first, pretty much every one of them should have been avoided like the plague: trust me, you don’t need to see The Do-Over. I did it for you. It’s not worth it.

But the second half of 2016 heralded the release of a number of indie gems, and just this year they’ve moved on from a solely distribution focused model, and begun releasing their own productions.

The Discovery wasn’t a great start, but the appearance of Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories at Cannes – however controversial – marked a step up in esteem and an interest in auteurship on Netflix’s part.

There’s much to come: Duncan Jones’ Moon sequel-ish Mute, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Noah Baumbach’s previously mentioned The Meyorowitz Stories, Dee Rees’ hotly anticipated Sundance title Mudbound and many more. We’re on the precipice of a shift in how their original films are perceived (especially with Mudbound‘s upcoming Oscar campaign), so at this early milestone it’s interesting to look back at their best features so far – all excellent films, many small and in danger of being buried even more than they already have been. In honour of today’s release of The Incredible Jessica James, here are ten films that demand to be added to the top of your Netflix queue.

10. 13th

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=V66F3WU2CKk

From a responsible point of view: if you have to watch just one Netflix original film, make it 13th. Ava DuVernay’s rousing and sharp documentary centres on racial discrimination in America’s prison system. It’s essentially a talking heads doc, but within those limits it works out a structure that has astounding clarity. DuVernay makes her argument with urgency, reason and undeniable conviction. It’s impossible to watch 13th without feeling angry and motivated.

9. Casting JonBenet

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KMEOaMCJss

Kitty Green’s experimental documentary asks the question: should a film like Casting JonBenet even exist? It’s a bold move, to question your own existence. I’m still not sure whether the legitimacy of that query is a reason to like or dislike the film. Green deconstructs the murder of six year old beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsay by interviewing actors to play the suspects in a fake movie about the case. Right or wrong, it’s an experience to be had – if only so you can make up your own mind.

8. The Incredible Jessica James

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEkYAzSpHnA

There’s one thing you need to know about The Incredible Jessica James: Jessica Williams if effervescent. The film’s opening credits play over the image of her running around her New York apartment, earphones in, dancing at full energy capacity. She, and the film, are a ball of energy, impossible to dislike. The Incredible Jessica James doesn’t aim too high, but it squarely hits its mark, lightly skating on the edge of something more profound. More than anything, it’s immensely enjoyable.

7. Sand Storm

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4vQugCOIY4

Elite Zexer’s directorial debut Sand Storm beat more high profile candidate’s to Sundance’s top prize for world cinema in 2016. It took nearly a year for Netflix to release the film, and it did so with an incremental amount of fanfare. Set amongst a community of Bedouin women in Israel, Layla (compelling newcomer Lamis Ammar) fights against patriarchal values that stop her from marrying for love. Her clashes with mother Jalila are the film’s conflict and heart. Sand Storm is a sensitive and deeply considered take on an oft ignored community, and an oft ignored perspective within that community.

6. To the Bone

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=705yRfs6Dbs

Just like Casting JonBenet, the very existence of To the Bone remains in question. Many sufferers or ex-sufferers of eating disorders have argued that it’s impossible to depict an illness such as anorexia in a way that isn’t a glorification – but at the same time, people in a similar situation have claimed that it was therapeutic to watch a film that truthfully depicts anorexia (made by a writer/director and actress who have gone through a similar experience). As a film, it’s immensely moving, and clearly authentic. Lily Collins is the lead, entering into in-patient care and meeting a cast of characters who kick start a story that’s surprising in its carefully considered nuance.

5. Barry

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6qlPeS1kGY

It takes a tremendous amount of writing skill to capture the small details and foibles of everyday conversation. In Barry, Vikram Gandhi’s sharply intelligent and often hilarious account of Barack Obama’s college years, almost every conversation is laced with casual racial tensions, teetering on the tipping point of paranoia. Barry isn’t sure how he fits into the world yet, and so how he is perceived by others plays a large part in adding to the growing sense of anxiety in the film. He’s just a young man, treated with none of the historical reverence of your usual biopic. It’s all sealed off by a truly incredible performance from Devon Terrell, who’ll be a huge star any minute now if there’s any justice in the world.

4. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a891D5_bGY4

Macon Blair is known as Jeremy Saulnier’s OG leading man, and while Blair’s directorial debut I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore shows hints of Saulnier’s influence, it has a whole lot more heart. It’s also funny – a word that never comes to mind when you think of Blue Ruin or Green Room. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore won the Sundance Grand Jury prize earlier this year, and it’s not hard to see why people were so won over by this entertaining, painfully relatable, intricately plotted suburban crime saga – starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood as the ultimate odd couple.

3. Divines

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT4YtWdK01M

For her directorial debut Divines, the winner of the Cannes Camera d’Or, director Houda Benyamina cast her younger sister Oulaya Amamra in the lead role. It paid off tenfold. Amamra isn’t the only reason Divines is amazing, but without the unstoppable, fiery power of her performance it wouldn’t work nearly as well as it does. Still, Benyamina is an equally fierce talent to watch. She directs with passion and expansive imagination. Set in the French banlieue, the grim poverty of the characters’ lives are contrasted against sequences of disarming beauty. You may not have heard of Divines, but once you’ve seen it you won’t shut up about it.

2. Tallulah

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WSz2s-Gemc

At Sundance 2016, nobody seemed to care about Tallulah. It came and went and was forgotten, which is why it was such a surprise to press play on Netflix a few months later and be greeted by a film worthy of so much more hype than it was afforded. Tallulah‘s narrative slots together satisfyingly, but its real pull is its portrayal of female friendship – in this case between a young homeless woman (Ellen Page) and her ex-boyfriend’s mother (Allison Janney). Page impulsively steals a baby from its neglectful mother, then stays in Janney’s home under the pretence that the child is her son’s. The slow melting of tension between the two of them is a wonder to behold. Where less thoughtful films would slip into convention, Tallulah asks the question: what if people were just nice to each other?

1. Okja

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjCebKn4iic

By far Netflix’s largest scale film production is also its best – because there’s nobody that can orchestrate high-tech, big-budget madness like Bong Joon-ho. Okja is a wild ride full of dangerously diverging tones, insane characters and soulful emotion. While beloved actors such as Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal embody colourful characterisations of corporate greed, your heart remains with pre-teen Mija and her best friend Okja, a super-pig. The two grew up in the mountains together, and when Okja is carted off to America, Mija won’t rest until they are re-united. The whirpool of laughter and exhilarating chases only coalesces because you believe body and soul in this deep connection between human and animal – and you want more than anything for it all to work out in the end.

Meet the squad when CHiPs: Law & Disorder arrives on DVD on July 31 and Digital Download on July 17. Comedy legends Dax Shepard (Hit & Run, Parenthood) and Michael Peña (Ant-Man) star in the action comedy CHiPs: Law & Disorder the latest American Buddy Cop movie full of comedy capers and witty one liners.

In CHiPs we witness ultimate squad goals with Ponch and Jon, so to celebrate the comedy duo of the year; we take a look at some of the other top cop bromances in film…

CHIPS: Law & Disorder arrives on DVD on July 31 and is OUT now on Digital Download

Rush Hour

Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy action comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched cops who must rescue the Chinese consul’s kidnapped daughter.

When the FBI informs Consul Han about his daughters kidnapping, he calls in his friend Lee (Chan) to assist in the case. However, to detract negative attention on an international scale, the FBI pawn him off on an arrogant, reckless and loudmouthed LAPD detective; James Carter (Tucker).

Carter is desperate to get his reputation back after a previous botched sting operation went disastrously wrong. With witty one liners and a lot of kick ass moves, he and Lee set about solving the case – and save Han’s daughter.

The duo were such a successful franchise that they also inspired a series of sequels; Rush Hour 2 and 3.

Tango and Cash

In 1989 Tango & Cash saw A-list stars Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell team up in the hit buddy cop film.

Raymond Tango (Stallone) and Gabriel Cash (Russell) are two rival LAPD narcotics detectives, who are forced to work together after a criminal mastermind frames them both for murder.

After disrupting one too many of Perrets smuggling operations, he decides to get them out of the way. Both detectives are anonymously tipped off about a drug deal, they meet at the location only to discover a dead body instead not long before the FBI arrive and surround the duo.

Following an action packed gun fight and a couple of explosions, the pair defeat the crime Lord and clear their names.

Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon is a 1987 buddy action film. The film stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as the ultimate cop odd couple.

In Lethal Weapon, a pair of mismatched LAPD detectives; (starting to see a pattern?) Martin Riggs (Gibson), a former Special Forces officer who has become suicidal following the death of his wife and Roger Murtaugh (Glover), a 50-year-old veteran of the force – work together as partners. Together they uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring and utilise each other’s strengths to bring the bad guys down.

The mismatched pairing of the duo result in offbeat humour and many laughs in this hit film. The popularity of the film has since inspired a successful TV series starring Damon Wayon and Clayne Crawford.

Cop Out

2010’s Cop Out sees Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan team up in the American buddy cop action-comedy genre.

Veteran detective Jimmy Monroe (Willis) needs money to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, so he decides it’s time to sell his prized ’52 Pafko baseball card. However, before he’s able to sell it, it’s stolen. Jimmy and his partner, Paul (Morgan), decide to confront a gangster who is obsessed with sports memorabilia.

Following their successful investigation into the gang, Jimmy and Paul end up receiving commendations from the precinct chief and all ends well for the duo and Jimmy’s daughter’s wedding.

CHiPs: Law & Disorder

Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles, but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten-up former pro biker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million-dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP.

The inexperienced rookie and the hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kick-starting a real partnership is easier said than done.  But with Baker’s unique bike skills and Ponch’s street savvy it might just work… if they don’t drive each other crazy first.

CHIPS: Law & Disorder arrives on DVD on July 31 and is OUT now on Digital Download

By Venetia Faye.

The highly anticipated convention Comic Con took place in San Diego this past week, and it did not disappoint. Annually, Film and TV fans are able to watch never seen before footage and trailers; all while taking part in ‘cosplay’ competitions and buying merchandise. Popular for its exclusive previews and celebrity panels, Film and TV fans were in for a treat.

Here at BRWC, we have compiled a few film trailers that were debuted at the San Diego Comic Con:

1) Thor: Ragnarok

After the release of the first trailer for ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, audiences were stunned by the events of the trailer; One in particular, the faceoff between Thor and his fellow avenger The Hulk. As well as the “Dark World” that we are used to seeing Thor live in; in contrast to the brighter, more humorous setting that is presented. Director Taika Waititi has reinvented the Thor aesthetic and contributes an interesting theme that viewers are excited to see.

2) Ready Player One

‘Ready Player One’ is the trailer based on the debut novel by Ernest Cline. The preview shows a dystopian future that is brought to life by legendary director Steven Spielberg. Set in a futuristic 2044, main character Wade Watts, gives us a glimpse into his escape into the virtual world “OASIS”. Watts chooses to live most of his life here, in order to escape the poverty that surrounds him. The trailer is vibrant and oozes 80’s nostalgia, while still remaining modern and contemporary. It will be interesting to see how the novel translates on screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE71JOvLPvE

3) Justice League

After the great success of Wonder Woman, DC are anticipating another blockbuster with ‘Justice League’. Following the events of ‘Batman v Superman’ and the tragic death of Superman; the world is “without hope”, forcing the Justice League to unite. In the trailer revealed at the San Diego Comic Con, DC gave fans a first look at antagonist ‘Steppenwolf’ as well as the battle the group undergo in order to save the world.

4) Jigsaw

After a decade, the Saw franchise is back! The trailer reintroduces ‘Jigsaw’; the man who had died over 10 years ago (perhaps someone new has reclaimed this title). The trailer also shows characters doing everything in their power to avoid a painful death. The title ‘Jigsaw’ could suggest a potential reboot after the first Saw film back in 2004.

With an immediately recognisable visual style that people should probably start referring to as ‘Fulleresque’ if they aren’t already, Bryan Fuller has earned his place at the table when it comes to citing modern auteurs. Sure, he may only have flirted with the big screen, but on TV – or box set – Fuller has carved an impressive niche as the brains behind some of the most creative and arresting series in recent memory. With American Gods, arriving on digital download from July 24^th, and on Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD from July 31^st, and in partnership with fellow Heroes alumni Michael Green, Fuller has arguably reached new heights and won over a whole new audience.

So what better time to get acquainted with a back catalogue just begging to be watched?

American Gods

Neil Gaiman has gone on the record about having conversations with Hollywood bigwigs on a rotating basis about adapting his sprawling, iconic novel of the same name, but it took Fuller to finally convince him – and the results achieved by creating a brain trust comprising Gaiman, Fuller and Michael Green are simply breathtaking television. The first season of American Gods introduces the world of Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) and charming conman Mr Wednesday (a magnificent Ian McShane) without scraping the surface of the world Gaiman created. Instead, the series takes the road movie DNA found in the book but also lingers on briefly mentioned literary characters with such assuredness that this could only be Fuller. Laura Moon (Emily Browning) and Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) almost become the beating heart of the first season however alluring Fuller has made Shadow. Gods who were footnotes in the tale of the Old Gods vs the New take striking centre stage (take a bow Bilquis and her person-eating vagina), and the New Gods themselves are uniformly hypnotic, with Gillian Anderson having the time of her life as Media. All of this is delivered with Fuller’s visual flourish, creating your new must-see show and one that looks and feels like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Did we mention it’s available to buy? You just must.

Hannibal

In many ways, Hannibal was a one-show representation of modern viewing patterns. Adored by critics and fans alike (Fannibals, you know), Hannibal was a sinister, camp, terrifying and blackly comic retelling of the story of Robert Harris’ monstrous cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. Mads Mikkelsen exudes lip-smacking charm as Lecter in his psychological dance with Hugh Dancy’s broken genius, Will Graham. Lavish gore and exquisite production design combined to create a Grand Guignol masterpiece (that also latterly threw a mesmerising Gillian Anderson – here again – into the mix) and yet the show was cancelled after three seasons. You shouldn’t mistake Hannibal for a failure on that basis, however, merely a comment on the constraints of network television. The show flourished on DVD and streaming services but never drew the numbers its network parent needed. Fuller and his cast have expressed interest in revisiting the show further down the line, and he can be assured there will be a horde of hungry Fannibals should he ever choose to do so.

Mockingbird Lane

Perhaps better filed under ‘the world wasn’t ready for’, Mockingbird Lane arguably represents a rare misfire for Fuller. A reimagining of The Munsters, the 1960s US sitcom about a household of monsters going about a normal suburban life, Mockingbird Lane saw Eddie Izzard cast as Grandpa (basically Dracula), the creator of the Frankenstein-esque Herman (Jerry O’Connell), built as a husband for his vampish daughter Lily (Portia De Rossi). Reimagining a much-loved 60s classic with more than a dash of that Fulleresque style we mentioned was always going to cause problems for purists but there’s no doubting that Mockingbird Lane was nevertheless an early indicator of how a mind built for TV could work, and it’s not without its fans. The show, with Izzard as the head of the family, was also another early marker that Fuller attracted genuinely interesting actors into his fold.

Pushing Daisies

The only show in this list to hit prime time TV in the UK, Pushing Daisies (which aired on ITV initially) saw Fuller exercising his more playful side, albeit still with a large side of darkness. Lee Pace starred as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring the dead back to life, with Anna Friel as Daisy, the girl he loved and revived but who he could never touch (since a second touch from him sent the dead back to the grave). Despite the woe-is-me set-up, the show operated as an incredibly witty, if left of centre, procedural murder mystery, with Ned and Daisy waking the dead to gain clues and crack the case. Utterly charming and totally bonkers, Pushing Daisies also gave a lead role to Kristin Chenoweth (with whom he’s re-teamed for American Gods) and saw TV legend Swoosie Kurtz providing support. Definitely one to check out.

Early Work

Of course, not every auteur can hit the big time immediately, but even Fuller’s early projects read as a who’s who of cult favourites known for their invention. Alongside American Gods’ Michael Green, Fuller was found cutting his teeth on several episodes of Heroes (before it got, er, rubbish), the show that arguably demonstrated to everyone that technology and special effects now made superheroes plausible on a TV budget. Prior to that he was also responsible for at least some of the cult favourite Dead Like Me, having made his debut in the midst of a nerdgasm by working on both Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

What’s Next?

As mentioned, the first season of American Gods barely scratches the surface of Gaiman’s novel but fans new and old can breath a sigh of relief in the knowledge that season two is already on the way. Having taken a wealth of creative liberties with the source material, and with Gaiman’s total endorsement, Fuller seems to have found the ideal playground for his unique style. As the box set of season one, packed with extras including insight from Fuller himself, will attest, this is a show that demands repeat viewing and one that leaves the viewer begging for more.

AMERICAN GODS IS AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS FROM JULY 24^TH, AND ON STEELBOOK, BLU-RAY AND DVD FROM JULY 31^ST