Cinema in One Take

La Bola Negra: Spain Today, the Oscars Tomorrow? Plus, the Bolsonaro Effect on Brazilian Cinema

Can a film change a country’s conversation, and then conquer the Oscars? This week on Cinema in One Take, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab discuss La Bola Negra, the Cannes prize winner and Spanish box-office hit sparking fresh interest in poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, as well as the country’s painful Civil War history. After becoming a phenomenal hit in Spain, could this intertwined story of four gay men find Oscar success beyond the international film category? Plus, Brazilian filmmakers fear another Bolsonaro presidency and what it could mean for film funding: drawing on director Gabe Klinger’s perspective, we explore the fragile relationship between cinema, public funding and political power. And, as the BFI London Film Festival remains in full swing, could a newly announced London venue dedicated to African and Black cinema help overlooked films find their audiences? Finally, John Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine or Andrew Scott in Elsinore? We compare two performances confronting mortality, while Emma champions the Montenegro-set documentary To Hold a Mountain,all through a decidedly croaky voice. No scripts, no second takes—just two film professionals talking world cinema. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Tom Cruise’s Digger, Documentaries for Free & I Play Rocky.

Can Tom Cruise dig his way out of scathing reviews and into another Oscar nomination? In this week’s episode of Cinema in One Take, Kaleem Aftab and Emma Jones weigh up Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger: a star-studded satire with plenty of ambition, but a twist that leaves them both unconvinced. Plus, as the documentary NAZA prepares to stream for free, could giving political documentaries away help them reach wider audiences: and how then would their makers make a living? As the festival’s former Director of International Programming, Kaleem brings an insider’s perspective to the cancellation of this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, and the deeper question of how film festivals serve local audiences. And in what we’ve watched: Emma champions Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky as one of her films of the year, while Kaleem finds plenty to love in South Korean monster movie Hope. Emma… needs more persuading. No scripts, no second takes—just two film professionals talking world cinema. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Oscar Watch: Andrew Scott vs John Malkovich, La Bola Negra plus New Sense and Sensibility

In this week's Cinema in One Take, Kaleem Aftab is excited about Elsinore after its critical acclaim at Toronto, and convinced Andrew Scott will win an Oscar. Emma Jones has another Best Actor contender in mind: John Malkovich from Wild Horse Nine. They also disagree over the TIFF audience prize winner La Bola Negra, before Kaleem reviews the Oasis reunion documentary Don’t Look Back in Anger and Emma finds two centuries of familiar dating behaviour in the new Sense and Sensibility film adaptation of the Jane Austen classic. Plus, Kaleem reveals how he's ended up appearing in Cunk on Cinema. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Venice Winners, Woman Unknown, NAZA & Elon Musk

Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab discuss the big winners from Venice, including Golden Lion winner by Mai El-Toukhy, Woman Unknown, and its newly crowned Best Actress, Mathilde Arcel. In this week's episode of Cinema in One Take, they explore the film’s gripping portrait of the treatment of women accused of sleeping with the enemy in WW2, as well as the Special Jury Prize winner NAZA, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s documentary from Israel. Emma also reviews Alex Gibney’s four-hour portrait of Elon Musk, while Kaleem enjoys a victory lap over Spider-Man’s record-breaking box office. Update since recording: Universal has now said it is working on an international theatrical release for Musk, after media reports that the studio was reconsidering its plans. Elon Musk has called the documentary a “hit piece” and disputes its account. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

Together in Venice: Wild Horse Nine’s Oscar Buzz, Bunker & Place to Be

Journalists Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab finally record together in person for a special mini-edition of Cinema in One Take from the Venice Film Festival. They discuss Martin McDonagh’s awards contender Wild Horse Nine, Florian Zeller’s divisive marital drama Bunker, starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and Ellen Burstyn and Taika Waititi’s unlikely friendship in Kornél Mundruczó’s Place to Be. Emma champions the Danish Competition movie Woman Unknown and two striking French competition titles, while Kaleem nervously awaits her verdict on Guria—the Georgian Oscar entry he's co-produced. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Trainspotting at 30, De Gaulle's Film Triumph & Why Documentaries Could Steal Venice

Thirty years after Trainspotting introduced a generation to the worst toilet in Scotland, does Danny Boyle’s era-defining film still hold up — or do we simply miss being young? Kaleem recalls seeing it at one of its earliest Edinburgh screenings (for £1!) and winning a 25-word review competition, while Emma argues that civilisation peaked in the 1990s and has been deteriorating ever since. They also discuss the extraordinary French success of the lavish wartime epic De Gaulle: Résistance; the gloriously unlikely, visibly handmade animated film Niu Lai challenging Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey at the Chinese box office; and why audiences may finally be turning against AI slop. Plus, could documentaries steal the show at the Venice Film Festival? With the controversial Gaza film NAZA, Alex Gibney’s Musk and an Oasis reunion documentary all heading to the Lido, reality might prove more interesting than fiction. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Hollywood’s Child-Star Problem & Why Barbie 2 May Never Happen

This week, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab look at Hollywood’s troubling history with child stars following the death of Hayden Panettiere at just 36. Why has the industry struggled for decades to protect young performers — and how much can we really connect the pressures of childhood fame with what happens later in life? They also discuss new developments in the real-life case behind Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated The Voice of Hind Rajab, and debate whether the film’s international success and campaigning helped bring pressure for action. Then, a change of gear: why might the hugely successful Barbie never get a sequel? Are studios simply wary of trying to catch lightning twice — or are Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie still being underestimated? Plus: Stand By Me, Trainspotting at 30, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma — and why, apparently, even dinosaurs can’t save The End of Oak Street. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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The Big Screen Is Back! But Can Independent Film Survive?

Cinema is having a blockbuster summer. The Odyssey and Spider-Man are smashing records, surprise hits such as Backrooms and Obsession are pulling younger audiences into cinemas, and the box office comeback we've been predicting finally seems to have arrived. So why is it still so difficult to make money from independent film? After producer Marco Perego — behind some of this year's most acclaimed indie films like Fjord — said at Locarno that you shouldn't get into independent cinema for the money, we ask whether the traditional routes for discovering and selling indie films are still working. Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab look at what's driving audiences back to the big screen, whether a new generation of young movie stars is emerging, and what the blockbuster boom really means for the rest of the film industry. Plus, Emma recommends watching Maite Alberdi's extraordinary documentary A Child of My Own, while Kaleem discusses Hyper: The Stevie Hyper D Story — and his unexpected personal connection to the film. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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What Does the Venice Line-Up Say About the Future of Film Festivals? Plus Musk V Nolan

The Venice 2026 line-up is here—and, as with Cannes, a pattern seems to be emerging. Are Hollywood studios moving away from the world's biggest film festivals? Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab give their first reaction to the Venice Official Selection, which includes Danny Boyle's Ink, Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine, Florian Zeller's Bunker, Primetime starring Robert Pattinson, and Lee Chang-dong's long-awaited return Possible Love. They ask whether Venice is still the launchpad for Oscar contenders, why many of the major US studios appear to be sitting this year out, and what this could mean for the future of film festivals, not to mention the famous Venice red carpet this year. Could Venice's documentary section, which includes the Oasis film, Don't Look Back in Anger, and Alex Gibney's new film Musk, actually be the biggest headliners? Plus, Elon Musk announces that Grok will create its own AI version of The Odyssey in response to Christopher Nolan's blockbuster, prompting a wider discussion about historical accuracy, colour-conscious casting and whether AI can ever compete with filmmaking craft. Finally, Emma and Kaleem recommend two films worth seeking out: the acclaimed British coming-of-age drama Ish and the darkly comic thriller Bad Apples, starring Saoirse Ronan. View the full Venice 2026 Official Selection here: La Biennale di Venezia – Official Line-up Which films are you most excited to see at Venice? Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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The Odyssey Review | Is Christopher Nolan's Epic His Greatest Film Yet?

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is finally here, and Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab are, for once, in agreement about something: that it's a masterpiece. In this week's episode of Cinema in One Take, we review Nolan's ambitious adaptation of Homer's epic, discussing why it works so brilliantly as both an intimate character study and a spectacular cinematic experience. We debate whether it's Nolan's greatest film, unpack Matt Damon's performance as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway's powerful Penelope, Samantha Morton's unforgettable Cersei, and whether Tom Holland delivers one of the strongest performances of his career, yes, even above Peter Parker. We also explore the film's themes of war, homecoming, sacrifice and empire, discuss its breathtaking IMAX visuals, and ask where The Odyssey now sits among Christopher Nolan's remarkable filmography. Plus, Kaleem reflects on his return to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival after almost two years away from festival life—and an unexpected meeting with Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright. In this episode: • Our spoiler-light review of The Odyssey • Is this Christopher Nolan's finest film? • Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o and Samantha Morton • A film that reflects modernity through an ancient epic • Returning to Karlovy Vary • An unexpected evening with Jeffrey Wright We'd love to hear your thoughts after you've seen The Odyssey. Join the conversation on our Substack and social channels. cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Are Nolan and Cameron the Last Bankable Directors? Plus Toy Story 5, Venice & Welsh Cinema

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has broken BFI IMAX ticket sales records a month before release or before any reviews, raising a fascinating question: are Nolan and Avatar's James Cameron the last truly bankable directors in cinema? This week, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab debate Nolan's unique relationship with audiences, and how many other directors could inspire those sales. Or is the box office also excitement about the topic of the film itself? Staying with Greek myths, Emma explores the release of Welsh-language drama Effi o Blaenau, originally inspired by the Greek tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis via an acclaimed bok, Iphigenia in Splott, and what a new wave of Welsh and Irish language filmmaking says about the confidence of Celtic cinema. The pair also look ahead to the Venice Film Festival, discussing whether Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning will be there, the prospect of Tom Cruise going to the Lido for Digger, and how important the Venice red carpet is for publicising a film. Plus: Emma reviews Toy Story 5, Pixar's examination of childhood, screens and technology — and Kaleem makes the case for Toy Story as the greatest film franchise ever made. For more from us, subscribe for free or follow us: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us on Instagram: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day and the Nadav Lapid Controversy

Steven Spielberg's long-awaited new alien epic Disclosure Day has finally landed. Is it his best film in 20 years, or a frustrating missed opportunity? Cinema in One Take's Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab disagree about what Hollywood's legendary director has created. They also discuss the controversy surrounding Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid and his withdrawal from FIDMarseille after calls for a boycott if he attended, because his previous film Yes received money from the Israel Film Fund. Should filmmakers be judged by the actions of their governments - even when they're highly critical of them? Plus, Kaleem pays a personal tribute to Marjane Satrapi, the acclaimed director of Persepolis, who died last week, and Emma watched Dreams of Violets, the first fully AI-generated feature to premiere at a major film festival, in this case, Tribeca. You can find Kaleem's Substack on Marjane Satrapi, and all of their articles, here: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Backrooms, Martin Scorsese and YouTube's Hollywood Takeover

What happens when YouTubers start making some of the biggest films in the world? This week on Cinema in One Take, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab dive into the extraordinary success of Backrooms and Obsession, two breakout hits from directors who built huge audiences online before stepping behind the camera. What took Hollywood so long to recognise the talent pipeline? They also tackle the Tribeca-premiering Dreams of Violets by Ash Koosha to Martin Scorsese's latest AI venture, and ask when technology opens doors for filmmakers, and when it starts replacing people. Plus, why are family films still more likely to feature a talking animal than a woman over 60 in a leading role? ( Not to mention a man called Chris) Emma unpacks the latest industry figures and what they reveal about who Hollywood still thinks can sell a movie. And, in new releases, Kaleem recommends The Little Sister, the latest film from Hafsia Herzi, a moving coming-of-age drama that explores faith, identity and sexuality in contemporary Paris.

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Fjord Wins the Palme d’Or: Inside the Cannes 2026 Awards

Our final Cannes Film Festival wrap-up is here! In this episode of Cinema in One Take, Emma Jones reports back from the Croisette after a whirlwind fortnight at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, while Kaleem Aftab joins to unpack the winners, surprises, controversies and biggest talking points from this year’s Palme d’Or race. They discuss why Christian Mungiu’s Fjord emerged as the festival’s major winner, how films like Minotaur, Fatherland and La Bola Negra were also this year's big winners, and whether Cannes 2026 marked a shift away from easy ideological certainties in contemporary cinema. The conversation also explores: Why critics appeared divided over Fjord The growing prominence of LGBTQ stories at Cannes Why so many of this year’s prize winners were epic-length films The emotional impact of Coward and A Man of His Time The strongest discoveries from Un Certain Regard, including Every Time, Ben’Imana and Elephants in the Fog Breakout cinema from Rwanda, Nepal and the Central African Republic, including Congo Boy The British success of Clio Barnard’s I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning The devastating Iranian documentary Rehearsals for a Revolution And why some of the festival’s most exciting films may have existed outside the main competition entirely Plus: the Palm Dog winner La Perra, Cannes audience reactions, world cinema discoveries, and which films could now become major players in the Oscar conversation. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Cannes 2026: The Palme d’Or Race Is Wide Open

The Palme d’Or race at the Cannes Film Festival is becoming more unpredictable by the day as the festival enters its final stages. Emma Jones speaks to Kaleem Aftab from Cannes, to talk about the icy family drama Fjord starring Sebastian Stan, the politically charged Russian thriller Minotaur, and the visually stunning World War I love story Coward. They also explore one of the festival’s biggest emerging themes: the remarkable number of LGBTQ+ stories this year, from Japanese romance dramas to queer wartime love stories and buzzy late-night festival title Jim Queen. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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The Mood at Cannes 2026: Monsters, Mafia and Missing Movie Stars

AI children. Korean monsters. Missing Hollywood stars. And Jacob Elordi as Bond? In this Cannes dispatch, Emma Jones reports from the Film Festival as she and Kaleem Aftab break down some of the festival’s biggest premieres — from Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Sheep in the Box to Na Hong-jin’s bonkers sci-fi feature Hope, James Gray’s mafia thriller Paper Tiger, and Léa Seydoux’s acclaimed turn in Gentle Monster. They also ask: Is Cannes losing its Hollywood glamour? Why are critics so split this year? Are genre films now dominating competition? The growing buzz around breakout title Club Kid Plus: Javier Bardem in The Beloved, Scarlett Johansson’s absence hits Cannes hard, and Emma wonders if two French actors could walk away with major prizes. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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Is Cannes Less Glamorous? Plus Fatherland, Farhadi & Festival Fatigue

Emma Jones joins Kaleem Aftab from the Cannes Film Festival to unpack the films, politics, and glamour (as well as the growing exhaustion) at Cannes 2026. They discuss the strong early reaction to Pavel Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, why critics are divided over Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales, Sandra Hüller’s latest performance, Isabelle Huppert in Parisian meta-fiction mode, and whether Cannes critics have become too impatient with slow films. Plus: the death of the legendary Cannes villa party, shrinking festival budgets, Women in Film events and why the festival feels less decadent — but perhaps more revealing — than ever before.” Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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The First Days of Cannes, the Fight for Cinema Culture and Concert Films

Day one at Cannes and already the big question is: what kind of festival is Cannes becoming? Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab break down an opening night dominated by Jane Fonda, nostalgia, political carefulness, and the idea that Hollywood studios no longer need the Cannes Croisette to launch a film. They discuss the first Competition reactions, why subtler world cinema may be have a moment with Koji Fukada's Nagi Notes, and whether Cannes is finally getting better at telling stories about women over 50 in A Woman's Life. Plus: Demi Moore on AI, Park Chan-wook as jury president, Billie Eilish concert films, and why Iron Maiden fans might understand modern cinema culture better than executives do. From auteur cinema to heavy metal fandom — this is Cannes in One Take. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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AI Panic, Cannes Jury Predictions and a 'Sexy Film About Trees'

This week Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab discuss the growing controversy around AI in filmmaking as Kaleem’s produced feature 'Memory of Princess Mumbi', made with generative AI, begins its international release following an award-winning festival run. From generative AI and visual effects to the Oscars’ new guidance on AI eligibility, they ask where the ethical lines around artificial intelligence in cinema now sit — and whether the industry is reacting to the technology itself, or the fear surrounding it. Plus: the Cannes Film Festival jury takes shape under president Park Chan-wook, but apparently without actor Jacob Elordi. Emma and Kaleem predict what kinds of films this year’s jury could reward. And, could the The Odyssey face a box office challenge from the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and why is Emma recommending a “sexy film about trees,” otherwise known as Silent Friend, the hypnotic new film from Ildikó Enyedi. Sign up for our updates: cinemainonetake.substack.com Follow us: @aftabamon @emmapjones1

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What The Devil Wears Prada 2 Gets Right About Journalism Now

In this episode of Cinema in One Take, Emma Jones and Kaleem Aftab use The Devil Wears Prada 2 to ask what’s happened to journalism in the age of clicks, algorithms, and tech power? Arguing the film is often more about journalism than fashion, they explore how cultural journalism is being reshaped, from shrinking editorial budgets to influencers and platform-driven taste. Plus why style still matters on screen, from the original The Devil Wears Prada to La Dolce Vita (and even Zoolander.) And as they prepare for the Cannes Film Festival, they also reflect on access, embargoes, and the realities of covering global cinema today.

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