The Monkey review – fear is the key in a terrifyingly brilliant toy story
Longlegs director Osgood Perkins triumphs again with an eerie, emotionally profound tale of a malevolent wind-up toy
On my radar: Shon Faye’s cultural highlights
The author on an obscene drill track, a writing retreat off the coast of Naples and her love of Almodóvar films
Grosse Pointe Blank and Miami Blues director George Armitage dies aged 82
Armitage was also responsible for the 1972 blaxploitation remake of Get Carter, made during his time working for Roger Corman
Sandalheimer: can Christopher Nolan restore the grandeur of ancient-world epics?
Once a prestige genre with lavish spectacle and global stars, it’s since grown pretty dusty and drear. But Nolan’s Odyssey may yet revive its bronzed vigour
Why Conclave should win the best picture Oscar
Sturdy, classic storytelling and a peerless cast led by Ralph Fiennes’s anxious cardinal make this drama of Vatican intrigue a solid bet
Picnic at Hanging Rock review – Australian fever dream still dazzling 50 years on
Peter Weir’s 1975 parable of imperial anxiety and sexual hysteria, rereleased for its 50th anniversary, is a classic of Australian new wave cinema
The Monkey review – slapdash splatter comedy is a grating misfire
Writer-director Osgood Perkins follows up horror hit Longlegs with a tiresome, juvenile adaptation of a Stephen King short story about an evil toy monkey
September Says review – intense sisterly bond leads to things getting strange in rural Ireland
There’s a lot to grab your attention here, but strong performances struggle to save Ariane Labed’s adaptation of Daisy Johnson’s novel Sisters
A ‘great shock’: Julianne Moore’s children’s book under review by Trump administration
The actor’s book Freckleface Strawberry is on a list of library books suspended for a ‘compliance review’ after a presidential executive order
Last chance to enter! The 2025 Observer/ Anthony Burgess prize for arts journalism closes soon
The annual competition to discover outstanding new critical writing on the arts is open for submissions until 28 February
Jane’s world: fans and admirers pick their favourite Austen characters
Helen Fielding, David Baddiel, Nicola Sturgeon and other cultural figures celebrate the great writer’s 250th birthday
The Guardian view on film awards: and the winner is…
Editorial: Getting rid of separate best actor and best actress categories is not the answer to lack of diversity in the industry
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron audiobook review – bold truth-telling
Growing older, culinary mishaps and meeting JFK are among the subjects in this fiercely funny collection of essays, narrated by the author
Sidelined: The QB and Me review – hot cheerleader meets star quarterback movie is streaming-age bubblegum
Slickly made high-school movie is packed with slow-motion corridor walks and flawless cheer-squad routines – but it’s hard to get caught up in a plot with so few surprises
The Stepford Wives at 50: a compelling idea in search of a better movie
The 1975 adaptation of Ira Levin’s influential sci-fi thriller has its share of unnerving moments but its brainwashed housewives concept is still in search of a better vehicle