Entertainment from Wednesday, January 21st, 2026

Having watched 117 films at the cinema last year, and a further 6 so far this year, I was recently asked how many hours of my life that equated to, and the honest answer is...rather a lot! Whilst movie durations fell during the 2000s, they are back on the rise, with the latest Avatar instalment clocking in at 192 minutes. If you think that's a large chunk of time, a local cinema near us is showing The Hobbit Trilogy on Sunday, starting at 10:30AM, and lasting for 572 minutes (so you'll be emerging blearily-eyed after 8PM!).

In the midst of some other big life stuff happening, I've only managed a double feature this week at the cinema, both of which take us to Tokyo. Rental Family (5 stars) is a wholesome, uplifting, poignant look at human connection and loneliness, told through the eyes of an actor (Brendan Fraser) who takes up a role with an agency that provides people to stand in at important occasions.