thriller

Paris Saint-Germain score three first-half goals, but Erling Haaland brace nearly drags Manchester City back in UCL.

Paris Saint-Germain further soured the mood at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City’s first home game since the guilty verdict on widespread flouting of Premier League financial rules ended in a 4-2 Champions League defeat on Wednesday.

The European champions turned on the style to strike three times inside the opening 35 minutes through Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha.

But City stormed back in the second half as Erling Haaland scored twice on either side of Maghnes Akliouche’s strike, which briefly restored PSG’s three-goal cushion.

The 10-time English champions face swingeing sanctions unless they can successfully appeal last month’s ruling by an independent commission, which found the club guilty on more than 100 charges of financial impropriety.

City shrugged off the uncertainty over their future to win 3-0 at Liverpool on Sunday and remain top of the Premier League, but PSG showed why they are the favourites to win this competition for a third consecutive season.

Former City manager Pep Guardiola returned to the Etihad for the first time since his departure in May, sitting behind the club’s embattled chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO, Ferran Soriano, in a show of solidarity.

City made passing reference to the guilty verdict with a lengthy pre-match video detailing the club’s historic moments of celebration both before and after an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008 that transformed their fortunes.

Behind one end, supporters unfurled a giant banner reading: “I’m City till I die.”

Yet the fighting talk in the stands didn’t match the on-field action as City were blown away by a scintillating first 45 minutes from the visitors.

Luis Enrique’s decision to leave Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the bench proved inspired, as it meant Doue started wide on the left.

Gianluigi Donnarumma had a point to prove after the Italian goalkeeper was let go by the PSG coach just months after helping deliver the club’s first Champions League title in 2025.

However, it turned out to be a night to forget for the giant Italian.

Donnarumma was caught out at his near post by Doue’s outside-the-box effort after a lightning counter-attack to open the scoring.

The move for the second goal two minutes later was even more impressive, as Doue and Dembele exchanged an elaborate one-two before the latter headed in at the far post.

Achraf Hakimi hit the post before Vitinha rattled in PSG’s third from the edge of the box.

Maresca responded with a triple substitution at half-time and managed to salvage some pride, even if the deficit proved too much to overturn.

Antoine Semenyo and Enzo Fernandez missed glaring chances to pull a goal back even before Haaland glanced home a header from Iliman Ndiaye’s cross.

Yet City were hit by a sucker punch when Donnarumma got a hand to Akliouche’s effort, but the ball looped high and spun back into the net.

Nuno Mendes made a brilliant clearance off his own line, and Haaland hit the bar before the Norwegian slotted home his second of the night.

Donnarumma saved a late Ferran Torres penalty, denying the French champions a fifth goal.

But in the battle between two state-backed projects that have reshaped European football, Qatar-owned PSG are the top dogs right now as City face a scandal that puts their trophy haul over the past 15 years in question.

The neo-noir crime classic has an almost perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes and fans say it is one of the greatest films ever made

It was a film which cemented the blossoming careers of two of the world’s biggest actors, has a near perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for a huge nine Oscars – and now it’s airing on Film4 tonight.

LA Confidential is a noir crime thriller starring Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito and Australian actors, Guy Pierce and Russell Crowe, in what would become a breakthrough role for both of them.

Based on James Ellroy’s novel, the film was directed by Curtis Hanson, who also co-wrote the script with Brian Helgeland. Set in the Los Angeles that gives the movie its title LA Confidential is the story of a group of police officers in the 1950s and deals with corruption and the world of Hollywood celebrity.

LA Confidential was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Sound and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards and walked away with Oscars for Kim Basinger for Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay. It is often cited as one of the best films to have lost the Best Picture Oscar.

The film also has an incredibly rare, almost perfect rating on the film review website, Rotten Tomatoes, standing at a 99 percent approval rating.

One critic said: “Writer-director Curtis Hanson’s adaptation of the James Ellroy novel wasn’t merely one of the two or three greatest movies of the 1990s; it stands as a masterpiece for the ages.”

Another added: “The flawless ensemble…, the masterfully written story, the vibrant yet gritty vision of 1950s LA – most everything clicks in this fittingly cynical and undeniably seductive period crime thriller that still maintains its style and sizzle.”

While a third wrote: “Adapted from a novel said to be unadaptable and set in a genre that has seemed increasingly played out, it brings clarity and life to its art and to life. That’s a pretty good definition of a masterpiece, isn’t it?”

Fans of the film were equally as lavish in their praise from the movie. One wrote: “A masterclass in crime noir. L.A. Confidential is one of those movies that reminds you why people love cinema. The cast is phenomenal, the acting is excellent, and the production design makes every scene feel authentic. The writing, dialogue, editing, and score all come together to create a gripping crime noir that never loses momentum.”

Another said: “A mystery thriller that moves like few others. The twists and turns will be obvious to any average movie goer, but the plot was never the focus. This is a clear cut character piece and here, few can rival the masterclass work on display. The cast is flawless, the script is magnificent and Hanson’s directing somehow weaves all of it together so it’s not only (structurally) a marvel, but wildly entertaining.”

While a third added: “L.A. Confidential is, without a doubt, the best film of the ’90s, and one of the best films ever made. Curtis Hanson was a much better director than Speilberg or Tarantino. Great script, the story is riveting, the dialogue is smart and funny, and the characters are written in three if not four dimensions. One can almost forgive the casting of DeVito, who did a good job. There should have been several sequels.”

LA Confidential is on Film 4 at 12.45am this morning.

FANS of Michael Jackson will be looking at the competition and hoping to beat it when his latest memorabilia goes under the hammer. 

The late King of Pop’s original Thriller jacket and Motown 25 glove are being put up for Auction in Abu Dhabi.

On December 7, the iconic garments will headline Julien’s Auctions’ Fashion Legacy Evening Sale.

Created by Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the red leather jacket was one of two created for Michael’s 1983 video – with the other shredded for the zombie scenes and now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Estimates for the jacket up for auction are only available upon request by interested bidders. It last sold in 2011 for almost £1.4million.

Michael wore the white rhinestone glove, tipped to fetch £700,000, the same year at the taping of Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.

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In 2022, a massive collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia was being auctioned with an estimated value of £2.5million.

The 32,000 items linked with the King of Pop were being sold as a single lot in a private online auction on behalf of an anonymous owner.

The collection was originally intended for a museum in Los Angeles, but plans fell through and it was auctioned through House of Consultants.

The owner said: “This is a rare opportunity to buy cultural heritage from the most influential artist of the century.”

The unpredictable crime drama follows the puzzling deaths of four guests at a dinner party

MobLand star Emmett J. Scanlan is starring in a new murder mystery alongside Celebrity Traitors’ Sharon Rooney.

Channel 5 has released a first look at their upcoming thriller, An Impossible Way to Die, which follows two detectives who are tasked with uncovering the mysterious deaths of four guests at a dinner party.

The six-part series has been described as “gripping” by the broadcaster, and follows Sharon Rooney’s character, DS Katie Salter, whose quiet local policing life is upended when she is thrust into a high-pressure murder investigation with DI Niall Conway, played by Emmett J Scanlon.

Described as a character-driven, unpredictable drama exploring identity, protection, power, and corruption, the story will see DS Katie Salter “happily solving everyday crimes until fate drags her into an impossible murder mystery”.

The synopsis continues: “Four people sat around a table seemingly set for a dinner party – except they are all dead. The only clue is a scorpion crawling out of one of the victim’s mouths.”

It continues: “Salter is not your stereotypical damaged and tormented TV detective. Smart, diligent, and committed to her family, tensions quickly surface when Salter is partnered with DI Niall Conway, lead investigator on the case. Salter’s measured, grounded approach clashes with Conway’s all-consuming dedication to the job.

“At first, the two detectives appear fundamentally incompatible. Yet, as the investigation deepens and the pressure intensifies, Conway begins to recognise the value of Salter’s empathy, optimism, and instinctive understanding of people.”

The synopsis adds: “As the case grows increasingly impossible, secrets are unearthed and conspiracies emerge, lives are put at risk as the detectives race against time to connect seemingly disparate cases and unmask a killer before it’s too late.”

DS Katie Salter actress Sharon Rooney is best known for playing Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary and was recently seen competing in the latest series of The Celebrity Traitors. While Emmett J. Scanlan is famed for portraying Paul O’Donnell in Paramount+ crime series MobLand, his other recent roles include A Working Man, Gangs of London, and How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.

Coldwater and Vigil star Lois Chimimba will star alongside Rooney and Scanlan, and will be joined by Black Mirror’s Jonny Lavelle and This Country’s Ashley McGuire.

The crime series is scheduled to air in 2027 and has been penned by Death is Paradise’s Jillian Mannion, alongside Ciara Conway, David Persiva, Robin Ganderton, and Rowena Johnson.

Adam Wimpenny serves as director for the thriller, which is executive produced by Clapperboard’s Mike Benson and Myf Hopkins. Amber Howorth also serves as producer

An Impossible Way to Die will air on Channel 5 in 2027

Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan told BBC Radio Somerset:

“It was a crazy game of rugby once again, Bath versus Exeter. We started the game really well but then they came out punching after half-time and scored three unanswered tries.

“But then that’s why this game is a 23-man effort as we then came back with the impact of our eight (subs) who made a really good difference, so I’m really happy with the five points.

“We’re very proud of our bench and numbers 16 to 23 at this club are just as important as numbers one to 15.”

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:

“The important emotion is I’m walking away going ‘we’ve got a team here and we’ve got something to work with’.

“Last week was such a patchy performance (losing 45-24 to Gloucester) but today we showed a lot of good qualities.

“The qualities of being in a fight to the death, that’s what Exeter Chiefs are about. Do you want to be perfect or do you want to be in a fight every single week? Well we’ll be in a fight every single week.

“I’m quite happy with that, that’s what we’re good at and I saw that today.”

Bath: Donoghue; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, de Glanville; Russell, van der Linde; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels (capt), Richards, Pepper, du Preez.

Replacements: Frost, Kirk, Griffin, Hill, Reid, Carr-Smith, Ojomoh, Coetzee.

Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Butt, Wyatt; Skinner, Varney; Burger, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott, Wilson, Jenkins (capt), E Roots, James, Fisilau.

Replacements: Gulley, Goodrick-Clarke, Tchumbadze, Beckerleg, Worley Brady, Wolstenholme, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush.

Sin-bin: Varney (61)

Referee: Luke Pearce

Director Na Hong-jin’s action movie “Hope” opened in 1,500 U.S. cinemas this month, marking the biggest domestic theatrical footprint for a Korean-language film since the Academy Award-winning “Parasite.”

That’s a big bet, particularly for a foreign film. But after the success of “Parasite,” the growth of Korean shows such as Netflix’s “Squid Game” on streaming and the broader acceptance of subtitles in film and television, it was a bet Neon was willing to make.

The indie studio snapped up North American and English language rights to “Hope” for an undisclosed price before the film’s world premiere in the spring at the Cannes Film Festival.

Right off the bat, Neon knew the film would be positioned in South Korea as a big action thriller and massive event film for director Na, and wanted to match that.

In the film, which includes Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender in its cast, a group of people fight back against a creature that rampages through a Korean village.

“The reality is that just because a movie has subtitles, doesn’t make it an art film or a niche film,” Elissa Federoff, Neon’s chief distribution officer, told me this month. “And this, to us, felt like a big action blockbuster.”

She continued, “To me, it was this movie that certainly cinephiles were going to be curious about. But I also knew that we could cross over to a broader audience if we gave it a shot.”

So far, “Hope” has grossed more than $8 million domestically and $45.6 million worldwide on a reported production budget of at least $45 million.

Neon expected to reach Korean and Korean American audiences with “Hope,” but the film also over-indexed with Latinos, who represented 27% of the audience, according to PostTrak theatrical data.

Such a wide national release is unusual for foreign films, which typically play in specialty theaters on fewer than 100 screens. Though its domestic box office total doesn’t indicate that the film fully crossed over to mainstream audiences, “for a foreign film, it’s very successful” and has done “solid business,” said David A. Gross, who writes the FranchiseRe movie industry newsletter.

Neon, of course, has experience with Korean cinema. It distributed 2019’s “Parasite,” which became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture. After “Parasite” won the Oscar, it was shown on 2,000 screens, about 17 weeks after its release. The Bong Joon Ho-directed film ended up grossing more than $53 million domestically and brought in more than $263 million worldwide.

The film put Neon on the map in many ways, Federoff said, and also pushed the boundaries for what the industry considered a best picture nominee. Films such as “Parasite” and “Hope” should also expand what studios consider to be mainstream fare.

“Studios and distributors are still boxing things out a little bit and thinking of these as not as accessible or not for a general commercial audience,” Federoff said. “And I would totally disagree with it.”

Though “Hope” is a long way from the domestic box-office success of “Parasite,” these kinds of swings are important to keep the pipeline of original films humming and to vary the types of fare mainstream audiences can see at their local theaters.

Although art house films once skewed toward older audiences, indie films are now popular with younger generations, who have also become accustomed to reading subtitles.

That could bode well for future foreign language films looking to make inroads with mainstream audiences. While giving a wide release to a foreign language film could be seen as risky, it’s a move Federoff believes can help bolster creative filmmaking and keep people engaged at cinemas.

“My hope is that studios start to trust their audience and respect their audiences a little bit more,” she said. “I think we can all do this. I think we can all say that we just have to have more risk taking involved with what we do. There’s a lot of incredible international cinema out there that should be seen by everybody.”

Paramount and the states fight back

Paramount Skydance and the state attorneys general are defending their proposed settlement in the face of skeptical questions from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), arguing that the judge overseeing the case should approve the agreement without the deeper review the senator has requested.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín told both sides to answer Booker’s questions before she ruled on whether to approve the proposed consent decree. She said at the time that she would issue a ruling “in due course.”

On Monday, both sides issued separate filings that argued the terms of the settlement were adequate. In particular, the states pushed back on assertions that the consent decree was too weak, saying it “reflects a reasonable compromise that addresses the competitive issues posed by the proposed merger in the markets alleged in the complaint.”

“The decree’s enforcement provisions have teeth,” the states wrote in their filing.

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

A bipartisan group of lawmakers formally introduced a bill last week to create a federal film and television tax credit.

The proposed legislation would provide a 20% credit on above-the-line and below-the-line U.S. labor costs for eligible productions, including postproduction and visual effects work — two industries that have increasingly moved overseas.

The uncapped credit could increase to 30% with several uplifts, including for independent productions or filming in a federally declared disaster area, such as Los Angeles County.

What I’m watching

It’s fall, which means I’m all in on “Dancing with the Stars,” as I have been since Season 2, when Drew Lachey won with pro partner Cheryl Burke back in 2006.

This season feels like it was made for millennials like me, with contestants such as Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Dewan. But my favorite dance last week was actually Guillermo Rodriguez’s paso doble.

The new Netflix thriller is currently sitting at number one on the streaming platform’s most-watched films

The true-story thriller has been slammed by furious viewers who ‘wasted an hour and a half of their lives’.

Brand new film Unabomber is based on the real story of lone wolf American terrorist Theodore Kaczynski, who carried out a mail bombing campaign that killed 3 people and injured 23 more. Known as the Unabomber, he committed his crimes between 1978 and 1995.

He was apprehended in 1996 and later pleaded guilty to his crimes. Theodore was consequently given multiple life sentences and spent over two decades in prison. He died by suicide on June 10, 2023, at the age of 81.

Netflix’s take on the late criminal’s story explores his transformation from a bright Harvard student into the infamous Unabomber. It stars 19-year-old actor Jacob Tremblay as the title character.

The main cast also features Oscar winner Russell Crowe, playing a Harvard professor who gets caught in Theodore’s orbit. While beloved actress Shailene Woodley portrays an FBI agent determined to get to the bottom of the Unabomber’s crimes.

The film has already climbed to Number 1 on Netflix’s most-watched charts after just one day on the streaming platform. But many viewers have urged others to skip the star-studded drama.

Writing on Rotten Tomatoes, one disappointed viewer said: “What an absolute waste of time. As far as movies go this had an okay cast. The story was based on real life so interesting I guess as it did happen. It’s sad it happened though but it did. I watched it and was expecting more than I receive.”

Someone else joined in to add: “A word that comes to mind is HOW. HOW DO THEY GET SO MANY BRILLIANT ACTORS IN 1 MOVIE AND STILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE MOVIE SUCK. I WAS BARLEY ABLE TO FINISH IT. COULD OF USED THESE ACTORS TO MAKE SOMETHING GREAT. LET DOWN.”

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Someone else simply wrote on X: ” #unabomber on Netflix is an hour and a half of my life I’m not getting back.” At the time of writing, the thriller has a sour 22% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

But others have rushed to the movie’s defence, with one sharing: “Surprised by the negative reviews. I found the film very well done and with a captivating story, quite well engineered. Acting is brilliant and everything is top notch (costume, music, etc). Great film.”

While a second fan added: “I actually loved this. I was just hooked at the very start. And I’m not easily entertained by movies. First of all I loved the switch from the 50s to the 90s it was refreshing. “

Unabomber is streaming now on Netflix

Fans of dark crime dramas have a new thriller to look forward to, with a familiar face set to lead Sky’s latest big adaptation.

Fans of dark, gripping crime dramas have a new series to add to their watchlists.

David Oyelowo is set to lead the cast in Sky’s new series The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, alongside rising star Viola Prettejohn, who is known for playing young Princess Elizabeth in the sixth season of The Crown.

The eight-part Sky Original is adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium novels. It could be perfect for viewers who enjoyed shows such as The Fall and The Capture, with a dark mystery, complex characters and a dangerous investigation at its heart.

David, who is known for his roles in Selma and Interstellar will take on the role of investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Viola Prettejohn will play Lisbeth Salander, the brilliant but troubled hacker at the centre of Larsson’s story.

The story follows Blomkvist as he is hired by wealthy businessman Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece Harriet.

Harriet vanished more than 30 years earlier from the Vanger family’s isolated island home, but Henrik remains convinced that a member of his own family was responsible.

Blomkvist soon teams up with Salander, an exceptionally talented hacker with a complicated past and a fierce determination to uncover the truth.

Together, they begin to uncover secrets buried within the Vanger family, leading them towards a far more dangerous mystery than they initially expected.

The new adaptation will bring Larsson’s story into the modern day, exploring themes including power, misogyny, secrecy and technology.

The original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novel was published in 2005 and went on to become an international bestseller. The Millennium books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and have already been adapted for both Swedish and English-language audiences.

The first English-language film adaptation was released in 2011 and starred Daniel Craig as Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Salander, with David Fincher directing.

The new Sky series will offer a fresh interpretation of the characters and story for a new audience and it comes from Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind The Crown and The Day of the Jackal.

Meghan Lyvers, Managing Director, Scripted Originals, Sky, said: “Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist are two of modern fiction’s most iconic and compelling characters, and we’re thrilled to have Viola and David bringing them to life for a new generation.”

She added: “Our brilliant writing team, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s bold vision and our fantastic partners at Left Bank Pictures are creating a series that honours everything audiences love about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, while taking its characters, mystery and themes into a world that feels unmistakably of the moment. We can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

Filming is due to begin in Lithuania next month, with the series set to air on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland, as well as Sky platforms across Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo lands on Sky soon