House of horrors and sports maverick

DESCRIBED by film critic Mark Kermode as having a camp feel in the vein of Mommie Dearest, psychological thriller The Housemaid (15), out now at the Regal Picturehouse in Henley, explores what happens when Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) takes on the role of live-in housemaid for Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) and husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), who live in a picture-perfect mansion with their daughter, Cecelia (Indiana Elle). Things get darker when Millie is given a key to her attic bedroom and gradually discovers that things aren’t quite right, in a series of shocking twists.

The film, directed by Paul Feig and based on the book by Freida McFadden, has a running time of two hours and 11 minutes.

Inspired by the life and career of American table tennis player Marty Reisman, Timothée Chalamet plays Marty Mauser in sports comedy drama Marty Supreme (15).

The charismatic, crazy Marty is aiming to reach the table tennis championships and patenting his table tennis ball, the Marty Supreme. Meanwhile, he is having fun with Rachel (Odessa A’zion) and Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow).

Directed by Josh Safdie and with a long list of guest stars, the film has a running time of two hours and 29 minutes.

There is a preview of Hamnet (12A), from writer/director Chloé Zhao in a screenplay co-written by Maggie O’Farrell. The film explores how William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, lost their 11-year-old son Hamnet. This went on to inspire Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. The film stars Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn and has a running time of just over two hours.

There are also previews of Is This Thing On? (PG) and Song Sung Blue (12A), while continuing are Avatar: Fire and Ash (2D) (12A) and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG).