Dreaming of a Spring SXSW

Even though out pick of the week is called DEAD OF WINTER

Author

Ed Rigg
February 27, 2026

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RecDek is for independent entertainment discovery. Our House is for the indie industry in all its forms.

Well what a long and controversy free week its been…

A controversy-free BAFTAS last Sunday night. Everything went as well as could be. Without a hitch. As smooth as butter. And also with hilarious jokes and witty monologues from host Alan Cummings.

Paul Thomas-Anderson walked away the star of the show, and that makes sense because he is rather good at what he does. But methinks the real winner of the night was Robert Aramayo who walked away with Rising Star and Best Actor beating Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Jesse Plemons (Bugonia). I called it you know, and even thought if these BAFTA voters who-ever-they-are, have balls/guts they’ll vote for Robert, and then he won. If you have’t seen I SWEAR yet - immediately add it to your RecDek watchlist.

Loved the Dad roar too. Honestly wish I could roar like this.

Netflix drops their Warners bid! After all that - the powers that be at the streaming giant have decided NOT to match the bid from Paramount. Fair enough, sounded like a lot of money to me. And David Ellison seemed to reallllllllly want to WIN - so walking away before it got ugly sounded sensible. And cheaper. I hope Netflix now spin up a cinema studio angle, or something, as a sort of: we can do it too, you know?

Berlinale has not managed to escape controversy either with rumours that Tricia Tuttle (Festival Director) was summoned in for a special meeting of Berlin’s supervisory board, called by German culture minister Wolfram Weimer, with the expectation she may be fired (we know - cray cray) after a pro-Palestine speech at the closing gala. Que petitions, disbelief and and general outcry from the industry at large. No news yet and no news is good news, right.

Onto cheerier topics and brighter times.

How about a film that you’re SURELY going to enjoy?

As ever, we got you. (Even if it is called DEAD OF WINTER).

Our pick of the week

Dead of Winter

So, Emma Thompson's driving through snowy nowhere, gets lost, pulls into a weird property asking directions. Hears unsettling noises from inside the house, spots strange bloke (Marc Menchaca) chopping wood near massive blood stain in the snow. He's abrupt, says it's from "a deer," tells her how to reach the lake. As she's leaving, she realises something doesn’t feel right. Then Thompson meets the guy's even more terrifying wife (Judy Greer).

This film could be heading into backwoods slasher territory but it's smarter than that - these captors have proper motivations beyond just being psychos. Thompson's character reveals layers too: experienced outdoorswoman who knows the terrain, doesn't completely panic when shit gets real, armed with realisation that she's maybe got less to lose than them in this situation. She's strategic - understands how to set traps, how subzero temperatures can become a weapon.

Brian Kirk directs. This moves fast and keeps you gripped. Thompson's warmth really balances out Greer's vicious captor brilliantly. Old-fashioned thriller energy - properly tense, bit sentimental, some dark comedy, genuinely grim moments.

See you soon.

Ed

RecDek is for independent entertainment discovery. Our House is for the indie industry in all its forms. Tell your friends. www.recdek.com

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