Jonathan Wakeham
@jonathanwakeham.bsky.social
Screenwriter at Independent Talent (UK) & Lit Entertainment (US). Mentor at Arts Emergency. Coming soon: Hollywood noir, polar science and spies. WGGB.
Ambika Mod is phenomenal in Sophia Chetin-Leuner's Porn Play at the Royal Court: funny, smart, tough & achingly vulnerable across its multiple scenes. Josie Rourke's direction brings a confident swing & a lovely transparency to the acting, particularly in a sleepover scene. A bold, beautiful play.
November 18, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Ambika Mod is phenomenal in Sophia Chetin-Leuner's Porn Play at the Royal Court: funny, smart, tough & achingly vulnerable across its multiple scenes. Josie Rourke's direction brings a confident swing & a lovely transparency to the acting, particularly in a sleepover scene. A bold, beautiful play.
Louise Hémon's THE GIRL IN THE SNOW stars Galatéa Bellugi as a young teacher sent to a remote Alpine village in 1899. Modernity meets superstition with dangerous consequences in a spellbinding, sensual fable shot on location with a largely nonprofessional cast. At @frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social.
November 17, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Louise Hémon's THE GIRL IN THE SNOW stars Galatéa Bellugi as a young teacher sent to a remote Alpine village in 1899. Modernity meets superstition with dangerous consequences in a spellbinding, sensual fable shot on location with a largely nonprofessional cast. At @frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social.
Valéry Carnoy's WILD FOXES is a remarkable debut: a taut, tender teen boxing movie that's also a deep reflection on male friendship, sexuality and vulnerability, set at an elite sports academy. Playing at the @frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social French Film Festival. www.institut-francais.org.uk/cinema/#/
November 17, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Valéry Carnoy's WILD FOXES is a remarkable debut: a taut, tender teen boxing movie that's also a deep reflection on male friendship, sexuality and vulnerability, set at an elite sports academy. Playing at the @frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social French Film Festival. www.institut-francais.org.uk/cinema/#/
“I think those of us who live with great fame have to say that it is a trick of survival, and that a lot of us don’t like it.”
A powerful, poignant obituary for Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, whose childhood reads like a Hollywood horror story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/a...
A powerful, poignant obituary for Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, whose childhood reads like a Hollywood horror story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/a...
November 4, 2025 at 11:59 AM
“I think those of us who live with great fame have to say that it is a trick of survival, and that a lot of us don’t like it.”
A powerful, poignant obituary for Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, whose childhood reads like a Hollywood horror story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/a...
A powerful, poignant obituary for Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, whose childhood reads like a Hollywood horror story: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/a...
Reposted by Jonathan Wakeham
For @letterboxd.social I wrote a starter pack of films directed by women to watch this #Noirvember!
Films Fatale: a starter pack of twenty noir features directed by women • Journal • A Letterboxd Magazine
Noirvember founder Marya E. Gates rings in the month of moral ambiguities and mysteries with a starter pack of twenty women-directed noir features—cigarettes and stilettos not included.
letterboxd.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:02 PM
For @letterboxd.social I wrote a starter pack of films directed by women to watch this #Noirvember!
Sydney Sweeney is terrific in David Michôd's CHRISTY, which kept me on the edge of my seat for 2 hours. It's a powerful, visceral, sometimes harrowing film that's as much about gender, class & relationships as it is about boxing, with fearless support from Ben Foster & an incandescent Katy O’Brian.
October 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Sydney Sweeney is terrific in David Michôd's CHRISTY, which kept me on the edge of my seat for 2 hours. It's a powerful, visceral, sometimes harrowing film that's as much about gender, class & relationships as it is about boxing, with fearless support from Ben Foster & an incandescent Katy O’Brian.
Congratulations @mrdavebyrne.bsky.social & his team at the Royal Court for a barnstorming 70th Anniversary season. I'm particularly excited to see The Shitheads, The Afronauts & John Proctor Is The Villain; do check out the brilliant new playwriting opportunities too: royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/
October 28, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Congratulations @mrdavebyrne.bsky.social & his team at the Royal Court for a barnstorming 70th Anniversary season. I'm particularly excited to see The Shitheads, The Afronauts & John Proctor Is The Villain; do check out the brilliant new playwriting opportunities too: royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/
Lucile Hadžihalilović is one of the great directors of coming-of age stories. Her new film THE ICE TOWER is a sparkling, sinister fairy tale about the power of film, the seduction of stardom & the deceptions of desire, starring Marion Cotillard & Clara Pacini. Coming to BFI & UK cinemas next month.
October 24, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Lucile Hadžihalilović is one of the great directors of coming-of age stories. Her new film THE ICE TOWER is a sparkling, sinister fairy tale about the power of film, the seduction of stardom & the deceptions of desire, starring Marion Cotillard & Clara Pacini. Coming to BFI & UK cinemas next month.
Kelly Reichardt is my favourite director so it's no surprise that I loved THE MASTERMIND, a tragicomic 1970s heist movie with Josh O'Connor as (perhaps) the US cousin of his British tomb raider in LA CHIMERA. In our era of triumphant male mediocrity it's a timely story told with style, wit & warmth.
October 24, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Kelly Reichardt is my favourite director so it's no surprise that I loved THE MASTERMIND, a tragicomic 1970s heist movie with Josh O'Connor as (perhaps) the US cousin of his British tomb raider in LA CHIMERA. In our era of triumphant male mediocrity it's a timely story told with style, wit & warmth.
I loved Nia DaCosta's sly, sensual, serpentine HEDDA, starring Tessa Thompson as the brittle, beautiful Hedda & the magnificent Nina Hoss as her ex-lover & potential nemesis. Set over one night at an English country house in the 1950s, it's a witty, decadent treat, beautifully shot by Sean Bobbitt.
October 24, 2025 at 12:10 PM
I loved Nia DaCosta's sly, sensual, serpentine HEDDA, starring Tessa Thompson as the brittle, beautiful Hedda & the magnificent Nina Hoss as her ex-lover & potential nemesis. Set over one night at an English country house in the 1950s, it's a witty, decadent treat, beautifully shot by Sean Bobbitt.
Movie jewel thieves: "We need to get your pulse down to 30, your temperature to zero and your fingerprints lasered off. Also a cryptographer, an acrobat, a hacker, two HALO suits and a mini submarine."
French jewel thieves: "Get me 2 mopeds, a chainsaw and a ladder. See you at lunch."
French jewel thieves: "Get me 2 mopeds, a chainsaw and a ladder. See you at lunch."
October 19, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Movie jewel thieves: "We need to get your pulse down to 30, your temperature to zero and your fingerprints lasered off. Also a cryptographer, an acrobat, a hacker, two HALO suits and a mini submarine."
French jewel thieves: "Get me 2 mopeds, a chainsaw and a ladder. See you at lunch."
French jewel thieves: "Get me 2 mopeds, a chainsaw and a ladder. See you at lunch."
Reposted by Jonathan Wakeham
'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize
October 10, 2025 at 9:31 AM
'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize
Cord Jefferson's terrific AMERICAN FICTION, starring a deservedly Oscar-nominated Jeffrey Wright, is on BBC2 on Sunday night. Based on Percival Everett's novel Erasure, it's bleakly ironic that it's currently unavailable either on streaming or disc in the UK, so don't miss this chance to catch it.
September 26, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Cord Jefferson's terrific AMERICAN FICTION, starring a deservedly Oscar-nominated Jeffrey Wright, is on BBC2 on Sunday night. Based on Percival Everett's novel Erasure, it's bleakly ironic that it's currently unavailable either on streaming or disc in the UK, so don't miss this chance to catch it.
Condraculations to @mogster.bsky.social & Emma Baggott for their ferocious, funny & frightening Dracula at @lyrichammersmith.bsky.social. Umi Myers is a captivating Mina, re-enacting her own story as a timely warning to all of us to question who's trying to scare us & why. lyric.co.uk/shows/dracula/
September 24, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Condraculations to @mogster.bsky.social & Emma Baggott for their ferocious, funny & frightening Dracula at @lyrichammersmith.bsky.social. Umi Myers is a captivating Mina, re-enacting her own story as a timely warning to all of us to question who's trying to scare us & why. lyric.co.uk/shows/dracula/
The tiny but mighty @camdenpt.bsky.social has supported 1000s of theatre careers, challenging every convention to create new adventures for artists & audiences. In a perilous time for artistic freedom & funding CPT needs your help! Please support them if you can: www.justgiving.com/campaign/lon...
Long Live CPT!
We're facing a funding emergency: help us raise £80,000 by December 2025 to protect the next generation of artists and audiences.
www.justgiving.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:28 PM
The tiny but mighty @camdenpt.bsky.social has supported 1000s of theatre careers, challenging every convention to create new adventures for artists & audiences. In a perilous time for artistic freedom & funding CPT needs your help! Please support them if you can: www.justgiving.com/campaign/lon...
MELANCHOLIA (Lars von Trier, 2011)
September 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM
MELANCHOLIA (Lars von Trier, 2011)
Cow | Deer at the Royal Court is a powerful, beautiful work of collective attention, imagination and empathy by Katie Mitchell, Nina Segal and Melanie Wilson. I found its dual reality of sound story + live foley spellbinding. royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/cow...
Cow | Deer - Royal Court
royalcourttheatre.com
September 15, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Cow | Deer at the Royal Court is a powerful, beautiful work of collective attention, imagination and empathy by Katie Mitchell, Nina Segal and Melanie Wilson. I found its dual reality of sound story + live foley spellbinding. royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/cow...
Darren Aronofsky's CAUGHT STEALING is a giddy, gaudy, gruesome soufflé that brings a welcome, loose-limbed new swing to his style. For me it never quite recovered from a key character death that should have landed much harder, but Austin Butler & Zoë Kravitz are a delightful screwball double-act.
September 12, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Darren Aronofsky's CAUGHT STEALING is a giddy, gaudy, gruesome soufflé that brings a welcome, loose-limbed new swing to his style. For me it never quite recovered from a key character death that should have landed much harder, but Austin Butler & Zoë Kravitz are a delightful screwball double-act.
Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST is a wildly entertaining kidnap caper that loses the heartstopping tension of Kurosawa's original but gains a spry wit, social satire and swagger that plays like a Denzel Washington greatest hits album, gorgeously shot by Matthew Libatique. In UK cinemas now.
September 11, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST is a wildly entertaining kidnap caper that loses the heartstopping tension of Kurosawa's original but gains a spry wit, social satire and swagger that plays like a Denzel Washington greatest hits album, gorgeously shot by Matthew Libatique. In UK cinemas now.
Dance down to Southbank tonight if you can for WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER WALKED ON THE MOON, Rambert and (LA)HORDE's takeover: a playful, political, sensual carnival that feels like a much-needed act of defiance in this time of joylessly totalitarian politics. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/we-...
September 6, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Dance down to Southbank tonight if you can for WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER WALKED ON THE MOON, Rambert and (LA)HORDE's takeover: a playful, political, sensual carnival that feels like a much-needed act of defiance in this time of joylessly totalitarian politics. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/we-...
Still buzzing from @companythree.bsky.social's new show THIS CITY: a fresh, funny, sharply observed portrait of London in all its temporal, emotional and political seasons, beautifully co-created and performed by its young cast. Last two shows today at Park Theatre: parktheatre.co.uk/events/this-...
This City - Park Theatre
This City traces the city we live in through the eyes of our teenagers. Through intertwining, autobiographical stories, this is a play about the importance of community and belonging, and the unpredic...
parktheatre.co.uk
September 6, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Still buzzing from @companythree.bsky.social's new show THIS CITY: a fresh, funny, sharply observed portrait of London in all its temporal, emotional and political seasons, beautifully co-created and performed by its young cast. Last two shows today at Park Theatre: parktheatre.co.uk/events/this-...
Jack Clayton's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1982) dates from Disney's brief era of kid-friendly horror, most of which proved to be far too frightening (cf. RETURN TO OZ). It's a gorgeously shot, truly unsettling film, haunted by the fear of death, with a terrifying performance by Jonathan Pryce.
September 4, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Jack Clayton's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1982) dates from Disney's brief era of kid-friendly horror, most of which proved to be far too frightening (cf. RETURN TO OZ). It's a gorgeously shot, truly unsettling film, haunted by the fear of death, with a terrifying performance by Jonathan Pryce.
Reposted by Jonathan Wakeham
Images from films shot by cinematographer James Wong Howe - BOTD in 1899
Mantrap (1926)
Mark of the Vampire (1935)
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
Seconds (1966)
Mantrap (1926)
Mark of the Vampire (1935)
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
Seconds (1966)
August 28, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Images from films shot by cinematographer James Wong Howe - BOTD in 1899
Mantrap (1926)
Mark of the Vampire (1935)
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
Seconds (1966)
Mantrap (1926)
Mark of the Vampire (1935)
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
Seconds (1966)
WEAPONS (Zach Cregger, 2025) is a film of two halves. I was much more on board for the first, with its echoes of TWIN PEAKS and THE LEFTOVERS, but the whole film is confident, characterful film-making, and I hope Julia Garner & [redacted] get nominations, as acting awards so rarely recognise horror.
August 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM
WEAPONS (Zach Cregger, 2025) is a film of two halves. I was much more on board for the first, with its echoes of TWIN PEAKS and THE LEFTOVERS, but the whole film is confident, characterful film-making, and I hope Julia Garner & [redacted] get nominations, as acting awards so rarely recognise horror.
A treat to revisit Joe Johnston's THE ROCKETEER (1991), a funny, fast-paced WW2-era adventure that prefigures his CAPTAIN AMERICA. Billy Campbell is a perfect, pure-hearted comic book hero, but Timothy Dalton is its MVP as dastardly movie star Neville Sinclair, and James Horner's score is a joy.
August 24, 2025 at 11:15 AM
A treat to revisit Joe Johnston's THE ROCKETEER (1991), a funny, fast-paced WW2-era adventure that prefigures his CAPTAIN AMERICA. Billy Campbell is a perfect, pure-hearted comic book hero, but Timothy Dalton is its MVP as dastardly movie star Neville Sinclair, and James Horner's score is a joy.