The weekend cinema lineup includes Iron Clan, a biographical feature about wrestling starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, paired with the darkly comic We Treat Women Too Well, featuring Carmen Machi and Antonio de la Torre on the bill.
Also hitting screens are the horror film Imaginary, the forensic drama The Goldman Case, and two titles that probe different angles on social issues. The theme of toxic masculinities threads through British director Billman Walker’s How to Have Sex and Australia’s Hotel Royal.
Iron Clan
Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, known for their recent work in the acclaimed TV series The Bear, portray two of the Von Erich brothers, legendary wrestlers who rose to prominence in the early 1980s and faced tragedy as their triumphs mounted. Iron Clan, with a supporting cast including Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons and directed by Sean Durkin, quickly became a focal point in conversations around contemporary American independent cinema. It has drawn substantial attention as a major U.S. release and achieved notable box office momentum for an independent feature from A24. [citation]
We Treat Women Too Well
The costume design and direction come from Clara Bilbao, a three-time Goya winner, with Carmen Machi and Antonio de la Torre headlining. We Treat Women Too Well adapts a Raymond Queneau novel into a black comedy that recently earned the Malaga Festival’s best first feature prize. The storyline unfolds during a tense moment in 1945 when a small band of conspirators attempts to seize a post office while Remedios Buendía, played by Machi, contends with fiercely defended values and a determination to stand firm. The narrative showcases how Remedios pushes her convictions forward, and the stakes rise as resistance intensifies. [citation]
How to Have Sex
British director Molly Manning Walker examines consent and sexual education through the eyes of teenagers in her debut feature, How to Have Sex, which has earned festival acclaim from Cannes to La Seminci. Mia McKenna Bruce was recognized with a BAFTA for best rising star. The film follows a summer that sees three British youths journeying to the Greek island of Malia to soak up sun, parties, and new relationships, offering a candid portrait of youth, risk, and curiosity. [citation]
Imaginary
Blumhouse presents a horror premise that blurs the line between childhood imagination and a chilling reality. Imaginary questions whether the world of pretend friends is merely a product of a child’s mind or hides something far darker. The story centers on Alice and her teddy bear Chauncey, a companion who appears cute but harbors a dangerous edge, prompting a unsettling exploration of attachment and fear. [citation]
The Goldman Case
Cedric Kahn directs The Goldman Case, a forensic drama that reconstructs a controversial 20th-century French tragedy involving painter, activist, and alleged thief Pierre Goldman. The plot revisits the 1970s case in which Goldman faces a web of robberies and a high-stakes legal battle. The narrative traces the court proceedings, questions around innocence, and debates about political motivations and police conduct. [citation]
The Royal Hotel
Following the examination of gender power dynamics in The Assistant (2019), Australian director Kitty Green continues that inquiry with The Royal Hotel. A contender for the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián festival, the film stars Julia Garner in a leading role. It follows two friends who take temporary work in a remote Australian mining town and confront sex-based violence as they try to survive a hostile environment while navigating precarious opportunities. [citation]
Radical
Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez takes on the role of a border-city elementary school teacher in Radical, directed by Christopher Zalla. The film follows a radical shift in teaching methods as the educator motivates students to think creatively, even as colleagues and the school culture push back against unconventional strategies. The setting highlights challenges and resilience within under-resourced communities. [citation]
Stella
The World War II era story of Stella Goldschlag, who faced a harrowing moral dilemma as she collaborated with the Nazi secret police. The film, directed by Kilian Riedhof and led by Paula Beer, explores themes of betrayal, survival, and the heavy burden of choices made under pressure. Beer’s performance adds depth to a narrative that grapples with the cost of complicity and the spectrum of courage under extreme danger. [citation]
Our Last Dance
A modern take on dance as a therapeutic escape, Our Last Dance follows a retiree recently mourning a spouse who begins rebuilding life through movement. Swiss director Delphine Lehericey crafts a tender portrayal, with Spanish choreographer María José Ribot stepping into acting. François Berléand stars as Germain, a 75-year-old man navigating family pressures, late-life reinvention, and the delicate balance between independence and care from loved ones. [citation]
From Pink to Yellow
The life of Manolo Summers, a pivotal director recognized with the Silver Shell for his first feature Del rosa… al yellow, is revisited in a documentary. The film, directed by Miguel Olid, revisits Summers’s era and his battles against censorship, featuring interviews with friends, collaborators, and critics such as Fernando Trueba and José Luis Garci, along with insights from musicians and critics who kept Summers’s memory alive. [citation]