The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Get ready film lovers for another week of new movies in Cairo cinemas. This week, we have an action thriller courtesy of Jason Statham in The Meg, a spy movie by the amazing Paul Rudd in The Catcher Was A Spy, and a drama biography from – the now controversial- Kevin Spacey in Billionaire Boys Club. So get ready for quite a ride with these movies. Let’s get to it.

The Meg

What’s it about? Megalodon, meaning big tooth, is an extinct species of shark. It’s said to have been around sometime between 2.6 and 23 million years ago But, aside from the history lesson, the myth is that The Meg still exists, and who else to face it but the one and only, Jason Statham? Playing Jonas Taylor, Statham encounters this monster, and embarks on a mission to save everyone from this humungous sea creature.

The good: Jason Statham may not be a lot of things, but he’s definitely an excellent action star. His roles speak for themselves, and even if his movies may be below par, his action game is on point. The Meg may appeal to a lot of people, especially sea adventure fans, and director Jon Turteltaub has been around for ages. He directed John Travolta in Phenomenon, Nicholas Cage in National Treasure, and Sir Anthony Hopkins in Instinct.

The bad: While Jason Statham action skills are undeniable, one could wonder how his melee fighting skills and signature fighting style will come in handy against a giant shark. Not to mention the fact that he’s not backed up by any big names, perhaps the biggest is The Office US star, Rainn Wilson.

The Catcher Was a Spy

What’s it about? Just another spy movie. Perhaps that should be the caption. Paul Rudd plays a major league baseball player, the catcher, who lives a double life working for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, as a Spy. Get the name? The movie is written by Robert Rodat and Nicholas Dawidoff, author of the original book on which the movie is based.

The good: The movie requires a star with a bit of action capabilities as well as some actual acting skills, two thing that Paul Rudd has been proven to have. He’s also supported by a list of reputable actors including Mark Strong, Connie Nielsen, Paul Giamatti, and Jeff Daniels. Based on a biography first published in 1994, the book spent seven weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List.

The bad: While it is based on a biography, the movie is still just another spy story. Director Ben Lewin has a long history in filmmaking, but none of his movies have been real chart toppers. Not to mention that preliminary ratings are not very promising for this movie.

Billionaire Boys Club

What’s it about? Written by Captain Mauzner and James Cox, who’s also the director, Billionaire Boys Club is set in the 1980s and tells the real-life story of some wealthy boys creating a scam with the purpose of becoming even richer.

The good: The movie relies on a number of young actors like Taron Egerton, star of the Kingsman series, Emma Roberts star of We’re The Millers and American Horror Story, and Ansel Elgort star of The Fault in Our Stars and Baby Driver in which he worked with the megastar of the movie, Kevin Spacey.

The bad: James Cox has written and directed most of his movies, but none of them have been household names. However, while this may not be a real downfall, perhaps the main error with the movie would be Kevin Spacey himself, while he’s an immensely talented actor, the controversy over his inappropriate behaviour could drive people away from the whole project.

To find out where and when you can catch these films, check out the Cairo 360 Cinema Guide.