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

Weekends are the best time to grab your popcorn or sneak in your favourite snacks and head straight to the movies. We gathered some recent releases that will spice up your weekend and/or your Wednesday night.

Us 

What’s it about? A family’s serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorise them. The film stars Academy Award winning actor, Lupita Nyong’o; Emmy Award winning, actor Elisabeth Moss; and Winston Duke.

The good: Jordan Peele, the director, is this generation’s Hitchcock. Peele also specialises in bringing comedy-horror movies to life. Jordan Peele, the director, is this generation’s Hitchcock. Peele also specialises in bringing comedy-horror movies to life.

The bad: Not much found when it comes to finding the bad in this movie, but all we can say is that it will surely give you a poor’s night sleep due to how scary it seems to be.

Hotel Mumbai 

What’s it about? A gripping true story of humanity and heroism, Hotel Mumbai vividly recounts the 2008 siege of the famed Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai, India. Among the dedicated hotel staff is the renowned chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) and a waiter (Dev Patel) who choose to risk their lives to protect their guests. 

The good: Making this kind of film inherently walks a fine line between art and exploitation, and Hotel Mumbai feels like the latter.

The bad: Films which are based on real-life events can either do really well or perform poorly. 

A Madea Family Funeral 

What’s it about? A joyous family reunion becomes a hilarious nightmare as Madea (Tyler Perry) and the crew travel to Georgia, where they find themselves unexpectedly planning a funeral that might unveil unsavoury family secrets.

The good: Tyler Perry’s movies are known for being simple and light.

The bad: This film sadly looks like a 15-minute SNL sketch stretched into a 1hr 49min movie that is full of jokes that take you nowhere.

BONUS PICK: Capernaum

What’s it about? Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum (“Chaos”) tells the story of Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the “crime” of giving him life. Capernaum follows Zain, a gutsy streetwise child, as he flees his negligent parents, survives through his wits on the streets, and takes care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil and her baby.  

The good: Rafeea, a non-professional actor and Syrian refugee, is the film’s secret weapon. The extended, improvised scenes of Rafeea and the baby on the streets are wonderfully performed and directed.

The bad: There is a bit of button-pushing melodrama.