With three film festivals and a clutch of exciting new releases on the horizon, the offerings at the Filmhouse this November are sure to be far hotter than the temperatures outdoors. In addition to the French Film Festival UK (already underway), there’s also Fokus: Films from Germany at the end of this month and the Edinburgh Greek Film Festival at the beginning of the next one… plus the following new releases, fresh from the box office:

Murder on the Orient Express

Kenneth Branagh / Malta, Italy / 2017 / 114 mins

Kenneth Branagh steps into the sizable shoes and even bigger mustachios of Hercule Poirot as he attempts to solve a grisly murder onboard a stranded train. Will the Belgian sleuth solve the crime before the murderer strikes again? Before the snow clears and the train starts up again? Before the Pritt Stick on his enormous mouser comes unstuck again? You’ll just have to pop along to the Filmhouse to find out. Expect a glittering cast, endearing idiosyncrasies and plenty of Hollywood sheen.

@ Filmhouse from Fri 3 Nov 2017

 78/52

Alexandre O. Phillippe / USA / 2017 / 92 mins

Using the most famous shower scene in cinematic history as its inspiration, 78/52 dissects the shooting of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and comments upon contemporary society, Hitchcock’s own inimitable shooting process and the furore that has followed the film. The title refers to the 78 camera positions and 52 cuts used to capture the iconic moment; don’t forget to refresh your memory with a re-watch of Psycho before you go.

@ Filmhouse from Fri 10 Nov 2017

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Paul McGuigan / UK / 2017 / 105 mins

Based on the real-life memoirs of actor Peter Turner (30 years after their publication), Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool charts Turner’s relationship with much older actress Gloria Grahame. After scooping an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1952, Grahame found herself treading the unfamiliar boards of the Scouse theatre scene. Brought to life by Annette Bening and Jamie Bell, the pair’s romance spans the generations and timezones to tell a rare story of Hollywood love in Liverpool.

@ Filmhouse from Fri 17 Nov 2017

Road to Mandalay

Midi Z / Myanmar, Taiwan / 2016 / 108 mins

In light of the current crisis with Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, this examination of two migrants escaping the country’s civil war in search of a better life in Thailand couldn’t be timelier. Unflinching and stylised in its approach, the film pulls no punches but lands plenty of hits as it explores how the fledgling couple discover each other, themselves and a new life across the border.

@ Filmhouse, Fri 17 & Sat 18 Nov 2017   

The Death of Stalin

Armando Iannucci / UK, France / 2017 / 106 mins

Armando Iannucci is up to his old tricks again, this time expertly lambasting the political intrigues and atrocities of the Soviet Union in the days following the death of Stalin. Reminiscent of his previous work, The Death of Stalin is set against a backdrop of violence and persecution, which gives its black humour even darker undertones, but somehow the laughs keep coming regardless.  If you don’t laugh, you’ll die.

@ Filmhouse from Fri 24 Nov 2017

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Yorgos Lanthimos / UK, Ireland / 2017 / 121 mins

Yorgos Lanthimos has been pushing the boundaries of cinema for several years now, mixing surreal situations with macabre humour and a healthy dollop of human emotion, for good measure. His latest offering sees Greek tragedy collide with modern suburbia as the lines between reality and fantasy (and the various genres into which the film could fit) blur beyond recognition.

@ Filmhouse from Fri 24 Nov 2017