500 Miles (2026)

When Finn [Roman Griffin Davis] realizes his parents [Eoin Duffy, Clare Dunne] are getting divorced, he takes his younger brother [Dexter Sol Ansell] on a 500-mile journey from Sheffield to the west coast of Ireland, where his grandfather [Bill Nighy] lives. He was the linchpin of the family, but is now persona non grata. We discover why in flashbacks as Finn must overcome obstacles to reach his final destination and receives help from a young traveling ukulele player [Maisie Williams]. This adaptation of Mark Lowery's young adult novel Charlie And Me lays sentiment on thick with its atmospheric piano score and is moving primarily without the musical score. Much depends on whether you find Charlie disarmingly enthusiastic or annoyingly present. I lean towards option B. And there is nothing intelligent about lying to the viewer!

Translated from Dutch · View original

A strong combination of a family drama and a road movie. The story is true to life and features a rock-solid plot twist. The execution is initially a bit forced and sometimes too feel-good, with the director choosing to slowly reveal the family drama through flashbacks. But when everything finally comes together in the last quarter, it becomes clear why the director opted for this approach. There, Matthews manages to touch the viewer deep in the heart and bring them to a standstill, so that before you know it, you are halfway through the credits. Very cleverly done. The acting is of a high standard, although the character Charlie is sometimes a bit irritating. Visually strong, with good camerawork and beautiful shots of the Irish landscape. A masterpiece! 4.0/4.5

Translated from Dutch · View original