Rough Cut Reviews

The latest cinematic instalment of the popular medical drama, TOKYO MER: Mobile Emergency Room, is proving to be a box office sensation in Japan. Released on the 1st of August, the new film, titled Nankai Mission, has captured the nation’s attention, drawing in an impressive 2.9 million cinemagoers and surpassing ¥3.9 billion in box office revenue in just 24 days.

The Genesis of a Mobile Emergency Room

The TOKYO MER series follows the high-stakes operations of an elite medical team that responds to major accidents and disasters in a state-of-the-art mobile emergency room housed within a large vehicle (the ER car). This innovative concept was conceived by screenwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa. Although the organisation feels authentic, MER is, for now, a fictional creation.

“While I had previously adapted a novel about pharmacists for a television drama, this was my first time writing an original medical series from scratch,” Kuroiwa explains. “I had always wanted to tackle the genre, and TBS approached me with the idea of focusing on emergency and critical care. However, there are countless masterpieces in this field, both in Japan and internationally. I knew that simply creating new characters or a unique hospital setting wouldn’t be enough to stand out. A fresh angle was essential.”

Kuroiwa’s breakthrough came from shifting the setting. “The first idea that came to mind was to base the action outside the hospital. I wanted to craft a story about a team that rushes to the scene of a disaster, sets up a tent, and performs surgery right there. During my research with doctors, one mentioned that ‘something like a mobile operating theatre would be ideal.’ That was the spark. I decided to write about a mobile emergency room. When I saw the final design for the ER car, it was even more impressive than I had imagined, and I was confident we were creating a new kind of medical drama.”

A Message of Hope During a Pandemic

One of the series’ most iconic and recurring lines, “There are zero deaths,” has its roots in the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with the original drama’s production and broadcast in 2021.

“At the time, newspapers, television, and online news were reporting figures like ‘hundreds of deaths’ every day. I found the situation terrifying,” Kuroiwa recalls. “Behind every number is an individual’s life, their family, and their friends. There is an episode in the series where the protagonist’s sister, Suzuka, is the sole fatality in an incident. This was born from a desire to portray the profound weight of a single death. At the same time, by having the team report ‘zero deaths,’ we wanted to offer a small measure of encouragement to the world.”

Building on Blockbuster Success

The original television series was a huge success, and a 2023 feature film followed, earning over ¥4.53 billion at the box office. The immense popularity and calls from fans led directly to the production of the current hit, Nankai Mission.

For this second film, Kuroiwa felt a new sense of responsibility. “I approached it with a mindset similar to adapting a beloved original work; the top priority was not to let the fans down,” he states. “We have to meet their expectations, but simply meeting them is not enough. I felt we had to honour their expectations while simultaneously pushing beyond them. With a summer release date, the idea of the team heading to the southern seas by ship felt exciting, which led to the creation of ‘Nankai MER,’ a new team that provides medical care to remote islands by sea.”

A New Mission with a Focus on Community

In the new film, TOKYO MER’s chief doctor, Kitami Kota (Ryohei Suzuki), and nurse Kuramae Natsume (Nanao) are dispatched to mentor the newly formed Nankai MER. After six months with no call-outs, a major medical crisis erupts on a remote island, and the team is deployed to save all 79 people stranded there.

“By focusing on remote island medicine, I wanted to explore the strength of small, tight-knit communities in a way that wouldn’t be possible in a city,” Kuroiwa says. “The theme of the work really lies in seeing people come together to help one another in a crisis. Of course, it’s enough for people to enjoy it as entertainment, but I hope they also feel the power of human connection and cooperation beneath the surface.”

A Deep-Seated Respect for Medical Professionals

Kuroiwa attributes the series’ enduring appeal to the combined efforts of the cast and crew. “The director, Aya Matsuki, and the entire production team are phenomenal, but ultimately, it’s the powerful and convincing performances from the actors that have truly captured the hearts of the audience.”

A core element that resonates strongly with viewers is the profound respect shown for healthcare workers. Kuroiwa is adamant on this point. “One rule I established was to never feature a medical professional as a villain. While they have their own personalities and may clash over opinions, their fundamental desire to save lives is universal. That is a principle from which we have never wavered.”

The Hitmaker Behind the Scenes

As an acclaimed screenwriter, Kuroiwa’s original television dramas such as Grand Maison Tokyo and Last Man: The Blind Profiler are frequently adapted into successful films. His prolific career spans genres, from live-action adaptations of hit manga like Kingdom and Golden Kamuy to blockbuster anime films, including One Piece Film: Gold and One Piece Film: Red.

“It’s difficult to pinpoint a single origin for my storytelling, but the countless films I watched in my student years are undoubtedly the foundation,” he reflects. “The first Die Hard film, in particular, has a flawless script that I admire no matter how many times I watch it. I also feel that I learn more from the act of creating than from consuming. I have a strong desire to see things that haven’t been seen before, so it’s incredibly rewarding when people ask, ‘How do you come up with these ideas?’ for an original story.”

Kuroiwa finds joy in every stage of the writing process. “From the initial concept, to plotting how characters will escape a disaster, to refining the final lines of dialogue and imagining the actors delivering them—every part is challenging, but also incredibly fun. Seeing it all come to life on screen in a way that surpasses what I wrote is the greatest reward.”

As for the future of the TOKYO MER franchise, he remains hopeful. “It’s a genuine honour to be able to continue a series based on an original concept. This is only possible because the cast, crew, and audience are all on this journey with us, and for that, I am truly grateful. I don’t know what comes next, but I would personally love to see the MER team continue their work, and if the opportunity arises, I would certainly want to write it.”

In Steven Soderbergh’s latest espionage drama, a British intelligence officer is on the hunt for a mole — and his own wife is among the suspects. With Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett in the lead roles, Black Bag delivers a tense, stylish thriller that dives deep into suspicion and betrayal within the intelligence world.

In a recent interview with The Independent, American director Steven Soderbergh remarked that modern cinema audiences “probably have no idea who I am.” It’s a surprising claim from a filmmaker who directed hits like Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven, and Magic Mike, and won an Academy Award for Best Director for Traffic. Now, at 62, Soderbergh returns with what some critics consider his strongest work in years — yet he remains concerned about the state of cinema and the challenges facing filmmakers today.

Despite its A-list cast, including Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Pierce Brosnan in a supporting role, Black Bag – Doppeltes Spiel (as it is subtitled in Germany) underperformed at the box office when it debuted in the UK and US back in March. That commercial disappointment stands in sharp contrast to the film’s quality, with many hailing it as a return to form for Soderbergh.

A Spy’s Most Dangerous Mission: His Own Home

The film’s plot centres around a breach within the British intelligence service. Confidential details about a highly classified and potentially lethal programme codenamed “Severus” have been leaked. Agent George Woodhouse (Fassbender) is assigned to root out the traitor from a very small, high-trust circle. Disturbingly, one of the potential suspects is his own wife, Kathryn (Blanchett), who is also an operative within the agency.

To uncover the mole, George invites the handful of suspects to an intimate dinner at his home. Among the guests are team leader James (played by Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page), his partner Zoe (Naomie Harris), who also works as the agency’s psychiatrist, satellite imagery analyst Clarissa (Marisa Abela), and her boyfriend Freddie (Tom Burke), another field leader.

What the guests don’t know is that George has slipped a truth-revealing compound into their drinks — a substance designed to lower inhibitions. As the evening unfolds, conversations grow tense, emotions flare, and long-buried secrets begin to surface. But while the dinner reveals plenty of personal betrayals, it fails to bring George any closer to identifying the source of the “Severus” leak.

A Stylish Return to Classic Espionage

Black Bag blends the tension of a whodunnit with the elegance of classic spy thrillers. Soderbergh’s sharp direction, paired with a tightly written script and magnetic performances, especially from Blanchett and Fassbender, gives the film an edge that’s been missing from many recent genre entries.

While box office figures may have fallen short, Black Bag is already garnering praise from critics and film enthusiasts alike. It’s a reminder of Soderbergh’s flair for gripping storytelling — and proof that even in a saturated market, intelligent, character-driven thrillers can still make a mark.

As the film continues to roll out internationally, there’s hope that audiences will rediscover one of modern cinema’s most versatile directors — and recognise Black Bag for what it is: a refined, intelligent, and quietly explosive piece of filmmaking.

In Love Is Overrated (L’Amour, c’est surcoté), a sharp, offbeat romantic comedy hitting UK cinemas this Wednesday, Laura Felpin and Hakim Jemili form a high-energy, refreshingly unconventional couple. Directed by Mourad Winter and adapted from his own book, the film blends biting humour with emotional honesty. We sat down with the trio behind this vibrant debut — Felpin, Jemili and Winter — to talk about laughter, love, and breaking the rules of rom-coms.

Anis, played by Jemili, has never really understood women. One evening, he crosses paths with Madeleine (Felpin). He’s awkward but endearing; she’s blunt and bold, immediately turning their first encounter into a battle of wits and flirtation. Anis, instead of playing it straight, gets tangled in an escalating series of absurd lies, convinced he needs to reinvent himself to impress her. Around them, the film’s supporting characters — from Madeleine’s quick-tongued friends to her sarcastic father, portrayed by François Damiens — treat banter like a lifestyle. And then there’s Paulo (Benjamin Tranié), who turns politically incorrect jokes into a kind of performance art — nothing and no one is off-limits.

Winter’s approach is anything but restrained. For his first feature film, adapted from his 2021 novel published by Robert Laffont, he dismantles social niceties with sharp, unapologetic humour. Love Is Overrated isn’t afraid to poke fun at prejudice, fear, and even itself. The result is often laugh-out-loud funny — but it doesn’t stop there.

Beneath the surface, the film offers an unexpected depth. Winter dares to explore male vulnerability and the anxieties surrounding intimacy. Through Anis’s emotional chaos, he paints a touching portrait of a man struggling with self-image and the fear of truly connecting. This blend of comedy and sensitivity earned the film a special jury mention at the Alpe d’Huez Comedy Film Festival earlier this year.

For Laura Felpin, who’s been rising steadily on both stage and screen, this project marks a turning point: “The older I get, the more I realise how essential humour is,” she reflects. “It’s not just about making people laugh — it’s about coping, connecting, surviving.”

Hakim Jemili, meanwhile, embraces the chaos of his character with relish. “Anis is a mess — but a loveable one,” he says. “We all invent versions of ourselves when we fall in love. He just takes it a bit too far.”

As for Mourad Winter, Love Is Overrated is more than a romantic comedy — it’s a manifesto. “I wanted to strip away all the clichés,” he explains. “To show the comedy in pain, the truth in nonsense. Sometimes, being honest means being ridiculous.”

If this film is anything to go by, audiences will be seeing much more from this creative trio — and not just in the realm of romantic comedy. With humour, heart, and a healthy disregard for convention, Love Is Overrated is a breath of fresh air in French cinema.

Following announcements of international home releases, detailed information has now been revealed for the German market release of Captain America: Brave New World (USA/Canada, 2025). Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, in collaboration with Leonine, will distribute the Marvel superhero film directed by Julius Onah on 23 May 2025. The movie stars Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez and Shira Haas in leading roles.

The Blu-ray edition will include a German Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 audio track, while the Ultra HD Blu-ray will be available in a limited-edition Steelbook featuring Dolby Atmos sound in English and Dolby Vision support. Bonus features will include deleted scenes, an audio commentary by Julius Onah and Kramer Morgentha, outtakes, and two behind-the-scenes featurettes: Taking the Lead and Old Scores, New Scars.

In addition, a 4-disc Blu-ray box set will be released, compiling the full Captain America saga: The First Avenger (2011), The Winter Soldier (2014), Civil War (2016), and Brave New World (2025), packaged in a standard Keep Case. A 4K “4-Movie Collection” will also be available, presented in four softbox editions housed in a slipcase.

Plot Overview

Set in the aftermath of recent MCU events, Brave New World follows a major discovery during the exploration of the newly emerged landmass known as Tiamut. Scientists uncover a rare metal, Adamantium, which surpasses even the legendary Vibranium in its near-indestructible properties.

The find triggers a global race to claim ownership of the resource. Determined to prevent other powers from gaining access, newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford) takes an aggressive stance. His objective: to revive and upgrade the Weapon Plus programme, using Adamantium to build a new generation of super-soldiers.

Standing in opposition to this dangerous plan is the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). With support from allies such as the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), and Sabra (Shira Haas), Wilson seeks to halt Ross’s militaristic ambitions. The team also aims to stop Ross’s chief scientist, Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who plays a crucial role in the project.

However, President Ross’s hunger for power leads him to increasingly extreme actions, leaving even his own daughter, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), powerless to intervene. Behind the scenes, a secret criminal organisation is fuelling the conflict, intent on pushing the world into chaos.

Captain America: Brave New World is poised to deliver action-packed drama and political intrigue, adding new depth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it arrives on home entertainment platforms in May 2025.