Hedda

2025 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 47min

Drama ~ Romance

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, Finbar Lynch, Mirren Mack and Nina Hoss.

A Little Chaos Is Good For The Gathering.

Tessa Thompson stars as Hedda Gabler, a complex woman caught between the ghosts of her past and the stifling confines of her present life. Recently married to George Tesman (Tom Bateman) and back from an extended honeymoon to a country estate they can barely afford, Hedda is determined to secure a better future for them. George aspires to a prestigious university professorship, and Hedda organizes a party inviting his academic peers, including Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch) and his wife Tabitha (Mirren Mack), to help boost his chances.

The party turns tense with the arrival of Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss), a sober former alcoholic academic and Hedda’s ex-lover, whose presence stirs up old wounds and rivalry. Eileen has revitalized her career with a promising manuscript and support from Thea (Imogen Poots), who is fiercely protective of her. Hedda, while outwardly appearing hospitable, maneuvers behind the scenes to undermine Eileen’s progress and sway favors toward George, revealing layers of manipulation and jealousy.

Over the course of this charged night, Hedda’s volatile emotional state deepens, exposing her as a woman simultaneously enraged by and yearning for connection. Her actions straddle a blend of calculated cruelty and desperate vulnerability, driven by complex motives including resentment, love, and a fierce desire for control. The dynamics between Hedda, George, Eileen, and Thea escalate, pulling everyone into a spiraling clash of power, betrayal, and unspoken desires.

Based on the play Hedda Gabler written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and first performed in 1891, it tells the story of Hedda Gabler, the strong-willed daughter of a general who feels trapped in a boring marriage to the scholar George Tesman. Hedda struggles against the expectations of society and her own desire for power and freedom. The play explores themes like control, jealousy, societal pressure, and the limits placed on women in the 19th century. Hedda’s manipulative actions and personal conflicts build to a tragic and emotionally intense conclusion.

The movie adaptation organizes the story into five acts:

Act 1: Introduction:

Hedda and her husband George Tesman return from their honeymoon to a country estate. Hedda arranges a party inviting academic friends to help boost George’s career prospects. The act sets up Hedda’s desires, relationships, and the social pressure she feels.

Act 2: Rising Tension:

The arrival of Eileen Lovborg, a former lover of Hedda’s and George’s academic rival, introduces conflict. Eileen’s success and renewed sobriety threaten Hedda’s plans, stirring jealousy and insecurity. The social dynamics begin to fray.

Act 3: Conflict Escalates:

Hedda’s manipulation and emotional unrest come to the forefront as she undermines Eileen and struggles for control. Personal secrets and desires cause rising tension between Hedda, George, Eileen, and Thea (Imogen Poots), deepening the drama.

Act 4: Climax:

Unfolding events during the party lead to confrontations and revelations. Hedda’s growing desperation leads to drastic decisions, pushing characters toward breaking points and tragedy.

Act 5: Resolution and Aftermath:

The consequences of Hedda’s actions become clear. The film closes with reflection on the characters’ fates and the emotional and psychological toll of the night’s events.

Tessa Thompson’s portrayal delivers a powerful, multifaceted Hedda, blending menace and melancholy, while the strong supporting cast enhances the intensity of this psychological drama. Set in the early 20th century with lavish costumes and atmospheric production, the film reimagines the classic Henrik Ibsen play through a contemporary lens focused on gender, race, and same sex relationships, offering a fresh yet faithful adaptation of the tragic tale.

New Movie Hedda Debuts On Prime Wednesday October 29, 2025

Amazon Prime Debuts Hedda Wednesday October 29, 2025. A provocative reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda follows enigmatic newlywed Hedda (Tessa Thompson), who is outwardly composed but hiding a simmering discontent that threatens to explode when the brilliant and charismatic Eileen Lovberg (Nina Hoss) reenters her life. Over the course of a raucous party, the high and low of society endure the consequences of this dangerous and unknowable woman yearning for a past love. What ensues is a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy, and betrayal collide. Written and directed by Nia DaCosta, Hedda is a daring exploration of power, desire, and a woman’s refusal to be confined.

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock and Nina Hoss.

28 Weeks Later

2007 20th Century Fox

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 39min

Drama ~ Horror ~ Post-Apocalyptic ~ Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Imogen Poots and Idris Elba.

The Days Turn Into Weeks….

Following the events of 28 Days Later we are introduced to Don (Robert Carlyle) and his wife Alice (Catherine McCormack) who are hiding out in a farmhouse with an older couple and a young woman. Just as in the first movie, they are running low on food and supplies, and spend their time fortifying the farmhouse against the infected. suddenly there is pounding on the door and a young boy screams to be let in. They begrudgingly comply but soon realize that he is being chased by a horde of the infected. They soon overrun the farmhouse and Don and Alice get trapped upstairs with the young boy. As they go into another bedroom to escape there is already an infected in the room and has come between Alice and the child on one side and Don just inside the bathroom. Realizing that Alice and the child are doomed, Don self-preservation kicks in he escapes out onto the roof, down onto the ground and makes a run for the boat in the river, leaving Alice to her fate.

28 weeks later, the Rage Virus outbreak has largely ended due to the starvation of the infected. NATO forces, led by the U.S. military, have taken control of London and established a heavily guarded “safe zone” called District One on the Isle of Dogs. Survivors, including Don and Alice’s children Tammy (Imogen Poots) and Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton)who were abroad during the outbreak, are allowed to return and live under military protection. Don manages one of the apartment buildings in the safe zone, but lies to his children about abandoning their mother.

Tammy and Andy sneak out of District One to visit their old family home in hopes of retrieving personal items. There, Andy discovers Alice alive but in a delirious state. Military personnel capture Alice and bring her back to the safe zone where she is quarantined and tested by Medical Officer Scarlet (Rose Byrne). She is found to be an asymptomatic carrier of the Rage Virus, she carries the virus without symptoms but can infect others through her blood or saliva. Don secretly visits Alice, pleading for forgiveness. After a kiss, Don is infected and goes on a brutal rampage, killing Alice and sparking a rapid outbreak within the safe zone.

Scarlet rescues Tammy and Andy, believing the children may hold genetic immunity that could lead to a cure. As the infection spreads, Military Commander Stone (Idris Elba) orders mass executions in a desperate attempt to contain it. Sergeant Doyle(Jeremy Renner) refuses to comply and helps the small group, including Tammy, Andy, Scarlet, and another survivor, Sam, flee. They survive the chaos and firebombing of District One, though Don pursues them relentlessly.

In the dramatic finale, Tammy, Andy, and Scarlet reach Wembley Stadium, where helicopter pilot Flynn reluctantly flies them across the English Channel to France. However, Andy’s status as an asymptomatic carrier means the virus has now spread beyond Britain, a chilling revelation as infected emerge in Paris near the Eiffel Tower.

28 Weeks Later delivers a gripping mix of family drama and relentless horror, painting a bleak picture of survival and human frailty amid the breakdown of society. It was interesting to go back and see Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots and Idris Elba 18 years ago. Just out of curiosity I went back and looked at what were their first movies:

Rose Byrne ~ Dallas Doll (1994). This was her 17th movie.
Jeremy Renner ~ National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995). This was his 12th movie.
Imogen Poots ~ V For Vendetta ~ (2005). This was her 2nd movie!
Idris Alba ~ Beautiful Mother (1999). This was his 8th Movie.

It is just as terrifying and horrific as the first with a Family’s drama over coping with the outbreak thrown in and it leaves us guessing as to what happens next, 28 years Later. And that’s what we are watching on Netflix tonight. Be back tomorrow with a review of 28 Years Later!