Brute 1976 review – throwback slasher summons up spirit of Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Aiming to subvert the all-American exploitation film with progressive comment and a touch of diversity, this horror soon reverts to hokey tropes and carnage

The Eukrainian review – heroic portrait of the diplomat trying to haul Ukraine into Europe

Viktor Nordenskiöld’s film follows Ukraine’s deputy minister Olha Stefanishyna as she negotiates her country’s path into the EU, but lacks some of the rigour needed

‘Bursts off the screen’: why Tombstone is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers drawing attention to their most rewatched comfort films is a celebration of an easily quotable western

The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder review – excavating the memories of civil war in Mozambique

Inadelso Cossa’s documentary grapples with the trauma left by the conflict through witness that wavers between real and imagined truths

Michael is a highly selective version of the singer’s life, and that suits more people than you might think

It’s not just the money-making studio execs – fans, too, are often happy for the darker parts of a subject’s life to be ignored, says Guardian arts correspondent Nadia Khomami

‘It needs to be loud’: Jozef Van Wissem’s one-man mission to make the lute rock again

The Dutch ex-punk and Jim Jarmusch bandmate talks about his passion to free up a hidebound repertoire and make its strings ‘a real pop instrument’

Phantoms of July review – interlocking tales hop across time in funny-quirky fable with a point

From a disgruntled maid in the 18th century to an Iranian influencer facing snide nationalists, four stories explore what it is to be trapped and longing for more

Harvey Fierstein on Kinky Boots, addiction and survival: ‘When you get sober, it takes five years to get your marbles back’

He found roaring success on Broadway with Torch Song Trilogy, then appeared in blockbusters Mrs Doubtfire and Independence Day. But notoriety had a cost. The 73-year-old stage legend talks recovery, grief and why he’s taking aim at Trump

Michael moonwalks to $217m opening weekend, shattering box office records for a biopic

Michael Jackson biopic has shrugged off controversy, bad reviews and a troubled production to take $217m worldwide, including $97m in North America

Rita Wilson looks back: ‘Cancer was terrifying, but now I see it as a gift. It gave me an extra lease on life’

The actor and producer on being a teenage model, making My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the secret to long-lasting love

Timothée Chalamet, Jessie Buckley … who will be the next victim of the internet’s confected outrage?

They’re just the latest stars whose banal pronouncements have triggered a wave of controversy. Surely no one, in their heart of hearts, cares that much, says freelance journalist Elle Hunt

Cannes AI film festival raises eyebrows – and questions about future

While emerging technology is banned from the Palme d’Or, an upstart movement is gaining investment and attention

Bad movies, good business: how sanitised biopics became a Hollywood staple

As interest in the lives of celebrities has intensified, we have become acclimatised to them curating and mercilessly monetising their image

Ukrainian action thriller billed as Saving Private Ryan for the drone age

Killhouse is based on real-life story of civilian couple saved from battlefield by Ukrainian drone operators

Luke Hemsworth: ‘I have to be very specific about which brother I am. But it still gets confusing’

The star on his famous acting family, wrestling Chris and Liam, the best advice from Anthony Hopkins and being traumatised by The Exorcist