Cocktails With George And Hedda – – Hedda (2025, USA, Color 107 min) – 9 January 2026

Recommended. I don’t think I’m saying anything original by celebrating the “cool hotness” of Tessa Thompson (Passing). Everybody wants her. And Nia DaCosta’s (Candyman) Hedda sizzles when Tessa has her red dress on. She is perfect as the original female antihero. The people she parties with are just an audience. The exception is Hedda’s ex-lover Eileen Lovborg, also an academic rival of Hedda’s husband, George. In Ibsen’s play Lovborg is male; the gender switch and 1950’s update heightens the temperature, with an excellent performance by Nina Hoss (Tar) as Eileen. Eileen and Hedda’s frenemy battle is the heart of the drama, complicated by Eileen’s new lover/colleague, Thea (Imogen Poots, 28 Weeks Later). Yes, it’s all a bit too frantic – – occasionally over-directed – – but makes for great fun. I had major issues with Hildur Guðnadóttir’s (Joker) intrusive score, pointlessly drowning out important dialog; however, Lindsay Pugh’s (The Marvels) party gowns are wonderful!