MATTHEW BOND

Allelujah

Cert: 12A, 1hr 39mins ★★★★★

Boston Strangler

Cert: 15, 1hr 53mins

Available on Disney+ ★★★★★

Rye Lane

Cert: 15, 1hr 22mins ★★★★★

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Cert: 12A, 2hrs 10mins ★★★★★

Pearl

Cert: 15, 1hr 43mins ★★★★★

Set in a small city hospital threatened with closure and amid talk of a doctors’ strike, Allelujah couldn’t be more timely. Demand for beds at the Bethlehem, a Northern cottage hospital specialising in geriatric care, is relentless, but the powers-that-be in faraway London have deemed it too small. Never mind levelling-up, The Beth’ must close.

Cue the inevitable campaign to save it. Loyal volunteers are fundraising, a documentary unit has been invited in, and it might just help the beleaguered chairman that the management consultant behind the proposed closure – ironically a local lad ‘made good’ – is up for a few days visiting his ailing dad.

Given that the film has been adapted from an Alan Bennett play by Heidi Thomas, the genius behind Call The Midwife, you’d expect both humour and warm sentiment and, while both are undoubtedly present, there’s not quite enough of either in a film that never really settles into a consistent stride.

That said, director Richard

Eyre does give us some lovely performances to admire. Russell Tovey is quietly splendid as the prodigal management consultant, and Jennifer Saunders plays rather brilliantly against type as the no-nonsense ward sister. Bally Gill impresses, too, as Dr Valentine, despite playing a character who’s