ROUND UP
Jake Gyllenhaal’s farmer journeys to a subterranean realm filled with weird creatures in Disney animation STRANGE WORLD (out now, Blu-ray/ DVD). The film’s streaming on Disney+, but buying bags you featurettes on the film’s scientific inspirations, the creatures and Easter eggs, plus an “anatomy of a scene” piece. You also get four deleted scenes and recording booth out-takes. We said: “While the basic concept might not be the most original, the pulpy vibe boosts the entertainment value.” In NOCEBO (27 February, DVD), a fashion designer suffering from a mysterious condition (Eva Green) falls under the influence of a Filipino carer who turns up out of the blue offering various folk remedies. As Diana’s backstory is slowly revealed, we discover the connection between the two women. We said: “An unexpectedly political chiller, which makes a modest contribution to the debate about First World exploitation.” Our reviewer wasn’t terribly impressed by anime fantasy THE DEER KING (out now, Blu-ray/DVD) – the directorial debut of Masashi Ando, who worked as an animator for the likes of Hayao Miyazaki. Its hero is a former soldier who rescues an infant girl when the salt mine where he’s a slave is attacked by wolves carrying a deadly plague; he proves immune, which attracts the attention of a physician searching for a cure. We said: “There are so many ideas competing for space that there’s no room for character depth… a cluttered mess.”