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Summary for: This week's guide to English-friendly Czech cinema and streaming🇬🇧 This Week's English-Friendly Screenings
Fresh off eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress (Jessie Buckley), Hamnet is now playing in Prague cinemas. The stark drama follows William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife as they cope with the death of their young son, and how the tragic event informed the creation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
"Zhao’s refusal to soften its grief or dramatize it in conventional terms may test some viewers’ patience, but the cumulative effect is devastating in the best sense," writes The Prague Reporter, adding that the movie is likely to pick up some statuettes at the Academy Awards ceremony in March.
- Oscar-nominated Czech co-production Mr Nobody Against Putin is still screening with English subtitles at Kino Atlas.
- Danish black comedy The Last Viking continues to screen with English subtitles at Kino Světozor, Kino Aero, Bio Oko, Kino Lucerna, and Edison Filmhub.
- Fritz Lang's classic thriller M screens with English subtitles as part of Kino Aero's Legends series on Jan. 26.
- Pair Hamnet with a new stage presentation of Hamlet, live from London's National Theatre at Kino Aero on Jan. 27 and Edison Filmhub on Feb. 1.
- Sam Raimi double feature at Kino Aero: Drag Me to Hell screens alongside the director's latest, Send Help, on Jan. 29.
- Fresh off an Oscar nomination, Palestinian docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab plays with English subtitles at Bio Oko, Jan. 29.
- Ukrainian drama Kings of Rap, about a teen's journey to become a rap star, screens with English subtitles at Kino Světozor and Kino Atlas from Jan. 31.
🍿 New wide releases
- Rebuilding ★★★½
- Mercy ★★
- Return to Silent Hill ★½
🇨🇿 Czech Cinema Spotlight
Fresh off receiving a record-tying 15 Czech Lion Award nominations (Czechia's equivalent to the Oscars), Franz has made its streaming debut on Netflix for local viewers. Agnieszka Holland's biopic on Franz Kafka, one of Prague's most famous residents, was primarily filmed in the Czech capital in 2024.
The Prague Reporter wrote that Franz's "wonderful production design, vibrant cinematography on the streets of Prague, and outstanding performances truly bring its subject to life," and singled out the lead performance from Idan Weiss as the "definitive vision of Kafka for future generations."
📺 The Streaming Watchlist
- The Beauty, a new horror series from Ryan Murphy, has dropped its first three episodes on Disney+, with new episodes releasing Wednesdays.
- Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, an in-depth look at the legendary comedian and filmmaker, is now streaming on HBO Max.
- Italian drama The Big Fake has premiered on Netflix, telling the story of an art forger in 1970s Rome.
- Steal, a heist thriller starring Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner, has dropped all six episodes of its first season on Prime Video.
- Czech director Miloš Forman's 1989 classic Valmont, starring Colin Firth and Annette Bening, is newly streaming for local viewers on HBO Max.
🎞️ The Throwback
Věra Chytilová’s cult comedy The Inheritance follows a simple Moravian villager whose quiet life is turned upside down when he unexpectedly inherits a vast estate. Full of absurd humor, satirical wit, and lines that have entered Czech popular culture, the film remains a defining touchstone of Czech comedy decades after its original release.
A newly restored version of The Inheritance will screen with English subtitles at Kino Světozor on Jan. 26, giving audiences a chance to experience it on the big screen. If you can’t make it in person, the film is also streaming with English subtitles on HBO Max and KVIFF.tv.
