Aussie superstar – and part time intergalactic thrower of hammers – Chris Hemsworth stars in this cyber-thriller from ace auteur and modern cinematic ledge Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral). Hems is a hacker released from a 15 year to stretch to help catch another hacker who is causing mayhem and threatening to bring down the whole world as we know it.

Mann’s tale of hacking and cyber-corruption has all of his trademark style, the shimmering gleaning glassy visuals (cast your mind back to the Los Angeles of his Nineties classic Heat, the sleek look of the throwaway but hugely fun Miami Vice) and is about as zeitgeist-y as they come. Just think, it was only a few weeks backs that a computer hack saw Sony brought to their mightily embarrassed knees and a terrorist attack threat see cinemas refusing to screen a Seth Rogen stoner comedy.

Action packed, provocative, timely, and hugely entertaining, it’s the big release not to miss. 

Blackhat is released Feb 20 courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Also out this week

Predestination
Ethan Hawke and up-and-coming Aussie star-in-the-making Sarah Snook star in this Looper-esque time-travel thriller that’ll have your mind pirouetting as you try to keep up with its flash-back-forward-back-again story of temporal agents who steps back to days gone to prevent bad things from taking place. 

Mixing elements of the likes of The Matrix, Primer, and The Adjustment Bureau, with the star wattage and chemistry of the two leads, this is the blockbuster for your brain and features a breakout performance by Snook who has just nabbed an AACTA Best Actress award for her role in the movie and is currently beavering away with Danny Boyle on his Steve Jobs movie due for release later this year. 

And who doesn’t just love a good grandfather paradox?

Predestination is out Feb 20 through Signature Entertaiment

Cake

Jennifer Aniston gives her acting chops a workout – as well as going for Oscar/ awards season recognition, ironcically with a performance that has been raised for its UN-showiness – in this weepy drama about a mother who tries to piece her life back together after surviving a car crash that killed her young daughter. Far from Friends, indeed. 

Cake is out Feb 20 through Warner Bros