DVDs of the week

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (CERT 12) £19.99

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and fellow “Gladers” now know their blood holds the key to engineering a cure to the deadly Flare contagion, which has reduced humanity to flesh-hungry predators known as Cranks. Good friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee) remains a prisoner of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department (WCKD) and its Machiavellian lead physician Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson). Consequently, Thomas orchestrates a daredevil rescue mission aided by Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Frypan (Dexter Darden), Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and her surrogate father Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito). En route, the team faces WCKD’s trigger-happy assistant director Jason (Aidan Gillen) and Thomas confronts his conflicted feelings for turncoat Teresa (Kaya Scodelario). Maze Runner: The Death Cure is a rousing conclusion to the fantastical saga, based on James Dashner’s trilogy for young adults.

EARLY MAN (CERT PG) £19.99

In the Neo-Pleistocene era “near Manchester, around lunchtime,” a falling flame-licked meteor heralds the extinction of quarrelsome dinosaurs and primitive humans. New life sprouts from the scorched earth, creating a valley of lush vegetation where Chief Bobnar (voiced by Timothy Spall) and his caveman tribe including Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and porcine pet Hognob hunt floppy-eared rabbits in blissful isolation. Greedy Bronze Age tyrant Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) gatecrashes the idyll with heavily armoured troops. Dug is unwittingly carted back to Nooth’s stronghold where he witnesses preening footballers Real Bronzio in gravity-defying motion. Cave paintings suggest Dug’s bloodline were the star strikers, defenders and goalkeepers of a bygone era. Emboldened by this revelation and the support of pretty saucepan vendor Goona (Maisie Williams), Dug publicly challenges Nooth’s arrogant superstars to a match for control of the valley.

A FANTASTIC WOMAN (CERT 15)

Director Sebastian Lelio’s compelling drama was nominated for best foreign language film at this year’s Academy Awards. It is a timely portrait of grief and injustice, as seen through the eyes of aspiring singer Marina Vidal (Daniela Vega), who is happily settled with an older boyfriend, Orlando (Francisco Reyes). During Marina’s birthday celebrations, Orlando falls unexpectedly ill and sadly doesn’t regain consciousness. Marina informs Orlando’s family and friends of his passing and is met with a wall of animosity and suspicion, and the family closes ranks. Former wife Sonia (Aline Kuppenheim) forbids Marina from attending the funeral to mourn the man she loved, while his son Bruno (Nicolas Saavedra) uses violence and intimidation to persuade Marina to move out of the apartment.