The Whisper Man

Movie Name: The Whisper Man
Year of Release: 2026
Director: James Ashcroft
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton, Owen Teague, Acston Luca Porto, Hamish Linklater, Will Brill, Robert Clohessy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

The multi-hyphenated James Ashcroft, who started his career in acting but has since moved on to writing and directing features, has followed the well received "The Rule of Jenny Pen", with this Netflix produced and released feature which has substantial viewership numbers. The film follows multiple threads, all of which converge on a serial killer who was captured in the 1990s, who had a particular signature: he murdered boys, recorded messages of the captives addressing their loved ones, and their bodies were eventually discovered with a shirt wrapped around their heads. This serial killer, by the name of Frank Carter or The Whisper Man, was apprehended by the now retired, Peter Willis. In 2026, Detective Amanda Beck discovers the body of a dead boy featuring the same trademarks of the imprisoned Frank Carter. She seeks out the advice of Peter Willis, since she knows Frank Carter won't speak to anyone but him, but he admits to being retired and having nothing else to add to that story. In the meantime Peter's estranged son, Tom Kennedy, moves back to the same town with his young son, following the death of his wife. The little boy by the name of Jake, has an imaginary friend, and his mom's long illness has traumatized him. He finds out someone outside his room, who also tries to reach out to him through the letter box located in the front door, events that spark serious concern with Tom. Jake's imaginary friend also warns him of "the boy in the floor". Jake is kidnapped, leading Tom to reach out to Peter asking for help. Peter eventually uncovers a new person into this scenario, a very wealthy man by the name of Norman Collins, who collects serial killer memorabilia. While the police suspects he is involved in the current kidnappings, he has alibis for all these occurrences. As time is running out for Jake, further aspects of Frank's previous killings come into play, that influence what is taking place. 

"The Whisper Man" is adapted from the very well received book with the same title from Alex North. Much like James Patterson's books, these thrillers touch similar universes as the ones Thomas Harris' tackled with "Red Dragon", "The Silence of the Lambs", and "Hannibal", namely stories about unflinching serial killers who develop an obsessive relationship with the detective who has imprisoned them. James Ashcroft is able to illustrate this universe quite deftly, if somewhat generically: the characters have enough substance to remain interesting and compelling, but are also elusive, relying on the quality of the cast to bring them to life, and breathe some uniqueness into them. In this particular case, Michael Keaton is the one who fares best, even if he doesn't have much screen time. Magnetic as always, he creates Frank Carter as someone who is very much in control, someone who has nothing to lose, but who remains attached to the actions he performed, and the person who uncovered him 30 years earlier. Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott, are wonderful actors, but sadly the script doesn't give them much to do with roles that are underdeveloped and in Ms. Monaghan's case in particular, a bit muted. There's nothing necessarily wrong with this film/procedural: it has all the ingredients of a solid thriller, similar to the ones that fared so well in the 1990s, such as Gary Fleder's "Kiss the Girls", Lee Tamahori's "Along Came a Spider", or even David Fincher's "Seven", however it lacks a more unique point of view on the material, someone who can elevate and make the material something more visceral and memorable, as opposed to the rather generic output that it ends up being. The cast is solid, as is the production team, including the cinematography from Peter Deming (the long time collaborator of the late David Lynch), Colin Stetson's score, and Anastasia White's production design (the house rental is a highlight). It's watchable, adequate, but also quickly forgettable. 

The Lighthouse

Movie Name: The Lighthouse
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following his auspicious feature directorial debut with "The Witch", writer/producer/director Robert Eggers returned with another stylish feature, this time revolving around a chamber piece featuring the performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The film takes place in the late nineteenth century and follows two men, one older by the name of Thomas Wake, and one younger, by the name of Ephraim Winslow, who are assigned the job of lighthouse keepers during four weeks, in an area of New England. Thomas who is the supervisor, puts Ephraim through hard work, preventing him from accessing the lantern room in the lighthouse. Ephraim begins to hallucinate about sea monsters and mermaids. While having dinner Thomas reveals that his prior employee died after losing his mind, whereas Ephraim reveals that he was a former timberman from Maine, who is now embarking on a new trade. A brutal storm hits the island, and the two men spend that evening getting drunk. The storm prevents their replacements from coming in and also destroys their rations. While Ephraim thinks only a day has gone by, Thomas tells him that they have been stranded for weeks. As the storm continues to rage, the two men continue to drink, leading them to expose hidden secrets, and even question their sanity.

It's curious how some writer/directors are very much visual artists with a stylistic point of view, something that they apply with more largesse or finesse, depending on the story they're telling, while others become prisoners of that very specific point of view. Wes Anderson, for all his virtuosity and uniqueness, has become a prisoner of this world he has created, and while in some features his detailed point of view works remarkably well, such as "The Grand Budapest Hotel", his more recent endeavors feel progressively more trapped in this highly artificial construct in which his characters exist. Robert Eggers seems to be embarking on a journey somewhat similar to Mr. Anderson's. And while his recent "Nosferatu" displayed his ability to take Werner Herzog's 1970's version of that story to a much grander and far more stylized stage, "The Lighthouse" on the other hand, feels at times like an indulgent stage play that is going nowhere. It's undeniable there's much to admire about this film, particularly the performances of both leads, the production design, the cinematography, but the narrative itself eventually becomes a repetitive descent into madness and despair of two alcoholics that for all its good intentions and artistry, has already been captured, and far better, in other films. When someone thinks of descent into madness and isolation, one always thinks of the majestic "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola, one of the best films ever created, and one that truly depicts how war, guilt, isolation/deprivation, and mental instability, can lead to monstrous outcomes. Mr. Eggers attempts to create something lyrical with "The Lighthouse", with the watery metaphors and the mythical creatures hallucinations, while simultaneously peppering the narrative with violent streaks, sadly the combination of all these elements isn't the most graceful one, and the film ends up being very one-note, without a semblance of humor, and at some point, without a semblance of momentum (that third chapter where the audience eventually asks, "where is this going"). I found this film less rewarding than his other films, both prior and subsequent ones, something that even the phenomenal Willem Dafoe could not save. Robert Pattinson for all his good intentions, much like some of his collaborations with David Cronenberg, felt out of place, a bit like someone experimenting with a concept of a role, while not truly embodying it. The production team is excellent, including Jarin Blaschke's cinematography, Mark Korven's score, Craig Lathrop's production design, and Linda Muir's costume design. It's an interesting endeavor, but not necessarily a great experience. 

Tow

Movie Name: Tow
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Stephanie Laing
Starring: Rose Byrne, Simon Rex, Dominic Sessa, Elsie Fisher, Octavia Spencer, Ariana DeBose, Demi Lovato, Corbin Bernsen, Lea DeLaria, Roma Maffia
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Rose Byrne had a very busy and celebrated 2025. In parallel with her celebrated (and awarded) turn in "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You", she also produced and starred in "Tow" and continued to feature on the Apple produced series, "Platonic". "Tow" follows the story of Amanda, who is living in her car, in the streets of Seattle, following a series of events that have left her almost destitute of everything. Her teenage daughter is living with her ex-husband in Utah, while she's trying her best to secure a job as a vet-assistant. While on a job interview, her car is stolen and eventually finds itself in a car lot. Amanda who no longer has a place to sleep, eventually finds herself seeking refuge in a shelter run by Barbara, who imposes very clear rules for those who stay in that space. When Amanda attempts to get her car back, the lot imposes a fee, which she doesn't have. She goes to court to attempt to dismiss that fee, as it wasn't her fault that the car was stolen. By the time she gets a ruling (in her favor), the lot has sold her car. A young pro-bono lawyer, takes on her case, to attempt to get her car back, so she can go visit her daughter in Utah. However when the car returns to the lot, their feels to release the car have skyrocketed. As her problems mount, she slips on her sobriety journey, and finds herself at odds with Barbara, who demands that everyone staying at the shelter are sober. Her daughter in the meantime, doesn't realize all the tribulations Amanda is going through, and disengages of any communication with her.

"Tow" reminded me at some point of James Mottern's "Trucker", which featured a naturalistic and stripped performance from the underrated Michelle Monaghan, something that also occurs with Rose Byrne in this feature. The film is modest in its ambitions, but it does manage to fill itself with the personality of Amanda, played with subtlety and restraint by Rose Byrne. The film illustrates the difficulties of living in a major city in the US, when everything is stacked against you, not solely because of past bad choices, but of the fact that the gears of life, can so easily be wrecked and turned against you, when you least expect it. It's a film that doesn't wallow on poverty porn, but illustrates the thin line that separates those who have something, from those who have nothing. It also showcases the impact that trauma and abuse can have in people, how those events can cripple someone throughout their lives. It's not a film that tries to offer answers on the issues of homelessness, but it does provide a human glimpse on them. It also illustrates a great character study on a woman who continuously fought to get a bit of her life back, even if everything else seemed to be crumbling. This is Stephanie Laing's sophomore directorial endeavor. Most of her career has been spent directing TV shows, and while this film doesn't have a strong point of view, and at times feels a bit generic, she has constructed a narrative that allows for the lead character to fully exist, where she's fallible, imperfect, rude, and also worthy of attention and love. The cast is great, with Rose Byrne once again proving she's one of the finest actors working these days, with solid support from Simon Rex, Octavia Spencer, and Corbin Bernsen. The score from Este Haim and Nathan Barr is solid, as is the Leah Katznelson's costume design. Worth watching. 

Mortal Kombat II

Movie Name: Mortal Kombat II
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Simon McQuoid
Starring: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Martyn Ford, Tati Gabrielle, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Chin Han, Damon Herriman, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Max Huang, Lewis Tan, CJ Bloomfield, Ana Thu Nguyen, Sophia Xu
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on HBO Max

Synopsis and Review

After the success of the reboot of the "Mortal Kombat" franchise in 2021, director Simon McQuoid has returned with a sequel, which has once again fared quite well, with even higher audience numbers since it made its premiere on streaming. The narrative of this sequel focuses once again on the Mortal Kombat tournament, The power hungry Shao Kahn, has his intent on taking over control of Earth. Lord Raiden, aided by Sonya Blade, attempt to convince the jaded Johnny Cage to fight alongside the warriors who are defending Earth, but he refuses to do so. As the tournament starts, Sonya defeats her first opponent, while Johnny is brought into the arena, against his wishes, and is ultimately defeated by Kitana (Shao Kahn's adopted daughter, who secretly hates him, after witnessing him kill her father and taking her mother as his consort, against her wishes). Kitana spares Johnny, and reveals she's been a spy for Lord Raiden. As the fights continue, Shao Kahn's lust for power stops at nothing, that is until the defenders of Earth start working as a team.

This franchise at some point will probably become the new "Police Academy", where the (mis)adventures of the players never stop, but the audience has checked out. For the time being however, people are still being drawn to the series by the combination of martial arts and visual effects, both of which are a considerable improvement on the original films which were released in the 1990s. While the reviews for this film were middle of the road, it's a challenge for me to agree with these takes. Granted, I don't watch a "Mortal Kombat" film for character development, however there's a plethora of action films that give just enough flavor to the characters to make them interesting to follow or even understand their motivation. And while the motivation here is very obvious, vanquish the opponent and stay in the game, the film and its creative team don't really stretch much in terms of storytelling, or even creating characters that go beyond cardboard clichés. To illustrate my point: the main villain, Shao Kahn, is a colossal individual who is nearly invincible and wants to win the Kombat, and add more planets to his inventory. That's it. There really isn't much about the creature, his intelligence, personality, he's just the brutish oaf that needs to be vanquished. While the film has some moments of humor, they aren't nearly enough, considering the silliness that is taking place onscreen. Most of these moments are illustrated by the introduction of Johnny Cage, who is a proxy for the audience, who is the fish out of water character, in this particular case the jaded action movie star who is in utter disbelief of what is happening to him. Ultimately, this is a film that needed just a bit more investment in the storytelling and script, and dare I say it, a better action choreographer, one that could make the events taking place that much more memorable. The underrated Karl Urban does the best he can with this role, almost winking at the audience and letting us know that he is aware of the silliness that is happening. The production team is solid, particularly Benjamin Wallfisch's score, Stephen F. Windon's cinematography, and Cappi Ireland's costume design. It's not offensive bad, but it's not memorable either. 

Filho da Mãe/Son of a Mother

Movie Name: Filho da Mãe/Son of a Mother
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Jú Amaral, Susana Garcia
Starring: Paulo Gustavo, Déa Lúcia, Ingrid Guimarães, Thales Bretas, Regina Casé, Marcus Majella, Mônica Martelli, Malu Valle, Pedro Bial, Preta Gil, Fil Braz, IZA, Júlio Márcio Monteiro de Barros, Carol Del Vecchio
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

For those of you who don't know who Paulo Gustavo is, this documentary is a great introduction to this force of nature, who sadly passed away in 2021. Paulo Gustavo was a genial writer/producer/actor/performer, who rose to great heights of popularity in Brazil, thanks to his play, which was later converted into a film (with two sequels), "A Minha Mãe é uma Peça". This documentary, co-authored by Susana Garcia (who collaborated with Paulo Gustavo in the second sequel to the blockbuster "A Minha Mãe é uma Peça"), and Paulo's sister Jú Amaral, tracks Paulo Gustavo's last years of existence, as he goes through a sold out tour with his mother named "Filho da Mãe". The documentary which starts by capturing the dynamics of Paulo and his mother, and how their tour and show across Brazil was going, quickly evolves to being an homage, a retrospective on who this talented performer actually was. Many of his collaborators, family, and friends provide insights into the person he was, his path in theater, and later on film, though the documentary fails to provide enough context into all the creative endeavors he was able to touch upon, and particularly how insightful and funny he was with all the characters he created for the various shows he was a part of. This documentary ultimately sheds light on how generous, intelligent, talented, and unapologetic Paulo Gustavo was, and the impact he had on the lives of his loved ones, his fans, and also Brazil and those who were (and are) familiar with his work (and even on how an openly gay performer, was able to get married, have children with his partner, and face prejudice, all the while staying truthful to himself). It also illustrates the grave consequences of the pandemic, how much Brazil was impacted by it, particularly seen through the eyes of someone who was desperate to get vaccinated, and whose life was cut short as a result of a vaccine arriving too late. It's a great introduction to the personality and enormous talent of a wonderful individual. 

Doppelganger

Movie Name: Doppelganger
Year of Release: 1993
Director: Avi Nesher
Starring: Drew Barrymore, George Newbern, Dennis Christopher, Leslie Hope, Sally Kellerman, George Maharis, Peter Dobson, Carl Bressler, Dan Shor, Jaid Barrymore, Stanley DeSantis, Danny Trejo
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 0
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

By the time "Doppelganger" came out, writer/director Avi Nesher had already been steadily working on feature films for over a decade. During the 1980s he wrote and directed "She" featuring Sandahl Bergman, which piggybacked on the sword and sorcery genre that John Milius boosted when he wrote and directed "Conan, The Barbarian" in 1982. The film follows the story of Holly Gooding, whom we firstly encounter arriving in LA, looking for a place to live. She ends up sharing a place with Patrick, a writer who posted a room for rent, even if his space only has one bedroom. Holly and Patrick become friends, even though Patrick believes there's some quirkiness to her personality. He confides this impression to his writing partner and former girlfriend, Elizabeth. In the interim he finds out that Holly has a brother who is interned at a psychiatric hospital, after killing their father. He also uncovers that Holly is a suspect in the killing of her mom in New York. Holly admits she has a doppelganger, and that she is the one responsible for all that goes badly in her life, including the killing of her mom. She informs Patrick that her therapist Dr. Heller, can confirm the veracity of her statements. Patrick in the interim, is attacked by someone identical to Holly's supposedly dead father, and finally has a confrontation with Dr. Heller where a lot of the events taking place become clear.

This film is perplexing. And possibly quite nuts, but either way, it's a film that Ed Wood would be quite pleased to showcase or possibly feature side by side with one of his creative outputs. "Doppelganger" came out just as Drew Barrymore's career was starting to take off, since Jonathan Kaplan's "Bad Girls" came out in 1994, and started opening other professional doors for her. It's quite puzzling that writer/director Avi Nesher managed to get Drew Barrymore, George Newbern (who had already done the successful "Father of the Bride" from director Charles Shyer), and Leslie Hope (who had already done Oliver Stone's "Talk Radio" and Emilio Estevez's "Men At Work"), for a script that is nonsensical, with no character development, featuring a third act that is truly insane. This film attempts to illustrate a pre "Melrose Place" vibe of what it's like to be a young creative trying to make it in LA, mixing it with a noir narrative of sorts, throwing in a monster episode into the kitchen sink just for good measure in the third chapter, all of this without a semblance of coherence, taste, humor, or for that matter, logic. This is the type of film that will literally make the audience ask themselves, "What am I watching here". It's dumbfounding, with rotten performances from everyone involved, and at some point with Dennis Christopher's over the top performance taking place, one can't help but ask - "Is this deliberately so bad that it's like an art installation on how a bad film should be made?". The film amazingly features a score from the talented Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (who won an Oscar for the score of Marc Forster's "Finding Neverland"), but the overall production team is rather forgettable. This film is not forgettable, but that is solely because of how atrocious it manages to be. 

The Cave

Movie Name: The Cave
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Bruce Hunt
Starring: Cole Hauser, Eddie Cibrian, Lena Headey, Piper Perabo, Morris Chestnut, Daniel Dae Kim, Rick Ravanello, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Marcel Iures, Simon Kunz, Vlad Radescu, David Kennedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"The Cave" is Bruce Hunt's feature directorial debut. He previously worked as a second and third unit director for The Wachowskis during the making of "The Matrix" trilogy (not the 4th installment). The narrative focuses on the story of brothers Jack and Tyler McAllister, who alongside a select few, comprise a team specialized in getting to underwater locations that are unreachable by most. They're hired to come assist Dr. Nikolai, his associate, Dr. Kathryn Jennings, and cameraman Alex Kim, in assessing an unexplored cave located underneath the grounds of a former abbey, in the Carpathian Mountains. As the team begins the descent, they suffer an unexpected attack from a creature they can't identify, but that eventually results in all of them being trapped in the cave, as a result of a rock fall. Jack is also attacked by one of those creatures, but manages to escape. Kathryn analyzes the blood of the creature, and hypothesizes that they're possibly creatures that originated above ground, but have since adapted to their environment underground. As they continue to move towards an exit, they uncover the remains of prior explorations. They also continue to get attacked and plucked, while Jack starts mutating as a result of being attacked. 

A group of individuals goes to a cave and comes across a mutated species who attacks and kills them. If that succinct premise sounds familiar, that's because it is the essence of the excellent Neil Marshall written and directed film, "The Descent". This version of "trapped by the confinements of nature and at the mercy of mutated creatures" is authored by Michael Steinberg (who wrote and directed the well received "The Waterdance" and "Bodies, Rest & Motion" during the 1990s) and Tegan West (this was the first writing credit for this professional primarily known for his acting resume). What could have easily been an underwater/cave version of "Alien" or "Aliens", turns out to be nothing of the sort, since the creative team and the poorly developed script, don't provide much information, depth, or motivation for these characters, aside from some friction moments, and other moments where they become the target for barely there and seen monstrous creatures (the aspect of not revealing the creatures isn't necessarily a bad thing). Mr. Hunt could have easily leveraged the darkness of the cave, and the uniqueness of the claustrophobic confinements of it, to create a taut exercise in suspense, fear, and ultimately demise. Sadly, the film comes across as a get together of a series of wannabe A-list actors, all of whom realize this film isn't going to be much, and eventually turn on the auto-pilot during much of its duration. None of these characters ever exhibit or share much about themselves, something that would render them more credible, and eventually make them more than fodder for some monstrous creature. And that includes the characters who are supposedly siblings. It's a film that lacks humor, that takes itself far too seriously, and that is unable to create a sense of camaraderie, or even complicity between a group of people simply trying to survive. The cast isn't particularly inspired, including the always reliable Lena Headey, who has very little to do here. The production team is solid, including Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek's score, Ross Emery's cinematography, and Pier Luigi Basile's production design. It's ultimately a lackluster and generic monster film that wastes an interesting premise with a clumsy narrative development and stunted character dimension. 

Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story, Marty Life is Short

Movie Name: Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Jyllian Gunther, Stephanie Schwam
Starring: Robin Byrd, Shelby Byrd, Daylon Orr, Sandra Bernhard, Lou Cass, Porsche Lynn, Sean McKenna, Michael Musto, Cheri Oteri, Bob Morris
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on HBO Max

Synopsis and Review

Prior to watching this documentary, I have to admit I had never heard of Robin Byrd. However, Jyllian Gunther and Stephanie Schwam have both managed to illustrate not only Ms. Byrd's incredibly colorful life, but also the impact that her shows, have had on society. While some may be quick to dismiss this documentary as something solely focused on sex work or the evolution of pornography on TV, Video, and Digital, this documentary humanizes and gives context to the life of Ms. Byrd, the challenges she had, and most of all, the incredible resilience, intelligence, and resourcefulness she has had during her life. It's also an incredibly touching document of New York during the AIDS epidemic, how marginalized individuals were being brushed to the sides, and how her show managed to bring sex education, playfulness, and irreverence to cable TV. It's a documentary that takes the audience on the journey of finding out more about Robin Byrd, her devoted husband Shelby, but also how the stigma of sex work, sex positivity, and even gay visibility on mainstream media has evolved since the 1970s. Worth watching. 

Movie Name: Marty, Life is Short
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Andrea Martin, Michael Short, Oliver Short, Rita Wilson, Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Kate Capshaw, Paul Shaffer, Nora Short, Brian Short, Nancy Dolman, David Short, Ron Howard
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

The wonderfully talented Lawrence Kasdan (director of "Body Heat", "The Big Chill", "Grand Canyon", and "The Accidental Tourist", to name but a few), has directed a wonderful homage on the consistently underrated Martin Short. This documentary traces his roots back to his home country Canada, how he started his acting career, all through Mr. Short recalling his own memories, archival footage, and just as importantly, through the depositions of his close friends and co-workers, including Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, all talented individuals who came from a similar background and stayed friends with him for over 50 years. It's a documentary that illustrates how much of a family centered person Mr. Short is, his ability to create ties with friends who have stayed with him for decades, including his partnership with Steve Martin, but also the emotional bonds he has created with Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, their families, and other known artists in the Hollywood milieu. It's a film that focuses mostly on the emotional ties Mr. Short has created, particularly the one towards his late wife, but also the ones he has shaped and cherished with his children and friends. The documentary does illustrate Mr. Short's colorful career, but doesn't necessarily probe deeper on what has made him gravitate towards certain material, or certain characters. It's a documentary that humanizes this iconic performer, but also one that leaves the cinephile fan a bit undernourished, when it comes to understanding the long career path of this talented performer. It's a moving homage, and one worth watching. 

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Movie Name: The Devil Wears Prada 2
Year of Release: 2026
Director: David Frankel
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, Tracie Thoms, Tibor Feldman, B.J. Novak, Patrick Brammall, Simone Ashley, Caleb Hearon, Helen J Shen, Rachel Bloom, Larry Mitchell, George C. Wolfe
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The original "The Devil Wears Prada" came out in 2006, and while not a particularly good film, it has since then grown in popularity, particularly Meryl Streep's iconic performance as Miranda Priestly, which was always the main reason the film had some relevance and has since then become something many other films and tv shows, have attempted to mimic (with the boss from hell type of premise). This sequel picks up 20 years after the original. Andrea Sachs is now a celebrated journalist, but sadly gets laid off from the newspaper she works for, alongside a group of colleagues and friends as she's collecting an award. In the interim Runway has also evolved, now primarily focused on digital, though still under the tutelage and guidance of Miranda Priestly. One of Runway's articles gets Miranda in trouble on social media, and Irv Ravitz the business mogul owner of Elias-Clarke (and Runway), hires Andy as a features editor, without consulting Miranda. Andy's return is not taken very seriously, though Nigel understands what she's attempting to do, though her articles and efforts get no traction. Emily in the interim has become a top player at Dior, one of Runway's top advertising clients. At the risk of losing her position, Andy eventually manages to get an interview with the elusive Sasha Barnes, the ex-wife of billionaire tech mogul Benji Barnes. This article turns the tide for Runway and Andy, also positioning Miranda to get the next role she wants to play in Irv's conglomerate, that of Head of Global Content. Sadly, during his birthday celebration, he passes away, changing everyone's life in the process. 

If there has ever been a film that is literally about nothing, this is one good case for it. What made Miranda Priestly so interesting in the first film has now been reduced to a caricature, and that includes even her relationship with her husband Stuart, which is illustrated as superficially as possible. The creative team behind this film constructed this narrative based on feedback from users on IMDB and/or Reddit boards, and essentially distilled it all into the following aspects: more fashion, more opulence, more runways with cameos from fashion designers of various labels, while capturing all these events with various other cameos from stylists, pop culture personalities, and whatever else can be deemed as "relevant". Somewhere along the line, whatever purpose this film was meant to have, completely disappeared, and became a superficial bauble about nothing. These characters have no depth, their relationships are inconsequential, and there's not much sense for what they've become since we last saw them from the first film. There's an attempt at picking fun at guileless billionaires, by getting Justin Theroux to play an over the top and smitten tech mogul who literally has nothing much to do, while also capturing the reasonable and deeply intelligent ex-wife of that mogul, played by Lucy Liu, and once again making these characters as basic and meaningless as possible. The script doesn't have the snark or intelligence to position the parody of some of these characters as vicious as it should be, nor does it have the ambition and subtlety to give dimension to the ones who are supposed to represent the more humane and admirable path very rich people should take. The creative team, including writer Aline Brosh McKenna, looked at what Darren Star and Michael Patrick King did with the series "And Just Like That", and basically said: we can do that, and even overdo it. And indeed they have. While this film has been successful on the shoulders of a rather mediocre first film, it has also done a disservice to everyone else involved. Meryl Streep as always manages to walk away from this film with her dignity intact, the same going for Stanley Tucci (I personally don't understand why the fantastic Kenneth Branagh was in this). The rest of the cast should definitely rethink their choice of roles and projects. The production team is competent, featuring Florian Ballhaus cinematography, Theodore Shapiro's score, and Molly Rogers' costume design. It's a forgettable film with some good actors, and that's it. 

Red Sonja

Movie Name: Red Sonja
Year of Release: 2025
Director: MJ Bassett
Starring: Matilda Lutz, Robert Sheehan, Wallis Day, Trevor Eve, Luca Pasqualino, Rhona Mitra, Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Tony Way, Katrina Durden, Ben Radcliffe, Tim McMullan, Eliza Matengu, Danica Davis
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The world of comic book adaptations doesn't end with Marvel and DC comics and the studios backing them. There's plenty of iconic characters that live outside that ecosystem. "Red Sonja" has had a steady cult following for years since it appeared in Marvel adventures in 1973 (inspired by Robert E. Howard's writings, which hail back to 1934 - 1935 when he started writing "Conan the Barbarian" and created that whole universe of sword and sorcery). This version of "Red Sonja" follows the adventures of the valiant warrior since a small child, when her village is invaded by barbarians, who kill her mother in the process, and push her to live in the woods. Sonja grows up by herself, having nothing but a horse as a companion, respecting nature and the woods that provide nourishment and protection for her. New in her adulthood, Sonja realizes the forest is being pillaged by mercenaries hunting for animals for gladiator games that honor the emperor Draygan. Retaliating against the cruelty of these mercenaries, Sonja is eventually captured and taken back to also fight in the games. Sonja gradually gains the camaraderie of others, who like her, were also captured and have to fight for their survival in the games. When she frees a mythological Cyclops creature, she and her group of friends flee, in order to prepare for the juggernaut of violence the emperor will unleash upon them. 

Unlike the "Red Sonja" from Richard Fleischer which premiered in 1985, and had many of the traces the director had established with "Conan the Destroyer" in 1984, this new iteration of this heroine lacks both a strong directorial point of view, alongside a script that does this character and her adventures some justice. The narrative fails to make Sonja the rebel and the indomitable spirit she was in the comics, not to mention when the magical and supernatural aspects of the story occur, they do so without much context to it (spoiler warning: she gets dropped in this magical pond, that cures everything, including her mortal wounds, and gives her hair a much needed injection of color). The film feels like a cobbled web of episodes, and less of a structured script where the central character creates bonds with others, where we witness what makes other characters special or unique. The writers gathered/pillaged inspiration from "The Lord of the Rings", "Gladiator", and even some sprinkles from Guillermo del Toro's universe, and tried to create some coherence into this narrative, sadly there's so many jarring aspects to it, incluing the existence of an Emperor who looks like a New York talent scout, where the villainess Annisia has no discernible personality, but listens to demonic voices, which is apparently an apt replacement for a personality, and looks like a model ready for her "Project Runway" catwalk. There are different species also co-existing with humans, but that's not mentioned either, so this film ends up being a porridge with many different ingredients, all of which don't necessarily taste well together. MJ Bassett who has primarily made a career for herself directing TV episodes for shows including "The Equalizer" and "Reacher", illustrates rather generically what is on this script, once again trying to emulate what others have done better and with more resources. While this film is clearly a low budget endeavor, at times much can be done with modest resources, something "Obsession" has aptly proven many times over: MJ Bassett however fails to bring a unique point of view to the sequences, the action driven ones, and the more low volume ones. It would have been so interesting to see what Bryan Fuller or someone unexpected like Coralie Fargeat could have done with this material. The cast doesn't fare very well, sadly more so for Matilda Lutz who was so unforgettable in "Revenge", and here is completely wasted. Robert Sheehan, who has made a name for himself with "The Umbrella Academy", is in a different film altogether, while Trevor Eve and Rhona Mitra are just trying to keep their dignity (and bank accounts) with some padding. Simply put: this isn't good at all. 

Masters of the Universe

Movie Name: Masters of the Universe
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Travis Knight
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Jon Xue Zhang, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, James Purefoy, Sam C. Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Morena Baccarin, Christiaan Bettridge Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, Eire Farrell, James Wilkinson, Dolph Lundgren
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Cracking the code of a good adaptation for the 1980s animated series "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", seems to be an impossible task. The prior version from Gary Goddard, in his sole directorial endeavor, was met with negative reviews, even if it had an eclectic cast which included Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, and Meg Foster. This new version from director Travis Knight, who previously directed the fantastic "Kubo and the Two Strings" and the well received "Bumblebee", doesn't fare much better, mostly because the film has a challenging script and tone that can't quite find its footing. The narrative follows the story of Adam, who is the son of the King and Queen of Eternia. He is trained by Duncan, the king's Man-At-Arms, who is also the father of his friend Teela, however Adam is smaller than everyone else, and has some challenges. His life, and that of everyone in Eternia, is forever changed when the planet is invaded by Skeletor. He captures the King and Queen while Adam is sequestered by the Sorceress, guardian of Castle Grayskull. He is sent through a multi-dimensional portal to Earth, however during his escape, Adam loses the sword. 15 years later, Adam is working in human resources and shares an apartment with his friend Hussein. He obsesses about finding his sword, and doesn't have much of a private life. He finally gets a text that his sword has been found, and causes all sorts of ruckus at a local comic book store where it's located. As it turns out, the sword is indeed the legitimate one, and it has acted like a beacon to indicate its location. Adam is attacked by one of Skeletor's minions, only to be saved by Teela. They manage to escape, and head back to Eternia, a place that is now very different than what Adam has remembered. They have Skeletor to defeat, and bring back Eternia to its lost wonder.

While "He-Man" does come across as a super hero (of sorts), this film has a bit of a challenge in creating an origin story that does it justice. On one hand the script forcibly tries to be funny (Adam works in HR, where conflict and friction are addressed by joint conversations and collaboration), and secondly it doesn't provide much depth about who Adam actually is, aside from the anecdotal aspect he has a roommate (who apparently doesn't work and spends all his time looking at the TV). There isn't much context as to what has happened to Adam during the 15 years he was on Earth and how he even adapted to such a different reality. The fish out of water narrative does indeed present itself, but in how Adam readjusts himself to Eternia and to the fact that no one remembers him, or think of him as a lame and feeble individual. As it happens, no one in Eternia knows the meaning of pacifism, or truces, or finding a compromise when a war needs to come to an end. The script for this film is quite puzzling, since on one hand the creative team introduces Duncan, the Man-At-Arms as an alcoholic with something to prove to himself and his daughter, while on the other, it makes Skeletor as a bit of clownish villain, with no backdrop, or perspective other than wanting to rule the planet of Eternia. The film has all these influences from various films, including the iconic "Star Wars" saga, but while trying to entertain children, it fails to realize that these characters can't just be human versions of the cartoon, they have to behave and feel like real people. The creative team for this film should have looked at what Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley did with "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves", and created a script that is able to appeal to a child, but still retain enough character dimension and quirkiness, that goes beyond colorful costumes and questionable line reads regarding some of the characters' names. The cast sadly can't do much with the material, though Idris Elba is always great, the same going for Alison Brie. The production team is competent and solid, including Fabian Wagner's cinematography, Daniel Pemberton's score, and Guy Hendrix Dyas' production design. It's a missed opportunity for a director who has demonstrated a strong affinity for material that crosses multiple generations of viewers. 

Obsession

Movie Name: Obsession
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Curry Barker
Starring: Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, Haley Fitzgerald, Darin Toonder, Anthony Pavone, Anthony Casabianca, Chloe Breen
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Obsession", not referring to the Brian De Palma film with the same name released in 1976, has become a cultural phenomenon, particularly the aspect of the narrative of how such a low budget film has managed to outsmart, and outperform the bigger budget films that have premiered alongside it. The film follows the story of Baron Bailey, affectionately named Bear by his friends, who works at a local record store alongside Nikki, Ian, and Sarah. Bear has romantic feelings towards Nikki, but doesn't know how to approach her. He fears she has placed him in a "friend zone", and doesn't even consider him dating material. On one occasion he goes to a crystal shop to buy Nikki a replacement tiger's eye necklace, but ends up buying a "One Wish Willow", a novelty item that claims to grant one wish per person, once broken. Following an interaction with Nikki, where he once again chickens out, he decides to use the wish on himself, and wishes that Nikki loved him more than anything or anyone else. She immediately appears near him, and asks to stay with him over night. They eventually start kissing, but during it, she stops the contact, moves away and screams horrified, as if she has no idea of what is happening. She gets back to normal, but the following morning Bear witnesses a shrine she built honoring his dead cat. She explains her mood swings are from taking MDMA. They start dating and Nikki is at his place all the time. Sarah in the meantime mentions to Bear that Nikki saw him as a "little brother", and this sudden change of heart may hide something more sinister. That night Bear wakes up and is freaked out when he notices Nikki is wide awake and is watching him sleep. The next morning when he goes to work he's surprised that she duct-taped the front door, and from then on the events just start getting more disturbing. 

"Obsession" is Curry Barker's sophomore directorial endeavor, and it has already opened a variety of doors for him. Unlike Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi", which was a low budget film, and it looked as such, "Obsession" while also low budget, doesn't look like it, and it has an assuredness, polish, and point of view which are hard to dismiss. One can easily try to compare this film with what Osgood Perkins has been doing with his brand of low budget, retro-looking, horror films for Neon (particularly "Longlegs" and "The Monkey"), but Mr. Barker goes in a very different direction. "Obsession" smartly has a progressive disclosure type of narrative, where the characters slowly reveal themselves, and more details about the characters keep emerging as the narrative unfolds. There's some stylistic choices made that are reminiscent of David Cronenberg from the 1980s, but the film retains a freshness and unexpectedness to it, that also brings to mind David Robert Mitchell and his most resounding feature, "It Follows". One of the most successful aspects to this film is the ability the writer/director has to build this universe, trace these characters' lives, and sharply introduce disruption, graphically illustrating extreme behaviors that are unexpected and shocking. This film could have easily been a harrowing look at misogyny and objectification, but instead becomes something else, far more disturbing and quite unforgettable. Much of the success of this film lies with its actors, particularly Inde Navarrette, who is superb in what is almost a dual role. On one hand, she plays the cool and friendly Nikki, and once the supernatural tone kicks in, she becomes something else, a force that stops at nothing and at no-one. Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, and Megan Lawless, make for suitable scene partners, but Ms. Navarrette is formidable in this film, and definitely someone to pay attention to. The production team is solid, particularly Taylor Clemons cinematography, and Vivian Gray's production design. Worth watching, and definitely sparks the curiosity of what this writer/director is going to do next.  

Dead Man's Wire

Movie Name: Dead Man's Wire
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Cary Elwes, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, Kelly Lynch, Myha'la, John Robinson, Todd Gable, Mark Helms, Michael Ashcraft, Neil Mulac, Daniel R. Hill, Dean Coutris, Vinh Nguyen, Maresha Robinson
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The talented Gus Van Sant is back, after taking a detour with directing the mini-series "Feud", and following his underrated gem, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot". This time around he tackles a real life event which took place in the 1970s, in the Indianapolis area. The narrative follows the events set in motion by Tony Kiritsis, who arrives for an appointment with a mortgage broker by the name of M.L. Hall, who owns Meridian Mortgage, only to find out that M.L. is on vacation in Florida. He meets with M.L.'s son, Richard, who is also employed at the same Mortgage company. Upon reaching Richard's office, Tony quickly seizes the situation with a hidden shotgun, and wires it to Richard's neck as a dead man's switch. He claims that M.L. and Meridian robbed him of millions, after he bought some land and planned to work with an investor to develop it. Tony communicates with the police what he has done and what his demands are, and eventually manages to get in a police car with Richard, and instructs the latter to drive them both to his apartment. Tony claims he has booby-trapped his apartment and if someone tries anything, the entire complex will explode. Tony explains to the local radio DJ, Fred Temple, what has prompted his extreme behavior, and makes a variety of demands, including his own exoneration from what is happening. 

Gus Van Sant is a great storyteller. He manages to both capture poetry in motion, but is also able to capture the nuances of relationships between his characters, be it in dramatically inclined storylines, or in dark comedy ones, which can be witnessed in "Milk" and "To Die For" respectively. "Dead Man's Wire" brings to life, with an accurate detail for the period, the despair of someone who believes wholeheartedly how deeply wronged they have been. Tony, perfectly embodied by Bill Skarsgard, is seeking some restitution, but the film suggests this is a story of a man who always faded into the background, and who wants his comeuppance. Tony views the the missed opportunity he had as more than a business venture that just eluded him, it's a life that passed him by, that was denied to him. His need for revenge, his need for that public attention, and for that public apology, is a shout against all that life has failed to provide him. Mr. Van Sant manages to keep this narrative moving with gusto, with a set of characters that are illustrated briefly, but with enough detail to make them all feel vividly real. The cast is fantastic, led by the wonderful Bill Skarsgard, who gets great support from Colman Domingo, the always fantastic Al Pacino, and the underrated Cary Elwes. The production team is superb, including Danny Elfman's score, Arnaud Potier's cinematography, Stefan Dechant's production design, and Peggy Schnitzer's costumes. It's a solid film from an underrated storyteller. Worth watching.

Pillion

Movie Name: Pillion
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Harry Lighton
Starring: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgard, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears, Mat Hill, Nick Figgis, Zoe Engerer, Jake Sharp, Jacob Carter, Anthony Welsh
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Harry Lighton's "Pillion" had its debut at the Cannes Film Festival of 2025, where it won the screenplay prize in the "Un Certain Regard" section of the festival. Since then it has collected a plethora of awards across a variety of film festivals, and it was nominated for three Bafta awards, including Outstanding British Film of the Year. A well deserving collection of awards for what is Harry Lighton's feature directorial debut. The narrative follows the story of Colin, a meek and shy gay man who lives with is parents in the London area. His mom is battling a terminal illness, he works a rather dead-end job, and takes some joy in singing with his dad in a barbershop quartet. During one of his performances at a local pub, he gets a note from Ray, a tall and handsome biker. The two hook up during Christmas, and while Colin eagerly wants to reconnect, Ray simply states he is not around much. They eventually reconnect, and Colin enters into a master/servant type of relationship with Ray, which includes him cooking, cleaning, shopping, and sleeping on the floor, at the foot of the bed. They have a controlled sexual relationship, which also does not include kissing, or any intimacy afterwards. Colin settles into Ray's universe and becomes familiar with his lifestyle, including the group he usually hangs out with. Colin's parents become worried about this new direction in his life, and want to know more about Ray. Ray eventually agrees to have lunch with his parents, which turns awkward very quickly, as they don't understand the dynamics of the relationship between the two men. A few weeks go by, and Colin's mother dies. The unravel he experiences following this event sends him on a path to challenge the dynamics of the relationship, which leaves Ray increasingly uncomfortable.

While the relationship dynamics this film illustrates may not be to everyone's taste, the most remarkable thing about this film is the disarming way in which Harry Lighton illustrates how these two individuals connect, and make a relationship work (without judgement). At least for a while. At the core of this film is also the realization that behind the artifice there has to be something emotionally real and tangible, which ties people together. Otherwise, it's just an empty game that soon runs out of novelty and meaning. While Colin quickly realizes this and wants to progress to something more meaningful in the relationship, Ray avoids exposing himself in any way that will present something more emotionally vulnerable and unfiltered from the rigid rules he has set up in his life. The film traces this path in the relationship between these two people, how something evolves, and how these paths force people to make decisions in which way they want to go and be. For some, it's a question of learning more about who they are, for others is about preserving an illusion of control and detachment. This film smartly asks all the right questions of what we want from a partner, even if it presents them in a master/servant environment, with sex excursions thrown in to spice things up a bit more. There are certainly aspects to these characters that could have been more expanded, but as is, they still come across quite vividly. Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard are fantastic, and get solid support from Douglas Hodge and the always fantastic Lesley Sharp. The production team is equally solid, including the formidable score from Oliver Coates, Nick Morris' cinematography, and Grace Snell's costume design. Move past the judgment, and enjoy this relationship tale from Harry Lighton, one that is grounded, pertinent, and asks all the right questions. Worth watching. 

Keeper

Movie Name: Keeper
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Weiss
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

These last few years have been particularly busy and prolific for writer/producer/director Osgood Perkins. Following the breakout hit which was "Longlegs", the multi-hyphenate has subsequently released "The Monkey", which was another modest and well reviewed hit, and "Keeper" which largely flew under the radar. And he currently is in post-production for another film to be released this year. "Keeper" follows the narrative of a recent couple consisting of Liz and Malcolm, who go to a cabin in the woods during a weekend to celebrate their one-year anniversary. They're getting close to making it official. Liz is far more cosmopolitan than Malcolm, and one of her closest friends bluntly asks why is she going to a remote cabin with a man she's known for little over a year. When they get to the cabin they encounter a cake left by the caretaker on the kitchen table. They're soon interrupted by Malcolm's loud cousin Darren, who has a model girlfriend in tow, Minka. While the two men go off to briefly chat, Minka tells Liz the cake tastes awful. Even though Liz doesn't like chocolate cake, Malcolm insists she has some. She caves in, and during the night while Malcolm is sleeping, she has haunting visions. She is also drawn to the cake, which she finishes in one sitting, even though she encounters severed fingers inside. Malcolm who is a doctor is called into town due to an emergency with one of his patients. Liz stays behind and strange occurrences start happening. She encounters a ghostly presence of Minka, alongside a woman wearing a plastic bag over her head. Darren shows up again, demanding to be let it in the cabin. While reticent, Liz agrees and following a brief chat, goes and hides in the bathroom. Darren is attacked, but Liz is unaware of the situation, but asks her friend Maggie to come get her. 

"Keeper" is a smaller scale film for Osgood Perkins, particularly when compared with "Longlegs" and "The Monkey". The script written by Nick Lepard, largely takes place in the cabin and its nearby woods. Mr. Perkins is successful at quickly establishing the dynamics between the couple, and their personality traits: the cosmopolitan yet not entirely self assured Liz, and the quieter, sensible, and devoted Malcolm. He also manages to illustrate the environment quite successfully, with the cabin having a retro look to it, which also brings back to mind some horror films of the 1980s. The supernatural elements are added progressively, like preparing a concoction where the unsettling ingredient shows progressively, and not all at once. The sentiments of unease grow for Liz, who feels somewhat trapped in a strange environment, and the more she uncovers, the more unsettled she is, while Malcolm never loses his mild mannered behavior. While all the ingredients for this film are there, and the cooking is done impeccably, the problem lies with the recipe itself. When the final chapter comes along, and the revelation behind all the supernatural events occur, there isn't much substance to it: these events feel underdeveloped, which poses a higher challenge for the creature and visual effects to do the additional work for a story that is poorly put together. Mr. Perkins manages to craft a visually compelling film, with a very talented cast, particularly the always underrated Tatiana Maslany, who has great support from Rossif Sutherland, but try as they might, the narrative just doesn't sustain their talent, nor the horror factor they're trying to convey. Sadly, and unlike "The Monkey", this film also doesn't have much humor to it, which also makes it less palatable. The production team is great, with Edo Van Breemen's score, Jeremy Cox's cinematography, and Danny Vermette's production design, shining through. Mr. Perkins is a solid storyteller, but this script just didn't do his talents enough justice. Watchable, but forgettable.