Backrooms

Movie Name: Backrooms
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Kane Parsons
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Much like "Obsession", "Backrooms" has been a big success for its distributor and for the director and creator of the narrative behind the feature. The narrative focuses on Clark, an architect by trade, who is currently managing his own struggling business, a furniture store. He is coping with the challenges of his life, which include a failed marriage and professional ambitions, by over-drinking, but also by attending therapy sessions with Mary Kline, a well known therapist. Mary has a traumatic past of her own, having lived with a shut-in mother which scarred her for life. One evening Clark uncovers in the lower floor of his store, what seems to be a portal to another space which appears to be boundless, with rooms that are empty and others with furniture that seem cropped or half materialized. He manages to get back to the store, and recounts this exploration to Mary, who doesn't seem to fully understand what he's saying. Aiming to get solid proof from his discovery, Clark ventures in the boundless space, but with his sales assistant, Kat, and her boyfriend Bobby who has a video camera. As the three go in the backrooms and start exploring, they soon realize they're not alone, and something eventually attacks Bobby and Kat. Later on Mary receives a puzzling voice message from Clark, and after his absence from a series of sessions, decides to check in on the store and his whereabouts. The space looks abandoned and as she goes to the bottom floor, Mary uncovers the portal as well. 

What's interesting with films with enigmatic premises, is essentially what is the journey where the creative team behind them wants the viewers to go on. "Backrooms" has a great premise: a boundless, possibly alien created space, which consumes memories and possibly brings to life the worst aspects of people's identities or feelings (the dark side of each individual that is). That's a possible interpretation, but much like any work of art, it can possibly be open to many types of interpretations. And while not every story needs to be a linear one, something that David Lynch taught us so well with his films, it does have to have a momentum, a sense of a continuous journey that leads us somewhere. Mr. Kane Parsons, for whom this is his feature directorial debut, definitely has a way of bringing this world to life, and his characters have enough dimension to make them somewhat interesting, however as the film progresses, and eventually gets to its final act, all the momentum that was built, it starts to fizzle, as if the creative team doesn't really know where they want to take the narrative or the characters themselves. The film is built like an MC Escher universe brought to life, with the characters' psyche resembling a bit of that deconstructed universe: however towards the epilogue, when trying to wrap up the narrative, the film attempts a series of signals, a series of cues that may help the viewer with the interpretation of what just happened, and they sadly feel undercooked. A film's intelligence isn't measured by how much of its plot-line is given away, but how much of it can be emotionally resonant, and intellectually stimulant for its viewers. I personally didn't need to know what Tippi Hedren's character's fate was going to be as the group left Bodega Bay at the end of "The Birds", but I was invested all along to sit for the end to come along. "Backrooms" gets halfway there, but the problem is lots of misdirection that is given throughout the narrative, promising something that isn't really there. It's a stylish film indeed, but in a way, it's more formally interesting than narratively arresting. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are great. The production team is solid, particularly Jeremy Cox's cinematography and Danny Vermette's production design. It's worth watching, even if a bit overhyped. 

The Muse

Movie Name: The Muse
Year of Release: 1999
Director: Albert Brooks
Starring: Albert Brooks, Sharon Stone, Andie MacDowell, Jeff Bridges, Mark Feuerstein, Bradley Whitford
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the well received "Mother", actor/writer/director Albert Brooks returned with another stellar-filled cast for his follow up, "The Muse". The film's narrative focuses on Steven Phillips, a writer/screenwriter, whom we first encounter winning a lifetime achievement award. He soon realizes that most people in the industry consider his career past its prime, and for all intended purposes dead. The latest script he was working on, an action picture, is brushed aside. Steven's wife, Laura, suggests he seeks out the help/advice from his friend Jack, who is a very successful screenwriter and has even won an Oscar. Jack lets him know that what has kept his sparkle and good ideas going is the help of a muse, a woman by the name of Sarah. He forewarns Steven that Sarah is very picky about who she chooses to take as a client. She also likes to receive gifts. Steven meets Sarah, and she eventually decides to take him on as a client. However, she sets a series of demands, that are met with surprise for both Steven and eventually Laura. Steven starts noticing that a series of Hollywood heavyweights reach out to Sarah for ideas/inspiration, and he eventually gets an idea that he starts converting to a script. However, the demands from Sarah keep growing, and eventually she turns her attention to Laura, inspiring her to start a business of her own. Steven's anxiety and lack of what he considers palpable results, starts creating some friction with Sarah.

"The Muse" has the makings of a great satire on Hollywood, the creative process, the ageism of being in an industry that caters to mostly young people, the shallowness of overhype, and the list goes on. However and sadly for this film and for all the talent involved, this turns out to be quite a limp story with a third act that doesn't go anywhere. Albert Brooks has always utilized the same persona across all feature films he's in, including films that he has not directed himself, such as his character in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and James L. Brooks' "Broadcast News". That persona is always characterized by being overly verbose, insecure, always challenged in his romantic relationships with women who are clearly out of his league, and eventually someone who always sabotages himself, for not believing in his own abilities. He is essentially a less prolific, less funny, and possibly less intellectual version of Woody Allen. Which is to say, the persona he always embodies is a schtick that has a limited shelf life. "The Muse" however could have gone in a very different direction, since it had the opportunity to shift the focus to the Muse herself, played with enough sharpness by Sharon Stone. Sadly the film never strays too far away from Mr. Brooks' central character, and underplays and underwrites the supporting characters, including Sarah, Laura, and even the best friend Jack. So much could have been done with those characters, and these talented performers, but the film gives them so very little to do. The entire film feels like it's at the constant precipice of something terribly funny, biting, or even daring happening, but for its entire duration it remains limp and tepid, precisely like the scripts Steven is accused of writing. The best gag of the entire film takes place early on when Steven shows up for a meeting with the other Steven (as in Spielberg). They make him walk for a ton of miles, only for him to be received by Mr. Spielberg's cousin, who hasn't even seen his films. This type of acidity and irreverence, could have been applied to the rest of the film, but sadly it never makes a mark again. The talented cast is wasted, and the production team is solid without being remarkable. It's a waste of talent and a quickly forgotten endeavor.

You're Next

Movie Name: You're Next
Year of Release: 2011
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, Margaret Laney, Amy Seimetz, Ti West, Rob Moran, Barbara Crampton, L. C. Holt, Simon Barrett, Lane Hughes, Larry Fessenden, Kate Lyn Sheil
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

While Adam Wingard is now a well established director, courtesy of the successful films he has directed in the last few years which includes "Godzilla vs. Kong" and "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire", and even the smaller scale "The Guest", "You're Next" is the film that was his breakthrough and opened the door to his subsequent features. "You're Next" follows the events surrounding a family who gets together for a dinner celebration at their vacation home in rural Missouri. The Davison family is comprised of the parents, and 4 adult offspring, all of whom appear with their significant others. One of the offspring is Crispian, who has always been the target of the taunting of his older brother Drake. Crispian shows up with Erin, who used to be his teaching assistant, but who is now his partner/girlfriend. During the dinner and as tensions start rising up between Crispian and Drake, the family is attacked by an assailant in a tiger mask. That person shoots a crossbow, and kills Tariq, Aimee's boyfriend. Everyone is shocked and distressed, and immediately try to reach out to the police. However they all realize their cell phones have no reception, and that something may be jamming it. The family decides that one of them can quickly run outside past the intruders, and either get to one of the cars or to the road and ask for help. Aimee who's a runner, volunteers to do so, but as she sprints out of the house, she gets detained by a garrote wire, that kills her. The panic ensues, and as the family and their loved ones react differently to what is happening, these attackers brutally murder them one by one, that is until Erin starts fighting back.

"You're Next" very much sets itself up as a narratively economic B-movie. The characters are all briefly and succinctly introduced, with the archetypes ranging from the bullies, to the no-nonsense attackers, the rebels, the pretentious intellectuals, and the list goes on, with the sole purpose of getting the relationships between everyone progressively clearer, particularly when the brutal killings commence. The film smartly doesn't focus itself around uncovering the why of it all happening, opting instead to focus on the fight for survival that everyone is going through. The reason for the brutal attack is uncovered as the relationships between everyone become clearer. While some of the situations have a McGiver vibe to them, particularly some of the defensive tactics Erin chooses to adopt, Mr. Wingar smartly keeps all these interactions on a brutal and economical state. There's no empathy buildup, no reasoning, no negotiating: everyone is trying to survive, and as the motives for the blood fest become clearer, there's also no excuse, and no escape. The cast is solid, with Sharni Vinson making the most of her central role, with Joe Swanberg providing good support as the spoiled bully. The production team is solid, particularly Andrew Doz Palermo's cinematography and Tom Hammock's production design. It's a violent, but well crafted film. 

Robots

Movie Name: Robots
Year of Release: 2023
Director: Casper Christensen, Anthony Hines
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Jack Whitehall, Paul Rust, Nicholas Rutherford, Paul Jurewicz, David Grant Wright, Emanuela Postacchini, Chelsea Edmundson, Samantha Ashley, Richard Lippert
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

"Robots" is the feature directorial debut for Casper Christensen and Anthony Hines. They have quite an extensive career in film writing, with Mr. Hines in particular having had an ongoing partnership with actor/writer/producer Sacha Baron Cohen (he has co-written "Borat" and its sequel, as well as "Bruno"). "Robots" takes place in the near future, and follows the story of Charles Cameron, the spoiled and self entitled son of real estate mogul/financier Ted Cameron, who has figured out a way of doing almost nothing with his life: he has spent a small fortune to have someone build a robot replica of himself (which is not permitted), who goes to work, cooks, cleans, and even jumpstarts romantic entanglements with women, with his only chore being to bed them once they're ready to move to the next step. Charles' replica, named C2, meets a beautiful woman at an ice skating ring. That relationship evolves pretty quickly, but as they're ready to consummate the relationship, Charles gives C2 the wrong address. He ends up going to a business meeting, where C2 goes to meet Elaine, the woman he's been dating, and that he is supposed to have sex with. As it turns out, Elaine is also enjoying a similar swindle to Charles: she also has a similar robot to herself, which she uses for menial jobs, but also to have sex with the men she dates and gets money from. The replicas spend the night together, fall in love, and decide to evade their situations. The following morning Charles and Elaine realize what has happened, and they resort to Zach, the engineer who created the replicas, to locate and terminate them, before authorities realize what has happened.  

The premise for this film is an interesting one, since it bypasses all the heart and intelligence Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick depicted in "AI", and instead goes for a quasi romantic comedy of sorts, where robots eventually become sentient, evade to Mexico so they can be free, whereas humans are egotistical, selfish, and immature individuals. In other hands, this film could be a potent satire, addressing issues like personal freedoms, emotional shallowness, political unrest, and the list goes on. The creative team chooses to go with a rather emotionally stunted version of "Overboard", where the rich and spoiled Charles gets a lesson of how the other side lives, from a slightly less selfish and emotional unavailable person embodied by Elaine. These are both ethnically questionable individuals, who get a sort of awakening during the film, while going through situations that are meant to be humorous (they're not for the most part), and as it turns out, in the end everyone gets a happy ending. It's a bland storyline, with a modest budget, which the final rendered output comes across as even cheaper than what the team must have had to begin with. One questions how Curry Barker was able to make "Obsession" with so little money and make it look so polished, whereas this film had a budget of 21 million dollars, and literally looks like it was made for 50K. The sole positive nod for this film is the shining and winning presence of Shailene Woodley, a very talented performer, who brings a nuanced perspective to her portrayal of Elaine: she's a grifter, but she's not completely without principles. Jack Whitehall can't quite keep up with her, and the rest of the cast doesn't have much to work with. The production team is forgettable, which sadly is the same that can be said for this film. Skip it. 

The Long Walk

Movie Name: The Long Walk
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Charlie Plummer, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Josh Hamilton, Ben Wang, Joshua Odjick, Jordan Gonzalez, Roman Griffin Davis, Noah de Mel, Daymon Wrightly, Jack Giffin, Dale Neri
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

While producer/director Francis Lawrence started his career in music videos and commercials, before moving on to feature films with "Constantine" back in 2005, he has since carved a niche for himself directing the adaptations of many of Suzanne Collins' books from "The Hunger Games" universe. At the time of writing this review, his most recent film is premiering in 2026, another Suzanne Collins adaptation, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise of the Reaping". "The Long Walk" is another book adaptation, but this time around from a Stephen King novel (adapted by JT Mollner), an author who usually works with another writer/director, the talented Mike Flanagan, who has worked on Mr. King's adaptations such as "Gerald's Game", "Doctor Sleep", and has the upcoming "Carrie" miniseries to premiere. "The Long Walk" takes place in an alternate United States in the 20th century, where the country is dominated by a totalitarian military regime. This regime has instated an annual event named "Long Walk", which aims to inspire commitment/devotion to the regime for those who are less fortunate, particularly as the country is in the throes of an economic depression. This event consists of 50 teenage boys, one from each state, who are chosen randomly, are given rations and water, and must walk continuously while escorted by armed soldiers. If they fall below a certain speed, they're given up to three warnings, before they're killed. The last one who survives gets a large cash prize and can have one of their wishes fulfilled. This particular year of the Long Walk features a young man by the name of Ray Garraty, who has a secret agenda behind his participation (his father was killed by the military for inspiring critical thinking). His mom is devastated to see him go and participate in the event. He becomes friends with Pete McVries, a young man who also has a past story of his own, and soon the both of them have a small nucleus of buddies including Billy Stebbings, Art Baker, Collie Parker, and a few others. As the walk continues, different boys get killed, which only reinforces their drive of making it to the end.

This dystopian and alternative universe doesn't look quite so far off and different from where we currently stand. This is actually Stephen King's first written novel, even though it got published after "Carrie". While this narrative was written as response to the Vietnam War, including the drafting and killings happening then, the book is also a critique of authoritarian regimes, despots, and unchecked violence. Francis Lawrence takes a rather stripped away look to what is happening in this narrative: he illustrates the events sequentially, with a cinematography that looks unglamorous, and also without any stylized camera angles, which sometimes punctuate his films (and some of his films have great and unexpected shots, something "Constantine" and "I Am Legend" demonstrated). He illustrates the depression populations are going through (not just economical, but also moral), and the walk demonstrated the bleakness of the future that lies ahead for these young men, as they witness the wreckage that lies within the towns they walk by. Where John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" was all about gray tones, bleakness/survival, and the ashes/remainders of the end of civilization, "The Long Walk" gives us a new perspective on how dehumanizing totalitarian regimes are, how little human lives matter to them, and how every action is a deliberate step in the direction of pushing an agenda that has very little to do with making lives better, but instead, keeping the interest of those in power protected. It's a metaphor that reads across so many different events that have occurred in the past, and continue to occur in the present. The film uses this array of young men to illustrate this brutal story, and while the script could have given a bit more nuance to some of these characters, the director is able to capture who each of them are just by a few interactions between them, glances they share, and general physical portrayal. The cast is solid, particularly Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill, the same going for the production team. Jeremiah Fraites' score, Jo Willems' cinematography, and Nicolas Lepage's production design, all work together to bring this universe to life. It's entertaining, well crafted, and sparks much needed reflections.

Supergirl

Movie Name: Supergirl
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mamoa, Eve Ridley, David Corenswet, Ferdinand Kingsley, Diarmaid Murtagh, Bruce Lennox, Emily Piggford, David Krumholtz, 
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The always underrated Craig Gillespie is back, following the well received past features, "Cruella" and "Dumb Money", alongside his consistent directorial work on prestige shows, such as "Physical", "Your Friends and Neighbors", and "The Better Sister". The narrative for this film focuses on Supergirl/Kara Zor-El, whom we first encounter on a remote planet celebrating her birthday. Her celebration comes to a halt with the appearance of Ruthye, wanting to hire someone to help her avenge the murder of her entire family at the hands of a ruthless group by the name of Brigands. They're confronted by that group once again, and while they manage to escape, Kara's dog, Krypto, is shot with a poisonous dart. Kara has 72 hours to get the antidote to save her dog, and agrees to take Ruthye along. Once again in possession of her powers (thanks to the yellow sun), Kara is able to thwart the attack of space pirates, and learns of the location of the Brigands. The criminal and brutal group has also been kidnapping young women to force them to be their brides. Kara has another confrontation with the Brigands, and while she manages to defeat them, many of them escape, even if she has the help of the mercenary Lobo. She eventually manages to convince local aliens to indicate the location of the Brigands, but not all goes well when they leave her at that location. Ruthye comes to the rescue. 

One of the best things about James Gunn's take on "Superman" was its screenplay, one that married the general societal anxiety, with social media pervasiveness, image manipulation, with the constant emergence of authoritarian-like regimes that seem to be flourishing all over the world, all this wrapped around this concept of a hero who is trying to do the right thing, even when that right thing seems more and more out of reach. It was visually dazzling, but also reflected what is happening in the world, moving beyond the typical stereotypes that comic book films seem to constantly reinforce. "Supergir", stemming from Craig Gillespie, who in the past has directed the great remake of "Fright Night" alongside "I, Tonya", and also the underrated "Lars and the real Girl", can't overcome the terrible script he has been dealt with. It's a script that amasses every conceivable cliché that has been heard of, mixing elements from "Conan, The Barbarian", "Red Sonja", "Batman", and every other hero origin story in existence (the parents who have been killed in front of the pure hero, who is then hellbent on revenge), throwing multiple splashes  from other influences such as George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road", and even James Gunn's own "Guardians of the Galaxy". There's nothing ostensibly wrong with this film, aside from the fact that it feels generic and devoid of any intelligence, nuance, or even memorable reasoning. Supergirl's motivation for this storyline is saving her dog, but also coming to peace with the life she now has on Earth, something that her relationship with Ruthye brings into perspective. Aside from that, the film and the script offer absolutely nothing that is distinctive: the characters barely have any dimension, and the actors for all their effort, can't inject charisma and humor when there isn't much to work with. Matthias Schoenaerts, who is a solid actor, has very little to do here, aside from parading a series of makeup effects, and acting very disgruntled. Jason Mamoa shows up to collect his paycheck, and attempt to convince the audience that his character isn't the same as "Aquaman", just with a space motorcycle, leaving Milly Alcock with most of the heavy load to make the film have some interest and charisma. For the most part, Ms. Alcock does manage to do so, but the script doesn't give her much to do. The production team is solid, featuring Claudia Sarne's score, Rob Hardy's cinematography, and Michael Mooney & Anna B. Shephard's costumes. It's not by any means a wreck, but another example of the importance of having good scripts that go beyond a bunch of clichés tied together with little humor, or written with no sense of what is happening in the world. Give Mr. Gillespie better material, and let him do his own thing. 

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.