MOVIE REVIEW: EVIL DEAD BURN

 

After the loss of her husband, a grieving woman seeks solace with her in-laws at their secluded family home. However, it soon becomes a reunion from hell as the Book of the Dead unleashes demonic forces that transform them into Deadites one by one.

Director: Sébastien Vaniček

Cast: Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, Maude Davey

Release Date: July 1, 2026

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, and language.

Runtime: 1h 51m

Review:

Evil Dead Burn, the sixth film in the overall franchise, brings a healthy amount of nastiness and gore to the screen to placate the most blood thirsty gorehounds out there even if the story seems a bit undercooked by the time it’s all said and done.  Writer/Director Sébastien Vaniček takes the reins with a level of confidence that shines through the screen as he slowly unleashes an increasingly squirm inducing series of set pieces that are impressive on their own.  Those set pieces are wonderfully staged to deliver the maximum level of chaos as the characters are submitted to an increasingly intense levels of torture.  There are multiple times where the violence veers into overkill territory, but Vaniček is fairly relentless from start to finish which might put this film in the running one of the nastiest entries in the overall series.  This being an Evil Dead film, he does offers up a handful of moments of levity scattered throughout along with some impressive tracking shots, both being hallmarks of the series.  The biggest issue the film has is that once you get past all the gore the story almost feels like an afterthought which keeps it from being something truly memorable since there are some interesting ideas thrown around but never explored.  We get a few tidbits of lore about the people who initially found the book of the dead and their research, a fun little wink to Bruce Campbell thrown in for good measure, which I wish was explored a bit more.  There’s also an undercooked undercurrent about domestic violence which isn’t really brought to the forefront until the final act which makes it feel shoehorned more than anything.  A bit more nuance, an odd request for this series, could have made this entry stand out and probably given the cast a bit more to do outside of running around and react to the horrors thrown onscreen.  Souheila Yacoub and Tandi Wright both leave the biggest impression by the time the final credits roll but Evil Dead Burn doesn’t strike me as the kind of entry that’ll get a lot of replay in the future.   

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: MINIONS & MONSTERS

 

The Minions band together to save the day after unleashing monsters upon an unsuspecting world.

Director: Pierre Coffin

Cast: Pierre Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr

Release Date: July 1, 2026

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for violence/action, language and rude/macabre humor.

Runtime: 1h 29m

Review:

Minion and Monsters, the seventh film in the Despicable Me franchise, is as chaotic and funny as you expect from the hapless wide eyed yellow creatures with this entry serving as loving tribute to old Hollywood and the power of friendship.  Writer/Director/Voice of the Minions, Pierre Coffin, has a firm grasp of what makes the franchise work and has continued to fine tune the world and character along the way.  This prequel offers him an ability to have his characters recreate some legendary cinematic moments from Charlin Chaplin to Citizen Kane along with many more.  Introducing James, an artistic minion, who finds a love for filmmaking offers him an opportunity to explore so many facets of the creative process, all done in the usual Minion fashion of course, that you get the feeling that the character is semi-autobiographical in a way.  The character’s journey is filled with the kind of kinetic hijinks that have made these characters so popular but this entry does keep a solid undercurrent of the meaning of friendship via Henry, James long time, supportive best friend.  It gives this entry a bit more emotional resonance than previous entries which is a welcome surprise.  The supporting characters are voiced by Hollywood stalwarts like Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Trey Parker and Jesse Eisenberg.  Eisenberg gets a fun supporting story as Dort, an homage to Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still, that culminates in the film’s 50’s era sci-fi finale that has kaijus and flying saucers battle it out in a dizzying display of colorful mayhem that’s sure to wow the younger kids.  The film stumbles a as it works to merge the two story threads together into a cohesive whole but that doesn’t keep Minions and Monsters from being one of the more enjoyable entries in the franchise.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: JACKASS: BEST AND LAST

 

Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the rest of the gang return for more outrageous and hilarious stunts.

Director: Jeff Tremaine

Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Danger Ehren, Poopies, Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, Rachel Wolfson

Release Date: June 26, 2026

Genre: Documentary, Comedy

Rated R for extremely dangerous stunts and crude material throughout, graphic nudity, pervasive language and sexual material.

Runtime: 1h 32m

Review:

Jackass: Best and Last might not live up to it's title but for fans of the series and its over the top antics, this collection of older clips and newer bits should serve as a proper sendoff that’ll deliver all the gross-out idiocy and laughs this group of friends have spent decades delivering.  The general idea is that if you’ve bought tickets to watch a Jackass movie you have a general idea of what you are walking into, especially by this point in time.  This entry plays out like an extended clip show with plenty of classic bits incorporated into the runtime, I’d assume since most of these guys are nearing 50 now there’s only so much new torture, they can submit themselves to without seriously hurting themselves.  There are more than a few moments that still leave you shaking your head, wondering why these guys are still willing to put themselves through for a laugh.  There are plenty of moments where the sheer stupidity of what’s thrown onscreen just makes you laugh uncontrollably enough leaves you gasping for air.  There’s not much of a structure to this film, much like previous entries, but you do get the sense that this is truly their last hurrah, especially once Knoxville starts reminiscing towards the end of the film and after he’s completed another round with a bull.  You do get a sense that the core group of guys that have been around since the beginning are actual friends even through all the insanity, they’ve put themselves through.  You don’t necessarily get the sense that they’ve learned anything over the last 20 something years especially after being decried as the downfall of western society, when they first hit the scene in the early 2000’s, something that feels almost quaint by this point and time.  By the time Jackass: Best and Last ends and the credits roll over those earliest bits, you do get a sense that this motley crew of characters know it’s probably best for their own wellbeing to move on to another chapter of their lives.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: SUPERGIRL

 

When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Supergirl reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion for an interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Cast: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, Jason Momoa

Release Date: June 26, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action, language, and smoking.

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Supergirl, much like its central character, is a messier and less refined than last year’s Superman as Milly Alcock capably takes center stage as an emotionally damaged version Kara Zor-El.  Craig Gillespie film borrows heavily from plenty of sources with Guardians of The Galaxy and Mad Max being the most obvious but there’s a grimier, 80’s B movie vibe, that permeates the whole film.  It gives the film a distinctive look and feels that works in its favor as we move from world to world and run into a cornucopia of alien species.  The visuals and action are chaotic by design but once the dust settles it does leave you wondering why everything feels so familiar.  The majority of the characters and their motivations are well worn tropes that we’ve seen a million times before.  Eve Ridley’s Ruthye Marye Knoll quest for revenge after Matthias Schoenaerts’s Krem of the Yellow Hills kicks off the action with both character’s introduced early in the film and take up a good amount of screentime which makes you wonder why the characters are so thinly drawn.   Ridley feels miscast as she never really sells the burning fire that’s driving the character after witnessing her family’s murder.  She comes off as too sweet with the role needing something closer to Bella Ramsey’s Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.  It doesn’t help that we aren’t offered up more depth or backstory about her or her family outside of the fact that her father made swords.  Matthias Schoenaerts’s Krem fares even worse as he’s given the most generic villain in recent memory with the script giving him even less to work with as the character is simply evil, well because.  It’s a shame because Schoenaerts is talented character actor and could have brought something more interesting to the screen if he had better material to work with.  Milly Alcock, on the other hand, gives the titular character much more nuance and depth to this self-destructive version of Kara.  She’s always the most interesting performer onscreen, especially when she’s given a chance to dig into the character’s more traumatic backstory which works as the perfect mirror to David Corenswet’s optimistic and hopeful Superman.  It’s a strong turn across the board but the story has a far more melancholy tone, especially in the 2nd half, than Superman which might turn off some people looking for another light, fizzy superhero story.  Her performance is generally the best thing about the whole film, which makes it a real headscratcher when they decide to take the focus off her character and move to the other less interesting ones.  Jason Momoa does provide a nice boost every time he pops up as DC’s legendary bounty hunter, Lobo, taking the reins of a character that’s much more tailor made for his vibe.  The film would have been better off if they’d given Momoa’s Lobo and Alcock’s Kara more time together to take full advantage of their natural chemistry together.  As is, Supergirl is a serviceable launching pad for the character and Alcock’s take on her but are you left wishing it was something more engaging and memorable.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: TOY STORY 5

 

Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs get exponentially harder when they go head-to-head with a new threat to playtime.

Director: Andrew Stanton

Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, Kristen Schaal, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki

Release Date: June 19, 2026

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy

Rated PG for some thematic elements and rude humor.

Runtime: 1h 42m

Review:

Toy Story 5 shows that Pixar’s flagship franchise still possesses the emotional resonance and charm that made the original so special with this entry dealing with the encroachment of technology into childhood.  Andrew Stanton takes the reins behind the camera for this entry, delivering a visually impressive film that makes the well-known characters and the world they inhabit pop onscreen like never before.  The level of detail on display with each shot is truly staggering as each character and scene offers up a feast of visual treats.  There’s a noticeable pop in this entry that makes sequences like a battalion of high tech, fluorescent, Buzz Lightyears marching in a dark forest instantly memorable.  Stanton utilizes a watercolor flourish for scenes that occur in the children’s imagination as they play with the toys which brings a certain vibrancy to those moments.  Visual wizardry aside, the story is still concerned with the original conceit of the meaning of childhood and how these toys help with the natural progression of growth.  The script deals with the modern incursion of technology into that sphere and how it accelerates children’s emotional growth at the expense of creativity and imagination.  Joan Cusack’s Jessie takes central stage here as she tries to fight off Greta Lee’s Lilypad who quickly takes over Bonnie’s life.  Cusack has always given Jessie an emotionally damaged energy which is further explored as the character is on the precipice of losing a third child, prematurely in this case.  It’s a spotlight for the character as we get a real sense of her deep drive and perseverance to help her child while also dealing with her own personal trauma, a reveal in the final act will have your eyes welling up and ultimately coming to terms with it.  She spends the lion’s share of her time with obsolete children’s tech played by Conan O'Brien’s Smarty Pants, Shelby Rabara’s Snappy and Craig Robinson’s Atlas.  The foursome share some wonderful chemistry together which makes it easier to overlook the fact that this entry has Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear take more of a secondary role story wise.  Hanks and Allen do get moments for their characters to get their due but those looking for a story focused on their core relationship will probably be left wanting for more.  The story itself does a solid job of working through the issues of tech in modern children’s growth however, much like Toy Story 4, this entry feels more like another epilogue to the original trilogy. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: EXIT 8

 

Strange events plague a young man as he searches for the exit in an endless subway tunnel.

Director: Genki Kawamura

Cast: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, Nana Komatsu

Release Date: April 10, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for some bloody images and terror.

Runtime: 1h 35m

Review:

Genki Kawamura’s Exit 8 is an effective example of liminal horror that makes the most of its labyrinthine, repetitive construction to deliver a foreboding sense of atmosphere that permeates its brisk runtime to deliver some solid thrills.  Kawamura’s crafts a claustrophobic experience that feels eerily relatable to anyone who has wandered through any major city’s subway non-descript tunnels before turning it into a sort of purgatory that our “Lost Man” wanders through.  The film is beautifully shot, giving the seemingly endless rotations through the same tunnels an appropriately disorienting feel.  Once the rules of the game are laid out, the film turns into a game of finding the anomalies as we follow our nameless protagonist try and find his way out of his waking nightmare.  Items and people that we’ve seen multiple times become more and more ominous with each progressive turn, setting up some well-timed shocks along the way.   There are multiple shifts in perspective that keep everything from becoming overly repetitive, which also gives the audience a fair bit of context and backstory as to what is going on.  The story has a clever overreaching theme that plays like a solid metaphor about modern life, fatherhood among other things with the film designed to be left open for interpretation.  There are a few missteps here and there with the script as the “Lost Man” goes along with disturbingly odd situation far too easily initially and reacts far too slowly later on after he’s well aware of the danger’s anomalies portend.  Kazunari Ninomiya is solid in the role which mainly has him reacting to the assorted insanity thrown at him, although the film does offer up a few moments to give his character a bit more emotional depth.  The supporting cast played by Yamato Kochi, The Walking Man, Kotone Hanase, The High School Girl, and Naru Asanuma, The Boy, all deliver equally solid work with the latter two getting some memorable moments that’ll stick with you.  Exit 8 proves to be a memorable experience that takes full advantage of it premise and is sure to sate those looking for more big screen liminal horror.

B