MOVIE REVIEW: PASSENGER

 

A few weeks into their van life adventure, a young couple witnesses an accident that leaves the driver dead. Soon, they're being pursued by a demonic stalker who's impossible to outrun and follows them wherever they go.

Director: André Øvredal

Cast: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, Joseph Lopez, Miles Fowler, Alan Trong

Release Date: May 22, 2026

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content, some gore, and language.

Runtime: 1h 34m

Review:

Passenger is the kind of generic horror film that offers little more than a handful of generic jump scares and recycled plot points that won’t linger in your memory much after the film comes to a close.  It’s strange to see André Øvredal deliver such a blasé film since he’s delivered a handful of solid films in his career like 2010’s Trollhunter and 2016’s The Autopsy of Jane Doe.  The opening sequence offers up an interesting set up along with a nice use of panoramic camera to deliver a solid jump scare, unfortunately that sequence has been used ad nauseam as the film’s trailer.  It doesn’t help that nothing after that point really provides any semblance of originality or inventiveness as the jump scares are telegraphed from a mile away.  It doesn’t help that the plot is a nonsensical blend of Nomadland and demonic haunting horror.  The rules for the highwayman from hell are also so incredibly generic that nobody would ever survive a road trip which makes most of what happens a tad difficult to take seriously.  It would all be a bit easier to watch if the main characters were somewhat interesting instead of being the blandest flavor of vanilla.  Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell play the central couple who decide to live out their van life dream and get engaged along the way.  They do what they can with the script but they lack any real chemistry together which makes it difficult to believe they’d just pick up and leave their, apparent affluent, lives to live on the on road.  Small smatters of details are drop about their relationships but nothing that makes them all the interesting or engaging especially as the clichés start to mount up.  Academy Award winner, Melissa Leo, pops up in what amounts to a glorified cameo that ultimately adds nothing to overall script outside of getting our cursed couple to the final location.  There’s been a recent string of well-made horror film, unfortunately Passenger feels too much like a throwback to the kind of cookie cutter horror slop that has pervaded the genre for far too long.

D

MOVIE REVIEW: STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU

 

The evil Empire has fallen but Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they enlist the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu.

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Blum, Martin Scorsese

Release Date: May 22, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action.

Runtime: 2h 12m

Review:

The Mandalorian and Grogu hits the big screen with decidedly lower stakes than most Star War films but it still packs in a hefty amount of action in this standalone story that leans heavily on mindless fun as opposed to dramatic heft.   The film is more of a series of smaller stories that almost makes the whole thing feel like an elevated binge of the show with more expansive visuals and action.  Jon Favreau delivers an easily accessible film that doesn’t require the audience know much about the show before jumping right into the bounty hunting action.  Favreau’s familiarity with the world and characters comes through as he easily sets up the series of planets and environments Mando and Grogu traverse from the snow covered opening to the Blade Runner inspired planet Shakari.  The action set pieces come at a regular pace, rarely letting up with the dramatic storyline taking a backseat to the overall spectacle.  The opening sequence has a fun Hoth sort of look and feels while the gladiator fight with a jacked Rotta Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White, answers the question how do worms fight.  The twin Hutts compound on Nal Hutt has a swampy Yavin feel that will feel familiar to anyone who grew up with the original films.  That setting does offer Grogu his best moments, first with the tiny mechanic Anzellans and then by him in a particularly inspired, nearly silent, segment that lets him take center stage.  That segment is the most impressive and memorable of the bunch as it brings something original to the board which is refreshingly creative and noteworthy something the film could have used a tad bit more of.  Those looking for some deeper expansion of Mando and Grogu’s story won’t find much here as the script offers little more than the reaffirmation of their surrogate father/son relationship.  Rotta Hutt, Jabba’s son, is a solid but rather one note as someone trying to move out of his father’s notorious legacy and forge his own path.  Jeremy Allen White delivers solid voice work as Rotta even though the quality of his character’s CGI strangely fluctuates from good to shoddy for some reason.  Pedro Pascal also provides strong voicework, he doesn’t show his face well over an hour into the film, with him easing back into the character like an old pair of jeans.  Sigourney Weaver has a supporting role as a Republic colonel but the film gives her pitifully little to work with as her character isn’t given much time to shine.  There could be more dramatic beef to the The Mandalorian and Grogu that would have made it stand out a bit more but it’s fun enough to keep fans and causal movie goers entertained.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: OBSESSION

 

After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic gets exactly what he asked for. However, he soon discovers that some desires come at a dark and sinister price.

Director: Curry Barker

Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter

Release Date: May 15, 2026

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, pervasive language, and brief graphic nudity.

Runtime: 1h 49m

Review:

Curry Barker’s big screen debut, Obsession, is impressive on multiple fronts as he delivers a horrific romantic comedy that’s devilishly funny, bloody and gross at the same time which is propelled by a star making turn from Inde Navarrette.  There’s an elegance to Barker’s film that’s immediately evident from the moment it begins, displaying a meticulous attention to visual detail.  He frames his characters in a very purposeful manner that conveys so much information without saying a word.  There’s little time wasted setting up the premise before the wish starts spiraling out of control with increasingly brutal extremes.  Michael Johnston perfectly captures the sad sack energy of someone pining for his lifelong crush who just can’t pull trigger while being entirely oblivious to other interested parties.  There’s a tangible sense of his total lack of self-confidence that seeps through the screen especially in the opening of the film as he awkwardly tries to finally make his move on Inde Navarrette’s Nikki.  The group of friends made up by Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless bring a natural sense of authenticity to the group that makes their relationships feel lived which helps when things start getting strange.  Navarrette’s performance is impressive from the start as she perfectly nails the cute girl who has obviously friendzone Johnston’s for years while leaving him a sliver of hope.  Once the wish takes hold, she unleashed an unhinged performance that’s impossible to look away from as the character becomes increasingly psychotic and violent.  It’s a fun balance of horror and comedy especially once the blood and viscera start flying with her doing the majority of the heavy lifting.  The Monkey's Paw conceit isn’t particularly new but there’s enough subtext woven into the script that offers up more depth to the story if choose to analyze it.  There are a few missteps here and there as Barker struggles to keep the energy up in the final act and the supporting players getting painfully little time to make an impression.  That being said, Obsession is a hell of a debut for Barker that makes you anxious to see what he has up his sleeve in the future.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: MORTAL KOMBAT II

 

Johnny Cage joins other fighters in the ultimate, no-holds-barred battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn, a powerful tyrant who threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Director: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Release Date: May 8, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

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

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

Mortal Kombat 2 ups the schlock factor from the original as it leans harder into old school B movie territory which works perfectly for the franchise with Karl Urban brings fresh energy as Johnny Cage.  The film offers up the most basic of storylines to prop up the action borrowing heavily from Marvel’s Thanos and his “daughters” for the Shao Kahn, Kitana and Jade plotline which drives the action.  The story is almost secondary though as director Simon McQuoid is almost overanxious to get the action started and deliver his rather impressively acclimated action sequences that most people come for.  The action sequences are all well-constructed and choregraphed throughout although I could have done without some of the slow-motion shots.  The visuals, though, are truly impressive with the fights set on a celestial temple and the final act’s underworld hellscape leaving the biggest impression.  Those moments are where the film really pops off the screen and are sure to make fans of the video game series grin from ear to ear.  Unfortunately, the script is rather clunky throughout with plenty of groan inducing line peppered throughout the film.  The cast does what they can with the material, and you can feel that Adeline Rudolph and Tati Gabrielle are trying desperately to pull something a bit meatier out of Kitana and Jade’s relationship.  Fairing far better is a Karl Urban who joins the series as fan favorite Johnny Cage who is a washed up 90’s martial arts movie star.  Urban is clearly having a ball in the role and his natural gruff charisma works so well that you wish the film took better advantage of it.  In between the fight scenes, Urban makes the film pop far more than anybody else onscreen, especially once Josh Lawson resurrected Kano joins the fray.  They bounce off each other with such natural chemistry that you’re left wishing the film had given them a heavier focus.  They bring the right kind of energy to the whole thing and are well aware of what kind of movie they are making, especially since the film’s costumes seem like they were raided from 1987’s Masters of the Universe.  Much like that film, Mortal Kombat 2, won’t ever be considered a cinematic classic but it definitely has an old school B movie charm that makes it easy to enjoy.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: HOKUM

 

When novelist Ohm Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents' ashes, he's consumed by tales of a witch that haunts the honeymoon suite. Soon, disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront dark corners of his past.

Director: Damian McCarthy

Cast: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O'Connell, Brendan Conroy, Austin Amelio

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Genre: Horror

Rated R for some violent/disturbing content, and language.

Runtime: 1h 41m

Review:

Damian McCarthy’s latest film, Hokum, is another atmospheric exploration of trauma and regret, carried by a strong central performance from Adam Scott, that doesn’t bring as many scares as 2024’s Oddity but still works as an effective thriller with hefty supernatural elements.   The central conceit of a damaged writer traveling to a haunted hotel immediately elicits comparisons to Kubrick’s The Shining which will be hard to avoid.  There are similarities between the two, but McCarthy does manage to pave his own path by delivering something closer to a murder mystery paired with a haunted house.  He takes his time setting up the location and the eccentric collection of locals at the hotel who come in contact with Adam Scott’s novelist.  Scott delivers a fairly engaging turn in the lead by dialing up the asshole level to 11 especially in the first half of the film.  His character just seeps with nihilistic energy from the open shot which starts to make more sense as we learn more about his traumatic childhood.  There’s enough nuance to his performance to even out some of his outright hostility which gives you peeks into the pain he’s carried through his life.  Once the action moves into the more self-contained Honeymoon suite, he sheds that top layer as he moves into survival mode as he’s dealing with murderous entities, both real and supernatural.  McCarthy sets up a claustrophobic, haunted fun house that delivers the majority of the film’s scares.  There are only a handful of jump scares scattered throughout with using the atmosphere to great effect that builds to a creepy conclusion that still offers a sliver of hope amid all the dour darkness wrapped into the narrative.  Fun supporting turns from Peter Coonan, David Wilmot and Florence Ordesh leave you wishing the film spent a bit more time fleshing out their characters to make them more three dimensional and take advantage of the performers’ talents.   Small complaints aside, Hokum is a rather impressive puzzle box of a supernatural thriller that delivers a story that’s far meatier than most other films in the genre.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2

 

Miranda Priestly struggles against Emily Charlton, her former assistant turned rival executive, as they compete for advertising revenue amid declining print media, while Miranda nears retirement.

Director: David Frankel

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references.

Runtime: 1h 59m

Review:

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a glitzy dose of cinematic comfort food that brings back beloved characters in an enjoyable follow up that doesn’t reach the levels of the original thanks to a script that decides to play the hits instead of bringing something new to the table.  The film feels instantly familiar as director David Frankel brings us back into this world with relative ease after twenty years.  The film takes very little time catching everybody up on what the central quartet of characters have been up to since the end of the first film.  The slow grinding death of print media is peppered throughout the film’s plot, offering some superficial commentary on the state of that business and its effect on former titans of the industry.  Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly is appropriately rattled by the shifting landscape and navigating her path forward until she’s dealt an unexpected career blow.  Streep shifts back into the role with incredible ease which shouldn’t come as a surprise for such a talented actress.  Her acidic line delivery is still fantastic across the board even though there aren’t as many memorable lines as the first time around.  She’s given a few moments where we get a more honest peek into Miranda mentality with her guard down which prove to be highlights of the film.  Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci also jump back into these characters’ skins like nary a day has passed since the first film.  Hathaway’s Andy Sachs has become a well-respected journalist whose paper was shut down due to a corporate merger leading her back to Runway and Miranda.  The film notes how much journalistic success she’s had in the past 20 years, but she reverts back into a wide eyed, eager to please go getter who slowly folds herself back into the fashionista world with the help of Stanley Tucci’s ever charming Nigel.  Tucci is fun across the board, but you get the feeling he’s dying for something a bit more substantial to work with.  Its similar story with Andy’s frienenemy played by Emily Blunt who moved on from Runway to become a senior executive at Dior.  Blunt is great across the board especially when her character is brought back together with Streep and Hathaway, but the characters are all given painfully little growth or depth since the last film.  If the script didn’t tell you about Blunt’s and Hathaway’s successes you’d assume they never left since they act like they did in the original film.  Considering the amount of time between the films you’d hoped they would have crafted a slightly meatier script for the collected talent.  Newcomers, Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh and Justin Theroux all have supporting roles which don’t amount too much outside of being plot devices which are a waste of their talents.  The Devil Wears Prada 2 is perfectly fine follow-up to get wine drunk too and reconnect with another chapter in these characters lives even though you’ll probably forget about by the next morning.  

B-