MOVIE REVIEW: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY

 

Peter Parker devotes his life to protecting New York City as a full-time Spider-Man. But as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he's ever faced.

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo 

Release Date: July 24, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language.

Runtime: 2h 25m

Review:

Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers an impressive refocus on the central character that delivers emotional weight and spectacle in equal parts anchored by one of Tom Holland’s best turns behind the mask.  Destin Daniel Cretton takes over the reins from Jon Watts, who directed the three previous solo entries, with impressive confidence as he thrust the audience into the ground level of super heroism that Spider-Man generally engages in.  The action set pieces are impressive across the board with Cretton utilizing inventive use of slow-motion shots and POV to make those moments pop off the screen.  The action is visually frenetic, engaging and most importantly fun as we watch the webslinger in his Manhattan home fighting off smaller scale of villainy than this version of the character has been dealing with during his Marvel cinematic run.  It delivers what you’d hope for from a summer blockbuster but underneath it all the script delivers an emotional core that captures the essence of Peter Parker’s, who’s been forgotten by everyone, as he deals with loneliness and isolation by throwing himself into his work.  Tom Holland delivers one of his best turns in the role as he manages to balance the character’s wide-eyed optimism that’s always been part of the character but peppered with regret over what he’s loss in order to do the right thing.  Holland has always been a perfect fit for Peter Parker but this might be his signature turn as he’s able to cycle through multiple emotional states as his character evolves in multiple ways.  One of the bigger surprises of the film is the mini buddy comedy with Holland’s Spider-Man and Jon Bernthal’s lethally gruff Punisher.  Their back-and-forth interactions and opposing personalities make their friendship so much fun to watch with both actors giving an impressive level of authenticity to their relationship.  In most superhero films, this would serve as a fun cameo with little effect to the story but this script actually makes his presence and their relationship make sense into the overall narrative which makes it all the more effective.  Zendaya and Jacob Batalon return as Parker’s love interest and best friend with both delivering solid work as they rediscover their relationships with the webslinger.  Sadie Sink’s sort of villainess is fine but probably the weakest part of the entire film as she serves as a constant reminder that her character is there mostly to set up for films and characters.  Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando and Tramell Tillman have smaller supporting turns with each making the most of their time onscreen but you do get the sense the film could have made better use of them with slightly beefier roles.  Nitpicks aside, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is effective on so many levels that you can’t help but appreciate the care that went into making one of the best entries in the character’s filmography. 

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: HER PRIVATE HELL

 

A troubled young woman searches for her father as a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity. Her quest collides with an American G.I. who's on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from hell.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, Hidetoshi Nishijima

Release Date: July 24, 2026

Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for some strong/bloody violence, sexual content, and language.

Runtime: 1h 49m

Review:

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell boasts a dreamlike quality that pops off the screen; however, its muddled scripting and lackadaisical pacing saps the film of any propulsive energy that makes the film feel far longer than it actually is.  Nicolas Winding Refn has proven he’s more than capable of delivering the kind of singular visuals that will stay with you long after the film ends, something, a talent on display here.  He creates an atmosphere that’s initially enticing and engrossing as we are plunged headfirst into this world and its mythology, but the story never matches the quality of what’s thrown on screen.  The script is peppered with stiff dialogue that saps the performances of any energy for long stretches of time.  There are some fascinating themes running under it all, but it’s all executed in such a thoroughly clumsy fashion that the story doesn’t keep you at arm’s length as much as it shoves you out of the way.  The majority of the dialogue is delivered in the most monotone manner possible with only a handful of bloody action sequences perking up the energy onscreen.  The story isn’t terribly cohesive by design, which wouldn’t be much of an issue if it wasn’t so hard to trudge through some odd creative choices that feel like it handcuffs the film’s cast.  Sophie Thatcher leads the film, clearly buying into the director’s vision, with an impressive level of commitment that you’re left wishing she’d been given free rein to flesh out her character.  There’s only one moment in the film’s final act where she’s able to unleash a noticeable level of ferocity that brings her character to life, something sorely missing beforehand.  The rest of the cast suffers from a similar fate with Kristine Froseth as the new girl, Hunter, seeming to find some spark of life every time she pops up onscreen.  Charles Melton and Havana Rose Liu are mostly constrained to looking good throughout but given very little else to do.  Shioli Kutsuna’s Ms T and Aoi Yamada’s Ms S are interesting muse like characters that pop up here and there bringing a very specific energy to the screen that almost like performance art.  Dougray Scott’s Johnny Thunder is intriguing in the early sequences, but the character disappears after the first act and never returns.   Her Private Hell is the kind of film that feels designed to be divisive in its overall approach, but it can’t overcome the general fact that it’s never as engaging or smart as it thinks it is.   

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: MOTOR CITY

 

In the 1970s Detroit, John Miller falls for a local gangster's girl and lands in prison for a crime he didn't commit. With his life ruined, Miller hatches a plan for revenge.

Director: Potsy Ponciroli

Cast: Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, Shailene Woodley

Release Date: July 24, 2026

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some grisly images, drug content, sexuality/nudity and language

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

Motor City is a fascinating experiment in telling a 70’s style actioner via music and visuals with nearly no dialogue that’s surprisingly effective and distinctive to make for a memorable experience if you buy into the approach.  The no dialogue approach used does take some time getting used to, but Potsy Ponciroli delivers some fairly impressive visuals paired with a stellar 70’s soundtrack that makes the adjustment easier.  It initially feels like you are watching a straightforward film with the dialogue turned off and only the soundtrack running, which is interesting to say the least but once you start following the basics of the general story it’s easy to either buy in fully or check out.  Needless to say, this isn’t the kind of film that’s going to be for everybody since this film is far more aggressive in its commitment to the no dialogue approach than other recent films that kept their protagonist mostly mute such as the Sisu films or 2023’s Silent Night.  This film may have less than ten words of dialogue spoken throughout which asks a lot of the assembled cast.  Thankfully, they are all up to the challenge as they are able to communicate the story with their ability to emote without any dialogue.  Alan Ritchson capably leads the way making solid use of his massive frame to deliver the action which he pairs with enough earnest emotion to make you feel every bit of his journey.  He gives the character a certain level of vulnerability that’s unexpected especially since it would have been easy for him to just put it on badass auto pilot.  He does get his chance to show off his action mettle especially in the final act highlighted by a particularly intense and brutal fight with Pablo Schreiber, who exudes 70s dirty cop throughout, in an elevator.  Shailene Woodley is solid as the love interest even if she’s drowned out by Ritchson and Ben Foster’s villain.  Foster, an underappreciated character actor, manages to chew up the scenery with impressive gusto as the crime lord that destroys Ritchson’s character’s life.  He utterly loses himself in the role by making the character as flamboyant as he is hateable.  It makes the final act all the more satisfying thanks to performances on display even though I could have done without the final ten minutes.  Motor City won’t be for everybody due to its very distinctive approach but whether you are onboard or not, you have to appreciate the artistry on display.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE ODYSSEY

 

Odysseus embarks on a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca following the Trojan War, encountering treacherous creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus and Sirens.

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron

Release Date: July 17, 2026

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime: 2h 52m

Review:

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is an epic in every sense of the word as he manages to meld the grandeur of classic sword and sandal epics and elements of Ray Harryhausen into something that’s as engrossing as it is soulful.  The film is filled with massive set pieces that are meticulously set up and shot to deliver something impressive due to the sheer scale of the endeavor since any one of these moments could have served as a finale in any other blockbuster.  There are a multitude of sequences that are sure to capture the imagination of this generation much in the same way 1981’s Clash of Titans became embedded in the zeitgeist.  Much like that film, Nolan doesn’t shy away from indulging in some of the more horrific elements of the story especially during Odysseus’ encounter with the Cyclops where he gives us a living recreation of the famous painting depicting Saturn Devouring His Son.  His run in with Circe is sure to make a segment of the audience squirm as it leans heavily into David Cronenberg style body horror.  Those moments leave a lasting impact, but they’re balanced by more grounded elements like the sacking of Troy which is revealed slowly as its intertwined into the overall narrative.   Those sequences possess a certain level of tension even though the outcome is well known a testament to the staging and brevity that leaves the story thread linger in the air until Nolan comes back to it much like he did in his breakout film Memento.  Through it all there’s an undercurrent of humanism as Odysseus is rightfully portrayed as a complicated man who gives in to his hubris at various points during his journey.  Matt Damon is able to balance the character’s intellect and brashness with impressive ease as he recounts his journey to a Charlize Theron’s nymph Calypso.  He gives the older version of his character a tangible sense of mournful regret as he reflects on where his intelligence led him, his men and his family.  It’s an impressive turn across the board that’s propped up by strong turns from the film’s galaxy of A list stars.  Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway hit the right tone for both characters as they await Odysseus and deal with suitors.  Holland brings his earnest, hopeful energy to Telemachus while Hathaway adds layers of doubt and anger to Penelope that gives the character more nuance and depth especially in the film’s final act.   Robert Pattinson and Corey Hawkins get the lion’s share of the screentime, focusing on the suitors with both giving their characters an appropriate level of unearned smarmy entitlement that makes their comeuppance feel all the more cathartic during the final act.  John Leguizamo and Samantha Morton both make the most of their screentime with both delivering memorable supporting turns for different reasons.  The use of modern vernacular for the dialogue, with the cast using their natural accents, takes some getting used to and it never quite gels with the visuals thrown onscreen with it proving to be a minor distraction throughout the film.  Purists will likely be disappointed with these abridged versions of events and along with some portions of the story changed entirely.  Minor nitpicks aside, The Odyssey succeeds on so many levels to deliver the kind of cinematic epic we rarely see nowadays, cementing Nolan’s place as one of the top directors of this generation.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: THE INVITE

 

A dinner party spirals into unexpected places when a couple invite their enigmatic neighbors over. Have they reignited the spark in their troubled marriage -- or lit the match that burns it all down?

Director: Olivia Wilde

Cast: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton

Release Date: July 1, 2026

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rated R for sexual material, language throughout, and drug use

Runtime: 1h 47m

Review:

Olivia Wilde’s The Invite is a real symphony of chaotic energy, powered by a razor-sharp script that offers up a steady stream of laughs along with some devastating emotionally devastating gut punches that make it feel like a modern day Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  There’s a vibrant energy that comes through the screen from the opening scene that rarely lets up with Wilde making excellent use of musical cues to hammer home the rat-a-tat-tat vibe of the script and performances on display.  The self-contained setting and limited cast give the film a decidedly stage play look and feel, something that comes from the original 2020 Spanish film, The People Upstairs by Cesc Gay, which was an adaptation of the original stage play.  The self-contained nature of the setting works quite well for the emotional pressure cooker on display with each performer turning in stellar performances across the board.  Seth Rogen gets some of the script’s best lines as the depressed, failed musician stuck in an increasingly loveless marriage that’s turned more acidic than anything else.  His typical onscreen energy fits this character perfectly, especially once things start getting increasingly awkward.  He and Olivia Wilde have a lived in chemistry as they snipe at each other with a level of disdain that feels like it’s been bubbling up for years especially as more revelations come to a head.  Wilde gives her character a wonderfully neurotic sort of energy of someone in search of validation she hasn’t gotten from her husband in years.  Their interplay is a hilarious series of verbal volleys that barely mask their general dislike and embarrassment of who each of them have become as their relationship has disintegrated.  Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz serve as perfect foils to their damaged relationship as the free loving couple from upstairs.  Their relationship serving as an extreme counterpoint to Rogen and Wilde’s relationship failings.  As the night proceeds and the layers are peeled back, in a variety of ways, their confidence and self-assured persona reveal some cracks starting to fray their relationship as well.  Everything comes to ahead once they proposition the couple to partake in their open relationship only for it to fall apart in a hilariously, cringy moments before the tone shift to something with much more of an emotional punch.  The closing moments of The Invite do carry an air of melancholy over the wasted time and an inability to communicate on an honest level that can and will destroy a relationship ending on a similar note as the aforementioned Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.  

A

MOVIE REVIEW: MOANA

 

Leaving her island for the first time, young Moana embarks on an epic seafaring adventure to restore prosperity to her people.

Director: Thomas Kail

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga'aia, Rena Owen, John Tui, Frankie Adams, Jemaine Clement

Release Date: July 1, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical

Rated PG for action/peril, some scary images, rude humor and brief thematic elements

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

The live action remake of Moana feels like one of the more cynical cash grabs from Disney as the film is virtually a shot for shot remake of the 2016 original animated film, wasting the big screen debut of Catherine Laga'aia displays real talent in the titular role.  Theatre and television director, Thomas Kail, guides the film with capable ease since the film is more an exercise in mimicry as there’s nothing new being offered up.  So much so, that it starts to feel like Gus Van Zant’s ill-advised Psycho remake from 1998 where they used the original film onset to shoot the remake.  There are some very minor changes that don’t amount to anything substantial which is likely to leave plenty of people scratching their head, especially when the “live action” is filled rather drab CGI especially comparted to the original animated films.  The songs do manage to perk up the energy, mainly because they’re so infectiously and catchy that you can’t help getting caught up in the moments especially since Laga'aia is more than capable of singing the signature songs, Auliʻi Cravalho made famous in the original film, and carrying a similar screen presence in the title role.  She’s impressive throughout but there just isn’t much more she can bring to the screen that wasn’t done beforehand.  Dwayne Johnson, sporting a distracting wig and body suit, delivers an oddly uneven performance as Maui with random bursts of energy interspersed with him going through the motions as he cosplays himself.  Thankfully, he and Laga'aia share some noticeable chemistry together which makes it easier to get through this rather pointless remake.  This live action redux of Moana leaves you wondering who this is for exactly, since the original film isn’t old enough to illicit any sort of nostalgic pull and everything thrown onscreen is less impressive than what offered up in the original.      

C

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

MOVIE REVIEW: DISCLOSURE DAY

 

A meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert find themselves at the center of a movement to expose the government's cover-up of extraterrestrial secrets.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell

Release Date: June 12, 2026

Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language.

Runtime: 2h 25m

Review:

Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day offers up the kind of action and humanity you’d expect however there’s a noticeable unevenness to it all, mainly due to a clunky script that keeps it from being something truly special.  Spielberg hasn’t lost his ability to create an engaging blockbuster that throws you right into the action and does so effortlessly here by dropping us right in the middle of the action.  Kernels of story details are dropped along the way before the full reveal of the alien coverup conspiracy that drives the story.  Well-funded shadow organizations chase down Emily Blunt’s Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City meteorologist, and Josh O'Connor’s Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert who’s ready to reveal everything.   Car chases and action sequences are interspersed with discussions about faith and how it would handle a revelation of exterritorial life.  It’s an intriguing concept to consider but the script doesn’t find a way to weave it seamlessly into the story which halts the film’s forward momentum.  The film is essentially a road movie with it working best as we follow our two leads trek to ultimately find each other through their shared connection.  It doesn’t make a ton of sense if you spend too much thinking about the whole thing but it’s entertaining enough to keep you engaged and makes its nearly two and half hour runtime not feel all that laborious.  It’s a testament to Spielberg and his cast because the script is filled with clunky dialogue and one-dimensional characterization that would have made the whole thing a mess in less capable hands.  Emily Blunt delivers a thoroughly impressive turn, leaving a noticeable mark the moment she pops up onscreen.  Her meteorologist’s on-air breakdown/revelation is deftly handled in an extended one shot early in the film which shows how effortlessly switches between speaking a foreign language to a frazzled on-air personality running late.  She plays against type for large stretches of the film as the character’s world has been utterly upended as she’s forced to face repressed memories.  Blunt brings so much nuance to her turn which makes her character the most interesting and layered person onscreen throughout.  Her and Wyatt Russell, who plays her boyfriend to start, have some solid chemistry together but he’s sidelined far too early for my taste.  Josh O’Connor does what he can with his character, which isn’t nearly as layered or interesting, leaving him the less interesting task of unloading a fair share of exposition.  He’s fine in the role but he’s just never as engaging as Blunt, which is amplified when the pair team up in the final act.  Suffering similar fates are Colin Firth and Colman Domingo who are asked to bring their notable screen presence but asked to do little more.  Those hoping for a direct connection to Spielberg’s classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, will be left wanting since there’s nothing to be found outside a blink or you’ll miss its flash of Devils Tower among a quick succession of alien encounters.  Once it’s all said and done, Disclosure Day may not be Spielberg’s best but it’s probably the kind of movie that you wished the X-Files franchise had gotten back in the day. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: SCARY MOVIE 6

 

Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, Shorty, Ray, Cindy and Brenda find themselves targeted by another mad slasher.

Director: Michael Tiddes

Cast: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Jon Abrahams, Anthony Anderson, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans 

Release Date: June 5, 2026

Genre: Comedy, Horror

Rated R for crude sexual content, graphic nudity, strong violence, and drug content and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 36m

Review:

Scary Movie 6 sees the return of the Wayans brothers and nearly everybody from the original movie for what should be a raucous return for horror spoof franchise unfortunately what we get is a collection of mostly unfunny and lifeless scenes that recycle tired jokes more often than not.  There’s plenty of fertile ground in the horror genre to pick from over the last twenty-five years they could have mined to spoof but for some reason it fumbled away as we get unconnected recreations of famous scenes but little more.  Five writers are credited, including three Wayans, which just leaves you wondering why they couldn’t deliver something slightly a tad more cohesive and funnier.  The jokes do come at a steady pace but most of them just don’t land mainly because they’re fairly lazy and predictable.  The plot is still using the Scream franchise as its overall template, borrowing heavily from Scream 5, which seems more than a little passé by this point.  It would all work better if the spoofs of recent horror hits were worked into the flow of the film as opposed to random non sequitur tangents.  It would all be more forgivable if they were at least funny and took advantage of the talented cast.  Anna Faris and Regina Hall are highlights of the whole thing, especially when they get to work off each other, but those moments are few and far between.  Faris’ best moments don’t come until the very random John Wick spoof in the final act that also throws up the cleverest concept of the whole film which leaves you wondering why the concept of legacy characters killing off reboot characters wasn’t the central thread holding it all together all along.  The rest of the cast do what they can with what they are given with Marlon and Shawn Mayans regurgitating the same weed and gay jokes from the first two films while Olivia Rose Keegan, who delivers a rather fun impression of Faris as her daughter, and Cameron Scott Roberts just seem to be begging for something to do.  Cheri Oteri, Dave Sheridan and Anthony Anderson along with a handful of other familiar faces return for small cameos that aren’t as impactful or funny as they should be.  Scary Movie 6 ends up feeling like a massive misfire since the Wayans have proven to be more than capable of delivering a solid spoof with the first Scary Movie and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka serving as prime examples of how funny they can be. 

D

MOVIE REVIEW: MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

 

The Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, a world shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. Joining forces with Teela and Man-At-Arms, Adam must embrace his true destiny as He-Man -- the most powerful man in the universe.

Director: Travis Knight

Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, James Purefoy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Kristen Wiig, Morena Baccarin 

Release Date: June 5, 2026

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language.

Runtime: 2h 22m

Review:

Travis Knight’s adaptation of Masters of the Universe leans heavily into the absurdity of concept to deliver a colorfully weird but likable film that, echoes of 1980’s Flash Gordon, boast some fun action sequences and a pair of strong turns from Nicholas Galitzine and Jared Leto but its ultimately held back by a weak script and its overlong runtime.  The film opens, much like Knight’s 2018 Bumblebee, with an extended action sequence that delivers everything anybody who grew up with the show in the 80’s could want as we see the various heroes and villains battle it out before settling into the main thrust of the story of Galitzine’s Adam trying to find his sword and his way back home.  Galitzine has a likeable, goofy charm that’s reminiscent of Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent from the 80’s Superman which makes it easier to watch as he works through some of the script’s weaker moments in the early part of the film.  Once Knight moves the action back to Eternia there’s a healthy sense that everybody is having a blast as we get a series of energetic action sequences and self-referential jokes that are generally fun.  Unfortunately, there are more than a few dead zones which makes you wish there had been some judicious edits to make everything flow together more consistently.  The script offers up plenty of comedic elements, some working better than others, along with an undercurrent about masculinity and dealing with emotions which is an interesting angle for this muscle-bound cartoon that’s not fully explored.  You get the sense that there’s a more interesting version of Galitzine’s Adam and Idris Elba’s Duncan relationship, but the script doesn’t give it time to really germinate.  Elba is fun in this role, but you get the sense he’d love to do something more substantial even his relationship with his daughter Teela, played by a focused Camila Mendes.  Mendes delivers solid work, but her character feels a bit stiff for all the other goofy going around her as she’s mostly stuck playing the straight girl to everybody else.  On the other end of the spectrum are Jared Leto’s Skeletor and Alison Brie’s Evil Lynn with both gleefully hamming it up every time they pop up onscreen.  Leto’s work manages to capture the odd insecure megalomania of the cartoon character which makes him the most fun character in the whole movie.  His dialogue and deliver are just pitch perfect, especially as he leans into the characters’ unapologetic evilness that doesn’t try to overthink his motivations too much, which lets Leto go wild.  Brie isn’t given as much time to shine but she manages to leave enough of an impression that you wish the character was explored a bit more.  Something the film could have easily done with its hefty nearly two hours and a half runtime to flesh out some of the character a bit more, as is Master of the Universe has its faults fans of the series are sure to find plenty of nostalgic enjoyment to be had.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: BACKROOMS

 

Backrooms is an upcoming American science fiction horror film directed by Kane Parsons in his feature-length directorial debut and written by Will Soodik. It is based on Parsons' web series and inspired by the "Backrooms" creepypasta.

Director: Kane Parsons

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell

Release Date: May 29, 2026

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for language and some violent content/bloody images.

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

Kane Parsons brings his YouTube series to the big screen in a mesmerizing debut that’s an unsettling, off-kilter decent into a manila colored labyrinthine propelled by stellar visuals and a standout performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Parsons film boast an early 90’s aesthetic that leans heavily into the more mundane but there’s always a sense that something is off about what you are seeing.  Cinematographer, Jeremy Cox, deserves a hefty amount of credit as he and Parsons frame shots with a meticulous attention to detail both in the real-world environments and the multitude of “backrooms” the film takes us through.  It all gives the proceedings a distinctive look that’s striking and instantly memorable especially when the film changes to a first-person VHS perspective emulating the original “creepy pasta” shorts.  The switch to first person delivers some of the film’s most hair-raising moments as we are exposed to a steady barrage of the increasingly bizarre rooms and creatures that inhabit them.  There’s an arthouse approach to the whole thing that maybe off putting to some since answers are few and far between by design leaving large portions of the story up to interpretation.  The story seems to pull inspiration from a variety of sources most notably Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich, David Lynch’s more idiosyncratic film along with a healthy serving of Mark Z. Danielewski’s 2000 book, House of Leaves, which also dealt with a massive nonsensical, dark labyrinth.  This is definitely a film that leans heavily on strength of its atmospheric energy to make up for its lean storytelling approach.  Chiwetel Ejiofor makes the most of his screentime delivering an impressive turn as the damaged furniture store owner who discovers a portal to the “backrooms.”  Ejiofor mines the script for every morsal of emotional depth for his character as we follow his decent into the rooms and his own damaged psyche.  There are a few moments of levity when his employees, played by Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell, join his exploration with distavorous results.  Renate Reinsve plays Clark's therapist, who carries her own trauma but doesn’t get nearly as much to work with even as she takes the lead in the final act of the film.  Reinsve does the best she can with her screentime which is mostly made up of looking into the camera is confused wonderment however she does have two impressive interchanges with Ejiofor that leaves you wishing the script had explored their relationship in more depth over the course of the film.  Story issues aside, its hard to deny the level of artistry and talent on display in Backrooms which bodes well for Kane Parsons’ future in film. 

A-