Matchbox: The Movie (2026)

One can't separate the film Matchbox from the elephant in the room, the cinematic behemoth Barbie, cause the former is the first film made by the toy company Mattel since its success making the latter. There may be a lot of commentary about Mattel and Hollywood maybe learning the wrong lessons from Barbie's success. But while Matchbox is no Barbie by any means, I was actually surprised at how much the film understands why Barbie was what it was. That being said, this is still a misfire but for a film that you can watch for free if you already have its streaming service, it's not the worst way to spend a couple hours, especially if you like (or ever liked) playing with toy cars. 

What it gets right: Nostalgia for the brand. For everything that Barbie was, a big part of its draw was the love so much of its audience had for the toy. From their memories of playing with the doll to the aesthetics of the brand, Barbie had throngs of people show up because they loved the idea of seeing a Barbie movie. Matchbox takes what is essentially a Fast and Furious story and builds in as many references, mostly specifically tied to the idea of playing with Matchbox cars, as possible. The movie actually does a good job of taking the experience of playing with the cars and translating that to the big screen. 

It also gets the casting right. Cena is the right man for this job. He has the right persona to balance the humour, the action, and the drama (yes Cena is underrated as a dramatic actor). The film takes itself seriously, as much as this sort of thing can, and adds in the right amount of heart/laughs/action to sell this story of kids who played with toy cars as kids who grow up to drive big cars fast. It's hard to think of an actor who better fits this. than Cena. 

What it gets wrong? Well the story is really very standard. It really is on the level of an FF movie and I'm not saying that as a compliment. Instead of a script that manages to pack in some substantial analysis of societal issues by Oscar winning screenwriters, Matchbox recycles the plot of a fairly disposable action movie. The film hires a first time director instead of bringing in one of the hottest, most innovative directors on the rise. While Barbie managed to capture a certain film culture cache that just isn't here for this go round. Barbie ended up being populist while also having the air of big C cinema. 

See Barbie wasn't just about the nostalgia. It delivered something else, something that was missing in cinemas. Barbie offered something to audience who weren't being served. Matchbox doesn't have that magic. The audience for this is already served and served well. It's not hard to find movies that play to the adults who were little kids who played with Matchbox cars. Movies like this are a dime a dozen. While there are many that are a lot worse, there are also many that are a lot better. So while I may feel fun to see a movie that reminds you of your love for you old toy cars, it doesn't feel necessary. 

And that's where they missed this mark. While the film feels nice as a way to touch into something sweetly nostalgic, it also just feels rather average. Audiences have shown they need a reason to watch a movie and Matchbox just doesn't offer that convincing of one. 

Matchbox: The Movie

Starring: John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, Corey Stoll, Bill Camp

Director: Sam Hargrave

Writer: David Coggeshall

California $chemin (2026)

For his first directoral feature, McAvoy went with this charming little tale based on a true story and what I appreciated about it is that it didn't shy away from being honest. It doesn't paint an overly rosy picture of this duo while still telling a rather endearing story. Sometimes it feels like the journey might be a little easy (they get a shot without trying that hard) but the film moves past that part quickly into the meat of it, how easily they get pulled into a world that just isn't real. 

Ross and Bottomley are both truly charismatic and that makes the film easy to watch and enjoy. McAvoy is clearly having fun in his supporting role playing a scumbag executive. But it comes down to just how much they make you care about them and their journey through flirting with fame. The film allows each to be real people, sometimes making really bad choices, and learning from it. Often biopics sugarcoat their subjects so that we don't dislike them too much. But California Schemin lets us see them warts and all.

California $chemin

Starring: Séamus McLean Ross, Samuel Bottomley, James McAvoy, James Corden

Director: James McAvoy

Writers: Elaine Gracie, Archie Thomson

Digger (2026)

Bold and innovative but sometimes messy, Digger is an experience and it's not what you might expect. Some of it works better than other parts but when it works its quite remarkable. And yes Tom Cruise is as good as they say, giving a complex performance that embraces some of the audacity of the film while also finding a certain subtly... as much as one can with this film. 

Digger is a profound and in your face indictment of industry and government reaction to climate change in a way that is darkly (almost terrifyingly) comic while also forcing its audience to look in the mirror. This is definitely a hard pill to swallow sort of film despite how much Iñárritu brings his stylized vision to this story. And it is stylish. Digger is a beautiful film to watch filled with incredible art direction and costumes while being filmed with an artful cinematography that is playful. All of this belies the darkness behind the story, one that is a bit of a confessional told cleverly.  

Some of the stylization might have gone a bit far for my tastes but that was rectified in the moments the film comes down to earth (somewhat). *spoilers* the film is a play within a play style story where it is revealed that Digger itself is fiction and Digger the character is a character played by an actor (who is played by Tom Cruise). While some of this section feels a bit like what Iñárritu did with Birdman, it is the part where for me the film really worked. It felt more tied to the real world and perhaps the urgency. The rest felt somewhat farcical to me but these moments drove the point home.

Still Digger remains spectacle. Its entire cast truly shows up for it and it is something that just needs to be seen. In the end its power outweighs its flaws and it is the sort of film that will stay with you long after the credits role. 

Digger

Starring: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Emma D'Arcy, Burn Gorman

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Writers: Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Sabina Berman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu

I Come Home (2026)

I was worried throughout I Come Home that the film would default into something common, that it would end up with its central family, a throuple, coming apart unable to overcome the messiness of relationships, reinforcing stereotypes of plural relationships. We are used to seeing "love triangle" be about conflict and, as the film maker has himself said, we aren't used to seeing it be a source of strength and love. I was comforted to see I Come Home not go down the well beaten path and instead offer us something differnt.  

I Come Home is a love story. It is a love story between three people who face the complexities of relationships and life and family and the unexpected by each bringing their own unique strengths together to create something stronger. I Come Home doesn't shy away from how challenging love can be but also what it offers. And the film works so beautifully, filmed as if we are glimpsing into these people's lives and seeing just how they come together. 

Cheesman is the strong centre of this film and she gives a powerful performance as a woman facing a lot of curveballs all at once. Her chemistry with her partners palyed by Gonzalez-Vio and Ali is palpable which makes the love at the centre of this story so embracing. You can truly feel it. 

The ending comes in such a beautiful and powerful way and it surprised and delighted me. That is what I want from a love story and I Come Home really does gives us a glimpse into this home and this family in a way that is beautiful. 

I Come Home
Starring: Hannah Cheesman, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, Ryan Ali, Jordan Hayes, Sonja Smits

Director: Glen Wood

Writer: Andreas Vatiliotou

The Stunt Driver (2026)

Made with a lot of heart, and filmed to look like it was shot in the 70s, The Stunt Driver is perhaps a bit slight but it is quite touching in its somewhat irreverent tone. The crew here understands the assignment; take a rather absurd but real life story, one that might be a bit underwhelming in a way, and tell it with as much gusto as they can. The cast is great and the film is surprisingly engaging. Sure they may play fast and loose a bit with the story but the capture the heart. 

Baruchel is quite good here. I was happy to see him play both the comedic bits (but in a subdued way) with the dramatic. I like seeing him in roles that aren't just silly and this one finds just the right balance. 

And by the film's ending (if you know the history they stick to that) you're all in for Carter, cause how can you not?

The Stunt Driver

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Ed Helms, Ben Foster

Writer/Director: Michael Dowse

Resident Evil (2026)

I'll start out by saying I've never seen a Resident Evil movie nor have a played the video game. While I am vaguely familiar with the concept of the story that's about all I know. So I went into Gregger's take on this with fresh eyes other than my experience with enjoying his previous works. I recognize some of his signature style right away; his eye for visuals, his talent for building suspense, his love of an old school, B-movie-ish horror aesthetic. All of this is evident in his Resident Evil movie which ends up being a hell of a good time even if, like Barbarian and Weapons before it, it does start to almost jump the shark by the end. 

Cregger is a wonderful storyteller. He uses that skill here. He introduces us to his central character, who is going to take us through this story, in an effective and concise manner and gets us right into the story. Zombie apocalypse movies (and I admit there are reasons not to lump this into that catagory) are so ubiquitous we as an audience barely need much set up to get us into the meat of the story. He uses that cultural knowledge paired with some smart writing to be very effective in getting his movie going and hitting high gear. 

The winning recipe here is Abrams. His incredible screen charisma and his talent for organic humour carry this film and make it work. He is so engaging to watch and his survival through each up and down is electric. The weight of this movie is on his shoulders and he pulls it off managing the film's humour and pathos. This really is more of a horror comedy than straight horror and it is successful in being scary and funny without ever treading into parody. The humour is very rooted in the story and grounded. 

There is a moment where I started to feel it had gone a little too far. For those who've seen it it's the elevator scene. The final act is a bit much in the silly zone. I feel that Barbarian really falls down in that too while Weapons mostly avoids it despite having some symptoms. Still, this film's climax was appropriate and I'm glad he didn't chicken out of going there. I just wish he'd kept the tone from the first two thirds of the film. 

Still Resident Evil is a good time and I'd be back to watch more sequels of this iteration of the franchise.  

Resident Evil

Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser

Director: Zach Cregger

Writers: Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger

Carolina Caroline (2026)

Kyle Gallner is developing an impressive indie crime film catalog with this following his impressive turns in the Passenger and Strange Darling. Many have compared this film to Bonnie and Clyde because it's about two young lovers on a crime spree but I find this film has a strikingly different tone. This downplays the crime, a devise used to create the tension in the relationship and plays up the romance, even if it is a dysfunctional one. For me Carolina Caroline was about a doomed romance between good people who make terribly bad choices unable to help themselves on their road to ruin. 

Weaving is strong here playing her character's attempts to reconcile her abandonment issues with her sense of self-empowerment. She falls for a man she knows is dangerous not because of that danger but because of how he represents the freedom she is looking for. He falls for her because of how much he is impressed with her. I loved how the film emphasized their attractions being based on something more than just how beautiful they both are, that what draws them together is how much they respect each other. 

And it's this detail in their romance which keeps it from being too cliche despite it going where you can expect it to go. Their strong performances and a script which respects its characters and complete, if deeply flawed people, make the film remarkable to watch and easy to get hooked on. Films about con artists are always a good hook in, but the film gets your wrapped up in your feelings for these characters despite knowing how badly things will end up. 

The other thing about this film is it's incredible soundtrack. Jason Isbel's 2013 song Cover Me Up is used to perfection to capture the tragedy of this love story. 

Carolina Caroline

Starring: Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner, Jon Gries, Kyra Sedgwick

Director: Adam Carter Rehmeier

Writer: William Thomas Dean IV