Animal Farm (2026)

Serkis' take on Orwell's classic story isn't quite a misfire but also isn't overly successful in adapting the story. It attempts to update the cautionary tale to one that fits this rather specific moment while simultaneously attempting to make a film that that is so palatable for a mainstream audience that its message is watered down. Still embedded in here are some sharp critiques that I'm rather surprised by based on the studios backing this movie. But it all sort of happens rather quickly and it's easy to dismiss a lot of what happens here. 

Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a Democratic Socialist critique of Communism by using the specific example of the rise of the Soviet Union's totalitarian regime. That's heady stuff despite the narrative being populated by adorable farm animals. As history keeps repeating, the exploitation of popular movements for totalitarian power continues to be a reality in our world, so this version shifts its soviet allegory to one of corporate fascism with very obvious references to the Trump administration. A lot of those parallels are dead on which, being distributed by a Christian film company, comes as a bit of a surprise. Despite changing the nature of the "villains" the plot points of the novel are basically hit beat by beat. 

But so much of it is softened in exchange for telling a more traditional overcoming-the-bad-guys story. The narrative feels rushed, the brutality of the events are taken out, and the addition of a new central character, Lucky, a plucky little pig who gets sucked into the Pig Regime but eventually does what's right. But like a lot of adaptations of Animal Farm it inserts a happy ending that Orwell never intended and which takes away from the cautionary effect of the story. In the end the bad guys are put in their place (through a clumsily executed climax that feels designed to give younger audiences moments to cheer) and once again the "good" animals take over. It sort of misses the point.

So I am torn a bit. Kids watching this will get something out of the messages here and it gives them more to chew on than the average mainstream animated film. But the film just isn't done well and it rounds off the rough edges in a way that makes it all feel like a charming moral more than a dystopian horror story.  That paired with the film's obvious dialogue and fairly standard animation makes this version rather forgettable.

Animal Farm

Starring: Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Andy Serkis, Kathleen Turner

Director: Andy Serkis

Writer: Nicholas Stoller

Apex (2026)

Apex is designed to be a perfect vehicle for Theron. It tells a classic thriller storyline, gets to show off her skills as both an actor and an action star, it takes advantage of the beautiful landscapes its story is set in, and it gets to comment on the "choose the bear" debate. While the story ends up being somewhat predictable it is engaging as hell and a very entertaining watch. Theron does a great job with what's here and Egerton shows that he should take on more villain roles. 

Apex is old school action thriller movie. It doesn't waste time doing any more set up than it needs to and quite effectively gives us its world, characters, and central problem, then runs with it. I likely would have preferred if the film didn't feel the need to make its villain such a complete psychopath. The film could have worked with a bad guy who just wanted to dominate the woman he meets out in the wild but instead it tries to create an antagonist along the lines of a Buffalo Bill. If it wasn't for Egerton doing such a bang up job, this might have been a mistake. But he does bring a realism and edge to the role that makes it work.

Theron has the physicality to make her one of the leading female action stars working today and the acting chops to elevate her role beyond just the bruiser. The pairing of the two strong actors who also seem matched to spar gives Apex an urgency that adds to its enjoyability. 

And the action is very well done. Kormákur knows how to film the set pieces effectively. His visual storytelling paired with his strong cast's performances make for a fun watch even if it does end up going through pretty standard plot points. What I want in an action movie is for it to be exciting to watch and for it have something interesting to say beyond just things blowing up and people fighting. Apex is definitely the first, and it succeeds enough on the second. 

Apex

Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Writer: Jeremy Robbins

Mother Mary (2026)

Director Lowery is not one to make "normal" movies. This story of a friendship stitching itself back together after being shorn is told more through emotion and visuals than through a logical narrative. Lowery uses what Lynch would call Dream Logic to deconstruct the connection between his two protagonists. Setting this exploration in the world of pop performance allows him to make it into more of an expressionist experience than a traditional story. And casting Hathaway and Coel opposite each other creates an alchemy that makes Mother Mary something to see.  

It would be hard to say one can explain what they just watched after leaving Mother Mary. The film isn't designed to be read literally or understood rationally. It is to be felt and, if understood, through our feelings. It is visceral, often literally, as the characters bleed for us and each other. 

The film dares us to be wrong in our interpretations. "This is not a ghost story" the promotional materials tell us. There are times the films vagueness weakens its strength a bit. Lowery is so loath to let us in on the characters' stories we can almost interpret them too loosely. But the relationship between the co-stars is palpable enough to hook us anyway and Lowery's visuals (including THE dress) and the soundtrack that puts us into a euphoric trance like at the kind of event pop concert the film's lead character is said to perform. 

So even though it sometimes makes you wonder how much there is really there, it still has you ruminating over it, hearing the songs in your head, and never forgetting the way Coel and Hathaway stare at each other.

Mother Mary
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, FKA Twigs

Writer/Director: David Lowery

 

I Swear (2026)

Aramayo has given a performance here that lives up to the hype and the awards he's won. I often struggle with performances (and films) about real people when the real people are involved as it is sometimes hard to separate the film making and story from the desire to be flattering to the person in question. And while I Swear does sometimes lean into after-school-special vibes, it rises above that mostly through its high level of performances and Jones' direction which manages to be very effective in telling its story, not just relying on audience sympathy. 

Again enough credit can't be given to Aramayo and the rest of the cast who bring their A-game. Aramayo never feels like he's doing a caricature and the script does a good job of blending humour with the pathos in a very respectful way. We are never laughing at John Davidson, we are laughing at our own humanity.  

The film is at its best when it is focusing on the relationships between the people. It builds up enough good will that when it starts to lean into the hero aspects of the narrative near the end that we are welcoming of seeing the progress brought about by people like Davidson through putting himself out there. And if we do walk out of I Swear all wanting to be a bit of a better person, that's not such a bad thing too.  

I Swear

Starring: Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan, Scott Ellis Watson

Writer/Director: Kirk Jones

 

The Christophers (2026)

It's hard to imagine two actors who have more incredibly fascinating faces to watch than McKellen and Coel. Put them together, in a movie that is essentially a two-person show of two greats facing off against each other, and you have one of the most intensely watchable talky movies that you'll see in a long time. The Christophers, with its smart, hilarious, and touching script by screenwriter Ed Soloman, directed by master film maker Soderdergh, is a quiet little masterclass in how to make a film that will sit with its audience long after the credits roll. 

I was mesmerized from the first scenes as the film set up its clever and enticing premise. But it was when Coel and McKellen have their first moment together that this film grabs you by the collar and you can't look away. McKellen gives what may become my favourite of his performances (in a career full of candidates for that title) as he rattles on brilliant soliloquies that bely a just under the surface sadness and a lot of coping arrogance. He chews up everything around him while giving us so much under the surface, knowing just how to act for the camera in layers of emotions hidden beneath emotions. Opposite him is Coel, playing a thoughtful, patiently brilliant character who chooses to hold her struggles and passions within, seething beneath her piercing eyes. The two are completely complimentary of each other and help to elevate their partner so effortlessly. It has been a while since I have seen such an amazing screen pairing as this. 

And the story is just so wonderfully beautiful. There are elements of a scheme that draw us in but it is the nature of the characters' relationships that ground us, so that the films beautiful ending, which avoids doing a gotcha-style resolution for something far richer, far more satisfying. I left The Christophers so grateful for having just enjoyed it so thoroughly and eager to revisit it again. 

The Christophers 

Starring: Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, James Corden, Jessica Gunning 

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writer: Ed Soloman

Mile End Kicks (2026)

There are a few things I appreciated about writer/director Levack's Mile End Kicks. As an anglo who lived in Montreal I related to a lot of the references, as someone who has fallen for the wrong people at certain times in our lives (who hasn't) I could feel for Grace no matter how many bad decisions she made, but most of all I loved the way Levack upends the structure of a rom-com to tell a different story. 

Mile End Kicks is set up like a regular romantic comedy. Young woman building her career is positioned between the handsome bad boy who is all wrong for her and the more relatable, but still handsome enough, good boy who we know she'll end up with in the end. But that is just her jumping off point. Instead of letting that play out she uses this to tell the story of Grace who is deeply screwed up herself, and fumbling her way to a sort of rock bottom to start putting herself back together. In most ways the boys are just the afterthought, things to move her through her own journey. 

Mile End Kicks does a great job of creating Grace as a fully rounded and deeply flawed character. Ferreira's performance is delightful with her big almost silly smile and character glasses masking all that disastrous choices she is making. I loved the humanity she brought to her. Grace could easily be a very unlikeable character but in Levack's and Ferreira's hands she is so painfully relatable. You end up rooting for her despite how much you want to figuratively smack her like Cher in Moonstruck; "snap out of it!" 

My main nitpick is the end which feels like it gets all wrapped up a little too easily. Perhaps I'm being hard on it. The film does imply she still has a lot to work with, but some of the resolution felt a bit rushed. Still, the romance here is with a time in our lives when we're messy and flawed and figuring it all out and that part is something that is easy to love.

Mile End Kicks

Starring: Barbie Ferreira, Devon Bostick, Stanley Simons, Jay Baruchel

Writer/Director: Chandler Levack

 

Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)

Apparently Cronin forgot he wasn't making an Evil Dead movie. Everything about his Mummy movie is just an Evil Dead movie with a Mummy "skin" thrown over it. The Evil Dead movies, even Cronin's, don't work for me. I just don't find them scary. They rely on tired horror tropes (often involving puritanical repulsions to sexuality) and a lot of exercises in how gross the film can be. Lee Cronin's The Mummy feels like another retread of this and it was just boring.

Mummy films walk a thin line between falling into orientalist biases and western fascination with ancient Egypt in general. This film barely manages to stay above a colonialist world view. But in doing so it also misses out of taking advantage of the ancient Egypt-ness about it. Sometimes this film feels like a cheap and generic Exorcist rip off. There is an ancient demon and the characters must use a ritual to contain it. Everything in this film feels been-there-done-that. 

But it's not just that. The film's script is lazy. So many things happen that just would not happen, especially around rules of international travel and health care. The story requires so mach suspension of disbelief that I just couldn't anymore. 

So by the time the scene's overly drawn out final scene arrived, I was so bored and so done, I wished it was over. Perhaps people who really like his Evil Dead film will get excited for this. For anyone else, skip it. 

Lee Cronin's The Mummy 
Starring: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace

Writer/Director: Lee Cronin