Toy Story 5 (2026)

It very much feels like the Toy Story movies are repeating themselves. After the original trilogy which very effectively made the case for a story about kids growing past the influences of their youth and the need to move on, we are now ironically stuck in a pattern of that message being recycled over and over. 5 adds something fresh with a slightly nuanced take on tech's influence on children, but doesn't go any further beyond this point than 4 did. Still Toy Story 5 still have the mojo to be entertaining enough for fans and general audiences alike to have a good time. I'm just not sure it's kept all the mojo for these films to be as iconic as they used to be. 

So while the rather saccharine story of children needing to find connection mixed with the standard they-can't-stay-kids-forever theme played out there were a few things that stood out for me as why Pixar still does Hollywood animated features better than the competitors generally. For one I want to shout out to Cusack who's voice performance truly stood out. She remains a talented actor and her Jesse is one of her most iconic rolls. Here she is not only given a lot to work with but she truly steps up and gives a heart-wrenching turn in what may be her best work yet. It's easy to dismiss voiceover performances but when they are good they can be really good and I'd argue her work here is tremendous. 

I also appreciated that the film didn't just do the easy thing of jumping on the screen-time-is-bad-for-kids bandwagon and tried to present a somewhat more complex presentation of how technology is integrating into children's lives. Sure a major media company has an interest in not telling too negative a tech story but still, it could has just pandered to the suburban moms a bit more and doesn't quite fall into that trap. 

More points to them for finding generally organic ways to fit in the franchise's growing cast of characters. The film centres Jesse even more than before giving Woody and Buzz a more backseat role which is also brave in this age of internet rage at anything that doesn't centre white males. 

So for me Toy Story 5 was a bit of a mixed bag that was mostly enjoyable if still on the rather sleight side. I'd argue 1-3 of this series truly hold up and hold a special place in cinema's canon so perhaps it is just too much to expect that level of film making to continue long term. At least the films haven't yet become intolerably reductive or, worst of all, unenjoyable. This is still a fun movie. It just won't have the hold that previous instalments have managed to.

Toy Story 5

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Conan O'Brien, Tony Hale, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Scarlett Spears, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Matty Matheson, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, John Hopkins, Kristen Schaal, Ernie Hudson, Bad Bunny, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Alan Cumming

Director: Andrew Stanton

Writers: Kenna Harris, Andrew Stanton

Leviticus (2026)

"They want us to be afraid."

This line from the clever and frightening Leviticus captures a concept that queer people know inherently. The heterosexist world wants queer people to be afraid to be themselves and to experience the joy of love and sex as we experience it. This is what is behind the story of Leviticus, where a monster of some sort (which remains ever present but invisible - just like homophobia) is designed to make us terrified of the thing that brings us joy and fulfillment. We are to be constantly in fear. 

Leviticus makes good use of this simple yet brilliant idea to craft a film that is scary, both in moments and in its overall haunting aura, but also moving in how this terror affects the peope it inflicts. Perhaps it is one of the most salient attempts on screen to communicate the way homophobia feels to those who don't personally experience it. 

Unlike some other recent horror films which perhaps stray from their clever conceits to pack in more traditional scary monster movie moments, Leviticus sticks to its script and lets the horror come from its situation instead of from being demonic. There are some "scary" scenes with a jump scare or physical attack, but the film mostly stays away from them or puts them off screen so that we are left with more of an aching sense of dread, wondering when the shoe will drop. The more I reflect on this, the more I see just how much this feels like living gay in a mandatory-straight world. 

Bird and Clausen are wonderful together, both playing the loves and the terrors of the other. And there is a quiet beauty to the ending which finds the way to defeat this horror is to come together, to be together. The very thing this monster is trying to stop us from doing. 

Leviticus 

Starring: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska 

Writer/Director: Adrian Chiarella

The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

Sarnoski has made a contemplative Robin Hood movie that is without action set pieces, eschews glorifying righteous violence, and questions our ideas of heroism. This isn't what were used to in a film about famous action heroes. But it is a gorgeous film that is full of weight and power and continues Jackman's recent streak of picking quite interesting projects. 

The marketing has leaned into what this film is. From the outset the film tells us (like the trailers and posters) that Robin Hood isn't a hero. We are given a lot of violence in the first act and most of it is brutal and isn't something we're rooting for. It isn't framed in the way these stories usually frame it with the good guy overcoming the bad guy. It is presented as morally ambiguous and Jackman's character is taking little to no pleasure in it, making it hard for us to 

Then the rest of the move settles into a story of regret and atonement. It asks us to think about how legends are told and how little fact there is behind what we tell ourselves. Much of The Death of Robin Hood is rooted in how we convince ourselves to do the terrible things we do, or to cheer for those terrible things, and then how we must reckon with that. I found this fascinating even when the story took a little too long. The pacing struggled but the film remained powerfully engaging.

Jackman is good here, not overdoing it, but embodying the character well. Overall the cast is strong overcoming the challenges of an action movie with no action, and delivering a story that will give its audience something to sit with. 

The Death of Robin Hood

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Faith Delanye, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe

Writer/Director: Michael Sarnoski

Disclosure Day (2026)

Much has been made of legendary director Steven Spielberg's so-called return-to-form with Disclosure Day. Most of us associate him with his biggest films, tentpole genre films like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and of coarse E.T., films which remain some of the best genre films of all time. But his filmography is honestly far more diverse with the last 20 years seeing him tackle Lincoln, The BFG, a remake of West Side Story, The Fabelmans, and The Post. While these films are very well regarded, they don't really hold the popular imagination in the way his genre films do. You have to go back to Savings Private Ryan or Schindler's List to find one of his drama films that captured the zeitgeist in the way his fantastic films have. But it really hasn't been that long since he made Ready Player One. He's always experimented with different forms. He is a story teller after all... and a very good one. 

But there is something about Disclosure Day that feels more "Spielbergian" (if I can call it that) than a lot of his more recent work. There is a hopeful energy and a sense of wonder thrown in amongst a timeless sense of adventure. There are characters we latch on to, seeing ourselves in them. And there is a magic that few others are able to convey in the way he does. Disclosure Day does all that but perhaps in a different way than in his other famous "flying saucer" movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His look here feels far more like someone looking through eyes of deep experience than with a new sense of awe. 

Like that film, Disclosure Day is actually far more about humanity than it is about aliens. It asks us to reflect on who we are and what we are hopeful for. It asks us about our obligations to each other. The aliens are just a catalyst for us to look at who we are as human beings. Spielberg doesn't give us answers as much as he lets us sit with questions. Similarly he doesn't hold our hands as he tells us his story. He drops us into the events and lets those events unfold gradually giving us more of an awakening to what is happening. He lets us sit with the mystery a bit. He has always thread religion and spirituality through his films and never does so in a preachy way. Instead it is that question of mystery which is so fascinating to him. Here it is more than just subtext. It is full on text. He is letting us wrestle with robust and complicated questions and lets his story play out without giving us a play by play. 

The film, while more thoughtful that most "alien contact" movies, still manages to be packed with adventure set pieces, many of which are top notch. They fit organically into the larger narrative he is trying to tell while also giving us a reason for our pulses to race. But for me, honestly, more than the train scene or car chases, it is the film's rather cerebral and emotional climax which really gives the thrills. I was surprised at how moving I found it and much of this had to do with Spielberg's narrative choices.

John Williams is back from retirement with another score for Spielberg, perhaps not as iconic as some of his work, which rank amongst the greatest film scores of all time, but a truely beautiful and accomplished work. If this is his final big screen full score effort it would be a fitting cap on a legendary career. 

Disclosure Day is a strong film in so many ways and a real encapsulation of what makes Spielberg regarded as the film maker he is. Only time will tell how this fits into his filmography but for me it is a reminder of his power as a storyteller who knows how to capture our imagination. 

Disclosure Day

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

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: David Koepp 

The Furious (2026)

The Furious is a good old fashioned Hong Kong martial arts action movie. Reminiscent of Indonesian film The Raid (especially because it features Ruhian), The Furious has a solid (if thin) story that has a big heart at its core and is enough to string together the electric set pieces. Perhaps it is guilty of some of the genre's excesses (people who should long be dead or incapacitated get up and keep fighting again and again - the script often feels rather elementary) but it grabs you and doesn't let go for a solid 113 minutes offering a satisfying time.

You got to hand it to these film makers. They know how to leave it all on the screen. The final fight sequences is epic, perhaps a bit excessive, but will be remembered as a core of the genre. The cinematography and choreography are top level. You'll be sweating at the end. 

One of the things I loved about The Furious is how it handles its subject. This is a film about child trafficking but instead of wallowing in the gore porn that it could have it keeps all that off screen, suggested, to instead focus on the action. It helps reminds us that yes these are very bad people our heroes are beating up, but also we aren't going to take any sick pleasure from that. 

The Furious is a damn good action film that reminds you why going to the movies is so damn fun. 

The Furious

Starring:Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian, Yang Enyou

Director: Kenji Tanigaki

Writers: Mak Tin-shu, Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan-sin, Frank Hui

Power Ballad (2026)

Carney makes movies about loving and making music. With Power Ballad he focuses on the nebulous relationship surrounding the "ownership" of music, in the specific context of what constitutes writing a song? Power Ballad muses on this question in interesting ways, surprisingly not offering us too easy an answer making this a far more intriguing story that I had anticipated. Presented as a simple moral question, the film actually goes in different directions, as we explore how ones relationship to art can affect ones relationship to the people they love.  

I liked how Power Ballad  doesn't go where you think it's going to go. The film is the least interesting when it is following funny hijinx of Rick trying to reach Danny. It is at its most interesting when each is struggling with their relationship to the song in question, the catchy and very digestible titular ballad. 

For me the film doesn't quite have enough juice and feels like it needs to pad its story a bit. The lead up to Rick and Danny's final confrontation errs on the silly side a bit too much for my tastes, but when they do finally talk, really talk, again the film finds its groove. And the final moments worked for me, a rather satisfying conclusion of the thorny issue that finds a realistic way to resolve the plot, even if it doesn't quite answer the central question, a question I feel is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Sure the film gives us what the legal answer may be but its focus on relationships gives the film its emotional centre. 

Power Ballad

Starring: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Beth Fallon, Havana Rose Liu, Jack Reynor

Writer/Director: John Carney

 

Masters of the Universe (2026)

Despite being in the generation that grew up with Masters of the Universe, it was not my thing. I had a couple of the toys as a child, I'd watch the show occasionally, but I was never into it or followed it that closely. I never quite understood the appeal. This is a property that is based on a toy line before it is any narrative or set of characters. Everything is built around the toys being sold. So the attempt to readapt it into something for a modern audience faces specific challenges and now that I've seen it, I'm not sure the new attempt pulls it off. 

Is this as bad as 1987 live action film? Not even close. That was a disastrous mess that wasn't even on a it's-so-bad-it's-good level. But is this a clever, self-acknowledging nostalgic tribute a la Dungeons and Dragons Honor Amongst Thieves? I don't think it gets there. It certainly leans into its self-awareness, mocking itself manytimes throughout, but it pushes past a teasing tone into mockery. 

And the story just isn't the fun, playful romp it needed to be. It's rather on the cliched and rote side. Dare I say it was a little dull? The production is at a high level (especially when we have 1987 to compare it too) but the script feels half-assed. The cast, acts like they are constantly winking at the audience with Leto and Brie being the most scenery chewing of the bunch. I get that it would be incredibly hard to take the premise and characters of Masters of the Universe not feel ridiculous but it could have been done with a tone that wasn't so condescending to itself and perhaps showed a bit more affection for the property. 

Masters of the Universe

Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Dolph Lundgren, 

Director: Travis Knight

Writers: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, David Callaham

Backrooms (2026)

I am often drawn to films that explore what is unnerving over explicitly "scary" images. Sometimes this difference is more a matter of how we understand the experience than the experience itself. I find the ideas behind the story to be the parts which are the most effecting. Rarely do films which feature a "monster" chasing people scary. The idea of our understanding of reality being challenged is far more impactful for me. Backrooms is the sort of film that draws this out of its audience with its atmospheric unsettling ambiance. 

I understand the film has roots in initial images of subliminal spaces which went viral before being adapted into a web-series which had a following of it's own. Backrooms takes full advantage of the cultivated visual aesthetic from these sources creating a complete world it exists in that is so disquieting in both its familiarity and its uncanniness. The film's power lies in the way it takes the mundane and alters it slightly enough to rattle us. 

Backrooms sometimes feels like there are a few ideas being played with simultaneously but it does so mostly in a way that feels consistent. There are only a few moments where I felt like it was taking some short cuts (like a character explaining a little to much, or another stumbling upon answers a bit to quickly). 

Despite critiques that say the film is not traditionally horror, it does have some rather normal horror tropes such as a persistant, mostly unseen monster hunting down its final girl. Thankfully it uses this sparingly focusing more on the way the characters' memories and emotional interiors are fabricated into a confounding "reality". Parsons finds a balance between the stalking monster trope and the more interesting aspects of how we remember who we are and what that makes us into. 

I was worried the film would attempt to "explain" itself, especially in its end scenes which begin to go down that road, but fortunately it pulls back and leaves us with more questions than answers... exactly what it should do. Sometimes the film does attempt to provide us with a helping hand a bit more often than I would have preferred but I appreciated how the ending can be interpreted a few ways. I look forward to all the conversations about what this story.

Backrooms

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, Avan Jogia

Director: Kane Parsons

Writer: Will Soodik

Tuner (2026)

Sometimes a movie just comes together completely and Tuner is one of those movies. It has a great premise whose screenplay brings out its best features. The performances are top notch with Woodalll and Liu showing they both have the potential to carry a film. And Roher directs it all so beautifully into a really entertaining film. 

This is the sort of film I can confidently recommend to almost anyone. It gets a little intense at the end so I'd watch for that if you are somewhat sensitive, but it's worth risking that for such a pleasing movie. I really don't want to say too much about it except go see it. 

Turner

Starring: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno

Director: Daniel Roher

Writers: Robert Ramsey, Daniel Roher

I Love Boosters (2026)

I'll watch whatever Boots Riley puts out. He knows how to wrap up sharp social commentary into a delicious package that is a gas to watch. I Love Boosters certainly does fall into that category even if it starts to collapse onto its own silliness a bit by the end. Still I had a great time and I appreciate it's heart and soul. 

The film is very funny and visually incredible to watch. Riley has created a dystopic world for his very real world analogy and filled it with dynamic characters and a plot that perhaps cross just into the ridiculous. While I had a great time, I did feel it tipped over to the point where it became too much. But just a bit. I didn't feel it's overly optimistic ending was completely earned. 

 

Still having said that the film is a wonderful watch and it brings to the fore, with little to no nuance, very important issues. The best thing about this is Palmer's rich performance. Despite all the craziness around her she grounds her character so effectively and powerfully breathing a pathos into the film it might not have without her. Yet she remains part of this over-the-top world bridging it to our reality. 

I Love Boosters

Starring: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, Demi Moore

Writer/Director: Boots Riley

The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Reasons I loved The Mandalorian and Grogu:

1. Old fashioned genre adventure movie. This took me way back to the kinds of matinee adventures I'd see as a kid. It had monsters and gun fights and colourful characters. It had me on the edge of my seat and rooting for the good guys. The film offers a lot for fans of the series but is completely accessible to anyone of almost any age no matter how much Star Wars you have seen. You could easily walk in off the street knowing nothing about Star Wars and follow everything. 

2. Space westerns! There is something about this genre that just grabs me. I don't know what it is about the mix of styles and themes that gets me but this is something the Mandalorian series has done so well and this film continues that tradition. 

3. The use of practical effects. The film feels lived in and the richness of the visuals (which contribute back to #1 above) give is such a warmth and joy to watch. There is a lot of CGI as well but it doesn't take me out of it. 

4. Pedro Pascal (enough said).

5. This is an adoption story. I am a sucker for these. Whether it's Superman or The Mandalorian I love films that explore the richness of found family. Star Wars has a lot of this and I find it very moving. 

6. Sigourney. Legend. The Queen of Science Fiction. 

7. This is Star Wars. I am exactly the right to be in love with Star Wars. I was a kid for the original trilogy, in college for the prequels, and a parent taking my child to see the sequel trilogy. This space fantasy means the world to me and getting a new big screen adventure that embraces all that it is (Hutts! fighter battles! Zeb!) slaps a big smile across my face. The film echoes themes and moments from across the franchise (there is always a bigger fish) which is a big part of what makes Star Wars feel like Star Wars. 

8. Grogu is easily one of the most enjoyable characters to come out of Star Wars in a generation and seeing him get to star in this adventure made my little heart happy as all hell. 

The Mandalorian and Grogu is just damn fun with a lovely relationship at its core. It doesn't claim to be very much at all and that makes it just a really great time at the cinema. This is the series that made me fall in love with movies and this film is keeping that love alive!

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Steve Blum, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder

Director: Jon Favreau

Writers: Dave Filoni, Noah Kloor, Jon Favreau

Obsession (2026)

For me Obsession appears to know what it is trying to say but chooses to do something different instead. It takes a rather clever play on the careful-what-you-wish-for/monkey paw trope, an idea that in itself could be horrifyingly creepy and instead turns it into an excuse to lean into standard horror movie creepiness instead. The idea here, that a man chooses for a woman who she should be in love with against her will, would have been enough on its own to make a truly disturbing film. Instead Obsession is obsessed with just having her act creepy, violently, and uses jump scares to scare us. But the worst part is that the film hints at how scary it's actual premise is at moments before falling back into being just another horror movie like all the rest. 

The film starts out great. It sets up its story perfectly; a "nice-guy" is in love with a beautiful and truly lovely young woman who has apparently "friendzoned" him but can't bring himself to let her know how he feels. Instead he snaps a toy wish granter (which to be fair he thinks is just a joke and won't have any real effect) wishing that she would love him more than anyone in the world. From there the story gets going and for me gets off track. 

Imagine the film where she acted like a real person madly in love, perhaps unhealthily obsessed, perhaps acting out against those she sees as threatening to their relationship. He would have to wrestle with her possessiveness and with the reality that he knows this is not what she chose and that her love for him wasn't a choice she made. There is so much potential there. But this film mostly ignores that only taking short glimpses into that world. 

Instead it immediately has her acting "weird" like she's possessed by some evil spirit more like a traditional horror movie. She does a lot of things that no one would do in any realistic context. The film even has moments where it leans into the possession idea. But mostly it leaps from unnatural behaviour to violent act like it's an Exorcist movie. There is no reason she would feed him a cat nor walk around like a crab hiding in the dark. The film just felt off a lot of the time. What I wanted was for him to wrestle with the fact that he has essentially assaulted her and the worsening of this as he continues on but the film barely scratches this surface instead leaning into being creepy in a traditional horror movie sort of way. It's like the film has a very limited understanding of relationships and consent, the very things that this morality tale really need to work. 

As the film ends it finally taps into some of the energy I wanted from this and leaves its very bleak ending in a place that made sense to me. But by then I was already over this version of this story. Perhaps someone else will do a better job of this one day but this isn't that film. 

Obsession

Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Andy Richter

Writer/Director: Curry Barker

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

I'm not sure the talking octopus (talking as in narrating, not having conversations with his co-stars) bit in Remarkably Bright Creatures worked for me, but generally this charming little tale about two lost people finding themselves through *checks notes* their mutual friendship with an octopus (oh wait a minute) still won me over. Perhaps it's because Sally Field (she's still got it) and Luis Pullman are both strong actors who commit to the bit. Sure the final coinkydink might be a little far fetched and the story is somewhat chicken-soup-for-the-soul-ish, but the production just comes together in a rather enjoyable little film shot in Beautiful British Columbia and I am here for it. 

We get Field working opposite Chen, Baker, and Grant which is a treat just in and of itself. And honestly Octopuses are just cool. So there is little to complain about with Remarkably Bright Creatures even if I could nit-pick the thing to death. 

Watching this I was reminded how Pullman's father once made a run at being a romantic lead but it turned out he was much better in edgier roles. It will be interesting to see how Lewis fares on that front. 

Anyway, for a charming and lovely little watch you can do a lot worse than Remarkably Bright Creatures. And it might just bring a little smiley tear to your eye at the same time. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Starring: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Colm Meaney, Alfred Molina

Director: Olivia Newman

Writers: John Whittington, Olivia Newman

Is God Is (2026)

Bold yet surprisingly emotional, Is God Is inverts the formula made popular by Tarantino types to deliver a nuanced contemplation on revenge and abuse that centres the female experience and perspective. it utilizes much of the genre tropes (elaborately larger than life characters and cartoonish yet shocking violence) to examine the American experience of intimate partner violence and its gendered performance. A talented cast the truly shows up for this story makes it all work so remarkably even if there are some short cuts. Is God Is becomes a gut punch that has a voice.  

I want to shout out Young and Johnson who play the central characters with a sensitivity within the hyper-stylized world of Is God Is. They are under layers of make-up and are playing out a morality play that is less based in the real world, yet they make their characters so wonderfully rich and real. Their quest for revenge against a world that mistreats them and the specific man who is most responsible is something you feel as the audience. 

Is God Is' strength is in how it doesn't let go of its gender critique. It knows the roots of the violence it is exposing and it doesn't let it slip. There are times the film presents characters meant to be morally ambiguous or even redeemable and it pulls that rug from us to highlight how pervasive male on female violence is and how much those on the periphery of the violence support it. Is God Is doesn't blink despite how much we may want it to. We want to be able to turn away but so much of what this film does prevents us from doing so. 

By the time the film reaches its conclusion its audience is shaken and hopefully rethinking a lot of what we want to think about these issues. Writer/director Harris has a powerful vision and voice and I hope we see a lot more of her in the world of cinema. 

Is God Is

Starring: Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson, Vivica A. Fox, Sterling K. Brown

Writer/Director: Aleshea Harris

Hamlet (2026)

Proving once again that Shakespeare's plays are endlessly adaptable, director Karia has crafted an energetic, adrenaline fuelled Hamlet, set in modern London's South Asian community. Instead of centred around royal lineages its focus is on corruption in business. Regardless of the setting the film finds the powerful spark of the story and the language and brings it to energetic life. 

At the centre of this is the central intense performance of Ahmed. Him taking on the ultimate starring role is likely enough of a justification for making this film at all and he delivers on the responsibility of that. His Hamlet is no wavering violet. He is a man of action whose central question is how much he will act. Ahmed, deservingly defying all Hollywood expectations of what sort of roles he should take, plays the role boldly crafting a Hamlet unlike those we've seen before. So much of what makes this film work is this central performance. 

The adaptation collapses numerous characters together, reassigns lines to different speakers, and repurposes the narrative elements to tell an evolved story. It is an ostentatious attempt which works to give the play a new urgency. The script is tight, holding just what is necessary and jettisoning the rest so its pace is rapid and kinetic. My only complaint is how sometimes the film feels in too much of a hurry to get through its plot point. Perhaps it could have sat with some of its pathos a bit. 

I was most impressed with how it handles the climax. Perhaps this is where the film does find something more quietly powerful. It is a quite the twist on the famous ending that still captures the play's finale but fitting with this time period and plot. 

Yet even with all this Hamlet remains Hamlet and the film captures what has made this story so compelling for centuries. I felt a bit breathless watching this new take and glad to once again get to see Ahmed play such a vibrant character. 

Hamlet

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn, Sheeba Chaddha, Avijit Dutt, Art Malik, Timothy Spall

Director: Aneil Karia

Writer: Michael Lesslie

Blue Heron (2026)

Romvari's quiet yet chilling drama is something to behold. She tells her story with a soft power that is undeniable. Blue Heron will leave you with a lot of emotion while also being a beautiful film to watch. 

This is the story of a woman remembering her brother who exhibited disturbing anti-social behaviour as a child. It is told through memory so as we watch we begin to see all the pieces don't quite fit together. It is more like how we remember things than how things happen. But this is a big part of the strength of the film. 

Romvari doesn't do anything shocking or sensational in her film and sometimes we aren't even sure how concerning things truly are. I found this to make it even more powerful. It feels real; the exhaustion, the desperation. 

Romvari issues a strong debut which makes it exciting to think what she will do next. 

Blue Heron

Starring:  Eylul Guven, Amy Zimmer, Ádám Tompa, Iringó Réti

Writer/Director: Sophy Romvari

The Sheep Detectives (2026)

The Sheep Detectives has been described as Knives Out meets Babe and that’s not inaccurate, and shockingly it’s also a really good movie that offers a really enjoyable time and doesn’t talk down to its audience while remaining accessible for both older children and adults. In many ways it is an unexpected little miracle that is a damn good movie about sheep solving a murder. 

The Sheep Detectives is entered around a fairly great drawing room murder story that plays cleverly with classic tropes of the genre. But then it adds in some smart and surprising humour and a strong cast who completely commit to the bit. The sheep are especially good. They becomes truly rounded characters and their arcs have something interesting to say about social issues. By all accounts, this talking sheep movie manages to be really good in pretty much every way. 

Seriously seeing The Sheep Detectives is a choice you won’t regret. It offers real entertainment that isn’t mindless and will leave you with a smile on your face. 

The Sheep Detectives 
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O'Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein

Director:  Kyle Balda

Writer: Craig Mazin

 

Exit 8 (2026)

Exit 8 might be the template for the best way to adapt a video game into a film. It takes the style and visuals of the game, uses the narrative, and adds a cinematic story that fits with all the game’s themes and ideas. One could watch Exit 8 without any knowledge of the film being based on a game and get as much out of it as anyone in the audience because the premise works on its own and the story itself is completely engaging. Exit 8 is the sort of film that grabs you from the beginning and refuses to let you go. 

The film has deeply unsettling moments and visuals but it uses these to accomplish what is essentially a very relatable and moving emotional story. Our central character, unnamed and “everyman”-ish, is facing the push and pull of the combination of upheaval and inertia making this a story that touches on universal themes even with its specificities. 

And it does so in such a powerful manner, weaving its story with simplicity but deep meaning and emotional power. It is an exciting film to watch without being showy or sensationalized. Yet it is incredibly watchable, the kind of film that keeps you on the edge of your seat and unable to look away. It can be horrifying in moments but also quite touching. Despite the nature of this story, with repeating themes explicit in the narrative, the film never drags. In fact it uses its gimmicks to amp up the engagement. The rather tight runtime keeps the film and its stakes moving. 

But in the end, as I mentioned, the film is an emotional journey, a profoundly familiar character arc about facing our futures. I believe Exit 8 will be incredibly rewatchable for as a film it is a true success. 

Exit 8

Starring: Kazunari Ninomiya 

Director: Genki Kawamura

Writers: Kentaro Hirase, Genki Kawamura

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

I am a supporter of nostalgic sequels. I think they offer something to fans and can, if nothing else, scratch an itch that makes it fun to enjoy them. The best take the characters and story and build into a new direction, offering something for the fans but also for newcomers. The least really do nothing for anyone coming into it fresh and just satisfy the nostalgia of the fan base. Sadly The Devil Wears Prada 2 is far more the latter than the former. 

As the credits rolled it dawned on me that very little had happened in this sequel. The characters didn’t have any real arcs, the story didn’t advance in any meaningful way, and despite the film attempting to comment on corporate merger culture in the age of tech billionaires, it said the only the most basic. The new characters are thinly drawn (a vapid tech billionaire who is just a clown, a perfect new boyfriend for Andy who has no purpose but to amplify her, a new assistant for Miranda who just is a watered down version of Emily, and on and on) and sadly the old ones are nothing either. It almost felt like they asked AI to write this script. 

Miranda fans prepare yourself; she is oddly situated, often painted as weak and rather placating. She has lost all the bite of her character except in performative ways. In the end she is played weak and ineffective and unlike the first film relies on Andy to save her. The movie can’t decide what to do with Emily, first making her a carbon copy of herself in the first film used mostly for comic relief. Then she turns into a villain sort of out of the blue only to be finally redeemed in a scene that feels tacked on. Benji gives a monologue about why he sticks with the abuse and marginalization he suffers and then gets a moment (that happens off screen) where he gets to shine by giving a speech. But the least interesting is Andy who literally does not grow or accomplish anything for herself. Her role is to normalize what is going on and Hathaway just smiles at all her costars all the time being a stand in for the audience cause more than anything this is what this movie is, just a chance to see our characters again and it doesn’t really matter what they do. 

I’ll give the movie credit for not being boring despite not having much of a story and I’ll also reiterate that it is perfectly fine to just love this because you love the first movie and want to be immersed in this world again. You do you! But in reality unless you are a die hard fan there is no reason to rush out to see this or make much of a point to see it in anyway.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci, Traci Thomas, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, BJ Novak, Conrad Ricamora, Lady Gaga, Donatela Versace 

Director: David Frankel

Writter: Aline Brosh McKenna

 

Deep Water (2026)

I am a sucker for a good disaster movie and Deep Water is sort of two in one; plane crash and shark attack. The good news is that it executes both pretty effectively. It's efficient in its story telling so the energy doesn't lag and it does just what it needs to to keep the audience invested. There are well constructed (if thin) characters that make you are about them and really good survival against all odds action. 

Deep Water feels a bit like a film from another era. It's got the classic disaster film structure and formula and with veteran film director Harlan at the helm, it goes through the beats as it needs to to deliver. Another thing that pushes Deep Water into the positive zone is its cast, who step up and don't feel like they are phoning it in. Kingsley acts the pants off his character and Eckhart is the leading man centring this film that everyone thought he would be. 

I'm not saying Deep Water transcends or elevates its genre. It is exactly what it sells itself as; almost 2 hours of disaster movie fun. A disaster movie is great because of the thrills and terror followed by the sense of hope. When the final survivors eventually survivie there is a catharsis which is reassuring and affirming. Deep Water is doing the traditional thing here but it's doing it well. Sure there is one character who is so cartoonishly despicable (it even turns out everything is his fault) that we are set up to take some joy in watching the sharks feast on him by the end of the film, but I forgive this little cliche because of how much fun I was having. 

If you're up for a fun disaster flick you could do a lot worse than Deep Water. While I might normally wait to recommend this as a streaming watch, and I think it would be fine for a movie night at home, the film with its large impressive set pieces work really well on the big screen. 

Deep Water

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Renny Harlan

Writers: Pete Bridges, Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause, Damien Power

 

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

Thrash (2026)

I love me a disaster movie. What I look for in a good one is great characters thrown into a difficult situation, strategizing on how to survive, while working through their character issues. It's best when the overall "disaster" works as both the situational catalyst for the characters' arcs, but also as metaphor for what they are dealing with. Thrash doesn't get to any of that, instead just being a fun survival story which takes the premise of Sharknado but makes it more realistic. So what we get are a group of characters who have to deal with the flooding resulting from a storm while also facing off against a group of hungry sharks that are more than happy to eat whomever they come across. And lets just admit it, Shark movies are fun and touch on something deep within the human psyche. 

Thrash does what it needs to to be what it wants to be. It sets up who the characters are, that the storm is coming, and that there are sharks in the water. Then it just lets its adventure play out. It's a little lazy on the character development (everyone is pretty two-dimensional), but we get enough of a who's who to get invested. It's pretty obvious who will survive and who won't as Thrash follows all the rules of the genre. As in most disaster movies, people get what's coming to them. The central (likeable) characters all make it out alive with only those we hate getting justice by being eaten by the sharks, or those who step up to be heroes but aren't necessarily that important to us. Don't expect the movie to defy any of your expectations. But if you like a movie that does just what you want it to do, then Thrash is for you. 

The shark action is fun and the film keeps you on the edge of your seat. Scenrios are set up to make for great shark attacks. Kids stranded in a flooding house. A woman giving birth and having to save her baby while swimming in shark infested waters (which leads to the film's greatest line "Mama just has to go and fight so FUCKING sharks!"). If you can get over the silliness of the story, Thrash ends up being a lot of fun without tipping into extreme goofiness like the Sharknado films I referenced. 

Yes I know it probably sounds silly critiquing the film for not finding deeper meaning and more powerful story arcs for a Netflix original movie about sharks in a storm, but I've seen movies rise above their station and it's always a pleasant surprise when they do (Twister is a masterpice). And when they don't I remind myself it's fine and I can still enjoy it, which I did with Thrash. So yeah a part of me always wishes there could be more here but I still had a fun if somewhat forgettable time.

Thrash

Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Djimon Hounsou 

Writer/Director: Tommy Wirkola

Outcome (2026)

Inside the film Outcome, which is a little inside-baseball sometimes, is the story of someone attempting to face their mistakes and take accountability after years of avoiding it. He isn't presented as a bad person, and casting beloved actor, Reeves, clear reinforces this idea. Instead it's exploring the ways we can all reflect on what hurt we may have brought into the world and if there are ways to atone for that. 

Outcome leans a bit into the sleight side of things, not really wrestling too hard with its themes. That isn't a fatal flaw. It's charming and earnest while also being entertaining and quite honestly funny. Writer/director/star Hill is really fun to watch and he doesn't draw things too two-dimensionally. There is enough complexity here that ground the story even if it doesn't get too far into the weeds to really deal with some of it. 

I was impressed with Reeves who I often find gives rather wooden performances. Here he felt a bit more authentic. I also liked how the film used its many cameos, a tool that could have felt super gimmicky, but here feels rather effective. Some are more comic relief, and others are have moments with more pathos. 

Hill balances his film with a sweet level of humour and humility. It remains a bit surface but still enjoyable.

Outcome

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jonah Hill, Matt Bomer, Cameron Diaz, David Spade, Laverne Cox, Susan Lucci, Atsuko Okatsuka, Martin Scorsese, Drew Barrymore

Director: Jonah Hill

Writers: Ezra Woods, Jonah Hill

Fantasy Life (2026)

Matthew Shear has made an impressive debut as a writer and director with Fantasy Life. The film may be a bit meandering and doesn't feel luck it carries much weight. But it's pleasant, offering a meaty role to Peet who steps up. It might be a bit more "slice of life" and have less to say that I might have preferred, but it is still a rather awkwardly enjoyable story with loveable characters. 

Shear is judicious and efficient with his storytelling, not lingering long in any one moment or event. He often allows characters to refer to what happened without always showing it all to us. This lets us infer things. There is space here for imagination. He is inviting us to participate in the story somewhat. 

Fantasy Life is often quite organically funny without ever being about jokes. The humour comes from the situations and the characters, who most bungle through life and manage despite themselves. 

Casting Hirsh, Martin, Balaban, and Harper is a wonderful choice as they fill the screen with life and laughs, again very organically. Allowing himself and Peet to carry the more dramatic weight of the film. 

Still there isn't a lot of weight here. I think that's sort of the point. He's telling a story about rather regular Joes who just can't seem to quite find their grooves but without a lot of tragedy. This story lives in a middle space that sort of just breathes and fumbles. 

Fantasy Life

Starring: Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Zosia Mamet, Jessica Harper, Holland Taylor 

Writer/Director: Matthew Shear

The Drama (2026)

The Drama is a difficult film as it explores some truly complex questions, tackles how far our limits on understanding the humanity of people who do horrible things can go, and does it all while maintaining a darkly comedic approach to story telling. For me it worked, while fascinating me with the maelstrom of conflicting emotions and challenging me to face some difficult dilemmas in a way that was satisfying. But be warned, the film gets in your face and if there are sensitivities to certain issues it could be emotionally a very wrecking film. Even without certain vulnerabilities, the film purposefully makes you uncomfortable with what you are experiencing so it can put you in a situation to wrestle with some truly difficult questions about life and love.

Writer/Director Borgli's last film, Dream Scenario, didn't work for me, but with The Drama I feel he found the right mix. Because I think what is truly interesting here is not the specifics of the worst thing Zendaya's character has ever done, although it is easy to get lost a bit in that. In reality it is more about us coming face to face with out fears about how do we truly know the people we love in our lives and what about them might make us stop loving them. The film is set up cleverly in a way to directly ask us this moral quandary, but it also tells an interesting story with compelling characters while it is doing that. 

So much of this relies on how well Zendaya and Pattinson realize their roles. Both are cast somewhat against type and both create complex and rich performances that make these characters stand out. They also manage the difficulty of the script's dark humour layered into the dark drama. 

For me the film's weaknesses are found around them. While Borgli's screenplay draws the two central characters so well, it is often at the expense of any supporting cast who feel very one-dimensional. That mixed with the fact I struggle to buy Haim in almost any role I've ever seen her in, took me out of the film. I find her performances consistently hammy and didn't think she was up for this. But Athie is a great actor who just isn't given enough to do. Outside of the leads, the film doesn't offer them much support. 

(there are some *spoilerish* references in the rest of this review so stop reading now if you are spoiler averse)

But that wasn't fatal for me with this film as it focuses so much on those two. The film is about their relationship, aping the style of a rom-com, but going to very dark places with it. Even from the film's start you are presented with something you know is going to be different. It starts with a "meet cute" (which is explicitly labelled in the film as such) which feels off and somewhat creepy. To the film's final reconnecting after the couple splits (you know how they come running back to confess their love, usually involving running through some crowd to catch the other before they board the plane or something?) which here is handled just so deftly and lovingly. 

On the one hand, The Drama appears to be a far more romantic film than one might expect. It is saying, at its heart, that love can conquer all. Or is it? Is the ending, which reinforces the film's repeated references to starting fresh, perhaps childishly ignoring what is wrong, a cynical condemnation of this cinematic romantic ideal? You see, this is what I mean by the being so satisfying for me. It doesn't hold-my-hand (pun intended) and tell me what to think. It instead challenges me to grapple with questions that there may not be answers for. Maybe it's asking you to decide what you think. 

The film is getting a lot of flack for its choice of what terrible past Zendaya's character has and I understand why this could be quite upsetting. The film's central question needs it to be something truly terrible but also something human. The film does some meta talking to its audience (a lot of that actually) but in clever and integrated ways. At one point it asks us to consider how many of the other other people walking around us have also done what she's done with effectively disturbing effect. It also references something that could very well be worse (how you scale these horrors, I just don't know) at one point to make a meta point about the fact they didn't make her past even more depraved. My point is that the specific plot details might be too difficult for some audiences, especially since the film is asking us to laugh through some of this (more on that later). I understand why that might disqualify the film for people who have been directly effected by it. For me I was able to get over my discomfort with the use of such a vile back story as I understood why The Drama needed it.

I also feel like Borgli manages the humour very well. This isn't the sort of humour that bristles me, the kind that is used as release valve to take us out of a difficult situation, to take us out of our discomfort, to dismiss the seriousness of the story (see Paul Thomas Anderson films). This is the sort that doubles down on the discomfort. It is often there to highlight just how absurd we are and how difficult life can be. Often I was uncomfortable with how the film was making me laugh, because of how we are socialized to deal with humour in difficult situations. But The Drama recognizes how human laughter is as a means of processing. The humour here felt organic to the story and often truly honest.

But again I don't think that's what the film is about. It is a rom-com in a true sense. It is a comedy (although some of the blackest I've seen in a long time) and it is asking us question about romance and how we experience it, what are its limits, and what morally does it ask us to do. And that is what I haven't been able to stop thinking about The Drama since I saw it. That's why it will continue to wrestle with what it is asking. And that is why I will likely want to return to it again and again. 

The Drama

Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Mamoudou Athie, Alana Haim 

Writer/Director: Kristoffer Borgli