Aus den Nichts (In the Fade)
2017
***
Director: Fatih Akin
Cast: Diane Kruger, Numan Acar, Denis Moschitto, Adam Bousdoukos, Samia Muriel Chancrin, Johannes Krisch, Hanna Hilsdorf, Ulrich Friedrich Brandhoff, Ulrich Tukur, Rafael Santana, Laurens Walter, Karin Neuhäuser, Uwe Rohde, Henning Peker, Yannis Economides
When her husband and six-year-old son are killed in a bomb attack, Katja's life falls apart. As she struggles with her grief, the investigation identifies a young neo-Nazi couple as the perpetrators. Fatih Akin heartbreaking drama was loosely inspired by the 2004 Cologne bombing. It tells a moving story, but slightly struggles with its clunky three-part structure: the tragedy and the aftermath, the court case, and the quest for justice. Diane Kruger carries the film with her intense performance, in German for a change.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
2026
***
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo, Liza Colón-Zayas, Eman Esfandi, Marvin Jones III, Zabryna Guevara
Four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker lives alone and fights crime as Spider-Man in New York City. While he hopes to re-enter the lives of MJ and Ned, who have no memory of his identity, he undergoes a physical transformation and faces a powerful adversary with mind-control abilities. The previous installment was an entertaining trip down memory lane, and now, as the title suggests, Spider-Man gets a reboot, so in essence we relive old memories once again as Peter needs to relearn how to shoot web from his wrists, web-swing between buildings, and control his powers. After three features directed by Jon Watts, Destin Daniel Cretton takes over, and the result is a well-acted but underwhelming MCU movie that does not have enough new to offer. Cretton's action set pieces rely heavily on CGI and occasionally look awful. Following his Disney+ series, the Punisher joins the cast, while the Hulk and Black Widow make unnecessary returns.
Demolition
2015
**½
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis, Heather Lind, Polly Draper, Wass Stevens, Brendan Dooling, Malcolm Goodwin, Ally Sheedy, C.J. Wilson
Davis Mitchell, a successful investment banker, loses his wife in a car accident. As he evaluates his largely loveless marriage and the emptiness he has been hiding behind, he begins to dismantle his life and possessions and forms an unlikely friendship with a woman and her teenage son. Jean-Marc Vallée's final feature is an initially compelling comedy-drama that begins to feel increasingly scripted as it progresses, eventually sinking under the weight of its heavy-handed symbolism. The screenplay by Bryan Sipe owes a great debt to American Beauty, and Jake Gyllenhaal's smug, carefree character, who finds freedom in abandoning the comforts of his existence, would fit right in with Sam Mendes' 1999 film.
Greenland: Migration
2026
*½
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Cast: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis, Amber Rose Revah, Sophie Thompson, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, William Abadie, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Rachael Evelyn, Gina Gangar, Antonio De Lima, Peter Polycarpou
Greenland was a dumb but surprisingly enjoyable disaster movie. The sequel is poorly written and laughably stupid throughout its runtime. Five years after a catastrophic comet strike devastated Earth, the Garrity family and other survivors are forced to leave the safety of their Greenland bunker. Luckily, there are numerous motorised lifeboats, all stocked with supplies, stranded on the nearby beach. It isn't a problem that they run out of fuel while crossing the Atlantic, because they can simply drift the remaining 5,000 km and make landfall exactly where they need to — not in mainland Europe, Scotland, or Ireland, but in Liverpool. They discover a Europe with plenty of fuel, food, and drivable roads despite constant electromagnetic storms, earthquakes, comet showers, and, you know, the collapse of civilisation. It's a surprise that any part of Earth remains inhabitable, because whenever the Garrity family passes through an area, everything is immediately destroyed, and anyone who is with them faces almost certain death.
Ballon (Balloon)
2018
***
Director: Michael Herbig
Cast: Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Alicia von Rittberg, Thomas Kretschmann, Jonas Holdenrieder, Tilman Döbler, Ben Teichmann, Ronald Kukulies, Till Patz, Sebastian Hülk, Christian Näthe
In 1979, two families in East Germany set out to build a homemade hot-air balloon and defect across the heavily guarded border into West Germany. After their first attempt fails, the Stasi quickly closes in on them. This German drama is based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families. Their daring escape undoubtedly included plenty of tense and thrilling moments, but Michael Herbig's film tends to overdramatise nearly every twist and turn. As a result, the film plays more like a suspense thriller than a faithful historical account.
Honey Don't!
2025
**
Director: Ethan Coen
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, Gabby Beans, Talia Ryder, Lera Abova, Kristen Connolly, Don Swayze, Lena Hall, Kale Browne
Private investigator Honey O'Donahue investigates a series of mysterious deaths in Bakersfield, California. Her search leads her to a charismatic preacher, as she uncovers corruption, violence, and a personal entanglement. Following the dismal Drive-Away Dolls, the second part of Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's lesbian B-movie trilogy offers no improvement. The film is once again delightfully short, but it features broadly drawn characters, weak attempts at humour, and a screenplay that is all over the place. Margaret Qualley's PI character is not believable for one second.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
2025
**½
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis
As Jake and Neytiri grieve the loss of their son in different ways, they face a new threat when an aggressive Mangkwan clan, led by their matriarch Varang, joins forces with Colonel Quaritch. Quaritch wants to get to his son, Spider, but I'm unsure what motivates Varang. Following the disappointingly uninventive The Way of Water, the third Avatar movie offers 197 minutes more of the same. Apart from introducing the new clan and showing that Kiri can now log into Eywa, nothing of consequence happens. Cameron delivers an endless series of captures and escapes, and the climactic battle in the air and water looks awfully lot like the end of the previous installment. The film once again looks impressive, and it won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, as expected.
Roofman
2025
***
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Cast: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Uzo Aduba, Melonie Diaz, Jimmy O. Yang, Tony Revolori
Jeffrey, a divorced Army veteran, became known as the Roofman for breaking into numerous McDonald's restaurants through their roofs. After escaping prison in 2004, he ends up hiding inside a Toys "R" Us store for months. Derek Cianfrance's charming crime comedy is based on the true story of Jeffrey Manchester. As portrayed by Channing Tatum, he is an endlessly nice guy who only knows one way of showing affection to the people he loves: by buying them things. His escapades are relatively entertaining, and there is even time for a romance with a single mother played by Kirsten Dunst, but the problem is that I never felt sorry for the man.
Carry-On
2024
***½
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls, Tonatiuh, Curtiss Cook, Josh Brener, Joe Williamson
An airport security officer, whose pregnant girlfriend works in another part of LAX, finds himself blackmailed by a sinister criminal into allowing a suitcase containing Novichok onto a Christmas Eve flight. This action thriller offers strong Die Hard 2 vibes, but it moves at such relentless pace and delivers so many twists and turns that it kept me thoroughly entertained, even if the whole thing doesn't have much credibility when you stop to think about it. Taron Egerton spends two solid hours contorting his facial expressions.
The Odyssey
2026
****½
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth
Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, never returned home after the glorious win in the Trojan War 20 years ago. While his wife, Penelope, who battles relentless suitors, and his son, Telemachus, refuse to believe he is dead, Odysseus has spent years trying to reach home despite facing monsters, deadly trials, and temptations. Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient epic poem works perfectly as a sister piece to Oppenheimer, and perhaps Interstellar and Inception as well. They are all about men struggling with the consequences of their own actions. Nolan's lengthy film takes its time to get going, and the story is episodic by nature, but it gradually builds through several breathtaking sequences to a supreme epic adventure. As the first film shot entirely on IMAX cameras, the visuals are stunning, and the special effects are mostly practical. Amid all the spectacle, there are also some heartfelt performances, with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and John Leguizamo among the standouts.
Dead of Winter
2025
***
Director: Brian Kirk
Cast: Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden, Gaia Wise, Cúán Hosty-Blaney, Brían F. O'Byrne, Lloyd Hutchinson
After her husband's death, a grieving widow travels to a frozen lake in Minnesota to scatter his ashes. She finds herself useful again when she stumbles upon a couple who are holding a teenage girl captive. Brian Kirk's passable thriller makes the most of the wintry setting and the remote cabin that the story revolves around. The motive behind the kidnapping, however, is dumb and far-fetched, to say the least. Emma Thompson gives a strong lead performance as the resilient old woman, even if the character often explains her thoughts and memories out loud.
How to Make a Killing
2026
**½
Director: John Patton Ford
Cast: Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, Ed Harris, Bianca Amato, Grady Wilson, Maggie Toomey
Although he was disowned at birth, Becket Redfellow discovers that he is still one of the heirs to the massive family fortune. He sets out to eliminate the relatives standing between him and the money. John Patton Ford's dark comedy joins a long line of recent works about the excesses and unpleasantness of rich people. These include Triangle of Sadness, Blink Twice, Opus, and Mountainhead. This one was inspired by the delightful Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), an Ealing comedy best remembered for Alec Guinness portraying eight different members of the same family. Unfortunately Ford's film never gets the comedic tone right and the result is mostly cringe-inducing. Recently, Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley have both been stuck playing more or less then same character in every new release.
Wuthering Heights
2026
*
Director: Emerald Fennell
Cast: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Owen Cooper, Charlotte Mellington, Vy Nguyen, Steve Pemberton, Joseph Zada
Emily Brontë's 1847 gothic romance novel has been adapted for the screen countless times, most recently in 2011 by Andrea Arnold. Emerald Fennell's very loose adaptation once again chronicles the passionate but destructive relationship between the orphan Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw on the Yorkshire moors. Fennell strips away the complexities of the novel to focus primarily on the romance, but the result is a dull and over-stylised film in which Cathy and Heathcliff never fully come alive as characters. It does not help that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are really, really, ridiculously good looking for their parts. The songs by Charli XCX do not exactly add to the sense of authenticity either.
Dead Man's Wire
2025
***½
Director: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Cary Elwes, Myha'la, Al Pacino, Don Johnson, Willa Fitzgerald, Hamish Linklater, Spencer Garrett
In 1977, Tony Kiritsis, a financially desperate man, holds a mortgage company executive captive with a shotgun connected to a wire trigger, which leads to a tense standoff with police, negotiators, and the media. Gus Van Sant's captivating hostage drama is based on a true story, and comparisons to Dog Day Afternoon (1975) are therefore inevitable. As a film, it does not reach the same heights, but Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery both deliver strong performances.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
2026
*½
Director: Olivia Newman
Cast: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Kathy Baker, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Beth Grant, Colm Meaney
Tova, an elderly widow who works as a cleaner at an aquarium, is desperate to find answers about the disappearance of her missing son. Meanwhile, a young troubled man named Cameron arrives in town searching for his biological father. This abysmal Netflix drama is based on Shelby Van Pelt's 2022 novel. It offers wholesome small-town American values in the style of Hallmark movies, along with laughable soap-opera twists. The entire story is obviously narrated by a giant Pacific octopus. The only thing worth recommending is Sally Field's likeable performance.
Je m'appelle Agneta
2026
**½
Director: Johanna Runevad
Cast: Eva Melander, Claes Månsson, Jérémie Covillault, Anne-Marie Ponsot, Björn Kjellman, Richard Forsgren, Alain Doutey, Måns Molin, Maxwell Cunnigham
Agneta is approaching 50 and feels invisible to her husband and children. Seeking a fresh start, Agneta takes a job as an au pair in Provence, only to discover that the Einar she is supposed to look after is an elderly gay Swedish man. This tired and frustratingly formulaic Swedish comedy follows in the footsteps of A Good Year and Under the Tuscan Sun. Agneta is a fish out of water, Einar is an eccentric but tragic figure, the local French people are charming (although the rude Swedes constantly speak Swedish among themselves), and everything unfolds just as you'd expect. Adapted from Emma Hamberg's 2021 novel.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
2024
*½
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Arthur Conti, Burn Gorman, Danny DeVito, Santiago Cabrera, Filipe Cates
After a family tragedy, Lydia Deetz returns to Winter River with her daughter Astrid and stepmother Delia. When Astrid accidentally opens a portal to the Afterlife, the mischievous Beetlejuice returns. The original Beetlejuice was a popular but ultimately forgettable horror comedy, and I do not understand why we needed this utterly pointless sequel 36 later. The central couple, played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, do not return, while Jeffrey Jones, a controversial actor who has been in the doghouse for more than 20 years, is replaced by a brief animated sequence. Meanwhile, Monica Bellucci, Tim Burton's partner during production, plays a creepy soul-sucking villain, but after her introduction she disappears for roughly an hour.
Das Lehrerzimmer (The Teachers’ Lounge)
2023
****
Director: Ilker Çatak
Cast: Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachowiak, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Eva Löbau, Leonard Stettnisch, Sarah Bauerett, Kathrin Wehlisch, Yasemin Şamdereli, Özgür Karadeniz
While a series of small thefts rocks a German secondary school, the well-meaning actions of a young teacher trigger a chain reaction of tension, suspicion, and mistrust among the staff, pupils, and their parents. Ilker Çatak's short, intense, and captivating drama exposes the chasm between the idealism and the reality of teaching. Leonie Benesch gives a strong lead performance as a teacher who never loses sight of her first priority, despite the overwhelming circumstances.
Disclosure Day
2026
***
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Elizabeth Marvel, Mckenna Bridger, Michael Gaston
While the world is on the brink of World War III, a cybersecurity expert on the run with evidence of extraterrestrial life and a TV meteorologist with newfound psychic abilities seem to share a profound connection. More than 40 years after his quintessential science fiction classics, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg returns to the world of UFOs and friendly aliens. David Koepp's screenplay is based on Spielberg's idea, which unfortunately is not a very original one. The story reminds us that empathy is in short supply in the modern world and questions whether humanity is prepared for such a life-changing revelation? However, these lofty ideas suffocate under several unnecessary chases and narrow escapes, a few unforgivably stupid scenes, and one supremely annoying character (played by Wyatt Russell). The climactic disclosure day set piece failed to suspend my disbelief. Despite all this, Emily Blunt gives one of her finest performances.
Keeper
2025
*½
Director: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Weiss, Claire Friesen, Christin Park, Erin Boyes, Tess Degenstein, Logan Pierce, Glen Gordon, Cassandra Ebner, Gina Vultaggio
Liz and Malcolm travel to his remote cabin to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Almost immediately, Liz begins to experience terrifying visions about women in agony, and things get worse when Malcolm has to leave her alone. Like The Monkey, Osgood Perkins' other 2025 film, this is a derivative and uninspired horror movie. This one is not based on a Stephen King work, but it still manages to roll out every imaginable cliché from supernatural horror films set in a cabin in the woods. Tatiana Maslany gives a decent performance, but I find it hard to believe that Rossif Sutherland is a professional actor, despite his esteemed heritage.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
2025
*½
Director: Kogonada
Cast: Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe, Billy Magnussen, Yuvi Hecht, Jodie Turner-Smith, Shelby Simmons, Sarah Gadon
Sarah and David both pick up a car from a mysterious car rental company. The two meet at a wedding and embark on a fantastical journey during which they revisit pivotal moments from their pasts and gain new insight into the choices that shaped their lives. It looks like the works of Kogonada are not for me. I wasn't crazy about Columbus, I liked After Yang even less, and this one is just a simply awful romantic drama with poorly explained fantastical elements and schmaltzy sentimentality. Sarah and David, both uninteresting on their own, have absolutely no chemistry together, but it's obvious how the story will end. They take all that unfolds at face value, and neither of them thinks to ask the key question: what the hell is going on?
The Bride!
2026
***½
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz, John Magaro, Julianne Hough, Jeannie Berlin, Matthew Maher, Zlatko Burić, Louis Cancelmi
In the 1930s, Frank, a lonely Frankenstein's monster, arrives in Chicago to seek help in creating a female companion. The body they revive belongs to an escort girl named Ida. Maggie Gyllenhaal's second feature is an ambitious and often bonkers Gothic romance that feels like a combination of Bride of Frankenstein and Bonnie and Clyde with a strong feminist undercurrent. This world is initially hard to get into, as Ida is possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley, the author of the original 1818 Frankenstein novel. However, the story really finds its groove in the second half, as Gyllenhaal's dialogue remains sharp and funny, and the ending is surprisingly moving and romantic. Following her Oscar win for Hamnet, Jessie Buckley delivers another stellar performance.
Backrooms
2026
****
Director: Kane Parsons
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, Avan Jogia, Chelah Horsdal, Philip Granger, Toby Hargrave, Patrick Baynham, Krista Kosonen
In 1990, a divorced alcoholic furniture store owner discovers a hidden network of seemingly endless spaces in the basement of his shop. His obsession with the backrooms eventually pulls in his therapist. 20-year-old Kane Parsons makes an incredibly assured feature debut with this slow-paced and unsettling psychological horror film. Will Soodik's screenplay delivers an intriguing mystery that reveals enough to keep us hooked, but not so much that it ruins everything. The set design is amazing, and the two central performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are very good. Based on the Parsons' YouTube series.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
2026
**½
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Jonny Coyne, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Omid Abtahi, Katy O'Brian
Din Djarin and Grogu embark on a new mission for the New Republic. They are tasked with rescuing Rotta the Hutt, the son of the late Jabba the Hutt, in exchange for valuable information. The third season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian wrapped up in April 2023, and the sad truth is that this spin-off film feels entirely unnecessary. We don't learn anything about the two main characters that we didn't already know, and the story doesn't take them anywhere new. This is a one-off adventure, mostly targeted at small children, which adheres to the formula J.J. Abrams established in The Rise of Skywalker: Din Djarin and Grogu travel to X to find Z in order to find out where Y is. Jon Favreau stages some decent action set pieces, but the film outstays its welcome at 132 minutes.
Caught Stealing
2025
**½
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Benito Martínez Ocasio, Griffin Dunne, Carol Kane, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
In 1998, Hank, a New York City bartender, agrees to look after his neighbour's cat. The seemingly simple favour throws him into the middle of Russian mobsters, Hasidic drug dealers, and corrupt cops, who are all searching for the same thing. Darren Aronofsky is known for his earnest and intense dramas, and this adaptation of Charlie Huston's 2004 novel is the closest he has come to making a straightforward genre film. The end result is a largely forgettable, darkly comic crime thriller. Hank goes through hell, but I never felt particularly sorry for him. Hank is a former high-school baseball star, so predictably he eventually gets to swing a baseball bat. The ending, in which he is generously rewarded for what amounts to a streak of bad luck, left a very bad aftertaste.
Obsession
2025
****
Director: Curry Barker
Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, Haley Fitzgerald, Darin Toonder, Chloe Breen, Anthony Pavone, Justice, Anthony Casabianca, Malcolm Kelner
Bear, a shy young man, buys a novelty wish object in order to make his friend Nikki fall in love with him. To his surprise, the wish succeeds, but Nikki's sweet affection quickly turns into a terrifying obsession. Curry Barker's theatrical debut is an impressively creepy and deliberately paced horror film, which proves that one should be careful what they wish for. Barker's smart screenplay examines toxic relationships, romantic co-dependency, male entitlement, and control. Inde Navarrette gives a terrific breakthrough performance as Nikki, and although Michael Johnston is good as Bear, the week-willed character tested my patience at times. The film, which was shot on a shoestring budget, became a massive sleeper hit.
Bring Her Back
2025
**½
Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Cast: Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Mischa Heywood, Olga Miller, Kathryn Adams, Asha O'Connell
After their father dies, 17-year-old Andy and his visually impaired step-sister Piper are placed in foster care with Laura, an eccentric, grieving woman who lives in an isolated house with a strange mute foster child named Oliver. Following Talk to Me, the Philippou brothers deliver another horror film centred on grief and trauma. While their debut was an enthralling experience, this follow-up feels less scary, original, or engaging. Oliver's disturbing behaviour in particular often seems included purely for shock value rather than meaningful reason. The performances are good, though.
Materialists
2025
*½
Director: Celine Song
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoë Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova, Emmy Wheeler, Louisa Jacobson, Eddie Cahill, Sawyer Spielberg, Joseph Lee, John Magaro
Lucy is a successful New York City matchmaker who operates in a world where men are judged by their height and salary, and women by their age and beauty. Lucy finds herself caught between two men: her broke ex-boyfriend and a wealthy financier. Celine Song's cynical take on modern dating culture may as well be set on another planet, because I could not relate to this universe or its vain and vacuous characters. This is a romantic comedy by definition, but there isn't one funny line anywhere in the film. Perhaps it fits the bill instead by being boring and utterly predictable.
Apex
2026
**½
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Cast: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Caitlin Stasey, Bessie Holland, Zac Garred, Aaron Pedersen, Matt Whelan, Duncan Fellows, Willow Seager
Sasha, an adrenaline junkie recovering from her husband's tragic death, travels to a remote part of Australia for a solitary kayaking trip, but her isolated journey quickly turns into a brutal fight for survival. Baltasar Kormákur's watchable action thriller starts like Cliffhanger and unfolds as a blend of The River Wild and Deliverance. The screenplay by Jeremy Robbins is cliché-filled and forgettably derivative. The over-the-top villain, however, is more original, although his motives are ultimately laughable.
Exit 8
2025
**½
Director: Genki Kawamura
Cast: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, Nana Komatsu
A man whose girlfriend has just announced that she is pregnant becomes trapped in a seemingly endless subway passage while searching for Exit 8. Depending on the anomalies he notices, he must turn back or proceed, and if he makes a mistake, he is sent back to the beginning of the loop. This Japanese thriller is based on the 2023 video game by Kotake Create, and it often feels like watching someone play the game itself. The premise and setting are creepy and intriguing, but like Cube (1997), the whole thing eventually becomes gimmicky and numbing in its repetition. For the protagonist, the ordeal serves as a metaphor for the fear of parenthood.
Shelby Oaks
2024
**
Director: Chris Stuckmann
Cast: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Keith David, Sarah Durn, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, Emily Bennett, Charlie Talbert, Derek Mears, Anthony Baldasare, Eric Francis Melaragni, Caisey Cole
Riley Brennan, the host of a popular YouTube channel focused on paranormal activity, disappeared along with her three colleagues in the ghost town of Shelby Oaks. 12 years later, her sister Mia has never stopped searching for her. Chris Stuckmann made his name as an Internet movie critic, so he is clearly well versed in cinema. His feature debut combines found-footage elements with psychological and supernatural horror. Unfortunetely, the film feels clichéd and derivative, constantly recalling earlier works such as The Blair Witch Project, Heretic, The Ring, Candyman, and Rosemary's Baby.
Eddington
2025
**½
Director: Ari Aster
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Amélie Hoeferle, Clifton Collins Jr., William Belleau, Cameron Mann, Matt Gomez Hidaka
While the local sheriff decides to run against the town’s mayor during the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories, racial tensions, and social media hysteria push the small New Mexico town of Eddington to a boiling point. Ari Aster's modern Western takes a satirical swipe at some topical issues from recent history. The set-up is intriguing and believable, even if most of the characters are grating, but the film turns out to be a bit of a mess. The bizarre and surreal shootout in the final third sticks out like a sore thumb. Although the cast is amazing, some performances, particularly from Emma Stone and Austin Butler, leave very little impression.
Syk pike (Sick of Myself)
2022
***
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Cast: Kristine Kujath Thorp, Eirik Sæther, Fanny Vaager, Fredrik Stenberg Ditlev-Simonsen, Sarah Francesca Brænne, Ingrid Vollan, Steinar Klouman Hallert, Andrea Bræin Hovig, Henrik Mestad, Anders Danielsen Lie
Signe becomes jealous when her boyfriend Thomas gains recognition as an artist. Desperate for attention, she deliberately harms herself to attract sympathy and fame. Kristoffer Borgli's pitch-black comedy gets off to a great start as its two self-obsessed young protagonists vie for attention with hilarious results. As Signe's need for recognition leads to disturbing physical and psychological consequences, the story becomes increasingly cynical, disappointingly repetitive, and less engaging. Nevertheless, Kristine Kujath Thorp gives a very fine performance.
Code 3
2025
****
Director: Christopher Leone
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Lil Rel Howery, Aimee Carrero, Rob Riggle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Page Kennedy, Xolo Maridueña, Tree O'Toole, Ayesha Harris, Andy Milder
Randy, a burned-out paramedic, plans to leave his job, but before doing so he must get through one more gruelling 24-hour shift alongside his partner and a new ride-along student. Christopher Leone's entertaining yet thought-provoking comedy-drama paints a grim picture of the stress and chaos of emergency medical work in an under-resourced city like Los Angeles, where the days are marked by a sense of futility and few rewarding moments. Rainn Wilson delivers an amusing performance as Randy, whose shift is punctuated by hunger, frustration, rage, and panic attacks.
Bone Tomahawk
2015
**
Director: S. Craig Zahler
Cast: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Evan Jonigkeit, David Arquette, Sid Haig, Kathryn Morris, Zahn McClarnon
After two people are abducted by a mysterious and brutal tribe of cave-dwelling cannibals, the sheriff of Bright Hope assembles a rescue party, which includes his elderly deputy, a gunslinger, and a rancher whose wife was taken. S. Craig Zahler's horror Western offers graphic violence, some glaring plot holes, and extremely slow-paced storytelling. It takes about 90 minutes before the group reaches the cave-dwellers on horseback, even though the abductors appear to have made the journey on foot with two hostages. I understand that the plot requires the rancher to be separated from the rest of the posse, but his gnarly leg injury leads to several drawn-out and excruciatingly slow scenes. The film may be aiming for authenticity, but the story carries more than a hint of racism: white heroes ride to the rescue, the cannibals refuse to eat Black people, and Mexican characters are deemed suspicious and shot on sight.
