But first, a couple great movies are out this weekend:

• You, Me & Tuscany, a delightful slice-of-Italy romantic-comedy starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, satiated my fill for a hearty comfort watch. Read my review.

• Mother Mary is a relationship drama, gothic ghost story, pop musical, horror, or a genre all its own. It may be undefinable, but it’s definitely is clear-eyed in its search for raw intimacy in creative collaboration (with a side of pop divadom). Read my review.

Streaming on Paramount+

“Strange Darling”

What it’s about: A woman—only credited as “The Lady”—is relentlessly chased by a determined pursuant—credited as “The Devil”. But reader I assure you, nothing is as it seems.

Why you should watch it: The title card for Strange Darling splashes onto the screen paired with the subtitle “a thriller in six chapters” before cheekily jumping to chapter three. From that moment, director J.T. Toller keeps you guessing as he grabs you by your collar and takes you on a frenetic maximalist romp. When you think it is going to zig, it zags. When you think it’s going to jump, it soars. The opening chapters of the movie, shot in glorious 35mm by Giovanni Rabisi, are an assault on the senses. With saturated cinematography bringing a mad technicolor world to life and crisp near-deafening sound underlined by Craig DeLeon‘s discordant bass guitar score thrumming it feels like you’re on the fury road—and you might as well be. Read my full review here.

Recommended if you like: cheeky plot twists, simple suspense, heavy metal thrills

97 mins. Watch the trailer.

Streaming on HBO Max

“Kimi”

What it’s about: Tech worker Angela (Zoë Kravitz) thinks she uncovers a crime while reviewing audio recordings for her job. Suffering from agoraphobia and with the pandemic raging outside, Angela has to face her fears when a deeper conspiracy unveils itself.

Why you should watch it: Few movies have been able to capture the anxiety of the pandemic age quite as viscerally as Steven Soderbergh’s Kimi. While it’s mainly a techno-thriller that’s Rear Window—that is, if the window was actually a smart speaker—by way of The Conversation, the most interesting part of the movie is the subtle flourishes that immerse you. The claustrophobia of lockdown with the eerie omniscience of technology pervades throughout the entire movie. So when it turns into a more classic crime thriller, you’re able to sink yourself deep into the intrigue.

RIYL: classic crime thrillers, surveillance paranoia, corporate intrigue

89 mins. Watch the trailer.

Streaming on Netflix

“Shiva Baby”

What it’s about: Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a college student and seemingly never-good-enough daughter, attends a family shiva where her relatives constantly accost her with questions about her life, her ex-girlfriend looms large, and, oh yeah, her sugar daddy is there with his family. It turns out just as well as you think.

Why you should watch it: Okay, maybe Shiva Baby isn’t quite a thriller, but what is more suspenseful than a family gathering where anything can happen. Still, Shiva Baby takes the same approach as a thriller. The camera creeps around corners and Ariel Marx’s terrific score amplifies the suspense-filled mood with discordant strings where the horrors of family—that aunt that can’t just help but comment on your weight—lurks in the shadows. But director Emma Seligman doesn’t go full-tilt horror. She toes a precarious line between comedy, drama, horror, and tragedy. Let’s be honest. We all know what it feels like to come home for a family gathering. Shiva Baby captures that feeling with a witty sense of humor that will make you laugh through your trauma.

RIYL: melodramas, familial dry humor, cringe thrills

78 mins. Watch the trailer.

That’s all for today. Have a thrilling weekend!
Karl

📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.
🔗 Find me on Letterboxd and Twitter.

Mother Mary is in theaters Friday.

Director-writer David Lowery isn’t the type to make a movie about a pop star, especially in this era where pop stardom has been taken to a magnitude never seen before. But that’s where the brilliance lies within Mother Mary. The movie pulls you in with bright neon lights, earth-shaking bass, and the grandiose scale of an arena concert with Anne Hathaway, as the eponymous pop star, commanding the screen and your attention. However, like any good pop song, that’s just the hook that Lowery uses as a Trojan horse to tell a much deeper and darker story in a way that’s anything but ordinary.

But that’s what he’s been doing all his career. Lowery will take a subject or a story like a woman in grief or a boy and his magical dragon and approach it at precisely the angle you don’t expect, which is what makes the grounded and subdued first act of Mother Mary all the more baffling. Not that it isn’t engrossing. The way Mother Mary sweeps into her former creative collaborator Sam Anselm’s (Michaela Coel) brooding gothic home and fashion design studio feels like a storm coming against a mountain. For the less meteorologically inclined, that means kaboom.

The Power Struggle of the Muse

There’s a quiet contrast in the way the two move in the world. Mother Mary, though stripped down to just a simple sweater and sweatpants, has the volatility of a creative in distress. She has a thousand thoughts in her head, but can’t seem to hold onto one. Her horror is that she can fall apart at any moment. Sam, on the other hand, has an eerie calm to her. Mother Mary explains that her sudden reappearance in Sam’s life is because she needs a dress for her comeback performance where she’ll perform her new song. She explains that the one she has “doesn’t feel like me.” To which, with a steely calm, Sam replies, “Because I, above all others, know you.”

Sam (and Coel’s stunning performance) is beguiling in the way that she seems to be at peace, but can easily throw a barb that cuts straight to the heart. Sam agrees to help Mother Mary despite their animosity that remains shrouded. The film presents as a melodramatic relationship drama, as Sam quickly busies herself picking fabrics and probes Mother Mary for information about this comeback performance (the reason for the comeback is equally shrouded in mystery). We learn that the pair had a deep creative partnership stretching back to Mary’s early days in the industry. Her signature halo, which changes from performance to performance, was Sam’s idea. An idea that is stitched permanently to Mary’s identity as an artist. An identity whose ownership comes into question throughout the encounter.

But they’re both careful to never broach the subject of their separation head-on. There’s an unsettling sense of calm.

Although, there are a few inklings of what’s to come later in this reunion. Sam asks Mother Mary to show her the dance to the song, but without music. In all this time apart, Sam hasn’t listened to Mother Mary’s music. The resulting dance, stripped down to its raw physicality, feels like a demonic possession. The sound of Mother Mary’s strained breath and the violent thuds as she throws herself around the room is visceral and unsettling—especially juxtaposed against the echoing silence of the space. It feels supernatural.

Genre Subversion (From Pop to Possession)

As the day turns into night, there’s a palpable shift in the air of the movie. It becomes darker but more alive, like a lightning bolt shot in the dark. Sam tells Mary of the last time she heard her music. As she watches Mother Mary perform on stage after their split, Sam, overcome by emotion at seeing her own artistry in front of her without credit, bites down splintering her wisdom tooth. Like a storybook, Lowery shows the incident unfold before us like a body horror. Later that night, Sam regales Mary of the tale of a ghost, manifested as a simple tract of red fabric, awakening her that night.

Mary listens on with horror as she realizes that the ghost that Sam saw may be the same the she once saw through a sort of medium played by FKA Twigs. The ensuing scene, the best of the movie, feels more akin to The Exorcist than the pop opera the movie started as. Twigs, contorting herself around the room warning of some being coming for Mother Mary, is otherworldly extraordinary and catapults the movie into a full gothic horror where the feeling of dread pervades laced with the haunting beats of Mother Mary’s music. Her contortions echo Mary’s earlier silent dance, but here the possession becomes literal. It begins help us to unravel exactly what Lowery is trying to communicate with the story.

Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA Twigs all contributed music to the soundtrack that becomes the backbone of Mother Mary’s tale of artistic and physical burnout. In an awe-inspiring scene, Mary goes from concert to concert, ushered by a crowd of dancers as we watch the toll of constant touring take hold. The glitchy, abrasive synths underline the visceral toll taken onscreen. The scenes move like a dance but keep the same gothic tone as the rest of the movie. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo stays true to the bright lights of a concert, but staying true to the movie’s gothic tone disorients you with the camera’s movements. It’s a body horror, what artists do to keep up pace with their demanding schedule.

These traded stories begin to form a picture of what the movie is about. Though Lowery has never been one to give easy explanations of his work, Mother Mary lays itself threadbare by the end giving a cutting (at times, quite literally) appraisal of artistic relationships and how for all their fruit, can lead to self-destruction. As Mother Mary finds herself falling apart, Sam finds herself building walls. It’s not coincidence that her home and fashion studio looks like a fortress. Lowery, with the horror of the movie, compares partnership with posession, and eventually exorcism. Literally giving someone else control of your body and in return giving some of yours.

Mother Mary is hard to define. It is a relationship drama, a ghost story, a musical, a thriller. Or perhaps, it is a genre all its own. For me, it is a liturgical horror—a film that treats the act of collaboration with the same dread and devotion as a haunted cathedral. What is clear is that David Lowery is clear-eyed in his search for raw intimacy in partnership. And to find that intimacy involves laying your ugliest impulses out in front of your collaborator. Only then can the ghost of all your self doubt, your history, and your baggage be exorcised.

You, Me & Tuscany, or perhaps “My Big Fat Eat, Pray, Love Under the Tuscan Sun”, is like a hearty Italian cheat meal. You know it’s bad for you. You know it’s empty calories. You know the absurd amount of cheese might give you agita. But do you savor every delicious bite? You’re damn right. The mid-budget romantic-comedy has become a rarity in theaters, as most entries in the genre seem to never make it out of streaming purgatory, but the charming pairing of Halle Bailey and Regé Jean-Page (and a cast of lovable characters) more than cover the cost of admission.

RIYL: Enemies-to-lovers, quirky family comedies, Italy (but like stereotypical Italy)

You, Me & Tuscany is in theaters on Friday.

The age of the PG-13 romantic-comedy and the corny romantic splendors of Maid in Manhattan, The Wedding Planner, Monster-in-Law (was J. Lo the only person doing rom-coms?) is long gone.

Or is it? In this era where cynicism seems to rule the tastes of the movie-going public (or at least the people on Film Twitter), You, Me & Tuscany bravely asks, “you want cheese?” And then proceeds to give you five kinds before sprinkling more Parmesan on top for good measure.

The movie, directed by Kat Coiro, speed runs through the greatest hits of romantic-comedy tropes. There’s not just one dead parent, there’s three! Our heroine is an aspiring chef (and culinary school dropout)! She has a sassy best friend! There’s a random animal pet (in this case, a pig)! However, you can’t help but eat up every line of corny banter and wacky side characters because that’s what you want from your cheat cinema. “You, Me & Tuscany” may be empty Italian calories, but like all empty calories, it just tastes so damn good going down.

Halle Bailey’s performance as our down-on-our-luck heroine is the perfect base to this dish.

Anna is a professional house sitter (because those exist!) who can’t seem to catch a break. Her dreams of completing culinary school were dashed when her mother passed away (mothers of rom-com leading ladies, beware), and she bides her time moving on with her life by living other people’s. After being unceremoniously kicked out of her current gig for—checks notes—wearing her client’s lingerie, Anna seeks refuge in the swanky hotel where her bestie (Aziza Scott) works.

Seeking refuge at the bar, Anna has a meet-cute with the impressively gorgeous Matteo, who regales her with tales of his vacant Tuscan villa in the village where he grew up before inviting her upstairs and—less impressively—falling asleep. Inspired by the encounter, Anna decides to take a long-delayed trip meant for her and her late mother. She flies to Tuscany that same day, only to find the town fully booked for a mysterious (but very Italian-sounding) festival and her lunch stolen by another handsome stranger, Michael (Regé-Jean Page). It’s a sandwich-swiping "meet-ugly" she hopes never to repeat. But this movie is called YOU, Me & Tuscany.

With nowhere else to go, Anna hatches a plan to stay in Matteo’s vacant villa.

It’s all gold Italian sunsets and laundry machines in the villa until Anna is caught by Matteo’s—ahem—vocal mother Gabriella (Isabella Ferrari) and Nonna (Stefania Casini), having failed at a hasty escape via pole. Since she’s decided to "take nonna's ring for a spin" earlier, she’s quickly mistaken for Matteo’s secret fiancée and has no choice but to lean into the lie and assimilate into the quirky clan. The plot thickens, however, when she realizes that Matteo's cousin is none other than Michael, the impossibly handsome (but rude) sandwich thief from earlier. As wedding planning commences and Michael and Anna spend quality time together in the family vineyard, the romance of the Tuscan countryside—and Michael’s glistening abs—starts to work its magic.

And that’s when You, Me & Tuscany finds its secret sauce. The Italian countryside (and all its quirks and quirky people) is easy to watch.

For all its cinematic rough edges, Coiro finds a way to capture the dreamlike warmth of the setting. There’s something so nostalgic about the world the movie inhabits. Whether it’s because it reminds you of the rom-coms of the early aughts or makes you yearn for an Italian vacation, it’s as intoxicating as the romance at its core. The wide-ranging cast of oddballs, like adorably loyal taxi driver Lorenzo (Marco Calvani) or Matteo’s hilariously honest sister Francesca (Stella Pecollo), adds to that feeling. It's the perfect setting to lose yourself in for 105 minutes.

You, Me & Tuscany isn’t reinventing the wheel. It plays more like an improvised cobbled-together stew rather than a meticulously assembled dish. But every element just works. Bailey and Page (who gives a fantastic performance even outside his movie star good looks) have the kind of presence that commands a screen. You’re rooting for them to fall in love. Every side character, even ratched up to a hundred, is hilarious and charming. And there’s just enough drama to keep things interesting. It’s a story (and faces) worth putting on the big screen. It’s a love worth watching on the big screen.

Happy Friday and for those reading from the northeast, I’m sorry for your loss. I’m of course talking about the gorgeous 78 degree weather that has been so unceremoniously taken from us and replaced with the cold and dreary rain.

However, that fleeting bit of summer has me thinking of the freedom of warmer weather. So, for today I’m continuing my best movies of the decade series with some recommendations about the intoxicating feeling of freedom. You can see my volume one recs here.

I wrote this newsletter listening to Snail Mail’s terrific and limitless new album “Ricochet”. Have a listen here.

Streaming on Prime Video

“Lovers Rock”

What it’s about: It’s the 80s. West London. A group of teens and twentysomethings scurry about a house making preparations for a party that night. Once the sun goes down and the records come on, they leave the world at the door and give themselves up to the irresistible feeling and emotion of music. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: For most of his career, Steve McQueen has dealt heavily with trauma (“12 Years A Slave, “Blitz”). But with “Lovers Rock”, the standout entry in his “Small Axe” anthology series, he focuses on the visceral weight of joy. Set over the course of a single night at a 1980s house party in West London, the film trades a traditional plot for a sustained, rhythmic mood. It is an all-out sensory immersion: the smell of goat curry wafting through a cramped kitchen, the sight of condensation dripping down wallpaper, and the tactile friction of bodies swaying in a blue-lit room.

In one scene, the party’s DJ is playing Janet Kay’s “Silly Games.” He slowly fades the song out, but like they’re in a trance the people on the dance floor continue to move. With closed eyes they dance, they hold each other, and they sing. It’s a moment you want to live in forever. “Lovers Rock” surrounds and consumes you as you watch the partiers dance, fall in love, and feel unbridled joy. Just bodies in a room moving together making you want to join in.

68 mins.

Streaming on HBO Max

“Flow”

What it’s about: In a near future (or alternate present), a solitary black cat living in the ruins of what seems to be human civilization is faced with a catastrophic flood. Seeking refuge on a drifting sailboat alongside a capybara, a lemur, a dog, and a secretarybird, the unlikely band of misfits have to find a way to survive. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: Not a single word is spoken in Gints Zilbalodis’ extraordinary second feature, and honestly? It doesn’t need any. Built entirely in open-source software by a Latvian director still in his twenties (like show-off much), “Flow” starts, well, flowing and doesn’t stop. The nonstop plot is reminiscent of “Mad Max: Fury Road”. Just trade the post-apocalyptic desert for a post-apocalyptic great ocean and the last survivors of human civilization for a ragtag group of animals.

It has the visual grammar of a dream and the emotional pull of something deeply human. Watching that cat inch toward its fellow survivors, sharing fish, learning to steer, you feel something loosen in your chest. Cinema doesn’t always need language. Sometimes it just needs a cat and its friends on a boat at the end of the world.

85 mins.

Streaming on Hulu

“Thelma”

What’s it about: When 93-year-old grandmother Thelma Post (June Squibb) is conned out of $10,000, she takes matters into her own hands to get her money back. With help from her retirement home friend Ben (Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, she treks across Los Angeles to reclaim her money and prove she can do it all on her own. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: “Thelma” is one part delightful comedy of manners that only gets wilder and funnier as it goes on. June Squibb’s performance as the headstrong (but sometimes technologically-challenged) Thelma is hilarious as she tries to navigate a dangerous world (and yes, a set of stairs are the danger). Josh Margolin treats Thelma’s journey like an entry in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, except instead of skydiving from the Burj Kalifa she’s trying to get a box from a high shelf.

However, what makes “Thelma” great is the other part of the story. One about resilience, the dignity of getting older and how our family’s underestimation can cut deep at any age. Delightfully mad, surprisingly moving, and constantly entertaining, it’s one of the best movies of the decade.

98 mins.

In Movie News

There were a slew of new trailers this week:

• “Mother Mary”: David Lowery (“A Ghost Story”, “Pete’s Dragon”) returns to with a psychological drama-thriller-horror-musical (forgive me if I left off a genre). Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel with music by Jack Antonoff, Charli xcx, and FKA Twigs. Trailer here.

• “Backrooms”: I guess they’re making 4chan threads into movies now! The infamous “backrooms” internet meme is coming in the form of a horror-thriller starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass. Trailer here.

• “Masters of the Universe”: You know that twink from “Red, White, and Royal Blue”? He’s buff now… and playing He-Man. The comic book superhero turned queer TV icon finally has his own movie. And yes, the blonde bob is bobbing. Trailer here.

That’s it for this week. Love you. See you next week!

Karl

📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.
🔗 Find me on Letterboxd and Twitter.

In addition, we’ve excitingly migrated the entire Smash Cut site to Substack. You can now access all of my (and a few guest writers) reviews, analyses, lists and more at smashcutreviews.com (bear with me while we get the site up-to-date).

To kick off this new era, I’m going to spend the next few weeks recommending some of my favorite movies of the decade available to stream.

You can let me know what you think of the newsletter, any movie recommendations or just to say hello by replying to this email or karl@smashcutreviews.com. Enough yapping, without further ado today’s first recommendation is…

Streaming on HBO Max

“On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”

What it’s about: While driving home from a party, Shula (Susan Chardy) comes across the body of her uncle Fred lying in the middle of the road. There’s no hysterics, she simply calls her dad to let him know as casually as telling him she’s going to be late for dinner. Did I mention she’s dressed like Missy Elliot in the “Supa Dupa Fly” music video? In this surrealistic and darkly comedic family drama, Shula navigates her complicated family dynamics as secrets threaten to interrupt the funeral services. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: Every person from or born to someone from the “worldwide Latina belt” knows the mysterious and mystical force of “aunties” in the family — in my Filipino family they were known as “the titas.” These woman hold the matriarchal power of the family in their tightly knit circles and protect their people with steely (and hilariously sassy) authority. But what happens when the protection of one family member harms another? In Rungano Nyoni’s sophomore feature, she explores that dynamic through a would-be family drama that has a tone closer to offbeat comedy than the movie’s themes would suggest. And while it’s a surprisingly entertaining watch, it digs into the thorny dark truths of Zambian society without holding back.

95 mins.

Streaming on Hulu

“Twinless”

What it’s about: Dennis (James Sweeney) and Rocky (Dylan O’Brien) become fast friends after meeting (perhaps meet-cute-ing?) at a twin grief support group after losing their respective twin brothers. They quickly fall into an intimate friendship, but a secret from Dennis’s past threatens to tear them apart. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: The male loneliness epidemic has manifested itself in media in many ways, but none quite as delightful (and profound) as James Sweeney’s odd couple platonic rom-com. While we delight in the pair’s shenanigans ranging from Hockey games (the players aren’t the only people getting in brawls…) to house parties (featuring a cheeky cameo by “Heated Rivalry” star Francois Arnaud), an early-movie twist that I’ll keep hush hush casts a pall over the pair’s budding friendship. Through all the wry laughs and silly gags, “Twinless” is about finding connection in a world where it seems harder to be yourself, and in that you’ll find yourself falling for both of these characters (especially O’Brien who gives one of the finest performances of the decade).

100 mins.

Streaming on HBO Max

“Godzilla Minus One”

What it’s about: It’s post-World War II Japan and the country is picking up the pieces from the destruction. Sure hope a giant mutant sea creature that breathes fire doesn’t complicate matters. Well… it does. In an origin story for this iconic movie monster, a ragtag group of heroes have to save the country from destruction (again). Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: You know him. You love him. You’ve seen hundreds of thousands people (including Matthew Broderick) running from him. It’s Godzilla! With these long-running franchises you come to expect each reinvention to be more epic than the last. But, staying true to its name, “Godzilla Minus One” is one of the finest movies of the decade because it scales things back. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of city-wide destruction rendered in stunning (and Oscar-winning!) CGI. But director Takashi Yamazaki scales things back and presents the movie from human perspective. It feels more akin to “Jaws” than it does the classic black-and-white originals from the 50s. It hits every beat you want a major blockbuster to hit. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cheer. And at the end you’ll be hoping that the big guy finds a way to rise again.

125 mins.

Watch: The VFX artists behind the movie breakdown the stunning CGI.

In Movie News

“Forgotten Island” brings Filipino culture to Hollywood

There have been plenty of Hollywood animated movies about and featuring Asian culture — “Mulan”, “Turning Red” and, most recently, “Hoppers” — but Southeast Asia hasn’t gotten the treatment… until now. DreamWorks Animation, the studio behind “Shrek” and those annoying yellow things with the overalls, are bringing us to the islands of the Philippines in a colorful and mystical journey through memory. The movie is slated for this fall. Here’s the first trailer:

That’s it for this week. Love you. See you next week!

Karl

📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.
🔗 Find me on Letterboxd and Twitter.

Leading up to Oscar night, it’s rare for two movies to be so dominant the entire season. Even in years where Best Picture was uncertain, there were signs of weakness whether it was “1917” lacking acting support or “La La Land” missing a key precursor nomination. It always felt like a tale of David and Goliath (appropriately David usually won).

This year, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” are both goliaths. Here’s my best shot at predicting what will happen Sunday night. And staying true to the newsletter, I’ll tell you where to stream the nominees.

Typically, the ceremony starts with one of the supporting races. Let’s dive into one that perfectly explains the head versus the heart when it comes to Oscar predictions.

Predicted winners are in bold. My preferred winner is in italics.

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (streaming on HBO Max)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (streaming on Netflix)
Delroy Lindo, “Sinners” (streaming on HBO Max)***
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
Stellan Skarsgard, “Sentimental Value” (available to rent)

Since 2010, if a nominee in a supporting category won both the BAFTA and the Actor (formerly Screen Actors Guild) awards they would go on to win the Oscar. Every. Single. Time. That means that Sean Penn should win for his villainous turn in “One Battle After Another”. However, for such an unprecedented year, I think we’re heading for an unprecedented win and see Delroy Lindo win for his equal parts funny and heartbreaking turn in “Sinners”.

Penn has won two Oscars, so there isn’t appetite to award him, especially considering he didn’t even bother showing up to the BAFTAs or Actors. I think that’ll lead a lot of voters to vote with their hearts. Though, that could also benefit Golden Globe winner Stellan Skarsgard.

Best Production Design

“Frankenstein”***
“Hamnet” (streaming on Peacock)
“Marty Supreme” (available to rent)
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”

While I think the re-creation of post-war New York in “Marty Supreme” is the most-deserving winner, “Frankenstein” boasts the scientist’s lab and an entire era-accurate ship.

Best Costume Design

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Frankenstein”***
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“Sinners”

“Frankenstein” is the clear frontrunner for its elaborate period costumes. However, Ruth E. Carter is a known name and while “Sinners” has the simplest costumes, I think her period accurate work could be enough to pull the upset. I’m going to go with the stats here, but never rule out the stronger Best Picture in any category.

Best Sound

“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirat”

“Sirat” boasts thumping electronic music, desert winds and explosions as a part of its impressive soundscape. And while “F1” matches the typical profile of a winner of this category (“vehicle make loud sound hoorah”), I think the mix of music and sound effects in “Sinners” will take it across the line.

Best Visual Effects

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“F1”
“Jurassic World Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”

The subtler work in “F1” and “Sinners” is impressive, but not entirely obvious. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” should easily win this for a franchise threepeat. I mean, those blue people look good!

Best Original Score

“Bugonia”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”

Ludwig Göransson will win his third Oscar in just eight years for his blues-infused score for “Sinners” although I prefer Jonny Greenwood’s off-kilter, jangly score for “One Battle After Another”.

Best Supporting Actress

Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (streaming on HBO Max)***
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”

Potentially the most competitive race in Oscar history with three contenders splitting the major precursor awards. Teyana Taylor won the Golden Globe for her screen-scorching performance as revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills in “One Battle After Another”, Wunmi Mosaku, the heart of “Sinners”, won the BAFTA and Amy Madigan won the Actor for her villainous turn in “Weapons”.

But for every tick in their favor, each actress has a tick against her. Taylor won neither of the industry awards (the Globes are voted on by journalists), Madigan is the sole nomination for her movie, and since 2010 if a supporting actress only won BAFTA she lost the Oscar every time.

I’m thinking Mosaku and Taylor split the Best Picture frontrunner vote and Madigan ekes out a tight (but well-deserved) win.

Best Original Song

“Dear Me” (“Diane Warren: Relentless”)
“Golden” (“KPop Demon Hunters”)*** (streaming on Netflix)
“I Lied to You” (“Sinners”)
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” (“Viva Verdi!”)
“Train Dreams” (“Train Dreams”)

You’ve probably been unable to escape “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” if you happen to step outside and into any given CVS. Although there’s a chance “I Lied to You” from “Sinners” pulls off a shocking upset.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Frankenstein”***
“Kokuho”
“Sinners”
“The Smashing Machine” (streaming on HBO Max)
“The Ugly Stepsister” (streaming on Hulu)

Probably the coolest set of nominees with body horror movie “The Ugly Stepsister”, Japanese epic “Kokuho”, and Dwayne Johnson’s transformation in “The Smashing Machine” nabbing very deserved noms. But rule of thumb is if there is a Best Picture nominee in a category, they’ll likely win. And the work to transform Jacob Elordi into Frankenstein’s monster in “Frankenstein” will be too much for the Academy to pass up.

Best Film Editing

“F1”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
”Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”

“F1” fits the bill for the type of film that wins this category (see: “Ford v Ferrari”). However, the kinetic, heart-racing pace of “One Battle After Another” will and should win here. But don’t count “Sinners” out to pull an upset for it exquisite musical sequences.

Best Cinematography

“Frankenstein”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams” (streaming on Netflix)

“One Battle After Another” won all the necessary precursors to point to an easy win. However, Autumn Durald Arkapaw has been strong on the campaign trail and could become the first woman (and person of color) to win in this category for “Sinners” — and the Oscars love to make history. Don’t count out a double upset by “Train Dream” that was basically made for people to screenshot and say “great cinematography” on Twitter.

Best Original Screenplay

“Blue Moon” (streaming on Netflix)
“It Was Just an Accident” (streaming on Hulu)
“Marty Supreme”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”***

Ryan Coogler is all but guaranteed to take home a deserved Oscar for the most highly original screenplay of the year.

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Bugonia”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“One Battle After Another”***
“Train Dreams”

And the same goes for Paul Thomas Anderson for his adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland”.

Best Casting

“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”***
“The Secret Agent”

For the first time in 25 years, the Oscars introduced a new category. Best Casting awards (1) how well each actor fits into their roles and (2) the discovery of new actors and strong use of established actors. “Sinners” diverse cast put together by legendary casting director Francine Maisler will be an apt inaugural winner. However, the discovery of Chase Infiniti and wide ranging use of massive stars, character actors, up-and-comers and perfectly cast featured roles would make “One Battle After Another” my pick.

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”***
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (streaming on HBO Max)
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (streaming on Hulu)
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (streaming on Peacock)

Since the movie premiered last fall, it seemed ordained that Jessie Buckley would take home her first Oscar for her performance as a grieving mother in “Hamnet”, and after sweeping every award this season it’s all but assured. Shoutout to Rose Byrne’s markedly different take on a mother’s grief in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”, she’s been long overdue for a nomination.

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”***
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”

Just a month ago, it felt all but certain that Timothée Chalamet would win his first Oscar for his towering performance in “Marty Supreme”. And then he lost… and then he lost again. It’s incredibly rare for an actor to win without first winning the BAFTA or Actor award. However, he didn’t lose BAFTA to any of his fellow nominees (winner Robert Aramayo will be eligible next year) and the Actor Award’s more populist tastes could have pushed Michael B. Jordan to a win.

However, Chalamet’s polarizing campaign (remember the sphere) and relative young age could scare voters away. And although Wagner Moura could ride a wave of support for “The Secret Agent” to a win or Ethan Hawke could garner votes for his long career for “Blue Moon”, I think it’s more likely that a popular actor in a popular movie wins. Jordan should eke out a win here by the thinnest of margins.

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet”

Paul Thomas Anderson, who’s given us masterpieces like “Boogie Nights”, “Magnolia”, and “There Will Be Blood”, will finally get his long overdue Oscar regardless of where Best Picture goes later in the night. However, Ryan Coogler could pull off a shocking upset similar to Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) if “Sinners” pulls off an upset in Best Picture…

Best Picture

"Bugonia”
”F1”
”Frankenstein”
”Hamnet”
”Marty Supreme”
”One Battle After Another”***
”The Secret Agent”
”Sentimental Value”
”Sinners”
”Train Dreams”

There has been a real and quantifiable surge towards “Sinners” in the last few days before and during Oscar voting. And it’s not without precedent to see the late breaking Actor Award winner for Best Cast to go on to upset the established frontrunner (“Shakespeare in Love” over “Saving Private Ryan”, “Crash” over “Brokeback Mountain”, “Parasite” over “1917”). However, “One Battle After Another” is a more popular movie than any of those losing contenders.

While I think the late surge for “Sinners” will win it a few extra prizes (Supporting Actor, Actor, Cinematography), there are a few reasons I think it will ultimately be “One Battle”":

• American voting bodies have split awards down the middle for both movies, while international voting bodies (about 25% of The Academy is non-American), have broken more decisively for “One Battle”.

• The only Best Picture prize to be determined by preferential ballot is the Producers Guild Award, which went to “One Battle”.

• While “Sinners” mixes genres, horror movies have difficulty winning the top prize.

I won’t be surprised at either film’s name being read when the envelope is opened. It has been a colossal year for cinema and that’s something to be celebrated either way.

RAW, VOLCANIC, AND VITAL

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

If you’ve ever felt like your emotions were just a little too “loud” for the room, John Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Influence will make you feel better about yourself. This isn’t just a movie; it’s a bruising but beautiful dive into the human psyche. Gena Rowlands gives one of the great performances in American history. It’s a performance that both feels grounded but larger than life. Larger than the universe.

As a cornerstone of the American Indie canon, its importance can’t be overstated. It’s the blueprint for every “kitchen sink” drama that followed, proving there’s power in the machinations of our lives. This new standalone release gives the film the individual spotlight it has long deserved outside of the box-set shadow.

The Technicals:

• The Transfer: A high-definition digital restoration from a 35mm color reversal internegative, preserving the thick, naturalistic film grain of its cinéma vérité roots.

• The Sound: Uncompressed LPCM monaural soundtrack.

• The Supplements: *

  • Audio commentary featuring sound recordist/composer Bo Harwood and camera operator Mike Ferris.

  • Archival conversation between stars Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk.

  • A massive 75-minute archival audio interview with John Cassavetes from 1975.

  • A booklet featuring an essential essay by critic Kent Jones.

EERIE, ELEGANT, & EXQUISITE

Birth (2004)

I’ve spent years shouting from the rooftops that Jonathan Glazer’s Birth is a misunderstood masterpiece, and finally, Criterion has given me the “I told you so” I’ve been waiting for. Following his not-so-mainstream breakthrough with The Zone of Interest, it feels fitting to return to a film that is equally haunting, hypnotic, and heartbreakingly human. Nicole Kidman, delivering a career-best performance, navigates a premise that sounds like tabloid fodder but plays out like an opera.

In the film canon, Birth has moved from a “cult curiosity” to a “pinnacle of 21st-century formalist filmmaking.” The legendary two-minute close-up of Kidman at the opera is worth the price of admission alone. This new 4K UHD transfer is, quite frankly, a religious experience.

The Technicals:

• The Transfer: Director-approved 4K digital restoration supervised by Jonathan Glazer, presented in Dolby Vision HDR for stunning contrast and “inky” black levels.

• The Sound: 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack that perfectly renders Alexandre Desplat’s hypnotic, percussive score.

• The Supplements: * New documentary on the making of the film featuring behind-the-scenes footage and new interviews with Glazer and the cast.

  • New program on the film’s painterly cinematography with the original camera crew.

  • Archival 2004 interview with Glazer and Nicole Kidman.

  • An essay by author Olivia Laing.

GRITTY, GLAMOROUS, & GROUNDBREAKING

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

There is something profoundly “electric” about revisiting Héctor Babenco’s Kiss of the Spider Woman in 2026. It’s a landmark of queer cinema that feels more relevant than ever, standing as a visceral and vibrant exploration of how stories save our lives. Oozing with chemistry, William Hurt and Raul Julia dance between the bleak reality of a prison cell and the Technicolor daydreams of a forgotten cinema.

With the recent remake starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh, which at times felt like too much of a diversion from the source material, returning to this version feels grounding. While the musical leans into the spectacle, Babenco’s film finds its power in the quiet, transformative intimacy between two men who have nothing left but their imaginations.

The Technicals:

• The Transfer: A brand-new 4K digital restoration presented in Dolby Vision HDR, making the “imagination” sequences pop with a surreal, saturated glow against the gritty prison realism.

• The Sound: 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Plus, an alternate uncompressed monaural soundtrack for the purists.

• The Supplements:

  • Tangled Web: A feature-length 2008 documentary on the making of the film.

  • New interview with Suzanne Jill Levine, biographer of author Manuel Puig, regarding the adaptation.

  • A short program on the life and work of Manuel Puig.

  • An essay by the legendary critic B. Ruby Rich.

“Marty Supreme” is basically a comedy of errors, and series of unfortunate events, that pits would-be table tennis star Marty against his greatest enemy—failure. And for 149 glorious meteoric minutes, we want nothing more than for Marty to keep going. With a career-best performance by Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” is messy and maddening, but impossible to turn away from.

“Marty Supreme” is streaming on HBO Max.

After a series of setbacks that leaves a trail of black eyes, smashed cars, and orange ping pong balls, Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is told by a potential way out, “there are no second chances in life.” To which he responds with an emphatic, “why not?” That’s the attitude in which Marty walks (or perhaps “trounces” is more suitable) through life. He talks a mile a minute, lies like his life depends on it (because sometimes it does) and makes decisions like consequences don’t exist. And for 149 glorious meteoric minutes, we want nothing more than for Marty to keep going. Even if we can’t decide if we want to cheer, cry or hit him upside the head, there’s something intoxicating about the New York playground writer-director Josh Safdie allows Marty to play in.

We get to see this version of 1950s post-World War II New York the way Marty sees it, full of opportunity, danger and people that simply don’t understand if you want something you just have to try harder. Chalamet, sporting wire-framed glasses, greasy hair and even greasier mustache, is devilishly charming as we watch him float through the city trying to shake down his uncle for cash to get to the table tennis championships in London (armed robbery is the solution, of course). When he gets there, we get to understand what drives him: greatness. He doesn’t even say he’s competing in a tournament, which assembles the best table tennis players in the world, he says he’s winning it. Like this is a reality in his mind. The same reality that drives him to rack up a bill in the thousands at the Ritz Carlton, even after he’s told that treatment is reserved for the star players (he is one, in his mind).

After watching him compete through several thrilling rounds of table tennis, which Safdie captures with sweat-dripping intensity, he makes it to the final against Japanese phenom Endo (Koto Kawaguchi. Despite his hard-hitting and running and diving, Marty is no match for Endo’s innovative technique. Marty is enraged, calling the win a sham and accusing him of cheating. There’s no way he lost (again, at least in his mind). It sets him on a course for revenge, if only he can gather the money to get to the next championship in Japan.

“Marty Supreme” is basically a comedy of errors, and series of unfortunate events, that pits Marty against his greatest enemy—failure. As he tears through the city weaponizing his signature charm to try to gather the money for his flight, we see the limits of his own self-deluded confidence. From the Lower East Side to Chelsea to Jersey, Marty leaves a messy path as he storms through. We meet a cast of characters along the way including acclaimed Marty’s old gambling buddy Wally (a hilarious Tyler Okonma aka Tyler, The Creator), his mischievous mistress Rachel (a fabulous Odessa A’zion), and silent movie actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) whose husband Milton (Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank”  giving a surprisingly delightful performance) could hold the key to Marty’s success.

Like his previous movies “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems“, Safdie balances the dark comedy and devastating reality of male hubris to a dizzying effect that is not just hypnotic, but damn entertaining. Marty’s inability to get any part of his plan right is satisfying for an audience that knows exactly who this man is. A man who believes that he is owed success and will do anything to obtain it. Chalamet is so convincing as Marty that it feels like he truly believes his own lies as he switches effortlessly between a charm offensive, machismo, or straight-up violence to get what he wants. It’s masterful and sinfully entertaining. 

However, it is to an end. While “Marty Supreme” could have easily been just another entry in the dirtbag scammer movie, Safdie casts it against a world in flux where there’s nothing but opportunity whether for a Jewish girl from the Lower East Side or a Japanese table tennis player with his country on his shoulder. It is about dreams and who is allowed to chase them. It’s where those opposing forces of hoping Marty will stop ruining his own life and urging him to go on come from. While it is all fun and games (I mean, it’s literally ping pong), it’s also the stuff humanity is made of.

The movie may not be perfect. “Marty Supreme” is messy and maddening, but isn’t life?

"Wicked: For Good" is, much like Act 2 of the stage show, a mixed bag. It highlights the strongest aspects with raw and visceral musical numbers that underline the emotional struggles of the characters. At the same time, however, it emphasizes its weaknesses as it clunkily weaves “The Wizard of Oz” into the story. Still, and most importantly, the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda hits all the emotional notes that made Wicked such an enduring story. Cynthia Erivo continues to captivate on the screen, but it is Ariana Grande’s magnificent performance as an emotionally-torn Glinda that gives the movie the complexity and depth to become greater than the sum of its parts.

"Wicked: For Good" is now streaming on Peacock.

For better (good?) or worse, “Wicked: For Good” is exactly the movie you’re expecting. For fans of the stage show, it highlights its strongest aspects. The musical numbers have the same raw, visceral emotionality just blown up in scale while the characters’ complex journeys are even more deeply felt. With that, however, it emphasizes its notorious weaknesses. In particular, the way the plot twists to tie to “The Wizard of Oz” still feels clunky. Despite its failings, and most importantly, the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda hits all the emotional notes that’s made “Wicked” such an enduring classic. Perhaps even more so in the movie version.

Part one of the Wicked duology has the easier job. Not only is its tie to “The Wizard of Oz” tenuous, the archetypes of the characters are simple and familiar. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is the brainy outsider that rails against injustice and Glinda (Ariana Grande) is the self-absorded popular girl with an unexpected heart. “For Good” takes those archetypes, and throws them into a complex situation that mirrors the very real structures of oppression in our society. Structures that director Jon M. Chu emphasizes even more with propaganda against Elphaba flying through the streets of Oz and added scenes of prejudice that could be taken straight out of a Holocaust movie. Yeah, things get a little convoluted.

The story’s clear ties to the darkest instincts of society sometimes rub against the silliness of a world where munchkins co-exist with talking animals. It’s maybe even more stark with the additions to the plot by screenwriters Winnie Holzman (who penned the stage version) and Dana Fox. Among those additions is a new song sung by Elphaba called “There’s No Place Like Home” where she encourages the animals, who are forced into hiding, to fight for their homeland. Like many of the changes to the story, it feels gratuitous and out-of-place in an attempt to emphasize a theme that is already underlined in the source material. Unlike the changes to the first movie that felt in service to the characters’ journeys. Holzman should have trusted her original writing because what works most often in the movie is what is taken directly from the stage. 

The second act of Wicked has always felt like Glinda’s story as she struggles between two truths: that she enjoys the adoration brought to her by working with The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), and the fact that she knows that her friend is a good person. Ariana Grande’s magnificent performance underlines that paradox as she tries to hold on to her newfound power in Oz while protecting her friend. Part of that involves ignoring what is happening around her with the glimmer of hope that it’s not as bad as Elphaba says and that it is not too late to change course. But Grande never lets that hope come off as delusion. For a character as high off the ground as Glinda, she always feels grounded in something real.

As the story progresses and alliances shift or are revealed, the main trio of Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) circle each other with fiery passion fueled by their histories. Like in “As Long As Your Mine,” which feels even more like a showstopper in the movie. Bailey exchanges his character’s bravado for real bravery as he bares his genuine feelings for the first time. As the camera swirls around the couple, it feels like classic romantic movie magic. That is juxtaposed against “No Good Deed,” which burns with anger and pain as Elphaba, delivered with unrestrained ferocity by Erivo, faces her past and present failings in a desperate attempt to save what she loves. Chu finds the emotional core of each of these numbers and amplifies them to the cinematic proportions they deserve, even as his direction fails in other aspects.

The final act, torn directly from the stage version, finally reaches the levels of greatness set by the first movie. And that is because at its core “Wicked” is a story about two women that in finding compassion in their differences drive each other to be better people. Erivo and Grande seem to understand that as they sing the title number to each other. Somehow they fill the space between the characters with all the hopes, regrets and words unsaid between them. It is movie musical magic. Despite its flaws, the booming crescendo of the piece, which has the characters facing uncertain futures, is deeply felt. It leaves you missing them as the screen fades to black. It is the raw and plain power musical theater captured on film. 

Fans of the first movie will find the expansion of the boundaries of its world and the exploration of its characters' wounds in "Black Phone 2" engaging. Is that enough nightmare fuel to hypnotize anyone else? Perhaps not. 

"Black Phone 2" is streaming on Peacock.

There is a cacophony of influences you can see in Scott Derrickson’s "Black Phone 2", the follow-up to his surprise 2021 horror-thriller hit. The icy, snowstorm-plagued setting on the film harkens directly to Stanley Kubrick’s "The Shining" while the dream-world horror briefly explored in the first film is expanded to reference Freddy Krueger’s sleep-killing demonics in "A Nightmare on Elm Street". There are shades of various camp slashers like "Friday the 13th" and "Curtains" filtered through the lens of Stephen King’s visceral hauntings. And while all these references come together to create a film that is meaner, scarier and more effective than its predecessor, it also emphasizes the fact that it’s not as good as any of these stories.

Trading the quiet of suburbia for the eerie isolation of a winter sleepaway camp, "Black Phone 2" continues the story of siblings Finney (Mason Thames), the only survivor of serial killer The Grabber, and his clairvoyant sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). This time, however, the nightmare becomes an actual nightmare as the now dead Grabber (Ethan Hawke) turns his murderous sights to Gwen’s dreams that take place in a sort of spirit plane where he now resides. If it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to you, take solace in the fact that the logic never fully adds up.

What is clear is how viscerally terrifying Gwen’s dreams are. Filmed in Super 16 film to create a moody dreamlike quality, the sequences feel like they give "Black Phone 2" a purpose. Haunted by both the souls of boys killed at the sleepaway camp and The Grabber himself, Gwen finds herself at war with the demon. However, those sequences lose their impact with time and the real world scares, mostly surrounding Finney and the eponymous black phone that saved him in the first movie, don’t give the same skin-crawling creeps.

"Black Phone 2" doesn’t ever lose you during its robust 114-minute runtime. But it never blows you away either, except perhaps a dream battle that blurs the line between nightmare and reality. It comes close when Derrickson fully commits to his 80s-tinged homage to horror movies past, but it never truly adds up to something that feels like it has reason to exist. 

If you liked the first movie, the expansion of the boundaries of its world and the exploration of its characters' wounds will be engaging. Is that enough nightmare fuel to hypnotize anyone else? Perhaps not. 

An NFL prospect who falls under the tutelage of an enigmatic star of the game who may have sinister intentions in Jordan Peele-produced “Him”

“Him” has a lot of potential, but mostly disappointment. Though it is teeming with ideas about sport, sacrifice, and legacy, they never become more than just that, ideas. Tyriq Withers, a genuine star-in-the-making, lights up the screen with every moment, but is ultimately let down by a weak screenplay and directorial vision.

“Him” is now streaming on Peacock.

Few things are more terrifying to me than American Football. Pushing the limits of the human body, the toxic levels of testosterone, and the thirst for literal blood, sweat, and tears draw a visceral reaction. It is a culture and industry ripe for a horror movie. Frequently, director Justin Tipping’s “Him” draws comparisons between the sport and the gladiators of ancient times. So much of the way the sport (and business of the sport) is played today is akin to the forced violence of the Colosseum, where men are coerced into a spectacle. When the movie is actively drawing those comparisons, it finds its footing both thematically and narratively. The horrors feel close to reality. However, the movie too frequently strays from those ideas in favor of shock.

Something that Jordan Peele, whose company Monkeypaw produced the movie, has perfected is using terror as a means to an end. Nothing feels gratuitous, and everything has a line back to his ideas. It’s something that “Him” lacks, specifically in its main characters. Cameron Cade (star-on-the-rise Tyriq Withers) has been tapped as the next best thing in football as he ends his college career and begins to weigh his prospects in the NFL. That is, until a devastating attack leaves him with a potential traumatic brain injury that threatens his campaign for greatness.

Not all is lost, however, when his agent (Jim Jeffries) reveals that football legend Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) has invited Cam to train at his sprawling, isolated private compound. Over five days, in the dark, bruatlist passageways, Cam is treated to the highest quality care and training with the hope of reaching the heights of White’s career. And for White, he hopes he leaves a lasting legacy. However, as with all things that seem too good to be true, they often are.

At first, Isaiah’s tutelage seems simply strict—no phones, no outside distractions, and no masturbation. However, very quickly, his instruction becomes increasingly devious as he strips Cam down—at times, literally—to his most animalistic tendencies. In one scene, perhaps the best of the film, Isaiah turns a passing drill into a game of survival. For each hesitation or dropped pass, Isaiah has a football shot into the face of a hapless free agent player desperate to get on his good side. It’s horrifying and forces Cam to be better, faster, and more than human.

However, moments like these feel few and far between as the horror begins to feel formulaic—terrifying training drill, calm tension-building recovery, jump scare to the next day. Wayans is menacing enough as a tormenter, but the screenplay doesn’t allow him to explore all the intricacies of Isaiah as a character. There’s an idea about success and sacrifice percolating in some scenes, but the movie never fully explores them. It is simply terror without meaning.

By the time “Him” reaches its endgame, which is admittedly thrilling and shows flashes of the premise’s potential, there’s a sense of coldness. Unlike the rousing ending of Peele’s “Get Out” that feels like the natural conclusion, the finale of “Him” doesn’t feel earned. Instead, it simply ends because it must. Isaiah’s wife Elsie (a devilishly entertaining Julia Fox) and trainer (Tim Heidecker) add some amount of satisfaction to the conclusion, but you find yourself with more questions rather than answers.

“Him” feels like the outline of a great film. It has the ideas to form into a compelling story about greatness and sacrifice and the aesthetics to derive real terror as you push the human body to its limit, but it never fully combines those things into something that feels complete. Each scene simply feels like it attaches to that last with the thinnest of threads, and the characters all the same. Tyriq Withers is a movie-star-in-the-making and very often when the movie works, it’s because of his performance. But it’s all wasted potential. It’s all greatness gone to waste.

Watch the Trailer for “Him”

"Hamnet" is devastating, but what makes it so powerful is that it is about the living—and what keeps us living. It’s our memories. It’s our art. It’s our stories. It’s our culture. They are why as we leave some behind we persist through grief. Through a vivid dreamlike vision, Chloe Zhao tackles the mysticism and lyricism of a family confronting loss with power and empthy. A cinematic masterpiece.

Hamnet is now streaming on Peacock.

“Hamnet” may be about a death, but what makes it so powerful is that it is about the living—and what keeps us living. In the face of a devastating loss, two parents have to find a way to go on. Writer-director Chloe Zhao, adapting Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the same name, has an answer for them. It’s our memories. It’s our art. It’s our stories. It’s our culture. It is these pieces of our history and humanity that push us to persist through the pain of grief as we leave some behind. Not in spite of the loss, but in honor of it. To mourn is to remember. And to remember is to love. And “Hamnet” will be remembered as one of the best movies of the decade.

Adapting the novel was no easy task. While the story is simple, there’s a quiet mysticism and lyricism that ebbs and flows to create a tapestry of the family at its center. Not to mention, the Shakespeare of it all. It’s an atmosphere not easily captured on film. Zhao and cinematographer Łukasz Żal allow each frame to speak for the characters. They allow each image to carry all the interiority and emotionality of the characters. When William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal, "Aftersun") and Agnes (Jessie Buckley, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things") meet, it is like a force is driving them together. With few words and gentle touches, the magnitude of their connection is understood and will eventually drive them to marry.

There is a dreamlike quality to the early scenes of “Hamnet.” As we watch William and Agnes grow up out of their families—they both never quite fit in with them anyway—and into their own just the two of them, it’s like we’re watching a prophecy fulfilled in front of us. And in a way, Agnes, who we learn is rumored to be the daughter of a forest witch, has a certainty to her life through an ability to see a person’s true nature (and future) by holding a person’s hand between the thumb and index finger.

Zhao allows the story to unfold without urgency. Vivid visuals and crisp sound carry us through William and Agnes’s lives as they move into their own house, get married, and have children—Susanna and twins Judith and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). Warmth and joy are emanating from the screen, especially thanks to Buckley’s performance, which makes Agnes feel like a character with a past and future and Mescal who allows William’s interior genius to show on the surface. All is well until it isn’t.

Like its namesake play, “Hamnet” is a tragedy. However, because the movie takes its time building this family before our eyes, the death doesn’t simply feel like a piece of a story. It feels like a tragedy happening to us, like we are being robbed of our time with these people. Their loss is our loss. And like all grief, the rest plays in fits and starts as William disappears and Agnes performs the machinations of everyday life, filled with sadness, anger, and questioning. But that isn’t the story’s main focus.

Instead, it strives to give the family and us, the audience, catharsis. In its stunning final act, we watch the story of “Hamnet” transform into the tale we’ve known for centuries. Except now, we have its intention. We can see the grief, anger, and questioning that we watched this family suffer. But we can also see the joy and time that they lost being reclaimed and enshrined in a story that we’re still telling today. That is the magnificent part of “Hamnet” and what makes it a masterpiece. It is cinema as therapy. It holds up a mirror to the audience and asks, “to be or not to be.” And the answer is clear.

With every eerie creep and dread-soaked beat, “Obsession” feels like a classic we’ve been watching for years—less derivative than timeless. It’s unquestionably a horror classic in the making.

“Be careful what you wish for” has been a cornerstone of storytelling for ages. From genies to witches to mysterious neon-green serums that birth younger versions of ourselves, we’ve seen countless victims of desire fall prey to wanting more without sacrifice. Often, that premise has paired neatly with body horror—think "The Picture of Dorian Gray" or, more recently, "The Substance". Both turn desire into a weapon against us. Writer-director Curry Barker taps into that tradition for his debut feature Obsession, delivering a film steeped in familiar tropes yet stamped with a singular vision. Remarkably, with every eerie creep and dread-soaked beat, Obsession feels like a classic we’ve been watching for years—less derivative than timeless. It’s unquestionably a horror classic in the making.

The setup is simple: Bear (Michael Johnston), a quintessential nice guy with little game, pines for his childhood friend and co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Despite warnings from his best friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson), he plans to confess his feelings with a gift. At a crystal shop, he finds a red box straight out of a 1960s infomercial. The “One Wish Willow” promises its owner a single granted wish if they break the branch inside. When Bear chickens out after driving Nikki home, frustration gets the better of him. He wishes for Nikki to love him more than anything in the world—and breaks the branch. Instantly, Nikki appears on her porch, staring. She looks like Nikki, but instead of playful sarcasm, her voice drips with desperate affection. Bear is hooked.

Their whirlwind "romance" escalates fast. Nikki practically moves in overnight, smothering him with affection, buying gifts, and clinging to his every move. Friends, especially Sarah (Megan Lawless), are baffled—after all, she recalls Nikki told her she saw Bear as a little brother. Bear ignores the comments. He finally got what he wanted. But of course, you know how the story goes: be careful what you wish for.

The only red flag, if you will, is Nikki sometimes snaps into another persona—confused, screaming, as if her soul were in torment. She stares at Bear from the dark corners of his bedroom, hyperventilates at the slightest criticism, and, oh, may have cooked his cat into a sandwich. At least she leaves him a cute love note.

The brand of horror that Barker presents isn’t necessarily new, but he employs it brilliantly. Through shadow and light, Nikki becomes a specter (or demon) haunting Bear’s apartment, creating an atmosphere of constant dread. It’s like a haunted house and the ghost is your girlfriend. Her unnatural, unpredictable movements recall Japanese horror like "The Grudge" and "Pulse", or possession films like "The Exorcist", where the terror lies in losing control of your body. Subtle hints suggest what happened to the real Nikki, but "Obsession" wisely never explains everything, making the story all the more horrifying.

Johnston’s endearing performance has an easy charm that would’ve played perfectly in the romantic comedy. Alas, “Obsession” isn’t one. You feel for Bear. And you’re rooting for him. It makes the horror to come all the more tragic. As Bear finally admits that something may be wrong with Nikki, he starts to distance himself from her. She doesn’t take it well. As she turns from his dream girl to his worst nightmare, a path of blood and destruction follows that will have you glued to your seat and gripping the armrest.

Obsession feels like part of a new wave of horror. Alongside filmmakers like Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) and the Philippou brothers (Talk to Me), Barker leaves “prestige horror” behind in favor of something meaner, darker, and more cynical—where the consequences are deserved, brutal, and terrifying in their simplicity: you wanted too much. It’s horror for the post-pandemic age, where nothing is scarier than our own choices. At the same time, it’s devilishly entertaining, laced with dark comedy and kinetic filmmaking that make it endlessly rewatchable. Obsession feels like the kind of classic horror you revisit every October—that you fall in love with every moment of. Guess you could say we're...

"Carolina Caroline" is a fiery blend of romance and crime that crackles with energy, driven by Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner’s irresistible chemistry. Set against a ‘70s West Texas backdrop, the film turns small-time cons into a stylish, music-fueled crime spree that builds toward an inevitable crash. Director Adam Carter Rehmeier keeps the thrills high while asking whether the love is real or just another beautiful lie. Sexy, daring, and slyly subversive, it’s a crime romance worth taking for a ride.

"Carolina Caroline" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"Let's rob the whole world." When titular Caroline mutters those words in the passenger seat of a hot-wired muscle car your heart skips a beat. It flutters from the romance of it. After all, she and her bank robbing beau Oliver fell in love over the fiery energy and adrenaline of committing a crime. But in the pit of your stomach you know that it can't last because you've seen this story told countless times. You know that this kind of love and passion needs to have its tragic end. Its those expectations that writer-director Adam Carter Rehmeier relies on. Robbery and romance are just a part great American tale at the end of the day.

Despite the familiar, "Carolina Caroline" constantly feels exciting. It's like being behind the wheel of a vintage sports car. The rumble and purr of the engine gets your adrenaline going because you know the second you hit the gas there's no slowing down. There's a charming rhythm to the way Caroline and Oliver banter from the moment they meet cute over a small-time con he pulls off in the gas station she works at. It's love at first fraud. Samara Weaving ("Ready or Not") and Kyle Gallner ("Strange Darling") ooze with charisma on screen. The 70s West Texas world of the film is built entirely on their backs. Their thick southern drawls, easy charm and instant chemistry immediately transport you.

Their steamy tryst culminates in a proposition. Oliver asks Caroline for 500 dates. An offer Caroline can't quickly refuse seeing as she's never been outside of West Texas. Oliver's easy cool, like a scruffy 70s James Dean, also isn't easily refused. Just like his marks for a swindle, he seems to know what Caroline wants before she does. Thus begins a country music-driven romp through a slice of Americana as Oliver teaches Caroline the art of the grift—pickpocketing, hot-wiring and smooth talking—with the same breezy confidence that made Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven" a modern classic.

However, petty theft has its limitations and Caroline and Oliver have a hunger for more just as their desire for each other grows. After all, justifying their actions by saying they're stealing back from the corporations stealing from them doesn't exactly work when they're robbing small town gas stations. So, donning a severe black bob, dark sunglasses and a set of killer outfits, they set their sights on something bigger—the banks. Caroline hatches a series of bank robberies across the South with Oliver as getaway driver. Their debaucherous and sexy crime spree is impossible to resist.

But the real brilliance of "Carolina Caroline" becomes obvious when it comes careening towards its inevitable conclusion. When you realize that you were the mark. Because if there's anything more American than robbery, it's lies. Just as Caroline and Oliver lie to themselves, and each other, they also convince us that this wasn't a romanticized dream and that one day they'd drive off into the sunset having done justice. There aren't any easy answers as to what is real and what is just a convincing lie they are telling themselves—or we are telling ourselves.

Rehmeimer isn't interested in guiding us to any sort of conclusions about the characters either. Their motivations are mostly kept close to their chests other than a scintillating one scene barn-burner performance from Kyra Sedgwick that pushes Caroline even further into her debauched decisions. Instead he convinces us of their love story and then asks the same questions Caroline asks herself, "are we good people doing bad things?" Instead of answering that question, "Carolina Caroline" asks us if the love was real or just another way to avoid reality. And what is more American than that?

Aneil Karia’s "Hamlet" fuses Shakespeare’s lyrical verse with Hindu culture and a majority South Asian cast, yielding a fresh, electric retelling. Riz Ahmed commands the screen, from a ferocious BMW-set soliloquy to a reimagined wedding sequence that spirals into chaos. Though shifting the story to corporate intrigue limits its scope and sidelines subplots, Karia’s visceral, emotive filmmaking and Ahmed’s powerhouse performance anchor the film. Not every reinvention lands, but its clarity of vision makes it undeniably compelling.

Hamlet is playing in theaters April 10.

Shakespeare’s rich, lyrical language delivered by a majority South Asian cast already breathes fresh energy into this modern retelling of "Hamlet", giving it a mesmerizing, electric charge. Yet it isn’t simply the infusion of Hindu culture that makes Aneil Karia’s adaptation so compelling. Its strength lies in his bold reimagining of the play’s most iconic moments, rendered with filmmaking that is visceral, muscular, and deeply emotive. These choices elevate both the performances, particularly Oscar winner Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal") in the title role, and, at times, the story itself, pushing them beyond their already formidable power.

A gripping reinvented wedding

It is best displayed when the movie reaches its peak in a stunning sequence where "The Murder of Gonzago" scene from the play is reimagined as a choreographed performance at Claudius (Art Malik) and Gertrude’s (Sheeba Chaddha giving a gripping performance) wedding. Hamlet transforms the festivities into an accusation, using the stage to expose what he believes is his uncle’s crime. The dancers begin with a joyous traditional Indian routine, vibrant and full of life. Then, at Hamlet’s direction, the celebration curdles. Movements grow jagged and violent as the performers tear and claw at the main dancer representing the king. The murder is pantomimed in escalating frenzy, while the lighting and editing spiral into chaos, building toward a breathless climax that leaves the wedding suffocated in silence.

Ahmed’s turn in the title role carries the same breathtaking force. Karia stages the “to be or not to be” soliloquy inside a speeding BMW, as Hamlet barrels through London’s midnight streets in a fit of road rage. Ahmed’s face grips the screen, taut with intensity, as he unfurls Shakespeare’s verse in a rhythm that lands with the precision of a freestyle rap. When Hamlet releases the wheel and lets the car drift into oncoming traffic, the monologue explodes into pure cinema: headlights slash across the frame, horns blare, and vehicles swerve in a symphony of chaos. Ahmed and Karia channel fury rather than melancholy, as the character is iconically known for, reframing Hamlet as a man consumed by rage.

A scaled down "Hamlet"

Not every reinvention strikes the same chord. Shifting the action from Denmark to the interal politics of a family-run conglomerate narrows the scope, trading Shakespeare’s sense of epic tragedy for corporate intrigue. The film hints at social commentary in its depiction of the company’s gentrification schemes, but these threads never fully develop, in part because so much dialogue is lifted wholesale from the play. The focus instead tightens on Hamlet’s grief, amplifying Ahmed’s towering performance but diminishing other arcs—his fractured bond with Ophelia (a luminous Morfydd Clark), or the political maneuverings of Polonius (an always terrific Timothy Spall) and his fiery son Laertes (a delightful Joe Alwyn). The result is a portrait of Hamlet that burns brilliantly at the center, even as the world around him flickers at the edges.

Some may argue that Karia never fully justifies why this version of Hamlet needs to exist. And to a degree, the film doesn’t wring every nuance from Shakespeare’s text. Yet the sheer force of weaving Hindu culture and South Asian performers into the fabric of those iconic lines feels like reason enough—even if this isn’t the brooding “sad boy” Hamlet audiences have come to expect. The vision remains clear and intentional, even when the storytelling falters. "To be or not to be"—Karia responds with a defiant answer: "I choose to be myself."

What starts as charming rom-com quickly careens into a tragicomedy about a situationship from hell when would-be couple Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) realize they're not on the same page about their relationship. Despite story flaws, Oh, Hi's comedic highs and surprise profundidty make it worth the committment.

Oh, Hi is in theaters now.

Iris (Molly Gordon) is having an idyllic weekend Isaac (Logan Lerman) in the comfy countryside of High Falls, which she mistakenly reads as "O High" on a dilapited sign. The couple's playful chiding after her mistake and a hilarious run-in with a strawberry stand (no but literally, Isaac accidentally drives into the stand leaving the woman behind it in disbelief) is swoon-inducing. It just seems like they get each other and their weird quirks. As they make out in their rustic vacation rental, their adorable banter about suffering from a rare disorder that forces them to have sex immediately whenever they visit somewhere new ("I haven't seen you at the meetings," Isaac quips), you can't help but think they're a match made in heaven even though they've only been seeing each other a few months.

Freeze frame. They weren't.

The first act of Oh, Hi is a charming rom-com conceit. A new couple from the city take a romantic trip to the countryside to be met with a series of ridiculous situations that just further strengthen their bond. Like while swimming in the pond just off the property they're chastised by local Steve (David Cross) for having sex in the water (they weren't). They laugh it off like they seem to do in any situation. They abide by relationship rule number one: commit to the bit. It's a delight to watch and often laugh out loud funny. It helps that Gordon and Lerman have so much charisma and chemistry. That's why when they decide to have some fun with a pair of handcuffs they find in the bedroom closet, it's all fun and games. Until it isn't.

In the afterglow of their sexual experimentation while Isaac is still handcuffed to the bed, Iris reveals she's falling in love with him. Immediately, the warm spell of the movie is broken when Isaac quickly corrects her that he's not looking for anything serious... Yeah, Iris doesn't take that well. The revelation leads to a comedy of errors as Iris, fueled by her mother's encouragement to fight for their relationship and, the real evil, relationship influencers, attempts to get Isaac to fall in love with her.

At times, Oh, Hi flirts with pulling a Misery. Gordon's high-strung mania makes you feel like she can take a sledgehammer to Isaac's ankles at any moment. Instead, the movie stays firmly in comedy territory as Iris's increasingly desperate attempts to get Isaac to see the error of his ways gets more ridiculous. Eventually, she calls in reinforcements in the form of her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan), and Max’s boyfriend, Kenny (John Reynolds), who may cause more harm than good.

The ridiculousness of the situation often threatens to derail the legitimately biting probe into modern-day relationship dynamics and the dreaded situationship hell that is plauging every 20-somethings dating life. It's a tragicomedy in that way. However, writer-director Sophie Brooks and Gordon, who co-penned the screenplay, struggle with the movie's identity. At times Oh, Hi is a slapstick comedy of errors and others a profound dating dramedy and it can't seem to find the right formula.

Despite its drawbacks, Oh, Hi's highs are... well, high. Lerman's performance is a deeply complex speciman of the male psyche and their inability to get out of their own way (men would rather by handcuffed to a bed for days than go to therapy). Gordon, along with Viswanathan and Reynolds, hits every comedic beat with her drive delivery and manic mood swings. And the movie finds a touching middle ground in its debate of who's right and who's wrong in this situationship. Perhaps there was a great version of this movie to be found, but what's there is worth the commitment.

"On Becoming a Guinea Fowl" (dir. Rungano Nyoni)

Driving home from a fancy dress party in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across her uncle's body on an empty Zambian road. As the funeral unfolds, the dark secrets of her middle-class family — and of the man they mourn — begin to surface.

There's a sick joke at the heart of Rungano Nyoni's sophomore feature, and she knows exactly how to land it. A woman finds a dead man and nobody seems to care, least of all her. What unfolds is a funeral you can't look away from — absurdist, stinging, and unexpectedly funny in the way that only the most painful truths tend to be. Nyoni doesn't hold your hand through any of it. She just pulls you into the rituals and silences of a family that has perfected the art of looking away, until the young women in its orbit decide they're done doing that. Molasses-dark comedy wrapped around something that burns.

"My Sunshine" (dir. Hiroshi Okuyama)

On the snow-covered island of Hokkaido, a shy boy with a stutter falls under the spell of a figure skating prodigy and her quietly guarded coach. A tentative trio forms on the ice as winter begins its slow retreat.

Some films whisper. Hiroshi Okuyama's gentle coming-of-age drama is barely above a breath — shot in hazy, overexposed light that makes the whole thing feel like a half-remembered childhood afternoon. The two young leads carry years of unspoken feeling in their faces, communicating more in a glance across an ice rink than most films manage in a whole monologue. It feels like a memory — the kind you're not quite sure is real. Sweet and soft and quietly uplifting in a way that sneaks up on you. Not because it shook you. Because it held you.

"Flow" (dir. Gints Zilbalodis)

After a catastrophic flood swallows the world, a solitary black cat finds reluctant refuge on a drifting sailboat alongside a capybara, a lemur, a dog, and a great bird. No humans. No dialogue. Just survival, and something that starts to feel like trust.

Not a single word is spoken in Gints Zilbalodis' extraordinary second feature, and honestly? It doesn't need one. Built entirely in open-source software by a Latvian director still in his twenties, Flow moves like water — fluid, alive, impossible to hold still. It has the visual grammar of a dream and the emotional pull of something far older and more primal. Watching that cat inch toward its fellow survivors, sharing fish, learning to steer, you feel something loosen in your chest. Cinema doesn't always need language. Sometimes it just needs a cat on a boat at the end of the world.

Walk out of any Cannes premiere and the same question hangs in the air: "Does it have a shot?" It's premature to make predictions with certainty. We we still have months until awards season switches into high gear, but the Croisette has a way of separating genuine contenders from fleeting buzz. This year's festival delivered several films that could make the journey from the Palais to the Dolby Theatre come March.

Let's start with the most obvious: "Anora". Sean Baker's screwball fairytale just won the Palme d'Or, which doesn't guarantee Oscar love but certainly establishes momentum. It has the indie-darling pedigree the Academy often embraces, paired with the kind of wild entertainment value that can broaden its appeal beyond arthouse circles. Baker has always felt like a filmmaker that would have his break into the race after coming close with "The Florida Project"

Mikey Madison is ferocious as Ani, a Brooklyn stripper who marries into Russian oligarch money only to watch the fantasy implode in real time. As we noted in our review, Madison delivers a "star-is-born moment"—the kind of breakout performance that the Academy loves. Baker's best shot for recognition is likely Original Screenplay, where these kinds of dramedies tend to thrive (think "Juno" or "Little Miss Sunshine". As for Best Picture, it feels like our first legitimate contender. Time will tell if it remains at the top of the conversation.

"Emilia Pérez" is the most surprising breakout of the festival. A Spanish-language musical about a cartel boss who transitions and seeks atonement? Jacques Audiard has crafted something spectacular, strange, and perhaps a bit controversial. Reactions split sharply between rapturous and bewildered, and that kind of polarization can push a film either direction. However, with Netflix's backing and a historic four-way Best Actress prize to Karla Sofia Gascon (the first ever trans winner), Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adrianna Paz, it could be a wild but very possible swing for the Academy to take.

Speaking of wild swings, there's "The Substance", which will test whether the Academy is ready to fully embrace genre filmmaking after breakthroughs with "Get Out" and "Everything Everywhere All At Once". Coralie Fargeat's body horror satire is anchored by Demi Moore in what may be the performance of her career. Moore plays a fading aerobics star who uses a black market drug to create a younger version of herself, resulting in what our review called "a diabolically delightful body horror" that serves as a grotesque meditation on aging, beauty, and self-destruction. It's precisely the kind of role that should appeal to Oscar voters—a comeback narrative with technical demands and thematic weight, addressing Hollywood's ageism head-on.

Finally, "Furiosa". George Miller's Mad Max prequel played Out of Competition, so it wasn't vying for the Palme, but it arrived with characteristic fury. Anya Taylor-Joy is magnetic as the younger Furiosa, and Miller continues to demonstrate more visual imagination than most directors half his age. The challenge: The Academy has already honored Miller for Fury Road, and voters tend to resist returning to the same well. Technical nominations—Editing, Sound, Production Design—have the best shot, but Picture and Director feel like longer odds unless the film achieves genuine cultural phenomenon status this summer. Still, Miller has a history of making the impossible feel inevitable.

The real variable is time. Cannes titles have momentum, certainly, but they must survive six months of festivals, word-of-mouth, and campaign spending before Oscar night. Some will fade. Some will strengthen. And some—like Anora or The Substance—might sustain their buzz long enough to prove that Cannes still matters when the envelopes open in March.

Today I’m recommending a couple of AI-themed movies ranging from thriller to comedy to something in between.

New trailer: The trailer for psychological horror HIM, produced by Jordan Peele, just dropped. Watch it here.

With love,
Karl

Streaming on Max

Companion

Iris (Sophie Thatcher), who is head over heels for her boyfriend Josh (Jack McQuaid), is anxious to spend a weekend in a mountain chalet with his friends who don’t seem to like her very much. However, things take a nefarious turn when it’s revealed one of the guests is a robot which throws things for a deadly loop. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: Under its glossy modern surface that plays like an edgy romantic-comedy, there’s a sense of dread underneath Companion. So when it turns into a bleakly comedic thriller, it is both entertaining and just feels right. With its never-ending but constantly satisfying twists, witty dark humor and surprisingly profound existential exploration of AI, it’s a thought-provoking crowd pleaser that is perfect for a movie night.

• 🎬 Directed by Drew Hancock

• 🖊️ Written by Drew Hancock

• 🎭 Sophie Thatcher, Jack McQuaid, J. D. Lifshitz. Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend

• ⏱️ 97 min

⏵ Stream on Max

Streaming on Hulu

Robot Dreams

It’s 1984 in an alternate universe New York City where anthropomorphic animals rule. Dog, who lives in a railroad-style apartment in the East Village, lives a mostly solitary existence. In an effort to cure his loneliness, he purchases a robot friend from a TV ad. After a glorious summer friendship, the pair is separated leading to an exploration of love, loss and friendship. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: As odd as Robot Dreams sounds with its gloriously bizarre world-building where a Central Park hotdog stand is managed by a Weiner dog, it’s maybe one of the most human movies ever made. It’s delightful to explore its shockingly accurate portrayal of New York City complete with easter eggs that will make any New Yorker chuckle, but its real charm is the deeply felt and complex characters of Dog and Robot. Though wordless, their journeys of self-discovery and existential crisis is painfully relatable but thoroughly entertaining in its joy.

• 🎬 Directed by Pablo Berger

• 🖊️ Written by Pablo Berger

• ⏱️ 102 min

⏵ Stream on Hulu

Streaming on Netflix

Upgrade

In the near-future, technology controls almost every aspect of life — including our bodies. After a robbery gone wrong leaves his wife dead and himself paralyzed, Grey (Logan Marshall-Green) gets an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that gives him the ability to walk (an upgrade, if you will). Unexpectedly, though, he also gets superhuman strength and agility, which he uses to seek revenge. Watch the trailer.

Why you should watch it: Part revenge flick, part techno horror, part film noir, Upgrade is an amalgamation of ideas and genres that actually works. Director Leigh Whannell (best known for his work on the Saw and Insidious franchises) balances a twisting plot with flashes of humor, well-choreographed action, and world-building that begs the question: when do we get Upgrade 2?

• 🎬 Directed by Leigh Whannell

• 🖊️ Written by Leigh Whannell

• 🎭 Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson

• ⏱️ 100 min

⏵ Stream on Netflix

ICYMI

‘Sinners’ is the best movie of the year. Read my review →

📽 P.S. You can see every movie I’ve ever recommended right here.
🍅 I’m also a Tomatometer-approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes! You can find new movie reviews here and here.
🔗 Find me on Letterboxd and Bluesky.

Sinners manages to be a folk horror, western drama, southern gothic, Blaxploitation thriller, quasi-musical and, oh yeah, a vampire movie exploring deeply rooted themes about our society while being one of the most devilishly entertaining movies of the year. With immersive world-building, a memorable cast of characters elevated by a stellar ensemble and musical numbers and action scenes that will take your breath away, writer-director Ryan Coogler may have just given us his magnum opus.

Sinners now streaming on HBO Max.

Although it takes place over a single day, Sinners is about centuries. It’s about the foundations of our culture, our country and our world. It’s about how the trauma of hate and division crosses time, boundaries and races like an illness that can destroy what we love—and how joy is the antidote. That’s a lot of thematic heft for a movie that is in equal parts a folk horror, western drama, Blaxploitation thriller, quasi-musical and, oh yeah, a vampire movie. The most impressive feat director-writer Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) achieves is finding a balance between genre and meaning—and one begets the other. And in the end, creating something completely singular. Perhaps his masterpiece.

It’s the Southern United States in the 1930s. Jim Crow era. Infamous twins Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan doing stellar work defining the twins’ separate personalities) return to their small hometown with a dream to fulfill: open the best juke joint in the county in a barn they recently bought from a maybe-Klan member. Hell, maybe even the state. Armed with a truck full of liquor and beer from their time in Chicago crossing (and double crossing) with the Irish and Italian mobs, they trek across the county to put the finishing touches on their new joint. Quite literally getting the band together.

They pick up their young cousin and blue guitar prodigy Sammie (Miles Caton) much to the chagrin of his pastor father who warns him of “temptations” that lurk. Smoke picks up lush but talented pianist Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) by bribing him with real Irish beer to play at their joint instead of his usual gig. Stack picks up his former lover Annie (Wunmi Mosaku)—she serves as a sort of general store for the community though her proclivities for the mystical come in handy—with whom he shares trauma with. He asks her to cater the opening. Chinese storeowners and couple Bo (Yao) and Grace (Li Jun Li) are tasked with making signage for the venue while their old pal Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller) is asked to be bouncer.

The first act of the movie has the breezy coolness of Coogler’s other work—like he’s allowing the rhythm of composer Ludwig Göransson’s blues-inspired score to keep us moving. The world building, while a slow burn, is immersive and detailed in a way that is so enjoyable to explore. Like you can feel the dust-filled breeze and summer heat as the twins charm and strongarm their way across town gathering what they need for the opening. The movie could have lazed with these characters for hours and I would’ve been grateful. However, for as enjoyable as it is, it starts to lay the foundation for the southern gothic horror that is rooted in the very real horrors of a Jim Crow-era South.

By the time evening falls, it’s easy to forget that Sinners is a horror movie. Though Coogler maintains a dread-filled atmosphere, the movie is about Black joy, Asian joy and simply the joy of being sure and safe somewhere where your identity is accepted and understood. The successful launching of the juke joint in the barn itself feels momentous because in a short amount of time we’ve grown to know and love the characters. Whether it’s the easy banter between the twins, the warmth of Annie, the humorous drunken quips of Delta and Cornbread, or the seductive allure of Pearline (Jayme Lawson) and Mary (Hailee Steinfeld). It makes the turn to horror all the more entertaining (and heartbreaking)

When it does take the turn, it does so with a devilish grin courtesy of Jack O’Connell as the charming but menacing Remmick who has slowly recruited more people to join his group of undead townsfolk that really want to get in on the action of the party. With the same acute attention to detail and rhythm, Coogler masterfully guides the movie towards full-blown genre in a way that is irresistibly macabre.

However, the heart of Sinners—both figuratively and literally the middle of the movie—is a musical scene that sees eras and people and races and music blending together in the barn. It is an amalgamation of all that makes the movie great. Its eclectic score paired with its warm cinematography swirling around characters we’ve grown to love and will miss when they’re no longer on our screens dancing with nothing but love and joy in their hearts. Meanwhile, the weight of their collective histories and futures join them in the frame to create in a single image a thesis of Sinners. That through all the pain and hate we experience, it is for the love and joy we fight it with that we endure it.