Director Travis Knight (ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings) and screenwriter Chris Butler bring Colin Meloy and Chris Ellis’ fantasy novel Wildwood to life. Though I have never read the source material, the movie makes it clear that it establishes an exciting world filled with vibrant characters, genuine stakes, and an intense, dark, compelling story.… Continue reading WILDWOOD: An Outstanding Dark Fantasy Film
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CLAYFACE: A Batman Villain Re-envisioned as Body Horror
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe continues with an origin story for a popular Batman villain that is genuinely a horror story. With a story and script by Mike Flanagan (Hush, Doctor Sleep), the movie re-envisions Clayface as a body-horror tragedy. Flannagan co-wrote the screenplay with Hossein Amini, and James Watkins directs. The result… Continue reading CLAYFACE: A Batman Villain Re-envisioned as Body Horror
GHOST IN THE CELL: a bloody, bizarre, and silly trip behind bars
Fantastic Fest 2026 Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar knows how to make an impression, and his latest horror-comedy, Ghost in the Cell, does so with plenty of blood, outrageous situations, and an assortment of characters as entertaining as they are unpredictable. Screened at a film festival, the film proved an unusual mix of supernatural horror, dark… Continue reading GHOST IN THE CELL: a bloody, bizarre, and silly trip behind bars
WHALEFALL: A Nerve-Wracking Thriller With A Sincere Heart
Actor Austin Abrams seems to have found his niche, playing scared, tense, and sometimes timid characters reacting to harrowing or highly stressful situations. Previous movies such as Weapons and Resident Evil show that a likable, talented actor can pull off both thrilling and comedic moments. In his latest role in Whalefall, Abrams gets to show… Continue reading WHALEFALL: A Nerve-Wracking Thriller With A Sincere Heart
Runner: plenty of action and ample laughs
Alan Ritchson brings the muscle, Owen Wilson brings the chatter, and Runner delivers enough vehicular destruction to make a defensive-driving instructor weep. Scott Waugh directs this action comedy, which keeps its premise simple and its leads exceedingly busy. The mayhem has little substance, but I found plenty of excitement in watching this unlikely pair attempt a very… Continue reading Runner: plenty of action and ample laughs
MISTY GREEN: Chris Rock’s Hate Letter to Hollywood
After watching Chris Rock’s latest film, I get the strong impression that he does not like Hollywood. That sentiment is actually very fair given the events that transpire in his movie, Misty Green, which examines the life and career of a black actor (the titular character) who achieved some success and acclaim as a television… Continue reading MISTY GREEN: Chris Rock’s Hate Letter to Hollywood
Blood Countess: A Lavish Vampire Comedy That Overstays Its Welcome
Fantastic Fest 2026 The Blood Countess has enough color, costuming, and elaborate scenery to keep the eyes occupied long after the story should have wrapped up. At Fantastic Fest, I admired its visual extravagance while wishing someone had edited it more firmly. This peculiar vampire comedy offers plenty to appreciate, including a solid cast and… Continue reading Blood Countess: A Lavish Vampire Comedy That Overstays Its Welcome
THE SOCIAL RECKONING: A Fine Follow-Up to an Iconic Film
Sixteen years after David Fincher’s The Social Network took cinema by storm, its writer, Aaron Sorkin, returns to write and direct a sequel that addresses the aftermath of Facebook’s effect on the world, particularly in America. Sorkin takes a different approach, narrowing the scope to focus on the investigative journalism and whistleblowing carried out by… Continue reading THE SOCIAL RECKONING: A Fine Follow-Up to an Iconic Film
Adult Supervision Review: exceptional performances make this Swedish drama disturbingly real
Fantastic Fest 2026 Some films are unsettling because their worlds are unfamiliar. Adult Supervision disturbed me because its behavior felt all too recognizable. This Swedish film, written and directed by Alex Schulman, exposes a side of people—especially teenagers—that we hope does not exist but know does. I found it difficult to watch at times, largely… Continue reading Adult Supervision Review: exceptional performances make this Swedish drama disturbingly real
The Squirrel Review: a clever, thoughtful comedy about a world too perfect to live in
Fantastic Fest 2026 A spotless world where everything is carefully managed might sound appealing until someone realizes how much has been removed to keep it that way. The Squirrel, which I really enjoyed at Fantastic Fest, takes that idea and builds a clever, unusual story around one man and a small animal that refuses to… Continue reading The Squirrel Review: a clever, thoughtful comedy about a world too perfect to live in