The Reel World

“It was supposed to be a field.” 

The level of defeat in Brad Pitts’s voice was palpable. In Heart of the Beast, 58 miles of rough terrain separates his character and salvation. Luckily, he is not alone. He is joined by his four-legged companion, a battle seasoned warrior named Odin. Actually, Odin was played by four German shepherds by the name of Uber and Uber’s three sons, Seeka, Ryker, and Honda. Uber served as the main dog, a retired search-and-rescue dog from New Zealand who handled standard scenes. Meanwhile, his sons, were used as stunt doubles and specialized doubles for specific tasks like swimming, running, or working at heights on wires. It takes a lot to steal the stage away for a top tier talent like Brad Pitt, but I feel comfortable saying that Uber and his sons were the undisputed heart of the film.

"Long ago there was a forgotten island filled with filled with magical creatures beyond your wildest imagination."

Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado deliver a colorfully animated story that leans heavy on Filipino mythology and culture in their new film, Forgotten Island. I didn't come to the film with a lot of knowledge of Filipino culture or mythology but really felt like I left with a taste of something new and exciting. As a film critic for over 30 years, there really aren't a lot of new things that come my way these days. In a way the job leaves you a little bit jaded and more than a little bit cynical. So imagine my enjoyment to see something that really wasn't like anything else I've ever seen. Forgotten Island is a magical journey that you don't have to really understand in order to enjoy. And yet I left with a little more understanding and a healthy appetite for more. The last thing I'd seen from the co-writers and directors was Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. That film was much more conventional, and while entertaining, it wasn't half as charming as Forgotten Island. 

When talking about horror, one of the things that makes the genre so accessible to everyone is that the genre is so broad that even non-horror fans can find a film they can enjoy. Horror doesn’t have to be about crazed people killing off teenagers or about the supernatural. Sometimes it can simply delve into the fear of heights like Fall, or being buried alive like Buried. Lately a trend I’ve been seeing is about the fear of pregnancy or being a mother. Nightborn immediately comes to mind, and now we have the film Goody Goody that’s now playing on Shudder. The sub-genre is nothing new; after all, Rosemary’s Baby is a classic, and that came out in 1968.  I understand why there will always be an audience for this kind of horror, and I can see how it can be effective when targeting the female demographic. I think all audiences really hope for out of a movie despite the genre is to be entertained, I don’t feel that’s much to ask for. I don’t need A-list actors or huge FX. All I want is a good story, and if the filmmakers can execute that, then great … Alas, Goody Goody breaks one of the cardinal sins of cinema. This film is a chore to sit through, and even at 80 minutes this film tested my patience.

"Hey, you got time for another run?"

That's exactly what it felt like getting the invite to screen the new Resident Evil. Lately the franchise has been on a rather steep decline. The 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome To Racoon City didn't even register as a blip on the box office radar. There was the television series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness that didn't light up too many streaming hits. But I was intrigued that the new film was directed by Zach Cregger, who had a pretty good sleeper hit with Weapons, and he was reteaming with that film's Austin Abrams. A little confession before I go on any longer. I love video games, but somehow I managed to never play a single Resident Evil video game. Not sure how that happened. It wasn't intentional. I just never got to it. I did see all of the films from director W.S. Andersson and his wife Milla Jovovich, and, for the most part, I have enjoyed the film franchise. Hard to believe it all started with the first game title 30 years ago, and there's already been so much of the franchise that's come and gone. What possible new and clever idea could Cregger bring to the table? Yeah, I'm a pretty big cynic. What I saw actually took a little time to digest. It's not a great film, and it's certainly no Weapons. What it is happens to be a somewhat fresh angle for both the franchise and the general video game to movie genre. It entertains. There's quite a few well-timed laughs, and yeah, it's got some intense horror genes in there, but the funny thing is that I hardly noticed any of those points while I was watching the film.

What happens when you take two 90s cult classics, Clueless and The Craft, and put them together? Forbidden Fruits is the charming lovechild of these films, and it kind of surprises me that this film has gone under the radar for so long, especially when I’d consider it one of the better horror films to come out this year, and definitely the best film Shudder has released on streaming in 2026. I went into this one with low expectations, and by the time it hit the midway point, I have to admit I was enjoying the heck out of this film. Considering the new Practical Magic 2 just opened this past weekend to a lackluster box office haul, it makes me wonder if basically Hollywood, and more importantly audiences, just don’t want to see witches on screen anymore? Heck, online over the past few years it seems every woman has latched onto the notion that liking Halloween, buying pumpkin spice lattes, and having your own garden is all that’s needed to join a coven … Gone are the days when it was the outcasts, the goth kids that listened to The Cure and Marilyn Manson were the ones that embraced being weird and were into Wicca and other forms of witchcraft. This is a film that holds a mirror up to the new generation of those that practice witchcraft and exposes the absurdity of it all.

“Your blood. My blood. Our blood.”

Well, I can’t say I saw this coming. Of all the movies to get a sequel, this film wasn’t even on my list. Though when I think about it, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised given that the first film was an adaptation of a series with four books in it. In 1998, Sandra Bullock’s and Nicole Kidman’s chemistry is what made the first one work, and it is the same in this sequel. In fact, it’s as if no time has passed as the pair play off one another with ease.  The gang is all back for the most part with the exception of Goran Visnjic (which isn’t surprising given that he was the previous film’s antagonist) and Aidan Quinn (although is character is referenced, with Diane Wiest and Stockard Channing returning as well). The film is noteworthy for Channing because it marks her first theatrical release in 13 years. Also joining the film are Joey King, Maise Williams, Xolo Mariduena, and Lee Pace.

It’s not often that a horror movie comes along that reflects what is happening in pop culture or feels as though it was ripped from the headlines. I’m surprised there hasn’t been much buzz about Nightborn, considering it’s about the horrors of post-partum depression and media attention surrounding the Lindsay Clancy case. I know everyone has their opinions on the case, and because of the case I kind of let this film simmer for a while before deciding to write this. I’ll start by saying that if you're sensitive to the topic of the film, you may just want to skip it altogether, and don’t bother reading this review, I’m not here to spoil anything, and I don’t want to upset anyone, either. One other thing that may turn people off to this film is that it is a Finnish film with a mix of English and Finnish poken throughout, and I know some people just hate subtitles … With all that out of the way, how is the movie, what is it all about, and most importantly, is it any good? The film opens up with a young couple, Saga (Seidi Haarla) and Jon (Rupert Grint), who move into an old family home that rests on the outskirts of a Finnish forest. After engaging in some adult activities in the woods, surrounded by some disturbing looking trees, we definitely get the impression they are being watched by some unseen entity. It’s not long after that Saga discovers she’s pregnant and we see her have the baby, and, well, let's just say the birth scene is a bit gory and not what the young couple expects.

When you consider how many Texas Chainsaw Massacre films there are and how many of them are just not good, can you really get mad when a knockoff comes along that’s kind of fun? No, Dolly isn’t about a family of cannibals, but the character of Dolly is mostly Leatherface in a dress, replacing a skin mask for a doll mask and instead of a chainsaw, Dolly’s weapon of choice is a shovel. The film is also a nice departure from the typical psycho killer hillbillies running around the woods. No victims are being forced to squeal like a pig but instead are coddled like a baby, still creepy but just not as traumatizing. This is a film that certainly knows where it’s inspiration came from, and the result is a film that is ripe for watching late at night, and even better if you have a camping trip or hike planned in the near future. Does this mean the film's any good? Well, grab onto your nearest and dearest dolly or plushy, and I’ll tell you all about it.

You know exactly what you are getting when you go to watch a Jason Statham movie. There is a playbook that is followed with just enough deviation to make the film slightly different from its predecessors. They usually have a one-word title (Mutiny makes 17 one-word title movies that he’s made), and Statham is portraying some kind of stoic or loner, usually with some kind of military, law enforcement, or possibly assassin background. And finally, typically due to circumstances beyond his control, he is forced to break his isolation, usually to help the innocent and bring down a governmental or criminal conspiracy. Like I said, you know what you are getting when you go to see a Jason Statham movie, and in many respects, Mutiny follows that playbook to a tee. The thing is one thing I can honestly say has never happened while I watched a Jason Statham movie: I’ve never been bored. And Mutiny is no different. Because no matter what the plot is, Statham is going to deliver an action-packed experience that doesn’t rely on a lot of unrealistic sequences. Practically everything that he does, every way that he dispatches someone, is grounded in reality, and I have zero trouble believing that he could kill someone that way if he really wanted to.

“We got to fit a year’s worth into 12 hours.”

So I went into this movie completely blind. All I knew were the two actors playing the lead, Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro. I was expecting your typical rom com that I’m not the intended target audience for. Then I walk into the theater and read the following tagline: Two New Yorkers search for love on the one night of the year when sex is legal. And at that moment all I can think is, what in The Purge is this nonsense? So, in this Will Gluck-directed (Friends with Benefits and Anybody But You) feature film, Turner and Barbaro play two strangers, Owen and Allie respectively, who crash into each other in an ever-so-slightly fictionalized New York on the one night when single people are allowed to have sex. Recently dumped Owen and hopeful romantic Allie may be the only two singles in the city looking for more than a quick encounter. They feel a spark when they meet, but a series of missteps and side quests complicate their night. It’s among the most ridiculous plots that I’ve heard in a while. But funnily enough, somehow it’s also one of the most entertaining movies that I’ve seen all year.