WONDER MAN (2026) review
Considering that more well-known Avengers have made live-action appearances in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), it would make sense that some of the lesser-known characters finally made their debut. One such character is Wonder Man, who possesses immense superhuman strength, heightened senses, the ability to fly, and regeneration. He’s essentially immortal, powered by ionic energy. That all sounds impressive, but we barely see any of that in the new 8-episode miniseries, “Wonder Man”, which drops in its entirety on Disney+ on January 27th. Created by Destin Daniel Cretin and Andrew Guest, the show is more of an introduction than an origin story for a character that hasn’t appeared in live-action before, let alone any other MCU offerings. Read more…
MERCY (2026) review
written by: Marco van Belle
produced by: Charles Roven, Robert Amidon, Timur Bekmambetov, and Majd Nassif
directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
rated: PG-13 (for violence, bloody images, some strong language, drug content, and teen smoking)
runtime: 100 min.
U.S. release date: January 23, 2026
Release dates are a curious, albeit purposeful thing. Studios know that we know that January theatrical releases typically mean that they have no confidence in their movie and just need to drop it to make some kind of profit. Maybe we’ll get one worthwhile new release in the first month of the year (so far, this year it’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”), but for the most part, we’re getting B-movie material like director Timur Bekmambetov’s “Mercy”, which is being marketed as a sci-fi AI thriller, but is more like a nauseating VR experience. It’s not a bad movie. But despite being competently made, it’s a movie whose lead takes a seat (literally) to a vapid, forgettable story. Read more…
The Top Ten Films of 2025
There was a plethora of great films in 2025. It was an impressive year. If you don’t feel that way, I’m glad you’re here. Now, I feel like I say that every year, but this year feels different. It was the rare year that my list consisted solely of films that I gave 4-star reviews to. It’s not that I was decidedly generous this year; it’s that the films were just that good. It was a challenging year in many ways, and 2026 isn’t letting up. So, let’s take it one day, week, and month at a time, and look out for each other, as we take in the art of cinema. Read more…
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (2026) review
written by: Alex Garland
produced by: Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernie Bellew, Danny Boyle & Alex Garland
directed by: Nia DaCosta
rated: R (for strong bloody violence, gore, graphic nudity, language throughout, and brief drug use)
runtime: 109 min.
U.S. release date: January 16, 2026
Last summer, “28 Days Later” found director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland returning to the post-apocalyptic world they introduced 22 years ago with some curious anticipation. It turns out enough time had passed for the two artists to bring some fascinating ideas, compelling characters, and striking filmmaking to the horror series. So confident were they in their return that they shot a sequel immediately afterwards, which is how we have “28 Days Later: The Bone Temple” in theaters seven months later. Director Nia DaCosta (“Hedda” and “Candyman”) was tasked with helming this next chapter from Garland, and the result is a darker, gnarly tale with some surprising moments of humor and compassion that focuses more on complicated humans than those infected with the Rage virus. Read more…
THE RIP (2026) review
written by: Joe Carnahan
produced by: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Dani Bernfeld & Luciana Damon
directed by: Joe Carnahan
rated: R (for violence and pervasive language)
runtime: 133 min.
U.S. release date: January 16, 2026 (Netflix)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are back in front of the camera again. So, why isn’t their new crime thriller, “The Rip”, opening in theaters? Partly because that’s the current state of the industry, but also because this is the first collaboration between Netflix and Damon and Affleck’s production company Artists Equity, which produced the last film the two actors worked on, the Affleck-directed “Air” in 2023. Written and directed by Joe Carnahan (“Narc” and “The Grey”), the movie is inspired by one of the most significant criminal investigations in Miami police history. The tightly wound, well-paced story takes place over the course of one evening, in which loyalties, temptations, and accountability are tested within an overworked and underpaid tactical narcotics squad. Read more…
CHARLIE THE WONDERDOG (2026) review
written by: Steve Ball, Shea Wageman, and Raul Inglis
produced by: Carson Loveday, Jenn Rogan, and Shea Wageman
directed by: Shea Wageman
rated: PG (for action, some rude humor, and language)
runtime: 92 min.
U.S. release date: January 16, 2026
Last year at this time, the wonderful animated feature “Dogman” was released, a fun, silly, and quite creative adaptation of the popular graphic novel series. Now we have “Charlie the Wonderdog” in theaters this month, a canine superhero comedy clearly targeted at a young audience. Indeed, that seems to be the only goal that director and co-writer Shae Wageman has in mind. It’s a cartoonish feature that definitely adheres to basic ideas of heroism and villainy, but Wageman and his co-writers cram too much plot when all it really needs to be is a companionship romp about a boy and his dog who can’t help but do good. Read more…
OBEX (2025) review
written by: Albert Birney and Pete Ohs
produced by: James Belfer, Albert Birney, Emma Hannaway & Pete Ohs
directed by: Albert Birney
rating: not rated
runtime: 90 min.
U.S. release date: January 25, 2025 (Sundance Film Festival) and January 9, 2026 (limited)
Sometimes it takes almost a year, maybe more, for a film that premieres at Sundance to reach the general public, and even then, its release is limited to select theaters in a few cities. Sometimes that can be a good thing as it can prevent a film from getting lost in the mix, or the matrix (dot matrix, in this case), as is the case with the main character in writer/director Albert Birney’s black-and-white film, “OBEX”. It’s a surreal, nonsensical fantasy set in a cicada-ravaged Baltimore of 1987, about a socially awkward man and his dog. It’s not “based on a true story”, but it feels like it could be. Read more…
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER (2025) review
written by: Jim Jarmusch
produced by: Charles Gillibert, Joshua Astrachan, Carter Logan, and Atilla Salih Yücer
directed by: Jim Jarmusch
rating: R (for language)
runtime: 110 min.
U.S. release date: December 24, 2025 (limited) and January 9, 2026 (wide)
There are three different families in writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s latest drama, “Father Mother Sister Brother”, living in three different countries, yet the similarities are there if you’re as observant as Jarmusch. After taking a genre detour with the 2019 horror comedy, “The Dead Don’t Die”, Jarmusch is now focusing on something more relatable as he presents strained familial relationships, in particular adult children and their estranged parents. It’s a curious and engaging triptych, presenting character eccentricities within a through line of melancholy and sadness that permeates each story. Once you align yourself with Jarmusch’s pacing, a director who’s known for appreciating the minutiae in life, then you’ll be rewarded with something special. Read more…
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU (2025) review
written by: Mary Bronstein
produced by: Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Richie Doyle, Connor Hannon, Sara Murphy, Ryan Zacarias
directed by: Mary Bronstein
rated: R (for language, some drug use, and bloody images.)
runtime: 113 min.
U.S. release date: October 10, 2025
“I can’t help it if in my dreams you always want to kiss me.”
The elitist movie snobs among us will have you believe that one of the things that made the New Hollywood era great was the influx of (almost exclusively male) protagonists that were difficult, if not impossible, to root for. Heck, critics are falling all over themselves right now in celebration of Timothée Chalamet’s incredibly unlikable protagonist in “Marty Supreme,” so the tastemakers’ tastes rarely change. Read more…
GREENLAND 2: MIGRATION (2026) review
written by: Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling
produced by: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Sébastien Raybaud, John Zois, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, Ric Roman Waugh & Brendon Boyea
directed by: Ric Roman Waugh
rating: PG-13 (for some strong violence, bloody images, and action)
runtime: 98 min.
U.S. release date: January 9, 2026
In 2020, the apocalyptic survival thriller “Greenland” received only a VOD release in the States due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it nevertheless did surprisingly well. It subverted any viewer expectations of being “yet another Gerard Butler action flick” (personally, I look forward to those, but they get eye rolls from many) or of being an unwanted retread of 2017’s “Geostorm”, which, coincidentally, also starred Butler. It turned out to be the rare disaster flick that felt more grounded, following a single family as they navigate an imminent extinction crisis, rather than a bunch of talking heads and whiz-bang CGI. It ended on a somewhat hopeful note, yet with the future still feeling grim and uncertain. So, although I wasn’t necessarily asking for a sequel, I’ll admit I did wonder how this family would handle their next set of challenges. Read more…
