Stuff I watched in...September, 2026

Furious

This show was sold to me as "A woman serial killer who kills human traffickers" and that was all I needed to go home and start watching that very evening. And while the premise is a bit more complicated than that, Furious is a very satisfying "No one is coming to save us" show about misogyny and fighting dirty. 

Lola Petticrew (best know for their lead role in Say Nothing) plays Catherine Grace, a master of disguise and manipulation who targets rich and powerful men who all have something in common: a connection to Jay Easton. Easton is a rich and powerful elderly man with a penchant for sleeping with underage girls who were forced into sex work. Catherine was, of course, one of those girls.

Emmy Rossum plays Alice Black, an FBI agent who sees a connection between seemingly unconnected homicides and gets roped into the case by a former colleague, Danny Kelly (Scoot McNairy). Alice is wary of working close to old colleagues from the NYPD homicide department because she was severely beaten by her ex who still works in the same department, Marshall Connelly (Jake Lacy). 

As Alice learns more about Catherine's motives for murder it becomes difficult to separate the ethics her job holds her to and the seething rage she feels as a woman who called out abuse and was rejected by nearly everyone in her life. 

Furious is a TV show for our post-Epstein world. Be careful...it might inspire you to take matters into your own hands.

Grade: B+

***

Saturday Night

This fun and energetic movie, directed by Jason Reitman, chronicles the 90 minutes leading up to the airing of the first episode of Saturday Night Live. As you can imagine, the cast of this film is huge, with a nice mix of younger up-and-coming actors as well as veterans (Willem Dafoe and JK Simmons among them). Half the fun is marveling at new faces playing young versions of comedic legends. Dylan O'Brien does a wonderful Dan Aykroyd. Cory Michael Smith captures Chevy Chase's arrogance. Nicholas Braun plays a double role as Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman...etc, etc. 

Saturday Night would be a great companion piece to one of the many oral histories of the early SNL years. There are a lot of things that happen in this movie that make me wonder "did that really happen?" (Milton Berle [JK Simmons] whipping his dick out to intimidate Chevy Chase for one). But having not read any of those histories, I just had to take the movie on faith. Even if you're only nominally familiar with the history of SNL, Saturday Night makes for a great, raucous comedy about how "the show must go on" even if the sets are on fire and the cast is physically fighting each other.

Grade: A-

***

Coyote Vs. Acme

This absolutely delightful film was nearly buried by Warner Brothers after filming was complete, but thankfully another distributor, Ketchup Entertainment, bought the rights and brought the film to theatres. Which is a wonderful thing because Coyote Vs. Acme is funny, heartwarming, and a family-friendly film that adults will get as much of a kick out of as the kids. 

After years spent trying to catch the Road Runner using every possible contraption from Acme Products only for each device to misfire, fail, or literally blow up in his face, Wile E. Coyote decides to take Acme to court. He contacts Kevin Avery (Will Forte) of the Avery, Jones, & Maltese law firm for help. The only problem is that Kevin Avery's goal with every personal injury lawsuit that cartoons bring up against Acme is to "settle, settle, settle". But settling isn't good enough for Mr. Coyote. He wants to fully take on the Acme Corporation and truly make them pay.

You might think that a legal thriller involving a mixture of animation and live action sounds odd, but the film is so fun and silly. It's got a lot of humor that will fly right over kids' heads (the use of the song "Nobody Speak" by Run the Jewels with the Road Runner's signature "meeps" censoring the swear words is a high point), but it's still plenty cartoony for the little ones. 

Will Forte is the perfect actor to portray a small-time personal injury lawyer in over his head, and John Cena is the perfect actor to portray Buddy Crane, Acme's big shot lawyer. Of course, all your favorite 'toons are here too: Bugs, Tweety, Daffy, and even Peter Lorre! Moviegoers such as myself who tend towards darker, adult-themed movies will find Coyote Vs. Acme to be a good PG-rated film that doesn't feel overly sweet or childish.

Grade: B+

***

Practical Magic 2

I can't properly review Practical Magic 2 because I missed about 20 minutes of the film during the process of getting a group of drunk, belligerent, middle-aged white women kicked out of the theatre. Was I being a snitch? A Karen? No, I was not, because this group of ladies arrived three sheets to the wind, sat directly behind my group of friends, and proceeded to talk throughout the previews and WELL into the movie. Not 5 minutes into the movie, not 10...but 30, 40, 50 minutes in and they were still yapping. Yapping about the movie, about their post-movie plans, snickering about how they're going to get kicked out. And they manifested it into reality.

I told them to be quiet, that this isn't their living room, and they said "It IS our living room" and called me a "motherfucker". So, I got a manager and security guard. They ended up getting kicked out and then apparently proceeded to threaten to kick the ass of the (armed) security guard and filmed the guard while claiming they were victims of "racism" (the ladies were white). So, in other words, they were Trump voters: stupid, annoying, and looking for a fight. 

They also called my friends "faggots" (we're all women, so I would have gone for "dykes", but hey, that's just me). So, again, Trump voters. You just know that were looking for an excuse to use a slur, whether it made any damn sense to use it or not. 

How was the movie? Well, it was corny and overwritten, as expected. Lee Pace is a very attractive man so I liked looking at him. But it was by far not the worst movie I've ever seen, even this year! And because of the drunken morons behind us, seeing it is an experience I'll never forget.

Grade: C+

***

Resident Evil

As someone who has never seen the previous Resident Evil films, never played the Resident Evil video games, and, hell, never played ANY video games other than Mario Party and Mario Kart, I'm perhaps the ideal person to watch this film and judge it for what it is, not in comparison to anything else.

And it's a very fun and gross horror comedy! 

Directed by Zach Cregger, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier and all around average guy. While delivering a high priority package to Raccoon City General Hospital during a snowstorm, he accidentally hits a woman in the road. This sets off a series of propulsive and terrifying events, forcing Bryan to fight for his life, but also still deliver the damn package.

I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Raccoon City has been hit with an outbreak, turning people into...er...zombies? Except, like, more monstrous zombies? And they're un-killable? And they grow these tentacle-like things and attach to other zombies, forming unholy monsters made of jumbled body parts that chase Bryan no matter how far he runs? 

The body horror in Resident Evil is top-notch. It's disgusting and unnerving. There's a scene in the first third of the film where two supposedly dead zombie-people grow these tentacles out of their head and attach to one another and it's just makes your skin crawl! 

The movie is also funny as fuck. And I do mean "fuck" because Bryan says that word a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Part of the fun is following this dude who is totally in over his head as he tries to use guns against the zombies (remarking that he's only ever used guns in "video games" --har har) and desperately make it to Raccoon City General Hospital after learning that the item he is delivering is part of a cure for the outbreak. Part of the humor is watching Bryan make bad, but realistic choices (for example: trying to take the elevator at the hospital after being warned to not use the elevator under any circumstances...because the floor he needs to get to is 26 flights up. Whomst among us could judge!? 

Abrams is so good as the flailing, yet courageous Bryan. Abrams was in Cregger's last film, Weapons, where he stole the show as James, the twitchy junkie. He has a great sense of physical humor, especially in his facial expressions. 

Resident Evil isn't an all-timer for me, but it was a really fun horror comedy that felt genuinely scary (there are some well-earned jump scares in addition to the unsettling body horror) but also freaking hilarious. 

Grade: B

***

Art School Confidential

I saw this movie when it first came out in theatres despite Entertainment Weekly--my Bible at the time--giving it a "D" rating. During the film I thought, "Wow, it really is that bad". I've given it a second chance 20 years later and I can report: wow, it really is still that bad. 

What is especially disappointing about Art School Confidential is that it's directed by Terry Zwigoff and written by Daniel Clowes--the same guys who wrote and directed Ghost World, which is a flat-out masterpiece. Where Ghost World is a timeless exploration of post-high school ennui and discontent with the "real world", Art School Confidential is a deeply unfunny and deeply homophobic "satire" of art school with "jokes" so half-assed one can barely muster contempt for them.

Max Minghella plays Jerome Platz, a nerdy loner who goes to art school mostly to get laid. He obsesses over Audrey (Sophia Myles), an art model with a famous artist dad. Jerome wants to impress Audrey and the rest of his classmates with his talent, but everyone is focused on the (objectively terrible) paintings done by Jonah (Matt Keeslar), a guy who looks like he'd be more comfortable in the weight room than in an art class. 

Meanwhile, the "Strathmore Strangler", a serial killer with a penchant for, well, strangling his victims, is on the loose. The serial killer plot line and Jerome trying to get his dick wet plot line eventually cross. But nothing about this film is thrilling, funny, or interesting. There are a few laughs, such as when the art professor, played by John Malkovich, ponders a painting that says "We Live in a Police State" and then turns to the class and says "ain't that the truth!", but they are few and far between. 

Please skip this film unless you want to see a good example of the faux-edgy, gay joke-ridden films that plagued the early 2000s. You'd be hard pressed to find a better exemplar. 

Grade: D

Stuff I watched in...August, 2026

It Ends

In Alexander Ullom's directorial debut, four friends (three of whom just graduated college) go out for late night munchies and accidentally turn onto a never-ending road. Their lighthearted bickering over who would win in a fight--50 hawks or one "average" man with a gun--turns to panic as they realize the country road they're on just...never ends. And when they stop to get out...well, I won't even say what happens, but it's scary as fuck.

Although it has some deeply scary moments, It Ends is more of a philosophical mind fuck than a horror film. The four friends--Day, Fisher, Tyler, and James--don't know how to comprehend what is happening to them. The car drives for miles with no gas. They don't get hungry, but a wound on Fisher's arm heals normally. They can't sleep. They can only stop for brief periods before they are forced to get back into the car by horrors they don't understand. 

Most of the film focuses on their methodical attempts to figure out what is happening. They discuss if they might be in purgatory or Hell. They explore the woods beside the road in the few minutes they have before being forced to continue driving. James (Phineas Yoon) in particular is goal-oriented and treats their nightmare like a research project, calculating every small variable and finding hope in every slight deviation. 

The social commentary of It Ends feels quite obvious: young people facing a never-ending road ahead. No hope, no significant progress, and untold dangers. Is that not what young people (and people of all ages) are facing in reality? Recent graduates staring down the barrel at a terrible job market, AI taking their jobs, the prospect of owning a home and fattening up a savings account not even visible on the distant horizon. But the clear metaphors within the film are not a strike against it: this is a strong and self-assured directorial debut with very strong performances by the young (and, for the most part, unknown) actors.

It Ends will frustrate filmgoers looking for a straightforward horror movie. Yes, the concept of the film is horrific, but not in the ways you think. But patient filmgoers may find a much more rewarding movie that brings up many questions about what the "meaning" and "purpose" of existence is, and where the line between "giving up" and "accepting reality" lies.

Grade: B+

***

The Drama 

Kristoffer Borgli's dark comedy The Drama has elicited some extremely negative reactions in folks, and I can't really figure out why. It's a skewering commentary about moral hypocrisy and our nearly obsessive desire to be "good" relative to other people. We love downplaying our own bad behavior and moral flexibility while harshly judging others for their own imperfections. What's gross about this isn't our own failings, but our rush to turn our noses up at other people's failings. Our judgment is a worse sin than many of our worst sins. 

The Drama's central drama concerns Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson). They are a week out from their wedding and at a wine tasting when they get into a conversation with their friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim) about the worst thing they've ever done. After Mike, Rachel, and Charlie share their worst deeds (which are all pretty bad, but mostly get laughed off), Emma shares hers...and all hell breaks loose.

I won't reveal what Emma's secret is, but it's a doozy. And it also happened many years ago. But it threatens to destroy all that Emma and Charlie have built over the last 2+ years and it does beg two questions: "what is the worst thing YOU'VE ever done, viewer?" and "what would you do in Charlie's shoes?"

I think only a non-American director (Borgli is Norwegian) could have made this film since it really holds up a mirror to a very specific aspect of American culture and rubs some salt right into the wound. The Drama has some deliciously dark and fucked up humor. It's a movie I wouldn't recommend to everyone, but if my description makes it sound like your cup of tea, it's absolutely worth watching and finding out where you stand. 

Grade: A-

***

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

How do I even begin to explain Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie? Basically, there are two guys playing themselves: Matt Johnson (a director, who most recently directed the Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony) and Jay McCarrol (a musician). These two guys created a web series titled Nirvana the Band the Show, which ran from 2007-2009 and chronicled Jay and Matt's (fictional) attempts to book at gig at The Rivoli, a performance space in Toronto, by doing bizarre publicity stunts (and never succeeding). 

Nearly two decades later, the boys are back with Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (yes, "Nirvana" has one "n" in the web series and two in the movie title--I think for copyright reasons). Matt once again comes up with a scheme for the two to jump off the CN Tower and parachute into the SkyDome of Rogers Centre during a baseball game in order to promote their (not as of yet booked) show at the Rivoli. When things go awry, Jay starts making plans to play a show without Matt, while Matt accidentally creates a time machine.

Yeah, you heard that right. Matt accidentally turns their RV into a time machine by pouring Orbitz on the time travel equipment in the RV. If you're reading this review and think you might be having a stroke, you're (probably) not. It's just a very bizarre and wacky movie and it's difficult to explain. 

Imagine if Jackass and Back to the Future had a baby. Matt and Jay use guerrilla style filmmaking (often without permits), as well as editing old footage from their web series into the film so it looks like they are interacting with their younger selves from 2008, to make a movie about the different paths they could have taken if they stopped working together back then. 

You don't need to know anything about Matt and Jay and you don't need to be familiar with their web series to enjoy this movie. It's fucking hilarious. Let me repeat that: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is fucking hilarious. It's just such a weird (and deeply Canadian) movie. Even if you read this review and you're like "Jenny, what the fuck are you even talking about?"...I get it. Just go watch it!

Grade: A

***

I Want Your Sex

I've only seen two other films by director Gregg Araki: Kaboom, which I barely remember, and Mysterious Skin, which is a straight-up masterpiece and also one of the most depressing movies I've ever watched.

His latest, I Want Your Sex, is neither a masterpiece, nor is it depressing. It's the movie equivalent of licorice flavored cotton candy: fluffy with a dark side, and definitely not everyone's cup of tea.

Co-written by Araki and Karley Sciortino (founder of the "Slutever" website), I Want Your Sex is about Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), a 23 year old hired to be the assistant to Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), an artist whose work is sexually provocative. Erika has terrible ethics and propositions Elliot immediately. Elliot is in a relationship with Minerva (Charli XCX), a grad student who never wants to have sex and doesn't really like Elliot, so the young man jumps at the chance to explore his sexuality with Erika. 

And explore he does. The two engage in a BDSM relationship that quickly spirals out of control on Elliot's end when he wants more from Erika. He knows that she is manipulating him with sex, but he is so addicted to the way she makes him feel, he can't stop. Although the movie has a lighthearted feel throughout, Erika's violation of Elliot's boundaries and her emotional manipulation of him gets really gross really quickly. 

Gregg Araki manages to have a bit of fun at the expense of Gen Z and their supposed fear of sex as well as their self-conscious woke politics without (in my opinion) being too "old man yells at cloud" about it. It helps that the movie feels very cartoonish (sometimes it features actual cartoons) and funny. That said, I think some folks who are very sensitive to issues revolving around sexual consent and emotional manipulation will find I Want Your Sex to be a difficult and not very funny watch. You have to leave your politics at the door to really enjoy this dark comedy. Personally, I enjoy Gregg Araki's filmmaking quite a bit, so I had a good time watching I Want Your Sex and I'm looking forward to checking out more of his work.

Grade: B

***

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

I really wanted to love Close Encounters of the Third Kind, considered by many to be among Spielberg's best films (if not the best). But sadly I just found it kinda...boring. The film explores one of Spielberg's favorite themes: contact between aliens and humans. A series of events occur all over the world: aircraft that disappeared in 1945 carrying WWII servicemen reappear (sans servicemen) in the Sonoran Desert; in Indiana, a toddler awakens to find his toys moving on their own and toddles out of the house; across town, electrician Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) is on his way to help out with a widespread power outage when his car completely shuts down and he sees an object of the unidentified flying variety hovering above him with blinding lights.

After Roy has his close encounter, he becomes obsessed with the shape of a mountain and is driven to draw it and sculpt it, eventually driving his family away (the last straw is Roy throwing a bunch of dirt and trash inside the house so he can sculpt the mountain in the living room). Even Roy doesn't understand what he's doing until he sees a news report from Wyoming with Devil's Tower in the background. Without even knowing it, Roy has been sculpting this mountain. And unbeknownst to him, scientists have received communication from space in the form of geographic coordinates: the coordinates to Devil's Tower.

Roy and Jillian (Melinda Dillon), the mother of the toddler who was abducted by aliens, make their way to Devil's Tower and discover scientists and government officials there, ready to make contact. I will say that the way the scientists figure out how to communicate with the aliens is pretty cool. 

But Close Encounters of the Third Kind left me feeling...little. It reminded me a lot of Disclosure Day, a more recent Spielberg film that I felt quite "meh" on as well. The overarching theme in both films is that something greater than humanity can bring humanity together. It's about the power of awe. Meeting extraterrestrial beings is on par with meeting God. And these aliens are good, kind, and have something to teach us. Personally, I felt that theme much more strongly in E.T. because in that film you see the personal connection between an alien and a family. Both Close Encounters and Disclosure Day left me thinking "Ok. And?" in a way most of Spielberg's other films don't. 

Grade: B-

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

The films of director Jane Schoenbrun are singularly unique and queer in a way that is all-encompassing. Not only do they feature queer characters, Schoenbrun's films are "queer" in every sense of the word: the plots walk twisty, sometimes dark paths that stray off the straight, narrow, and comfortable. They explore ambiguity and confusion in a way that is off-putting to some viewers. 

This is Schoenbrun's third feature-length film. Their first film, We're All Going to the World's Fair, wasn't my jam. I was intrigued by the premise but found the movie to be too slow and boring (I'll have to revisit it some day to see if my opinion has changed). However, Schoenbrun's second film, I Saw the TV Glow, was a revelation. Schoenbrun captured the agony of not being able to transition and denying one's truth with devastating clarity (I'm not trans myself, but I can still, ya know, empathize with these themes on some level). Justice Smith's performance as Owen, a person who denies themselves so thoroughly they metaphorically and literally become unable to breathe, was heartbreaking.

Now, Schoenbrun returns with a very different vibe: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a film about what happens when you let go and give in to all that you desire. What happens when you honor your truth. Camp Miasma is just as queer, but more uplifting and hopeful than I Saw the TV Glow (this is not a strike against TV Glow, which is an excellent film).

Hannah Einbinder plays Kris Williams, an up-and-coming film director in her late-20s hired to reboot the "Camp Miasma" horror franchise (think: Sleepaway Camp). Kris is a horror nerd who jumps at the chance to make a meaningful film that honors her love of the franchise while addressing the homophobic and transphobic aspects of the original films. 

She is invited to stay with Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the reclusive actress who played the "final girl" in the first Camp Miasma film and never returned to the series. Billy lives at the abandoned camp where the first movie was shot (in a pretty damn cozy cabin, I might add). While Kris is just honored to be in this woman's presence, she also has a bit of an agenda: to convince Billy to star in the reboot.

The premise of the Camp Miasma films is that there is a killer named "Little Death" (played by Jack Haven) who wears an air vent on their head and carries a rusty spear they murder people with. We get to watch the first Camp Miasma film, which starred a young Billy Presley as "Squeak", a virginal camp counselor spending her first summer at Miasma surrounded by older, more experienced counselors. One night, counselor Will (Zach Cherry in a hilarious role) regales everyone around a campfire with the tale of Little Death.

Little Death was a camper years ago at Camp Miasma. They were nonbinary/genderfluid, choosing to sometimes present as a boy and sometimes present as a girl. Of course, Will tells the story in the most transphobic way possible, calling the camper a "total freakhouse" (this scene is played for laughs, making fun of the over-the-top transphobia of the camp counselors). When the camper shows up at the lake in a bikini one day, the others campers drown them and the camp covers up the murder. But the camper--now known as "Little Death"--returns to take revenge on their tormentors.

If you're thinking to yourself, "Hey, isn't "little death" a euphemism for an orgasm?"...well you've now figured out one of the major themes of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma! Kris confesses to Billy that she is "bad at sex" and can't climax with another person without being far away in her own mind. Billy asks where she goes and Kris explains that she imagines herself as a camper at Camp Miasma. In a tender scene, Billy and Kris snuggle by the fire and Kris confesses to Billy that she imagines herself as "a victim" and "a slut" whose tits bounce as she runs away from a killer. Kris is embarrassed that these fantasies are silly and misogynistic. But Billy says "You can be that with me". 

The final act of the film is an extended sexual fantasy that mixes reality and fiction in which Kris lives out her dream. At one point, after being confronted by Little Death, she says "what do I do now" before stripping off her clothes and running through the woods, boobs bouncing and nipples perky, becoming the bimbo-victim of a horror film. Camp Miasma is a celebration of how films, including "problematic" films, help us build our identities and discover our desires--usually at a young age. I Saw the TV Glow had similar themes. In fact, all of Schoenbrun's work explores the importance of seeing oneself represented in media, especially at a young age.

The connection between horror film and sexual fantasy is one I totally get. Horror movies are scary and thrilling--they raise your heart rate and make you sweat and grab on to your sweetheart and hold them close. Orgasm is an act of surrender, as is death--the ultimate letting go and giving in. In the climactic moment, the camera stays on Kris's face as she reaches her little death...and let's just say that Meg Ryan's fake orgasm in When Harry Met Sally is a pathetic pantomime of the real thing compared to Hannah Einbinder's. 

There are so many other themes that are explored in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. I've just focused on the one I understood the best. The film is not only about embracing one's sexual desires, but about intimacy, surrender, reclamation, anxiety, overthinking, "problematic" media, watching and being watched, and so much more. It's a fantastically meta film done in a way that, as long as you give yourself over to it, feels seamless. I love that when Kris walks through the abandoned camp, the trees transition from real to CGI to painted and back again. 

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a must-watch for anyone who can relate to being stuck in their own heads and struggling to embrace a fully bodied experience. Whether you're trans, cis, or somewhere in between, there's something for you in this film. Between this movie and I Saw the TV Glow, I've seen a lot of people say things to the effect of "I respect it, but it's clearly not made for me." I call bullshit. Yes, Schoenbrun's films are by and for trans people, but, believe it or not, cis people can relate to trans people and even...learn things from them about their own bodies! *Gasp* For example, gender-affirming care is something cis people do all the time! To be crystal clear: this is not me trying to take something away from trans people by saying I relate to Schoenbrun's films. It's me acknowledging the shared human experience of bodies, gender, sex, and self. 

I'm so happy a film like Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma exists and that it celebrates what life looks like on the other side of self-acceptance. May we all embrace our inner Little Death.

Grade: A

Stuff I watched in...the second half of July, 2026

His Girl Friday

Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday is one of the greatest screwball comedies in existence. I highly recommend you watch the film with subtitles if you can, because that way you'll catch maybe 70% of the jokes, versus catching only about 50% of the jokes if you just listen with your ears. Catching 100% of the jokes? In your dreams! Maybe if you rewatch it enough times you'll eventually catch them all, but the dialogue in this film is so fast, so snappy, so overlapping that's it's going to take some work.

Walter Burns (Cary Grant), a newspaper editor, discovers that his ex-wife, Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), is about to get married to Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy) and quit her job as a reporter. Burns, you see, is a feminist, so he knows that Hildy won't be happy as a housewife! So he ropes her into reporting on the pending execution of Earl Williams (John Qualen), a man who killed a Black police officer. Burns believes that Williams was insane at the time of the murder and that his life can be spared if Hildy reports on the fragile state of Williams' mind. Hildy can't resist the opportunity to save a man's life, so she allows herself to be pulled into what becomes a night of increasingly wild hijinks and shenanigans...on the eve of her wedding to Baldwin!

His Girl Friday is a lot to take in, but it is SO worth it to get off your damn phone and actually watch the movie! It's so funny that I was vibrating with laughter, and Rosalind Russell is a GODDESS. She just has a vibe that feels really different from other screwball comedy actresses. This film is a classic and is worth watching...again and again and again. 

Grade: A

***

Jaws

I saw Jaws for the first time probably decades ago (really concerning that I can measure my life in decades at this point) and was...not too impressed with it. I found it boring and not scary at the time. Well, like a lot of movies I watched "decades" ago, I'm glad I gave this one a second chance because I really, really enjoyed it this time around! 

I'm not going to describe the plot because if you're reading my blog, there's probably a 95% chance you've seen Jaws, one of the most famous films of all time (if you haven't, then this is your sign to go watch it). I'll just say that I really appreciated the chemistry between the three leads: Roy Scheider as Chief of Police Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper, and Robert Shaw as Quint, the seasoned shark hunter. These men--both the actors and the characters--work so well together, playing off of each others' personalities and eccentricities. 

While Jaws isn't *that* scary to me (I don't have a lot of fear about sharks or the ocean), the film is consistently tense and thrilling. It's also really funny! It's an incredibly well-crafted story (based on Peter Benchley's novel) and it's not surprising that it represents a turning point in Steven Spielberg's career from up-and-comer to "one of the greatest American directors of all time" 

Grade: A+

***

To Be or Not to Be

A comedy that takes place in Poland in 1939 as the Nazis take over and adultery is one of the main plot points? I'm in! 

To Be or Not to Be should not work as a comedy, given how dark its themes are, but of course dark themes often make for particularly insightful and skewering comedy. Carole Lombard and Jack Benny play Maria and Joseph Tura, a married pair of famous and beloved stage actors in Warsaw. Robert Stack plays Lt. Stanislav Sobinski, a pilot who begins an affair with Maria (the title of the film comes from their agreement that he will meet her in her dressing room when Joseph, as Hamlet, begins his "To be or not to be" soliloquy). 

But when the Nazis invade, Sobinski joins the Royal Air Force and ends up on a mission to warn the Polish resistance leadership of a rat amongst them. A professor, Siletsky (Stanley Ridges), is a double-crosser working for the Nazis. He has a list of Polish resistance members he plans to give to his superiors...unless Sobinski, Maria, Joseph, and the entire theatre company can put on the show of their lives pretending to be Nazis and get Siletsky to give them the list! How wacky!

You know, they don't make comedies like they used to. Between To Be or Not to Be and His Girl Friday, I really had to use my brain to keep up with what was happening. Both films leave you feeling satisfied that you actually watched a good movie that made you laugh and think and you didn't just half-watch some slop while looking at a second screen. 

Grade: B+ 

***

Forbidden Fruits

Forbidden Fruits, a satirical horror film directed by Meredith Alloway and based on the play by Lily Houghton, really surprised me. I feel like it was both better and worse than I expected. Worse in the sense that I felt it was a bit muddled in its ostensible message about sisterhood and women supporting women, and also the tone just felt a bit all over the place. There was also some bad editing in certain scenes. 

But better in the sense that it was a super fun, funny, and compelling film despite the overall messiness...and the acting is INCREDIBLE. Like, way better than what you'd usually expect from a campy horror movie. Whoever did the casting for Forbidden Fruits deserves high praise!

The movie, which has been compared to The Craft, Mean Girls, and Jawbreaker, focuses on three women who work at a store called "Free Eden" (based on Free People). They are: Apple (Lili Reinhart), Fig (Alexandra Shipp), and Cherry (Victoria Pedretti). Apple is the head bitch--or head witch, I should say--who bosses the other Fruits around and also leads them in the occasional ritual (or hex) after hours in the store. 

Fig, who is a bit more of a freethinker than Cherry, starts making the acquaintance of Pumpkin (Lola Tung), who works at the food court. Despite Apple's disdain for food court girls, Fig convinces Apple to give Pumpkin a job at Free Eden and let her join their coven. After all, you need four fruits to cover the entire retail seasonal cycle, right?

Pumpkin is even more of a freethinker than Fig and isn't scared of Apple's wrath, so she begins questioning some of Apple's decisions and learning more about the previous fourth Fruit--Pickle (Emma Chamberlain)--a girl who apparently went crazy after the coven put a hex on her boyfriend. Boyfriends aren't allowed amongst the coven members, by the way, because the coven is women supporting women!!

The more Pumpkin delves into the secrets of the Fruits, the more dangerous things become. Will Pumpkin become the next Pickle? Or can she find true sisterhood with the devious Apple?

Forbidden Fruits is campy and hilarious. As I said, the entire cast is excellent, but Lili Reinhart really blew me away with her mix of aggression and vulnerability. Victoria Pedretti, a bona fide "Scream Queen", disappears into her role as a doe-eyed sexpot who follows Apple around like a puppy, waiting to be given orders or to be given a smack. 

I was initially annoyed at this film for leaning into negative stereotypes about women, but upon reflection I don't think Forbidden Fruits is about the failure of feminism (because women be two-faced bitches, am I right?) but rather the failures of performative feminism. These ladies love their rituals and their rules in the coven, but when push comes to shove, they (or, specifically, Apple) don't want to support their friends as they are, but rather as they think they should be. Many of us have experienced friend groups where the jockeying of big personalities gets in the way of genuine belonging and connection. Forbidden Fruits just ups the ante with hexes and potions. 

Grade: B+

***

Cat People (1942)

I don't have a ton to say about this supernatural horror film where a man marries a woman who comes from a long line of, well, women who turn into (large) cats. It's a really interesting film, especially how it approaches gender and sexuality. It feels very of the 1940s, with some really sexist shit, but also--as horror films tend to be--subversive in its approach to gender as well. The main character, Irena Dubrova (Simone Simon), is terrified of her family history and lore. She marries a man, Oliver (Kent Smith), but then refuses to have sex with him--even after marriage--because according to the tales she was told growing up, passion leads to the transformation from woman to panther. 

Irena's fear of her own sexuality drives Oliver into the arms of another woman, but it also allows her to defend herself from a lecherous psychiatrist. Of course, it's the 1940s, so a woman who becomes a panther and mauls lecherous psychiatrists cannot be allowed to survive the movie...but Cat People feels a lot like a proto-"Good for Her" film. If you like older films, this is a really good one. It also features one of the earliest examples of a "jump scare"!

Grade: B

***

Touch Me

Touch Me is a bizarre horror-comedy about a pair of friends, Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and Craig (Jordan Gavaris), who are immature, codependent, reliant on booze, and broke as fuck. They move in with Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci), the rich man Joey is fucking. There's only one problem: Brian isn't a man. He's an alien. Well, there's two problems: he's also a narcissist who dresses exclusively in tracksuits and talks like a cult leader. Ok, there's three problems: when he touches you, all your anxiety disappears...but then you become addicted to his touch.

So...there's a lot of problems. 

The film, written and directed by Addison Heimann, is quite obviously about drug addiction and how trauma intertwines with substance abuse. But instead of being a ham-fisted or cheesy, Touch Me is really fucking funny. Joey and Craig have this straight girl/gay man repartee that's like, loving and mean at the same time. Lou Taylor Pucci is equal parts disturbing and hilarious as Brian the break-dancing alien who uses his intense powers of pleasure to control and manipulate people. If you're into tentacle porn, you will probably really like this movie because HOO BOY...there's a lot of tentacle sex (or "cross-species intercourse", as Brian would call it). 

It's interesting that a movie that touches (heh) on so many serious themes, from drug addiction to childhood sexual abuse to domestic violence, could also be so silly and weird. Touch Me is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it. If you like absurd, psycho-sexual horror comedies (or if you like tentacle porn), give it a watch!

Grade: B

The Odyssey

I'll say it right out the gate: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is a masterpiece. The film, based on Homer's epic poem, is utterly haunting in the best possible way. It's not only entertaining as a fantasy-historical-action film, it manages to say something true and earnest about human nature and man's continual and ongoing fuck-ups without coming off as preachy or sentimental. 

Nolan is, in general, a cold director. On a technical level, his films are excellent. But he's not really a director that makes you cry. Or, at least, he's not a director that makes me cry. My favorite film of his is The Prestige and I think one reason it's so good is because it's a film about obsession--a concept that Nolan is personally familiar with. That drive to innovate and be the best at what you do is something Nolan understands, and so his film about rival magicians trying to one-up each other, damn the consequences, feels honest in a way some of his other films don't.

But The Odyssey, despite its backdrop of war, violence, and suffering, is Nolan's warmest film to date. And not just "warm" in the sense that Penelope (Anne Hathaway) faithfully waits  for decades for her husband, Odysseus (Matt Damon), to return to her, or in the sense that Telemachus (Tom Holland) longs to finally meet his father one day. But warm in the sense that the film explores and seems to truly understand the tragedy of humanity and human weakness. There is an existential vulnerability explored in The Odyssey. Mere men cannot fight against fate. They cannot fight against the gods. 

That might sound the opposite of warm--it might sound nihilistic. But as someone intimately familiar with the Serenity Prayer, this shit hits different. Nolan's The Odyssey covers a myriad of themes: hubris, fidelity, betrayal, pride, memory, love. But the themes that struck me the most were acceptance and responsibility. 

The general plot of The Odyssey is fairly well known since many people had to read the poem in school. Or they've seen the Wishbone episode about it (or The Simpsons's take on it). Odysseus is the king of Ithaca who is instrumental in winning the Trojan War because of his idea to sneak men into Troy hidden in a wooden horse offered as a gift to Athena. Once the men are inside Troy, they open the gates to allow all the Greek warriors inside to sack Troy. During the journey home, Odysseus and his men run into obstacle after obstacle: the cyclops, being turned into pigs by Circe, the Sirens' alluring and deadly song, the tightrope of sailing between the whirlpool Charybdis and the monster Scylla, and, finally, Zeus's wrath. In the end, only Odysseus makes it home...only to have to fight all the suitors who have taken over his home in an attempt to woo his wife, Penelope. 

Nolan's The Odyssey covers all this ground and more, bouncing between Odysseus' journey (which is often shown out of chronological order), and Penelope's impossible situation of waiting for her husband while knowing that Ithaca needs a king. The movie never felt overly long, but it also didn't feel like it was moving too quickly either. A problem I had with Nolan's Oppenheimer is that there was so much stuff happening and so quickly, that the film felt both too long and too short at the same time. Not so with The Odyssey.

There are many scenes in The Odyssey that stand out to me, including Circe (Samantha Morton) turning Odysseus' men into swine, Odysseus screaming in agony as he hears the song of the Sirens while tied to the ship's mast, and the extremely satisfying scene of Odysseus stringing his own bow and shooting an arrow through 12 axe heads. But the scene that feels most central to the film is when Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, is invited to talk with Penelope. Under the guise of being a veteran of the Trojan War who knew Odysseus, he confesses to her about the weight Odysseus feels after the Trojan Horse scheme. How in winning the war, he may have damned humanity. The characters speak of "Zeus's law" throughout the movie: the command to provide hospitality to strangers and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Odysseus believes that his trick broke Zeus's law on a massive scale:

We left them a gift in an offering of peace that they took into their home. We violated all that is ever sacred between people, and turned the fight into a hunt. To burn the walls of Troy was to burn the world entirely...one man's idea, one man's trick...to break Zeus's law forever. We lived in a world of palaces, trades, language, blinded by beauty...until we broke it.

After facing starvation, death, destruction, and literally taking a trip to Hades, Odysseus finally accepts that he is powerless in the face of the gods. It's when he gives up control that he finally makes it home and is able to grapple with what he has done and how the world has changed.

It's not lost on me that all the vile and disgusting discourse surrounding The Odyssey focuses on the racist and misogynist anger that this film has Black and Asian actors, as well as a prominent trans actor (Elliot Page)...but it completely misses a larger message about what it means to be "a man". Odysseus is a strong and wily warrior. No one could accuse him of not being manly. But all strength and all his cunning adds up to nothing in the face of the gods. It's only through surrender and responsibility that he proves himself to truly be a man, and to ultimately be reunited with his wife. The idea that the path to manhood is through emotional vulnerability, taking on responsibility, and coming to terms with one's mistakes and failings is something that would make the internet trolls and manosphere goons tremor to think on it. 

And speaking of manhood, Nolan is infamous (to me) for his lack of three-dimensional female characters. Take a look at his filmography and count the number of female characters who either betray men, kill themselves, or die to further a man's plot line. It's kind of astounding. The Odyssey still has these issues, but it doesn't feel as egregious to me as some of Nolan's other films. In fact, I think there's a feminist reading of this film because the women--including the goddess Athena (Zendaya)--all seem to understand the Trojan War for what it is: an excuse to dominate. It is men who cause the suffering, and women who bear the burden. 

Yes, The Odyssey is a man's story. It's a man's story of failure. Of hubris. Of coming to terms with dire, self-inflicted consequences. While the women are not as prominent, it's not because they're unimportant--it's because they didn't cause any of this shit and it's not their problem to fix.

A quick note about the acting and few technical aspects of the film and then I'll wrap up. I found ALL the actors to be excellent. Matt Damon kills it as Odysseus. Anne Hathaway excels as Penelope, one of the meatiest roles for a woman Nolan has ever written. John Leguizamo is heartbreaking as Eumaeus, Odysseus's trusted servant. Robert Pattinson is comically evil as the suitor Antinous. Some people seem to have not liked Tom Holland as Telemachus and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, but, hell, I thought they were great! There is not a single performance I didn't think was at least good. I do think Charlize Theron was underutilized as Calypso, though.

The score by Ludwig Goransson (who also did the score for Sinners) was perfect--it wasn't as ear-blastingly loud as the scores for Oppenheimer (which was also Goransson) or Interstellar. It was powerful and present, but not dominating. 

I saw the movie in IMAX (regular, not 70mm IMAX) and it was totally worth it. The movie is made to be seen on a huge screen, and there was one scene in particular (when Zeus is destroying Odysseus' ship) that felt incredibly immersive. That scene takes place on a stormy sea at night, with thunder making your seat rumble and lightning punctuating the inky blackness. It felt otherworldly.

As I watched The Odyssey, I kept thinking: "This is incredible. This is incredible." For me, it's more than just a really excellent film. It's a feeling of reuniting with a director who has disappointed me a lot. The last time I really loved a Nolan film was Inception, which came out in 2010. And after hating Interstellar, being bored by Dunkirk, not bothering to even watch Tenet, and being disappointed by Oppenheimer, he comes back with what might be his best movie. And certainly one of my favorites of his. It's a nice feeling to into something and have it be better than your expectations. 

So, yeah, The Odyssey lives up to the hype. It has inspired me to pick up a copy of Emily Wilson's translation of the poem. It has even made me reconsider Christopher Nolan in a new light, something I thought would never happen. I don't feel the need to take back previous criticisms of Nolan because I think those criticisms still stand, but it's wonderful to see him make a movie that lives up to the hype of his most ardent defenders. 

Grade: A+

Stuff I watched in...the first half of July, 2026

I've seen so many movies this month, I'm doing another two-fer for July! In this blog post I'm pretty much exclusively covering movies that came out this year. Next blog post will focus on some older films.

***

The Invite

I generally avoid movies where the plot seems to be "a couple hates each other". Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is one of my least-favorite movies because I really can't stand to listen to couples argue and bicker. But The Invite, written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and directed by Olivia Wilde, tempers the irritating aspects of this kind of film with a hefty dose of humor and surprise.

Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen play Angela and Joe, a married couple living in a really dope San Francisco apartment and raising a 12 year old daughter. Despite a very comfortable life, Angela and Joe have more than lost their spark--they borderline hate each other. Joe comes home from the job he clearly hates one day to find that Angela has invited their upstairs neighbors over for dinner. Despite Joe's protestations, it's too late to cancel--Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) are at the door. 

The Invite walks this fine line between cringe and horny that I don't see a lot of movies do with finesse. Because, yes, Pina and Hawk are interested in Joe and Angela. And that interest, of course, flips everything on its head. Wilde gives an excellent performance as a woman overflowing with anxiety...and secretly filled with desire. Wilde pivots from anger to flirtation to embarrassment to resignation on a dime but in a way that feels really real. Because I know women like her: brimming with emotions and trying to keep them under control, but waiting for the right moment, or the right person, to free them.

Ed Norton is also great as the sensitive New Age guy. The type of guy who is soft-spoken and smart and deferential to women...but who is also kind of a fuck monster. I feel like Norton is uniquely perfect for this role because he embodies this version of masculinity that is a bit pretentious and annoying, but also...kinda hot? (hey, maybe it's just me). Hot in a way where you're annoyed about it and would be embarrassed to admit to your friends that you sat on his face all night long.

Rogen and Cruz are also great, though they do lean into their stereotypes (Cruz as a cool sex goddess and Rogen as a sarcastic, funny guy with a mean streak) a bit. But overall, the cast just works SO WELL together. I love it when actors are good at acting! 

The Invite is really, really hilarious with a clever script, great directing, excellent acting, and something to actually say about relationships. 

Grade: A

***

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

This delightful little comedy is the latest from David Wain, the director and writer of Wet Hot American Summer, Wanderlust, and They Came Together. I don't think I've seen a David Wain film I didn't like! His style of humor is this interesting mix of sweet and edgy. His movies also reward multiple views--they tend to grow on me more and more when I rewatch them.

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is also a take on The Wizard of Oz, a fact I didn't pick up on until halfway through the movie! A hairdresser from rural Kansas, Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch), is about to marry her high school sweetheart, Tom (Michael Cassidy). But when Tom has an opportunity to use his "celebrity sex pass" and takes it (Gail catches him mid-act), Gail starts to doubt whether she should go through with the wedding.

While on a trip to Los Angeles with her best friend, Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), Gail visits a psychic who explains that to save her relationship she must even the score by sleeping with her celebrity sex pass: Jon Hamm. So begins an adventure to find Jon Hamm and, well, fuck him. There's also a parallel plot where Gail accidentally takes the wrong suitcase at the airport and some bad guys need to hunt her down to retrieve the classified documents she inadvertently stole. 

Gail Daughtry is goofy, dumb, and good-hearted. On their quest to meet Jon Hamm, Gail and Otto meet three men: Caleb (Ben Wang), who works at a creative agency and is a bit of a dummy; Vincent (Ken Marino, also the screenwriter of the movie), a former paparazzo who has lost his heart for his work; and John Slattery (John Slattery), Hamm's co-star from Mad Men who is a bit of a coward. GET IT?? 

It's cute. I'm looking forward to watching it again and revisiting Wain's previous films and also the ones I haven't seen yet. While I wasn't busting my gut laughing at this movie, I did laugh out loud a lot in the theatre. Check it out if you're in the mood for a loose, silly comedy.

Grade: B+

***

The Sheep Detectives

Watch this movie immediately! Seriously, go watch it now!

Directed by Kyle Balda, who has a long career in animation, The Sheep Detectives is a family-friendly film about a group of sheep who need to figure out who murdered their shepherd, George (Hugh Jackman). The movie is basically an Agatha Christie novel, but with talking sheep. 

And if you think a PG-rated movie with talking sheep isn't for you--I thought that, too! And I was wrong. The story is absolutely heartrending at times and covers some pretty deep themes, including being a friend to the unloved, caring for your "flock" (and allowing them to care for you), and not avoiding painful feelings and memories. One interesting aspect of the sheep (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O'Dowd, Patrick Stewart, and Bryan Cranston, among others) is that they can choose to forget things. So if something bad happens, they can simply...forget it. All of the sheep, that is, except Mopple (O'Dowd), who can't forget and therefore is in a painful position to bear the burden of remembering all the bad things that happened to the flock. The lesson the sheep have to learn is that if a loved one dies, like George, it's worth it to remember him, as painful as it is, because remembering loved ones is how they stay with us. I'm not crying--you're crying!

The mystery itself is a bit silly, but it does introduce us to a colorful cast of (human) characters--each with a reason to do harm to George. A bumbling police officer (Nicholas Braun) is able to solve the case with the help of the sheep. And the sheep are able to solve the case because George read them murder mysteries before bed each night! 

If you've ever thought, "I'd love to watch a movie that is a combination of Babe and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery", well this is the movie for you! But it's probably also for you if you've never thought that, because everyone I know, from casual moviegoers to cinephiles, like The Sheep Detectives. 

Grade: A

***

Faces of Death (2026)

The original Faces of Death is a 1978 horror film presented as a documentary claiming to show "real" executions, animal attacks, and war. Some of the footage was real, and some of it was fake, but it was presented as entirely real and became a sort of underground cult classic. I myself have not seen it and have no interest in seeing it.

The 2026 film Faces of Death is about a woman, Margot (Barbie Ferreira), hired to do content moderation for an app called Kino (basically, a fictional TikTok) and discovers what she believes are real murders filmed to look fake so they will pass moderation. The murders are recreations of scenes from--you guessed it--the 1978 film Faces of Death. Although Margot's coworkers tell her to let it go, she decides to solve the mystery before more people die.

This is just a bad movie. It's dumb as hell, and worse, it's boring. It's not violent or scary enough to be an entertaining horror film, and it's not tense enough to be a good thriller. What's bizarre, though, is that the director, Daniel Goldhaber, is a really good director! He directed Cam, which I really enjoyed, and How to Blow Up a Pipeline, which is an excellent movie. Likewise, Barbie Ferreira and Dacre Montgomery (who plays the killer) are talented actors. So this is just kind of a low point for everyone involved.

Faces of Death isn't the worst movie ever, but I really can't recommend it. There are better ways to spend 97 minutes.

Grade: C

Stuff I watched in...June, 2026

Leviticus

I had reasonably high hopes for Leviticus, a queer horror film directed by Adrian Chiarella. The film takes place in a religious community in Australia. Two teen boys, Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), take a liking to each other. There's something so uncomplicated about their relationship, which involves typical things boys like to do: explore abandoned mills, play-wrestle, and, uh, make out.

After being caught out, the boys are subjected to an exorcism-like experience from a "Deliverance Healer". This ritual attaches an evil entity to each boy that appears as the person the victim most desires. So for Ryan, this entity looks identical to Naim, and to Naim it looks like Ryan. But if you interact with this entity, it will kill you. The only way to protect yourself is to never be alone, because the entity only shows up when you're by yourself.

First of all, I had so many questions about the lore here. Like, I get that the "point" is to make gay teens terrified of their own desires. But this entity FOLLOWS you. So even if you reject your desires, the thing could still fucking kill you! How does that make any spiritual sense? Don't these religious loons want gay kids to become not-gay instead of not-alive? Also, since the entity leaves you alone if you're with other people...wouldn't that just be an excuse to stay attached to the hip of the (real) object of your desire? Once Naim and Ryan confirm that each other is the "real" person, they just need to be with each other at all times and the entity can't get them. I guess that's also the "point" of the movie: these religious nuts pushed the gay teen lovers into each other's arms! How ironic and romantic! Ehh...

So the lore of the film just doesn't make sense. Also, way religion is portrayed in the film didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Granted, it's Australia, so maybe I'm just used to good, ol' American religious fundamentalism and homophobia, but the community didn't seem homophobic enough to me in Leviticus. I know that sounds like a crazy thing to say, but if you're telling me that this community is SO religious and SO homophobic that they would bring in a "Deliverance Healer" to pray away the gay, I expect the community and especially the pastor to be brimming with disgust and hate towards teen male homosexuality and...that's not what I saw in this movie. Homosexuality is treated as more of a light annoyance or bit of teen foolishness (like smoking cigarettes) than an affront to God. None of it made sense to me!

Finally, the movie is too short. It's 88 minutes long, which is not enough time to let the audience get to know Naim and Ryan. It doesn't allow us time to get to know the community. It doesn't allow us time to fully understand the stakes. Instead it's just like: these kids are gay and now bad stuff is happening. Enjoy! 

I will say that the leads, Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen, are excellent. There is some solid gore and the score is great. But I think Adrian Chiarella, who is a relatively new director, needs to hone his craft a bit more. 

Grade: B-

***

Tuner

Tuner is a lowkey, character-driven thriller with a really interesting premise: a man with a sense of hearing so strong that it's debilitating realizes that he can crack safes by listening closely to them, thus leading him into some...er, not so legal situations.

Leo Woodall plays Niki White, a piano tuner who works under Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). Niki used to play piano himself, but after developing hyperacusis, a sensory processing disorder which makes the sufferer extremely sensitive to loud noises, he had to give up his passion. Niki wears special earplugs all day every day and usually wears noise canceling headphones on top of that. Living in New York City can't be easy for someone who would fall to the ground in agonizing pain at the sound of a car siren.

After a situation where Harry forgets the combo to his safe, Niki researches how to break into one and learns that if you listen very closely, you can actually hear the parts of the combo lock click into place and thus crack the safe. Not long after this discovery, Niki is tuning a rich guy's piano in the evening when no one is home and he happens upon a group of guys breaking into the client's safe. Niki helps them open it, mostly to get them to leave, and the leader of this gang of criminals, Uri (Lior Raz), gives Niki his card and tells him to give him a call if he wants to make some real money.

You can probably guess where this is going. Niki isn't a bad guy, but he does need money--and for altruistic purposes. Harry is sick and doesn't have health insurance, so his medical bills are sky high. Harry is like a father to Niki, so Niki starts taking on safe-cracking jobs to pay Harry's bills.

One of the best things about Tuner is how naturalistic the performances feel, especially Leo Woodall as Niki and Havana Rose Liu as his love interest, Ruthie. The budding relationship, which is threatened by Niki's line of under-the-table work, feels really real and not overly cute. Ironically, one of the worst things about Tuner is how unrealistic the overall plot is, but especially a twist near the end that is almost laughable in how unlikely it is. The mix of natural dialogue and acting with the ridiculous plot elements is a bit jarring. But that said, Tuner is *very* entertaining. If you like thrillers that aren't showy or full of action and big stars, this one really is for you. 

Grade: B+

***

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

Happy pride! The bizarrely titled film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, while not exactly in my top 50 queer films, is a movie with a big heart and some solid laughs. The film follows three drag queens, Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze), Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes), and Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo), as they travel across the country in yellow Cadillac DeVille to participate in the "Drag Queen of America" pageant in Los Angeles. 

They are waylaid in the small rural town of Syndersville after the Cadillac breaks down and are forced to spend the weekend with the residents of this podunk hamlet. While there, they bring hope to the women of the town by giving them makeovers and helping them plan for the annual Strawberry Social. They also teach the hickish young men a lesson in manners and treating ladies right. The whole movie is so wholesome (in spite of thematic elements of domestic violence and rape) and feels old-fashioned. This is a 1990s film if I've ever seen one, with an uncomplicated message about accepting people who are different than you and how friendship and love will overcome hate and violence.

I will say that it's not quite as funny or entertaining as I hoped it would be. It's a warm, soft blanket of a film and a great watch if you're feeling down and you want something pleasant and not too challenging. The performances are all delightful, but the MVP is Patrick Swayze, a handsome man who makes for a beautiful, graceful woman. RIP Patrick, you were too good for this world.

Grade: B-

***

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Another drag queen road trip movie, only this one is a little more boring and lot more depressing. Sorry! 

This time, it's Anthony "Tick" Belrose (Hugo Weaving) and Adam Whitely (Guy Pearce) traveling by bus across the Australian desert to perform at a casino managed by Tick's ex-wife, Marion (Sarah Chadwick). Along for the ride is Bernadette Bassenger (Terrance Stamp), a trans woman mourning the death of her younger boyfriend. 

Hijinks ensue, including the bus breaking down, homophobia/transphobia from bigots, a party with aboriginals which ends in an impromptu drag performance of "I Will Survive", secrets revealed, and life-long friends made.

Sadly, I found Priscilla to be dull and slow. Unlike To Wong Foo, in which the queens are on the right side of bitchy, the queens in Priscilla are just...bitches. Especially Guy Pearce, who is just a total cunt half the time (misgendering and badgering poor Bernadette, who did nothing to deserve it). Although there are some funny scenes, the overall vibe of Priscilla is...a drag (HAR HAR). This pride, watch something a little happier. 

Grade: C+

***

Half Man (TV series)

Created and written by Richard Gadd, who achieved acclaim with his heartrending miniseries Baby Reindeer in 2024, Half Man is...a lot. The 6 episode miniseries follows Niall Kennedy (played as an adult by Jamie Bell) and Ruben Pallister (played as an adult by Richard Gadd), two men who are not blood brothers, but grow up together since their mums lived together. Where Niall is a meek lad struggling with his sexuality and hiding almost everything about himself from everyone in his life, Ruben is a domineering, violent bully. Niall and Ruben have a fucked up, codependent relationship in which Niall worships and fears Ruben and Ruben menaces and protects Niall. 

On the day of Niall's wedding, Ruben shows up. He gets Niall alone in a barn to "talk". But what does Ruben want? A fight? Sex? We can't possibly guess. And from there, the show takes us back to the beginning of Ruben and Niall's traumatizing life together.

Half Man is not as good as Baby Reindeer, but Gadd partially succeeds in exploring the topic of people who can't help themselves from indulging in toxic relationships even after given multiple opportunities to move on.

Initially, the audience is primed to sympathize with Niall, a bullied kid dominated by everyone in his life: his classmates, his mum, and Ruben. But as time goes on, we see how Niall can't seem to get away from these toxic relationships even after given multiple fresh starts. We see that he is, in many ways, the architect of his own suffering. I really like this theme, which is also explored in Baby Reindeer, because this kind of nuance (essentially: victims who play a role their own victimization) seems almost taboo to explore in media. But Gadd walks this very fine line with precision and our sympathies keep moving back and forth between Niall and Ruben.

Gadd is clearly working through some deeply personal shit in Half Man and Baby Reindeer. Both shows feel vulnerable and honest in a way you don't always see in media, but they can also be deeply uncomfortable and even offensive at times. This vulnerability worked in Baby Reindeer, but just feels nihilistic in Half Man. The series leaves you asking what the point was. We watch these two men torment and betray one another and there seems to be no meaning behind it other than "toxic masculinity is bad". 

There is still something very compelling about Half Man. I wouldn't recommend it to many people, but if you're a fan of Baby Reindeer or into really intense, fucked up dramas, you could give it a spin and see what you think. Being a miniseries, it won't take up much of your time.

Grade: C+

***

The Testaments (TV series)

The Testaments, based on the book by Margaret Atwood (which I do recommend reading), is a sequel of sorts to The Handmaid's Tale. Why in god's name I wanted to subject myself to more Handmaid's Tale IP is a puzzle for my therapist to figure out. But despite the fact that the show is a very masochistic watch, I did enjoy it! 

Because The Testaments focuses on the young women of Gilead, it feels more hopeful. I heard the show described as a dystopian version of Bridgerton, and that's not far off: much of the season focuses on preparing for a ball during which the Commanders will meet the latest crop of "Greens": young ladies who have gotten their period in the past year and are now ready to marry. But will they get to marry the younger, cuter Commanders who are closer to their age? HAHAHAHA! Of course not, silly! These 16 year old girls will be forced into marriage with men older than their fathers! It's the way God intended things to be!

The show follows two main girls: Agnes MacKenzie (Chase Infiniti, a very exciting up-and-coming actress), a girl born of a Handmaid and adopted by a Commander and his wife, and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a "Pearl Girl". Pearl Girls are young women who live outside of Gilead and are recruited to join Gilead's way of life. These girls are usually homeless and desperate--think of vulnerable people preyed upon by a cult. But in Daisy's case, she's actually an undercover Mayday operative sent in to spy on the young women of Gilead and report back.

Shifting between Agnes and Daisy's point of view, the girls get ready for their futures and navigate forbidden crushes, schoolyard gossip, and preparing to be sold as slaves to their 50-something year old suitors. Y'know, just girl stuff!

This is the kind of show that if you're going to watch it, you already have. Plenty of people are not interested in signing up to watch a show where a young man has his hand buzz-sawed off for the crime of masturbation in the first episode. And then there are the sickos like me who are strangely drawn to the horrifying world of Gilead. 

Grade: B

***

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This will shock you to your core, but I had never seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit it it's entirety until literally a couple days ago. I think I saw a few scenes of it as a kid and was too scared to watch the rest. Well, I finally got around to watching this stone-cold classic and, holy shit, it is so good. 

I'm guessing that every single person reading this review has seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit so no need to go too deeply into the plot. This is a film noir comedy directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant, a hard-boiled detective trying to find out, well, who framed Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer). The crime? The murder of Marvin Acme, owner of Toon Town, and a man known to play "patty-cake" with Roger's wife, Jessica. 

This movie is pure delight. It's SO fucking funny and ridiculous. It's a PG movie back when PG really did mean "parental guidance" because watching it as an adult I can see how it would scare the absolute shit out of children. The mix of cartoons and live action is uncanny in the first place, but also any scenes with Judge Doom--played by the incomparable Christopher Lloyd--are truly terrifying.

I also just love film noir dialogue because there's something inherently funny about it ("The dame had legs for days and a body for nights" type stuff), and it's perfect for a PG movie because the writers can get really creative with the insults and innuendos without slipping into adult territory. If you have a kid in your life, around age 8-10, this is the perfect movie to show them to make them think you're not like other adults--you're a cool adult. Because it will feel like they're getting away with watching something they're not supposed to. Be a little bit of a bad influence. 😈

Grade: A