Latest from CinemaBlend in Feature

I Need To Talk About Kevin Is The Greatest Horror Movie That Doesn't Get Talked About

Rich Knight — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

If you look up what genre We Need to Talk About Kevin is in, you'll find it under “psychological drama.” However, much like I’d consider Mulholland Drive a horror movie, even though it’s categorized as a “mystery film,” I’d say the same thing about Kevin, as it’s straight-up horror.

In fact, I actually think WNtTAK is one of the greatest horror movies of all time that pretty much nobody talks about. Sure, I know most people wouldn’t put it on a list of the best horror movies of all time, but that’s only because many people seem to overlook “realistic horror,” such as If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (which is another great “horror” movie).

So, here’s why more people should, er, talk about We Need to Talk About Kevin.

(Image credit: BBC Films)

I Think This Movie Hits Differently If You're A Parent

The premise of this movie is an uncomfortable one, especially if you’re a parent. It poses the question: What if your child is a sociopath? The movie plays with that idea and whether it’s really nature vs. nurture, but the film ultimately leans more toward the nature side. That is despite Tilda Swinton’s character, Eve, getting so mad at her child in one scene that she throws him against a wall and breaks his arm.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself. The book-to-screen adaptation is based on the novel of the same name by Lionel Shriver (a woman), and directed by Lynne Ramsay (another woman, which is cool, since this movie has a woman’s perspective), We Need to Talk About Kevin is about a mother named Eve who doesn’t know how to relate to her son, Kevin, (Ezra Miller), who seems…troubled. Kevin’s father (John C. Reilly) doesn’t believe his wife’s concerns, and even buys him a bow and arrow as a gift.

Tragically, Kevin goes on a school “shooting” with his arrows, killing several classmates. The film deals with Eve’s role in all of this, and how the town views her. It’s harrowing, thought-provoking stuff, and truly horrific, which I’ll get into next.

(Image credit: BBC Films)

It's The Way That The Story Progresses That Is Truly Horrifying

What really sets WNtTAK apart from other horror movies is its nonlinear plot. We get a deeply depressed Eve basically wandering through life after what her son did to so many people, as the town blames her for giving birth to a monster.

We then see the story progress from Kevin’s youth and his relationship with his mother. Kevin never seems happy, and his mother doesn’t understand why, even despite her many efforts to connect with him. At first, she thinks it’s her fault, but then she starts to worry that perhaps it’s not actually her, but that maybe her son has a mental illness (In fact, this is actually a great movie about such a condition).

The scariest part, though, is watching Kevin’s progression, and how distant and sinister he becomes. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you just in case you haven’t seen it, but it ends on such a sour, disturbing note that you really get a sense that all of the events that occur were probably inevitable.

(Image credit: BBC Films)

In The End, I Feel Like This Is A Mostly Untalked About Gem, And A Cautionary Tale

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a cautionary tale about…becoming a parent. I’m serious! Though many have wonderful experiences with having children and can offer sage-like advice, other parents really do go through hell with their kids.

It’s not enough for people to say, “Well, if you love and take care of your child, then they’ll turn out okay,” as that’s not always the case. Because sometimes, you can do everything you can for your children, and they still turn out hurting others.

WNtTAK is a horrific film that I think more people should talk about. Just keep this in mind, though: Much like parenting itself, it’s not for the faint of heart.

Godzilla Is The Greatest Character In Cinematic History, And I Will Die On That Hill. Here's Why.

Rich Knight — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:00:00 +0000

I might be a little biased (just a little), but you read the headline: Out of all of the characters in cinematic history, Godzilla is the greatest.

Now, “greatest” is a wildly subjective term, and that can be interpreted in many different ways. For instance, when I say Godzilla is the “greatest,” I don’t mean he’s the most important, but I do think he is the best. He’s one of the most recognizable characters in cinema history and also has the best longevity. I will die on this hill.

So, how can I make such a bold claim? Well, you’re about to find out.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

What Other Cinematic Characters Have Remained Actively Popular For 70 Years?

Now, you might proclaim that Mickey Mouse has been relevant and actively popular for almost a century since his debut in Steamboat Willie back in 1928. But, let’s think about that. What was the last Mickey Mouse MOVIE you watched in theaters? I mean, I’m 42, and the last time I saw Mickey Mouse on the big screen was for the animated short, “Get a Horse,” which screened before Disney’s Frozen, and that came out all the way back in 2013!

The last Godzilla movie I watched in theaters was Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire back in 2024, which I think is the best MonsterVerse movie by far. Godzilla Minus One was the one I saw before that, in 2023. It is still my favorite Godzilla movie of all time. In fact, I think that the 2020s are actually the best time ever to be a Godzilla fan, and that's because Godzilla is bigger than ever.

I’ll give you an example. Outside of this website, I’m a teacher, and I have a Godzilla calendar in my classroom (Because of course I do). Well, every single student - and I teach 12-13 year-olds - recognizes Godzilla from the movies and can even identify some of his best enemies, such as Mothra and Mechagodzilla.

Granted, one might say that a character like Superman or Batman is more recognizable than Godzilla, but neither of those characters has movies that go as far back as 1954 and have been CONSISTENTLY churning out films for over 70 years. That’s why I say Godzilla is the greatest character in cinema history. Just like his film counterpart, he just won’t die, and he only gets stronger!

(Image credit: Toho)

Godzilla Is Truly Universal And Basically Spawned A Whole Genre

Now, I love King Kong, and I’ve even seen every King Kong movie. Be that as it may, I definitely don’t credit the original King Kong, which came out 21 years before 1954’s Godzilla, for creating the kaiju genre. I mean, yes, I will say that King Kong definitely inspired the creation of Godzilla, but it was the 1954 movie that really kickstarted the kaiju genre, and we’re all the better for it.

Godzilla is more than just a character - he’s a symbol. From Cloverfield to Ultraman to even the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there’s a huge chance that none of them would even exist if not for Godzilla, which popularized and even spawned the concept of the giant monster destroying a city (rather than just rampaging through one like King Kong).

This is another reason why I think Godzilla is the greatest character in cinema history. He single-handedly created an entire genre unto himself. Nobody can say that a character like Darth Vader CREATED the space opera, or that Mickey Mouse CREATED animation, but Godzilla CREATED the Kaiju genre, which we’ve gotten so many great stories from in so many different forms of media.

I could go on and on in this regard, but the proof is in the pudding. Godzilla is the King of the Monsters, and every kaiju that has ever come out after him needs to bend the knee.

(Image credit: Toho)

Godzilla Is Also Great For Merchandising Purposes, And Instantly Recognizable

I mentioned my Godzilla calendar earlier, and what’s interesting is that every year I get a new nerdy calendar for my classroom. This year’s Godzilla calendar was the only one where EVERY student could identify who the character was (As opposed to my years when I had Street Fighter, Dragon Ball Z, and Marvel calendars, which surprised me).

I think people can recognize Godzilla because he’s also great for merchandising, and you see him everywhere, even outside of the movies. For example, I’ll always remember how ubiquitous Godzilla was when the 1998 movie (which I actually like) came out. Now, even before that film, I had known who Godzilla was, even though I hadn’t yet gotten into the Toho Godzilla movies. I mean, how could I not know who he was? He was in video games, on t-shirts, and even in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

I just think it’s because Godzilla is perfect for merchandising. He can be scary. He can be cool. He can be silly. He can be a hero. He can be a villain. He can be in cartoon form. He could be in movie form. There’s just really no limit to how you can merchandise the character.

I can’t really think of too many other characters, outside of Star Wars, where you can have such general versatility when it comes to marketing. It’s perfect!

(Image credit: Toho)

Godzilla Will Likely Outlive Us All

This is kind of crazy for me to say given all of the big movies that we’ve gotten thus far, but the upcoming Godzilla Minus Zero is my most anticipated movie on the 2026 film schedule. I think this will always be the case with any Godzilla film that comes out, because I’m pretty certain that I will be a fan of Godzilla for the rest of my life.

I don’t think it ends there, since I think Godzilla will still be in movies long after I die, which hopefully won’t be for about 50 years, because Godzilla just works. As I’ve already noted, there may be more recognizable characters out there like Spider-Man, Mickey Mouse, or Superman, but Godzilla’s consistency when it comes to movies is what really makes him the greatest cinematic character of all time.

I took my son to see Godzilla Minus One, and now he’s just as big a Godzilla fan as I am. Hopefully, if he’s ever blessed with children like I was, he’ll spread that love to his children and continue the cycle of loving the King of the Monsters. This is something I definitely foresee happening since I don’t think Godzilla is going anywhere.

So, for all of those reasons combined, I think Godzilla is the greatest character in cinematic history, and you’re never going to convince me otherwise.

Crossword Puzzle Quiz: Guess The 2026 Movie From The Really Vague Description

Kelly West — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:00:00 +0000

As we work our way further into the second half of the year, I thought I'd dedicate this week's movie quiz to the films that have been released in theaters so far in 2026. While I don't think you'll need to have seen all of the movies featured in the crossword puzzle below, it'll help if you have some general knowledge of the titles and plots for each of the movies.

We'll give you a very vague description of the 2026 movie's plot, and you'll guess the title.

I May Be Alone In This, But I Still Want One Forgotten Marvel Team In Doomsday

Rich Knight — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

We’ve come a long way when it comes to news about December 18th’s Avengers: Doomsday. From seeing a whole bunch of names on chairs to learning that Cap and company were coming back, the info keeps on rolling.

And with the news, we also got a new poster from former visual development director Andy Park, as well as a brand-spanking-new trailer featuring Doctor Doom and everything. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the X-Men, The Avengers (Both old AND new), and The Fantastic Four whoop Doctor Doom’s behind. However, one team is notably absent from the trailer, and that’s the one from my favorite Marvel movie, Eternals.

Which, you know, really bugs me, since if the Eternals were ever coming back, it likely would have been for this extravaganza. Let’s talk.

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Look, I Get It. Nobody Likes Eternals Except For Me

Okay, I get it. When most people rank the MCU movies, Eternals always lands somewhere near the bottom, if not THE bottom. And, yeah, I’ve heard all of the complaints: “It should have been a TV series rather than a movie.” “There were just too many characters,” and, the most common of all, “It’s just so BORING.”

However, even after a rewatch, I still consider it my favorite MCU movie. I’m eternally hoping that we’ll see Thena, Sersi, and Kingo again (even though it probably would be in Kumail Nanjiani’s best interest to stay away from Marvel this time, for mental health's sake anyway). I just love these characters. I don’t think Eternals should have been a TV series, and I feel that the film did a great job of managing so many characters. But, most importantly, I don’t find it BORING. I find it ambitious, engaging, and artistic, and I always wanted more of it from Marvel.

So, to not see any hint of them on this new concept art or in the trailer just really upsets me. Especially since I know Marvel still remembers that they exist.

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

I Mean, Hello. They’re Referenced In Captain America: Brave New World

Another Marvel movie that I know people don’t like, but I enjoy, is Captain America: Brave New World, which I would actually rank higher than the first Captain America flick. Now, something that surprised many a longtime MCU fan is that Eternals were actually referenced in a major way in the fourth Captain America movie, as we actually got to see what happened to the Celestial, Tiamut, with Celestial Island.

That tells me that Kevin Feige still remembers Eternals. Now, I understand that the Russo brothers probably don’t care about Eternals since they have their own vision in mind, plus they also have the X-Men to bring into the fray.

However, I just can’t shake the feeling that Eternals should have at least SOME kind of presence in this movie, which actually brings me to my last point.

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Eternals Would Be Really Cool In Avengers: Doomsday, So Am I Being A Fool For Still Holding Out Hope?

There’s still a lot we likely don’t know about Avengers: Doomsday, even with everything they’ve shown us thus far in the trailer. So, am I being foolish for believing that perhaps the Eternals MIGHT make an appearance in this movie somehow?

I mean, I never thought I’d see Thor: The Dark World ever referenced again, but it played a prominent role in Avengers: Endgame.

So, could the Eternals also be hidden away in this movie somewhere and we just don’t know about it yet? I guess only time will tell.

After The First Two Episodes Of Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro, I Have (Many) Thoughts

Christina Radish — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:05:00 +0000

Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Hulu subscription.

To hold you over until Dancing with the Stars debuts on the 2026 TV schedule this fall with Season 35, DWTS: The Next Pro is expanding the hit franchise. Instead of focusing on celebrities whose professional dance partners guide them as they compete to win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, the new series sets out to find the next pro among 12 up-and-comers. Rest assured, just because there are no celebrity contestants on this Season 35 prequel, there will still be drama. But more on that later.

I must admit, I have a spot in my heart for dance shows. Whether it’s World of Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, or even Bunheads, I will be tuned in. I’m also down for a good unexpected but amazing movie dance sequence, like with “I’m Just Ken” in the Barbie movie or the Michael Jackson “Thriller” moment in 13 Going on 30.

So, moving six male and six female dancers into a house with bunk beds as they (probably literally) shed blood, sweat, and tears in a grueling audition process, and I have my popcorn ready. Let’s dig into what I learned from watching the first two episodes of DWTS: The Next Pro.

(Image credit: ABC)

Going To Work With Your Mother Might Lead To Some Spicy Clashes

Yes, the contestants on DWTS: The Next Pro are fierce, but so are the judges. While fans of Dancing with the Stars will be familiar with three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas, he’s being joined at the judges’ table, right in the center seat, by his mother Shirley Ballas, aka “The Queen of Latin.” Mama Ballas is a champion in her own right, an elite teacher, the head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and she has the type of presence that makes you want to stand up straighter when she enters the room. It also quickly becomes clear that being mother and son won’t prevent clashes from happening when the two disagree.

Shirley Ballas is known for being firm but fair, while her son Mark Ballas has built a bit of a reputation as a rebel who will throw out the rule book when the situation calls for it. That blend of tradition and imagination is perfect for a DWTS pro dancer that’s looking to stand out from the crowd, but for a mother and son who are working side by side on a reality competition series, it’s going to cause some disagreements, and I am here for them all.

Now, the Ballas duo are professionals, so even if things do get spicy, I’m sure they can work it out. In the setup for the season at the start of the first episode, there’s a fun clip with Mark saying, “Do the show with your mom, they said. It will be fun, they said.” But Shirley laughs it off, so I think we’re safe and reassured that no judges were harmed in the making of this reality show. And there will be a different guest judge every week from the lineup of DWTS pros that can jump in to ease the tension if need be.

(Image credit: ABC)

When Dance Show Contestants Get Vulnerable, I End Up In Tears With Chills

There is only so much airtime in a one-hour TV show, so the focus of DWTS is unsurprisingly primarily on the journeys of the celebrities, through injury and triumph. Season 35 is still a few months away from its debut, but that’s no reason not to start the hype for the celebrity contestants, having already announced Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo Rodriguez, Savannah Banana’s Jackson Olson, and Summer House and The Traitors star Ciara Miller. The Traitors and Love Island star Maura Higgins is already getting into shape with DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

DWTS: The Next Pro will have demanding challenges every week, meant to test the hopefuls’ ability to cope with the extreme pressure of the live show as they prove their technical excellence and creativity as choreographers. If you have an off week and fall short on technique, you can put more hours in at the rehearsal studio. But what often trips up the celebrity contestants on DWTS, especially the ones who aren’t actors, is being able to open themselves up emotionally in a very vulnerable way and connect that with the steps.

I was so happy to see DWTS: The Next Pro only waited until Episode 2 to bring on a challenge using dance to tell a meaningful personal story. Admittedly, I got nervous when they paired the contestants and told them to choose a story between them because that could have easily led to disaster for any pairing that didn’t fully connect or listen to each other. And while some performances didn’t live up to the promise of what they could have been, it was beautiful to witness the partnerships that did click. There’s one performance in particular, by Allen Genkin and Adele Zaikman, that was so authentic and raw that it immediately gave me chills because it felt like the dancers had cracked open their souls and poured all of their emotions out onto the dance floor. It left the dancers, their fellow contestants, the host, the judges, and yes, even me, in tears.

(Image credit: ABC)

Robert Irwin Just Might Be The Most Wholesome Person In Entertainment

Aussie wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin made a splash on Dancing with the Stars Season 34 alongside his pro partner Witney Carson, securing victory together. Throughout his season, he stayed open to learning and absorbing everything and really wore his heart on his sleeve. And that’s really working for him as the host of DWTS: The Next Pro.

Robert Irwin is able to let his smile light up the room, offer words of encouragement, and sit beside you and share a moment of understanding, with all of it feeling completely genuine. There’s a beautiful exchange in Episode 2 when Robert Irwin goes to check in on the contestant who is working out his own grief through dance. If you’ve lost a parent, which I have, you understand the importance of just sitting with someone who knows what those emotions are without having to say anything at all. To be able to be so open and vulnerable about his own experiences with the loss of his father, Steve Irwin, and sharing what it was like for him to walk through his own grief during his time on DWTS was powerful and reassuring. I look forward to seeing what more he has in store as the competition narrows.

(Image credit: ABC)

Being A Pro On Dancing With The Stars Is Hard Work

Being on Dancing with the Stars is hard work, and not just for the celebrity contestants, many of whom have no dance experience, put in endless hours of rehearsals practicing movements that don’t come naturally to them, and work through often quite painful injuries. It’s also hard work for the pros, no matter how easy they make it look. As someone who took my first dance class at the age of 4, grew up learning a variety of styles, and had a brief professional stint, I know what it takes, and I admire the perseverance. Dancers put everything on the line and are pushed to the extreme, having to roll with whatever happens during a live performance.

I actually really appreciate the fact that things were a bit bumpy for quite a few of the dancers in the first episode because it shows that even dancers who have been champions or have shared the stage with music superstars can still have an off day and can learn and grow. The one thing that I’m most surprised by with DWTS: The Next Pro is that it’s taken 34 seasons of DWTS for this competition series to even happen. I have no idea who is going to be the last dancer standing and win their way onto Season 35 (though we know it won't be the three who have been eliminated, Benji Castro, Jake Monreal, and Briar Nolet), or if that winner will be replacing one of the current DWTS pros. Still, I am here for every second of it, every Monday until they make the final announcement.

I Have Strong Opinions About The Ultimatum Season 4 Couples Ignoring A Big Part Of The Experience

Heidi Venable — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Spoiler alert! This story discusses The Ultimatum Season 4, Episodes 1-5, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

I’ve been a fan of the Netflix dating series The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On from the beginning, and no, it’s not because I think it offers a valid option for struggling long-term couples to save their relationships. It’s because the wild partner-swap premise makes for peak reality TV drama. However, after watching the first five episodes of The Ultimatum Season 4, I’m frustrated that the couples are basically ignoring a big part of the experiment.

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Ultimatum Season 4 Couples Aren’t Buying Into Their Trial Marriages

Anyone who’s watched a past season of The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On or its superior spinoff The Ultimatum: Queer Love has heard the host (in this case, Nick Lachey) issue the rules: At the end of the experience, you will either leave engaged, with a new partner, or alone. The potential for the cast members to find love (or at least lust) with their trial spouse is baked into the show's format, but there seems to be no romantic potential in the Season 4 trial marriages.

There are no sparks flying, and therefore there’s no suspense over whether or not someone might actually leave their partner for a new relationship. Past seasons have at least shown conversations about sharing a bed or how much physical intimacy should factor into a trial marriage. We’ve even gotten scandalous kisses and “intimate” noises. I don’t think we’ve seen so much as hand-holding in Season 4.

Trial spouses Ashley Wilson and Blake Robertson (pictured above) may have had the most potential, but it seemingly only took one Instagram video of a very chaste bowling date for their original partners Hayley Hendrich and Killian Grondin to fly off the rails over their supposed connection. David Atkinson and Monica Payne also got along really well, and she legitimately seemed to be helping him open up emotionally. But come on, man, this is Netflix, not couples therapy.

(Image credit: Netflix)

This Season’s Drama Has Not Been All That Fun To Watch

The Ultimatum: Queer Love never had a problem serving up delicious drama — the Spotify “sex playlist” scandal lives rent-free in my head — and yet Netflix canceled that series. Instead, we’re left with The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, with this season’s biggest drama so far being Killian’s group text, where he seems to condone his buddies’ lewd comments about Hayley’s body. That’s disgusting to me, and it’s definitely not the kind of drama I come to this franchise for.

And look, rooting for more experimentation between the couples doesn’t make me a monster. For one thing, these are adults who signed up for a crazy partner-swapping experience. I’m not going to apologize for wanting follow-through. Secondly, these couples are not the epitome of healthy relationships.

If you’re still “50/50” on your partner after six years, you’ve got to cut that cord, and nobody at the ripe old age of 23 should be giving OR receiving a marriage ultimatum (this season started with three that age).

Despite the lack of sparks between the contestants and a couple of problematic players, I’m still enjoying The Ultimatum Season 4, and I can’t wait to binge through the switchback round and see how it all plays out.

The first eight episodes are available to stream on Netflix now, with the finale and reunion hitting the 2026 TV schedule on Wednesday, July 22.

I Rewatched The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Hoping To Like It More. I Did, But I Still Have Some Issues

Rich Knight — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:05:00 +0000

When the first Super Mario Bros. Movie came out (and I'm talking about the animated one - not the so-bad-it's-good live-action version), I didn't even need a second watch to enjoy it. I loved it on my very first viewing!

Hell, even with critics completely savaging it, I still thought it was great. That said, I definitely didn't have those same feelings with the sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. In fact, I downright hated it.

Now that it's finally come home, I rented it and watched it again, and…well, I have some thoughts. Do you want to hear them? Okay, then, well, let's-a-go!

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

It Actually Wasn't As Bad As I Remember It Being

A huge complaint I had with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie upon my first viewing was that it just moved way too fast. Now, I'm usually a huge supporter of brisk pacing and short run-times (one of my favorite movies of all time is Marty, after all, which is a breezy 93 minutes). However, upon my first viewing of Galaxy, it felt like it was just all action and no character development.

Upon a rewatch, I actually didn't mind that this time. Sure, Yoshi has no character growth whatsoever, and Mario seems to get lost in his own movie, but after seeing it a second time, that didn't seem like such a big deal. I kind of just turned off my brain for a little over an hour and a half, and the visuals did a lot of the heavy lifting, as it really is a colorful and expressive film.

I also did a lot more easter egg hunting this time, which I know was a complaint with the first movie, but I think this sequel went WAY further (Like, I actually saw Little Mac from Punch-Out!! this time around) with the fan service. So, as a fast-paced, easter egg-heavy movie, I think this movie succeeds on a second watch. Even so…

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

This Movie Still Has A Lot Of Problems

Okay, so knowing in advance that this movie is more about Princess Peach and her relationship with Rosalina than it is about Mario, I followed that narrative more closely this time around on my second viewing, and…that storyline STILL needed some work.

The two characters who mainly get story arcs of Princess Peach and Bowser Jr. still don't feel that interesting or well thought out to me. It might be because I just don't like Bowser Jr. as a character in general, but he arguably has the biggest story arc in the entire film, and I just don't care for it.

Granted, much like the Mario video games, the story is secondary. For a movie, even one as uninterested in telling an engaging story as this one is, the characters’ journeys just don't do anything for me, which is a huge bummer.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Even Though It Likely Won't Be The Last Mario Movie, I'd Be Okay If It Was

So, given the box office success of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, I think we can all agree that we're getting a sequel, right? I mean, the end of the film already teased who we’re getting for the inevitable third film.

However, I'd be perfectly fine if this was the last Mario movie. Would it be cool to get a Star Fox flick? Absolutely! Do I want a Donkey Kong movie? No, not really. But, even so, I would definitely take that over another Mario/Illumination joint.

Sure, I’m interested in seeing what a live-action Zelda movie will be like, but I’m kind of done with these Mario films, and I definitely won’t see a third one in theaters. Thankfully, these Mario movies come home pretty quickly, so I guess I’ll just wait to see it from the comfort of my couch.

Here's Why I'm Kind Of Against Today's Kids Getting Into Michael Jackson After Watching Michael

Rich Knight — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000

I can already hear it: Take the keyboard away from this boomer before he starts shouting at the clouds. Before you say that, one, I'm a Millennial (an elder Millennial, but still), and two, well, let me explain myself.

I'm not inherently against kids loving Michael Jackson. How can I be when I myself introduced my own children to MJ before they could even (moon) walk? Plus, as a fan, don't you think I love hearing MJ on the radio again? I grew up with Michael Jackson, and therefore, I love his music!

I love that today's kids love MJ’s music, too. That said…

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The Michael Movie Only Shows The Positive Side Of MJ, So Kids Aren't Getting The Full Picture

Did you know that it’s documented that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. likely had extramarital affairs? Now, I know you probably want to smack my face for saying that, and I don’t like admitting it, either. However, just because it tarnishes a lionized version of the man, it doesn’t tarnish what he accomplished in his short time on this planet. That said, what does this have to do with Michael Jackson? Well, it’s just that the Michael biopic, which tons of people - including kids - have seen, doesn’t actually show what I remember of MJ growing up, outside of his music, of course.

Now, the movie legally could not show aspects surrounding the allegations swirling around the man at the time (In fact, the movie stops just short of that particular period of his life). I still think it’s important that young people do know that MJ, while a genius who was undeniably abused by his father, also may (emphasis on the word “may”) have had a dark side to him, just like MLK.

I think this is important since I believe that children should know that people - even great people who change the world - are still human at the end of the day, and that they’re far from perfect.

Did MJ do what people say he did? I hope not, but I don’t know. Did the media tear MJ apart during that time of his life? Absolutely, which I predict might be the narrative of the next movie. Whatever the case, I still think young people deserve to know what MIGHT have happened with Michael Jackson, and they won’t get that from the movie.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Young People Are Only Loving A Certain Time Period Of MJ's Music

Okay, phew. That was some heavy stuff. Now, onto more lighthearted fare. Another thing I don’t love about kids who watch Michael is that they only seem to know a certain time period of MJ’s music. Granted, this is because we only see MJ in his years with the Jackson 5, and then his quest towards the Bad World Tour. I’m kind of tired of hearing kids singing only stuff from the Thriller era, like “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” (and surprisingly, the posthumous song, “Chicago,” which I gather is because of TikTok).

When it was announced that an MJ movie was initially coming out, I had high hopes for it. One of my highest hopes was that it was a FULL biopic. Like, I didn’t want to see his death, but I did want to see his full career, which meant I also wanted to see his Bad era, his Dangerous era, and even his Invincible era. That way, we’d get the full span of the biggest moments of his solo career.

By kneecapping the movie at only this specific time period, unless today’s kids want to delve into Michael Jackson on their own, they’ll likely only continue to enjoy the hits from the movie, or, from what’s popular on TikTok, and I’m not in love with that idea.

I mean, I guess kids loving MJ’s music in general is a net positive, even if it's only a sampling, but the unc in me (More like the gatekeeper, really) is kind of annoyed that today’s kids are just listening to the same bops over and over again. Oh, well. I guess a sequel could rectify that.

Sean Connery Almost Turned Down The Hunt For Red October For A Very 1980s Reason

Hugh Scott — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:05:00 +0000

I’ve been a huge fan of The Hunt for Red October ever since I saw it in theaters when I was 14-years-old. The movie has since become what I would call a “remote dropper,” meaning if I happen to scroll by it on my TV looking for something to watch, there’s a better-than-excellent chance I’ll settle on watching the Sean Connery-led submarine movie again. I just learned that Connery almost turned down the role of Soviet sub captain Marko Ramius, and a fax machine was to blame. Boy, that takes me back.

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Connery Argued The Plot Made No Sense In The Context Of The Time

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

The Film Almost Looked Completely Different

The reason Connery was even offered the part was that Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer (who co-starred with the Scot in Connery’s final Bond movie, Never Say Never Again, and later in The Russia House) had a conflict and had to drop out of production after he was initially cast as Ramius. That would have made for a very different movie. That wasn’t the only difference that could have been.

According to producers, they initially reached out to Kevin Costner to play Jack Ryan, a role that would eventually go to Alec Baldwin. Costner was in the midst of getting Dances With Wolves off the ground and didn’t have time. They also wanted Harrison Ford in the role, but he turned them down. Of course, Ford would later replace Baldwin in the role in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. As much as I love Ford in the role, I’m actually partial to Baldwin, so I’m happy about this eventual choice, as well.

For the generations who have come after the invention of email, fax machines are a bygone relic of the past, no different than rotary telephones and buggy whips. The fact that a cover sheet didn’t get transmitted isn’t surprising, but thankfully it was all a misunderstanding. The Hunt for Red October isn’t nearly as good without Connery.

Matt Damon Movie Crossword Puzzle: Name The Film By The Quote

Kelly West — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:30:00 +0000

With Matt Damon starring in The Odyssey, which arrives in theaters, now seems like the perfect time to look back on some of Damon's memorable films. If you want to ace this crossword puzzle, you'll need to be familiar with some oFor this week's movie quiz, we'll provide a quote from one of his movie characters and you tell us what movie it's from.

Can you solve all of the clues in the crossword puzzle below?

Moana Didn't Do Well At The Box Office, But Disney Can Still Salvage These Live-Action Adaptations

Rich Knight — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Ouch. That’s all I have to say for the debut of the live-action Moana, as it nabbed the top spot this past weekend, but with a relatively meager $95 million worldwide.

Now, to put things into perspective, the movie reportedly had a production budget of up to $250 million, which means that it has a steep uphill climb, especially with The Odyssey coming this weekend (Different audiences, but still), and Spider-Man: Brand New Day just around the corner. So, does this spell the end for future live-action Disney adaptations?

Well, no, because we still have Tangled coming, as well as Hercules. However, if Moana’s failure proves anything, it’s that popular animated movies don’t necessarily make for successful live-action ones. So, here’s what I think Disney can do to right this ship.

(Image credit: Walt Disney Pictures)

Perhaps They Should Go Back To More Obscure Classics Like Pete's Dragon

Quite recently, I wrote about how Disney should make a live-action adaptation of Big Hero 6, and I am now ten toes down on that opinion after seeing Moana flop at the box office. That’s because everybody and their mother has already SEEN the original Moana, so why would they rush out of their houses to watch a live-action version of it? If anything, I think most people would just be of the mindset to wait for it to come to Disney+ since they literally already have Moana at home.

No, what Disney should do if they want people to get excited for these live-action adaptations again is to go back to the more obscure Disney movies, like Pete’s Dragon. Because while the 2016 live-action movie wasn’t a behemoth at the box office (it made a little over $143 million worldwide), it only had a production budget of $65 million, so it still made a profit.

This is what making more obscure adaptations can do - it can give Disney the freedom to have a stricter budget, since the audience might not have seen the original, so they don’t have anything to compare it to.

Just off the top of my head, here are some other “obscure” Disney cartoons that could make for some interesting live-action adaptations: Treasure Planet, The Emperor’s New Groove, Oliver & Company, The Sword in the Stone, and Bolt, just to name a few. Personally, I would definitely leave the house to see any one of those. Wouldn’t you? No, well, here’s another suggestion then…

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)

Maybe Disney Can Try Not To Make Remakes So Close To The Originals

Anybody with eyes could have told you what Disney was going for with the recent Moana, as it was pretty much just a shot-for-shot, live-action recreation of the original, and who wants that? Yes, I know some people think movies like The Little Mermaid or Snow White went too far off the beaten path with their adaptations. Maybe something more like Aladdin, which took a creative risk with Will Smith as the Genie, is where these live-action movies should be heading.

So, maybe something different, but not TOO different is what I’m saying. For example, casting Dwayne Johnson as a live-action version of a character he voiced in the animated version just isn’t going to cut it, as why would anybody feel the need to see a whole movie of that when you already get the gist of what that would be like from the trailer?

Honestly, I’d rather we didn’t get more live-action versions of already popular animated movies, but if Disney’s going that route, then they might as well try something different to get us into the theaters. That’s all I’m saying.

What do you think? Do you feel Disney can turn things around with these live-action movies without adding Stitch to the mix? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

WWE's Recent Title Changes Highlight The Biggest Problem I Have With The Company Lately

mick.joest@CinemaBlend.com (Mick Joest) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:05:00 +0000

The WWE has been big on pursuing moments for a while, but nothing was more egregious than what wrestling fans just witnessed these past couple of weeks. Sami Zayn won his first WWE championship in Saudi Arabia, which made for a truly unexpected and exciting twist for the company. Not long after, he almost immediately dropped it to CM Punk in his first Monday Night Raw back in a while in front of his hometown crowd in Chicago.

I should've been thrilled for both, as a longtime Zayn fan and someone who feels Punk is having one of the best runs of his career. Instead, however, I felt empty, and like I noticed the WWE jingling car keys in my face. They gave Sami the belt in Saudi Arabia because of the pop, and they did the same to Punk because, again, the pop would create a big viral moment. To me, it seems the company is more than happy to chase the easiest pop to achieve, rather than work toward long and sustained storytelling, and that's a problem.

(Image credit: WWE)

The WWE Is Way More Concerned With Chasing Moments Than Storytelling

While some wrestling fans assumed Sami Zayn would always be the sacrificial lamb to one of the main event stars, I don't think anyone predicted his title reign would last under two weeks. Unfortunately, I feel conditioned to that more than ever, as it seems like the wrestling company is all over the place here lately and throwing twist after twist at the wall with what feels like zero plan for what comes next.

Creating memorable moments is important, but the level and length in which the WWE has gone in the past couple of years to create them is excessive. It seems the goal is to send the fans home happy and feeling like they witnessed something spectacular. It also shows the people who didn't go what they missed out on, and maybe a prod to encourage them to buy a ticket next time around.

Ok, so what's the big deal? Why would I demonize the WWE for wanting to make fans happy and like they got value out of their tickets? Truthfully, I had to think about that myself over the past year and why it bugged me, and then it hit me after I saw Zayn drop the title with my Netflix subscription.

(Image credit: WWE)

Creating Moments Is Fun, But It Doesn't Sustain Fans For Long

The WWE has these great ideas or pitches for moments that create a spectacle, but the idea is almost always half-baked. Take Seth Rollins with the masked men, and how increasingly stupid that bit got, to where it became Rollins in the ring with several masked men? It made zero sense, and that's largely because the idea probably came about because someone pitched how wild it would be to see multiple masked men in a ring.

Perhaps worse than half-baked, the WWE is sometimes outright deceptive with its moments, allowing fans to believe something like The Rock showing up at an event means he'll be at an upcoming PLE on the 2026 TV schedule. Remember that, and then after people were gobsmacked that The Rock didn't show up at WrestleMania, he was forced to admit he did it as a personal favor to TKO to help boost ticket sales?

I don't fault the WWE for trying to boost ticket sales. It is, after all, their job. I do fault the WWE for going about it in what feels like the laziest way possible, chasing viral moments and pops in exchange for competent storytelling and feuds that will stand the test of time and be remembered longer than the end of the year. Will people remember Sami Zayn's championship at the end of this year? Probably, but not because of how special it was.

I'm hoping to see some better long-term storytelling out of the WWE as this year continues, and ultimately hoping I eat crow and Sami and Punk have some mega feud that rivals what we saw with him and Drew McIntyre back in 2024.

Netflix’s Shipwrecked: Nightmare At Sea Documentary Did One Thing I Hate As A Mom

Heidi Venable — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:05:00 +0000

When Netflix released its Trainwreck documentaries last year, I watched them all, mouth agape at the terrifying Astroworld Tragedy and the perplexing Balloon Boy situation. Then there was the Poop Cruise, which churned stomachs as effectively as a boat on choppy waters. So I was intrigued when Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea hit the 2026 movie calendar, chronicling the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster. The documentary delivered a harrowing and infuriating story of a cruise gone very wrong, but it also did one thing that, as a mom, I absolutely can’t stand.

Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea takes us back to 2012, on the first night of a Costa Concordia cruise. More than 4,000 people were aboard the ship when it crashed into some rocks near Italy’s coast, and through survivor interviews, cellphone footage, emergency phone calls and more, we learned about the tragedy that resulted in 32 deaths. However, it was how the doc withheld one survivor’s fate that really bothered me.

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Don't Make Me Wait Until The End To Know The Baby Survived

Two of the survivors interviewed for Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea were John and Meghan Scimone, who were on the Costa Concordia that night with their 1-year-old daughter Lila. Naturally, a lot of their experience revolved around keeping the baby safe as they tried to get off the boat.

I’ll go ahead and do what the documentary didn’t and confirm that Lila thankfully survived the ordeal and is thriving today as a teenager. The movie, however, was edited in a way that strung the viewer along to think something awful may have happened to her.

This really rubbed me the wrong way. As a mother, I have zero interest in stories — especially true ones — that portray serious harm to kids. So instead of merely focusing on the disaster at hand, I spent a good portion of my Nightmare at Sea viewing wondering if I should abandon ship, so to speak, just in case.

It’s not a new tactic to withhold the fate of your documentary subject. It’s actually really effective in another Netflix doc, The Deepest Breath (one of Netflix’s best sports movies, in my opinion) about freedivers Alessia Zecchini and Stephen Keenan, as well as in HBO Max’s The Dark Wizard about climber and BASE jumper Dean Potter.

However, unlike those stories, withholding the fact that 1-year-old Lila made it through was more distracting than necessary to the story. John and Meghan Scimone’s struggle was stressful enough without that question hanging in the abyss.

I empathized so much with the new mom being tortured by her baby’s cries, and it made me lightheaded to think of John handing his baby to a stranger while trying to escape a tipping lifeboat, with the choppy Mediterranean Sea beneath them.

The Scimones talked about having to slide 200 feet to the other side of the ship and even how they considered trying to swim for safety, though that was impossible with their baby. That is terrifying!

Even after the family made it off the sinking ship, Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea was edited to include only photos of videos of 1-year-old Lila, as the parents spoke about the psychologists and doctors they consulted about the trauma the baby had been through (a great parenting move, to be sure). It was only in the final minutes of the movie that Lila's fate was confirmed, when the foreboding music turned bright, and John and Meghan were shown talking about their 15-year-old daughter living a normal life.

Using the question of a child’s survival as a hook to keep viewers interested feels cheap to me, especially when you consider that a 5-year-old was among the victims of the Costa Concordia disaster.

Overall, I found the Shipwrecked documentary very much worth firing up your Netflix subscription for, but my aching mom heart did not love having to wait 87 minutes to find out that everything turned out OK for the Scimones’ daughter.

Ratatouille 2 Isn't Happening. Here Are 5 Other Pixar Movies That Better Not Get A Sequel, Either

Rich Knight — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:05:00 +0000

I know I don’t speak for everyone, but when director Brad Bird confirmed that we weren’t getting a sequel to Ratatouille, I think many of us gave a collective sigh of relief. That's because when looking back at every Pixar movie, I would say that Ratatouille is definitely in my top 5 favorite from the company. In fact, I’d consider Ratatouille a perfect movie. Not only that, but there are a few other Pixar films that I think better not get a sequel, either, and here’s why.

(Image credit: Walt Disney Pictures)

WALL-E (2008)

Oh, and for those of you who haven’t heard the news yet, in an interview with Collider, Bird, who wrote and directed the classic Pixar film, said that he thinks Ratatouille’s story has already been told and that it doesn’t need a sequel, and amen, brother. Amen.

Do you want to know a Pixar movie that I thought would never get a sequel, but did? Inside Out. In fact, when it was revealed that we were getting a sequel, I definitely had mixed emotions, because I didn’t even know how you could MAKE a sequel to that movie. Upon seeing the box office sensation, I understood. Riley was growing up, and it only made sense that she would have stronger emotions when entering into her teenage years. In hindsight, a sequel to Inside Out almost seems like a foregone conclusion.

I could definitely say the same for WALL-E. The story of the last robot on Earth getting swept away on an adventure to essentially save a plant, the film ends on a positive note in which humans return to a destroyed Earth and plant a tree. So, in theory, a sequel only seems natural, as we could see what Earth looks like in the aftermath years later.

But, not so fast, because a WALL-E 2 would totally devalue the themes of the original, which is to not lose the human connection, and to take care of the planet while we still can. WALL-E is not one of my favorite Pixar films, but I do think it has the strongest message out of any other movie in the company’s catalogue.

I also think that WALL-E resides in a very specific time period for Pixar. Sandwiched between 2007’s Ratatouille and 2009’s Up, 2008’s WALL-E was when I think Pixar was at its absolute apex, and truly soaring when it came to original ideas. So, I really don’t think any film from this period should get a sequel, as they should stay as singular, inventive concepts. Oh, and speaking of Up…

(Image credit: Walt Disnsey Studios Motion Pictures)

Up (2009)

Let me tell you. If there’s any Pixar movie that falls completely and utterly apart by its third act, it’s Up. That said, no Pixar movie has ever come remotely close to matching the beauty, sadness, and elegance of Up’s first ten minutes, and I don’t think any Pixar movie ever will.

It’s like a mini movie of a married couple’s lives, in both the high highs, the low lows, and the end of one of their lives. No Pixar movie has probably made more people cry than Up…besides maybe Toy Story 3, and that was mostly because we had come to know these characters for THREE movies and didn’t want to see them die. Up made us cry in ten minutes, though! However, I truly do think Up’s legacy is just in those opening minutes, because the rest of the movie is kind of ridiculous.

An old man goes on an adventure in his flying house with a boy scout, and there are dogs flying planes, and all manner of wackiness. It’s the kind of story that when you watch it again, you’re like, wow. This movie is actually kind of bad, mostly because it’s all over the place and doesn’t even come remotely close to living up to those first few minutes.

Which is why I feel a sequel to Up would be a huge mistake. Everybody remembers this movie for its opening moments, and all a sequel would do is make everybody remember the rest of Up, which I don’t think Pixar should do. Not if they want people to remember the original fondly.

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Coco (2017)

Coco is one of the best music movies of all time, but that's not its only legacy. It’s also one of Pixar’s most “grown-up” movies ever, as it explores death and how family members deal with it.

It’s also a gorgeously animated film that respects Mexican heritage, and does so in a way that is fully digestible for children. More importantly though, it’s a film that doesn’t need a continuation, especially since the heart of the film is really about a daughter and her father, and by the end of it, they’re reunited.

Even though we go on Miguel’s journey to the Land of the Dead, the story isn’t about him. Not really. Yes, it’s about following your dreams - in this case, Miguel’s dream to be a musician - but it’s more about cherishing the people who came before you, even though they may have passed.

So, for a movie that’s all about death, let the dead lie because Coco doesn’t need a sequel. It’s perfect as it is.

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Onward (2020)

When it debuted, Onward was my favorite Pixar movie, and I was upset that it didn’t do well financially. Granted, this was at the start of the pandemic, so it made sense that people didn’t want to leave their houses. It’s such an emotionally rich story - again about loss, this time of a father - that I thought that maybe people should do their best to see it in theaters. Thankfully, it found its audience at home.

The story of two brothers who go on an adventure to bring their dead dad back to life, Onward hits me so hard in the feels. In fact, since the movie came out, I lost my mother, so its storyline of bringing back a family member, even if only for a day, hits me even harder now than it did back then.

Which is why Onward shouldn’t be touched, as how can you possibly replicate that feeling? Yes, the magical world of Onward is interesting, and the characters are…fine. When the heart of your story is about family coming together in the toughest of times, then it’s made its point.

I think Onward should be left alone, probably more so than any other movie on this list.

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Soul (2020)

The other 2020 Pixar film (and our pick for the best movie of that year), Soul, is still probably the best movie Pixar has ever made. The story about a music teacher who dies just before his big break and his desperate quest to get back to life, Soul is arguably the most creative and heartfelt movie the company has ever created.

It’s also such a singular story that it wouldn’t make sense to have a sequel. Throughout the film, a “lost soul” named 22 doesn’t want to be born, and our protagonist, Joe, acts as its mentor. All the while, Joe learns a great deal about himself and to appreciate the life that he’s lost, which shows great self-discovery.

Now, Soul is the only Pixar film that my children still haven’t finished, and I think that a lot of kids probably wouldn’t be as interested in this film as adults, as they’re not really thinking about their own mortality. That’s yet another reason why Soul should never have a sequel, as who would it even be for?

Soul is Pixar’s most mature movie, and as adults, we got the point the first time - appreciate life while you still can. Because life is short.

I Finally Saw Obsession, And Here's Why This One Character Was Worse Than I Expected

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Obsession is the Cinderella story that inspires people to actually go after their dreams, not just dream. It’s a huge box office hit with potential for sequels. I heard a lot about the film before seeing it.

Therefore, I had expectations for Obsession. One was that the plot showed more of Bear’s (Michael Johnston) problematic behavior than Nikki’s (Inde Navarrette) psychotic behavior. I expected Bear to be a villain, but I wasn’t expecting him to make so many bad decisions for love.

Bear was definitely the problem, but in ways I wasn’t expecting.

Warning: Obsession spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Blumhouse Productions)

Bear Had Plenty Of Opportunities To Express His Feelings To Nikki, But Chose Not To

I think Bear had a chance with Nikki. One of the moments that stunned me was when Nikki asked Bear if he had feelings for her. He dismisses her question like it’s silly. Then he makes the wish. Additionally, he said he wanted her to love him more than anyone in the whole world. That's generally such an extreme wish that it could only come with major repercussions.

You would want your partner to love you, but not more than anyone else. That’s naturally going to lead to codependency issues. Bear had the chance to tell Nikki he liked her, and the fact that she asked meant there was a chance she might like him too. I understand the anxiety of confessing love and risking rejection, but that’s better than making a dangerous wish. Nikki asking him whether he likes her just makes his wish even sadder and more insane.

(Image credit: Blumhouse Production)

Bear's More Obsessed With Nikki Than She Is With Him, And Proves That Repeatedly

Bear has the opportunity to erase the wish. He doesn’t want to do that because then he will really have to let Nikki go. Despite her unhinged behavior, he still wants her. It’s only when she becomes too crazy and less and less attractive that he finally wants to escape her entirely. Bear has always been the one fixated on her, which is why he makes the wish.

He still wants to be with her, even after her crazy behavior, which shows he’s more obsessed with her. His decisions are his free will; hers are controlled.

(Image credit: Blumhouse Productions)

He Constantly Makes Cowardly Decisions

It starts with him not telling her his feelings and then spirals. He tries to stop Nikki, but only after things escalate, and he becomes complicit in her crimes. He also fears her. Nikki became so deranged that I can see why even horror movie fans are scared to watch, but Bear”s actions are a lot scarier. He has opportunities to stop things but decides not to or can’t communicate well enough to save himself from his ultimate fate. I think the Obsession ending is satisfying because Bear’s death allows Nikki to be free. She’s traumatized and will likely go to prison or be on the run for the rest of her life, but she now has control of her body and mind. That’s not a happy ending, but the best she can get currently.

Rent or buy Obsession on Amazon.

People Love Interstellar, But I Think It's One Of Christopher Nolan's Weaker Movies. Here's Why

Rich Knight — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:05:00 +0000

With Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (which I'm eagerly anticipating) right around the corner, I thought it an opportune time to talk about Nolan’s other Odyssey movie - that being of the space variety, a.k.a. Interstellar.

While Interstellar isn’t exactly Nolan’s version of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, many would say that it’s just as ambitious in scope as what many consider to be Kubrick’s best movie. In fact, a lot of people consider Interstellar (which you can watch with a Paramount+ subscription) to be Nolan’s best movie, with this website even putting it at number one when we ranked his films.

However, even though I write for this website, I have NEVER been of the opinion that Interstellar was Nolan’s best. In fact, I genuinely think it’s one of his worst (though not as bad as Tenet), and for multiple reasons. Here are just a few. And yes, there are spoilers ahead!

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Always Found The Whole S-T-A-Y Scene To Be Predictable And Mawkish

There was a moment when I first saw Interstellar that was make-or-break for me. Early on in the film, Murphy, who is Cooper’s daughter, thinks there’s a ghost in her room. One such incident sees books knocked on Murphy’s floor, seemingly out of nowhere, and it spells out “S-T-A-Y” in Morse code.

Now, when I first saw this movie, I made a quick-time decision. In my head, I thought, this “ghost” is probably Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) communicating with his daughter from the future, because that’s a very sci-fi concept, especially when you’re dealing with time dilation, which I figured this movie was probably heading toward since it dealt with black holes. So, I was like, if this IS Cooper sending this message back to his daughter, I’m going to hate this movie because that’s really obvious. If it’s NOT what I predict, then this movie might have a shot at being good with me.

And…it was exactly what I predicted. Cooper found himself in a tesseract toward the end, and he was telling himself to stay and not go on this mission, which I found super mawkish and lame. I mean, one reason I used to love Nolan was that he was unflinching, and even cruel at times in his storytelling. The Prestige, which is my favorite Nolan movie, is fascinating, but also stark, with nary a maudlin moment. The same goes for Inception, which ends ambiguously, so we don’t know if it’s a happy ending or not.

Interstellar just feels…cheesy to me, and that’s not a word that I ever thought I would associate with Nolan until this movie.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Genuinely Don't Like Any Of The Characters

Another problem I have with this film is that I don’t care about any of the characters. I usually like McConaughey, but Cooper is so bland in this movie, and I have no idea why. His children, who we see both as young (Mackenzie Foy and Timothee Chalamet), and as adults (Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck, respectively) don’t do anything for me, and I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t care if they die on earth or not. They just never moved me in any way.

Anne Hathaway plays a NASA scientist floating around with McConaughey, but I don’t find her interesting, even WITH her being the daughter of Michael Caine’s character, who I feel also isn’t interesting. Heck, I don’t even like Matt Damon as the, I guess you can call him the “bad guy” of the film (And get this. His name is Dr. Hugh Mann…Get it? Hu-man? Oh, brother). Damon appears late in the film trying to get back home (Hmmm…wasn’t Damon in another space movie like that?), and he fudges the numbers in order to get a lift back.

Look. I know Nolan isn't always on his A game when it comes to crafting interesting characters. Shoot, if it weren't for films like Memento, Insomnia, and Oppenheimer, I might even suggest that Nolan is kind of…lacking when it comes to characterization. Interstellar (and Tenet. Remember when John David Washington's character was simply known as…The Protagonist?) is still on another level when it comes to weak characters.

Which wouldn't be such a bad thing if this movie felt sterile and cold like 2001, but it doesn't. It's supposed to find the Hugh-Mann-ity (I’m sorry) in the vastness of space, and it just…doesn't. Not for me, anyway.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Thought Nolan Somehow Made Even Wormholes And Black Holes Boring

When we first heard that Tenet was going to be about entropy, I was like, cool. I don’t really know what entropy is, but I know it has something to do with time travel since that’s what Primer was about, too…I think. Anyway, if Nolan used to do anything well in his career, it was to take these scientific concepts and make them interesting.

So, when we learned that black holes would play a significant role in Interstellar, I was game. I mean, Nolan made a dream machine cool in Inception, and he turned Batman on his pointy head with the Dark Knight trilogy by making it “realistic,” so I was looking forward to Nolan’s take on black holes.

Until I saw the movie, and was just bored by it. Yes, it pays to watch Interstellar on as big a screen as possible, but besides some of the visuals being kind of interesting, I think Nolan made black holes a little boring.

It’s a visual feast for the eyes, and, as my late mother once said, “Really cool if you were on something.” However, the wormhole and black hole scenes in Interstellar are just kind of…mid. I don’t know how else to put it. How Nolan made such cool concepts boring, I don’t know, but he did.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Also Didn't Think Any Of The Planets Explored Were All That Interesting

There was this video game that came out a few years back called Starfield, and even though I didn’t play it, one complaint I kept seeing over and over again from critics was that there were so many planets (like, 1000 or something), but there was virtually nothing to do on them. They were just, like, there, and you could explore them, but why would you even want to?

Now, maybe this has been updated since its 2023 launch, but I get a similar feeling with Interstellar, as there are three planets that are visited - Miller’s Planet, Mann’s Planet, and Edmunds’ Planet - and they’re all even more boring than the last.

Miller’s Planet is the ocean one with the huge waves, and even though it’s cool that time goes faster there…it’s still just a water planet. It looks like something you might find on Earth. The same goes for Mann’s Planet, as it’s just a cold planet, which is dull. And then you have Edmunds’ Planet, which is another bland place, but this one seems suitable for habitation.

That’s it. Like the rest of the film, I’m just left underwhelmed, and this is made worse with a rewatch, as I already know how dull the planets are, so there’s nothing to look forward to. I mean, I don’t know. People love this movie so much, and I just don’t see what the big deal is. Hopefully the actual The Odyssey will be much better (and I’ve heard good things!), because Nolan’s space odyssey? This just ain’t it, man.

About That Time Marlon Brando Wore An Ice Bucket Hat Since It Was Hot, And It Ended Up In The Movie

Rich Knight — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Well, for today’s cinema spectacular, I want to focus on Marlon Brando in 1996’s The Island of Dr. Moreau. Also starring Val Kilmer (though nobody would mistake it for one of his best movies), the serendipitous moment in question is when Marlon Brando wore an ice bucket hat on his head because he was hot, and it made it into the movie.

Serendipity, which is also known as “a happy accident,” is something that I’m always quick to point out since it happens so rarely. Usually, serendipitous occasions occur with discoveries, like finding mold in a Petri dish, or learning that two foods go together remarkably well. I always like the moments in films that were initially unintentional but ended up creating movie magic.

It’s so strange, but also so wonderful. Let’s talk.

(Image credit: New Line Cinema)

As You Probably Already Know, Marlon Brando Wasn't The Easiest Person To Work With

If there’s any actor who was notoriously difficult to work with, it was Marlon Brando. From not memorizing his lines in one of Coppola's best movies, The Godfather, to suggesting that he look like a glowing green bagel in Superman, Brando was certainly unique to say the very least, and a terror on set to say the very most.

Well, that notoriety followed him into the already difficult production of The Island of Dr. Moreau, which was a genuine disaster behind the scenes. According to Far Out, Brando is said to not have gotten along with Val Kilmer, like, at all. Not only that, but Brando donned kabuki make-up (which, according to FXGuide, he applied himself), and an ice bucket hat on his head…and he wanted all of this written into the script.

Now, Brando wanted to wear the ice bucket hat simply because it was hot in Queensland, Australia, where filming was going on, and it became an actual prop in the film (and hence, serendipity). In fact, according to SlashFilm, it is said that Brando wanted it to be revealed that his character was a dolphin, which might be why he needed the ice bucket hat in the first place. It's just sheer lunacy.

(Image credit: New Line Cinema)

There Was Also A Notoriously Difficult Production In Extreme Climate

One of the best war movies ever made, Apocalypse Now, is said to have had hellish conditions when it was filmed in the Philippines, but at least Apocalypse Now, which Brando also starred in, only had one director.

The Island of Dr. Moreau, however, infamously had two directors, with the first one, Richard Stanley, unceremoniously ousted early on in production, and John Frankenheimer brought on to replace him. Also interesting: Similar to how Apocalypse Now has a documentary about the troubled production titled Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, The Island of Dr. Moreau also has a documentary, that being Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau.

Doomed is right. The film was originally going to have Bruce Willis, but he declined as he was getting divorced from Demi Moore. So, Val Kilmer was brought on…and he was also served divorce papers. Tragically, Brando’s daughter died by suicide around this time, and it put into question whether he was going to be in the movie. When Brando eventually did come, he was wearing the make-up, a muumuu-esque ceremonial robe, and the ice bucket hat, and he demanded that it be in the film.

With Frankenheimer realizing the mess that he inherited, certain things were probably allowed into the movie that shouldn’t have been…namely, the ice bucket hat. At least it was memorable.

Moana Nabs The Top Box Office Spot, But The Biggest Winner Isn't Even In The Top 10

Heidi Venable — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 19:49:20 +0000

Moana sailed to Box Office gold this weekend, with the live-action remake earning $43 million in its first three days on the big screen. That’s way below projections, as the Disney flick competed with the 2026 movie calendar’s other family-friendly fare — Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5. If we want to talk big wins, we've got to look at a flick that fell out of the Top 10 weeks ago, because this weekend belonged to Michael.

The Michael Jackson biopic starring the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson has continued to bring in the bucks — especially overseas — to cross the 10-digit mark with a global box office total of $1,001,691,000, becoming the first biopic ever to surpass $1 billion.

Check out the weekend’s Top 10 movies below, per The Numbers, then we’ll get into what is all means, and of course, Michael’s huge milestone. (* denotes a new release)

Weekend Box Office: July 10-12

TITLE	WEEKEND TOTAL	DOMESTIC TOTAL	LAST WEEK	THEATERS
1. Moana*	$43,000,000	$43,000,000	N/A	3,875
2. Minions & Monsters	$20,500,000	$108,273,000	1	4,244
3. Toy Story 5	$18,500,000	$403,772,720	2	3,575
4. Evil Dead Burn*	$13,700,000	$13,700,000	N/A	3,004
5. Young Washington	$6,447,757	$33,105,849	3	2,771
6. The Invite	$5,721,061	$7,384,507	10	1,610
7. Obsession	$3,800,000	$253,322,000	6	2,069
8. Supergirl	$3,560,000	$66,001,000	4	2,584
9. Disclosure Day	$3,200,000	$111,314,000	5	2,204
10. Backrooms	$1,485,500	$194,197,303	7	1,262

Moana’s Opening Is Second-Worst Of Disney’s Live-Action Remakes — And Barely

Estimates for the live-action remake of Moana — starring Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson — were in the $60 million range, with low-end projections around $57 million. The reality is much bleaker at $43 million, and it didn’t get much help from the rest of the world, adding just $52 million for a global three-day total of $95 million.

That’s especially rough considering its hefty $250 million budget, which doesn’t include marketing costs. In fact, it’s the second-worst debut for a Disney live-action remake (and just barely) behind Snow White’s $42 million.

While many fans have expressed that they’re sick of these remakes, the House of Mouse has seen quite a bit of success, with 2016’s The Jungle Book possibly the best of the bunch. Let’s see how Moana’s opening weekend compares with some of the others:

Moana (2026): $43 million
Lilo & Stitch (2025): $146 million
Snow White (2025): $42.2 million
The Little Mermaid (2023): $95.6 million
The Lion King (2019): $191.8 million
Aladdin (2019): $91.5 million
Beauty and the Beast (2017): $174.8 million
The Jungle Book (2016): $103.3 million
Cinderella (2015): $67.9 million

How did Moana's live-action debut compare to its 2016 animated predecessor?

The 2016 animated version of Moana brought in $56.6 million on opening weekend, grossing $684.4 million globally during its theatrical run. Moana 2, the 2024 animated sequel, opened to $139.8 million and ended up bringing in $1.06 billion.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Evil Dead Burn Also Misses The Mark

Like Moana, Evil Dead Burn’s $13.7 million was far lower than projections, which had the movie making around $28 million. That’s somewhat surprising, given that horror has been so popular at the theater this summer, and the sixth offering in the Evil Dead franchise offered counterprogramming for all of the family-friendly fare.

However, critics were split, as some missed the signature Evil Dead humor that made the series so popular decades ago. Did Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore audiences agree with critics for this weekend's new movies?

How Critics And Audiences Scored This Week's New Releases
RANK/TITLE	RT CRITICS	RT AUDIENCES	CINEMASCORE
1. Moana	30%	90%	A-
4. Evil Dead Burn	71%	82%	B

Moana saw a shocking disparity between its reviews and audience opinion, so I guess viewers didn't find the live-action remake as "unnecessary" as the critics.

(Image credit: Annapurna Pictures, A24)

The Invite Climbs Upon Wide Release

While it doesn’t technically count as new, Olivia Wilde’s The Invite drew in $5.7 million in its first weekend in wide release (after two weekends of limited viewing), jumping from No. 10 to No. 6. Critics praised The Invite with a 96% RT score, and audiences seem to agree, giving it 89%.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Michael Crosses $1 Billion After 12 Weekends

Michael may have fallen out of the Box Office Top 10 in the U.S. and Canada back in June, but it’s continued to see plenty of ticket sales overseas — particularly in Japan, where Michael Jackson was super popular and where Michael saw a later release date of June 12. So, 12 weekends after its initial opening, the film has crossed the $1 billion milestone.

It is just the second movie to break into 10 figures this year, following The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it’s Lionsgate’s first-ever billion-dollar title. This comes weeks after Michael surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody ($911 million) as the highest-grossing music biopic ever and outgained Oppenheimer ($975.8 million) as the overall highest-grossing biopic.

(Image credit: Pixar)

Toy Story 5 Continues Its Climb Toward $1 Billion. Will Minions & Monsters Make It?

From everything we’ve seen and talked about above, it’s hard to argue that families are dominating the theaters right now, with the Top 3 movies all catering to the young ones. After Minions & Monsters’ less-than-ideal opening weekend, it dropped just 45% weekend over weekend, and when you add in its international numbers, it’s earned $280 million so far. It may not be the most successful of the franchise, but with an $85 million budget, nobody’s worried about this title.

The banana-loving blobs can’t seem to shake Toy Story 5, though. Despite the Pixar sequel being released nearly two weeks earlier, it remains on the Minions’ tail, with just $2 million separating the two in the weekend numbers. The global picture isn’t as close, with TS5 well on its way to $1 billion with $879 million worldwide.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Summer Blockbuster On Deck: The Odyssey

The time has finally come for The Odyssey — Christopher Nolan’s epic follow-up to Oppenheimer — featuring an all-star cast led by Matt Damon’s “insane” abs. OK, OK, I know the man is more than his chiseled midsection. The book-to-screen adaptation is projected to make between $100 million and $110 million, according to Box Office Pro, but after a few weekends of low numbers, I’m wary of the nine digits.

I’m trusting the experts, though, so snatch up your tickets if you’re so inclined, and then check back in with me next Sunday so we can crunch those numbers.

The More I Think About It, I Wish Michael Took A Cue From Another Biopic

Erik Swann — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:05:00 +0000

The 2026 movie schedule has yielded some major films thus far, though few have arguably been as successful as Michael. Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic managed to dance around negative reviews and moonwalk its way to box office glory. If I’m being honest, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the high-grossing flick, but I’ve still been thinking about it. I’ve specifically been thinking about how its structure could’ve been better, and I’m of the belief that it should’ve taken a cue from a certain biopic.

How An Acclaimed Biopic Could’ve Been The Perfect Blueprint For Michael

One of the best biopics I’ve seen is Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs, which sports a sharp screenplay written by Aaron Sorkin. Instead of tracking the late Apple co-founder’s life from his birth to his death, Sorkin structures the story so that each act centers on a pivotal moment in Jobs’ life across 14 years. Each third of the 2015 movie sees Jobs preparing for a major press conference, with Act 1 dealing with the reveal of the Macintosh 128K, Act 2 revolving around the NeXT Computer and Act 3 covering the iMac G3 unveiling.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Steve Jobs wasn’t a hit at the box office, but it was critically acclaimed, with some of that praise aimed at its story structure. I appreciated Sorkin and Boyle’s approach upon my first viewing, too, and, years later, I thought about it again while watching Michael. Yes, Jackson fans seemingly wanted an exhaustive look at the late singer’s life complete with recreations of his iconic music videos and concert performances. But, given how extensive Jackson’s story is, the Jobs approach could’ve been a keen way to get to the core of who he was.

To me, it would’ve made sense to break Michael down by starting with the Jackson 5’s first big TV performance on ABC’s The Hollywood Palace in 1969. The second act could then jump to the year 1984, with the end of the Jacksons’ Victory tour, which marks Michael’s final time touring with his brothers and a definitive show of independence from father Joe. (The tour and father drama is actually included in the movie.) And, finally, the third act could’ve centered on Jackson preparing for his This Is It residency shortly before his death in 2009.

With that structure, the film could’ve theoretically put more emphasis on the relationship between Michael Jackson and his brothers and how those dynamics changed as his stardom surpassed theirs. Audiences would also get to see Michael at three distinct periods in his life, in which he’s a bright-eyed kid, a bona fide superstar and a somewhat weary performer ready to move away from the concert circuit. The final time jump would’ve also helped avoid legal issues with depicting Jackson’s sexual abuse allegations in the ‘90s.

(Image credit: Lionsgate/Glen Wilson)

Is A Michael Sequel Going To Happen?

Lionsgate seems quite pleased with Michael’s performance at the box office and, per execs, a sequel is being explored. This development comes despite the fact that aspects of Jackson’s life can’t be depicted due to legal issues. It was for that reason that the film’s ending needed to be reshot. I’m not sure how that’ll be remedied in a sequel, but it seems the creative team is going to try.

I honestly don’t expect a sequel to break the mold in terms of storytelling structure for a biopic. Despite that, I’m intrigued by how Antoine Fuqua and co. will proceed if given the chance to finish Jackson’s story. Of course, if Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan had gone the Steve Jobs route, this second film wouldn’t even be necessary.

Michael is currently available to buy or rent on digital platforms, and cinephiles can use those same resources to stream Steve Jobs.

I Love Horror, But Nothing Prepared Me For Body Horror From Martin Scorsese

Rich Knight — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:05:00 +0000

Did you know that Martin Scorsese once made a horror movie? I mean, it’s okay to admit that you didn’t, because I certainly didn’t until recently, and I thought I’d seen all of Scorsese’s movies, from the ‘60s all the way up to current day.

However, that’s not fair, since the “horror movie” I’m referring to isn’t an actual “movie,” per se, but rather a short titled The Big Shave, which came out in 1967, the same year as his feature-length debut, Who’s That Knocking at My Door?

That said, The Big Shave is definitely horror, albeit only six minutes in length, and one that I would put up there with the best body horror movies of all time. Here’s why.

(Image credit: New York University's Tisch School of the Arts)

I Love Horror, But I Simply Could Not Watch This Short All The Way Through Without Turning My Head

I’ve seen most of the best horror movies ever made, and a vast majority of them don’t scare me. I mean, I LIKE them, but it’s not like they make me cover my eyes or turn my head (I’m talking about the ones that I can actually watch, that is. Some I can’t).

I could not sit through The Big Shave without turning my head, which I must say, is the highest compliment for somebody who regularly watches horror. In short, a man (Peter Bernuth) goes into the bathroom and simply shaves himself. All the while, Bunny Berigan’s “I Can’t Get Started” plays throughout. That’s it.

However, that’s not quite it. Because even though the silent protagonist shaves himself just fine at first, he keeps shaving…and shaving…and shaving! There’s a little bit of blood at first…then more blood…then even more blood, until he just starts shaving off his skin. And by the halfway point, I was just like, “Stop! Stop!” which I guess was the point, given what the film has been interpreted to actually be about…

(Image credit: New York University's Tisch School of the Arts)

Some Say It's Meant To Be Allegorical For Vietnam

The Big Shave is also known as Viet ‘67, and ahhh. NOW The Big Shave makes a bit more sense. At its heart, the short is about pointless self-mutilation, and it seems that Scorsese was making a point about America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and how we were futilely hurting ourselves by engaging in the conflict.

In that way, even though nobody would mistake this short of a man shaving in his bathroom as a war movie, it actually very much could be interpreted as one, just as Godzilla can be interpreted as an allegory for the atom bomb.

So, yeah, Scorsese directed both a body horror short and an anti-war short, all in one shot. Amazing stuff!

(Image credit: New York University's Tisch School of the Arts)

Honestly, Try To Watch It For Yourself. I Dare You. See How Long You Make It

So, now, I have a challenge for you. I want you to WATCH The Big Shave for yourself and see how long you can last. Yes, I’m definitely hyping this film up, and you might watch it and think, This Rich Knight guy was just farming for clicks.

I’m being dead serious. Because as somebody who has actually cut himself shaving (I’m pretty sure all males have done it at some point), the genuine terror of REALLY hurting yourself is palpable. And just the idea of cutting yourself until you’re a bloody mess is nightmare fuel.

So, even though this is also technically a silent movie, it’s one of the most effective silent/body horror/anti-war short films you’ll ever watch. So, give it a try, and let me know your thoughts!

People Are Mad About The Odyssey, But It's Not Bothering Me

Hugh Scott — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:05:00 +0000

Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is still a few days away from hitting the 2026 movie schedule, but for months it's been in the firing line for angry people on the internet. I know it’s best to stay out of the comment section, but sometimes I can’t help myself. It doesn’t take long when I do dip my toes in to see some of the major complaints that people have even before seeing the movie. I have to say, none of these are concerns of mine. I remain highly optimistic about this epic that is about to unfold for all of us seeing the movie next week.

(Image credit: Universal)

The Casting Seems To Be The Focus Of Many Commenters’ Ire

There is no question that Nolan has assembled one heck of a cast. Matt Damon leads the movie as Odysseus. Anne Hathaway is playing his wife, Penelope. Tom Holland is playing Telemachus, his son. Joining them, we’ve got stars like Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton (who has apparently killed it with her performance), and Jon Bernthal, along with many others. It’s stacked. There are two or three cast members who have some people upset, and it makes no sense.

Lupita Nyong'o (Helen of Troy), John Leguizamo (Eumaeus), and Elliot Page (Sinon) have drawn the most wrath, and Travis Scott (playing a bard) has also taken some shots. Of course, it’s easy to see why these four have been in the firing line, and frankly, I think it’s all silly (and offensive, of course). The Odyssey is a myth. It’s not history. Historical accuracy should take a backseat to storytelling in this case. Helen of Troy wasn’t a real person, so why does it matter if the actress playing the character doesn’t look Greek or Spartan? Nyong'o certainly fits the description of being beautiful, and she is one of the most talented actresses in the world. That’s by far enough for me.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The Accents, Armor, And Ships Are Also Popular Complaints

The second most common whine is that the armor Odysseus and his men wear is not period-accurate. I’m all for historical accuracy in film; in fact, it’s often a deciding factor in whether I like a movie or not (I’m looking at you, Napoleon), but again, this is a myth. I don’t care that Damon and his cohorts are dressed in armor that doesn’t fit the age. That’s not the point of the story here. Let’s be honest, period-accurate armor looks rather ridiculous, and so making it look “cooler” is just fine by me. The same goes for the ships used by our hero and his men. Yeah, they look more like Viking ships than boats from ancient Greece, but again, this story is a myth, so why care?

Another popular refrain seems to be that all of the actors are using American accents in the movie, even the Brits. I have to say, again, why is this something people are mad about? They aren’t speaking ancient Greek in this modern telling of the myth, either. No one is upset about that, because everyone understands why the movie is in English, so what does it matter which accents are being used? Nolan apparently was looking for consistency, and so this decision makes total sense. This is seriously just complaining to complain.

Luckily for me, none of these creative decisions bother me in the slightest, and I can say that this is by far my most anticipated movie of the summer.

I Had Four Hours To Burn, So I Rewatched Zack Snyder's Justice League, And I Again Owe An Apology

Rich Knight — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Flashback to 2021, and you couldn't find a bigger hater of the Snyderverse than me. Hell, I even danced on its grave when we received word that it was finally over.

However, flash-forward (DC pun not intended) to 2026, and I've actually come around on the failed DCEU. Maybe it's because I wasn't in love with James Gunn's Superman, or perhaps it’s because I have no interest whatsoever in Supergirl (and apparently, I'm not alone), but I've been giving Zack Snyder's DC movies another chance recently, and oh, man. I think I owe Zack Snyder yet ANOTHER apology.

You see, I already apologized for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and after rewatching the four hour long Zack Snyder's Justice League, I have to apologize again, because this movie is amazing. Here's why.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Originally Thought This Movie Was Way Too Long. But Now, It Feels Just Right When It Comes To Pacing

You want to know what's crazy? Not too long ago, I rewatched Joss Whedon's version of Justice League, which is only two hours long, and it's so bad that it actually feels LONGER than Snyder's version, which is literally double the runtime. I think this is because Whedon's Justice League feels aimless and dull, whereas Snyder's version has direction and vision. And look, no offense to Whedon, as he was given the impossible task of reshooting aspects of Snyder's movie into something feasible for the big screen, but his version just does not work.

However, after rewatching Zack Snyder's Justice League, I am in awe at how he was able to take all of these characters and still have it all make sense. For example, in his version, Batman and Wonder Woman's quest to assemble a team really feels cohesive and organic, whereas in Whedon’s version, it all feels like a hurried mess, which is strange because it also feels plodding.

We get more backstory for all of the characters in Snyder’s version, as well as a true villain in Darkseid, who I'll get into later. Snyder's version is also (surprise, surprise) way darker in tone than Whedon's version, which is also something I now appreciate over the more upbeat Superman from James Gunn.

Honestly, it's really weird that all of the things that I once hated about the Snyderverse – the overseriousness, the darker tone, etc – I now view as pluses. However, I think there's one reason in particular why I love this movie now.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Cyborg's Story Is The Heart Of This Movie

One character who I always thought never got his time to shine when it came to the Snyderverse was Cyborg. Played by Ray Fisher, you could tell that he had a bigger role in Whedon's Justice League, but there was just something…missing.

In Zack Snyder's Justice League, however, almost the entire plot hinges on Cyborg’s role in the story. The fact that his role was truncated so much in Whedon’s version just goes to show you why that film felt like such a mess, because Victor Stone's (Cyborg) role is absolutely vital in Snyder's cut.

Stone's father, Silas (Joe Morton), is kidnapped, and Cyborg joins the team. He was a former athlete and had to be reconstructed after a horrible car accident, so his journey as a broken man to one of the saviors of the world is thoughtful and surprisingly heartfelt.

Also, being that Cyborg has such a connection to this film's Macguffin in the Mother Boxes, he’s essentially the most important character in the entire film, and I really appreciate that when watching this a second time.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Also Find All Of The Characters-Even The Flash-To Be Interesting In This Film

You know, when I first saw Zack Snyder's Justice League, I still very much loathed all of the scenes involving Ezra Miller's The Flash. Upon a second viewing, I find that I actually like him, as well as pretty much every other member of the Justice League this time around. It might be because I, like others, actually enjoyed the eventual Flash movie that came out in 2023 (I even wrote about how it annoyed me that it didn't do better at the box office).

The Flash is incredibly important in this film. When the world starts to be destroyed, The Flash has to reverse the flow of time using the Speed Force, which allows Superman (Henry Cavill) and Cyborg to get the job done.

And, what about Aquaman? I liked Jason Momoa's first Aquaman movie - to a certain extent - but I found him super annoying in Justice League. However, I guess adding more screen time for him makes him more interesting this time around. I also think that learning more about the other metahumans and the Atlanteans makes him feel more at home here.

Not only that, but this movie has freaking Martian Manhunter (Harry Lennix) in it. I mean, it's at the end, and it's pretty much just a cameo, but at least he's here. What's not to love?

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

I Also Love This Version Of Darkseid

I know I keep harping on Joss Whedon's Justice League, but a big reason why I feel that movie failed was that its main antagonist, Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds), was super lame. It's just that he didn't seem like a worthy opponent for the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, or The Flash.

In Zack Snyder's Justice League…well, he's still pretty lame, but much better since you don't feel like he's the REAL final boss. The main boss would be Ray Porter's Darkseid, who is a way more terrifying villain and an existential threat to humanity.

Darkseid is all about that Anti-Life Equation, and we learn that he's been a threat to Earth for millennia, what with the Old Gods waging war against him to prevent him from taking over the planet. All of this backstory really elevates the danger he presents, making him feel like a truly worthy adversary.

Unfortunately, since this was pretty much the end of the DCEU, we never got to see Darkseid get his own movie where he got to be the central villain, but I really appreciate what we got in this movie. He’s absolutely horrifying.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

In The End, The Further We Get Away From The Snyderverse, The More I Find That I Miss It

When looking at the upcoming slate of DC films (and TV–let's not forget about TV), I think there's a lot to look forward to (Especially when it comes to Clayface, which I can't wait for!) Yet…I kind of now miss the Snyderverse.

I don't know what it is. It might be because I used to pledge allegiance to the MCU, and I think I viewed the DCEU as a pathetic alternative. After getting off the Marvel hype train quite a while ago, I've since been reevaluating the Snyderverse, and I think I had it all wrong.

Was it too dark and broody? Maybe, but upon reflection, it was actually a novel alternative to the overly cheery MCU. I now find that I get nothing out of movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Guardians of the Galaxy upon a rewatch, and I view them more as artifacts than anything else.

Movies like Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Batman v. Superman? They just seem to get better with age. So, if you happen to be reading this, Mr. Snyder. I’m sorry! Your fans were right all along, and I’m happy that the powers that be eventually RELEASED THE SNYDER CUT!

The Five-Star Weekend Wasn't A Female Rage Show, But Still Felt Like One

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:05:00 +0000

The Five-Star Weekend, which you can watch with a Peacock subscription, continues the streamer's tradition of having a fascinating collection of miniseries and original programming. It follows Hollis (Jennifer Garner) as she invites four of her closest friends away for a weekend to escape her grief. The series has plenty of heartfelt moments and twists.

The book-to-screen adaptation is enjoyable but not one of Peacock’s best TV shows. However, some of its strongest elements are its exploration of womanhood, grief, friendship, and the boundaries and restrictions people set for themselves.

The Five-Star Weekend is a lot more wholesome than many of the best female rage movies, but it still feels like one.

Warning: The Five-Star Weekend spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Peacock)

Most Of The Characters Are Oppressed In Some Way By A System Or Traditions

Each of the main characters is dealing with a crisis. Hollis is managing her grief, while Brooke (D'Arcy Carden) is dealing with her husband’s scandal and discovering a new part of herself. Tatum (Chloë Sevigny) has a major health scare, Gigi (Gemma Chan) has a huge secret, and Dru-Anne (Regina Hall) has a major PR problem. They’re all trying to handle their issues in their own ways.

However, it’s not leading to the healthiest coping mechanisms. For example, Gigi is lying to everyone and setting herself up for heartbreak. Despite their destructive choices, a lot of their issues are tied to the men they associate with or to societal standards.

Brooke’s husband is especially oppressing her. Her rage and transformation come when she’s finally with a supportive group of women. Gigi and Hollis are both in love with a dead man who, in a way, betrayed them both. The gift he gives them is each other. However, the tragedy of it all is that he also tears them apart.

Most female rage movies involve some sort of crusade or act of revenge against those who harm. It could also involve just unhinged behavior to fit into societal norms. The Five-Star Weekend is about women breaking free of chains. Chains of past relationships, societal norms, and the boxes they and others put them in. Female rage can come in how characters change their lives after experiencing heartbreaking losses: personal, career-wise, or image-wise. It’s about women taking back their power.

All the women in The Five-Star Weekend fall into that category.

(Image credit: Peacock)

The Female Friendship Is What Empowers Them But Is Imperfect

Great movies about female friendships show unbreakable bonds. The Five-Star Weekend shows the opposite. All of these bonds are not as strong as they were. They are shaky, but they’re ultimately what gives these women the power to change.

The latter half of the series really conveys how transformative this weekend is for these women and their friendship. Hollis and Tatum even renew their friendship spark. I am not sure if this Peacock series does justice to the book, but I hope it got the bonds right. In many female rage movies, something happens (a tragedy) to force the protagonist on their journey. In The Five-Star Weekend, a tragedy happens, but the women encourage each other on their journey.

(Image credit: Peacock)

The Five-Star Weekend Isn't A Show About Revenge, But Healing, And That Can Be A Greater Revenge

The Five-Star Weekend is about healing. These characters aren’t trying to make anyone pay for hurting them but are finding a way to live again, despite pain and barriers. Many female rage movies are all about revenge as a way of healing. This TV show proves that no longer being held down by hurt can be revenge.

This Movie Crossword Puzzle Quiz Is All About Classic Books That Inspired Big Films

Kelly West — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:38:45 +0000

With The Odyssey's highly anticipated theatrical release right around the corner, the time seems right to look back on some of the book-to-screen adaptations that have been released over the years. That brings us to this week's movie quiz, which is all about classic books that were made into movies. Don't worry, this one only requires a general knowledge of the films and the books on which they're based. So if you still haven't gotten around to reading all of the titles in this quiz, you may still be able to ace it!

For the quiz below, we'll reference a movie, and you guess the book on which it's based. How many clues can you solve?

As A Movie Lover, I Wish I Could've Seen Minions & Monsters As A Kid

Riley Utley — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:05:00 +0000

As a kid who grew up on Despicable Me and an adult who has not historically been a fan of the Minions movies, I was apprehensive about the latest installment of this franchise. However, after seeing Minions & Monsters reviews, I knew I had to check out this entry on the 2026 movie schedule. Now, I’ve seen it, and not only am I happy I spent 89 minutes watching this film, but I also left thinking about how I really wish it existed when I was a child.

I quickly fell in love with films and the art of making them when I was a kid. I was also always transfixed by movies about movies – like the beloved musicals Singin’ in the Rain and La La Land. It was through these two things that I found my passion for film. Then, I realized that Minions & Monsters has the power to do just that too, which is why I wish I had seen it as a kid.

Minions & Monsters Is Such A Fun Introduction To How Movies Are Made And Film History

What I really loved about Minions & Monsters is how it made making a movie the plot while also making tons of remarkable jokes about iconic films. So, it was all around just a jam-packed story about movies that feels like it was made for film lovers.

From the story perspective, we followed James, Henry and Ed as they traveled with the Minions. When they arrived at a film studio, they realized they wanted to make a movie. That’s how the monsters came into play. So, Minions & Monsters shows us the adventure that ensues as these yellow creatures learn how to make a movie (and defeat some monsters). And honestly, it reminded me of being a kid, picking up a camera and going for it.

Then, along with that, the film is full of references and jokes about old, classic films. From an A+ sequence that felt like an homage to Jaws (one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies) to an incredible Citizen Kane bit to a joke involving iconic directors’ names that literally had me laughing out loud, I couldn’t get enough of how Minions & Monsters showed its love for Hollywood.

And by showing this love, young viewers can get a great, albeit very silly, introduction to filmmaking and film history.

I Really Hope Minions & Monsters Helps Kids Fall In Love With Movies

Now, kids might not get everything I just wrote about on their first watch. However, it could inspire them to learn about film, and I wanted something like that when I was younger.

I think the reason why Minions & Monsters works so well is that it's such a sincere love letter to movies while also being an action-packed and ridiculous movie within the world of Despicable Me. I really think it could inspire a new generation to get into the world of filmmaking and film history, and if it does that, I think it’s a success.

Of course, Minions & Monsters has made money at the box office, and it’s gotten good reviews. So it is a success. However, I also hope it can be that film that makes a kid fall in love with movies. I certainly know that’s the impact it would have had on me if I’d seen it as a kid.

I Was Here For Elle's Bonkers Storylines Until One Twist Gave Me Whiplash

Riley Utley — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Spoilers for Elle are ahead! You can stream all of Season 1 with an Amazon Prime subscription right now.

Elle, the prequel series to Legally Blonde (one of the best movies of the 2000s), has premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, and it reminds me so much of the soapy and silly teen dramas I grew up watching. I mean that in every way too. On the one hand, it features fun, romantic, and exaggerated plots like those shows from the 2000s and 2010s. On the other hand, it features some wild whiplash-worthy and confusing plot twists many of those shows had too.

So, while I was here for all of Elle’s absurdity, I have to say, there was one bonkers plot twist I couldn’t get over.

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Overall, I’m Here For How Bonkers Elle Is

Listen, I can get behind outlandish storylines and silly plot points. In fact, I love when a show leans into them.

For example, Elle’s new school having essentially no sports other than cross-country is ridiculous, but I was here for it. I thought it was creative and quite fun to see Lexi Minetree’s character put together a homecoming event around a cross-country meet. Plus, it was this event that really helped solidify Elle’s love triangle that I’m now very invested in.

Also, while the entire show revolving around Elle and her friends exposing their corrupt principal was admittedly crazy, I was so entertained by it that I binged all of Elle incredibly fast. I was here for them all getting detention so they could break into his office (which led to the best episode inspired by one of the best movies from the ‘80s, The Breakfast Club), and I thought it gave the show some interesting and high stakes.

However, while I dug these bonkers storylines and choices overall, there was one unexpected plot twist that was too much.

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(Image credit: Justine Yeung/Prime)

The Death Of Shannon’s Mom Gave Me Whiplash

To be frank, I didn’t know Elle was a show where abruptly killing a character off was an option. This pink bubbly comedy was the last place I expected that to happen. However, at the end of Episode 4, Shannon’s mom died, and that’s the plot twist that gave me whiplash.

It came right after Shannon had broken up with Miles, and Elle had kissed him at the end of the cross-country meet. So, this death added extra drama to the romance situation, which felt very weird and unnecessary.

Then, Elle attempted to help Shannon and fix the mess she made with Miles by planning Shannon’s mom’s memorial in Seattle. This is where things got even weirder, because she decided it’d be a good idea to hold it in a Rainforest Cafe. I know these are teenagers making decisions, so logic isn’t exactly something they use. However, this was truly crazy.

Overall, the way Elle killed off Shannon’s mom and then used her death as a point of drama in both the principal corruption storyline and the love triangle was odd. If they were going to have it, it should have been its own main storyline, not a plot point used to make two other storylines more dramatic.

However, it did not ruin the show for me at all. As I said, for the most part, I really enjoyed this Legally Blonde prequel, and I will be tuning in for Season 2. But I also can’t deny that this one crazy plot twist did baffle me to my core.

I Thought YouTube's BattleBots Pro League Would Be An A+ Reboot. I Was Wrong

Hugh Scott — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:02:34 +0000

I’ll admit I was probably a little irrational in my personal hype for BattleBots Pro League, which kicked off last week on YouTube. I mean, it’s not like I was counting down the days to the premiere, but BattleBots is a serious guilty pleasure of mine, and I love YouTube shows because of the freeform opportunities on the streaming platform. Instead, I ended up being severely disappointed by the debut of the new reboot of the long-running robot fighting competition.

(Image credit: YouTube)

The Biggest Problem Is Not Adapting To The Format

The thing I love the most about YouTube is that there are no constraints, especially when it comes to the length of a video. A video can be two minutes long, or it can be eight hours long. On linear TV, shows are boxed into (generally) 30-minute or 1-hour time blocks, and that doesn’t account for commercial time. A 30-minute show on a regular cable network, like on the Discovery Channel, BattleBots' most recent TV home, is really more like 22 minutes, give or take. On YouTube, there is no reason to stay contained to that.

That’s not what the new BattleBots Pro League did. Instead, at least the show’s first episode is 21 minutes and 37 seconds. About the same length as a typical episode on Discovery would have been. What’s worse is that the editing is exactly the same. Instead of adapting the show to the streamer, they simply made the same show and posted it on YouTube. Why not give us more? Big Brother has figured it out. More battles, more backstory, more behind-the-scenes of the teams and their robots? Instead, it’s basically the same show that has been canceled three different times in the past.

The sky is the limit with YouTube, but we got the same format as before.

(Image credit: YouTube)

I’m Holding Out Hope That Things Could Adjust

I’m not ready to give up on the show right away. It’s perfectly plausible that the producers made the show with the intention of selling it to a linear cable network or a more traditional streamer like Netflix. Now that they have the show on YouTube, there is still time to adjust. Give us more time with the teams, and a greater understanding of the robots and how they work. Produce shorts of behind-the-scenes action of the teams building and rebuilding their bots.

As I said, the sky is the limit here. The show doesn’t have to be 22 minutes. Make it 35. Or 43. Pepper in some more backstory. Give us some ancillary videos with deep dives on the teams and the bots. Heck, with YouTube, you can make different videos for each aspect of the show. One that is just the battle, one that is the backstory for each team, and one that shows the aftermath.

I stopped watching cable TV because of how formulaic much of the content got, and I’ll never give up my YouTube Premium subscription because so many videos upend industry norms (among other reasons). Throwing what is essentially a mid-2000s-style cable show on YouTube doesn’t make it hip; it just shows how tired the format is.

Strung Is A Wild Horror Movie, And A Few Things Made It Worth The Ride

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:05:00 +0000

Peacock has been around since 2020, but it still feels like the new kid on the block. In the oversaturated world of streaming services, Peacock has a lot of competition. However, it has made many smart programming choices. Taking over Love Island and buying the US rights for The Traitors were genius moves. Its programming catalog also has plenty of amazing original TV shows.

The streaming newbie has also been adding more original movies. I have seen a few and had mixed reactions, but Strung is the first Peacock original movie that I really enjoyed. Is it the perfect film? No, but that’s part of its charm.

Warning: Strung spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Peacock)

Strung Has A Simple Premise That Gets Crazier As It Continues

Strung doesn’t let you know what type of movie it is until the midway mark. You’re not sure if it’s a paranormal movie, a mystery film, or a romantic drama. You’re just not sure where all this is headed until the picture starts to become clearer. I think Strung can best be described as an over-the-top thriller. It takes all the elements of a thriller and heightens them to the point of almost parodying the genre. At the end of Strung, I saw that Tyler Perry was a producer. Everything made more sense.

He does a particular genre of films that are polarizing. Many of his most popular movies and TV shows follow a similar pattern to Strung. I have seen quite a few of Malcolm D. Lee’s films, and he’s more known for comedies, so Strung feeling like a parody at times makes sense. Alan B. McElroy is better known for writing horror movies, so the two creatives balance each other out. The film is funny at times, but also bonkers in a psychological thriller way.

The film’s premise is simple: a woman gets a new dream job, only to discover it’s less a dream and more a nightmare. Then it becomes much more sinister as a movie about murder, betrayal, deception, and dubious characters. It’s the plot progression that gives Strung its character and charm.

(Image credit: Peacock)

The Bond Between Laila and Zuri Is One Of The Main Reasons To Watch, And It Also Reminds Me Of The Power Of A Great Mentor

Laila (Chloe Bailey) and Zuri’s (Romy Woods) bond is what I found most enthralling about the movie. We witness a scared, traumatized girl form a connection with another scared, traumatized woman. Their love of music creates this trust and admiration. However, their closeness grows into a loving and protective sisterhood/surrogate parental figure relationship.

Zuri and Laila flourish because of Laila’s gentle and effective mentoring. Their relationship reminded me of the importance of influential and kind mentors for children who especially need extra care and attention. Strung is a lot of things, and one of those is that it’s a very good movie about the power of teachers and mentors. It’s another movie that many teachers can relate to and enjoy.

A good mentor can really change the trajectory of someone’s life. Zuri cannot evolve without Laila’s guidance and support.

(Image credit: Peacock)

Strung Doesn't Take Itself Seriously, And I Love That

I am still unsure if Strung aims to be more of a parody than a straightforward thriller. It has so many aspects that feel too over-the-top to take seriously. Many of the characters’ behaviors don’t seem realistic in the slightest. Then it has many shock-value moments. For example, we discover that Marcus (Lucien Laviscount) and Audra (Lynn Whitfield) are having an affair. It’s not ridiculous to think that Marcus would find Audra attractive.

The ridiculous part comes with how the scene plays out. It’s also a mess that Marcus is having sex with all three of the main women. His relationship with Audra showcases her wickedness because she’s sleeping with her daughter’s husband and shows no remorse. Thrillers often have twists about dangerous and deceptive husbands.

This makes Strung fall in line with many other thrillers, but the shocking part is that Audra is the ringleader behind everything that has happened. When Strung reveals the big twist, it goes all in with the ridiculous premise and behavior. I am someone who enjoys over-the-top movies. It’s not a respected art form, but it is one.

A good over-the-top movie can be really entertaining and allow your brain to simply enjoy the wild ride. This is how I felt watching the last act of Strung. It was ridiculous for ridiculous's sake.

(Image credit: Peacock)

The Film Gives Peacock Some Variety I Wasn't Expecting, But I Hope It Continues

Peacock still needs to really grow its original movie collection. However, none of its films feel that similar. It’s not producing a bunch of the same movies but trying to expand its catalog to give all movie fans something they can enjoy on the streaming service.

I hope the platform continues to grow and experiment. I want to see Peacock explore more movies in different film genres. It’s one of the streaming service underdogs, and I believe it has the potential to be one of the big ones. It just needs to give more projects like Strung a chance.

(Image credit: Peacock)

It Won't Be Everyone's Thing, But I Think It Could Be A Cult Classic In The Making

I imagine in a few years, small theaters will be showing Strung as a midnight special or double feature. It has the quality and potential to be something many will flock to watch as part of a cult viewing experience. It’s a fun movie that I believe will eventually have a dedicated audience to watch it years from now. As someone who often loves cult classics, I think Strung reminds me of so many other ones.

It may not share their plot, but it has a quality to it that feels like something destined to take a place with a cult audience. It will be quoted one day, I know it. Strung has trended on Peacock's top movie lists for several days since its premiere, which shows it's popular among general audiences. However, I think the cult audiences will really give it its legacy one day.

Strung is another movie that proves the Peacock subscription is worth the price.

I Thought Charli XCX’s The Moment Would Be Super Moody, And Then I Watched It

Heidi Venable — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:05:00 +0000

When I first started reading reviews for Charli XCX’s The Moment, there were a lot of things that intrigued me. The “Boom Clap” singer is one of the biggest artists in the world, for one, and I assumed that with A24 involved, the project would be as unique as Charli herself. However, a “365 party girl” I am not — I’m definitely not bumpin’ that — so I skipped it when it initially hit the 2026 movie calendar. When The Moment became available to stream with an HBO Max subscription, I had to check it out, and man, it was so much more than I expected.

(Image credit: A24)

What Was I Expecting From The Moment?

From the previews, I thought The Moment looked like a lightly exaggerated story of Charli XCX fighting the corporate greed machines that wanted to stomp all over her creativity. I expected a moody artist, mopily rolling her eyes at executives who didn’t “get” it and just wanted her brat summer to be a perpetual paycheck.

I suppose there was some of that, but moody and mopey aren’t Charli’s style. Her plight was actually both respectable and relatable, as she tried to execute a vision that stayed true to herself and served her fans — and she wanted to do it without completely burning out.

(Image credit: A24)

I Didn’t Expect The Moment To Be So Funny

The humor was something I really didn’t expect, and I’m not sure why, especially with a cast that includes Jamie Demetriou, Kate Berlant and Rachel Sennott, not to mention Alexander Skarsgård, who is unhinged as the concert film’s director. Sure, there was some biting commentary — there’s no way those Eras Tour vibes were by accident — but it was often so subtle that I found myself laughing out loud while wondering if there’d even been a joke.

It felt

As a Millennial who grew up watching Spice World, there was a lot of that but plenty of This Is Spinal Tap, too. That giant lighter prop that Skarsgård’s Johannes wanted to put Charli XCX in and then light on fire seemed destined for a Christopher Guest-esque mishap, and Charli’s timing was brilliant after seeing her dummy stand-in crash to the stage while flying over it:

Is that me?

Some of the funniest jokes were just thrown away (that’s not an insult), with a character muttering something in the background, never winking to the camera in a way that reminded me of Best in Show.

(Image credit: A24)

The Moment Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously But Also Shows Incredible Heart

In addition to the comedy, I didn’t expect Charli XCX to go on such an insightful journey about what the moment was and what she wanted to gain from it. She got particularly vulnerable in the final scenes of the movie, when she admitted she didn’t want brat summer to end, saying:

I know it’s not chic to be the last person at the party, but I think I hate going home.

I’m really glad I decided to watch The Moment, even after reading reviews that told me if I wasn’t a loyal Charli XCX fan, I probably wouldn’t get it. I think I very much did get it, and I loved the humor and the satire and vulnerability of it all.

The Moment is available to stream on HBO Max now.

One 2014 Disney Movie Would Make For A Better Live-Action Adaptation Than Moana Or Lilo & Stitch

Rich Knight — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:05:00 +0000

When it comes to the live-action Disney adaptations, it's usually not hard to figure out which animated features will get the greenlight. For example, Tangled is kind of a no-brainer, with the only surprise being that it took so long.

That's why, when we got a live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch and will soon get one for Moana, I kind of just rolled my eyes. Not because either is a bad choice (I love Moana, after all), but because they're just so…obvious.

You know which animated movie wouldn't be an obvious choice? 2014's Big Hero 6, which I think would make for an amazing live-action adaptation. Here's why.

(Image credit: Disney)

Big Hero 6 Could Actually Benefit A Great Deal In Live-Action

Some movies probably wouldn't be great for live-action adaptations, such as The Aristocats, which was thankfully cancelled. I only say this, though, because what could you actually DO with The Aristocats to give it new life for a new audience? I know that's not Disney's ultimate intention when greenlighting these adaptations (their ultimate intention being $$$, of course), but as a viewer, that's what I look for when I watch these adaptations: What has been added to make it feel new?

Well, for Big Hero 6, I think a lot can be done in live-action that would make it genuinely exciting to see again with actual actors. Loosely based on the Marvel comic of the same name, Big Hero 6 is about a young robotics expert who loses his older brother to nefarious means, and his quest to avenge him with the help of his brother's former university friends, and also a lovable nurse robot named Baymax.

All of the tech-centric action was cool in animated form, but I think it would be exponentially cooler in live-action, especially with the advanced city of San Fransokyo as a backdrop. Sure, Disney owns Marvel and has no shortage of comic book movies, but Big Hero 6 is unique in that it’s a comic book film directly aimed at a younger audience, which I think would make it stand apart from other Disney live-action adaptations.

(Image credit: Disney)

It's A Bit Of A Cult Movie For Disney, So It Might Even Gain A New Following

Another thing that kind of annoys me with these adaptations is that they're usually for movies that kids might have already seen in animated form. For example, looking back at the Disney Renaissance, we've already gotten adaptations of the most popular films of that era: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan (with Hercules still on the way).

Did we get an adaptation for The Rescuers Down Under? Did we get one for Pocahontas? No, and no, and that's because Disney ostensibly only wants to bet on sure things. So, again, Lilo & Stitch and Moana make sense...but haven’t kids likely already seen them in animated form? Even with three different television series, Big Hero 6 has kind of always felt like a cult movie when it comes to Disney (sort of like Bolt), and I think a live-action adaptation could bring new eyes to this awesome story.

That said, there’s one main reason why I think a live-action Big Hero 6 would work.

(Image credit: Disney)

I Just Want More Baymax

I’ll be honest with you. I know the world loves Stitch as a character, and that people have embraced Maui, but I just don’t have much enthusiasm for either of them. Do you know who I do love? Baymax.

In fact, who doesn’t? The lovable healthcare robot is the standout character in Big Hero 6. I think a live-action Baymax would be the absolute cutest, and I think it would really stand out if he was brought back to the big screen.

The beauty is, with the way AI and tech are heading, Baymax makes more sense now than ever. A lot of people have kind of rallied against AI these days, but Baymax represents the side of it that is actually quite welcoming. So, maybe it would actually behoove Disney to put Baymax front and center in a live-action film, especially with the way they’re now leaning into AI. Just a thought.

The Sheep Detectives Delighted Me, And As A Mystery Novel Fan, I Really Loved A Few Elements

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:02:47 +0000

I heard that The Sheep Detectives may seem like a silly movie, but it has a lot of heart. Therefore, I couldn’t wait to watch it once it became available on streaming services. The film is one of the movies that makes the Prime Video subscription a must for movie fans. It’s a nice blend of comedy, drama, and a very intriguing mystery.

The mystery elements are really what made The Sheep Detectives endearing. It feels like a classic mystery film, just with sheep trying to solve the murder. Come for the sheep, stay for the movie’s love of mystery novels.

Warning: The Sheep Detectives spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

The Sheep Detectives Follows Many Standard Mystery Novels, But in A Children's Book Way

The Sheep Detectives feels like what happens when a children’s book and a mystery novel marry. It has elements and qualities of both. The abundance of animals gives it the same whimsy and imagination that you would see in a beloved children’s book or fairytale.

The animals also have some innocence that only comes from fictional animals. However, despite the animals’ playfulness, The Sheep Detectives mimics mostly aspects and elements of mystery novels. The animals make the adventure and story cute, but it’s a dark concept with murder, betrayal, and the sad toll and burden of death and grief.

The Sheep Detectives is based on the German book, Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann. I am not sure if the original novel has the same children’s book mixed with mystery novel quality, but it novel origins automatically give it more of a fable quality.

(Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

It Highlights The Power Of Reading, Especially Fiction

George (Hugh Jackman) reading to his animals helps them develop a bond with him. Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) develops a love for mysteries, which makes her such a good detective. The movie implies that reading can become an educational tool that makes people more intelligent, but also better at their jobs.

Tim (Nicholas Braun) is treated like an idiot, but he eventually starts to become good at his job of police work because of Lily and company’s influence, but also from developing a love of reading mystery novels. Novels are treated as a major resource in helping make these characters more competent.

Books are powerful, and I feel like The Sheep Detectives is an ode to how reading can transform people, animals, and things. Sheep cannot solve mysteries without books.

(Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

If You Read Enough Mystery Novels, You Can Predict Elements Of The Sheep Detectives, And That's Not A Bad Thing

Hugh Jackman has died a lot in movies, but his death in The Sheep Detectives was one of the most emotional. This made us highly invested in solving this crime. The film follows the pattern of other mystery stories, so it is easier to predict who killed George.

The Sheep Detectives may have made some major changes from the book version, but this version of the story gave us plenty of hints to figure out the ending. I think there is comfort in being able to see where a story is likely heading, or trying to predict how everything ends. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy mystery novels so much.

I want to join the investigation and try to solve it along with the characters. I also want to see these characters again in more movies.

Minions & Monsters Takes Top Banana At Fourth Of July Box Office, But I’m Surprised By How Close The Race Was

Heidi Venable — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 22:11:05 +0000

It’s not a huge surprise that Minions & Monsters took the top spot at the box office for Fourth of July weekend, but the mischief-makers certainly didn’t set off the expected amount of fireworks. Toy Story 5’s $31 million in its third weekend on the 2026 movie calendar was a little too close for comfort to Minions & Monsters’ $36.4 million three-day domestic opening, so what happened?

(Image credit: Illumination)

I’ll get into some of the potential speedbumps the banana-loving yellow blobs had to overcome, but the Fourth of July falling on a Saturday might have been partially to blame. According to Rentrack (via Variety) this year’s overall ticket sales in North America topped out at around $121 million Friday and Saturday, when theaters usually take in between $150 million and $200 million over the Independence Day weekend.

Let’s break down what's going on, but first, please enjoy this offering of your Top 10 movies for the three-day weekend, per The Numbers. (* denotes a new release)

Weekend Box Office: July 3-5

TITLE	WEEKEND TOTAL	DOMESTIC TOTAL	LAST WEEK	THEATERS
1. Minions & Monsters*	$36,400,000	$61,441,000	N/A	4,243
2. Toy Story 5	$31,000,000	$366,348,690	1	3,975
3. Young Washington*	$20,847,688	$20,847,688	N/A	2,700
4. Supergirl	$9,600,000	$58,470,000	2	3,602
5. Disclosure Day	$6,000,000	$105,312,000	5	2,702
6. Obsession	$5,300,000	$245,318,000	3	2,640
7. Backrooms	$3,308,387	$190,480,127	6	2,396
8. Jackass: Best and Last	$2,700,000	$14,690,000	4	2,855
9. Scary Movie	$1,130,000	$106,252,000	7	1,158
10. The Invite	$800,708	$1,369,500	17	28

Minions & Monsters Boosted By International Numbers

It’s hard to be too concerned for the Despicable Me spinoff, which seems practically guaranteed to approach $1 billion — if not surpass it — by the end of its run. Minions & Monsters hit theaters on Wednesday, earning a five-day domestic total of $61.4 million, which was on the low end of projections. International numbers, however, exceeded the expected $90 million, bringing in $98.4 million for a combined opening weekend of $159.8 million.

With an estimated budget of $85 million, making back that cash isn’t a concern for Illumination and Universal Pictures, but it’s a bit worrisome that the seventh movie in the franchise has recorded the worst opening, despite many reviews calling it the best Despicable Me movie yet. Take a look at how this latest venture compares the rest of the franchise’s domestic debuts, according to Box Office Pro:

Despicable Me/Minions Box Office Debuts
TITLE	3-DAY TOTAL	4/5-DAY TOTAL
Despicable Me (2010)	$56.3 million	N/A
Despicable Me 2 (2013)	$83.5 million	$143 million (Wed-Sun)
Minions (2015)	$115.7 million	N/A
Despicable Me 3 (2017)	$72.4 million	$99 million (Fri-Tues)
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)	$107 million	$123 million (Fri-Mon)
Despicable Me 4 (2024)	$75 million	$122.6 million (Wed-Sun)
Minions & Monsters (2026)	$36.4 million	$61.4 million (Wed-Sun)

So what happened? As I mentioned above, families may have had Saturday reserved for other things, with World Cup matches also throwing a wrench in some movie-going plans. However, Toy Story 5 is a formidable foe, clearly taking some of Minions & Monsters’ audience to earn nearly as much as the new release in its third weekend.

We also can’t overlook that this is the seventh movie in the Despicable Me series, and it’s possible that kids and/or their adult supervision have simply had their fill.

(Image credit: Angel Studios)

Young Washington Benefits From Its Fourth Of July Release

Moviegoers may be wanting fewer Minions in their lives, but Young Washington is seeing the exact opposite reaction. The under-the-radar George Washington biopic stars William Franklyn-Miller as the future OG POTUS, along with an impressive supporting cast of Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis and Ben Kingsley. Its $20.8 million opening beat out all other non-animated movies for No. 3 this week and scored the highest live-action debut for Angel Studios.

In fact, the historical war drama had the second-best opening of any Angel product, behind 2025’s animated David ($22 million). Young Washington focuses on George Washington’s command in the French and Indian War between 1753 and 1755, and due to its success, a sequel based around 1776 has already been ordered.

How Critics Rated This Week’s New Releases

Positive feedback can lead to good word-of-mouth advertising, which could drive new audiences to theaters in subsequent weeks, so how did things look on Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore?

RANK/TITLE	RT CRITICS	RT AUDIENCE	CINEMASCORE
1. Minions & Monsters	91%	75%	A-
3. Young Washington	59%	92%	A

Young Washington likely got a boost from its Fourth of July debut, but high scores from those patriotic ticket-buyers — who enjoyed the film much more than critics — might help it next week. As for Minions & Monsters, I feel pretty confident that those who were either busy for Fourth of July or taking in Toy Story 5 will make it out and help avoid a sophomore-weekend crash.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Supergirl Takes A Dive On Second Weekend

Speaking of sophomore dips, Supergirl fell a devastating 74% from weekend to weekend, earning just $9.6 million for a domestic total of $58.5 million 10 days after the DC Studios product’s disappointing opening. With an additional $48 million from international markets, it’s skirted into nine-digit territory with $100.4 million overall.

We’ve put some thought into what’s going on with all the Supergirl hate, and for those of us who have seen the movie, we don't think it deserves the viral lambasting it’s gotten. However, unless things take a drastic turn for the DCU’s second feature, which reportedly cost $170 million to make (not including marketing and promotion), Supergirl is projected to lose at least $100 million, Variety reports.

(Image credit: Focus Features)

Obsession Crosses A Big Milestone As It Finally Falls From Top 5

Obsession had basically set up shop in the box office Top 3 since its May 15 release, but for the first time, it dropped this week — its eighth weekend — to No. 6. But let me be clear — that’s not a bad thing, and there’s actually a good reason. Obsession is now available to rent or buy digitally. Now people can experience Obsession’s horror (and comedy!) from the discomfort of their own homes.

Not everybody chose to do so, however, and its continued ticket sales at the theater were enough to push it past the $400 million mark worldwide, earning $245.3 million domestically and $157.8 million overseas for a combined $403.1 million.

(Image credit: A24)

The Invite Hits The Top 10 Ahead Of Wide Release

The buzz is building for The Invite, and despite only showing in 28 theaters this week, it’s already taken a place in the Top 10. With Olivia Wilde’s new comedy drawing Rotten Tomatoes scores in the 90th percentile (from both critics and audience), I can’t wait to see how far it can climb when it goes wide July 10. The movie stars Wilde along with Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz, and critics are calling it a “2026 highlight.”

(Image credit: Disney)

What To Expect From Moana And Evil Dead Burn

The live-action remake of Moana is the big one to keep your eye on next weekend, with Box Office Theory projections looking at a three-day domestic premiere of $62 million (with $57 million and $72 million being the low and high ends).

The upcoming horror flick Evil Dead Burn, meanwhile, is expected to see around $28 million.

Be sure to grab your tickets to a movie this week, then meet me back here next Sunday to break down all the highlights.

Why Supergirl's Box Office Stumble Doesn't Have Me Worried About The DCU

Hugh Scott — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock, hit theaters last weekend as the latest superhero movie on the 2026 movie schedule, and with it, we’re officially multiple films into the somewhat newly revamped DC Universe, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Maybe predictably, a lot of people don’t like the movie and are already calling for Gunn’s firing…or something. To be honest, sometimes I just don’t get the complaints. The movie has underperformed at the box office, but I don’t think that means it's time to scrap the whole project, and you need look no further than the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The MCU Didn’t Exactly Light The World On Fire At First, Either

Like the new DCU, the MCU kicked off with a hit. DC had Gunn’s own Superman last summer, and Marvel had 2008’s Iron Man. The next Marvel release, The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton, dropped a month later in June 2008. Marvel was on a high, and still, Hulk disappointed at the box office, much like it appears Supergirl will. Two years later, in May 2010, Iron Man 2 came out, and while it did fine at the box office, it’s usually one of the lower-rated MCU films.

It really wasn’t until the first Avengers movie was released in 2012 (taking in more than $1.5 billion) that the MCU really started flying high. Sure, all the movies released before that, including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, did decent, but they weren’t the juggernauts that MCU films would be throughout the rest of the decade. After 2012, and especially in the Avengers movies, the MCU crushed all competition, including, and especially, the sputtering DCEU.

(Image credit: Warner Bros Pictures)

There Are Other Factors Involved

This isn’t a perfect analogy, of course. In 2012, the world was gaga for superhero movies, but 14 years and about a million movies later, some people are understandably burnt out on the genre. Superhero movie fatigue is real, and I think that’s at play here. The reaction to Supergirl has been way harsher than it deserves. It’s not a perfect movie, I grant you. The villain is pretty ho-hum, and it is a little jarring, tone-wise, compared to Superman.

However, as others at CinemaBlend have said, it’s a perfectly fine movie. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, Alcock is great, and it skips along at a brisk pace (and a reasonable runtime). I thought it was funny, in the same way that Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies are. In fact, I think the whole thing bodes well for the DCU, which is clearly going for something very different than the MCU (at least, as different as you can be in the same genre). Up next is a straight body-horror movie with Clayface, which will be out in October, before we get the sequel to Superman, Man of Tomorrow, on the 2027 movie schedule.

I think after next summer we’ll have a much better idea just where the DCU stands and what kind of future it has. Calling for a shakeup now is impatient.

Dutton Ranch's Finale Fell Into The Same Pattern As Other Yellowstone Shows, But I'm Not Mad About It (Yet)

Nick Venable — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:45:00 +0000

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet streamed Dutton Ranch’s Season 1 finale via Paramount+ subscription or watched it on Paramount Network, so be warned!

Since its earliest days, the Yellowstone franchise has leaned almost entirely into the idea that nothing in life is more important than land and family, and those imposed truths have been all kinds of self-evident over the years, extending to the various prequels and spinoffs. To that end, Dutton Ranch veered into some familiar territory with its Season 1 finale cliffhanger that hearkened back to the Dutton family’s heightened drama back in the flagship’s second season, as well as Marshals’ own potentially deadly finale.

Let’s first lay out what happened in Dutton Ranch’s “El Padrino,” and then we’ll touch on how it seems to be a retread of this franchise’s most common narrative twists, though not necessarily in the worst ways.

(Image credit: Paramount+)

Carter Got Snatched Up By Joaquin's Ruthless Dad Mariano

When this season kicked off, I was hoping that Finn Little's Carter would become an independent character who handles duties correctly and proudly, and one who amasses accomplishments, without just being a headache for Rip and Beth due to his endless line of terrible decisions. Of course, he fell into the latter role immediately, and has yet to do anything inarguably brilliant. (Squatting at the late Dwight's house is maybe his smartest move.)

I guess it's good that he didn't get a chance to screw up his plan to run off with the pregnant-and-panicking Oreana — which he definitely would have — before he was knocked out and kidnapped by henchmen working for the Season 2 big bad, Mariano Reyes (portrayed by Raoul Max Trujillo ). Naturally, that abduction went down when Rip and other protagonists were defending their home from another batch of Mariano's murderous crew.

Yellowstone-Verse Villains Always Jump To Kidnapping And Putting Younger Characters In Danger

The origin story for this narrative quasi-trope stems back to Yellowstone's big Season 2 cliffhanger in the penultimate episode, "Enemies by Monday," leading to the emotional finale follow-up, "Sins of the Father." That's when baddies Malcolm and Teal Beck upped their ante in the fight against the Duttons by kidnapping Tate and sending Kayce and Monica down an emotional spiral. Of course, it was all resolved before the end, so fans didn't have to worry during the between-seasons hiatus.

Not that getting older and assumedly wiser has helped Tate avoid stressful situations. Marshals' Season 1 finale surprisingly delivered a somewhat similar ending (albeit with tonal differences) by having Chris Mulkey's emerging antagonist Tom Weaver offering to take Tate on a friendly fishing trip down in Texas. The difference there is that nobody is aware just yet that Weaver is the bad guy, so it doesn't look like a kidnapping yet.

Even beyond that, 1883 kicks off with Elsa Dutton's fate being sealed, and watching Tim McGraw's family patriarch attempting to keep his baby girl safe remains heartbreaking. 1923 doesn't fit the bill as much, given all of Jacob and Cara Dutton's kids are fully grown, but so much of their worry and grief is locked into the next generation's safety and prosperity, or the lack thereof, and they do wonder about Spencer's whereabouts for much of the show, so it mostly counts.

(Image credit: Paramount+)

I'm Cool With Dutton Ranch's Samey Kidnapping Arc If Carter Comes Out Of It A Better Character

Look, I get that a TV franchise so concerned with land ownership and families is going to make both of those elements core parts of each season, from the premiere to the finale, and that Dutton Ranch probably needed to put one of its most familiar characters at risk instead of tying the concluding stressors to characters that audiences only met in the past eight weeks of eps. Sure, it would have sucked if J. R. Villarreal's Azul was kidnapped instead, but probably not enough to keep viewers worried until Season 2 arrives.

Plus, the neo-western has convincingly portrayed Carter's life as being less than ideal. He's easily butthurt, he doesn't have innate cowboy skills, he's too old for a normal high school existence, and too sheltered to have realiable friends and/or romantic interests. So something had to happen to get this dude out of his rut. (Probably would have been smarter for him NOT to have insulted both Beth and Rip as his stand-in parents, but so be it.)

Even though being held captive didn't do much to help turn Tate into a cool, courageous and/or respectable character — sorry, dude — Carter being older and slightly more mature could have an effect on how he comes out of this dangerous ordeal. He needs to hit a point of no return, but with a more positive path forward instead of becoming the local area's youngest drunkard.

As such, if Carter comes out of his kidnapping crisis with a harder edge, an obvious sense of bravery, and a new set of survival skills, then I will not only give Dutton Ranch a pass for dipping back into the "kidnapped offspring" playbook, but I'll also go into Season 2 with a renewed sense of excitement. Of course, we won't actually know what happens until the new episodes get here anyway, so I guess it's all a moot point.

You know what isn't a moot point? The identity of Oreana's baby daddy. But I guess those answers aren't coming until later, either.

Dutton Ranch Season 2 is on the way, but won't be here until after the 2026 TV schedule has wrapped up. In the meantime, all episodes can be streamed on Paramount+.

Million Dollar Nannies Has Great Drama, But There's One Thing I Wish I Saw More Of

mick.joest@CinemaBlend.com (Mick Joest) — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:05:00 +0000

I recently got roped into a new series on the 2026 TV schedule and am now binging Million Dollar Nannies with my Hulu subscription. While I'm enjoying it thus far, there's one key thing holding it back, in my opinion, when deciding whether it's worthy of being mentioned among the best reality shows on TV right now.

The series follows a group of young nannies as they set up shop in Ibiza and offer vacation nanny services to wealthy people on vacation. There's partying, drama, and beautiful views. The only thing I don't see is what it's like on the job, which I feel is a major component missing from this otherwise great show.

(Image credit: Disney/Andrea Miconi)

Million Dollar Nannies Shows Very Little Of The Cast Actually Doing Their Jobs

Don't get me wrong: I love hearing the young group in Million Dollar Nannies go on about past issues with families, their personal lives, and talking smack about each other. I guess when I signed on to watch this show, I assumed I would see what it's like to be a nanny for the rich and famous. Well, rich, because I'm not sure many of the families featured on the show thus far's fame goes beyond the boundaries of TikTok.

So far, we've seen the nannies apply to their job, but once they get the contract, we don't see what a day entails for these people once they get the gig. What exactly is the difference between being a nanny and being a nanny for the ultra-wealthy? Is the pay even better?

Sure, we get confessional segments in which we learn about dealing with high-maintenance clients, and some storylines show the lines you absolutely shouldn't cross. That said, I think I've learned more about this gig from Fran Drescher, which makes me want a revival of The Nanny even more.

(Image credit: Disney/Andrea Miconi)

Million Dollar Nannies Is Heavy On The Drama, Which Is Great

While some of the drama feels so scripted it would put 90 Day Fiancé to shame, I can't help but admit I'm addicted to the drama of Million Dollar Nannies. Even if they lay the fights on a bit thick from time to time, listening to the cast bicker and talk about how their own actions impact the reputation of the agency is great.

I Finally Got Around To Watching If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, And As A Parent, It Struck A Chord

Rich Knight — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 11:05:00 +0000

As you can probably ascertain from my name, I'm not a mom.

Even so, I still wanted to watch 2025's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which Time Magazine once called “Uncut Gems for Moms.” Well, since Uncut Gems is one of my favorite movies (mostly because of its amazing Adam Sandler performance), I definitely wanted to check it out, and whoa, baby. What a movie!

Now, even though I'm not a mom, I am a dad, and can I just say that I connected with this movie way more than I thought I would? Here's why.

Even As A Dad, I Worry About Being Perceived As A Bad Parent

Just recently, I wrote about how I'm upset that Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is rated R, and it’s mostly because I wanted to take my kids to see it. Now, back when I was a kid, my dad took me to see Terminator 2: Judgment Day when I was only 8, and that’s because parents back then didn't seem to care about taking their kids to see R-Rated flicks. But today, the main reason why I won't take my kids to see The Odyssey isn't because of the mature content (though that's definitely a part of it). It’s mostly because I don't want to be seen as a bad parent taking my kids to see R-rated films.

I'm always thinking about stuff like this (especially as a Black dad, since we're often already perceived to be bad parents from the get-go). Well, Rose Byrne in this movie is constantly feeling like the “bad mom,” and it drags her down. Her daughter has a gastrointestinal illness and needs a tube in her stomach, and Byrne's character constantly feels guilty from all the judgment she receives from others, which is SUPER relatable to me.

So, even though this movie is referred to as “Uncut Gems for Moms,” I definitely felt that tension, too, and I'm not even a mother!

There's Also Always The Fear That Anything Could Just Go Wrong At Any Moment

If you search up what genre this movie is in, you'll likely find it under “psychological drama.” I've also heard people refer to it as a “horror” movie (“realistic horror,” but still!). And, you know what, I agree, because this movie IS scary, though not in the traditional sense.

It mainly tackles motherhood and mental health, and in brutally realistic ways. For example, there's one woman who is undoubtedly suffering from postpartum depression, and she’s constantly worried about her baby. Now, while I have no way of knowing what a woman goes through following childbirth, I will say that as a parent, I have a constant, overwhelming sense of dread that something could happen to my children at any time, and this has been going on since their births.

The same could be said of Rose Byrne's character. She’s both constantly worried about her child, but also in constant need of a break, as she feels alone in taking care of her kid, which I'll talk about next.

Lastly, I Definitely Understand The Feeling Tired All The Time Part

My wife is a nurse, so there will be times when she works four days in a row. This, of course, means that I have the kids for four whole days at a time during these summer months, and anybody with kids will tell you that being a parent is a full-time job in itself.

Thankfully, my in-laws are always available if I need to take a gym break, but I know what it's like to be tired all the time, and Rose Byrne deserved that Best Actress nomination for playing a mom who is literally tired for an entire movie.

And, sister, same. As a parent, I FEEL that to my very core. I may be a dad, but I know what it's like to feel exhausted from morning til night, and that's why even though I might not be a mom, this movie speaks to me on every level.

Stop The Slop, Big Brother: It's Time To End This Punishment

Kelly West — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

I've been watching a lot of past Big Brother seasons lately, in anticipation of Big Brother Season 28. One strong opinion about a certain twist in the game has resurfaced in me with vigor, and I need to talk about it. We recently learned that Season 28 will be themed around a "time trip." So... maybe this would be the perfect season to leave the Big Brother Slop punishment in the past?

(Image credit: CBS)

Big Brother is a notoriously unserious show. Amidst their efforts to send one houseguest packing each week, these housebound contestants are subjected to a range of ridiculous scenarios and punishments. They're slimed during competitions and made to wear goofy themed costumes, to name a couple of examples.

Fans know and expect regular doses of absurdity from the long-running CBS series, and we wouldn't want it any other way. Slop, on the other hand, isn't fun or funny or exciting. The houseguests seem to hate it, which I know is the point, but I also don't know a single fan who cares about this particular punishment, at least, not in any kind of positive way.

(Image credit: CBS)

Slop looks like oatmeal, but based on complaints about it from the houseguests, it sounds like it doesn't actually taste like oatmeal, nor does it have the same texture. Prior to Season 7, the food punishment each season was to restrict the impacted houseguests' diet to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Slop was introduced during Big Brother All Stars, in 2006, and has remained the food punishment each season since. In 2011, the Have Not twist was introduced, adding an uncomfortable bedroom and cold showers to the slop punishment for the three or four affected houseguests each week.

(Image credit: CBS)

Have Nots do have a limited number of other options (pickles, some spices and condiments, protein powder, etc.) to supplement their diets, but slop is their main food source for the week. It seems like every season, houseguests complain about how being on slop makes them feel. Whether it's lack of energy, gastrointestinal discomfort or just feeling super hungry because they're not eating the slop, it certainly seems to serve its presumed purpose of putting have nots at a disadvantage. Yet, I can't remember the last time anything slop-related was entertaining on the live feeds or in the episodes. It's just a thing that gets forced on a few houseguests each week until the Have Not punishment ends for the season.

(Image credit: CBS)

To be clear, I'm not saying they should completely get rid of the Have Not room or punishment. I appreciate the creativity that goes into designing that room, particularly when the design relates (in some dreary, creepy or otherwise negative way) to the theme of the house. Plus, it disrupts the usual sleeping arrangements from week to week, which can have an impact on the social dynamics of the game. Keep the Have Not twist if you want, let's just lose the slop requirement, or change it to something that gives the houseguests more options to get enough to eat to be their usual selves.

I'm not sure what the substitution to slop should be. Maybe it's some other limitation on the Have Nots' diet that still allows them to get enough basic nutrients throughout the week. At the very least, maybe there's an alternate punishment to slop that houseguests can choose. Meaning, if they want to eat normal food for the day, they have to take some other punishment or restriction.

As 2026 marks twenty years since Slop was first introduced, I think it's high time Big Brother does away with it, or finds a way to change up the food restriction to make it interesting, and preferably doesn't leave the affected houseguests down for the count for days.

Big Brother Season 28 kicks off on the 2026 TV schedule on July 9th, with the live feeds starting the day after. You'll be able to watch the feeds and catch up on past episodes with a Paramount+ subscription.

I Think I Like Toy Story 4 More After Seeing The New Movie

Sarah El-Mahmoud — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 11:05:00 +0000

We just passed the halfway point of the year, and I can confidently say that Toy Story 5 is definitely one of my favorite 2026 movies. Pixar’s latest gave me everything I wanted out of a sequel to a franchise I’ve grown up with my whole life, and seeing Jessie finally get her moment is a big reason why. Days after I walked out of the theater with a big smile on my face over the new animated film, I decided to give its predecessor, Toy Story 4, another shot, and I’m very happy I did! Let’s get into it.

(Image credit: Pixar)

What I Thought About Toy Story 4 When It First Came Out

While it took me a double-take to believe it, Toy Story 4 came out seven years ago. I remember going to see it in the theaters opening weekend just like I did for its newest installment – but I recall being very disappointed and feeling kind of icky about it. Given, for context – it was the first Toy Story movie that came out since I became an adult.

My most potent memory about the movie was the Toy Story 4 ending where Woody and Buzz say goodbye to each other with “To infinity and beyond”. I can recall the heavy sigh the scene incited from me like it was yesterday. To me, I think it felt like Pixar was trying to recreate the perfect ending of Toy Story 3 with another heartfelt goodbye between two major characters, and it just didn’t hit the same as last time, in what I would consider one of the best Pixar movies ever made.

Otherwise, I remember liking Forky and thinking Toy Story 4 was OK overall, but just kind of unnecessary. What a difference seven years makes!

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(Image credit: Pixar)

What I Think After My Recent Rewatch After Seeing Toy Story 5

After loving Toy Story 5 as much as I did, I started to question my previous feelings about Toy Story 4. Was it really as bad as I thought it was? After my latest viewing, I can confirm that I was way too harsh on the sequel, and I think I know why. Toy Story 4 had to follow Toy Story 3, and even though it had been almost a decade since it had come out at that point, I wasn’t sold on the idea of Woody, Buzz and the gang coming back yet. Technically, I still think of Toy Story 4 as the weakest of the movies, but really not by much.

This time, I really appreciated Toy Story 4 for how it took some time to explore Woody’s life post-Andy. I kind of think of it as a metaphor for being an empty-nester parent who’s trying to find your purpose after your kid goes to college. I haven’t had that experience myself, but I’ve seen my parents struggle to redefine themselves since I went away to college and became an adult. With that in mind, I found Woody’s journey to be really meaningful, and his decision to “retire” (which becomes a hilarious gag in 5) and go after Bo Peep isn't sad, but a really beautiful start of a new chapter for him.

After watching Toy Story 5, I also was curious about seeing more of Bonnie from before and how the toys adjusted to being part of her room before. I really like how both 4 and 5 explore different ways that toys can be helpful to kids through Bonnie – who I realized now is very different from Andy and very much of her generation. And, I'm happy we have multiple kids in the Toy Story franchise.

The conclusion that I’ve come to is that every Toy Story movie has been made with complete love and care, and I’ll be happy to take more as long as there’s another good story to tell. And I like how each one has a few different main characters to come back to depending on how I feel the next time I want to go back and watch a Toy Story movie. If you felt similarly to me about Toy Story 4, I very much recommend a rewatch!

The Bear Had 7 Callbacks That Hit Me Right In The Feels During My Season 5 Binge

Heidi Venable — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for all five seasons of The Bear, which can be streamed now with a Hulu subscription.

The Bear has served its final meal by way of an eight-episode fifth season that takes place almost entirely on one stressful, rainy day. I couldn’t help but binge through Season 5 as soon as it hit the 2026 TV schedule — especially after watching the standalone episode “Gary,” which is not required viewing but should be, because it’s great — and I was not ready for the emotions that hit me with all of the great callbacks to previous seasons.

The Bear Season 5 was hailed by critics as a return to form, forgoing tons of guest stars and drama outside of the restaurant to watch how the staff came together under seemingly impossible conditions for what might be one last night of service. As an eight-episode meal, I was fully satisfied, and it was the tasteful sprinkling of nods to its past that really put it over the top. Here were some of my favorites:

(Image credit: Hulu)

The ‘Original Berf’ Shirts Made A Big Comeback

The printing error that caused The Original Beef of Chicagoland T-shirts to actually read “Original Berf” may have been just another thing to go wrong for Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) back in Season 2. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), however, knew all along that those were collector’s items, and they sure came in handy when a burst pipe sullied all of the chefs’ white coats in Season 5. As he said in his rousing pre-service speech:

If we’re going to invite people into our home, we’re gonna look like a fucking family.

I was so tickled to see those shirts on everyone for the rest of that night’s service.

(Image credit: Hulu)

Carmy Jokes About Getting Locked In The Freezer

A pivotal moment in Season 2 came when Carmy got locked in the walk-in freezer because he hadn’t gotten the handle fixed. He unwittingly ended things with Claire (Molly Gordon) and then got into a horrible shouting match with Richie. Thank goodness there was a locked door between them.

Season 5 showed just how far the “cousins” had come, as Carmy finds Richie in the freezer having a panic attack. He talks him through it, and as he turns to leave and give Richie some privacy, he pretends he can’t open the door, momentarily freaking Richie out even more. I was certainly fooled, and it leads to such a joyful moment between the two.

(Image credit: Hulu)

Sydney's Coca-Cola Short Ribs Saved The Day

The Coca-Cola-braised short ribs made their appearance in Season 1 as a dish that reminded Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) of her late mother. She worked with Carmy to perfect the balance on the dish, and it was lovely to see Season 5 open with her pulling out the ribs and Coke bottles to make the dish for the final family meal we’d see.

However, the ribs got an even bigger day in the sun when Carmy dropped the lamb dish that was supposed to go to the man they thought was responsible for deciding whether or not they’d get a Michelin star. Carm tells Sydney to serve the short ribs instead, saying they’re better than anything he’s ever made.

(Image credit: Hulu)

Sydney Finally Tells Carmy He Made The Beat Meal She’d Ever Eaten

Carmy’s praise of Sydney’s short ribs was really just returning the favor, because earlier in the service, he had prepared a serving of the lamb tonnato for her to try as a menu option. Without fanfare (but with very meaningful glances), they had this exchange:

Sydney: Second-best bite I’ve had in a long time.
Carmy: Yeah?
Sydney: Yeah.
Carmy: What was the first best?
Sydney: I had this grapefruit scallop dish at Empire a few years ago.

We’d previously heard Sydney tell Marcus that’s how she ended up at The Original Beef, staging under Carmy, and we saw Carmy agonizing over that dish with Chef David Fields (Joel McHale) literally over his shoulder. However, this was the first time that it all clicked for Carmy.

(Image credit: Hulu)

Sugar’s Husband Craves Sydney’s Bolognese

If The Bear fans weren't convinced that Sydney earned her spot taking over for Carmy, Season 5 did everything it could to remind us how good she is. When the chef asks Sugar’s husband Pete (Chris Witaske) to help with the trash in exchange for her cooking him any meal he wants, Pete is quick to say, “Bolognese!”

It’s a super subtle reference, but think back to Season 3, when Sydney brought Sugar (Abby Elliott) and Pete a care package after Sugar had her baby. Amongst the items she brought them was bolognese, and clearly that left an impression on Pete!

(Image credit: Hulu)

You Can’t Keep A Carmy-Sydney Shipper Down

From the beginning there have been questions and very strong opinions about Carmy and Sydney and whether they would (or should) get together. There was so much tension between them that “Yes, chef!” became, like, the hottest thing ever. Ayo Edebiri consistently shut down that possibility, but how could Carmy’s mom Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) possibly know that? In a Season 5 wink to fans, Donna asks Pete, “Are they dating?” and Pete stammers a bit before landing on:

Um, I don’t think so, but there are a lot of, there’s some theories.

Say what you will, but I think that hug during Sydney and Carmy’s big emotional moment in the series finale was more intimate than any kiss. For me, their chemistry as colleagues goes deeper than romance.

(Image credit: Hulu)

Richie Calls Marcus ‘Cousin’

One of the more confusing aspects of The Bear’s first few episodes in Season 1 was that Richie and Carmy referred to each other as “Cousin,” only to reveal they’re not actually related. Richie was best friends with Carmy’s brother Mikey, and when Mikey died, it really was like they both lost a brother. They continued to call each other “Cousin” in good times and bad as a term of endearment, and in the end, Richie passes the nickname on to Marcus (Lionel Boyce).

Sydney and Richie may have been the ones put in charge of the restaurant when Carmy chose to step away, but the final episodes gave a strong indication that Marcus was the one Carmy was passing the torch to. In addition to inheriting the familial nickname, Marcus was also the beneficiary of Carmy’s journals, where he sketched dishes and worked out new creative recipes. It was a beautiful ending for one of The Bear’s best characters.

There were plenty of other moments that stuck out, and I can safely say that all of the anxiety and shouting and fretting and talking over each other was well worth it to see how The Bear served its last meal by bringing back so many of the dishes we loved the first time around.

A New George Washington Biopic Is Flying Under The Radar, And There Are Two Reasons I'm Excited For It

Hugh Scott — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:05:00 +0000

While Young Washington probably won’t be breaking any box office records when it’s released this weekend as part of the 2026 movie schedule, I think it’s flown under the radar for most people. There are some reasons, I believe, for that, which I’ll get into, but I’m still excited to see it, even if I’m admittedly a little wary of the production. There are two reasons, as a matter of fact, that have me excited, and one I’m nervous about how good the movie will be.

(Image credit: Angel Studios)

A Time In Washington’s Life That Isn’t Well Known And A Stellar Cast

What I’m most excited about is the time period that Young Washington is covering. While there are countless movies and TV shows about Washington’s time as the General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and probably just as many about his time as the first President of the United States. Americans are also incredibly well-versed in the early life of George Washington, at least the cherry-tree story (which likely is more fable than fact).

However, there aren’t very many representations of Washington at the beginning of his army service. This historical film covers that, specifically his time as second-in-command of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War in the 1750s. Long before he would command the Continental Army against the British in the Revolution, he fought in the British army, famously making his bones on the (then) Western Frontier during the French and Indian War. This is a time period that is often glossed over, and I could be wrong, but I don’t remember a movie about this time.

The other reason I’m excited for the movie is the stellar cast. Washington is played by a newcomer whom I’m unfamiliar with, William Franklyn-Miller, but much of the cast is very well known. Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, is played by Mary-Louise Parker. Robert Dinwiddie, the Brit running Virginia at the time, is played by Ben Kingsley. Andy Serkis is British General Edward Braddock, who was Washington’s superior, and Kelsey Grammer is playing Lord Fairfax, a prominent Virginian at the time. It all adds up to a pretty spectacular cast.

(Image credit: Angel Studios)

This Could Feel Like An Old TV Movie

I can’t say I’m without some doubt here. I’m specifically talking about the production company and the budget. The movie is produced by Angel Studios, which is a company that has, for the most part, concentrated on movies and TV shows with heavy Christian overtones. Angel’s best-known movie is 2023’s controversial Sound of Freedom, which was heavily criticized for its accuracy and the way it presented the true story of Tim Ballard.

That isn’t what I have an issue with, because not all of the company’s movies are heavy-handed, and I think faith-based stories can be as inspiring as anything else, if done well. What concerns me more (and something I’ve seen in early reviews) is the production quality. I couldn’t find a reliable report on Young Washington’s budget, but at least one review indicated that the CGI wasn’t exactly Avengers-level. I worry that this movie might be aspiring to something it is not. Still, overall, the early reviews have been mostly positive, so I’m excited to see it.

The Internet Is Big Mad About Zack Snyder's Upcoming Escape From New York Remake

Hugh Scott — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 20:05:00 +0000

It might not come as a surprise to you that some internet denizens are not exactly overjoyed with the idea of a remake of the 1981 John Carpenter classic Escape From New York. It's the latest attempt to remake the classic sci-fi flick, this time with Zack Snyder on board to direct.

I get it. I love the movie, too, and I understand why people don’t see any reason for this classic starring Kurt Russell (maybe his best collab with Carpenter) ever to be remade. Still, if I’m honest, some of the reactions are pretty over the top. Here are a few comments I’ve found in the days since the remake was first announced.

The Director Is Taking Some Heat

Zack Snyder is a polarizing director. Some love his work and have gone so far as to put forth a massive campaign that lasted for years to release “The Snyder Cut” of Justice League. That worked, and his fans love it. Others are, let’s just say, less enthusiastic about the director taking a swing at Escape from New York. Redditor r/JWitjes commented:

Zack Snyder directing Escape from New York, now there's a true horror story.

Another Redditor, appropriately named r/CancelThis2077 wrote:

How creatively bankrupt is Hollywood that Escape from NY needs a remake, and that Zack Snyder would be the one to direct it?

Synder directing wasn't the only news that fans of the OG movie took aim at though.

(Image credit: StudioCanal)

Kurt Russell Can't Be Replaced As Snake Plissken

There is no question that Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken is one of the best sci-fi characters of all time. He's a man of action and few words (and even fewer working eyeballs). Many fans say he just can't be replaced by anyone in the role. X user @RealBSP3, commenting on a post by @Nerdcognito, wrote:

Nobody has Kurt Russell energy.I'm not going to try to watch someone else fill his shoes.Highlander is pushing it. This is over the edge.June 13, 2026

He wasn't alone, of course. Redditor r/Suitable_Community66 wrote:

Kurt Russell is simply irreplaceable in this role.

Many critics of the idea of an Escape from New York remake simply don't like the idea of remaking classics

Why Mess Up A Classic?

Finally, the last group of people unhappy with the idea are people who love the movie and think a remake would only flop, or worse, tarnish the reputation of the original. Responding to the news on X, @jordanjabroni summed it up pretty simply:

This is quite possibly the worst news ever. https://t.co/jgEkvYhRzfJune 1, 2026

Another post on X responding to the news had a harsh take not just on the Escape from New York remake, but on all remakes:

IMO the only purposes for these reboots is to nullify the originals. Sure some are good, but judging by the Disney / Netflix / Amazon stuff it's generally a twisted version of something people love so they can become hostile or at least indifferent to it ...skeptical lolJune 13, 2026

That was hardly the only similar thought on the idea of remaking movies:

Don't remake masterpieces, you idiots. Remake movies that had a good story or idea but were botched by the director / producer / studio.April 13, 2026

If you don’t love the idea either, keep in mind that over the years there have been multiple attempts at remaking or rebooting Escape From New York. Robert Rodriguez was tapped to remake the movie about a decade ago, but it never came to be. Looking back through the CinemaBlend archives, there have been multiple announcements going back to the early 2010s hyping up remakes, and none have come to fruition.

Will Zack Snyder be the one to break this curse? Time will tell. We're certainly not going to see it on the 2026 movie schedule, or the 2027 schedule for that matter. In the meantime, you can rewatch the original with a Prime subscription, which is what I plan to do.

My Friend Said Obsession Was Scary, But I Found It Hilarious. Here's Why We're Both Right

Rich Knight — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Let me tell you. I love horror, but it took everything in my power to go see Obsession.

That's because its reputation precedes it as being a scary movie, so I was 100% terrified to see it. Then I did see it, and…I thought it was hilarious. I mean, I laughed probably 50% of the film’s runtime.

However, when I told my friend that I found it more funny than scary, he said, “Naw, man. It was terrifying.” I just wondered how two people could have such wildly different reactions to the same movie. Then it hit me…

(Image credit: Focus Features)

My Friend Was Once In A Relationship That I Think Gave Him PTSD

I think we’ve all had at least one friend who was in a terrible relationship. I'm talking about a “You need to get away from this person,” kind of courtship. And yes, my aforementioned friend was in a relationship like this for YEARS. All of us told him, “She's no good for you, man,” as she was manipulative, overbearing, and selfish. So, I think my friend was definitely getting PTSD when watching Nikki (Inde Navarrette) go psycho on Bear (Michael Johnston).

Now, unlike Bear, my friend didn't make a selfish wish on a One-Wish Willow to be with this woman. Instead, I'm not sure how they met. I just know that once they did, she was with my friend CONSTANTLY. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as a lot of my friends got girlfriends and lost touch, only to get married and have kids.

That said, this woman was driving my friend insane, and she'd sometimes both physically and emotionally abuse him. Thankfully, after YEARS of this kind of poor treatment, they both walked away from each other. In that way, I think my friend was definitely reliving some of those bad memories when he watched Obsession. That said…

(Image credit: Focus Features)

I've Never Been In A Relationship With An Obsessive Girlfriend, So I Found The Film Funny

There are a lot of creative theories about Obsession (some even think that Bear might have had a shot with Nikki if he just told her his feelings), but I think most people come out of the film feeling bad for Nikki, and that Bear is the true antagonist. So, yes, I definitely felt horrible for everything Nikki had to experience (yes, even after that scene).

However, I've also never had any woman be “obsessed” with me. So, I found most of Nikki's outlandish moments to be comical. For instance, there's a moment when Bear wants to go to a “guys night out,” and when he tells Nikki, who’s taking a shower, she shuts off the water abruptly, and there’s this loud noise. Now, I've seen a lot of horror movies, but none where somebody turning off the shower could be considered a jump scare.

Or, what about that infamous scene when Nikki is crying in the corner? Yes, her uncanny valley expression was creepy, but I also found it funny that she was watching Bear while he slept. So, I guess the fact that I found Obsession funny while my friend found it scary just means one thing…

(Image credit: Blumhouse)

I Think It's A Very Different Movie If You Find It Relatable, From Either Nikki Or Bear's Perspective

I’ve heard a lot of women speak out about how they’ve known men like Bear who seem nice on the surface, but are actually not nice people, and that they understand Nikki’s pain of being controlled. I’ve also heard men chime in and say that Bear doesn’t actually really “see” Nikki, and only sees an idea of what he thinks she is, or what he wants her to be.

I love all of these interpretations, and I think this film really resonates with people (and possibly terrifies them) if they see themselves in either Nikki or Bear’s shoes, as my friend did.

Personally, I couldn’t relate (especially since it’s now harder for me to connect with characters who are much younger than me), so I found all of it quite humorous.

So, did you find Obsession to be funny, scary, or both? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

See If You Can Ace This Kind Of Hard Independence Day Movie Crossword Puzzle

Kelly West — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:01:36 +0000

This weekend is not just any Fourth of July. The U.S. is celebrating its 250th birthday, so I would be remiss if I didn't dedicate this week's movie quiz entirely to a movie that is, well, somewhat connected to the annual holiday. I mean, it's less about the nation's independence as it is about humans trying to survive a global alien invasion, but the days the event takes place and the title of the movie line up, so it counts.

I know I'm not alone in having seen Independence Day countless times since its release in 1996. With that in mind, I tried to make this puzzle just a little bit harder than the usual movie quizzes I do. See how many clues you can solve! And if it's too hard, maybe it's time to revisit the movie. Independence Day is streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

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Where Is All This Supergirl Hate Coming From? Seriously, What Is Going On?

Mack Rawden — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:05:00 +0000

What is going on right now? Seriously, what is going on? I can’t navigate my browser anywhere on the Internet without stumbling into five takes about how Supergirl is hot trash in a cape. The weird thing, though, is that I’ve seen Supergirl, and it’s not hot trash in a cape. It’s just the latest mediocre superhero movie in a long line of mostly mediocre superhero movies that we’ve gotten in the last five years. So, why are we all acting like this one is uniquely problematic and offensive?

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

I saw Supergirl like two weeks ago at a screening in St Louis that was filled with like ninety percent randoms and ten percent press. I had a pretty good time. My wife had a pretty good time. A co-worker I went with and his buddy both had pretty good times. All of us thought it was a nice enough way to spend (less than) a couple hours.

I didn’t have individual conversations with everyone else in the crowd, but their general reactions seemed to match our feelings too. Everyone seemed to stay engaged. They laughed moderately at most of the jokes, leaned forward in their seats at the appropriate times and the bits of conversations I picked up leaving the theater were all blandly positive. It was like we all collectively gave it a weak thumbs up.

On my way home (before I started driving), I texted my buddy who is a big superhero fan. This is the exact copy of the message I sent him…

Just saw Supergirl. It’s nice enough. Milly is good. Momoa is having a ton of fun. Story is bland. Nothing special.

I assumed most reviews would fall somewhere in the 2.5-3.5 out of 5 range, and I was right. If you look on Rotten Tomatoes, the majority of them are mixed bag positives, but to my surprise, there’s a solid minority that are extremely, almost aggressively mean. That negativity (even from some huge outlets) is also mirrored on social media, where thousands of angry posts are accusing Supergirl of being some kind of embarrassing disaster. I’ve seen quite a few going a step further and saying DC needs to examine whether its entire new James Gunn franchise is even working because of how bad this movie allegedly is.

Wait, what? Maybe this is the moment where people just collectively decided they were sick of watching run-of-the-mill superhero movies, and Supergirl was the unlucky victim of that pent-up anger? Maybe fans and critics are willing to be a lot meaner and say things they wouldn’t normally say because it’s about a female superhero? Maybe DC fans have higher expectations than Marvel fans? Maybe some of the people commenting haven’t actually seen the movie and are just riled up about comments people involved made on the press tour?

I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not going to try and get in the heads of other people, but I will say that everyone I know who has seen the movie in real life, that didn’t go in with an obvious agenda, thought it was fine enough.

Fine enough as in a mixed bag. Alcock and Momoa are both quite good. Her dynamic with Superman works well, and there are a lot of fun individual scenes that keep the momentum up. That being said, there are also clearly some problems here. Most of the characters are a little one-note. The villain is weak. The soundtrack makes some odd choices. The stuff about Supergirl's backstory doesn't hit as hard as it should because not enough time is spent on Krypton.

It's definitely not The Dark Knight or even Avengers 1. It's a lot closer to something like Ant-Man And The Wasp, but instead of people talking about it like it's Ant-Man And The Wasp, they're talking about it like it's Superman IV or Ghost Rider II. It's not. Don't listen to the people telling you it is. The truth is Supergirl is fine enough. It's the latest mediocre superhero movie in a long line of mostly mediocre superhero movies, and while that's not ideal, it's better than what you've been hearing.

The Legally Blonde Prequel Has A Hilarious Reveal About Elle Woods I Can't Stop Thinking About

Sarah El-Mahmoud — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:05:00 +0000

SPOILERS are ahead for Elle, now streaming with a Prime Video subscription.

One of my favorite things about Legally Blonde is how many beloved lines came out of a single script. Elle Woods has so many great lines said by Reese Witherspoon, but my favorite has to be when she declares that she and her little doggy Bruiser Woods are both “Gemini vegetarians.” Especially as a longtime resident of Los Angeles myself, it’s literally the perfect way to make fun of us with a single line. And in the prequel series, Elle, they ran with the quote in a direction I really didn’t expect.

The entire first season of Elle just premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, and while it took a couple of episodes to grow on me, I don’t agree with a lot of the critics. It’s a delightful series, and I hope it continues. Anyways, my favorite Elle Woods-coded moment comes in episode seven after Elle and her friends serve their time in detention and she’s explaining the situation to her mother Eva (played dynamically by June Diane Raphael). She ends up saying this:

Maybe there are other sides to me. Maybe I’m not the rule-abiding Gemini I always thought. I mean even Mrs. Burke accused me of being a Cancer.

Elle completely defines herself by her astrological sign of Gemini, because of course she does, but this time when she talks about it, her mom admits something. In Eva's words:

When I was pregnant, your dad had a pool at the office, and everyone bet on which day you’d be born… We wanted to stay in the good graces of the head of Cedars' plastic surgery division, who had placed a bet on June 20.

So while Elle thought she was a Gemini her whole sixteen years of life thus far, she learns that she’s technically a Cancer. It was hidden from her thanks to a bet that went on between her dad and his work buddies. Here’s her actual birthday, according to her mom:

June 21st at 12:01am… Technically your head was out at 11:59.

What I love about this is, of course, a Legally Blonde prequel series that would talk about the origins of Elle Woods’ astrology and deepen it. It just makes sense. Plus, as an L.A. girlie myself who had my own phase of over-analyzing my astrology, I absolutely love this development for her. Elle being humbled by astrology just made me laugh so hard, because it's just so on brand for her.

While she’s definitely a Gemini icon no matter what, I think her having a Cancer cusp makes a lot of sense because that sign, in its broadest sense, is known to be for very intuitive, loyal, nurturing and moody people, which is Elle Woods!

From my understanding, when you’re a cusp, you can kind of take on the traits of both signs you are kind of in between, so Elle can be both now. Now every time I rewatch Legally Blonde, I'll be thinking about how Elle's darkest secret is probably that she's technically a Gemini/Cancer cusp. Here’s my favorite line that the whole scene leads up to:

Great. So my head’s a Gemini, my body's a Cancer. This changes my entire emotional narrative... How does a Cancer cusp even answer the phone?

Later on, Elle must have decided to claim her Gemini side rather than Cancer – but the teenage identity crisis in that moment on Elle is too perfect! Bravo to the creators, because this reveal was so well handled, and I'm claiming it for her.

I Watched Amores Perros In Theaters For The 1st Time, And These Things Stood Out More 25 Years Later

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:07:30 +0000

Amores Perros is one of my favorite movies of all-time. It’s the film that introduced me to one of my favorite actors ever, Gael García Bernal. It’s one of his best movies. The movie won me over instantly, and I have seen it a few times, in a few different ways. However, I haven’t seen it in a while, and have never gotten the chance to see it in a theater.

For the 25th anniversary, Mubi gave the film a limited theatrical release. I caught the movie at a local theater, and it reminded me of the timeless bleakness and triumph of Amores Perros.

Warning: Amores Perros spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Alta Vista Films)

I Didn't Notice How Much The Dogs' Stories Mimicked Their Owners Until This Watch

In Amores Perros, El Chivo (Emilio Echevarría) says at some point that dogs often become like their humans. We see this throughout the film. Octavio (Gael García Bernal) and Cofi are both innocent creatures at the start. However, they become more and more ruthless, cutthroat as the film continues.

Cofi goes from a friendly, careless dog to a ruthless killer. Octavio becomes the same. Then Cofi becomes El Chivo’s dog. We see the effects of how Octavio trained him to become a killer. He now only knows this way of life, and cannot live among normal dogs. This is basically El Chivo’s story. He only realizes how lost he has become when Cofi kills his other dogs.

Valeria (Goya Toledo) and Richie are beautiful and pampered. Then an unexpected event leaves them both physically and emotionally scarred. I didn’t really notice how closely all the dogs’ stories are the same as their owners' until this viewing.

(Image credit: Alta Vista Films)

I Always Saw Amores Perros As A Bleak Film, But Realized It Does Have Some Hope

Amores Perros is considered one of the best Mexican movies for many reasons, but one is that it’s insanely bleak. It’s a film about how people hurt each other in the quest for love, success, and money. I love a good bleak movie, but as I age, I prefer movies with a sprinkle of hope at least. Reality can be too dark sometimes, so I need my cinema to provide some levity. Nonetheless, I have seen Amores Perros many times. I expected its bleakness.

However, it must have been too long since I last saw it because I didn’t remember much hope in it before, but El Chivo’s storyline ends on a very hopeful note. This ruthless killer can change because of his love for his child. It shows that men are not completely doomed. Love can still heal and change people for the better. It’s an optimistic take that I didn’t remember the other times I saw it, but it will stick with me this time.

(Image credit: Alta Vista Films)

The Film Has Some Really Interesting Conversations About Class, But Not How I Expected

Many great movies explore race, social justice, and class struggles. Amores Perros is a movie very much about class struggles. Octavio does all he does to get out of his situation to be with Susana (Vanessa Bauche). We see three different social classes featured in the film, but they all end up with the same problems. The movie isn’t saying class doesn’t matter, but it’s saying we’re united in our struggles. Love unites us in bad and good ways.

Class divides people, but humans are humans no matter their social status. Amores Perros is a rare film that showcases a strong debut movie that continues to surprise and enlighten.

Voicemails For Isabelle Is One Of My Favorite Romantic Movies In A While, And I Think I Know Why

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Great love should make you cry. Because to love truly, recklessly, and beautifully means to open your heart up completely. That kind of true love can only end in tears, one way or another. Voicemails for Isabelle reminds you that love has to hurt.

The sad reality of living and loving is that we love people that we will eventually lose, or will lose us. Many great love movies discuss unrequited love or the agonizing pain of a breakup, but some even better ones explore losing a soulmate and finding another while healing.

That’s the main premise of Voicemails for Isabelle, but only partly why it’s such a beautiful love story.

Warning: Voicemails for Isabelle spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Voicemails For Isabelle Wasn't Just A Love Story Between The Main Characters But An Ode To Sisters

My sisters mean the world to me. To lose them would destroy me because they are, in many ways, my best friends and two of my soulmates. If you have a sister that you’re close with, you automatically feel Jill’s (Zoey Deutch) pain. Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) is her world. Isabelle was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at a young age, so Jill knows that Isabelle likely won’t live to old age. However, knowing someone will die doesn’t prepare you for the devastation when it happens.

Jill knows Isabelle will die. We know Isabelle will die, but we all mourn this loss. The main love story of Voicemails for Isabelle is between these sisters. Jill and Wes’s (Nick Robinson) love story is secondary but just as profound. Jill wants a love story similar to the great rom-com movies.

Wes provides this for her, and their love story makes you swoon. However, Isabelle and Jill’s love is what drives the movie. It gives it heart and soul. You care equally about Jill’s love with Wes and Isabelle. Not many romantic movies show two love stories happening simultaneously. Jill’s love for Isabelle shows an everlasting love that can’t be broken, even in death. Her love for Wes shows something new and fragile, but just as important to her, especially during this time in her life.

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Film Also Had Some Empowering Messages That I Think Many Will Connect With

Like with many great love movies, Wes and Jill eventually reach the conflict portion of their relationship. Their breakup isn’t devastating, like some others, because it’s important to their growth as a couple. It’s also inevitable as part of the film’s formula and plot.

However, the main purpose of Wes and Jill’s breakup is to show that Jill doesn’t need Wes. She’s fine on her own. I think that’s such a powerful message in a romantic dramedy. Many films, especially centered on romance, focus on the woman needing the man to feel complete. We have even seen so many epic moments and lines that declare this exact sentiment. The woman is not her full, true self without the love of this man. It may go both ways in many films, but sometimes it is put out there that the woman needs this man more than it emphasizes the man needing the woman.

Voicemails for Isabelle shows something different by having Jill state that she doesn’t need Wes. It’s very clear that he needs her, though. I love movies that empower women, because they often go against societal norms, especially those still held up as the standard. By showing Jill thrive with or without Wes, this movie breaks some romantic movie clichés. Wes adds to Jill’s life, but he isn’t the prize or the goal. She has bigger dreams that don’t revolve around him.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Nick Robinson And Zoey Deutch Had Chemistry That Felt Effortless And Natural

Zoey Deutch is no stranger to charming Netflix fans. Everyone loved her with Glen Powell in Set It Up. She repeats this success with Voicemails for Isabelle, and that really helps make it one of Netflix’s best romantic movies. Nick Robinson is also no stranger to onscreen chemistry. He has had it in many of his romantic movies, including in one of the best LGBTQ+ romantic movies, Love, Simon. Therefore, no one is surprised that they’re great together in Voicemails for Isabelle.

It’s their chemistry that makes it one of our favorite romance films of the year. Maybe the movie would have worked with different leads, but Robinson and Deutch are perfect in these roles. Their chemistry feels natural, playful, and a little bit anxious. It’s how two strangers falling in love should feel, especially when one is hiding a major secret. Robinson and Deutch may be another set of actors with amazing chemistry that I need to see in more things together. When you find actors who know how to make you smile while watching them, you just want more of that feeling.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Wes Felt Like A Male Character Written By A Woman, We Need More Of That

Some people adore male characters written by women. They love how gentle, sensitive, caring, and considerate they feel. They’re the dream guys. However, I am someone who sometimes doesn’t like romantic book male leads because sometimes they feel a little too unrealistic. However, Voicemails for Isabelle made me appreciate the appeal of male characters written by women, especially in modern times.

I loved that Wes and Jill were getting hot and heavy, but Wes stopped. He knows it’s unethical for him to have sex with Jill when she doesn’t know everything, especially something as big as him having access to her private voicemails with her deceased sister. Far too many past romantic movies didn’t consider the idea of consent being murky if all details about a partner are not known before they have sex. This moment in Voicemails for Isabelle stood out so much because it’s something only a character written by a woman may consider.

We also watch Wes yearn harder for Jill than she does for him. Nick Robinson masters the longing look in Voicemails for Isabelle. Additionally, so many movies have that moment where the guy sees the woman look gorgeous for the first time and drools and falls head over heels. That moment comes for Wes when he hears how quirky she is with her sister and standing up to the podcast guy. Wes also manages to redeem himself.

He does more than enough to make up for his deceit. Despite his trickery, I never disliked or judged Wes, and that’s because director and screenwriter Leah McKendrick did such a good job of creating this very likable fictional man. His secret is uncomfortable, but because of Wes as a character, it’s an easy one to overcome.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Voicemails For Isabelle Was The Perfect Blend of Cheesy, Sentimental, Funny, And Romantic

Voicemails for Isabelle inspires so many emotions. It touches the heart in more ways than one. I loved every minute of it, and I knew I would the moment it played Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” (one of my personal favorite songs). The moments with the song are so gorgeously cheesy.

I laughed plenty of times, almost cried a few, wanted to call my sisters, and had so many moments when the romance had me twirling my hair. I don’t think Netflix will top this one in my heart.

I Am Not Fully Sold On Not Suitable For Work, Except For This One Part

jerricatisdale@gmail.com (Jerrica Tisdale) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000

I love so many of Mindy Kaling’s TV shows. I think I am her target audience because I am a rom-com lover who appreciates complex female leads. Many of her best projects fall in this category. If I see Kaling’s name attached to a project, I will check it out. I adored Never Have I Ever through its run, and even debated between Team Ben and Team Paxton.

I watched The Mindy Project, Champions, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Running Point, and Four Weddings and a Funeral (one that was severely underrated). Therefore, I was willing to give Not Suitable for Work a chance. I wasn’t sold on the concept, but I trusted Kaling to not let me down.

Warning: Not Suitable for Work spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

(Image credit: Hulu)

Not Suitable For Work Doesn’t Make Me Swoon, But I Haven’t Given Up on It Yet

The series follows five 20-somethings trying to make it in their various fields. They have creative and corporate jobs to show the spectrum of the workforce. Not Suitable for Work feels like many other sitcoms similar to Friends. That may be the show’s main issue. It feels too similar to Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Living Single, and many other sitcoms surrounding friend groups.

This makes it hard not to compare Not Suitable for Work to those shows. Most of them execute this premise better. Additionally, because the series feels so standard, it has become extremely predictable. I found it very easy to guess all the major moments in the Not Suitable for Work Season 1 finale. They followed a similar concept to other movies and TV shows. There is a similar comfort level to Mindy Kaling’s shows, but I wouldn’t call them predictable.

This is the first of her series that I felt was too easy to predict and lacked some originality. It could also be because of how much I loved FX’s Adults. Though the shows aren’t very similar, they feel in competition because of their premises. That one is such a funny, unique look at Gen Z living, loving, and working. Not Suitable for Work doesn’t have the same coolness as that show, and that’s fine, but it’s still missing some classic Kaling charm.

However, I have not written the show off yet. It still has a lot of potential. Abby (Avantika Vandanapu) and Kel’s (Nicholas Duvernay) romance has the possibility of being the show’s saving grace. They already remind me of some classic secondary couples, like Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) from Friends and all their great moments. Kaling’s shows often need a great romance to make us invest in it.

Not Suitable for Work is banking on AJ (Ella Hunt) and Josh (Jack Martin) being that couple, but I think it will be Abby and Kel. They’re already more interesting and had so many cute moments in the first season. It makes me curious to see the bigger ones in future seasons. Abby and Kel’s potential is enough to keep me invested.

Not Suitable for Work is not a bad show by any means, but I just know there is a better show within it. I hope that comes out if Hulu renews it. I need its renewal to prove my criticisms wrong.

Upcoming 2027 Movies: New Release Dates For Theaters And Streaming

Nick Venable — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 23:18:57 +0000

Quick Links

January Movie Releases
February Movie Releases
March Movie Releases
April Movie Releases
May Movie Releases
June Movie Releases
July Movie Releases
August Movie Releases
September Movie Releases
October Movie Releases
November Movie Releases
December Movie Releases

Though many dozens of 2026 movie releases are still on the way, it’s never too early to start looking ahead to 2027, as there are already several upcoming horror movies, animated sequels, upcoming Marvel films and much more with dates already locked down for when they’ll hit theaters and streaming services. We’re talking new Pixar, new Blair Witch, new Judd Apatow, new DCU movies, and at least two new Jason Statham movies. Not to mention Narnia, Dragons, and Rambo, oh my.

Scroll down to see all the biggest movies currently set to drop in 2027 — or click one of those Quick Links — with dates subject to change as studios alter their release plans. (Remember to bookmark this page to stay current, and to let us know you care, even though we won’t actually know.) Now onto the movies!

January 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Cineverse)

The year is starting off with the feature directorial debut from Black Swan and The Boogeyman screenwriter Mark Heyman, followed by releases starring acting GOAT Viola Davis and cinematic sports GOAT (DOG?) Air Bud. Yellowstone prequel vets Isabel May and Brandon Sklenar also have new movies on the way.

January 1
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Pendulum	Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Norman Reedus, Phoebe Dynevor	Mark Heyman / Mark Heyman	Horror	Theaters

January 15
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Beekeeper 2	Jason Statham, Jeremy Irons, Pom Klementieff	Timo Tjahjanto / Umair Aleem, Kurt Wimmer	Action Thriller	Theaters
Children of Blood and Bone	Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo	Gina Prince-Bythewood / Tomi Adeyemi, Gina Prince-Bythewood	Action-Adventure, Fantasy	Theaters

January 22
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Air Bud Returns	Tyler Labine, Tracy Ifeachor	Robert Vince / Robert Vince	Sports Family Comedy	Theaters

January 29
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Karoshi	Isabel May, Giancarlo Esposito, Cynthia Erivo	Takashi Doscher / Takashi Doscher	Action Thriller	Theaters
The Rescue	Brandon Sklenar, Josh Duhamel, Hassie Harrison, Josh Lucas	Potsy Ponciroli / John Fusco	Action Thriller	Theaters

February 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Disney)

February 2027 is already shaping up to be a big month for youth-skewing fare, from the newest Ice Age movie to a CoComelon movie, with Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated Narnia feature bridging the generation gap between moviegoers.

February 5
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Comeback King	Glen Powell, Cristin Milioti, Madelyn Cline	Judd Apatow / Judd Apatow & Glen Powell	Comedy	Theaters
Ice Age: Boiling Point	Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah, Ray Romano	John C. Donkin	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters
Lords of War	Nicolas Cage, Bill Skarsgård, Laura Harrier	Andrew Niccol / Andrew Niccol	Action Thriller	Theaters
Remain	Jake Gyllenhaal, Phoebe Dynevor, M. Night Shyamalan	M. Night Shyamalan / M. Night Shyamalan	Fantasy, Romance, Thriller	Theaters

February 12
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew	Daniel Craig, Meryl Street, Carey Mulligan	Greta Gerwig / Greta Gerwig	Fantasy Adventure	Theaters (Streaming on Netflix starting April 2)
The Nightingale	Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, Douglas Hodge	Michael Morris / Dana Stevens	Historical War Drama	Theaters

February 19
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
CoComelon: The Movie	Nicholas Hoult, Rhys Darby, Ike Barinholtz	Kathleen Thorson Good / Adam Pava	Animated Comedy	Theaters

February 26
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
K-Pop: The Debut	Tony Revolori, Ji-young Yoo, Eric Nam	Benson Lee / Elyse Hollander, Eileen Shim	Musical Dramedy	Theaters
Panic Carefully	Julia Roberts, Elizabeth Olsen, Brian Tyree Henry, Eddie Redmayne	Sam Esmail / Sam Esmail	Thriller	Theaters
Live Like That	Roselyn Sanchez, Esai Morales, Richard Cabral	Dito Montiel / Dito Montiel	Crime-Drama Biopic	Theatrical

March 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Cineverse)

March 5
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Gatto	Mark Ruffalo, Laurence Fishburne, Ismail Elsene	Enrico Casarosa / Andrea Warren	Animated Comedy	Theaters
The Thomas Crown Affair	Michael B. Jordan, Adria Arjona, Aubrey Plaza, Kenneth Branagh	Michael B. Jordan / Drew Pearce, Wes Tooke	Comedic Action-Adventure	Theaters

March 12
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Exorcist: Martyrs	Scarlett Johansson, Hamish Linklater, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Carla Gugino	Mike Flanagan / Mike Flanagan	Horror	Theaters

March 19
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Sonic the Hedgehog 4	Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Keanu Reeves, Ben Schwartz	Jeff Fowler / Pat Casey, Josh Miller, John Whittington	Action-Adventure	Theaters
Wolf Creek: Legacy	John Jarratt, Stacy Clausen, Laura Gordon	Sean Lahiff / Duncan Samarasinghe	Horror	Theaters

March 26
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Day Drinker	Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Madelyn Cline	Marc Webb / Zach Dean	Action Thriller	Theaters
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova	Dan Stevens, Jack O'Connell, Kaitlyn Dever, Sam Neill	Grant Sputore / Dave Callaham	Sci-Fi Action-Adventure	Theaters

April 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Nintendo / Sony Pictures)

April 9
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Get Lite	Storm Reid	Teyana Taylor / Eric Gross	Music Drama	Theaters
The Revenge Of La Llorona	Jay Hernandez, Monica Raymund, Raymond Cruz	Santiago Menghini / Sean Tretta	Horror	Theaters

April 23
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
F.A.S.T.	Brandon Sklenar, Sam Claflin, Wilson Bethel	Ben Richardson / Taylor Sheridan	Action, Crime Drama	Theaters

April 30
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Legend Of Zelda	Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Bo Bragason	Wes Ball / Derek Connolly, T.S. Nowlin	Action-Adventure	Theaters
Monitor	Brittany O'Grady, Taz Skylar, Ines Høysæter	Matt Black / Ryan Polly	Horror, Mystery	Theaters

May 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Lionsgate)

May 6
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Resurrection Of The Christ: Part One	Rupert Everett, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jaakko Ohtonen	Mel Gibson / Mel Gibson, Randall Wallace	Historical Drama	Theaters

May 7
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Beach Read	Kevin Bacon, Andie MacDowell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Phoebe Dynevor	Yulin Kuang / Yulin Kuang	Romantic Comedy	Theaters

May 21
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Bad Fairies	Cynthia Erivo, Ncuti Gatway, Dee Bradley Baker	Megan Dong & Oliver Staphylas / Deborah Frances-White	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters
The Catch	Emma Stone, Chris Pine, Ashley Padilla, Druski	Dave McCary / Travis Helwig, Patrick Kang, Michael Levin, Jen Statsky	Romantic Comedy	Theaters
Paranormal Activity 8	TBA	Ian Tuason / Ian Tuason	Horror	Theaters

May 28
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Star Wars: Starfighter	Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth	Shawn Levy / Jonathan Tropper	Fantasy Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi	Theaters

June 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Dreamworks)

June 4
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
John Rambo	Noah Centineo, David Harbour, James Franco, Jefferson White	Jalmari Helander / Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani	Action-Adventure, Thriller	Theaters

June 11
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
How To Train Your Dragon 2	Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Nico Parker	Dean DeBlois / Dean DeBlois	Action-Adventure Comedy	Theaters

June 20
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse	Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake Johnson	Bob Persichetti, Justin K. Thompson / Dave Callaham, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller	Animated Superhero Action-Adventure	Theaters

June 25
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Untitled Ocean's Eleven Prequel	Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper	Bradley Cooper / Bradley Cooper, Charles Randolo, Carrie Solomon	Crime Thriller	Theaters

June 30
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Shrek 5	Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Skyler Gisondo	Brad Ableson, Walt Dohrn, Conrad Vernon / Michael McCullers	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters

July 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: DC)

July 9
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Man Of Tomorrow	David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Milly Alcock, Rachel Brosnahan	James Gunn / James Gunn	Superhero Action-Adventure	Theaters

July 23
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
A Minecraft Movie: Squared	Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Coolidge	Jared Hess / Chris Bowman, Chris Galletta, Jared Hess, Gavin James, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener	Comedy Action-Adventure	Theaters

July 30
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
A Quiet Place Part III	Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Jack O'Connell, Katy O'Brian	John Krasinski / John Krasinski	Horror, Sci-Fi Drama	Theaters

August 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Disney)

August 6
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Bluey Movie	David McCormack, Melanie Zanetti	Joe Brumm, Richard Jeffery / Joe Brumm	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters
Jason Statham Stole My Bike	Jason Statham	David Leitch / Alison Flierl, Scott Chernoff	Action Comedy

August 13
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2	Derek Wilson	Yashar Kassai, Kyler Spears, Jeff Rowe / Jeff Rowe	Animated Action-Adventure	Theaters

September 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Disney)

September 3
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Simpsons Movie 2	Dan Castellanetta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer	TBA	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters

September 10
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Conjuring: First Communion	TBA	Rodrigue / Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing	Horror	Theaters

September 24
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Untitled Blair Witch Movie	TBA	Rodrigue / Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing	Horror	Theaters

October 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Warner Bros. )

October 1
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Batman: Part II	Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright	Matt Reeves / Matt Reeves, Mattson Tomlin	Action, Crime Drama	Theaters

October 15
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
The Mummy 4	Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah	Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett / David Coggeshall	Action-Adventure, Horror	Theaters

November 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Disney)

November 5
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Margie Claus	Melissa McCarthy, Cole Escola	Kirk DeMicco / Ben Falcone, Damon Jones	Animated Musical Comedy	Theaters

November 12
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow	Daisy Edgar-Jones	Sian Heder / Mark Bomback, Sian Heder, Gabrielle Zevin	Romance	Theaters

November 19
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Gremlins 3	TBA	Chris Columbus / Carl Ellsworth, Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein	Horror Comedy	Theaters

November 24
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Frozen III	Kristen Bell, Idinia Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad	Trent Correy, Jennifer Lee / Jennifer Lee	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters

December 2027 Movie Releases

(Image credit: Lionsgate)

December 17
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Avengers: Secret Wars	Robert Downey Jr. Pedro Pascal, Wyatt Russell, Vanessa Kirby	Anthony Russo & Joe Russo / Stephen McFeely	Superhero Action-Adventure	Theaters
The Housemaid's Secret	Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Kirsten Dunst, Paul Anthony Kelly	Paul Feig / Rebecca Sonnenshine	Thriller	Theaters
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum	Anya Taylor-Joy, Elijah Wood, Leo Woodall, Kate Winslet	Andy Serkis / Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, Arty Papageorgiou, Fran Walsh	Fantasy Action-Adventure	Theaters

December 22
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Buds	TBA	TBA	Animated Comedy Adventure	Theaters

December 25
Title	Cast	Director / Writer	Genre	Where To Watch
Untitled Nancy Meyers Film	Tony Hale, Penélope Cruz, Owen Wilson, Jude Law, Kieran Culkin	Nancy Meyer / Nancy Meyer	Romantic Comedy	Theaters

Is it too early to start planning for 2028? Yes, yes it is.

Xbox Can Bring Halo Back To TV Provided It Doesn't Repeat These Mistakes

mick.joest@CinemaBlend.com (Mick Joest) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:05:00 +0000

Halo tried to bring a live-action series to the world, but it was short-lived. The series, which was recently made available for those with a Netflix subscription, ended after only two seasons. That said, there's recent news that Microsoft could make another run at bringing it back to Hollywood, and I think it's a great idea provided they avoid the mistakes of the first attempt.

As studios prepare various upcoming video game movies that will hopefully make a billion dollars at the box office, Microsoft is trying to find another franchise like Minecraft to be a new hit. Chief Content Officer Matt Booty told EW they have plans to make more movies in Hollywood, and that Halo is definitely in the mix for a potential comeback:

Halo, first and foremost, is one of our biggest franchises. It's iconic to Xbox and we're certainly going to invest going forward.

It's not surprising that Microsoft wants to try to make Halo work, given it's the biggest Xbox IP out there. It's also not crazy to believe it'll work if the proper rules are followed, many of which weren't when the series was first made for Paramount+.

(Image credit: Paramount+)

Leave The Armor On

Halo made the decision to remove Master Chief's helmet, and while I wasn't as bent out of shape as some were about that, having him get buck naked did feel like a bit much. Ultimately, the series had mixed reviews for a reason, and trying to move the Spartans away from wearing their armor all the time was a big part of that.

Spartan armor did a lot of the heavy lifting in what made the show feel like Halo, so trying to limit it felt like a big mistake. We've seen from shows like The Mandalorian that it's completely fine to put the lead behind a mask. There's no reason this show keeps John behind the mask this time around, and it helps the series feel more like the games in that regard.

(Image credit: Paramount+)

Stick To The Script

Halo has a rich number of works for creatives to page through, even beyond the video games. There are dozens of novels out there in which people expanded the lore of the series, and all of them would've been great to reference when working on the original television series.

There's no need to make Halo more accessible or like other sci-fi shows. This gaming series didn't become a major IP for Xbox by chance, and I think we've seen from the litany of recent successful video game adaptations that remaining faithful to the source material is the way to go. We now have a generation of adults who were raised alongside these games, and they're passionate enough about them that they want to see them done right.

I think there's a possibility that the canceled Halo series could've eventually gotten to the cool stuff people wanted to see. The challenge facing streamers these days, however, is that they don't get a season to find their ground before things get good. So, whoever works on the next attempt to make Halo a hit series or movie, make sure to take fan opinion to heart, even if their feedback can be negative at times.

As mentioned, the Halo series is over on Netflix to stream right now. I enjoyed the series for what it was, but would welcome a more faithful adaptation down the road if Microsoft is committed to making it happen.