Cody (Will Poulter), a recovering drug addict, gets released from prison and enters rehab while his younger foster brother, Jack (Noah Centineo), gets transferred to a different rehab center farther away from their rural Ohio hometown in Union County. Writer/director Adam Meeks has made a slow-burning, tender and genuinely moving slice-of-life that also serves as an unflinching character study. Cody does has a sister, Katrina (Emily Meade), but she's not willing to provide him with emotional support and tries to keep a distance from him partially because she has to protect her young daughter from him---like any good parents, it's her job to protect their child from harm or even potential harm from others. Cody has a love interest when he meets Anna (Elise Kibler), a former drug addict. Fortunately, that subplot doesn't feel cheesy or contrived. For that matter, not a single scene rings false because Meeks achieves a sense of realism through natural dialogue which will give you the sense that you're eavesdropping on the private lives of these wounded human beings.  

      Bravo to Meeks for seeing and treating Cody, Jack, Katrina and Anna as complex human beings, warts-and-all, and for designing a window into their heart, mind and soul for the audience to peer through. There are no villains or one-dimensional characters here. Cody comes across as a flawed human being struggling to get back on his feet and to stay clean. He's going through a lot of emotional pain from childhood trauma, especially being raised in a dysfunctional foster home without a good role model.  Moreover, Meeks doesn't judge any of the characters nor does he ask you, as a member of the audience, to judge them, but rather, he merely asks you to experience them.  His empathy toward them is palpable from start to finish. He should also be commended for trusting the audience's imagination, intelligence, emotions and patience. That's quite a feat for a directorial debut. Interestingly, he uses music very sparingly while grasping the power of silence or of simply trusting the audience's emotions along with the heartfelt performances to carry the film instead.

Will Poulter gives a breakthrough performance that captures Cody's emotional pain, vulnerability and strength concurrently. It's not an easy role to play, but he manages to sink his teeth into it with so much conviction that you'll forget that you're watching Will Poulter because he disappears into the role. Danny Wolohan, who's an adult recovery court judge in real life, plays judge at the adult recovery court in the film. Similarly, Annette Deao, who plays the adult recovery court therapist, is an adult recovery court therapist in real life. All of that enhances the film's realism even further. A truly great narrative feels like a documentary without the audience feeling the wheels of the screenplay or the wheels of the performances turning. That's an impressive achievement that Union County accomplishes with flying colors. At a running time of 1 hour and 37 minutes, Union County is now playing at IFC Center via Oscilloscope Laboratories. It would be an interesting double feature with the emotionally harrowing narrative Christiane F. or the powerful documentary Streetwise.

 

      Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey), a beekeeper, mentors Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), his estranged foster daughter who returns to him after her mother died in The Rivals of Amziah King. Meanwhile, he helps local authorities to investigate the theft of barrels of honey. Kurt Russell plays one of his rivals, Dob McCoy, who might be behind the theft of Amziah's bees as well as the honey barrels. Writer/director Andrew Patterson has made a gripping, powerful and genuinely heartfelt blend of drama, thriller and mystery. The sensitive screenplay balances the suspense and intrigue with just the right amount of comic relief and poignancy. Patterson hooks with the audience from the get-go through dark comedy that's reminiscent of the Coen brothers' and Martin Mcdonagh's type of humor. Something that transpires to one of the characters won't be spoiled here, but it prepares the audience for an unpredictable roller coaster ride of emotions. Just when you think the film will be going in one direction, it takes an unexpected turn.

      A lot goes on within the plot so it's fortunate that the subplots as well as the supporting characters are well-developed and feel lived-in. No one feels like a caricature. That's a testament to the strength of Patterson's skills when it comes to exposition and to seeing and treating his characters as complex, flawed human beings. There's no clunky or stilted dialogue, and no schmaltz during the tender scenes between Amziah and Kateri. There's a particularly haunting and poetic scene where he shows her how to work with bees in a way that's mesmerizing to watch and also emotionally engrossing.  

      Matthew McConaughey gives one of his best performances since Mud and Dallas Buyers Club while bringing the character of Amziah to life. Angelina LookingGlass gives a raw, emotionally honest breakthrough performance. Even the supporting cast like Owen Teague, Tony Revolori, Rob Morgan, Kurt Russell and Cole Sprouse get a chance to shine here. Everything from the grainy cinematography to use of music and solid editing help to provide the film with both style and substance while making the film feel truly cinematic and, therefore, meant to be seen on the big screen. Writer/director Andrew Patterson knows how and when to trust the audience's emotions, intelligence, imagination and patience. He excels at finding the right balance between Truth and Spectacle while also finding Spectacle within the film's Truths which is no easy task.  At a running time of 2 hours and 11 minutes, The Rivals of Amziah King opens nationwide on August 14th, 2026 via Black Bear Pictures. It would be a great double feature with Ulee's Gold, Mud, Hell or High Water, and The Cider House Rules.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1  

      19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa), an aspiring writer, spends his summer in Provincetown chasing after Nancy (Emilia Jones), a classmate from his college, and ends up getting hired as a dishwasher by a restaurant owner (Antonio Banderas) in Tony. At the restaurant, he befriends his co-workers, Tyrone (Michael Jibrin), Sal (Leo Woodall), and Dimitri (Stavros Halkias). Writer/director Matt Johnson and his co-writers, Matthew Miller, Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, have made a captivating, heartfelt and funny coming-of-age drama based on Bourdain's memoir, Kitchen Confidential. This isn't a warts-and-all, thorough biopic; it's just a snapshot of a pivotal summer in his young adulthood that shapes his future career as a world-renowned chef. The first fifteen minutes or so introduce Tony and his relationship with his mother, Gladys (Dagmara Domińczyk) and father, Pierre (Rich Sommer). He flirts with his love interest, Nancy, at a bar before she tells him that she'll be in Provincetown for summer break. Before you know it, he's on his way by bus to Provincetown and, before you know it, he bumps into her and learns that she works at a pizzeria. He chooses to lie to her about the real reason that he's in Provincetown and about the fact that he works as a restaurant dishwasher.

      Kudos to the screenwriters for designing enough of a window into the heart, mind and soul of Tony who comes across as intelligent, determined and talented, but insecure, arrogant and an emotionally immature mess. Does he really think it's not creepy behavior to travel to a new town to stalk a girl? What about the fact that she already has a boyfriend? To be fair, some of the scenes toward the end with him and Nancy feel a bit cheesy, and there are more than a few oversimplified and somewhat sugar-coated resolutions, especially in the third act that feels rushed. The screenplay, though, excels at balancing the drama with just the right amount of comic relief without resulting in an uneven tone or clunkiness. Not all of the jokes work, i.e. there's a repeated visual gag of the restaurant owner waking Tony up each morning with a splash of water while he sleeps on a hammock before a scene that's played for laughs again where Tony wakes up before he arrives with the water.

      That said, the dynamics between both of them throughout the film provide it with the most amount of poignancy---much more than the relationship between him and Nancy. Tony also benefits from a terrific ensemble cast that oozes charisma. Even the supporting actors like Leo Woodall are superb and get the chance to shine. Dominic Sessa gives a warm, tender and Oscar-worthy performance while sinking his teeth into Tony's innate vulnerability and, most importantly, finding the emotional truth of his role. He's just as impressive as he is in The Holdovers. Antonio Banderas should also be commended for giving one of the best performances of his career here. Please be sure not to watch Tony while you're hungry because there are some scenes, e.g. a succulent lobster dish, that will make your mouth water. At a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, Tony is now playing in select theaters via A24 before expanding nationwide on August 21st, 2026.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      In The Samurai and the Prisoner, Araki (Masahiro Motoki), a samurai, seeks the help of Kuroda (Masaki Suda), an imprisoned military strategist, to solve a series of murders inside Arioka castle. Writer/director Kiyoshi Kurosawa has made a spellbinding, gripping and intriguing murder mystery set in 16th Century feudal Japan and based on the Honobu Yonezawa. Two major aspects of the film make it more than your average crime thriller: the mystery itself remains engaging from start to finish with plenty of twists and turns, and the evolving dynamics between Araki and Kuroda, the prisoner, feels fascinating and even somewhat moving at times. The plot is complex without being confusing and has just the right amount of exposition without revealing too much information to the audience. You'll know just as much as Araki knows and suspect different people in and around the castle at various times. The less you know about the plot beforehand, the better in order to avoid spoiling the many surprises.

      Beyond the sensitively written screenplay, The Samurai and the Prisoner also boasts strong performances by Masahiro Motoki and Masaki Suda, especially when they're together. Everything from the set design to the costume design, set design and cinematography provide the film with style that becomes part of the film's substance concurrently. Moreover, Kurosawa keeps the pace moving slowly, but not too slowly, so he trusts the audience's patience, but not too much in a way that would lead to scenes that overstay their welcome. There's very little action and violence in general, so if you're into dialogue-driven mysteries that treat you like an intelligent audience member, this will be just the film for you. Or if you could imagine a more serious version of Knives Out that's just as entertaining, it would look something like The Samurai and the Prisoner. At a running time of 2 hours and 27 minutes, which feels more like 2 hours, The Samurai and the Prisoner is now playing at IFC Center and Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center via Janus Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 

      Remake is a profound, unflinching, well-edited and engrossing documentary about director Ross McElwee's struggles to cope with the death of his son, Adrian. McElwee combines archival footage from home movies of him and Adrian, clips from his own films and footage that Adrian had shot as well. Through emotional maturity and candidness, he explores their relationship, what led to Adrian's drug overdose, and how he struggles with grief in the aftermath. A seemingly small and anecdotal detail like him watching footage of Adrian skiing in Colorado while sneezing turns out to be something very meaningful and even poignant for him through his grieving process. There's also some footage of him and his longtime friend, Charleen Swansea, who was featured in McElwee's documentary Sherman's March, but doesn't remember being in it because of her Alzheimer's.

      Remake manages to be an emotional journey filled with catharsis and epiphanies that's rewarding for audiences who are comfortable with looking at the universal, relatable topics of grief and memory head-on without any sugar-coating. The most important tool that McElwee uses, though, isn't his film camera, but rather his introspection as he shares with the audience his intimate thoughts and feelings. In turn, you, as a member of the audience, are asked not to judge Adrian or his father, but rather to understand them better and to use introspection to try to make sense of your own struggles and to, hopefully, find a way to heal from them to become a better gardener of your soul. As Pablo Neruda once wisely observed in a poem, "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." It's equally heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch director Ross McElwee share the garden of his soul, cut flowers and all, with the audience and to observe his garden growing and blossoming with flowers. This is the kind of documentary that can nourish one's heart, mind and soul for audiences who are open to observing and maintaining the garden of their soul. At a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes, Remake, one of the best documentaries of the year, is now playing at Film Forum via Music Box Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Joe (Seth Rogen) and his wife, Angela (Olivia Wilde), get more than they bargained for when they invite their upstairs neighbors, Pina (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), over their apartment for a dinner party in The Invite. Director Olivia Wilde and her screenwriters, Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, have made a sparkling, acerbically funny, provocative and heartfelt sex comedy. Essentially, it's about a couple whose crumbling marriage gets put to the test during a dinner party with their neighbors who give them an open invitation to have orgy together. The first ten minutes as Joe and Angela hurry to prepare for the dinner party establishes just how toxic their marriage has become. Joe forgetting to buy wine and having to bring out champagne that they were planning to use for a special occasion turns out to be the least of their problems. They bicker like George and Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? even up until the point when Pina and Hawk ring their doorbell. How will Joe and Angela react to their proposal to have an orgy? That won't be spoiled here, but it's worth mentioning that the sensitive screenplay gradually reveals more and more of each character's personality and also their flaws. They're not completely likable, but that's precisely what makes them human and to some degree relatable.

      Penélope Cruz sizzles as Pina, but, to be fair, Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen and Edward Norton also get a chance to shine here while sinking their teeth into their roles convincingly. No one gives a hammy performance, either, so this entire ensemble cast is well-chosen. Despite taking place in one location like the movie Carnage and Mass, The Invite never feels stuffy or too stagey thanks to the terrific performances. Everything from the production design to the pacing and the cinematography help to make the film feel equally organic and engrossing while the music score enriches it further without being intrusive or heavy-handed. It's refreshing to watch a movie for adults that's quite frank when it comes to discussions about sex, intimacy, relationships and insecurities, so The Invite manages to be a comedy rooted in tragedy as well as an honest and unflinching portrait of a dysfunctional marriage. At a running time of 1 hour and 47 minutes, The Invite is now playing at AMC Lincoln Square, AMC 19th St. and Angelika Film Center before expanding nationwide on July 10th, 2026 via A24. It's one of the best films of the year and would make for an interesting double feature with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and Eyes Wide Shut.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      In Cielo, Santa (Fernanda Gutiérrez Aranda), an 8-year-old girl, swallows a fish that gives her magical powers, kills her abusive father, and takes the preserved corpse of her mother on a journey through the desert to bring her to heaven. Writer/director Alberto Sciamma has made a mesmerizing, bold and refreshingly unpredictable film with shades of Jodorowsky and Terry Gilliam. The less you know about the plot beforehand the better because it's filled with many small surprises that reflect the strengths of Sciamma's imagination as filmmaker---something that's often lacking in American filmmakers who play everything too safely. Cielo takes risks without going over-the-top or trying to shock and disgust the audience. Moreover, Sciamma has a great handle on tone while blending drama, surrealism, suspense and magical realism. He knows not just where to take ideas from, but where to take those ideas to----and he takes them to very thought-provoking places. With a less sensitive screenplay, this could've turned into either meandering, unfocused mess, or a dull and tedious film that runs out of steam and ideas, so it fortunately avoids those pitfalls. It also boasts visually stunning cinematography that makes the most out of the use of color, set design, lighting and the natural landscape which becomes like a character in itself. At a running time of 1 hour and 47 minutes, Cielo opens on June 26th, 2026 at Quad Cinema via Juno Films. it would be an interesting double feature with El Topo and Bagdad Cafe, Dust Bunny and perhaps Time Bandits.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       A flock of sheep use their detective skills to investigate the murder of their shepherd, George (Hugh Jackman) in The Sheep Detectives, based on the novel Three Bags Fulls by Leonie Swann. The flock includes Lily (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Wool-Eyes (voice of Rhys Darby), Sebastian (voice of Bryan Cranston), Sir Richfield voice of (Sir Patrick Stewart), Zora (voice of Bella Ramsey), Mopple (voice of Chris O’Dowd), and Ronnie (voice of Brett Goldstein). The suspects include a farmer (Tosin Cole), a butcher (Conleth Hill), a priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), an innkeeper, Beth (Hong Chau), an innkeeper, a cop, Tim (Nicholas Braun), George’s lawyer, Lydia (Emma Thompson), George's estranged daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon), and a reporter, Elliot Matthew (Nicholas Galitzine). Director Kyle Balda and screenwriter Craig Mazin have made a funny, witty, sweet and delightful film for the whole family that deftly blends comedy, mystery, suspense and intrigue. The plot isn't afraid to be zany and silly at times without taking itself too seriously while other times it has some surprisingly moving and wise scenes. It also has a few twists and turns as the sheep discover important clues that won't be spoiled here. Zora, a lamb, initially believes that sheep turn into clouds when they die, but her mother teaches her the truth.  Kudos to the filmmakers for approaching the topic of death in a gentle way for younger audiences much like Bambi does.

      The entire ensemble cast is terrific and well-chosen including the voice actors. Moreover, the blend of CGI animation and live action looks seamless. Like the equally entertaining Hoppers, The Sheep Detectives knows how to find just the right balance between entertaining older and younger audiences without pandering to children or resorting to fart jokes to entertain them like Ne Zha 2 and Animal Farm do.  At a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, The Sheep Detectives is now playing nationwide via Amazon MGM Studios. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 

Custom Search