Mabel. She loves botany and even named one of her plants Mabel. Little do her parents know at first that she's secretly missing her assigned classes to attend a sixth grade science class where Mrs. G (Judy Greer), a substitute teacher, happens to teach botany. Meanwhile, Callie gradually befriends her next door neighbor, Agnes (Lena Josephine Marano), who's not as enthusiastic about botany as she is. Writer/director Nicholas Ma and co-writer Joy Goodwin have made a gently moving, exquisitely shot and poetic coming-of-age story. It also doesn't go where expected because there's more to Mrs. G than meets the eye. She's not a great teacher and has unresolved issues of her own that make her socially awkward like Callie and even somewhat toxic, but she does provide her with an outlet to channel her passion for botany. She even admits to Callie that she finds plants to be more interesting and than human beings. So, it wouldn't be fair to say that she's a good role model for her. Callie's mother tries her best to be a good parent, but she doesn't always know how to deal with Callie, and doesn't take her love of botany seriously at first. She wants what's best for her, after all, and wants her to be more social.
Callie, like a plant, grows a little throughout the film, so by the end, she has learned valuable lessons about friendship, community and opening herself to others. That growth, though, comes from within and not with the help of Mrs. G. To watch her change, grow and learn feels genuinely heartwarming. Moreover, the breathtaking shots of nature with many close-ups add both style and substance. The final shot is both tender, sweet and genuinely uplifting without being cheesy. Mabel manages to be a warm, family-friendly and inspirational emotional journey well worth taking. At a running time of 1 hour and 24 minutes, Mabel opens at Cinema Village on April 17th, 2026 via Tribeca Films.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
In Hoppers, Mabel (voice of Piper Curda), a college student and environmental activist, comes up with a plan to save a sacred place in nature called the Glades. She uses her university's secret technology called "hopping", developed by her professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy), to stop the town's mayor, Jerry (voice Jon Hamm), from building a highway that will destroy the Glades. "Hopping" allows Mabel to transfer her consciousness to a robotic animal, in this case a beaver who befriends another beaver, George (Bobby Moynihan), hoping to convince him and the other animals to save the Glades. Director Daniel Chang and screenwriter Jesse Andrews have made a funny, exuberant, heartfelt and exhilarating animated adventure that will entertain audiences young and old. It's one of Pixar's best movies since Inside Out and also has a narrative that's filled with memorable characters and many surprises along the way. There are some sight gags and outrageously funny humor that land both for kids and for adults simultaneously. Kudos to the filmmakers for not pandering to younger audiences and for not being afraid to let the plot go into somewhat darker territory during the last thirty minutes.
Beyond all of the comedy, action and thrills, Hoppers also manages to wear its heart on its sleeve without becoming cheesy. The bond between Mabel and George feels palpable and might make you teary-eyed at times. The film's pro-environment message is vital and inspirational, especially for kids, which makes it kindred spirits with Wall-E. Everything from the stunning CGI animation to the use of music and the witty screenplay makes it even more exceptional and destined to become a new Disney classic. Don't be surprised if it gets nominated for Best Animated Feature Film during the next awards season. Please be sure to stay through the end credits for a mid-credits scene and a sweet post-credits scene. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, Hoppers is now playing nationwide via Walt Disney Pictures.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
In "Wuthering Heights", Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) has fallen in love with Catherine (Margot Robbie), whom he has known ever since they were children when her father, Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), adopted him off the streets. When her father struggles financially after gambling his money away, Catherine marries Edgar (Shazar Latif), who comes from a wealthy family. Heathcliff, now jealous and heartbroken, marries Edgar's sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), out of spite.
Writer/director Emerald Fennell has made a sexy, exhilarating and visually stunning adaptation of the classic novel by Emily Brontë. She does a great job of introducing the characters and developing the bond between Heathcliff and Catherine in the first act during their childhood, so the beats land when Catherine eventually marries the wealthier Edgar and when Heathcliff gets his revenge by becoming wealthy himself and marrying Edgar's sister. They're both emotionally immature and somewhat deranged yet currently madly in love with each other. It's exciting and a guilty pleasure to watch just how far each of them will go to make them other one jealous or to express their vindictiveness through pranks and mind games---putting raw eggs, shell-on under Healthcliff's bed sheets, for instance, happens to be among those pranks. So, "Wuthering Heights" feels thoroughly captivating without any dull moments.
The other major strengths of "Wuthering Heights" include the breathtaking cinematography, use of color, costume design and production design which become part of the film's substance. Nearly every shot looks like a painting. The entire ensemble cast is superb, even those in supporting role like Martin Clunes, Alison Oliver and Hong Chau who plays Nelly, another orphan that Mr. Earnshaw takes in and puts her to work as his housekeeper. Most importantly, though, Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie are well-cast and have palpable chemistry together. They help to make "Wuthering Heights" engrossing from start to finish. At a running time of 2 hour and 16 minutes, Wuthering Heights opens nationwide on February 13th, 2026 via Warner Bros. Pictures. Don't be surprised if it gets nominated for awards during the next awards season.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
A mysterious man (Sam Rockwell) from the future recruits a group of patrons from a diner to help him save the world from Artificial Intelligence in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. The team he assembles includes Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), Mark (Michael Peña), Janet (Zazie Beetz), Scott (Asim Chaudhry), Marie (Georgia Goodman), and Susan (Juno Temple). Director Gore Verbinski and screenwriter Matthew Robinson have made a wildly entertaining sci-fi action comedy that's funny, thrilling, campy and delightfully bonkers. The concept of time traveller going back in time over and over again to try to save the world from AI sounds intriguing and timely. Fortunately, it works without getting stretched too thinly because the filmmakers take the time to expand the backstories of each of the patrons before they embark on their mission. Susan has the most interesting and profound backstory because she communicates with her dead son through AI. The man from the future also gets his own backstory eventually, so it's great how the exposition is peppered throughout the film without the filmmakers bombarding the audience with it all at once.
Besides the blend of outrageously funny comedy and thrills sans tonal unevenness or clunkiness, the other strengths include a few memorable surprises and very stylish visual effects as well as production design. Moreover, each member of the ensemble cast has their moment to shine and is well-cast, especially Sam Rockwell who has a lot of fun with his role. Be prepared for a wild, crowd-pleasing ride that's best experienced while high. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die deserves to be a cult classic like Donnie Darko and 12 Monkeys. At a running time of 2 hours and 14 minutes, it opens nationwide on February 13th, 2026 via Briarcliff Entertainment.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
After their plane crashes during a business trip, Linda (Rachel McAdams) and her domineering boss, Bradley (Dylan O'Brien), get stranded on a deserted island together in Send Help. Director Sam Raimi and co-writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift have made a wildly entertaining, wickedly funny and exhilarating thrill ride from start to finish. The first act spends at least 15 minutes or so with exposition which makes it clear that Bradley, Linda's new boss and CEO of the company, is a sexist bully who's about to marry his fiancée, Zuri (Edyll Ismail), who's just as shallow and toxic as he is. Send Help begins with an off-kilter albeit light tone before it veers toward dark comedy in a way that's over-the-top and even somewhat crowd-pleasing. There's one particularly well-written scene that provides some humanizing backstory to Linda and Bradley while also grounding the film in some tenderness. You'll even learn a little bit about Bradley's childhood and how he ended up such an asshole without any flashbacks. That said, there's one flashback, though, in the third act that spoon-feeds the audience too much without trusting their intelligence enough. There are plenty of clever twists and turns here including a particularly memorable one that involves the filmmakers' trust in the audience's imagination. To be fair, the third act feels somewhat rushed and leaves too many plot holes behind while requiring some suspension of disbelief. Logic isn't among the film's many strengths. However, that's forgivable because, as Hitchcock once astutely observed, logic is dull; imagination is more important.,
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien play off of each other amazingly well, especially when they banter. They both are clearly having a lot of fun in their roles while handling the dramatic and comedic moments very convincingly. Of course, there's also the breathtaking scenery on the island which becomes a character in itself. The pace moves briskly enough and slows down at just the right moments. It's also worth mentioning the terrific music score by Danny Elfman. Ultimately, Send Help manages to be as fun and exciting as the third chapter of Triangle of Sadness with as much biting satire and tongue-in-cheek humor. At a running time of 1 hour and 53 minutes, it's now playing nationwide via 20 Century Studios.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
In Two Sleepy People, Syd (Baron Ryan) lives with his wife, Donna (Sarah J. Bartholomew). Every night, he has the same dream as his new co-worker, Lucy (Caroline Grossman), where they're both married to each other. Writer/director Baron Ryan and co-writer Caroline Grossman have made an honest, wise, heartfelt and refreshingly un-Hollywood romantic dramedy brimming with wit, humor and genuine warmth. Syd feels happy in his dreams with Lucy where Donna is his ex-wife while he's less happy with Donna in his waking life because their marriage has gone stale and they're no longer compatible. Although there are no villains, it could be argued that Donna has some degree of narcissism because she seems selfish, emotionally immature, lacks introspection, and doesn't acknowledge her hurtful actions toward Syd nor the consequences of her action even when he finds the courage to confront her with them. Syd is flawed, too, though, because he doesn't stand up for himself around her and when he tries to, she tries to guilt trip him. Lucy, as it turns out, also has flaws of her own, so even though she's his dream girl, she's infallible. Fundamentally, she and Syd help each other to innately grow through introspection, and to learn how to truly love and empathize with their true selves while attaining an intrinsically valuable asset: self worth.
Bravo to writer/director Baron Ryan and co-writer Caroline Grossman for grasping the complexity of human nature, relationships and psychology. The dialogue sounds organic without any stiltedness, the romance between Syd and Lucy avoids schmaltz, and the inventive plot has the right amount of exposition while leaving just enough room for interpretation. The filmmakers trust the audience's emotions, imagination and intelligence which is a rare feat these days. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Two Sleepy People opens on January 23rd, 2026 in select theaters nationwide via Camp Studios. It would be a great double feature with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , (500) Days of Summer, Before Sunrise, Shirley Valentine and any Eric Rohmer movie.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Highly Recommended Movies
In Two Sleepy People, Syd (Baron Ryan) lives with his wife, Donna (Sarah J. Bartholomew). Every night, he has the same dream as his new co-worker, Lucy (Caroline Grossman), where they're both married to each other. Writer/director Baron Ryan and co-writer Caroline Grossman have made an honest, wise, heartfelt and refreshingly un-Hollywood romantic dramedy brimming with wit, humor and genuine warmth. Syd feels happy in his dreams with Lucy where Donna is his ex-wife while he's less happy with Donna in his waking life because their marriage has gone stale and they're no longer compatible. Although there are no villains, it could be argued that Donna has some degree of narcissism because she seems selfish, emotionally immature, lacks introspection, and doesn't acknowledge her hurtful actions toward Syd nor the consequences of her action even when he finds the courage to confront her with them. Syd is flawed, too, though, because he doesn't stand up for himself around her and when he tries to, she tries to guilt trip him. Lucy, as it turns out, also has flaws of her own, so even though she's his dream girl, she's infallible. Fundamentally, she and Syd help each other to innately grow through introspection, and to learn how to truly love and empathize with their true selves while attaining an intrinsically valuable asset: self worth.
Bravo to writer/director Baron Ryan and co-writer Caroline Grossman for grasping the complexity of human nature, relationships and psychology. The dialogue sounds organic without any stiltedness, the romance between Syd and Lucy avoids schmaltz, and the inventive plot has the right amount of exposition while leaving just enough room for interpretation. The filmmakers trust the audience's emotions, imagination and intelligence which is a rare feat these days. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Two Sleepy People opens on January 23rd, 2026 in select theaters nationwide via Camp Studios. It would be a great double feature with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, (500) Days of Summer, Before Sunrise, Shirley Valentine and any Eric Rohmer movie.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
