Reviews for March 6th, 2026
André Is an Idiot is a funny, illuminating and captivating documentary about André Ricciardi, a man who died of stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 55. Through candid interviews with Ricciardi himself, director Tony Benna captures Ricciardi's warmth, introspection and witty, self-deprecating sense of humor. You'll learn about his relationship with his toxic father, who refused to be in the film and, instead, gets portrayed by Tommy Chong who looks a lot like him. You'll also learn a lot about the aftermath of Ricciardi learning that he has stage 4 colon cancer and how it affected his relationship with his wife and kids. He regrets waiting until he turned 50 to get a colonoscopy, and even refers to himself as an idiot. His emotional maturity and generosity are apparent from start to finish, especially because of how he uses his background in advertising to promote awareness of the importance of getting a colonoscopy. The ads are quite funny and a very effective way of catching people's attention.
In a bittersweet scene, Ricciardi chooses what his final words will be before he dies. Those words won't be spoiled here, though. This documentary essentially takes a heavy subject matter and makes it palatable through humor while not dwelling on Ricciardi pain and suffering. It's no hyperbole to state that André Is an Idiot, one of the best documentaries of the year, might save your life if it convinces you to get a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer early before it's too late. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, it opens at Film Forum via Joint Venture.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
A Body to Live In is a mildly engaging and stylishly edited albeit hagiographic, repetitive and dry biographical documentary about Fakir Musafar, a performance artist and pioneer of the Body Modification Movement. Co-directors Angelo Madsen Minax and Angelo Madsen assemble a lot of archival footage and images of Fakir along with interviews with his wife, Cléo Dubois, that provide a glimpse of what makes him so unique, talented, bold and unconventional as an artist. A Body to Live In doesn't delve deeply enough into his life, though, beyond his work which would've humanized him more. It's fine as an introduction to a lesser known artist without providing enough insights or revelations beneath the surface, providing scope or becoming a warts-and-all biodoc. It ultimately doesn't manage to find the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, A Body to Live In opens at Anthology Film Archives.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
Vinita (Kiran Deol) hosts a podcast during a zombie apocalypse while desperately trying to survive with her brother, Rish (Vishal Vijayakumar) and ex-boyfriend, Vincent (George Basil) who shows up with his baby in Didn't Die. Writer/director Meera Menon and co-writer Paul Gleason have made an unconventional twist on the zombie film genre. It's hard to categorize it in one genre because it's not a traditional horror film with palpable scares, but rather a dialogue-driven story that focuses on the relationships between the characters. It's interesting to observe how the relationship between Vinita and Vincent evolves through the film. The black-and-white cinematography provides some visual style and atmosphere. The performances are solid and natural without anyone overacting or giving a weak performance. The pace moves slowly, but not too slowly. Most importantly, though, Menon doesn't resort to using shaky cam to increase the tension because she trusts that the audience will feel the tension within the plot and the relationship between the characters. As long as you don't go into Didn't Die expecting something along the lines of 28 Days Later or Night of the Living Dead, you'll find it to be surprisingly tender and heartfelt with complex characters worth caring about. It's be an interesting double feature with Afire, a similarly grounded and humanist movie about relationships that takes place during a wildfire. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, it opens at AMC Empire via Level 33 Entertainment.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Macy (Fabianne Therese) and her boyfriend, Chase (Seann William Scott), go hiking in the woods where Dolly (Max the Impaler) terrorizes them, and kidnaps her in Dolly. Writer/director Rod Blackhurst and co-writer Brandon Weavil have made a gritty, atmospheric and gory, but uninspired, underbaked and tedious horror thriller. The screenplay takes a simple B-movie plot and stretches it too thinly. There are plenty of nods to 70s classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre along with an attempt to give Dolly a backstory that explains her motive, but neither of those help to raise Dolly above mediocrity. It's bloody without pushing the envelope like In a Violent Nature. The porcelain mask that Dolly wears isn't very scary although it does lead to a few somewhat creepy scenes. Her victims are underwritten and seem more like plot devices rather than fully-fleshed human beings. There's also a lack of much-needed comic relief or some form of levity to enliven the film which eventually becomes monotonous. The filmmakers know where to take their ideas from, but don't take those ideas anywhere interesting. Dolly isn't nearly as memorable as a villains as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Michael Myers, Leatherface, or, more recently, Aunt Gladys. Please be sure to stay through the end credits for a post-credits scene. At a running time of only 1 hour and 23 minutes, Dolly opens in select theaters nationwide via Independent Film Company and Shudder.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
Chris (Stephen Graham) and his wife, Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough), kidnap Tommy (Anson Boon), a 19-year-old criminal, and chain him in their basement to try to rehabilitate him into a "good boy" in Heel. The married couple have a son, Jonathan (Kit Rakusen), who bonds with Tommy. Director Jan Komasa and his co-writers
Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, have made a provocative, gripping and refreshingly unpredictable psychological thriller. Within the first 10 minutes, Tommy wakes up held hostage in Chris and Kathryn's basement. How did he get there? Why did they kidnap him? How far will Chris and Kathryn go to torment him? What are his chances to escape? The less you know about the plot beforehand, the better, so those answers won't be spoiled here. It's worth mentioning, though, that the screenplay keeps exposition at a bare minimum which helps to maintain the suspense and intrigue. Moreover, the audience can emotionally connect with Tommy more easily because they know as much he does about what's going on, so they're on the same page as him.
The setting in an large home isolated in the countryside sounds like the kind of location you'd expect a horror film to take place at, so that fact that Heel subverts your conditioned expectations is among its many strengths. Its other strengths include Anson Boon who's very well-cast and radiates charisma as Tommy. It's a breakthrough performance. Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough and Kit Rakusen also shine in their solid performances. Be prepared for an deeply unnerving and surprisingly poignant experience that doesn't opt for cheap thrills or crazy plot twists. At a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via Magnolia Pictures.
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 opens nationwide via Walt Disney Pictures.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Beautifully shot in stunning black-and-white, Pompei: Below the Clouds is a mesmerizing, fascinating and unconventional documentary portrait of the city of Naples. Director Gianfranco Rosi opts for a fly-on-the-wall approach with a potpourri of different perspectives from the daily lives of Naples inhabitants. Locals call a fire department's emergency hotline to report tremors. Someone complains that their loved one fell out of bed and weighs too much to be picked up by just three people. The dispatcher says that at least 5 people are needed, but all of their firemen are busy at the moment. Other locals express their worry about a nearby volcano, Phlegraean Fields, erupting. Japanese tourists visit a museum that displays the plaster casts of the victims of the Vesuvius volcano eruption in 79 AD. Those images alone are harrowing and among the most powerful ones in the film. Pompei: Below the Clouds also has a surprising amount of comic relief, especially from the witty and snarky dispatcher who answers the emergency calls at the fire station. To be fair, patient audiences will be rewarded because Rosi moves the film at a very slow pace with many scenes without dialogue, just music. At a running time of 1 hour and 55 minutes, Pompei: Below the Clouds opens at IFC Center via MUBI.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
Dean (Ashton James), a hockey player who aspires to join the National Hockey League, moves from Canada to Detroit to join the Hamilton Mustangs where the aggressive attitude he learned from his father, Blane (Blair Underwood), clashes with the more gentle approach of his coach, Murray (Shawn Doyle), in Youngblood. Director Hubert Davis and his co-writers, Charles Officer, Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout and Seneca Aaron, have made an engrossing and tender sports drama that also serves as a coming-of-age film. The screenplay doesn't shy away from showing Dean's emotional battles which are just as important if not more for him to conquer than his physical battles on the hockey rink. He's at a turning point in his life when he has to decide whether or not to stand up to his father and for himself or to cave into him. His father isn't a villain, though; he just instills arrogance in Dean which affects his behavior negatively. Fortunately, Dean has his coach, Murray, as a good role model. In an undeveloped and somewhat distracting subplot, he begins a romance with the coach's daughter, Jessie (Alexandra McDonald), who also helps to make him a better human being.
Like the recent Undercard, which would make for a great double feature with Youngblood, you don't have be a fan of the sport to be engaged by the film. That's because it's more than just about the sport; it's about flawed, complex human beings who learn and grow which makes it concurrently universal and relatable. The performances by Ashton James, Blair Underwood and Shawn Doyle remain raw and organic which helps to ground the film in authenticity. Youngblood doesn't chart new territory and doesn't have any big surprises, but so what? It has a warm, beating heart beneath its surface and treats its characters with empathy without judging them. It's also heartfelt without being cloying and inspirational without being preachy. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, Youngblood, a loose remake of the 1986 film starring Rob Lowe, opens in select theaters nationwide via Well Go USA.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2
