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Reviews for October 23rd, 2026

 

      Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) returns to America in hope of reigniting his career as a fake rapper which will help to financially support the new baby that he expects with his pregnant girlfriend, Julie (Morgana Robinson), in Ali G: Who Iz I?. He believes that he's half black based on a social media comment that his father is ASAP Rocky. Meanwhile, one of his adversaries tries to get him cancelled. Writer/director Sacha Baron Cohen has made a mockumentary that's mindlessly entertaining, wickedly funny and often crude, rude and lewd, but also silly, witless, and gross. Once again, Cohen plays multiple roles in disguise including Ali G's nemesis and Erran Morad, an Israeli counterterrorism expert who has developed a device called "Tachat 17." The plot makes little sense and becomes increasingly preposterous. It would be best to check your brain at the door and to suspend your disbelief beforehand as much as possible. Cohen pokes fun at woke culture, the alt-right, and racism, and even includes some rape jokes, so he's clearly unafraid to be bold, irreverent and to push the envelope.

      That said, he aims for the low-hanging fruit more often than not. Case in point: there's a scene with him pooping in the bathroom with a realtor near him. The results are more silly, gross and absurd rather than funny or witty. If the film were longer, it would've overstayed its welcome. At a brief running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, Ali G: Who Iz I? opens nationwide via Amazon MGM Studios. Please be sure to stay through the end credits for mid-credits scenes.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2  





 

      Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), a movie star, seeks revenge against the people responsible for disfiguring him in Clayface.  Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), a scientist, agrees to let him be her first human test subject for a special medical procedure that undoes his disfigurement, but also turns his body into a shape-shifting clay. Max Minghella plays her fiancé, John, who's also a police investigator. Director James Watkins and his screenwriters Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini have made a gory, grotesque and wickedly funny slice of body horror that also serves as a suspenseful revenge thriller. It's not much of a mystery because it's clear from the beginning who's responsible for disfiguring Matt, so the suspense derives from whether or not he'll get caught for his murder spree.  The film works effectively as a thriller and ass horror film, but less effectively as a romance which means that the romantic relationship between him and Dr. Corr falls flat and feels contrived. They barely even know each other yet they somehow fall in love at first sight. He doesn't understand the concept of boundaries even after she tell him that she's seeing someone.To be fair, Clayface takes roughly 30 minutes to get to the meat of the story as the first act just goes through the basic exposition leading up to Matt's transformation. Once Matt officially begins his revenge, the suspense kicks up full throttle like when Edmond Dantès escapes from prison in The Count of Monte Cristo.  

      Tom Rhys Harries gives a breakthrough performance as Matt Hagen. His charisma feels palpable and he has the acting chops to handle the emotional aspects of his role which concurrently helps the audience to feel empathy toward Matt. Naomi Ackie also gets the chance to shine as does Max Minhella. The use of make-up and practical effects during Matt's transformation are quite impressive and will make some audiences squirm in their seats. Be prepared for a wild ride that's not for audiences with a weak stomach. If The Substance, The Fly and A Different Man had a baby, it would look something like Clayface. At a running time of 1 hour and 48 minutes, it opens nationwide via Warner Bros. Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2  







      Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) goes on a road trip across Germany with his daughter, Erika (Sandra Hüller), after WWII in Fatherland. Writer/director Paweł Pawlikowski and co-writer Hendrik Handloegten have made a slow-burning and understated, but emotionally cold drama with stunning cinematography. Set in 1949, the screenplay keeps exposition to a bare minimum without over-explaining anything or relying on flashbacks. Pawlikowski and Handloegten trust the audience's intelligence and that they're already familiar with Thomas Mann as an author. Within the first few minutes, Thomas has already returned to Germany from exile in California where his son, Klaus (August Diehl), lives. He and Klaus, as it turns out, have had a dysfunctional relationship. That subplot could've easily been a part of a separate film. Fatherland remains focused on Thomas' tour of Germany, though. There's no schmaltz, melodrama or anything heavy-handed. Even the dramatic tension remains low, for the most part.

      What helps to keep Fatherland afloat are the terrific performances by Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler both of whom make the most out of the minimalist screenplay. The black-and-white cinematography looks mesmerizing at times while adding visual poetry. That said, there's not much warmth or unflinching, palpable poignancy until the very last minute, but that's probably part of the point perhaps because Thomas and Erika aren't warm people to begin with, and they bottle their emotions more often than not. The pace moves slowly, so the filmmakers trust the audience's patience. If you have a short attention span, this probably won't be the film for you. At a brief running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, Fatherland opens at Film Forum via MUBI.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2







      First We Bombed New Mexico is an enraging, illuminating and heartfelt documentary about the downwinders of New Mexico who have suffered from ailments like cancer when Trinity Test in 1945 at the Tularosa Basin led to nuclear fallout. There's no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that fallout directly caused their cancer, but there's plenty of testimony and data that strongly suggest the connection. Director Lois Lipman interviews Tina Cordova, one of the downwinders and co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, along with other downwinders and a doctor who speaks out about the suspicious rise of cancer diagnoses in the aftermath of the Trinity Test.

      It's heartbreaking to hear how the downwinders have been suffering physically, emotionally and psychologically, and how they've been lied to by the government throughout the years. They have a right to feel indignant, so it's concurrently empowering and inspirational to watch them stand up for themselves and for their loved ones who died from cancer. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which expires at the end of 2027 and doesn't include healthcare benefits, is a small victory for downwinders in their long battle for trust, justice, and, above all, democracy. Kudos to director Lois Lipman for bravely shedding light on a vital human rights issue that deserves more public awareness. At a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, First We Bombed New Mexico opens at Village East by Angelika via 47th State Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1







      The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony is a documentary about a group of girls in Machar Colony, located in Pakistan, who form a gymnastics team and compete for their colony at the National Women’s Gymnastics Competition. Director Habiba Nosheen follows some of the girls from the team along with their coach, Furqan Raja, and a human rights lawyer, Tahera Hasan, as the team members prepare for the competition. This is essentially a by-the-numbers and mildly engaging documentary that's limited in scope, but nonetheless inspirational. Nosheen captures the girls' determination and hard work. It's not a fly-on-the-wall doc, but at the same time it doesn't stop to get to know the girls with much depth. Spellbound remains the best example of a documentary about a competition with children that's equally moving, well-shot, profound, captivating and even suspenseful at times. The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony doesn't manage to reach those heights, to be fair, and squanders its opportunity to generate suspense during the gymnastics competition or during moments leading up to it. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

       Klara (Jenna Ortega), an android, gets more than she bargained for when Chrissie (Amy Adams) purchases her for her lonely, ailing daughter, Josie (Mia Tharia), in Klara and the Sun. Writer/director Taika Waititi and co-writer Dahvi Waller have made a vapid, cheesy, choppily edited, clunky and undercooked sci-fi drama set in a dystopian future. You would never guess that the screenplay is based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro because its story doesn't feel rich and the characters don't feel complex enough to stand out. They all seem like plot devices including Klara, Chrissie, Josie and the manager (Natasha Lyonne) of the store that sells Klara and other androids.  Within the first few minutes, Klara fixates on the sun that she looks up to as though it were God because it gives her life. Is she and the other androids solar-powered? How did the world end up in a dystopia to begin with? Why was her version of androids not being sold anymore and what makes the new versions better? Why include so little exposition when it's needed?  Steve Buscemi briefly shows up as Capaldi in yet another poorly written scene which just requires him to stand around and state some exposition. Too many scenes fall flat including the ones with Klara and Josie which means that none of the beats land as strong as they could have in the third act. The attempts at humor also fail with jokes that aren't that funny to begin with, e.g. when the store manager quips that Klara's line of androids isn't discontinued, but they just don't sell them anymore.    

      The production design looks great, the cinematography adds some visual poetry, but beyond that there are pacing issues, especially during the rushed first act and third act. None of the actors manage to rise above the shallow screenplay or to breathe life into their roles. The editing feels choppy at times with abrupt transitions between scenes. Klara and the Sun ultimately just goes through the motions without much in terms of emotional depth or exploring its universal themes of loneliness and friendship. It's just as disappointing as the recent DreamQuil and the slower-paced Sheep in a Box. If you're looking for a more heartfelt, funny and captivating movie about androids and friendship, see Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams. At a running time of 1 hour and 56 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Klara and the Sun opens nationwide via Columbia Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4  





 

       Shuang (Zhang Xiaofei) leads the Emei Women's Football Team as their captain when they use their superhuman powers while competing in the Supreme Invincible Cup in Kung Fu Soccer. Dilraba Dilmurat plays one of the soccer players. Writer/director Stephen Chow and co-writer Hunny Ho have made a mildly amusing, zany and fast-paced, but uninspired, unfunny and forgettable action comedy that quickly runs out of steam. It pales when compared to the much more hilarious, witty and wildly entertaining Shaolin Soccer. The attempts at humor fall flat including the visual gags while the plot doesn't offer any surprises, suspense or thrills as an underdog story. There's not a single memorable set piece that stands out unlike in Stephen Chow's past films like Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. At a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, Kung Fu Soccer opens in select theaters nationwide.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3  







      Making Marie Antoinette, directed by Eleanor Coppola, is a mildly engaging and occasionally amusing, but somewhat shallow and undercooked glimpse behind the scenes of the film production of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. It's shot by her mother, Eleanor, and narrated by Diane Lane who reads parts of Eleanor's journals. She managed to finish the production on time and on-budget, but it came with a lot of struggle, frustrations and even had bronchitis during which she questioned whether or not she was doing a good job of being a leader. Her cast and crew rave about how she's calm, polite and not domineering like other directors tend to be.

      If you're expecting something insightful, revealing or surprising here, you'll be disappointed. There are glimpses of what this doc could've been, e.g. when Sofia complains that she'll never make a big budget movie again---it would've been more illuminating if Sofia were to delve deeper and expand that statement. Ultimately, Making Marie Antoinette won't change the way you look at the film, but it will help you to realize how much hard work and sleep deprivation went into making it. At a running time of 1 hour and 26 minutes, Making Marie Antoinette opens at Quad Cinema via MUBI.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3





 

       Harry (John Turturro), a pickpocket struggling to make ends meet while taking care of his disabled wife, gets into trouble when he steals the wallet of Dylan (Will Price) who has connections to the mob in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. Dylan wants Harry to return to him his USB drive that he needs to unlock a lot of digital currency, but Harry has already pawned it. Steve Buscemi plays Ben, a pawnbroker, and Giancarlo Esposito plays a police detective. Writer/director Noah Segan has made a gritty, suspenseful, heartfelt and atmospheric crime thriller with a career-best performance by John Turturro. It also serves as a tender character study of an emotionally immature and broken man who's not a great role model and a pretty awful father. How introspective is he? Is he truly sorry for emotionally hurting his estranged daughter, Kelly (Tatiana Maslany)? He probably doesn't know how to love her and is trying his best, but his best isn't good enough because he barely loves himself and hasn't really changed innately. He doesn't have much of a character arc and he's not very likable, especially because he pickpockets candy from a little kid, but he's nonetheless an interesting character because of his many flaws. He's also very skilled at pickpocketing and even gives some pickpocketing advice to someone who tries to pickpocket him on a subway train.

      John Turturro anchors the film with his palpable charisma and his genuinely heartfelt performance. The supporting cast, namely, Will Price, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito and Tatiana Maslany, are also superb and bring authenticity to their roles. Jamie Lee Curtis has a cameo that won't be spoiled here, although, to be fair, her character is poorly introduced and underwritten. It's also worth mentioning the very well-chosen, lively music score and how the city of New York City becomes a character in itself. At a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York opens at Angelika Film Center and AMC Lincoln Square via Sony Pictures Classics. It would be a great double feature with Kenny Riches' film Mouse, another well-written, gripping and engrossing character study about a thief.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1  





 

      Lee Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong), a documentary filmmaker, and her husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), meet Choi Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu), a laid-off factory worker, and his wife, Ahn Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), when they agree to be filmed in her documentary in Possible Love. Writer/director Lee Chang-dong and co-writer Oh Jung-mi have made a meandering, dull and overlong drama that's just fleetingly provocative and compelling. It's essentially about class divides because Lee and Sang-woo are affluent while Choi and Ahn are lower class, but instead of being a satire like Parasite, it goes the more serious route. The screenplay does offer some comic relief and wit, but nothing that's laugh-out-loud funny or razor-sharp. Too many scenes overstay their welcome and overtrust the audience's patience. Sometimes patience can be rewarding, but that's not the case with Possible Love which begins on a lethargic note and doesn't escape from it.

      The decent albeit unremarkable performances don't manage to invigorate the film, unfortunately, or to prevent it from becoming an anemic slog that's nothing more than an endurance test. Do Lee Chang-dong and Oh Jung-mi not understand the concept that "less is more"? Apparently not.  At a running time of 2 hours and 44 minutes, Possible Love opens at Angelika Film Center via Netflix.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 5  







      Ori (Paris Brosnan), a troubled high school student, does community service at a retirement home where he friends Albert (John Rhys-Davies), a war veteran, in Seniors. Director Lance Clark and screenwriter Erica Leigh Dick have made a captivating, funny and engrossing, but somewhat contrived, sugar-coated and uninspired dramedy. Ori and Albert are cut from the same cloth as Harold and Maude from Hal Ashby's classic Harold & Maude. Both deal with their own emotional pains and find ways to express it by being a bit mischievous and rebellious. Albert, like Maude, comes across as cantankerous, blunt and intelligent.

      To be fair, Seniors has a plot that doesn't go anywhere new or surprising, and the ending can be seen from a mile away. The dialogue often sounds on-the-nose sans much in terms of subtlety or nuance. However, it has its heart in the right place, doesn't suffer from tonal unevenness, and it doesn't go over-the-top with its comedy or become unflinching or emotionally devastating. Young teenagers will be able to watch it with their families without any awkward scenes---e.g, there are no Viagra jokes to be found here. The performances are fine albeit nothing remarkable. John Rhys-Davies does his best to add some gravitas to the role of Albert and has great comedic timing with his quips. Albert's friendship with Ori is the heart and soul of the film and grounds it in humanism, a truly special effect. At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, Seniors opens in select theaters nationwide via Collide Distribution. It would be an interesting double feature with the more poignant and powerful Finding Forrester.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

      Edward (Alden Ehrenreich), a young editor from a book publishing company travels to the Swiss Alps to convince Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren), a reclusive author, to write her final Tom Ripley novel in A Talent for Murder. She wants him to come up with the story for a perfect murder. Olivia Cooke plays Clementine, a wealthy heiress within that story who's also his love interest based on a woman he happened to have met on the train ride to Patricia's home in the Swiss Alps. Edward Director Anton Corbijn and screenwriter Joanna Murray-Smith have made a spellbinding, taut and intriguing Hitchcockian psychological thriller. The screenplay, based on Murray-Smith's play, takes roughly thirty minutes to get to the meat of the story as it goes through exposition during the first act. Once Edward arrives at Patricia's secluded home and allows him to stay there reluctantly, the film suddenly becomes more suspenseful, especially when he wakes up with what looks like a small cut from a knife on his neck. Corbijn and Murray-Smith do a great job of making the audience feel some unease during Edward and Patricia's interactions while also blurring the line between what's real and what's not. That fine line keeps A Talent for Murder engaging and tantalizing with no easy answers. Kudos to the filmmakers for trusting the audience's emotions, intelligence, imagination and patience. They also include just the right amount of levity through comic relief.

      Helen Mirren is very well-cast as Patricia Highsmith not only because the hair, makeup, body language and costume design makes her physically resemble her, but also because she captures Highsmith's snarkiness, mystique, vulnerability and wickedly funny sense of humor. She seems to be having a fun time in her role, especially whenever she quips at Edward which is quite often from the very first moment that they meet. Alden Ehrenreich gives a solid performance and handles the emotional complexities of his role effectively including in his darker role in the story within the novel. The film's editor Andrew Hulm should be commended for his stylish editing that doesn't result in any choppiness or abruptness when it comes to the cuts between the two narratives. A Talent for Murder would be the superior A-movie in a double feature with the vastly inferior Verity. Running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, A Talent for Murder opens nationwide via Bleecker Street.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1  





 

        Allen (Jermaine Fowler), a sci-fi author, and his college friends, Maddie (Pauline Chalamet), Ryan (James Morosini), and Vic (Edy Modica), get more than they bargained for when he invites them to his Hollywood Hills mansion in Terrestrial. Director Steve Pink and his screenwriters, Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson, have made an overstuffed, underbaked and clunky psychological thriller that blends satire and sci-fi with very underwhelming results. It's yet another B-movie with an interesting premise, but doesn't take its ideas anywhere interesting, bold or profound. The characters are underwritten and forgettable, the use of surrealism falls flat and there's not enough comic relief. Exposition and world-building remain at a bare minimum in a way that feels lazy. Moreover, Terrestrial doesn't go bonkers enough or have enough outrageously funny moments. It ultimately feels like it's less than the sum of its parts. At a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, Terrestrial opens in select theaters via Aero Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3  







      A fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) gets more than she bargained for when she asks a basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make a husband (Alexander Skarsgård) for her that's made out of wicker in Wicker. Co-writers/directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson have made a bold, well-shot, creepy, raunchy, unconventional and irreverent, but sporadically funny, tedious and often shallow romantic comedy. The screenplay is based on a short story called "The Wicker Husband" by Ursula Wills, and it shows because it essentially stretches its compelling premise too thinly. The plot just involves the nameless fisherwoman using her nameless Wicker Husband for sexual gratification. When he breaks the bed while they have sex, he's able to repair it the next day. It's not quite clear what she sees in him beyond a sex object. She's lonely, but the film barely scratches beneath the surface of her loneliness and, instead, fixates on trying to generate laughs from her Wicker Husband before getting a bit darker during the act.

      Oliva Colman gives a fine performance, but she's better in The Favourite where she also gets to play a blunt, foul-mouthed and snarky character. The fisherwoman's quips and snarkiness here feel mean-spirited and more like schtick which makes her seem less like a lived-in character and more like caricature. The Wicker Husband's costume design makes him look effectively creepy---although the film isn't horror per se, it does veer toward that genre at times. Its major strength is the exquisite cinematography which provides some visual style and even a little visual poetry. Wicker ultimately feels like an overlong Monty Python skit crossed with Edward Scissorhands minus the brilliance and imagination of both. At a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, Wicker opens nationwide via Black Bear Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2







      Prue (voice of Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate Curtis (voice of Jacob Tremblay) travel into an enchanted forest to search for her baby brother who was abducted by crows in Wildwood. Carey Mulligan provides the voice of an exiled governess who's grieving the death of her son. Director Travis Knight and screenwriter Chris Butler have made an exhilarating, thrilling, wise, funny, heartfelt and visually stunning animated adventure based on the novel by Colin Meloy. It also has well-developed characters and a story grounded in emotional depth. With a less sensitive screenplay, Wildwood could've turned into a convoluted mess with too many subplots and characters. However, the screenplay handles exposition effectively while avoiding those pitfalls. Even if you're somewhat confused initially about the enchanted forest and why Prue's parents forbid her from going there, it will all make sense eventually as the narrative becomes increasingly complex. The world-building and narrative feels just as rich and compelling as the kind that's found in The Long of the Rings. A lot more happens than in the plot description above, but the less you know beforehand about the plot's details, the better because there are a few surprises that won't be spoiled here. Fortunately, Wildwood never loses steam and becomes even more profound and engrossing by the time the end credits roll.

      The stop-motion animation looks breathtaking with plenty of attention to detail that will compel the audience to rewatch the film to catch everything. You'll even forget that you're watching an animated film at times. Everything from the use of music to the editing and terrific performance by the actors and actresses who provide the voices combine to create a truly cinematic experience that's grounding in humanism, a truly special effect. Kudos to the filmmakers for finding just the right blend of Truth and Spectacle while also finding some Truth within the film's Spectacle which is no easy task. Wildwood manages to be the rare animated film that has a heart, mind and soul fully intact from start to finish. At a running time of 2 hours and 11 minutes, Wildwood opens nationwide via Fathom Entertainment. It's the best animated film of the year thus far---even better surpassing Hoppers, The Sheep Detective, Coyote vs. Acme and Decorado. Behold a new animated classic.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1