From The Magic of the Cinema… A still from The History of Concrete by John Wilson, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. | photo by John Wilson
They keep making new movies, and some of them are even worth watching. Here’s what’s at the top of the slate for September 2026:
Fall 2: Deadpoint: The first Fall stuck a couple of daredevil friends on top of a 2,000-foot TV tower. The sequel maroons a new pair of friends on a plank on the side of a mountain 3,000 feet up in the air. I can’t wait to see how they survive (or don’t)!
Fall 2: Deadpoint drops into theaters on September 2.
I generally wouldn’t like to be trapped in a children’s TV show, such as the orange unicorn one in Buddy. Even a less murderous option doesn’t sound all that appealing. The major exception is of course when I’m dreaming. Then it’s the perfect situation. So it makes sense that I tend to love it when a movie’s setting suddenly switches to a different plane of reality, as there is a rather dream-like quality to that transition. I bring this up because an instance of that transition happens in Buddy, as the TV universe lurches to the “real world,” and we’re left to wonder how it’s all connected. Hopefully this means that I’ll start having dreams about Buddy in the not-too-distant future!
Grade: 333 Talking Mailboxes out of 555 Talking Backpacks
Pictured: How It’s Been Going Lately (CREDIT: Ketchup Entertainment)
Starring: Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, John Early, Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Jim Cummings
Director: Dave Green
Running Time: 103 Minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: August 28, 2026 (Theaters)
Here’s what I have to say about Coyote vs. Acme: I understand why the Acme Corporation would choose to utilize cartoon characters as test subjects for its dangerous products. They’re quite elastic and resilient, after all. Yes, I suppose they feel pain, but that appears to be temporary, and they also appear to be effectively immortal. Nevertheless, I believe that Mr. Wile E. Coyote has a legitimate complaint, as this testing ought to be carried out with the cartoon subjects’ consent. So there you go. Also, why don’t all major American cities have a carrot festival? (Or do they, and I’ve just not heard about them?)
Is this the sex part or the death part? (CREDIT: MUBI/Screenshot)
Starring: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Jack Haven, Freya Edwards, Amanda Fix, Arthur Conti, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sarah Sherman, Patrick Fischler, Dylan Baker, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Quintessa Swindell, Kevin McDonald, Jess McLeod, Aren Buchholz, Florence Barrett, Ryan McEwen, Louise Weard
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: August 7, 2026 (Theaters)
I felt a little drowsy while watching Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which should make it abundantly clear that when I’m nodding off at the movie theater, it often has nothing to do with whether or not I’m enjoying what’s on screen. Indeed, I was super excited for this one, based on how much I loved Jane Schoenbrun’s last feature. And I was absolutely not disappointed by Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson playfully square off against each other. Furthermore, I think it was actually an ideal experience to see this movie the way that I did, as it’s very much about the thin layer between reality and fantasy. So make sure you get really tired first, and you’ll never want to leave Camp Miasma ever again!
Grade: 4 Gas Station DVDs out of Infinity Tiny Deaths
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Buddy (Theaters)
–Coyote vs. Acme (Theaters)
–The Dog Stars (Theaters)
–Finding Emily (Theaters)
–Idiots (Theaters)
TV
–Dark Matter Season 2 Premiere (August 28 on Disney+)
-The Robot Chicken [adult swim] Special (August 30 on Adult Swim)
–LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian (September 2 on Disney+)
Music
-Alabama Shakes, I Must Be Dreaming
-Erykah Badu and the Alchemist, Before the World Blows
-Sara Bareilles, Good Grief
-Dinosaur Jr., There Near
-Everlast, Embers to Ashes
-Interpol, This Mirror Weighs a Ton
-Jim James, Wowed Out
-The Linda Lindas, Gotta Get Out
-Mike D, Thank You – A Beastie Boy’s solo debut.
-Pulp, Live!
-Ty Segall, Chrome
-Ty Segall, Love Fuzzz
-The Warning, Everything’s Falling
Sports
-US Open (August 30-September 13 on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC) – And just like last year, the Mixed Doubles was completed the week before the main draw.
Starring: Spike Fearn, Angourie Rice, Minnie Driver, Sadie Soverall, Cora Kirk, Jack Riddiford, Isabella Laughland, Yali Topol Margalith, Kat Ronney, Phil Wang, Timothy Innes, Nadia Parkes, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Amber Grappy, Anthony J. Abraham, Scarlett-Mai Grant, Faye Campbell, Tash Major, Carl Blakeley, Julia Rogers, Trudy Akobeng, Fiona Allen, Toby Rothwell, Dalu Thebe, Emily Ash, Nathan Foad, Hannah Greensmith, Harry Trevaldwyn
Director: Alicia MacDonald
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for A Few Crude Moments
Release Date: August 28, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Owen Brompton (Spike Fearn) isn’t a university student, but he does spend a lot of time at the (fictional) Manchester City University. That’s because he’s working as a sound engineer at a student union bar, where one night he has a whirlwind encounter with a cute girl dressed as a fairy. Sparks fly enough for her to give him his phone number, but she mistypes it. With just a name to go on, he tries to track down the mysterious Emily all across campus. That’s how he ends up meeting psychology student Emily Raine (Angourie Rice), who’s not Fairy Emily. But she is happy to spend plenty of time with him, because she’s working on a thesis about how romantic love is a kind of self-sabotaging madness, and she sees in Owen the perfect case study. She encourages him to email everyone named Emily enrolled at the school, which makes Owen’s story go viral and unites many of the Emilys over concerns about how their privacy has been breached. Meanwhile, Owen and Emily Raine are getting closer and closer, but the deception underlying all of their interactions is just waiting to be fully exposed.
What Made an Impression?: A Hopeful Romantic:Finding Emily could be quite the star-making turn for Spike Fearn (even though I imagine that American audiences will only be able to understand about 50-75% of his dialogue through his thick English accent). He plays Owen as a thoroughly sweet fellow who doesn’t quite understand why he gets so much guff from the world around him. You get the sense that he’s been unlucky in love because he’s perhaps overly focused on the superficial aspects of romance. But he’s more self-aware and thoughtful than he’s often given credit for, making him the sort of person you can easily open up to. Also, he’s quite the musician. Somehow It Works: What about our other lead sparring partner? Well, Angourie Rice has quite the knack for being charming despite playing such a frequently dishonest character. (More on that deception in a bit.) Emily R. is also just so casually cruel and thoughtless to those around her that it’s a wonder that we can still be on our side. It helps that Rice always make sure that we can see the anxiety surrounding her efforts to keep her best self alive. Taking the Bait: Among Finding Emily‘s sprawling cast, I want to highlight Nadia Parkes as the host of a podcast focusing on gossipy campus news. She shamelessly dives right into a role that’s all about manipulative pot-stirring. It makes you want to go, “Girl, if you want to deliver the news, do some actual reporting.” A Silly Streak: Real quick, I’ve got to mention that this movie is happy to provide some playfully naughty humor. That’s epitomized by a scene involving a buttocks-shaped apology cake. And yes, there is chocolate lurking beneath the surface once you poke through. A Therapeutic Assessment: As you can imagine given the billing and the nature of this genre, it’s Emily Raine and not Fairy Emily whose destiny is magnetized in Owen’s direction. But can a healthy relationship possibly emerge after beginning with such heavy deception? It all builds towards a grand romantic gesture that is actually low-key by rom-com standards, but still kind of overwhelming by real life standards. It’s meant as a genuine apology more than just a declaration of love, which is nice, but what Owen really wants more than anything is for people to be honest with him. Ultimately, I think the happy resolution works according to cinematic logic, but with the caveat that this situation ought to be handled a little bit differently should you ever find yourself in a similar conflict. So enjoy Finding Emily for all of the joy that it offers, but meet it with skepticism when that’s warranted.
Finding Emily is Recommended If You Like: Space for redemption, Conversing with cynicism, Questionable Freudian references
How idiotic IS it?! (CREDIT: Independent Film Company)
Starring: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Peter Dinklage, Nicholas Braun, Macon Blair, Killer Mike
Director: Macon Blair
Running Time: 100 Minutes
Rating: R for Up-Close-and-Personal Violence, Unhinged Language, Some Sexuality, and Drug-Fueled Scatology
Release Date: August 28, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Mark (Dave Franco) and Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are an odd couple who find themselves thrust together by the winds of economic uncertainty. After losing their respective jobs, they accept a gig transporting rich teenager Sheridan Kimberley (Mason Thames) to rehab. It sounds simple enough, except for the fact that Sheridan is a sociopath with a frighteningly loyal social media following. Look, it might be possible that they could eventually arrive at the rehab joint. But that’s not going to happen without Sheridan manipulating his charges against each other and torturing them to no end.
What Made an Impression?: Exactly Where They’re Supposed to Be: Considering its extreme setup, Idiots is a surprisingly contemplative film. Amidst all the drug use, gunfire, and general transgression, there are plenty of conversations about our place in the universe. Davis is devoutly religious, in contrast to and in conflict with Mark’s more secular philosophical ramblings. Eventually everyone settles within this movie’s foundational perspective that we’re all just doing our best. That belief is a little self-serving in context, but it’s also filled with grace. If you ever find yourself resorting to extreme measures while in charge of a sociopath, it’ll be a good idea to grant yourself some forgiveness. Who’s That Lady?: As a striving hustler and a charming scuzzball, respectively, Jackson and Franco are right in their wheelhouses, while Thames offers a complete 180 of pretty much everything he’s done before. But the true revelation here is an unrecognizable Kiernan Shipka as a stripper who teams up with Mark and Davis to attempt to subdue Sheridan. It’s a part that’s nowhere near the vicinity of Peggy Draper and Sabrina Spellman, and the kind of performance that makes you go, “I thought we were witnessing the birth of a new star, but instead it’s a rebirth.” Even if you do somehow recognize her, that doesn’t take away one bit from how compelling she is. How Much Idiocy Can We Take?: When I watch a violent, shenanigan-filled movie like Idiots, I can’t help but ask, “Was it all worth it?” And well, I chuckled more than I winced, so that’s certainly a big point in its favor. I think it also helped that this movie is filled with real daylight, and sunny skies rarely fail to put me in a good mood. Plus, the philosophical bent puts a glass-half-full spin on all the danger. This is a movie about surviving, and survive it we shall.
Is there anything Further, Insidious? (CREDIT: Sony Pictures)
Starring: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Island Austin, Laura Gordon, Joshua Lopez, Robina Beard, Susan Grey, Joseph Bishara
Director: Jacob Chase
Running Time: 106 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 21, 2026 (Theaters)
Dang, Out of the Further is the sixth Insidious movie? What a resilient franchise! I guess astral projecting is good work if you can get it. I definitely don’t want to reside in the Further forever, but maybe I can develop my supernatural abilities and pick up a few gigs. It could be a potentially lucrative side hustle. Although, of course, I’m not a big fan of side hustle culture. But maybe it could just be a hobby. Could it then be as invigorating as a daily ice bath? It’s worth exploring, I’m sure.
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Insidious: Out of the Further (Theaters)
–It Ends (Theaters)
–Mutiny (Theaters)
TV
–Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3 Premiere (August 21 on HBO Max) – India, Netherlands, Morocco, and Philippines are on the agenda this season.
–Jeopardy! Masters Season 4 Premiere (August 25 on ABC)
–The Simpsons, “Yellow Mirror” (August 26 on Disney+) – Yet another streaming ‘sclusie.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Kurt Russell, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Jake Horowitz, Catherine Dyer, Jason Davis, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Harris Stone, Bruce Davis, Sharon Blackwood, Chip Carriere
Director: Andrew Patterson
Running Time: 131 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: August 14, 2026 (Theaters)
The Rivals of Amziah King is now almost certainly my second favorite movie featuring someone covered in bees. It’s hard to beat Candyman when it comes to that hyper-specific subgenre, but Amziah King isn’t far off with a similarly singular viewing experience. With the bluegrass music on full blast, a game-changing twist in the middle, and a surprisingly compelling focus on the economics of honey production, I found myself constantly going, “Wow, this movie is something else.” And I haven’t even mentioned the sequence of smoking out a swarm of bees from an elementary school that might just be the most thrilling action set piece of the year. This is definitely one that must be seen to be believed.
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