Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Priya Kansara
Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Running Time: 156 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Quite Mild Suggestive Themes and References
Release Date: March 13, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Ryland Grace is just a middle school teacher! But he might also be the exact right person to save the world, and possibly even the entire universe. Here’s the potentially apocalyptic problem: a newly discovered form of microorganisms called astrophages are basically eating up our Sun and so many other stars… except for one strikingly immune astral body light-years away from Earth. Despite his current humble position, Dr. Grace has the precisely necessary background to tackle such an intractable problem. So one day he finds himself waking up in a spaceship very far from home, and it just so happens that he’s right next to a cute alien scientist that he dubs Rocky. And so, they of course team up to save the universe together.
What Made an Impression?: A Truly Alien Encounter: With more than a century’s worth of cinema about interplanetary adventures, it can feel like we’ve run out of all possible design ideas for extraterrestrial beings. And yet we’ve never before encountered anything quite like Rocky (though certain individual elements may harken back to some classics). Voiced and puppeteered by James Ortiz, he’s got the blocky geometry of TARS from Interstellar crossed with the boundless energy of a puppy and the playful genius of an Einstein. A Bond as Vast as the Universe: I wonder how a movie critic from Rocky’s species would describe Dr. Grace in a review of their planet’s version of Project Hail Mary. I imagine this creature would be massively charmed and would even speculate that he would be giggling all the time on their planet’s analogue of Saturday Night Live. Anyway, that’s just a windup towards disclosing that Rocky and Grace’s friendship is absolutely lovely to witness. You could call them The Odd Couple of 2026, except that it’s not odd at all. Remembering What It’s All For: If your favorite part of Toni Erdmann was Sandra Hüller busting out some Whitney Houston, then you’ll be happy to learn that she sings another noteworthy pop number in PHM. I won’t mention the exact tune here in case you want to go in cold, but I will note that it has been teased during the promotional cycle, and it’s a blast whether you’re ready for it or not. We Can Do It!: With equal amounts of fun and worry to be had in this epic galaxy-spanning adventure, the biggest takeaway is that there’s still room for hope in an existence where everything seems to be crumbling apart. I was massively inspired by Grace and Rocky’s teamwork, and I suspect that you will be too. What a wonderful feeling to be left with when stepping out of the theater!
Project Hail Mary is Recommended If You Like: NASA, Interplanetary collaboration, Karaoke
Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.
Good morning*, my dear SNL Review Reading Audience. It’s time for me to discuss the 15th episode of the 51st season of Saturday Night Live, aka the second time in history that Harry Styles has turned in double duty as both host and musical guest. (And you know I’m in the right mood for this, having gone for a 45-minute run on Sunday morning.) Has anyone else ever pulled double duty like this multiple times before? Yes, I’m sure of it. Who exactly, you may ask? Well, Britney Spears comes to mind, for one.
Anyway, now that I’ve provided that windup of context, I shall inform you that my Reviewing Gimmick for this episode will take inspiration from the recent anniversary of my arrival into the world, as I declare “Happy Birthday” to the most birthday-riffic element of each sketch and segment.
Here is my annual presentation of my best guesses for who shall emerge victorious at the 98th Oscars and whom I would select on my ballot if I were a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We shall find out the truth together when Monsieur Conan O’Brien hosts the ceremony on Sunday, March 15, 2025.
Best Picture Prediction: Sinners
Preference: Sinners
Best Director Prediction: Paul Thomas Anderson
Preference: Ryan Coogler
TV
–Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars Season Premiere (March 13 on ABC)
-98th Academy Awards (March 15 on ABC) – Hosted by Conan O’Brien… for the second year in a row!
Music
-The Black Crowes, A Pound of Feathers
-James Blake, Trying Times
-Kim Gordon, PLAY ME
-Lamb of God, Into Oblivion
Sports
-Men’s March Madness (March 17-April 6 on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV) – And Selection Sunday shall be held March 15 on CBS.
-Women’s March Madness (March 18-April 5 on ABC and the ESPN Family of Networks) – With Selection Sunday being held March 15 on ESPN.
Can an Idiotka be a Napa Boy? (CREDIT: Magnolia Pictures; Utopia/Screenshot)
Idiotka
Starring: Anna Baryshnikov, Camila Mendes, Owen Thiele, Benito Skinner, Mark Ivanir, Saweetie, Julia Fox, Galina Jovovich, Nerses Stamos, Gabbriette, Zack Bia, Shaun Brown, Jake Choi, Marcelo Tubert, Ilia Volok, Gigi Zumbado
Director: Nastasya Popov
Running Time: 82 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Release Date: February 27, 2026 (Theaters)
The Napa Boys
Starring: Armen Weitzman, Nick Corirossi, Sarah Ramos, Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Mike Mitchell, Nelson Franklin, Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Lee Chester, Paul Rust, David Wain, Beth Dover, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, DJ Qualls, Ivy Wolk, Chris Aquilino, Natasha Behnam, Ray Wise, Mike Hanford, Ryan Perez, Natasha Leggero, Riki Lindhome, Steve Agee, Jack Allison, Harley Quinn Smith, Nik Dodani
Director: Nick Corirossi
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Release Date: February 27, 2026 (Theaters)
Within the same week, I saw two little movies that simultaneously felt like they were made expressly for me and like they were from a planet I’ve never visited.
Rating: PG-13 for Accident Images, a Few Punches, and a Little Bit of Skinny Dipping
Release Date: March 13, 2026 (Theaters)
In the course of my journeys in Cinematic Completism, I often see two very different movies in quick succession. And it doesn’t get much more starkly distinct than the humble horror flick Undertone and the tragic romance Reminders of Him. So when a moment like this happens, I occasionally like to let everyone know what this whiplash was like for me and guide you towards whether or not it’s worth experiencing it yourself as well.
If it’s a sin to win Oscars, I don’t want to be a saint! (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)
The Oscar winners are determined by the thousands of members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But what if … they were chosen by just one person? If I were singlehandedly in charge of running the Oscars, here’s how they would go down.
Please Note: Some of my decisions about categorization (like Lead vs. Supporting for actors, or Adapted vs. Original for screenplays) may differ from those of the Academy and other awards bodies.
Nominees are listed alphabetically (either by movie title or by nominee name), winners in bold.
Best Picture
Bring Her Back
The Day the Earth Blew Up
Highest 2 Lowest
The Luckiest Man in America
Marty Supreme
The Naked Gun
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value Sinners
Weapons
I *AM* happy, and I’m feeling glad! (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.
Upon this Saturday Night Live Reviewing Morn, I’m in a pretty good mood, as it’s an unusually warm Sunday for early March in the Mid-Atlantic. I’m also in a good mood because the 14th episode of SNL Season 51 was (Spoiler Alert!) pretty dang funny! I wasn’t terribly surprised, as it boasted a returning favorite in the form of host Ryan Gosling. As for the tunes, they were provided by Gorillaz, merely making their SNL debut despite having already made us move for the better part of this century.
When Gosling was announced as this week’s host, I thought, “Is this his sixth time?” SNL‘s promotional team was apparently feeling similarly, with a video earlier this week suggesting that Mr. G. thought he was about to join the Five-Timers Club. But it turns out we were both overcounting, as this is actually only his fourth outing as emcee! So in honor of making an outsize impact in a limited time frame, my Reviewing Gimmick for this episode will be One Word for each sketch/segment, summing up my reactions as best as minimally possible.
We all remain very much in Jeopardy (CREDIT: Screenshot)
Jeff and Special Guest/Dad Bob Malone get to the bottom of Jeopardy! Season 42’s Tournament of Champions, as well as the Second Chance, Champions Wildcard, and Invitational Tournaments.
Is this what you see when you google “Average Man”? (CREDIT: Disney/Connie Chornuk)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–The Bride! (Theaters)
–Dolly (Theaters)
–Heel (Theaters and On Demand)
–Hoppers (Theaters) – Is this based on that old Dish Network commercial?
TV
–The Greatest Average American (Premiered February 25 on ABC) – Nate Bargatze-hosted game show with Family Feud influences
Music
-Gnarls Barkley, Atlanta – Reportedly their final album.
-Morrissey, Make-Up Is a Lie
-Squeeze, Trixies
-Harry Styles, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
Sports
-2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics (March 6-15 on NBC, USA, CNBC, and Peacock)
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