September 14, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Alec Newman, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Avy Berry, Cameron Brady, Caspar Steinbeck, Dylan Page, Ethan Hawke, George Burgess, Jeffrey Lee Hallman, Julia Jones, Lucas Lynggaad Tonnesen, Padraic McKinley, Peter Lewys Preston, Russell Crowe, Sam Hazeldine, The Weight
They put The Weight right on us (CREDIT: Vertical)
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynggaad Tonnesen, George Burgess, Cameron Brady, Avy Berry, Alec Newman, Sam Hazeldine, Jeffrey Lee Hallman, Dylan Page, Peter Lewys Preston, Caspar Steinbeck
Director: Padraic McKinley
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Rating: R for Language and Some Shockingly Intense Violence
Release Date: September 18, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Samuel Murphy (Ethan Hawke) has found himself in a greatly depressing situation, which is appropriate given the setting of his movie, i.e. 1933 Oregon. After he and his young daughter Penny (Avy Berry) are evicted, a violent misunderstanding with the police leads to Murphy being arrested and placed in a hard labor camp. There’s a chance he can be released in a few months with good behavior, but that’s not soon enough to be reunited with his daughter before she’ll become a ward of the state. So the man in charge of the labor camp, Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe), offers him an out: he’ll sign the papers granting Murphy an even earlier release as long as Murphy does a certain favor for him. Specifically, he must assemble a small crew of his fellow convicts and transport gold bars to a designated dropoff point. It sure sounds dangerous, possibly even deadly, and probably not exactly legal. But Murphy never doubts that it’s his best hope to get Penny back in his arms.
What Made an Impression?: Surely There’s Got to Be a Better Way!: You know those rickety rope bridges hanging between cliffs that are just waiting to have their wooden planks scooched down into the abyss? I always assumed that they were invented for the Indiana Jones movies and their ilk, but maybe they are a real thing after all. The Weight would certainly like us to believe that they existed in the early 20th century Pacific Northwest wilderness, as there’s a marvelously tense set piece in which Murphy and his crew realize that the bridge they’re crossing is not going to hold the weight of a man and all the gold he’s lugging around in his backpack. So Murphy stands in the middle while someone on one end tosses him one bar at a time, and then he tosses each bar one at a time to the other end. Every little movement is a life-or-death proposition, doubly so. One false step could be the end for Murphy, and furthermore, Clancy has assured them that losing just one of the bars means they’ve failed the entire mission. It’s the movie’s entire dramatic tension captured in one white-knuckle sequence.
Flying Gracefully Forever: Ethan Hawke is one of those actors that I’ll see in basically anything. (That preference was solidified during his turn in 2010s genre flicks like The Purge and Sinister.) The Weight is just the latest evidence of the wisdom of that attitude. There’s one scene in particular when Hawke as Murphy figures out how to move a massive boulder off the road that makes it abundantly clear that we’re in the care of someone who knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s a perfect distillation of his team player instincts, as he makes everyone else in the ensemble exponentially better.
Never Comfortable Again: The Weight is a constantly damp movie, as the gold transporters must traverse multiple river crossings and occasionally sleep under unforgiving rainstorms. And it’s not like they brought any change of clothes for the journey. This isn’t exactly the sort of thing I’m in the mood for in September, as its overcast outlook threatens that the end of the month will give way to a perpetually cloudy autumn. It’s a well-made movie, for sure, but you just gotta make sure you’re equipped to handle that lack of sunshine.
The Weight is Recommended If You Like: Forrest hiking, Pre-seat belt era car chases, Climactic dealmaking
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Teddy Bears
September 11, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Dianne Wiest, Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Nicole Kidman, Practical Magic, Practical Magic 2, Sandra Bullock, Solly McLeod, Stockard Channing, Susanne Bier, Xolo Maridueña
Practical Door Knocking (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod
Director: Susanne Bier
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: September 11, 2026 (Theaters)
I had never seen the first Practical Magic by the time that I saw Practical Magic 2. And in fact, I still haven’t seen the original PM as of writing this review. Some might consider that rather impractical. That consideration makes me think of the prank series Impractical Jokers, which I’ve similarly never seen. So did Sandy Bullock and Nic Kidman’s supernatural shenanigans make me want to finally check out The Tenderloins pulling off their practical jokes? Well, to put it plainly: not at all. Has this all been a rather impractical way of reviewing this particular cinematic experience? I suppose it has. Anyway, I enjoyed Sandy bantering with Lee Pace a bit.
Grade: I Don’t Remember the ’90s
September 10, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews, Television
Bill Corbett, Cambot, Crow, Kevin Murphy, Mary Jo Pehl, Michael J. Nelson, Mike Nelson, MST3K, MST3K: The Rifftrax Experiments, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Rifftrax, Sting of Death, Tom Servo
Stings So Good (CREDIT: Rifftrax/Screenshot)
There was a movie sign, so I followed it to my local multiplex. Yes indeed, I went to see the special theatrical premiere of the first episode of MST3K: The Rifftrax Experiments, in which Mike Nelson and the bots checked out the 1960s Portuguese man o’ war-centric thriller Sting of Death. And well, I’m pleased to report that there were plenty of terrific riffs! My favorite was assuredly the one about how young people used to be much older, while the biggest collective laugh overall in my theater had to be the observation that the director dared to film upside-down butts. I would list some riffs verbatim here, but I want to make sure I don’t get any verbiage incorrect (even slightly), so I’ll wait until I can rewatch this episode once it arrives on Rifftrax proper before I do anything like that. And rewatch I shall, as MST3K has always thrived in its rewatchability.
September 8, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, Guy Pearce, Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Ridley Scott, The Dog Stars
TFW you’re looking for dog stars (CREDIT: 20th Century Studios)
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong
Director: Ridley Scott
Running Time: 118 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: August 28, 2026 (Theaters)
The Dog Stars fully convinced me (if I wasn’t convinced already) that perpetually overcast movies should only be released in theaters in November or December. Certainly not in summer! Not even late summer. Maybe if The Dog Stars were a much better movie while still being just as cloudy, I might feel a little differently. But it’s important to draw a line. Anyway, much of this flick is pretty sleepy and had me wishing that I was outside enjoying the sunshine instead. Although there were a few sequences that made it worthwhile, particularly the new (and kinda freaky) society devised by Allison Janney’s character and any moment when Josh Brolin kept willfully confusing Mennonites with Mormons.
Grade: 33 Roaches out of 77 Junctions
September 3, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
By Any Means, David Straitharn, Elegance Bratton, Ethan Embry, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, LaChanze, LisaGay Hamilton, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Stephen Bass, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Should you see this movie by any means? (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, David Straitharn, Ethan Embry, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Stephen Bass
Director: Elegance Bratton
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Rating: R for Unbridled Violence and Language
Release Date: September 4, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: By Any Means wades into the powder keg that was 1960s Mississippi during the civil rights struggle. The FBI took up some terrifying investigations down there, including the murder of activist Vernon Dahmer (Giancarlo Esposito) at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. Special Agent Wayne Strider (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who was close with Dahmer, is assigned to lead the investigation. But because this case is expected to be particularly violent and intractable, Strider’s superiors inform him that he will be unofficially working alongside a mysterious man named Gregory Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), who sure seems to be a mafia hitman. Scarpa has no qualms about showering fists and bullets into anyone who stonewalls the investigation. While Strider is stunned by this level of carte blanche, it seems like the only way for them to make any progress, although it doesn’t appear to be doing much to stop the cycle of violence in this crucial fight for justice.
What Made an Impression?: Consequences Be Damned: Like a lot of movies based on true events, By Any Means left me wanting to research the real story. Usually that’s because the onscreen version is so inspiring, and I want that feeling to last with more intimate knowledge. But in this case, it’s kind of the opposite. It might be satisfying in the moment to see someone like Scarpa let loose on a bunch of racists, but surely it’s only adding more fuel to the fire. It would be nice to learn that the real Scarpa was more reined in, though I’m not exactly holding out hope that that was the case.
How Do We Live With All This?: I’d love to tell you that we’re supposed to feel conflicted about the extreme titular means justifying the ends, but I’m not really sure what the filmmakers want us to feel. Director Elegance Bratton delivers it all in an unflinching package that leaves little room for reflection by any of the characters. However, there’s room for us to be reflective as audience members, at least, as we’re not directly implicated in the worst of it. You won’t feel guilty for being entertained, either. I certainly wasn’t. It just would have been nice to have a more direct acknowledgement about the discomfiting nature of it all.
At Least It Sounds Cool: One thing I’m not ambiguous about is the absolutely rousing score from Terence Blanchard. If you heard the logline for this movie and thought, “We need the same composer that they had for BlacKkKlansman,” well, that’s exactly what happened. Blanchard is your man when you need a music package that is going to give your audience’s soul an exhausting jazz workout. It’s invigorating, overpowering, and a little exhausting. So not too different from the investigation itself.
By Any Means is Recommended If You Like: Prosthetic noses
Grade: 3 out of 5 Badges
September 2, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Arsema Thomas, Fall, Fall 2, Fall 2: Deadpoint, Grace Caroline Currey, Harriet Slater, Michael Spierig, Peter and Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig, The Spierig Brothers, Tom Brittney, Virginia Gardner
Have a nice Fall! (CREDIT: Lionsgate)
Starring: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney, Virginia Gardner, Grace Caroline Currey
Director: The Spierig Brothers
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Bloody Moments Amidst the Extreme Peril, as Well as Some Drug Material
Release Date: September 2, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Following the death of her daredevil sister Shiloh (Virginia Gardner), Jax Hunter (Harriet Slater) has been dealing with a lot of unwanted attention. Shiloh died by falling from a 2,000-foot TV tower, so maybe Jax can move on by conquering her own fears from an even greater height. At least that’s what her new friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) thinks is a brilliant idea. So they head off to Thailand to conquer a notorious mountain famous for its dragon sculpture that supposedly eats your fears. None of the locals are willing to show them the way, but they do convince one guide (Tom Brittney) that they have what it takes. So soon enough, they’re all merrily stepping along a narrow bridge on the edge of the mountain. But as you might imagine, disaster strikes, and they end up stranded on a tiny plank 3,000 feet up in the air.
What Made an Impression?: How White Were My Knuckles: Survival thrillers that toy with acrophobia succeed most obviously in terms of how well they can make viewers feel like they too could plunge to their demise, but from the safety of their recliner chairs. The first Fall managed that feat tremendously. While Fall 2 isn’t quite as consistent in this regard, it does deliver a sufficient dose of sweaty palms and adrenaline bursts, particularly one scene when Jax summons her inner gymnast. Those with severe motion sickness should respectfully decline.
It Didn’t Seem Like a Good Idea at the Time: The details of Deadpoint are unique enough that you couldn’t fairly call it “Fall Redux,” but it is animated by some of the same underlying questions. In particular: why does one of the climbers ever agree to this? Jax is in no mood to cheat death, and there are plenty of much safer options for her to deal with her struggles. So how can it be that she so readily agrees to jaunt off all the way to Thailand? It simply doesn’t make sense. But sometimes people make decisions that don’t make sense, especially when they’re grieving.
Come Again?: Like its predecessor, Fall 2 utilizes its deviously simple setup to deliver plenty of lizard brain pleasures. But then in the final act, it serves up a ludicrous reveal that had me thinking, “Yeah, I’m pretty much going to ignore that and instead focus on the first 75 minutes.” It’s a bold decision, but not exactly one I’m convinced was set up properly.
Fall 2: Deadpoint is Recommended If You Like: The first Fall, Free Solo, Nonsensical twists
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Planks
August 31, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Bennie Taylor, Bryson JonSteele, Buddy, Caleb Williams, Casper Kelly, Clint Howard, Conner Stumm, Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Devon Hawkes Ludlow, Eric Bauza, Jimmica Collins, Keegan-Michael Key, Luke Speakman, Madison Skyy Polan, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt, Phuong Kubacki, Rachel Appelbaum, Seamus Flynn, Topher Grace, Tory Jacqui Malone, Tristan Broders
The Buddy crew doing their thing (CREDIT: Roadside Attractions and Saban Films)
Starring: Delaney Quinn, Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, Tristan Broders, Madison Skyy Polan, Caleb Williams, Luke Speakman, Tory Jacqui Malone, Topher Grace, Clint Howard, Seamus Flynn, Bryson JonSteele, Phuong Kubacki, Bennie Taylor, Conner Stumm, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, Jimmica Collins, Devon Hawkes Ludlow, Eric Bauza, Rachel Appelbaum
Director: Casper Kelly
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: August 28, 2026 (Theaters)
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
August 29, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Candi Milo, carrot festival, Coyote vs. Acme, Dave Green, Eric Bauza, Jim Cummings, John Cena, John Early, Kenneth Choi, Lana Condor, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P.J. Byrne, Tone Bell, Will Forte
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?)
Grade: 4 Meep Meeps out of Infinity Sisyphuses
August 28, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Amanda Fix, Aren Buchholz, Arthur Conti, Dylan Baker, Eva Victor, Florence Barrett, Freya Edwards, Gillian Anderson, Hannah Einbinder, Jack Haven, Jane Schoenbrun, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jess McLeod, Kevin McDonald, Louise Weard, Patrick Fischler, Quintessa Swindell, Ryan McEwen, Sarah Sherman, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Zach Cherry
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
August 26, 2026
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Alicia MacDonald, Amber Grappy, Angourie Rice, Anthony J. Abraham, Carl Blakeley, Cora Kirk, Dalu Thebe, Emily Ash, Faye Campbell, Finding Emily, Fiona Allen, Hannah Greensmith, Harry Trevaldwyn, Isabella Laughland, Jack Riddiford, Julia Rogers, Kat Ronney, Minnie Driver, Nadia Parkes, Nathan Foad, Phil Wang, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Sadie Soverall, Scarlett-Mai Grant, Spike Fearn, Tash Major, Timothy Innes, Toby Rothwell, Trudy Akobeng, Yali Topol Margalith
You got to know where to look. (CREDIT: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC)
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
Grade: 4 out of 5 Emilys
Older Entries
Newer Entries
