Is the Roofman on fire? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out! (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)
Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Lakeith Stanfield, Ben Mendelsohn, Uzo Aduba, Juno Temple, Emory Cohen, Melonie Diaz, Molly Price, Lily Collias, Kennedy Moyer, Tony Revolori, Jimmy O. Yang
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Running Time: 126 Minutes
Rating: R for A Brief Sex Scene and a Goofy Nude Scene (Not During the Sex)
Release Date: October 10, 2025 (Theaters)
What’s It About?:Roofman presents Channing Tatum embodying the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, whose nom de criminality serves as the title of this film. We meet Jeffrey as a restless Army veteran who wants to be a better provider for his kids. So he resorts to robbing a series of McDonald’s in the Charlotte, North Carolina area by cutting through their roofs during their unoccupied hours. Eventually he’s caught and charged for his spree, but soon enough he escapes prison and hides out in a local Toys “R” Us store to plan his next big move. He somehow manages to evade capture long enough to assume a new identity and start dating a single mother named Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) that he meets after wandering into a church one day. As his wild story presses on apace, we’re left to wonder: maybe he’ll decide to settle down and live an honest life. Or perhaps instead, all his misdeeds will actually finally catch up to him.
What Made an Impression?: I’m going to do this review a little differently than my usual style by starting off with the question: Should YOU want to be the Roofman? I won’t keep you in suspense, though. The answer is: no, you should not.
So is that the end of the review? Well, let’s get a little more nuanced. By most accounts that I’ve come across, the real Jeffrey Manchester is fantastically charming, and Tatum certainly plays him that way. I found myself instinctively rooting for everything to work out in his favor, but then I caught myself enough to recognize that that’s not exactly the most defensible position. Jeffrey doesn’t just break the letter of the law, he also breaks the spirit. And while he does his best to eschew violence in the course of his misdeeds, some people do get hurt. Plus, he’s not exactly a Robin Hood where only Billionaire Big Business is getting hurt. So if you do find yourself rooting for him, I’d recommend redirecting that energy towards hoping that he’s given the opportunity to atone for his schemes and put his talents to better use.
And the Roofman does indeed have some considerable talents. He’s observant, thoughtful, and fun to be around. The trouble is, of course, that he too often utilizes those qualities in service of some very combustible misconduct. This is a tricky movie to watch, partly because it’s also a very easy movie to watch. On the surface level, it’s charming and exciting, which could lure you into a trap of glamorizing some bad behavior. Now, it’s not terribly difficult to avoid that trap, but what’s perhaps a little more challenging is finding the right balance when sorting out the admirable and the heinous within someone like Jeffrey Manchester. It makes sense that he found his way to a house of worship, because he’s clearly a sinner who also has some amount of desire to be better. You don’t have to be religious yourself to be inspired by this movie, but whatever your preferred belief system (or lack thereof), I think one of the biggest takeaways from this story is the eternal power of grace, even when (or perhaps especially when) things get out of hand.
Imagine if Toxie met Annabelle, though (CREDIT: Troma Entertainment/Screenshot; Warner Bros./Screenshot)
The Toxic Avenger Unrated
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis
Director: Macon Blair
Running Time: 103 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Release Date: August 29, 2025 (Theaters)
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Steve Coulter, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Beau Gadsdon, Molly Cartwright, Tilly Walker, Peter Wright, Kate Fahy
Director: Michael Chaves
Running Time: 135 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: September 5, 2025 (Theaters)
I’ve been thinking a lot about legacies lately. Or at least I’ve been thinking a moderate amount about the legacies of the Conjuring and Toxic Avenger franchises, seeing as I recently saw their most recent entries.
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Arian Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James
Director: Jon M. Chu
Running Time: 160 Minutes
Rating: PG for The Birth of the Flying Monkeys
Release Date: November 22, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Is there a single living soul who’s never encountered any of the many adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? One of the most popular is surely the musical Wicked, based on the revisionist novel by Gregory Maguire. But just in case you’re coming into totally fresh to the big screen version, here are the key details: Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is a green-skinned outcast in the Land of Oz who encounters the uber-popular Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande) as they enroll at Shiz University. After initially clashing, they forge an unlikely friendship while learning the ways of magic under the tutelage of Headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Elphaba demonstrates prodigious supernatural talents that are the envy of everyone else. That puts her on a collision course with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), who wants to utilize her skills for his own mysterious ends. Meanwhile, conspiracies are underfoot that could transform Oz forever and lead Elphaba and Galinda towards their inescapable destinies.
What Made an Impression?: A Witchy Good Time: Maybe I’m totally kooky for saying this, but for me, the main appeal of Wicked isn’t the music. Sure, there are some culture-shifting numbers (“Defying Gravity” doesn’t pull out any stops in its silver screen moment, that’s for sure), but for my money, it’s all about the crackling interplay between Elphaba and Galinda. And true, singing is definitely a big part of their interactions, but they make an enduring impression no matter how they communicate, with Erivo and Grande emphatically making the roles their own. Now, I’ve never seen the stage version, so I suppose I can’t make that statement with complete authority, but they are in no way doing mere impressions of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. In Erivo’s hands, Elphaba is a force of nature who is never to be underestimated, while Grande (who’s credited by her full name of Ariana Grande-Butera) makes a total hoot out of the profound insecurity of the popular girl. Don’t Take Magic for Granted: The world of Wicked may have originated from source material that’s more than a hundred years old, but it would fit right at home with the many young adult fantasy series of the past couple decades, what with the witches and the magical school and the talking animals. But this story is a little more complicated than just a metaphor for adolescence. Magical and non-magical beings exist uneasily alongside each other, and political machinations are tricky to parse. Jeff Goldblum’s casting as the Wizard proves to be a stroke of genius, as he utilizes his signature offbeat diction to charm anyone who can’t immediately see through to his charlatan nature. But while there is plenty of subterfuge afoot, there is also plenty to love about this version of Oz. And yet, it seems like there’s also always someone lurking around every corner, ready to snatch that goodness away. So appreciate the magic while you can, and do your best to understand why someone wouldn’t want you to be able to. (Also, take note of this Slight Spoiler: despite the lack of acknowledgement in the advertising, this is just Part 1, with Part 2 due to arrive in theaters in November 2025.)
Wicked is Recommended If You Like: Schoolyard cattiness, Baritone goats, Blinding lights
Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving! (CREDIT: Pief Weyman/TriStar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group)
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Starring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Josh Andrés Rivera, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Fionnula Flanagan, Burn Gorman, Ashley Liao, Max Raphael, Zoe Renee, Nick Benson, Isobel Jesper Jones, George Somner
Director: Francis Lawrence
Running Time: 157 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Kids Killing Kids
Release Date: November 17, 2023 (Theaters)
Thanksgiving
Starring: Nell Verlaque, Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Rick Hoffman, Gabriel Davenport, Gina Gershon, Tim Dillon, Tomaso Sanelli, Jenna Warren, Amanda Barker
Director: Eli Roth
Running Time: 106 Minutes
Rating: R for Having Some Friends Over for Dinner, and a Trampoline Striptease
Release Date: November 17, 2023 (Theaters)
Trolls Band Together
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Camila Cabello, Eric André, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Daveed Diggs, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, Zosia Mamet, Kenan Thompson, RuPaul, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Icona Pop, Ron Funches, Anderson .Paak, Kunal Nayyar, David Fynn, Kevin Michael Richardson, Patti Harrison, Walt Dohrn, GloZell
Director: Walt Dohrn
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: PG for Some Mild Worries About Being Eaten Alive
Starring: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe, Dean Scott Vazquez, Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Cristo Fernández, John DiMaggio, Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, David Sobolov, Tongayi Chirisa, Peter Dinklage, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Colman Domingo
Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Running Time: 127 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Metal Injuries
Release Date: June 9, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Hey, remember the 90s? The makers of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts sure do, because they went ahead and set the latest adventure of these extraterrestrial morphing robots in the era of g-funk and baggy jorts. But besides the occasional Wu-Tang or LL Cool J needle drop, that setting is mostly besides the point, as Rise of the Beasts is primarily concerned about the quest for a MacGuffin. That would be the Transwarp Key, a device with the power to allow Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots to return to their home planet of Cybertron after years in exile on Earth. Of course, if it instead falls into the wrong hands, it means that their enemies could destroy even more worlds. In their efforts to secure it, they recruit some human allies in the form of struggling family man Noah (Anthony Ramos) and museum intern Elena (Dominique Fishback). When they touch down in Peru, things get especially hairy, as they meet up with the breed of animalistic Transformers known as the Maximals.
What Made an Impression?: I know I’m not the only one who abandoned the Michael Bay-directed Transformers at a certain point. And with that in mind, the highest compliment I can pay Rise of the Beasts is that it continues the trend that began a few years ago with Bumblebee in which these movies’ climaxes are no longer incomprehensible onslaughts of metal clanking against metal. You can actually tell who’s talking! Distinct personalities can be detected! And some of those personalities are decently entertaining! Director Steven Caple Jr. and his screenwriting team don’t reinvent the mold at all, but you could imagine this movie actually coming out in 1994, when clarity and an adventurous spirit were valued as a matter of course.
While I appreciate that the Rise of the Beasts crew focused on the fundamentals, they didn’t exactly inspire me to become a diehard Transformers devotee. I’m about ten years too young for their original heyday, but anyone who’s more steeped in the lore than I am will probably find plenty to appreciate. And it certainly helps that you’ve got dignified actors like Michelle Yeoh and Peter Dinklage bringing their voices to life. But I’m mostly focused on Pete Davidson’s lil-stinker performance as the hologram-projecting Mirage. It’s the sort of comic relief that on paper seems like it would be a step too far for the Transformers status quo, but instead it’s just the hit of mustard needed to make the whole course palatable.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is Recommended If You Like: Some Transformers, but not too many Transformers
If you’re a fan of classic romances, you’re probably familiar with the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. He’s in love with a woman named Roxanne, but because of his insecurity related to his distractingly large and pointy nose, he struggles to admit his true feelings. Meanwhile, Roxanne falls in love with another man named Christian, and that infatuation is profoundly deepened by Christian wooing her with the words provided to him by Cyrano, who knows Roxanne better than anyone. But in this version, it’s what Cyrano lacks on his body that’s causing the problem, as he’s portrayed by Peter Dinklage, and he fundamentally doesn’t believe that Roxanne (here played by Haley Bennett) could ever truly love someone who’s only four and a half feet tall.
Also unique about this version of Cyrano is that it’s – wait for it – a musical. Much of the vocal duties fall to the title lover, and Dinklage is certainly up for the assignment. He has a rich, soulful baritone that’s perfect for the constant (but incomplete) soul-searching that Cyrano is always up to. You can count on him for talking to himself, which can be good, but not so much when it prevents him from fully and honestly talking to other people.
Dinklage’s singing reminds me of Russell Crowe’s in Les Misérables, and I mean that’s a compliment. Crowe was my favorite singer in that movie! It would be distracting if Dinklage’s Cyrano were more inclined to difficult vocal acrobatics; instead, he’s singing because he just can’t help it, just as he can’t help but miss out on the fullness of himself. As for the rest of the main cast’s crooning abilities, Bennett and Kelvin Harris Jr. as Christian also both acquit themselves admirably.
Overall, if you’re looking for a love story that lives on the knife’s edge of tragedy and consummation, then Cyrano ought to do the trick. Everyone is passionate and ready to go, and if you don’t recognize at least some of their emotions in yourself, I’m not sure you have a fully functioning heart.
Cyrano is Recommended If You Like: Flowy dresses, Stubble, Singing by yourself while standing outside a wall
This review was originally posted on News Cult in November 2017.
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes, Caleb Landry Jones, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish, Željko Ivanek, Kathryn Newton
Director: Martin McDonagh
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Rating: R for Constant Cussing, Police Abuse, and Arson
Release Date: November 10, 2017 (Limited)
The release of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouricould not be any more timely. We are currently living in a moment unprecedented in terms of the rate at which prominent sexual harassers and abusers are being exposed. By putting up the titular billboard triptych calling out local law enforcement for its inability to solve the case of her daughter’s rape and murder, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is instantly a symbol of this age. Unsurprisingly, she butts up against a fair deal of racism within the Ebbing police department. But that discrimination isn’t coming from Sheriff Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), who, though he may be a bit hard-edged, is absolutely well-meaning; he so wishes he had physical evidence in the Hayes case. And the racist officer in question might actually have some good detective in him and maybe even some decent humanity.
Based on his track record, writer/director Martin McDonagh is not an obvious choice to stick the sensitive landing that Three Billboards pulls off. With In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, he demonstrated his knack for understanding the foibles of humanity, especially when it comes to souls existentially cast adrift by the whims of fate. Such an approach would not be impossible for a film about an unsolved rape case, but it would be depressing. While McDonagh can be cutting, he is so for the laughs. It is not his bag to make his audience endlessly despair. Thus, while Three Billboards does feature plenty of his signature jabs, he ultimately re-calibrates his typical tone enough to make this effort truly uplifting.
The most astute trick that McDonagh pulls off involves the constant acknowledgement that individuals contain multitudes and are not easy to pin down, even in a story driven by something so obviously wrong as rape. Mildred’s crusade is righteous, but plenty of townspeople wish she would just go away. While much of that has to do with a tendency to defend the status quo, it is also due to her own prickly personality. But to be fair to her (and the movie certainly is), not many people have figured out how to insist upon justice while remaining kind. Willoughby receives the brunt of Mildred’s ire, and while he can be too heated for his own good, he knows what’s right. And because this movie is so generous to its characters, he has his own terminal cancer-fueled narrative. Also coming in hot is Mildred’s relationship with her ex-husband (John Hawkes), which turns especially nasty when it comes to his new much younger girlfriend (Samara Weaving). But it turns out that he is with her less because she is a pretty young thing and more because she has instilled in him a Zen calm, noting that anger only begets more anger.
The evolution of Officer Jason Dixon illustrates that proposition best of all. On the page, his transformation might read as too transformational to be believed, even with a writer as skilled as McDonagh. But thanks to the chops of Sam Rockwell, his redemptive arc reads as perfectly natural. When we meet him, Dixon is frequently drunk, openly racist, and constantly abusing his power. But when relieved of his badge, he finds room to make amends, ultimately teaming up with Mildred to fulfill his duty as a decent person. In a world where evil acts continue to be perpetrated, it is nice to know that humanity can persist.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is Recommended If You Like: Fargo, M*A*S*H, Groundhog Day
Begin transmission.
(That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for-) My pants!
Boys and girls! I think you’ll find That my pants Will blow your mind.
Look at my pants With the eyes in your face. My legs are covered In outer space.
Space pants! Space pants! I Am wearing Space pants.
Space pants! Space pants! My pants are Space pants.
Do you see my pants? No wait! You missed them. My pants are a tour Of the solar system.
When I say “space,” you say: “pants.” Space! (What?) When I say “space pants,” you say: “are intergalactic space pants.” Space pants! (Are intergalactic space pants.)
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Hey! You there in front! Stop talking During my song. It’s very rude.
Now joining me on stage for my grand finale Is my extremely close friend Gwen Stefani.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to report My friend Gwen Stefani Is wearing space shorts.
People on Earth. Hear what I say. My shorts are from a galaxy Far, far away.
Asteroids, comets, Meteors. My shorts boldly go Where no shorts have gone before.
Space shorts! Space pants. Space pants! Space shorts.
Space pants! Space pants. Space pants! Space pants!
SNL: Gwen Stefani, Peter Dinklage, Kate McKinnon (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in April 2016.
When Peter Dinklage is in a comedy setting, the two most obvious sources of humor are “Game of Thrones” parodies and cracks about his height. There are already plenty of examples of the former, and there is always the risk of being hacky or insulting with the latter. So in his “SNL” debut, the Westeros jokes are rare and have a whiff of exhaustion, while his size is basically only utilized for one visual gag. As for the rest of the episode, he is uniformly competent, but – with a few exceptions – he deserves more memorable roles.
CNN At This Hour – A modern habit of “SNL’s” political material is the variety of its news show parodies. Where 90’s “SNL” featured plenty of “Nightline” sketches, and “Hardball” dominated the early 2000’s, the 2010’s seem intent on taking on every CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News program. It is hard to understand why. “At This Hour” has hardly broken into the zeitgeist, nor is there anything about it that makes it especially fit to elucidate Donald Trump’s foibles. As for this sketch’s actual hook, it points out Trump’s misogyny and tendency to attract violence, but it does not do anything surprising with those qualities. C
For my detailed thoughts on my predictions and wishlists in the major Drama, Comedy, and Variety categories, check out these links:
–Comedy
–Drama –Variety
Guest Actor, Comedy John Hawkes, Inside Amy Schumer
Michael Rapaport, Louie
Chris Gethard, Parks and Recreation
Dwayne Johnson, Saturday Night Live
Guest Actress, Comedy Susie Essman, Broad City
Guest Actor, Drama Mel Rodriguez, Better Call Saul
Guest Actress, Drama Allison Janney, Masters of Sex Linda Lavin, The Good Wife
Directing, Comedy Rob Schrab, “Modern Espionage,” Community
Directing, Drama Adam Arkin, “The Promise,” Justified
Writing, Comedy Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna, “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television,” Community
Writng, Drama Thomas Schnauz, “Pimento,” Better Call Saul
Animated Program Bojack Horseman – “Downer Ending” American Dad! – “Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas” The Simpsons – “Treehouse of Horror XXV”
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