The Brink of War (2026)

Jeff Daniels portrays actor/president Ronald Reagan, while Jared Harris has a dollop of gravy dripped over his head to play Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Set during the Reykjavík Summit of 1986, the politicians deliberate ad nauseam, which basically amounts to two hours of people sitting at a table and arguing. Sometimes we get a split-screen to make things more exciting. This is dry and yawn-inducing, pro-American propaganda from the studio that brought you Young Washington. The central message that we have to keep talking to each other is a good one, but this was the wrong vessel to try and get that across.

1 "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this fucking theater" out of 5

Armageddon Time (2022)

A coming-of-age drama about a Jewish-American boy struggling to fit in at school and among his immigrant family who want a better life for him. Based on writer/director James Gray's experiences growing up in NYC, it deals with issues of inequality and prejudice as viewed through the eyes of the innocent.

What a bummer when a period film set in the 1980s feels like ancient history.

3 toy rockets out of 5

Paper Tiger (2026)

Two brothers seeking a legitimate business opportunity within the Russian mafia end up with more than they bargained for when an innocent mistake threatens to tear their family apart. You know whenever the mob is involved that things are going to go bad. This is a wonderfully acted crime drama where the beauty is in the details. As much as I enjoyed it, it always makes me sad how many lives are ruined in pursuit of money. It's always the same old story.

3 fields of grass out of 5

Primetime (2026)

To catch a predator, you must be one yourself. TV Journalist Chris Hansen achieved notoriety in the early 2000s for his Dateline NBC segments in which he staged sting operations in order to entrap internet perpetrators in the act of committing a crime. But for him, it was more than just a personal crusade, it was about boosting his own image while chasing ratings. In fact, the whole process of primetime television is predatory and performative, right down to the television execs calling all the shots. This is a nuanced take on the subject with lots of moving parts. It's a gritty film based on a chaotic production that involved exploitative practices, perverted justice and balancing hypocrisies. It's compelling, although it's hard to figure out what point it's trying to make.

3 plates of cookies out of 5

Heart of the Beast (2026)

After crash landing in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, an ex-Green Beret and his military combat dog with PTSD struggle to survive against the elements. It's a heartfelt survival thriller where the human helps the animal and the animal helps the human, and it's a bond of trust that cannot be broken. It unfolds close to how you might imagine, but it's a solid tale of perseverance.

3 bottles of aspirin out of 5

The Weight (2026)

Set in 1930s Depression-era America, a struggling man is separated from his young daughter and thrown into a work camp, where he is offered a deal to help smuggle stolen gold through the harsh wilderness in order to earn his way towards an early release. Ethan Hawke is outstanding in his performance and elevates this from a dry historical drama with the requisite weightiness.

3 rickety bridges out of 5

By Any Means (2026)

Based on actual events, a black FBI agent teams up with a mafia hitman to take on racism in 1960s Mississippi. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Wonder Man) plays it by the book, while Marky Wahlberg plays a stock Grand Theft Auto character, using force to achieve results by any means necessary. Hey, that's the title!

2½ burning crosses out of 5

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York (2026)

An aging pickpocket steals to live as he cares for his wife who is catatonic. After messing with the wrong person, he finds himself in heaps of trouble. 

John Turturro is the main attraction here, but there's something about this film I absolutely love which I can't place my finger on. It's a simple character study reminiscent of 1970s crime thrillers, but it has a quality I find unforgettable.

3 planned obsolescence out of 5

I Play Rocky (2026)

Sylvester Stallone struggled for a long time to make his mark as an actor. He realized he had to write the part he wanted for himself, then insisted he be cast at the lead, much to the chagrin of everyone in Hollywood at the time. 

It's an underdog story that mirrors Rocky itself, about believing in yourself because nobody else is going to do it for you. Although it's also about those behind the scenes who support you, too. It's a dream that survived in spite of everything and proves that the studio execs in charge know nothing. And it all worked out in the end, otherwise a movie never would have been made about it. Because we only celebrate the winners, never the losers, ironically enough.

It's a good movie about a great movie, which works for all the same reasons.

3½ glasses half-full out of 5

Street Fighter (2026)

The latest cinematic adaptation of Street Fighter learns many lessons from its failed 1994 counterpart and delivers on upbeat, high-octane energy that is way more fun than it has any right to be. Through fan service and screen-accurate portrayals, it is at least faithful in its character representation and it's a joy to see certain team-ups come to life on screen. However, some of it just flat-out doesn't work. The movie revolves around Ryu, Ken and Chun-Li, who share little chemistry between them. It centers around an international tournament, although we don't see most of it play out. It's set in 1993, but you wouldn't know it from the anachronistic needle drops. And it all leads up to an inevitable sequel that predictably looks better than this one. All that is to say that it's much better than expected, but still leaves something to be desired.

3 Hadōkens out of 5

Clayface (2026)

A Hollywood pretty boy actor hooks up with a mobster's wife and suffers a retaliatory attack. He undergoes an experimental procedure using nanocells to reconstruct the tissue, which proves to be highly unstable and malleable.

The third film in the slowly gestating DCU doesn't connect to any of the other films (so far) and is a modestly budgeted superhuman film that can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of Batman. In fact, don't think of it as a DC movie at all. This is pure body horror. Think Darkman and you're on the right track.

3 kill switches out of 5

Ghostwatch (1992)

Broadcast live on Halloween night in 1992, this controversial BBC program(me) caused quite a stir at the time. Presented by Sir Michael Parkinson, the special investigates supposed poltergeist activity, captured through cameras set up in a suburban house in real time. This is the very definition of a slow burn, with a creeping sense of dread that builds throughout. Whether or not you buy into the premise, this landmark telecast influenced so much of what came after it.

4 caterwauls out of 5

Out There Halloween Mega Tape (2022)

Only available through mail-order from Trader Tony's Tape Dungeon, this rare videocassette recording features a pair of 1990s specials that were only ever broadcast once. The first involves a trashy daytime talk show, while the other investigates alien encounters. Maybe it's just an era I look back more fondly on, but I found this a lot more colorful and fun than WNUF Halloween Special, although it also suffers from an abundance of manufactured ad breaks, which instinctually cause me to space out. It's something that holds up better in your memory than the reality of the experience. Was it worth the $19.99? Not really.

2½ dramatizations out of 5

WNUF Halloween Special (2013)

Framed as a lost videotape recording of a local access television broadcast from 1987, complete with news segments and period-accurate commercials, this is a faithful recreation of American television of that era. What this means is that it's hampered with an excess of commercials, which are presented as authentic, but take away from the main thrust of the film, involving a journalist investigating strange occurrences at a haunted house. If this immediately brings to mind Ghostwatch, you're not far off. You might not look back as fondly on it, but it's a nice break from the traditional found footage genre.

2½ missing cats out of 5

Night of the Demons (2009)

The posters tells you everything you need to know. It's creatively bankrupt and void of any new ideas. Also, how does this film look so much worse than any of the others? This low-budget rehash is a disgrace to the Demons name. Shannon Elizabeth plays Angela this time and that's all I have to say about that.

1 lipstick gag repeated out of 5