Sorry to Bother You (2018)

A deeply weird film that seems like a shame to spoil in any way. It involves a broke man who becomes a telemarketer and tries to get ahead in the industry. Director Boots Riley has some pitch black sensibilities and this film is dripping in irony. Blending elements of surrealism and science fiction, you might not know where the hell it's going, but you'll certainly know when you get there.

3½ white voices out of 5

Animal Farm (1999)

Of all the various filmed versions of Orwell's dystopian novella, this one might be the most disturbing because of how uncanny valley it is to see this material adapted to live action. Through a combination of real livestock, puppetry and animatronics (courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop), the effect is creepy as fuck, which is appropriate for the allegorical themes contained within. It tones down the political language, but despite the attractive way it's packaged, this is clearly not intended for young audiences. Somewhere in the dark recesses of my psyche, I always tend to conflate this film with The Island of Dr. Moreau.

2½ legs bad out of 5

Animal Farm (2025)

"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

George Orwell adapted for family audiences. Except I would feel bad for any little kid who was dragged to see this. Not because it's bad, but because it's bleak and depressing as hell. Barnyard animals run away and form their own society founded on freedom and equality for all, which lasts for about a day before the pigs become corrupt with power while the rest of the animals are used as slave labor. It's an ambitious take on the authoritarian allegory of the novel, transposed to the modern era with overt political ties to corporate consumerism. I give it major props for what it attempts to do, at any rate.

I can't wait until they do a children's version of Nineteen Eighty-Four next.

2½ laughter houses out of 5

The Sheep Detectives (2026)

I love a good mystery. A kindly old shepherd is found murdered, and his flock, who he used to read detective novels to every night, take it upon themselves to solve the crime by nudging the unwitting humans in the right direction. It's a lot better than it sounds. Emotionally resonant and heavier than expected for a family film, it's surprisingly moving and likely to bring a tear to your ewe.

3½ clouds out of 5

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

"Why can humans not use their millions of words to simply tell one another what they desire?"

A lonely, aging cleaning woman befriends the octopus in her aquarium's exhibit tank while training her impetuous young replacement. It's a light dramedy with some heavy themes, not likely to ruffle many feathers (or tangle any tentacles), but it's pleasant enough in its familiar execution.

3 camouflage patterns out of 5

Deep Water (2026)

Aw man, this movie had such potential to be great. After a fire breaks out in the plane's cargo hold, passengers brace for impact as they land in the open ocean. What's worse than surviving a plane crash? Fucking sharks. That's right, we have our requisite Jaws knockoff to meet our shitty shark quota this year.

Razzie favorite Renny Harlin brings us one of the most horrific depictions of a plane accident I've ever seen, and this movie actually had me weeping with emotion before the CGI sharks showed up and ruined it. Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Damn this stupid shark movie for making me care.

2½ cigarettes out of 5

Apex (2026)

An adrenaline seeker finds herself being hunted in the Australian wilderness. We've seen this kind of cat and mouse chase a million times before, but what this film has to offer are gorgeous scenic vistas filtered through Netflix's color degradation system. It's a decent survival adventure thriller that held my attention the entire time, mostly due to how photogenic Charlize Theron remains. I give this film credit for making everything look painful and realistic.

3 whitewater rapids out of 5

Over Your Dead Body (2026)

A murder plot goes off the rails when a few intruders unexpectedly drop in. This gory dark action-comedy is rather twisty, but contains a few good laughs and thrills. Paul Guilfoyle has a small bit part but really made the movie for me.

3 hammer times out of 5

Mother's Day (1980)

A low-budget Troma exploitation film from Lloyd Kaufman's brother Charles (not to be confused with Charlie Kaufman). It's a familiar setup; young people go traipsing through the backwoods and end up being attacked by hillbillies, only this time it's a mother and her two imbecilic sons. It plays out like a loose satire of grindhouse flicks like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and I Spit on Your Grave, and was similarly criticized for all the same reasons. It's really not very good at all, but it has the benefit of being made in the '80s, so it just ages better somehow. It's attained cult status among horror devotees, but that's about the only thing going for it. 

A loose remake/reboot/whatever of the film was released in 2010.

2 mama's boys out of 5

Faces of Death (2026)

A woman investigates snuff films on the internet. Turns out a serial killer is going around and recreating old kills from the original video nasty series Faces of Death, the notorious pseudo-documentary featuring fake deaths and staged reenactments. (Not to be confused with Traces of Death, a mondo film which actually depicted real footage of fatalities.) Let's cut straight to the chase: This is bottom of the barrel trash fodder with zero redeeming value.

0 Reddit threads out of 5

Mortal Kombat II (2026)

This installment adds series staples like Kitana, Jade and Baraka to its roster, but it's the secret weapon of Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, a washed out movie star from the '90s, that proves to be the right move. He's the least convincing fighter of all of them and has more of an Ash/Bruce Campbell presence, but it changes the tone considerably. They lean even further into the nostalgia and ridiculousness, aiming more for game accuracy than realism. This one is better than the last one but not by much. It's extremely dumb but enjoyable in a way.

Throw on the MK techno theme song and you can have yourself a little party.

2½ split nut punches out of 5

Mortal Kombat (2021)

After Annihilation came and went, the film franchise was dead in the water. This reboot attempts to regroup the characters and lore from the video games and it's surprisingly decent, when it's not taking itself too seriously. As usual, the plot revolves around a tournament of champions between the Earthrealm and Outworld. You've got your classic roster of characters, including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kano and Jax, and led by Sonya Blade and a new character named Cole Young (why?). They cast a bunch of unknowns to keep the budget modest, which gives it a direct-to-video feeling, but it has enough gory fan service and tongue-in-cheek humor to make it watchable and at least surpasses the 1995 film in terms of enjoyment (although that one has its own set of quirks and charms). I found it to be fun but largely forgettable.

2½ fatalities out of 5

Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)

A new take on the mummy legend, this original concept feels like it has more in common with The Exorcist or Evil Dead Rise, which was Cronin's last film.

After missing for 8 years, a young girl is recovered from a sarcophagus in a catatonic state, where her family tries to rehabilitate her at home. This film is darkly funny and sick and has that strand of Evil Dead DNA running through it. It's loud and brash, and the sound design is vicious, where you can feel every crack and crunch on the soundtrack. However, all of these elements don't necessarily make it a great horror movie; just really aggressive and intense.

2½ pedicures out of 5

Hokum (2026)

An American writer visits a quaint Irish hotel, inquiring about the honeymoon suite where his parents once stayed. From the director of Caveat and Oddity, this supernatural thriller has that same isolated feeling and haunting imagery throughout (and bunnies), which reminded me a bit of The Babadook. It's not as strong as McCarthy's prior works, but still makes for some compelling viewing.

3 servant bells out of 5