Coyote vs. Acme (2026)

We finally have a worthy successor to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Why it was suppressed for so long, I'll never know. Wile E. Coyote files a lawsuit against the asshats at ACME Corp. who have been selling him faulty products for ages, and it's been a long time coming. The blending of live-action and animation is seamless and proves the perfect counterpoint for Looney Tunes-style antics.

3½ bird seed subpoenas out of 5

Mutiny (2026)

Whoa... TWO Stats in one year? Slow it down, Stath-Man. What is this, 2008?

And yet, looking at that poster, all I can think is Die Hard and "You sunk my battleship!" Luckily, the entire plot is spelled out for you, but even with an homage as cheeky as that, the film itself seems to lack any fun or sense of humor. This one is dull, slow and plodding, even by Stat standards. It's almost as if A.I. processed all of his filmography and spat out a convincing facsimile missing all of the heart. A Working Man is no longer the worst Statham joint.

½ a knife through the face out of 5

Redux Redux (2025)

A grieving woman travels through parallel universes searching for one where her daughter is still alive, all the while hunting down her killer in each one. It's sci-fi on a budget, which suggests a lot while leaving much to the imagination. While I was never bored by it, I did expect more from this intriguing premise.

2½ fuel cores out of 5

Carolina Caroline (2025)

"I always wonder why birds choose to stay in one place when they can fly anywhere in the world. And then I ask myself the same question."

A young woman falls for a charming grifter who teaches her his ways, as they get off on the adrenaline rush of petty crime, eventually upgrading to armed robbery, on their way to South Carolina to meet the mother she never knew. It's a crime romance that starts out fairly run of the mill and ramps up quickly. I wasn't sure where it was going in the first half, but it won me over by the end.

3 short change scams out of 5

Motor City (2025)

Alan Ritchson, hulking star of television's Reacher, stars in this '70s era bloody action flick almost entirely devoid of dialogue. Like Silent Night, it's carried through by its soundtrack, except this time it's a lot more upbeat and rockin'.

I was very fond of the strong first half, but not quite happy with the direction it takes, whereby it becomes a generic revenge thriller with brooding music and lots of slow-motion shots in the rain. But it earns definite style points.

2½ wedding bullets out of 5

Power Ballad (2026)

Paul Rudd plays an affable musician whose dreams of being a rock star are relegated to performing in a wedding band. By chance encounter, he meets a struggling former boy band member (Nick Jonas), whose impromptu jam sesh leads them to clashing over the ownership of a song. Like the rest of John Carney's music-driven filmography, it's a charmingly Irish comedy-drama with original songs and raw, honest performances that are enjoyable to the end.

3½ hit singles out of 5

Nimrods (2025)

AKA: New Year's Rev

Three high school kids take a road trip to Los Angeles in hopes of opening up for Green Day in time for their New Year's Eve concert. Featuring wall-to-wall GD songs, it's a journey paved with many predictable turns, but the characters are likeable enough to follow them on. Fred Armisen as a creepy motel owner was one such highlight, but should have been the subject of his own movie. 

Depending on how big a Green Day fan you are, your mileage may vary.

3 pink bunny suits out of 5

Idiots (2026)

AKA: The Shitheads

A pair of irresponsible underachievers are tasked with escorting a miscreant teen to rehab, but he proves to be more than a handful as the stakes increase. It's better than most films of this nature, and I found it to be an enjoyable ride.

3 werewolves out of 5

Dicks: The Musical (2023)

What a weird fucking movie. But after giving it some thought, I think I kinda loved it? It's nice to have crudity for crudeness's sake sometimes. This one aims to offend every single member of your family and I think it hits the mark.

Craig and Trevor are two straight, womanizing, misogynistic identical twins separated at birth by their parents, who in turn try to reacquaint their parents by disguising themselves as each other. Believe me, it gets more twisted from there, but you're just going to have to experience it for yourself. I was lucky enough to see it in theaters, and at the end, some guy in the back just said, "What the fuck was that?" That's a glowing endorsement if I've heard one.

3½ sewer boys out of 5

Little Brother (2026)

John Cena plays the reluctant "Big Brother" to a troubled former foster youth (Eric André), who tracks him down after 25 years and turns his picture perfect world upside down. It's formulaic but funny, in that type of What About Bob? plot where everyone else but the main character (and the audience) finds his antics charming. It's a dumb comedy that owns its dumbness, and both actors commit to the bit. I resisted it a lot, but it's delightfully crude and did make me laugh hard on a number of occasions, even though I hated it at its very core.

2 rimjobs out of 5

The Dink (2026)

A former tennis pro reluctantly takes up pickleball while recovering from an injury, where he struggles to fit in with those he sees as beneath him. I didn't care as much about the tired sports plot as I did about the plausible romance, which hinges entirely on Mary Steenburgen still being unbelievably hot in her 70s. Despite the predictability of it all, I enjoyed it much more than expected.

3 grunters out of 5

72 Hours (2026)

After mistakenly being added to a Gen Z group chat, a struggling marketing executive decides to take them up on their offer to go on a bachelor party to Miami while agreeing to bankroll their holiday, in hopes of better connecting with the youth demographic. What this means for the viewer is a lot of ageist jokes that go both ways. I'm ashamed to admit it made me laugh on more than one occasion, particularly in the second half when it starts to pick up the pace. But don't get me wrong, this is a very dumb comedy of the Kevin Hart variety.

1½ whale dicks out of 5

All Night Wrong (2026)

A late night hook-up gets derailed by a series of incidents involving mistaken identity, murder and other felonies in this misguided dark comedy. A terribly plotted movie full of unlikable characters and stupid situations that pissed me off. It's just as awful as it sounds, although the soundtrack was pretty good.

1 "only game in town" out of 5

One Night Only (2026)

The Purge, but for fucking. In an increasingly repressive society where pre-martial relations are punishable by law, a chastity mandate has been put into place, with an exemption that for one night of the year, singles get to have at it. Now introduce the two sweetest characters with hearts of gold and have them "meet ugly" during a series of fun and charming misadventures across the city. Yes, I hated this rom-com premise entirely on principle, but it quickly won me over. Of course, it's easy to get fucked when everyone has a six-pack.

3 condom shortages out of 5

The People Upstairs (2020)

AKA: Sentimental

A couple who can barely mask their contempt for one another invite their amorous upstairs neighbors for dinner, stirring a host of rising resentments buried just beneath the surface. It's a comedy of manners revealed through a contentious meeting of wits as they gradually grow to know each other and speak their piece. It's fascinating in a slow burn kind of way because it's so relatable, and you're merely waiting for the other shoe to drop. There's some masterful acting on display; both the subtleties and the words left unspoken.

3 curtains out of 5

The Invite (2026)

A married couple hosts a tense dinner party for their disruptive upstairs neighbors while navigating their own tumultuous relationship. Essentially a four-person play taking place entirely within an apartment setting, featuring three very attractive leads, plus Seth Rogen is also there for some reason. It explores all the frustrations and insecurities that come rising to the surface in a fractured marriage fraught with anger and anxiety, as well as the intriguing proposition that could possibly bring them back together. This is actually the 7th international remake of the original Spanish film, The People Upstairs.

3 shoes off out of 5

I Want Your Sex (2026)

A lucky son of a bitch gets the opportunity of a lifetime to be the object of Olivia Wilde's sexual degradation. I'm not sure why male fantasies always have to be depicted so tragically. Of course, we have the dead fish girlfriend, the hot best friend who he never sees as a romantic option, but the woman he wants the most is emotionally unavailable and exploits him to fulfill her own perverted power trip. Where's the harm in that? Anyway, it's a "sexy" comedy that only hits the mark half the time, and had me rolling my eyes for the rest.

2½ slaves to the vagina out of 5

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026)

After catching her fiancé schtupping his "celebrity free pass," the bride-to-be decides to get revenge by pursuing her own hall pass in actor Jon Hamm, who she attempts to track down in Hollyweird with the help of her best friend, an ex-talent agent, a down-on-his-luck paparazzo, and a has-been actor. It's a ridiculously unsubtle comedy wrapped in an overtly Wizard of Oz framework with plenty of cameos to spare. It's so aggressively silly and pummels you with so many dumb jokes, you have no choice but to give in to the stupidity. While it's likable enough in all its dopey grandeur, it ultimately feels shallow.

2 feet in the door out of 5

Courtney Pauroso: Vanessa 5000 (2024)

I watch a lot of standup specials throughout the year, but they're hard to nut because spoken word comedy is so subjective. This is a distinct performance featuring an A.I. sex robot who offers a tech product demonstration, and it's a subversive experience that fucks with viewer expectations. While expressing a sexy and flexible persona, it ranges from clowning the crowd to becoming wildly unhinged in the last third. She's a unique character and I give Courtney Pauroso all the credit in the world for bringing her to life and giving her soul.

3 goblin modes out of 5

Stamptown (2026)

Zach Zucker's variety and cabaret show has been running for over a decade in international fringe festivals and is captured in this hour-long comedy special for Netflix. It reminds me a bit of The Goes Wrong Show, but with naughty bits added to it. I like it when it leans into absurdity and Eric André-like antics. The chaos and anarchy is the entire point of the format and it plays with audience expectations. I expect the shows are even more kinetic when witnessed in the crowd. I came away thinking it was a bit overrated, but enjoyed it all the same.

3 safety vests ("Let's do it again!!") out of 5

Spermageddon (2024)

How does this movie exist? It's an adult CG animated film aimed towards teens that feels like a companion piece to Sausage Party and plays out like Fantastic Voyage through the reproductive system. It's basically Inside Out for perverts.

Simen the semen is one of a billion sperm cells who worries about making it to the motherland or dying one of a thousand horrible deaths. But the nutsack is getting too crowded and someone's got to go. This is a concept I'm surprised took this long to make, yet I applaud the balls that it takes to make something so crass into cute animated musical form. Contains about a thousand cum puns, yet I couldn't get enough. I am not a prudish person in the least, but this one even had me clutching at my pearls by the disgusting places it goes. I'm glad to be taken out of my comfort zone. I doubt I'll ever see another film like it.

3 contraceptives out of 5

Fixed (2025)

After humping Nana's legs one too many times, an unruly mutt threatened with being neutered decides to run away from home in order to have one last great adventure while fully intact. I enjoy the traditional hand-drawn animation and the voice talent is strong, but that's about it. A lot of the humor is hit and miss and gets repetitive quickly, never feeling quite as transgressive as it should.

1½ Kool-Aid flavored toilet bowls out of 5

Strays (2023)

Raunchy R-rated comedies also extend to dogs, it seems. Reggie is a Border Terrier who has recently been abandoned by his abusive owner and left to fend to himself on the streets, where he meets a streetwise Boston Terrier named Bug who introduces him to a gaggle of other strays that convince him to swear revenge on his former owner. This movie is dirty and fun and doesn't aspire to be anything more than what's on the box, so it was right up my alley. If you're looking for dick and shit jokes en masse, you need stray no further.

3 squirrel threesomes out of 5

Bottoms (2023)

A satirical "comedy" about two queer high school girls who start a feminist self-defense club in order to attract other girls. A lousy film that tries so hard to be edgy and cool like a female Fight Club, but winds up being obnoxious and largely forgettable. Obviously this movie wasn't intended for me, but it doesn't have to try so hard to be repugnant and appallingly bad for "shock" value. It's a shame because I've loved all the other raucous comedies that came out in the summer of 2023, but this one just landed with a thud for me.

1 bomb out of 5

Joy Ride (2023)

2023 enjoyed a brief return to raunchy comedies in movie theaters. This one involves two childhood best friends who travel to China on a business trip and wind up on a mission to uncover the identity of one of their birth parents. It's marketed as the Asian Hangover, which isn't far from the tone it sets, but also manages to be quite touching and emotionally satisfying, cheap jokes and all.

3 pussy tats out of 5

No Hard Feelings (2023)

A woman struggling to make ends meet takes a job from wealthy parents to "date" their introvert son in order to get him out of his shell and prepared for college. God, what a fucking fantasy this is for someone like me. Although it gets most of its mileage at the expense of ageist jokes, I don't see anything wrong with age discrepancy in a consensual relationship. It's a return to R-rated raunch and I appreciate seeing full frontal nudity in a comedy movie again. Good on JLaw for embracing her natural assets and having fun with it.

3 Chinese dick traps out of 5

Somebody Up There Likes Me (2013)

A deeply ironical title for a deeply ironical film. I don't even know how to properly surmise this deadpan comedy that jumps around 35 years in the lives of its main characters (while never seeming to age). There's a part of me that admires this film and a part of me that abhors it, but like other indies by Bob Byington, they tend to get under your skin and stay there, for better or worse. 

3½ suitcases out of 5

Harmony and Me (2009)

A young songwriter named Harmony struggles to get over the one who got away. There is a real meandering quality and true indie nature to this film, in which nothing really seems to happen, yet I remained riveted throughout. It's imperfect in all of its mumblecore charms, but may feel like a slog to others.

3 "get well soon" cards out of 5

Registered Sex Offender (2008)

AKA: RSO

Framed as a mockumentary, a young man recently released on parole for an undisclosed sex crime tries to reintegrate with society in light of how he is now perceived, attempting to find a job and patch things up with his girlfriend (the beautiful Kristen Tucker, pictured above). It doesn't quite live up to its potential, but it offers nuance to a usually maligned topic of conversation.

3 bad days out of 5

I Am a Sex Addict (2005)

Caveh Zahedi is a documentarian known for doing some gonzo self-reflexive works that defy conventional boundaries and taste. In this autobiographical meta-comedy, he turns the camera on himself and his lifelong sex addiction, and it's a warts-and-all portrayal of desperation and humiliation. This theme tends to be fascinating when it's completely sincere, as uncomfortable as the subject matter can be at times. It takes balls to put yourself out there like this.

3½ escorts out of 5

Deep Throat (1972)

Trashy filmmaking at its finest. Caused quite a stir back when it was released and launched the "porno chic" movement. Odd to think there was once a time when people freely admitted to attending dirty, dingy, sticky adult theaters and watching a stag film in a room full of consenting adults. Seems a lot more healthy and sex-positive than anything that happens nowadays. Sexuality has become something shameful and to be hidden in the dark, rather than talked about, celebrated and enjoyed. Always felt like a backwards culture to me.

The plot is familiar by now: a woman (Linda Lovelace) who's never achieved orgasm discovers that her clitoris is located in the back of her throat, and there's only one way to stimulate it... Nothing is left to the imagination. 

For an even deeper dive, check out the 2005 documentary, Inside Deep Throat, for further information about this '70s pop culture phenomenon.

2 bells rung out of 5

Note: Don't even bother with the sequel, which was softcore rubbish.

The Auteur (2008)

Arturo Domingo is a serious filmmaker whose titles range from My Left Nut to Gang Bangs of New York. He's known as the "Stanley Kubrick of Porn" and his obsession with his work only rivals his desire to capture back the one who got away. Honestly, half the fun of this mockumentary are all the punny titles that make up his filmography, while he attempts to unleash his magnum opus upon the world. The more I think back on this movie, the more it makes me giggle.

3 Full Metal Jackoffs out of 5

Film Geek (2005)

A nerdy, annoying video store clerk whose whole life revolves around movies struggles to connect with actual real life humans around him. A totally not-at-all familiar feeling. This is a very bare-bones indie film but it makes me roar with laughter at how relatable it is, and also makes me feel really bad about myself at the same time. It's safe to say this won't be for all tastes, but I loved it because of how earnest and real it feels. Just keep fapping through the pain.

4 late fees out of 5

Castaway on the Moon (2009)

AKA: 김씨 표류기 (Gimssi pyoryugi)

A bereft man jumps off a bridge and washes up on a small island, where he decides to make it his home. Meanwhile, an agoraphobic woman observes his antics through a telescopic lens from the confines of her own room. It's an unconventional "romantic" comedy, but full of heart and whimsy. A precursor to Swiss Army Man, which shares themes of misfits, isolation and loneliness.

4½ bowls of black bean noodles out of 5

3-Iron (2004)

AKA: 빈집 (Binjip)

A vagrant breaks into the home of an abused housewife, who, in the spur-of-the-moment, decides to run off with him. This slow-burn romantic drama told through sparse dialogue concerns two lost souls who appear to be what each other needs in the moment. I found Lee Seung-yeon spellbinding in her role, despite the fact that neither of these two main characters ever utter a word.

3½ ghost practices out of 5

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)

AKA: 봄 여름 가을 겨울 그리고 봄 (Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom)

A monastery floating on the water. An old monk trains a young boy. The film cycles through the stages and seasons of his life. Love, sex, death, and all the hard lessons in between. What I enjoy about this movie is how each section manages to keep you invested and carries a meditative quality with very little dialogue. It remains as powerful as when I first saw it years ago. And the cycle begins anew, as is the Buddhist tradition. Oh, how I wish we could escape it.

5 stones we carry in our heart out of 5

Oasis (2002)

AKA: 오아시스 (Oasiseu)

Recently released from prison, a mentally challenged derelict wanders adrift through life until he meets a woman with cerebral palsy who shares a tenuous connection to his past. Together, they strike up an unconventional relationship colored by her internal fantasy life, much to the chagrin of everyone around them. Lee Chang-dong's drama digs into deeply uncomfortable subject matter, but comes through with empathy towards those living with difficult conditions to whom society turns a blind eye. The acting from Sul Kyung-gu and Moon So-ri is very powerful, though I suppose audiences nowadays might take offense.

4 shadows cast out of 5

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Adam Sandler plays Barry Egan, a lonely, anxious man full of repressed rage, who attempts to court romance while finding himself the subject of extortion. The title is apt because this movie washes over you with colors and sounds that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, as dark and fucked up as it all is boiling beneath the surface. An absurdist romantic tale that still remains my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film and one of Sandler's best roles to date.

5 pudding cups out of 5

Ruby Sparks (2012)

The ultimate male fantasy. A struggling novelist writes about falling in love with a woman and it comes true. In fact, everything he writes about her comes true. Of course, with great power comes...happiness? I fail to see the setbacks here. It's a take on the Pygmalion myth, but I won't spoil it any further. I love this film because it celebrates the power of imagination, as solipsistic as it is.

4½ muses out of 5

Note: See also, Mannequin, for a counterpoint to this idea.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Dad's high strung. Mom is stressed out. The son's a nihilist. Grandpa is thorny. The uncle's depressed. The daughter is obsessed with making it to the beauty pageant in time. This is a perfect family road trip comedy in my eyes. No notes.

5 broken horns out of 5

Sideways (2004)

A depressed, failed writer accompanies his over-the-hill actor buddy on a middle-aged dude's trip to wine country for a week, in preparation of the latter's upcoming nuptials. All one wants to do is drink, while the other wants to sow his oats. This is a fantastic road trip comedy about depression, unlikely friendships, love, sex, and alcohol. A bottle review can't really do it justice.

5 spit buckets out of 5

Two Days (2003)

Paul Miller (Rudd) has lost the will to live and is planning to kill himself in two days. He hires a small documentary film crew to chronicle his final moments, in the hopes of making others understand. Meanwhile, nobody seems to take him seriously and thinks he's either full of shit or doing it for attention. There's a real risk for dramedies like this to become preachy or moralistic, but this is a grassroots style indie film that offers no easy answers. It's a bleak movie, but deals more realistically with the subject matter than it gets enough credit for.

3 walks on the beach out of 5

Tony (2026)

I knew nothing about chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, other than the manner of his demise. This biopic shines a light on a sliver of his life as a directionless young man trying to get by, by any means possible. Aspiring to be a writer, and chasing a girl cross-country, he happens into a job at a Cape Cod restaurant that would change the trajectory of his life forever. What I admire about this film is how dirty and rough around the edges it is. It doesn't pass judgement on its sleazy characters and his dark past, and breathes an air of fresh authenticity. I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did.

4 buckets of water out of 5