Michael (2026)

The long-awaited, "official" Michael Jackson biopic finally arrives, and I was its biggest skeptic. Honestly, while I was entertained throughout, it does feel less than impressive. It sands down most of the edges, but still manages to hit all the biggest story beats and peculiarities, like his obsession with Peter Pan and exotic animals (complete with CGI Bubbles), various surgeries and the infamous Pepsi incident. It only tells about half of the story (from 1966 to 1988) and basically turns into a concert film at the end, but mostly focuses on Michael's strained relationship with his abusive father and how he finally manages to break free and come into his own. His story is larger than life to match his massive talent, but the music speaks volumes and remains as iconic as ever. Jaafar Jackson (real-life nephew to Michael) embodies his spirit, even as I was put off by the uncanny valley cast by all the makeup and prosthetics involved therein. Michael had a real gift that can't be denied, even to those who are dedicated to smearing one's legacy. While it can be argued that it's heavily sanitized and has no teeth, it ends on a high note rather than a low.

The movie: 3 nose jobs out of 5

The music: 5 moonwalks out of 5

Note: It's amusing to me that Mike Myers basically plays the same type of executive character here as he did in the Queen Bohemian Rhapsody biopic.

Disclosure Day (2026)

I have to take a moment to appreciate that it's 2026 and we're getting a new original Spielberg sci-fi epic with possibly one of the last original scores by John Williams. These days feel numbered. Spielberg has been obsessed with extraterrestrials his entire career. It feels like he's completing a cycle here that began nearly 50 years ago with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In many ways, he's been working towards this film his entire life. The scale is smaller and more intimate, but the implications are timeless. We've all grown so cynical in this day and age, yet I admire how he makes magic and wonder seem possible again in the world, even if it only exists on the silver screen.

3½ cardinals out of 5

Dead Man's Wire (2025)

Based on a true story, a man falling behind on his payments decides to take his mortgage broker hostage until his demands are met, placing him in a makeshift "dead man's line" by attaching the trigger of a shotgun to the hostage's neck by a wire to prevent means of escape. It's designed to feel much like a 1970s throwback thriller (where the events are set), similar to Dog Day Afternoon, complete with Al Pacino. While the premise is very straightforward, and Bill Skarsgård inhabits the role, the half-baked plot is unfocused, meandering and less than exciting. Feels like they're running out of true events to adapt.

2½ cubes of ice in milk out of 5

Wicked: For Good (2025)

Paying off Act II of the wildly successful stage show was always going to be a gamble, but it's performed with enough aplomb to impress even the skeptics. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo create real magic on the screen together as they repave the rest of the path to the Yellow Brick Road. The way this film gradually introduces the elements that would become The Wizard of Oz is satisfying, even when it feels shoehorned in. The first part is definitely the stronger one, with the better song numbers, and this one leaves certain plot elements up in the air, but at least it provides a definish close to the chapter.

3½ clock ticks out of 5

Note: I give both Wicked + For Good a combined score of 4 cyclones out of 5.

The Running Man (2025)

A totalitarian, dystopian game show seemed oddly prescient back in 1982 when King's novel was first published. In 2025, it's depressingly accurate. 

This new adaptation by Edgar Wright attempts to be more faithful to the source material about an everyman who competes on a reality show for a large cash prize by surviving for 30 days in a city full of hunters. This is an extraordinarily stupid movie full of bad decisions that somehow succeeds in making the 1987 film seem more competent by comparison. It's quite a feat.

1½ lucky socks out of 5

Sing Sing (2023)

Based on a true story, a man accused of a crime he didn't commit is imprisoned at the maximum-security Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He develops a sense of purpose through the creation of a theater group made up of fellow inmates, where they perform original productions based on existing properties.

What's special about this film is that Colman Domingo is the only actor starring alongside real life rehabilitated men who themselves were part of this theater program. Despite the grim material, there is a lot of humor and heartbreak as the men attempt to overcome their difficult circumstances and find an internal place of peace with which to soldier on. In particular, Clarence Maclin knocks it out of the park. The authenticity of these performances just makes it all the more bold and powerful.

3½ parole hearings out of 5

Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

Two lesbians on a road trip end up on the run from the mob. I'll admit, I didn't know what I was getting into with this one, but I was in a Coen-y mood. I can now very much delineate the two halves of the brothers: Joel is responsible for the artsy stuff, like his solo Shakespeare effort (The Tragedy of MacBeth), while Ethan provides the off-the-wall comedy shenanigans (à la Raising Arizona). What we get here is very much a distilled version of this madness; quirky characters, psychedelic sequences, and a fun, offbeat soundtrack. All the pieces fit together like some sort of a fever dream. However, it didn't completely work for me. I recall this movie being described as "unabashedly horny," but I didn't find it titillating at all. The sex stuff is so over-the-top and ridiculous. Aside from the hilarious central conceit of the plot (which I won't dare spoil here), I don't think I'll remember a whole lot about it in the morning.

2½ mysterious briefcases out of 5