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

The Moment (2026)

British pop singer Charli xcx pokes fun at her own image in this mockumentary satirizing the 'Brat Summer' phenomenon that took over the airwaves in 2024. Focusing on the planning and clashes behind the scenes in the run up to the concert tour, and how the label exploits the artist for its own financial gain, the whole thing feels obnoxious, stressful, anxiety-driven and unpleasant to sit through, but I guess it accurately captures a moment in time. I'm clearly not the target audience for this, but I struggle to see how fans would embrace this either. It's a bit like Spinal Tap or Popstar, except more depressing than funny.

1½ brat cards out of 5

The Roses (2025)

An update on The War of the Roses which tones down and loses all of what made the original feel so dark and memorable. After 10 years of marriage, resentments start to brew, and a husband and wife are at each other's throats, leaving the lawyers, families, and everyone in their orbit in marital collateral. It lacks much of the bitterness and viciousness which made the 1989 film good. This one doesn't compare at all; it's tamer and doesn't have the conviction to push its limits as far. Feels like we're being edged but we never get to finish.

1 Julia Child oven out of 5

Back in Action (2025)

A formulaic action comedy about a married retired spy couple who try to keep their perilous past hidden from their kids. You get the sense they were aiming for something cool and sexy like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but it's all so boring and safe and insultingly predictable. Cameron Diaz came out of "retirement" after a decade in order to star in this shitty Netflix vehicle with Jamie Foxx, but instead delivered an early contender for worst film of the year.

0 petrol pump flame throwers out of 5