The Odyssey (2026)

Two things:

1) This is the best version of Homer's Odyssey ever committed to film.

2) This is far from the best telling of this story.

No one was less excited about this movie than me. Even with Chris Nolan at the helm, a 3-hour epic based on a 3,000-year-old text is a big ask. I'm glad to be proven wrong. Matt Damon leads the big budget, all-star cast as Odysseus. Following a 10-year battle in Troy, it details his 10-year journey to get back home to Ithaca, told confusingly out of order. It's Greek mythology conveyed through grounded realism, captured practically for the most part on real-life locations. In order to emphasize its epic scale, it's also the first feature to be shot entirely on 70mm IMAX film, which comes with its own set of caveats. I found the colors on screen to be a bit drab and the sound mixing is absolutely horrendous. I watched it in IMAX, and for half the film the entire theater was rumbling, making it even harder to decipher dialogue. It's an all-out assault on the senses, although it makes the quieter moments stand out. No one would ever accuse Nolan of being a bad director, but he tends to be a little self-indulgent at times. However, there are moments here where you are held at rapt attention. As a fan of cinema, you owe it to yourself to check it out on the biggest screen possible, even though I still maintain it's far from perfect. 

4 gods defied out of 5

Note: If you enjoyed this modern retelling, I highly recommend The Return, which focuses on the final part of this story. 

Frankenstein (2025)

Guillermo del Toro's long-gestating Frankenstein project finally comes to fruition, and it's a bit of a letdown. Visually, it's gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing, with del Toro's keen eye for the bizarre and unusual. The problem is, we've seen this all before in one form or another. The Creature himself leaves something to be desired. And it goes on for much too long. While I admire a lot about it, it just didn't connect with me as much as previous versions. But it's still worth recommending simply due to the sheer marvel of the production.

3½ cadavers out of 5

MaXXXine (2024)

"In this business, until you're known as a monster, you're not a star." -Bette Davis

The third in the "X" series, though it is not necessary to watch every entry in order to follow along. While the first movie was an homage to '70s slasher flicks and the second was a dark melodrama reminiscent of 1950s Douglas Sirk, this third entry goes straight for the era of gaudy '80s excess with heavy giallo influences. 

Maxine arrives in Hollywood in 1985 in order to pursue her dreams of becoming a horror actress (and leave her sordid past behind). In the meanwhile, there is a leather-clad serial killer going around knocking off all her colleagues. Mia Goth once again steals the show as the young ingénue and proves to be the best part of this series, even though this entry features a lot of fun nods and peeks behind the curtain. 

Originally envisioned as a trilogy by creator Ti West, he now admits he's left it open to revisit in the future, though this film more or less provides a satisfying close.

3½ Bates Motels out of 5

Pearl (2022)

In a prequel to X (2022), we flashback to 1918, where young Pearl has big dreams of being a star and will stop at nothing to get it. Her mother is strict and forces her to care for her ailing father, while she acts out her silent rebellion in other subversive ways. This film is much different than its predecessor and takes on a melodramatic tone reminiscent of early cinema, in all of its Technicolor glory. I actually enjoyed this one a lot more because it's a tragic character study into the mind of extreme isolation, but it is no less bloody or disturbing.

It goes without saying that Mia Goth is outstanding in this role, and I felt so much sympathy for her, despite the obvious signs of psychopathy.

4 stag films out of 5

X (2022)

In 1979, a ragtag group of amateur pornographers rent a guesthouse from a couple of elderly Texan farmhands in order to shoot their seedy skin flick on the down low. They attempt to keep this a secret from the old man who doesn't approve of premarital relations, and the old woman who secretly envies the young people's lives. This one has some nice throwback vibes to the gritty '70s grindhouse style, à la Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not enough bush, though. Some of the kills are pretty predictable (Chekhov's alligator is featured heavily), but it's a lot better than it sounds. 

Mia Goth plays the dual role of Maxine/Pearl; the latter with a lot of caked on makeup. This was the first of a loose "trilogy" of sorts, with the overarching theme being the pursuit of fame. 

3 cuckolds out of 5