I Love Boosters (2026)

"Boosters" are shoplifters who steal designer clothes and sell them at a discount price. However, whatever you think this movie is about, it isn't. 

Filmmaker Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) crafts another surreal, absurdist high concept comedy with shades of slapstick, satire, sci-fi and horror, which defies any easy classification. It's bizarre and demented and unpredictable in all the right ways, but it also earns fashion points for being original and bold.

3½ skewed floors out of 5

Warfare (2025)

Based on true events, a platoon of U.S. Navy SEALs hole up in a residential area during a 2006 encounter in the Iraq War. The film is presented in "real time" and strives to be as realistic and gritty as possible, which translates to a lot of loud gunfire, shaky camerawork and people screaming for an hour and a half. You already know how this is going to turn out. What is the point of this film? To show that war isn't all it's cracked up to be? I think we all know that by now. War is boring. Real life isn't Call of Duty. There's no point glorifying it.

2 IEDs out of 5

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

A family hits a unicorn with their car and promptly learns about the magical healing properties it possesses, and the potential for scheming and marketing opportunities that presents. The shitty unicorn CGI looks horrendous and takes away from any possible gravitas this movie may be trying to muster. For such a wild and imaginative premise, this should have been a lot more fun than it is. As a lackluster, uninspired horror comedy, it's what the kids would call "mid."

2 glowing horns out of 5

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Returning from a lengthy absence (we won't talk about that), James Gunn completes his trilogy with flying colors that places the heart and soul back into Marvel's Cinematic Universe. Focusing on Rocket Raccoon's backstory, we are introduced to the High Evolutionary and Adam Warlock, as well as cuddly companions from Rocket's past. 

Like Deadpool, Guardians remains my favorite Marvel property due to its irreverent humor and winning heart (especially the chemistry between Drax and Mantis, who I will miss most of all), which set it apart from many of the superhero franchises which try so hard to be "cool" all the time. It's refreshing when all the characters feel flawed and sorta human (even the alien ones).

What I like most about this series is how it is (almost) separate from the MCU machine (the Guardians also feature in Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder, so it's not entirely self-contained), so you can watch Vol 1-3 as a trilogy of its own design (but don't forget the Holiday Special!). 

Most other things I have to say about this movie rely heavily on spoilers, but all I'll say is that while I was mostly satisfied with how it all ended, it left me with bittersweet feelings which prevent me from giving it a higher score.

3½ confusing car door designs out of 5

Midsommar (2019)

A wonderfully grounded folk horror tale instantly bringing to mind classics like The Wicker Man, The Devils and Suspiria. This one takes its sweet time establishing its uneasy tone, but it rewards the viewer's patience with darkness that lurks in the familiar light of day. Not quite as iconic as Ari Aster's initial effort, but he capably handles the scope of the emotional material and demonstrates the potential for great things yet to come. Florence Pugh is a standout here.

3½ flower crowns out of 5

WAR MACHINE [2017]

Director David Michôd takes some broad satirical jabs at the American military in the darkly comical War Machine.
Loosely based on the real life events of the firing of General Stanley A. McChrystal, Brad Pitt turns in a strong performance as a celebrated general who, while serving in Afghanistan, is put under the microscope by a Rolling Stone journalist.
It's not too subtle and takes the piss out of proud America and it's military with a heavy hammer.  It takes turns being funny, scary and sad but never seems to find a solid footing to make the impact it intends to.  Fortunately it's aided by an excellent cast, some making strong impressions with only a few minutes of screen-time.   It's a case of "tell me something I don't already know" but at least it's got some great honest moments to make some of it memorable.

3 excellent reasons not to switch seats out of 5

THE REVENANT [2015]

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu's brutally bleak survival thriller, The Revenant, was one of the films I was anticipating the most in 2015 and it delivered the goods something fierce.
Set in the 1820's, while on a fur trading expedition, a huntsman is viciously attacked by a bear and left for dead by the man who killed his son.
Leonardo DiCaprio, in the leading role, gives it all he's got and forces you to feel it with each drop of sweat, blood and tear that is shed.  All the while, Iñárritu is displaying his masterful technique of well-crafted photography and thoughtful direction.  There's plenty of beautifully executed tracking shots that absorb the viewer deeper into the distress of the characters and their harsh environment.  Not only is it a masterpiece with technicality but it also tells a harrowing story of survival, the love & hatred of the Earth and what's more important: one's masculinity or keeping one's humane side in-check?
With all this, I was most pleased to see the Aboriginal's finally portrayed in a mainstream film, not as victims of or threats to the white-man, but rather just human beings trying to survive on a planet that will be here long after we've all disappeared.

5 toasty warm horsies out of 5

THE MAZE RUNNER [2014]

Director Wes Ball makes his feature length debut with the first instalment of The Maze Runner series, based on James Dashner's youth-oriented sci-fi novels of the same name written.
It follows the story of a teenage boy who awakens to mysteriously find himself trapped in an all-boys imprisonment surrounded by a maze that's seemingly impossible to escape.  The creepy atmosphere and themes explored play like Lord Of The Flies found it's way into the world of LOST that makes for an enticing tale to watch unfold with many unpredictable new corners to turn in this dystopian world.  It's obviously an attempt to cash-in on popularity of The Hunger Games, but TMR is darker, stranger and filled with a cast of stronger actors with more interesting roles to play.  Right out of the gates this ball is rolling and never stops until the end credits which leaves me eagerly anticipating the films to follow.

3 nights inside the maze out of 5

WE'RE THE MILLERS [2013]

Dodgeball writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber brings us We're The Millers, a surprisingly enjoyable and mildly offensive comedy/road movie.
Jason Sudeikis & Jennifer Aniston are at the top of their game here, Emma Roberts is kind of boring but necessary while it's Son Of Rambow's Will Poulter that steals the entire show as the clueless, awkward kid.  There really isn't much of a story here and what little there is, it's a bit of an uneven mess but we're here for the laughs and it delivers.  By the end of the film I found how much I enjoyed each of the characters and wanted to see it inevitably all work out.

3 wincing spider bites out of 5