Category Archives: New In Theaters

Reviews of what’s out now

New In Theaters

I’m With the Band

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Paul McCartney: Man on the Run

by George Wolf

A seasoned filmmaker like Morgan Neville is smart enough to know that with Paul McCartney as your documentary subject, you gotta pick a lane and focus.

For Man of the Run, Neville picks a good one: how on Earth do you approach following up your stint in the most culturally significant band of all time?

Think about it. If you count Pete Best (first drummer), plus Stu Sutcliffe (original bassist) and even Jimmy Nicol (temporary tour replacement for a sick Ringo), they’ve been only seven souls in history who faced life as a “former Beatle.”

And McCartney is the most commercially successful, by far. Man on the Run takes us inside Paul’s strategy for that second act.

Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Piece by Piece, Steve! and the Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom) keeps mainly to the ten year period after Paul’s first solo album in 1970 officially signaled the end of the Beatles. Using archival photos, videos, interview clips and animation, Neville plays with an engaging audio/visual style that often mirrors a mixed-media scrapbook.

He also keeps a tight reign on the time stamp, limiting more recent interview clips (from Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde, Paul’s adult kids and others) to audio only, so as not to break the immersive spell that keeps us close to McCartney’s head space at the time.

And we hear and see much from the man himself. His thoughts on forming Wings with first wife Linda are endearing and self-reflective. He was seeking to combat his crushing fame by surrounding himself with bandmates, but couldn’t completely quell the ego and drive that made many of them feel like mere sidemen.

Home movies from down on his farm are warm and loving, much like the sentiments on John Lennon and some very early days with the Fab Four.

And you’ll probably learn a thing or two you didn’t know about the infamous pot bust in Japan.

But above all, Man on the Run succeeds in its mission to reconsider an important decade in the life of an icon. We see a man seeking a new kind of contentment at home and on the run, making music that only became more impactful and influential as the bands played on.

In theaters 2/19 and on Prime Video 2/27.

New In Theaters

The Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts

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by Hope Madden

The 2026 program of Oscar nominated animated shorts is characteristically brilliant. Artistic styles range from brushstrokes to stop motion to simple, hand-drawn animation and the tales told run an even wider gamut. Gorgeous, heartwarming, clever and endlessly watchable, the shorts celebrate the boundless talent and creativity in human artistry.

The Three Sisters

14 minutes, directed by Konstantin Bonzit

Konstantin Bonzit enlists spare but effective animation and no dialog at all to tell the most uproarious and delightful film of the lot. Three sisters life side by side by side on a tiny island until one day, a sole sailor docks looking for a place to stay. It’s a clever bit of fun, slyly told.

Forevergreen

13 minutes/ directed by Nathan Englehardt and Jeremy Spears

Stirring, gorgeous, dear, clever, joyous, heartbreaking, funny—Evergreen delivers it all, and in just 13 minutes. The story follows an orphaned bear cub who finds shelter and safety in the limbs of a loving evergreen tree. The animation is stunning, as is the film’s ability to draw so much emotion.

Retirement Plan

7 minutes, directed by John Kelly

Co-writer/director John Kelly (scripting with Tara Lawall) animates a clever, witty, delightful wish list from an unprepared middle-aged man (voiced to perfection by Domhnall Gleeson) listing all the things he will do once he’s retired and has the time. An utter joy.

Butterfly (Papillon)

15 minutes, directed by Florence Miailhe

The brushstroke painting technique Miailhe uses is such a perfect medium for this tale of the water. The animation flows and moves, as Alfred Nakache’s life swims before our eyes. His youth, afraid of the water. His adolescence, a remarkable swimmer. His young adulthood, an Algerian-born Jewish Olympian in 1936’s German games. Memories of love, loss, and survival, all told from the water, leave a stirring impression.

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

17 minutes; directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

This enchanting, almost spooky stop-motion tale sees a wealthy grandfather spinning the tale of his most precious possession to his curious granddaughter. His tale is of his youth of poverty, his love for a sorrowful girl, and the tears of pearls that she shed. The unforgettable animation and Colm Feore’s beautiful voicework make this an unforgettable fable.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films are presented in three separate feature-length programs (Live Action, Animated, Documentary) at theaters beginning this weekend.

New In Theaters

The Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts

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by Rachel Willis

This year’s collection of Oscar-nominated documentary shorts offers a mix of subjects, but each film displays a wealth of passion and talent.

Perfectly a Strangeness

15 minutes. Directed by Alison McAlpine.

As first light breaks on the horizon, three donkeys wander into the frame. These companionate creatures continue to roam as the camera follows them. Additional animals pop up on screen as the donkeys wander. A wary fox contemplates running but ultimately stands its ground. As the donkeys come upon an observatory, the mechanics of human ingenuity are juxtaposed with the donkeys’ simple rambling. This short is a serene, lovely piece of filmmaking.

The Devil Is Busy

31 minutes. Directed by Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir.

At an abortion clinic in Atlanta, GA, the first person to arrive is the head of security. The protestors aren’t far behind. A man with a bullhorn belts out condemnation for abortion seekers before the sun has even risen. The short makes clear from the beginning the dangers the staff at the clinic face every day. It’s an appalling situation that the women seeking care find themselves in, as it is for the men and women who seek to serve them. “This is health care, period.” It’s a powerful testimony to the providers of women’s care.

Armed with Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

37 minutes. Directed by Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud.

Brent Renaud and his brother Craig spent their adult lives documenting some of the world’s most dangerous places. From war torn neighborhoods to families hiding from gangs, the brothers captured the stories of people whose lives were upended by violence. The film does not shy away from brutal realities, often choosing to show very graphic and gruesome footage. When Brent is killed covering the war in Ukraine, Craig seeks to tell his brother’s story in the way he thinks Brent would have wanted. While at its heart, the film is a tribute from one brother to another, it’s also a testament to the importance and power of journalists.  

All the Empty Rooms

34 minutes. Directed by Joshua Seftel.

Steve Hartman began reporting on school shootings in the United States in 1997. With each incident, he realized people were moving on more and more quickly. How could he do things differently, to keep people from accepting what’s unacceptable? Hartman refocused his efforts by visiting the bedrooms of the children who were taken too soon. Photographer Lou Bopp assists Hartman by trying to capture the souls of the children whose bedrooms he visits. It’s a profoundly moving effort, and director Joshua Seftel captures the final three visits with tenderness and compassion.

Children No More: Were and Are Gone

36 minutes. Directed by Hilla Medalia.

Every Saturday in Tel Aviv, Israel, a group of activists stand vigil, each displaying the photo of a child killed in the war in Gaza (children killed in Israel and the West Bank are included, too). The demonstrators don’t always agree on the best way forward, but their dedication is undeniable. Watching some of the hate directed their way is almost too hard to bear. But the importance of these quiet vigils is depicted vividly in Medalia’s extraordinary short film.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films are presented in three separate feature-length programs (Live Action, Animated, Documentary) at theaters beginning this weekend.

New In Theaters

The Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts

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by George Wolf

A nice mix of variety in this year’s live action nominees. You’ll find social commentary, cheeky parody, surprising comedy, warm humanity and a bitter cold look at the near future. As is the case every Oscar season, don’t miss the chance to catch the live action program on the big screen while you can.

The Singers

United States 18 mins. Director: Sam A. Davis Writer: Based on Ivan Turgenev short story from 1850

You’ve probably been to some bars that have dollar bills stapled all over the walls, right? Well, in this smoke-filled dive, one of those bills is C-note, and pestering from one bothersome barfly leads the bartender to set up a competition.

The best singer in the room gets free beer, plus that one hundred dollar bill! Surprises ensue.

The Singers is a completely delightful talent show that you wish would go on a bit longer than its 18 quick minutes.

A Friend of Dorothy

United Kingdom 21 mins. Writer/director: Lee Knight

An estate trustee (Stephen Fry) is ready to read the will of Dorothy (Miriam Margolyes) to two young men. Dorothy’s grandson Scott (Oscar Lloyd) is expecting a nice payout, and he doesn’t know why JJ (Alistair Nwachukwu) has also been invited.

Through flashbacks, we see the tender friendship that developed after JJ accidentally kicked a soccer ball into the 87 year-old widow’s garden.

The title may give you a clue about the lessons learned, and A Friend of Dorothy becomes a gently accessible reminder about kindness in a cruel world.

Butcher’s Stain

Israel 26 mins. Writer/director: Meyer Levinson-Blount

Samir (Omar Sameer) is a quiet, hard-working butcher in an Israeli grocery. He’s a talented and well-liked employee, but Samir’s manager (Rona Toledo) tells him there is a problem.

Someone has been tearing down the posters of Israeli hostages that hang in the break room. Another employee has reported that Samir is to blame.

In less than thirty minutes, filmmaker Meyer Levinson-Blount (who also plays a small role) crafts a timely and well-earned message about suspicion and rushes to judgment when complex issues are reduced to hot takes and social posts.

Two People Exchanging Saliva

France/U.S. 36mins. Writers/directors: Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh

Led by the perfectly detached narration from Vicky Kreips, we’re invited into a high-end department store in a strange, near-future world. Here, purchases are paid for with slaps across the face, and overall affection (specifically, kissing) is forbidden.

Through the strange attraction that develops between the well-to-do Angine (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) and a rookie salesgirl (Luana Bajrami), filmmakers Natalie Musteata and Alexandre craft an intoxicating take on class, intimacy, pleasure and risk.

This is probably the Oscar favorite.

Jane Austen’s Period Drama

United States 13 mins. Writers/directors: Julia Aks and Steve Pinder

With names like Mr. Dickley, Vagianna, Mrs. Bitts and Dr. Bangley, you can quickly guess where this parody of suppressed ribaldry and sexual ignorance is headed.

In 1800s England, Estrogenia Talbot (co-writer/co-director Julia Aks) is finally getting her long-awaited marriage proposal from Mr. Dickley (Ta’imua), when this Period Drama drops a dramatic period. Dickley mistakes the blood for a serious injury to Estrogenia, and the cheeky sendup of Austen is off and winking.

It’s more amusing than outright hilarious, but Austen fans should especially appreciate a sendup that respectfully pokes fun at some classics.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films are presented in three separate feature-length programs (Live Action, Animated, Documentary) at theaters beginning this weekend.

New In Theaters

How’s Your Bodice? Ripped?

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“Wuthering Heights”

by Hope Madden

Remember when people saw the teaser trailer for Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” and lost their minds? Everybody assumed Fennell had gotten in there and gone all Saltburn on the classic.

She sure did. Boy howdy, did she.

But let’s be honest, it’s a weird book about meanness and obsession and borderline incest and then outright incest. Plus, if you want a tame version there are about 100 other adaptations you can find. Let Fennell be Fennell.

Because she does it so well!

The film is gorgeous, and I don’t just mean the cast. Although there’s that. Margot Robbie is truly excellent as Cathy, spoiled and vulnerable and cruel and selfish to the core but consistently cheery about it.

And who smolders as well as Jacob Elordi? As Heathcliff, he’s first a scruffy, sad boy full of longing and later, a handsome sad man full of longing. This is absolutely Robbie’s show, but he offers very solid support and their chemistry is undeniable.

Hong Chau, fantastic as always, brings some bite and depth to a character who’s often a bit of a martyred throwaway. Likewise, Alison Oliver is a wild surprise as Isabella.

Fennell, credited with the screenplay, streamlines Emily Brontë’s epic, losing and combining characters wisely and essentially ending the film at the book’s halfway point. It feels very much like the story a teenage girl might have wished Brontë had written, but Fennell has the talent and the cast to make a really good movie out of what is essentially fan fiction.

The result is a dazzling, horny sight to see. The costumes, set design, framing, photography—all of it delivers a lush spectacle of the kind we now expect from the Saltburn director.

Wuthering Heights purists might scoff and Emily Brontë might blush, but for the rest of us, it’s hard to be mad at Emerald Fennell’s latest confection.

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Diamond Life

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Crime 101

by George Wolf

I saw the fairly generic title, I saw the February release date, I saw the two hour and twenty minute run time, and I was less than excited about Crime 101.

Let me tell you how quickly it proved me wrong.

Writer/director Bart Layton and a cracking ensemble put a stylish, character-driven sheen on some familiar crime thriller tropes. What results is a tense and twisty ride that taps into a healthy amount of world weary anxiety.

Chris Hemsworth is Mike, a controlled and elusive master thief, dealing in diamonds and jewelry along the California coast. Mark Ruffalo’s Lou is a disgruntled and disheveled L.A. cop out to prove his theory of a lone wolf criminal. And Halle Berry is Sharon, a high-end insurance broker who deals in plenty of bling.

And long before their lives intersect, Layton (adapting Don Winslow’s novella) brings authenticity to the disillusion the three characters share. Each feels they’re grasping at something just out of reach, trying to live with certain ideals that have lost value. Lou’s refusal to put arrest quotas first does not make him popular at work, while Sharon feels her chance at a big promotion may be slipping away with age. And Mike is the classic criminal with a haunted past and moral code. In lesser hands, these all become empty cliches. But three standout performances and a sharp script pay character development dividends from the film’s opening minutes.

The supporting cast (featuring Corey Hawkins, Nick Nolte and a quick cameo from Jennifer Jason Leigh) is exceptional as well. Barry Keoghan is electric as a tightly wound hotshot out to move up to big league heists and Monica Barbaro brings sweet tenderness to Maya, who navigates a possible relationship with Mike through caution and curiosity.

Layton’s camera is patient – obviously, with this run time – but never aimless. Everything fuels our understanding of these characters, the city canvas where they operate, and the tension that builds for the looming showdown. Layton’s narrative misdirections are sly and subtle, aided stylistically by some nifty scene transitions and a vibrant, mysterious score from Blanck Mass.

You may recognize other crime thrillers (especially Michael Mann’s Heat) embedded in the film’s DNA, but Crime 101 feels especially in the moment. Since moving from television to features, Layton has shown a persistent interest in exploring the psyche behind audacious crimes.

And so far, he’s batting a thousand.

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Game Over

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The Mortuary Assistant

by Hope Madden

Director Jeremiah Kipp hits the exact right tone as he opens his latest feature, The Mortuary Assistant. Based on the popular video game, the film follows Rebecca Owens (Willa Holland) through her first night on her own at the mortuary.

Before she can fly unaccompanied, she completes her first solo autopsy, as the mortician (Paul Sparks) watches. The scenes are clinical, filmed in close-up, Kipp manufacturing the best combination of mundane and macabre.

Soon enough, Rebecca will begin her first overnight shift, and the clients are not your run of the mill cadavers.

Kipp, working from a script by Tracee Beebe, finds organic ways to give Rebecca a backstory. Flashbacks are not intrusive until they need to be, as the film warps that history into another way to really ruin Rebecca’s first night on the job.

John Adams figures into Rebecca’s past. He’s a perfect choice for a loving dad and for what that pesky demon haunting the mortuary has planned for her.

Holland’s great in a tough role. Rebecca carries probably 90% of the film, much of that screentime spent alone or with a lifeless (?) corpse. It’s an internal character, not an extrovert or the type who talks to herself, and the actor impresses, commanding attention and driving action.

Bebee’s script adds some depth to the game storyline as well, using Rebecca’s backstory to develop a theme of addiction that suits the horror and helps to explain Rebecca’s connection to events.

Sparks delivers an enjoyable performance, stiff and weird as you might expect from a mortician, certainly from this particular mortician. Supporting turns from the small ensemble (Keena Ferguson Frasier and Emily Bennett, in particular) elevate emotion, whether that emotion is heartbreak, fear, or revulsion.

Plus that demon is freaky.

Frequent gamers may be able to make more sense of the actual mythology—possession, demonic bindings, the minutia of morgue work. Still, The Mortuary Assistant transcends the issues that usually plague big screen game adaptations and delivers fun, creepy demonic horror.

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Let’s Do the Time Loop Again

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Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die

by Hope Madden

Say Sam Rockwell, ragged clothes under homemade explosives and draped in clear plastic, walks into the late-night diner where you’re eating and claims to be from the future. I mean, if anybody’s going to do it, it’ll be Sam Rockwell.

The reliably loose cannon stars in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, director Gore Verbinski’s first film since 2016’s regrettable A Cure for Wellness. The sci-fi time loop fantasy sees Rockwell as a man on a mission: find the little boy whose AI is going to destroy the world and keep him from finishing it. But it will take the perfect mix of people to help him, and he knows those people are here, in this diner, on this night.

He knows about certain groupings that are not the saviors because he’s tried this exact thing many times already. Many, many times. But he’s got a weird feeling about tonight’s recruits: an unhappily married teacher couple (Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña), a mousy woman sitting alone (Juno Temple), a woman who just wanted to relax with some pie (Georgia Goodman), a tough guy (Asim Chaudhry), and a Goth princess (Haley Lu Richardson).

Matthew Robinson’s script spins each recruit’s backstory with its own little chapter—because chapters are a really popular cinematic device right now—gives us not only a bit of intel on the character, but also some context.

Robinson’s greatest achievement is the alarming mix of gallows humor and rainbow colored confetti. His characters race against the clock, video game like, to beat level after level of difficulties before finally entering the final layer—well, Sam’s never made it this far, so who knows what’s in there?

And don’t start guessing because that basically guarantees the form of your doom. At least don’t think about Mr. Sta Puft.

Speaking of Bill Murray, the film owes as much to Groundhog Day as it does Terminator, and that’s a heady mix. The imaginative side plots and character arcs feel wild and random, but the script is actually built quite solidly.

And the theme—that AI cannot help but ruin human existence—may not be new, but it’s truer than ever. Thankfully, Verbinski, along with his game cast and writer, recognizes the bitter, cynical  humor in the fact that this hero is probably already too late. But hey, at least he can blow himself up and start over.

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Baa Baa Baller

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GOAT

by George Wolf

I’m a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, so the name Steph Curry brings up one glorious memory, and plenty of forgettable ones.

But yes, fine, he is the game’s G.O.A.T. shooter and he seems like a good guy. And now he brings a bit of his own legend to the big screen as producer and supporting voice talent in GOAT, the story of a little sharpshooter with big dreams.

Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things) is an undersized goat in Vineland who is a big fan of Roarball (“Regional Organized Animal Roarball”). It’s just like basketball, if basketball was played by gigantic animals on a shape shifting court.

Will loves ball, his hometown Vineland Thorns and their best player, Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union). But as great as Jett is, the Thorns have never won the Claw (championship) and are mired in another losing streak, much to the delight of arch rival Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), a trash-talking horse with an extensive grooming routine.

One day at the local playground, Mane is accepting court challenges from all comers, and Will steps up. He drains a few long range threes, the footage goes viral, and Thorns owner Flo (Jenifer Lewis) decides the little guy might be just what her team needs.

But how can Will prove himself if Jett and Coach Dennis (Patton Oswalt) won’t accept the league first “small” as part of the team and give him some playing time already?

Nick Kroll, David Harbour, Jennifer Hudson, and Nicola Coughlan join Curry as supporting voices, as first time directors Tyree Dillihay and Adam Rosette adapt the book “Funky Dunks” with a team of four writers and a narrative that finds some fun in the familiar.

Parents and grandparents will get one or two solid LOLs, plus some tried and true sports plotting seen in Major League, Semi-Pro, Bad News Bears and even the “dream big” mantra from last year’s Marty Supreme. It’s surface level, easily digestible stuff for the younger set, built with 3-D animation that’s more busy and colorful, less memorable.

GOAT‘s not exactly a championship contender, but it is a scrappy gamer, and should give young sports fans and pop culture first stringers some ninety odd minutes to hold their attention.

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My Big Fat Italian Rebound

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Solo Mio

by George Wolf

Where’s Jane Fonda? Sally Field? Michael Douglas? Morgan Freeman?

Nowhere to be found.

Ditto Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler, Andy Garcia or any of the more veteran stars we’ve seen in the formula that Solo Mio executes with some charming success.

Kevin James stars as Matt Taylor, an elementary school art teacher who is left at the altar by fiancée Heather (Julie Ann Emery) during a lavish excursion wedding in Italy (Heather must be making the big bucks.) The tours, packages and perks are all paid for, so Matt falls in with a travel group that quickly takes the lonesome loser under its wing.

Julian and Meghan (Kim Coates/Alyson Hannigan), Neil and Donna (Jonathan Roumie/Julee Cerda), a supportive concierge and various Italian children keep tabs on Matt during his picturesque cobblestone road to rebound.

The lovely Gia (Nicole Grimaudo) owns the local cafe, and it isn’t long before she becomes Matt’s “plus one” on the tour group outings, and his mood gradually perks up.

But can he really forget Heather so quickly? And what about that handsome Vincenzo (Gaincarlo Bartolomei), Gia’s former flame who keeps popping by the cafe?

James has this sad likable sack act down cold, Grimaudo is sweetly understated and the Coates/Hannigan pairing pays comedic dividends. Directors Charles and Daniel Kinnane take the script from their brothers John and Patrick (with help from James himself) and start checking off boxes that have become so familiar to their elders over the last several years.

Constant travel, no worries about jobs or money, and the chance at late-stage romance. It’s right out of the AARP fantasy film playbook, but this time we get the younger James (a spry 60!) who is cavorting through various hijinks at gorgeous locales, rubbing elbows with surprise celebrities and finding the spark to try love again.

And then just as your eyes are ready to roll, the film pulls out a cheeky twist that stops just short of being Nicolas Sparks-worthy. Instead of shameless, the late turn lands as more heartfelt and actually logical, helping Solo Mio leave you with satisfying aftertaste as the credits start to roll.