The Sun Never Sets (2026)
Blandness eclipses ‘The Sun Never Sets’ The most intriguing aspect of Joe Swanberg’s revisionist rom-com, “The Sun Never Sets,” is its hypothesizing what would happen if a single gal were asked to choose between a couple of narcissistic losers. Would she be better off alone, or do the rules of the genre dictate that […]
Dear You (2026)
Letters of love and money fill charming ‘Dear You’ Normally, I don’t subscribe to the sort of blatant sentimentality pushed by Hongchun Lan in his family drama, “Dear You,” but darned if the co-writer-director didn’t play me like an erhu. Much of that irresistibility must be credited to the intoxicating Sitong Li, a 22-year-old […]
Mayday (2026)
Comical ‘Mayday’ mixes commies and commrades The unlikely pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh brings the heat to a Cold War comedy that sizzles with excitement in Apple TV+’s highly entertaining “Mayday.” Together, the disparate actors reach an altitude that lofts them into the danger zone as Branagh’s “Top Gun”-obsessed former KGB agent […]
Colony (2026)
Zombie flick, ‘Colony,’ undead on arrival There’s a quarter of a good movie lurking inside the zombie dance recital that is Yeon Sang-ho’s “Colony.” Set in a soulless Seoul, it posits the fascinating idea that a bioengineered mold can both regenerate damaged tissue and open the door for humans to think and behave cooperatively […]
The Whisper Man (2026)
Nothing here beyond a faint ‘Whisper’ Psst! There’s a rumor circulating that Netflix’s adaptation of Alex North’s “The Whisper Man” involves a heinous murder callously abetted by an all-star cast. Don’t say you got it from me, but I feel the need to inform you it’s all true. The likes of Robert De Niro, […]
Buddy (2026)
Inane ‘Buddy’ rapidly runs short of laughs He’s a big, deranged, narcissistic orange know-it-all who separates children from their parents and throws hissy fits when not receiving the praise he thinks he deserves. Remind you of anyone? Of course, I’m talking about Buddy, the hulking tangerine unicorn hosting the “Barney”-like educational TV show that […]
Idiots (2026)
Lunacy looms large in the doltish ‘Idiots’ In borrowing the blueprints from classics like “The Last Detail” and “Midnight Run,” writer-director Macon Blair has mounted something dumber than a box of hammers, appropriately called “Idiots.” And who better to play the titular morons than Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr.? OK, yes, Jim Carrey […]
Coyote vs. Acme (2026)
‘Coyote’ makes the case for nostalgic fun It’s good to be the Road Runner. He’s had a car named after him, even has his own theme song. Not so for his rival, Wile E. Coyote, the Captain Ahab of cartoonville. He has been, excuse the expression, dogged in his pursuit of the bird bearing […]
Paper Flowers (2024)
Bland ‘Paper Flowers’ is an empty garden Cancer is never funny, but movies about it sure can be, even unintentionally so, such as the insipid wannabe weeper “Paper Flowers.” It produces more corn than the entire state of Iowa in canonizing a selfless martyr not seen since the days of Mother Teresa. I’m […]
How to Divorce During a War
Tepid ‘How to Divorce’ is a split decision Perhaps it’s due to my analytical ASD brain, but I struggled to understand how the breakup of a married couple in Lithuania parallels Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Heck, it’s not even the same country being violated. Nor does it even border it. Besides, Lithuania is protected […]