Disclosure Day review

DISCLOSURE DAY: 

AN EXCITING AND FASCINATING RETURN TO CLASSIC SPIELBERG FILMMAKING! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Emily Blunt in Disclosure Day

 

            Steven Spielberg (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park) returns to the realm of aliens (And this time with no CGI monkeys or Harrison Ford hiding in a refrigerator) in his latest sci-fi film, Disclosure Day, and his first directing effort since 2022’s The Fabelmans. It’s pretty obvious I’m a huge Spielberg fan, and this was one of my most anticipated films of the year, with him essentially going back to science fiction that’s reminiscent of Close Encounters and leans more into psychological themes and suspense over large-scale action and explosions. 

            There was quite a bit of hype for this movie with many people hailing it as Spielberg’s best film in years, and like I said, a throwback to old school Steven Spielberg, Amblin, movie house filmmaking. I was onboard the moment it was announced, and while I can’t say it reaches the height of Close Encounters, E.T., or the first Jurassic Park, Disclosure Day is fantastic. 

            Spielberg is f*cking back…then again, he never left, but this is his long overdue return to thinking person’s science fiction on the blockbuster scene. It’s a solidly crafted and star-studded sci-fi adventure that had me invested and excited throughout. 

            The film follows Kansas City TV meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt-Looper, Edge of Tomorrow, A Quiet Place 1 and 2) and cybersecurity expert and whistleblower, Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor-The Crown, Challengers, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery) who both experience unusual behaviors and occurrences like a bird flying into Margaret’s window, visions of woodland animals taking them to a mysterious house, or probably the most bizarre, Margaret speaking an unknown alien language live on TV. It turns out Daniel is on the run from the government and possesses stolen files proving extraterrestrial life, and the two of them are connected to it all with only one course of action: a full disclosure to the entire world. 

            The film also stars Colin Firth (Bridget Jones franchise, The King’s Speech, Kingsman 1 and 2) as Noah Scanlon, Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing, Michael) as Hugo Wakefield, Eve Hewson (Blood Ties, Bridge of Spies, Jay Kelly) as Jane Blankenship, Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some!!, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as Jackson, Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Inbetweeners, Anna Karenina) as Casper Boyd, Elizabeth Marvel (Burn After Reading, Synecdoche, New York, Lincoln) as Sister Maura, and Hettienne Park (Young Adult, Hannibal, Don’t Look Up) as Serena. 

            Overall, Disclosure Day is an epic and powerful return to thought-provoking science fiction for Steven Spielberg and a glorious throwback to the days of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, mostly the former. I was constantly thinking of Close Encounters as I was watching this in terms of its story, pacing, and direction, and I don’t mean that as a bad thing. 

            I love me some silly summer blockbuster entertainment, but this is a much more cerebral and slow-burn summer blockbuster with bold themes and relies more on suspense and buildup to the aliens instead of focusing entirely on the aliens, which is probably what any other filmmaker would do with this. The movie is never dull despite a lack of action and aliens; I was locked in, captivated, and exhilarated from beginning to end. 

            The film addresses some very fascinating topics like whether or not faith could still exist after the proof of extraterrestrial life, and controlling governments keeping shady secrets from the public, and having hidden agendas. This is some of the most profound and surprisingly relevant stuff in the movie, and I found it all interesting and compelling. 

            When you have actors like Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, and Colman Domingo leading your film, you know the acting is going to be top-notch, and it is with Blunt being an absolute scene-stealer. Emily Blunt has been great in other films, but she freaking shines in this and gives a very electrifying and emotionally deep performance. 

            Josh O’Connor is also great as the man on the run from the government with the stolen extraterrestrial files, and he has strong chemistry with Blunt. Colin Firth is fantastic as the head of a government organization who’s hellbent on stopping Blunt and O’Connor’s characters from exposing the truth, and Colman Domingo, who just played Michael Jackson’s abusive father, gives a very heartfelt performance as an advocate for disclosure who’s helping Blunt and O’Connor every step of the way. 

            Disclosure Day is classic Spielberg filmmaking brought to modern day cinema with its mix of bold themes and the director’s signature whimsy, the 94-year-old John Williams’ epic music score kicking it like it’s his Jaws, Close Encounters, and Star Wars days, superb performances by its cast, and a perfect final note the film ends on, Steven Spielberg’s magic has returned to the silver screen. I doubt this film will have the same cultural impact as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but I don’t think anything will ever come close to the movie with the iconic piano notes scene. This is still a solid way to recapture some of that imagination and sense of wonder, though. 

Scary Movie review

SCARY MOVIE: 

SIXTH ENTRY IN HORROR PARODY FRANCHISE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU’D EXPECT! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND MIRAMAX

Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and the rest in Scary Movie (2026)

 

            The parody franchise that mocked scary movies and pushed the envelope with its humor is back in…well, Scary Movie AKA Scary Movie 6, the latest installment in the long-running Scary Movie film series dating all the way back to 2000. I should get this out of the way first; I do not like any of the Scary Movie films, with only the first entry I actually consider…Good-ish. 

            The first Scary Movie, for all its faults and constant need to be as over-the-top, gross, and stupid as possible, had its moments of genuine laughs and sometimes decent satire of horror films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Despite mixed reactions from critics, it was a massive hit and spawned sequels and…other spoof movies that tried to emulate what Scary Movie did with disastrous results (Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet the Spartans, Disaster Movie, etc.). 

            I feel there’s no point in going in-depth about the Scary Movie sequels because they’re all the same, and outside of a few chuckles here and there, none of them were able to recapture what made the original…work somewhat. After a long hibernation since 2013, now we have this sixth installment with The Wayans Brothers returning to the series since 2001’s Scary Movie 2, much of the first film’s cast reprising their roles, and Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House 1 and 2, Fifty Shades of Black) in the director’s chair. 

             I was not looking forward to this, especially how disappointing parody films have gotten since the 2010s (No joke, I haven’t seen a single “Movie” movie in theaters since Superhero Movie in 2008). However, spoof films started gaining a resurgence recently with the new Naked Gun movie last year, starring Liam Neeson, being incredibly funny, and I even enjoyed the recent Anaconda movie with Paul Rudd and Jack Black, where they tried to remake the original movie. 

            With The Naked Gun (2025) easily being my favorite parody film of the last couple of decades and a surprising amount of hype for the Scary Movie franchise’s return, maybe there was some hope this series could be salvaged…not quite! Scary Movie (2026) certainly isn’t the worst of these parody movies, and like its predecessors, there are some funny moments, but practically nothing is different from what you’ve seen in the other films, except now they’re satirizing legacy sequels, which Scream (2022) already did. 

            The film is essentially a satire of Scream (2022), Scream VI, and Halloween (2018) and follows Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan-Days of Our Lives, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Gotham Knights) and Tuesday Campbell (Savannah Lee Nassif), a parody of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s characters from the recent Screamfilms being attacked by a Ghostface killer and enlist the help of their estranged mother, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris-Lost in Translation, The House Bunny, The Dictator), Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall-Little, One Battle After Another, The Sheep Detectives), Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans-In Living Color, White Chicks, Him), Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans-In Living Color, Don’t Be a Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Dance Flick), Deputy Doofy Gilmore (Dave Sheridan-Corky Romano, Ghost World, The Devil’s Rejects), and Gail Hailstorm (Cheri Oteri-Saturday Night Live, Southland Tales, Shrek the Third) to figure out who the killer is. Along the way, they encounter parodies of M3GAN, Art the Clown from Terrifier, Sinners, Weapons, Smile, Get Out, Heart Eyes, The Substance, and Candyman…oh, and for some reason, the Michael movie and KPop Demon Hunters. 

            The film also stars Gregg Wayans (Fifty Shades of Black, Marlon, Sextuplets) as Brad Meeks, Sydney Park (The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, There’s Someone Inside Your House) as Dei Meeks, Lochlyn Munro (Freddy VS Jason, The Predator, Peacemaker) reprising his role as Greg Phillippe (The guy with the small knob), Kim Wayans (A Different World, In Living Color, Pariah) as Nurse Ratchett, and Chris Elliott (Get a Life, There’s Something About Mary, How I Met Your Mother) as Shorthand (A parody of Nicolas Cage’s character from Longlegs). 

            Overall, Scary Movie (2026) has its moments, but this sixth entry in the franchise adds almost nothing new to the formula and just comes off as another run-of-the-mill spoof movie that isn’t nearly as funny or clever as it thinks it is. It certainly isn’t the worst Scary Movie or one of the worst parody films I’ve ever seen, but this whole movie seemed entirely pointless and exists just to make obvious jokes about legacy sequels and modern horror movies. 

            There are some funny gags in it, with one of my favorite jokes being early on regarding a Final Destination-themed amusement park where all the rides crash and everyone dies, that’s pretty great, and it even ends with the kid and the lucky penny getting squashed like in Final Destination: Bloodlines. I also chuckled at this spoof of The Substance that becomes an homage to another Wayans Brothers movie, and there’s actually a pretty damn funny final act. 

            Yeah, aside from chuckles here and there, the film just does all the same shit again, dick jokes, shit jokes, jokes that go on for too long (The Sinners church parody can suck my honky, white dick, it’s so painfully unfunny and long!), weed jokes, Marlon Wayans saying “Wazzup!?!” and laughing like an idiot, obligatory dance sequence set to a rap song (Take a wild guess which horror character does that considering this character also did a dance in their actual movie). Maybe the Wayans Brothers should take some notes from “Elevated Comedy”, as the movie called Judd Apatow comedies in reference to the “Elevated Horror” nod in Scream (2022), because I have seen them be incredibly funny and talented before, but these spoof movies don’t showcase their skills all that much. 

            Yeah, this movie didn’t do much for me, sadly. What was even the point in bringing this franchise back if you’re not going to take it to new heights? I guess it was kind of neat to see the old actors back together, and like I said, I got a few chuckles every now and then, but Scary Movie (2026) is just a sign this style of parody should have stayed dead and buried. 

            Geez, that would be like…I don’t know, making a sequel to White Chicks, you wouldn’t do that, it would just be fucking absurd…they’re making a White Chicks sequel, aren’t they?

Masters of the Universe review

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: 

A FUN, SILLY ADVENTURE IN THE WORLD OF ETERNIA! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

MGM

Nicholas Galitzine, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, and Morena Baccarin in Masters of the Universe

 

            The manliest superhero ever created, He-Man, returns to the big screen in Masters of the Universe, the new film based on the iconic Mattel toy line, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This is not the first time He-Man appeared on the big screen, as there was already a 1987 film version of Masters of the Universe by Cannon Films and starring the legendary Dolph Lundgren as the beefy warrior…which I’m not gonna lie, I kind of enjoy for how bad and dumb it is. 

            I should also get this out of the way: I was never big into He-Man growing up. I never owned the toys, nor did I watch any of the animated cartoon shows that came out, but I have a basic understanding of what the franchise is like. A similar reaction I had to Power Rangers was never really my thing as a kid. 

            So, I’m going into this movie with a very basic knowledge of He-Man, and boy, did this reboot have quite a journey, dating all the way back to 2009, and was tossed around between Sony Pictures, Netflix, and MGM, among various production delays. It’s honestly kind of a miracle the movie saw the light of day, but now that it’s out with director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee, Wildwood) helming it, is it the He-Man movie people have been waiting for? I liked it. 

            I don’t think this is a great film by any means, but as a fun, silly summer blockbuster, I enjoyed my time with this version of Masters of the Universe. It’s a movie that knows what it is and doesn’t try to be anything more; this isn’t the Dark Knight or Captain America: The Winter Soldier of He-Man movies. 

            The film follows Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine-The Craft: Legacy, Bottoms, The Sheep Detectives), who was sent from the magical fantasy land of Eternia to live on Earth to protect him from the forces of the tyrannical warlord, Skeletor (Jared Leto-Dallas Buyers Club, Blade Runner 2049, Tron: Ares) when he was a child. He spends his days at an everyday job, has a roommate, and tries to go out on a date with a woman, though in actuality, he’s searching for the mighty Sword of Power in hopes of returning to Eternia. 

            He does end up finding the sword and is whisked back to Eternia alongside his childhood friend and warrior, Teela (Camila Mendes-Riverdale, Palm Springs, Fairfax) and her adoptive father and general, Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba-Marvel Cinematic Universe, Zootopia 1 and 2, Sonic the Hedgehog franchise) as they form a rebellion against Skeletor who has taken over Eternia in the fifteen years Adam was gone and now, he must unlock the powers of the sword and become the mighty, He-Man. 

            The film also stars Alison Brie (Scream 4 and 5, The Lego Movie 1 and 2, Together) as Evil-Lyn, James Purefoy (Rome, The Following, Pennyworth) as King Randor, Charlotte Riley (Easy Virtue, Peaky Blinders, London Has Fallen) as Queen Marlena, Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Gotham, Deadpool trilogy) as the Sorceress, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Game of Thrones, Alpha, Vikings: Valhalla) as Fisto, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live, Woke, Agatha All Along) as Suzie, Christiaan Bettridge as Dian, and James Wilkinson as Mekaneck; and features the voices of Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Despicable Me franchise) as Roboto and Tom Wilton as the voice of Cringer/Battle Cat. 

            Overall, Masters of the Universe is an enjoyably dumb popcorn movie that embraces the epicness and silliness of its source material while also offering a fun, entertaining ride for the uninitiated. I’ll be upfront and say it is not a perfect film and there are tons of narrative and tonal issues with it, but I had a good time in the theater and was invested just enough in the characters and story. 

            Nicholas Galitzine, I thought, did a solid job as Adam/He-Man with kind of a Clark Kent/Superman thing going on during his time on Earth, but unlike Superman, he remembers where he came from. He makes jokes and actually does try to resolve the issues with Skeletor’s army non-violently as someone who worked in Human Resources, but also understands the seriousness of the situation and does what he can to be a hero. I was shocked that the reporter from The Sheep Detectives ended up being a good He-Man, but not as shocked as what I’m about to say next. 

            Jared Leto as Skeletor…is actually kinda perfect, and let me make this clear, I am not a fan of Jared Leto, I did not like his Joker in Suicide Squad, thought Morbius was an absolute trainwreck, and was completely indifferent to Tron: Ares. To my surprise, Leto plays the part of Skeletor very well and captures the menace of the character while also having a degree of goofiness. Thank you, Leto, for not ruining this movie. 

            The movie also does some meta references to the He-Man franchise though nowhere near to the extent of something like the Barbie movie, but I was delighted by Dolph Lundgren’s cameo and was genuinely applauding and cheering when What’s Up? by 4 Non Blondes (The “Heyyeyaaeyaaeyaeyaa” song) plays during an action sequence (Also, funny that song was also used in the new Street Fighter movie trailer which was shown before this). You can definitely tell Travis Knight and his crew had a lot of love for both the He-Man franchise…and all the memes and jokes that came out of it. 

            A lot of the action scenes are pretty fun, though they are very CGI-heavy, and while some of it looks good, others just look like a video game or somehow more cartoony than the actual cartoon was. Still, there are some cool space battles, and the hand-to-hand combat is pretty exhilarating, even if it does go into Zack Snyder territory towards the end. 

            It’s a fun watch, but there are some major issues I have with the film, the biggest being its inconsistent tone. The movie is very jokey and constantly trying to hammer in the jokes, quips, and one-liners, and while some of them can be funny, others feel like bad MCU jokes you’d hear in something like Thor: Love and Thunder, and sometimes they interfere with the heavier, more heartfelt moments involving the characters. 

            The 2026 Masters of the Universe is a fun mess of a movie that’s enjoyably silly in mostly the right ways. It has decent action, charismatic characters, and a Jared Leto performance that doesn’t ruin the whole thing, even if the tone is all over the place and the writing isn’t particularly good. Grab your sword and enjoy this 2026 version of 80s cheese. 

Pressure review

PRESSURE: 

TENSE WAR FILM CONTINUES THE BRENDAN FRASER RENAISSANCE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Brendan Fraser in Pressure

 

            Andrew Scott (1917, Blue Moon, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery) and Brendan Fraser (The Mummy trilogy, The Whale, Rental Family) team up to plan the Normandy landings during World War II in Pressure, the new film from Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) and his first film as a director since 2018. Sure, I was down to see this when I saw the trailer, though A24’s Backrooms was a much higher priority, but now that it’s already been reviewed, I can finally talk about the Brendan Fraser WWII movie. 

            I am so happy that we’re in kind of a Brendan Fraser Renaissance lately. He was in 2022’s The Whale, which won him a Best Actor Oscar, and just last year, he starred in the equally superb Rental Family. Even in the days of George of the Jungle and The Mummy, I’ve always enjoyed Fraser as an actor, but the past few years have really skyrocketed his career back. 

            So, does Pressure continue his recent streak in the Fraser Renaissance? The answer is yes! 

            This is a really solid war drama with a lot of tension and strong character moments that are carried by the performances of Scott and Fraser. It’s also a war movie that isn’t exactly about the war itself, but the preparations for what would be known as D-Day. 

            The film is set in June 1944, 72 hours before D-Day, and follows Scottish meteorologist, James Stagg (Scott), being recruited by General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Fraser) to determine the weather on the day of the Normandy landings. Through clashes and conflicting methodologies between Stagg and American forecaster, Colonel Irving P. Krick (Chris Messina-Julie & Julia, Air, Juror #2), and D-Day getting closer, Stagg and Eisenhower will have to make an impossible decision: launch the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war. 

            The film also stars Kerry Condon (Dom Hemingway, The Banshees of Inisherin, F1) as Kay Summersby, Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Billions, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as Bernard Montgomery, Henry Ashton (Creation Stories, My Lady Jane, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) as John Eisenhower, Con O’Neill (The Last Seduction II, Telstar: The Joe Meek Story, The Batman) as Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Robert Portal (The King’s Speech, My Week with Marilyn, Mr. Turner) as Bertram Ramsay, Daniel Quinn-Toye (Sunny Dancer, Voltron, Cry to Heaven) as Michael Gregory, Toby Williams (Paddington, Sex Education, Death in Paradise) as Bryant, and Max Croes (A Working Man, American Sweatshop) as Private Eugene Shaw. 

            Overall, Pressure is a powerful and riveting war film that’s more cerebral than an explosive spectacle. This is less Saving Private Ryan and more like The Imitation Game, with the focus being on people strategizing and trying to prepare for a big invasion to win the war, so don’t go in expecting non-stop gunfire, explosions, and carnage. 

            It’s actually not even about D-Day itself, but instead the entire plot of the film revolves around the weather of D-Day, which is a factor you don’t often think about when going into a war. The driving force of the movie is these two different and conflicting predictions of what kind of weather it will be between Andrew Scott’s Stagg and Chris Messina’s Krick, with the clock ticking closer and closer to D-Day. 

            It’s a very dialogue-heavy movie with several scenes of people planning the Normandy landings and determining what the weather will be like on that day, and it’s never boring. I was locked in and invested in every single one of these people, trying to figure out how to pull this landing off and win the war. 

            The performances are stellar, and while I know we’re currently in the Brendan Fraser Renaissance, it’s actually Andrew Scott who steals the show. He is magnificent as James Stagg, this smart, calculating person who isn’t particularly respected amongst Eisenhower’s people because he tells them things they don’t want to hear: “The weather is going to be awful on D-Day” and is butting heads with Chris Messina’s Irving P. Krick over what they’re going to report, he commands the scene every time he’s the central focus. 

            Brendan Fraser is also great as Dwight D. Eisenhower in probably the most commanding performance in his career, which makes sense considering Eisenhower was a General-turned-President. Like Scott, Fraser owns every scene he’s in, whether he’s barking orders to his troops or confronting his own personal dilemmas. Watching and listening to him interact with Scott, Messina, or any of the other supporting cast members was a blast. 

            Pressure is an exhilarating, intriguing, and phenomenally acted movie that explores a different, less epic side of World War II, but still just as endearing. It has amazing acting, a smart and engaging plot, and phenomenal acting by Scott and Fraser, all leading up to a war strategy I won’t be forgetting about anytime soon. 

Tuner review

TUNER: 

THE BABY DRIVER OF MOVIES ABOUT PIANO TUNERS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

BLACK BEAR PICTURES

Leo Woodall in Tuner

 

            A gifted piano tuner finds himself wrapped up in a life of crime in Tuner, the new film from director Daniel Roher (Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band, Navalny, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist) in his first narrative feature outing. Confession time, I actually never saw a single trailer for this movie in theaters, and aside from seeing the poster a few times in theater lobbies, I knew practically nothing about it until I watched the trailer online. 

            It looked interesting when I finally did watch the trailer on YouTube, and it sort of gave me Baby Driver vibes a bit, except nowhere near as slick as that movie, but definitely similar DNA in certain places. A man with special hearing gets involved with a group of criminals and by the end, has to figure a way out of all this. 

            We’ve seen that before, but I’m all for it if a film can make something unique out of it, and Tuner does just that. I enjoyed this film and thought it was a really solid crime thriller with an incredible performance by Leo Woodall (The White Lotus, One Day, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy), who absolutely steals the show. 

            The film follows Niki White (Woodall), a once-promising piano player who, after being diagnosed with hyperacusis, can no longer play the piano and now works as a piano tuner with his mentor, Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman-The Graduate, Kramer VS Kramer, Meet the Parents franchise), trying to get by. One day, while tuning a wealthy person’s piano, his heightened sense of hearing draws the attention of a group of criminals trying to open their safe upstairs, and see his gift as useful for opening safes, which could give Niki the money he needs. 

            However, the more jobs he gets and a budding romance with a composition student, Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu-Bottoms, Power Ballad, Elden Ring), complicating things, the more dangerous and deadly it gets. 

            The film also stars Lior Raz (Fauda, 6 Underground, Gladiator II) as Uri, Tovah Feldshuh (Law & Order, Kissing Jessica Stein, The Walking Dead) as Harry’s wife, Marla Horowitz, and Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional, Mission: Impossible, Godzilla (1998)) as Marius Maissner. 

            Overall, Tuner is a finely tuned and exhilarating crime thriller with Woodall giving a superb performance as the Tuner and Roher showcasing his directing talents outside the documentary genre and doing it very well. Do I think it’s as good as Baby Driver? No, but I was engaged and captivated throughout the film and wanted to know where everything was going. 

            Like I said in the beginning, it has a similar premise to Baby Driver and hits some of the same beats as that movie, but where Baby Driver was more outlandish and pulpier with Edgar Wright’s fast-paced directing and editing, Tuner is more grounded in reality and not quite as flashy or stylized as that film. I found both films to be very effective in terms of their tone and execution. This one managed to make blowing an air horn at someone look like the most graphic and intense thing ever filmed; that’s definitely an accomplishment. 

            Baby Driver is a fun, entertaining ride, while Tuner is near-constant tension (I just realized I said that three times over the past few movie reviews I did recently) and uses its sound design to deliver a truly unnerving experience as if loud noises are like something brutal and bloody happening onscreen. The already mentioned air horn, a fire alarm going off, and even people doing extremely mundane stuff is made more intense through Leo Woodall’s Niki’s ears. 

As if you couldn’t tell, the sound design is phenomenal in this movie and features an incredible mix that makes even the greatest IMAX releases blush (FYI, this film is not released in IMAX). The way the sound is edited and mixed makes you feel like you’re Niki going through all this and tests the power of your cinema speakers, the movie technically premiered in 2025 and the fact it did not receive an Oscar nomination for Sound Design this year really pisses me off now that I’ve seen it because the sound design here puts Christopher Nolan to shame, yeah, I just fucking said that (BTW still looking forward to The Odyssey)! 

Leo Woodall, in his first lead role, is amazing and gives a truly exceptional performance as Niki, a man who had a lot of potential, but those dreams were shattered by a sensitive hearing condition. Woodall perfectly plays a guy who’s reserved and calm, but mentally defeated, and has amusing banter with Dustin Hoffman’s Harry (A cranky old man who doesn’t like wearing his hearing aids) and even stronger chemistry with his love interest, Havana Rose Liu’s Ruthie. 

Aside from Bottoms, I haven’t seen Havana Rose Liu in many projects, but she is magnificent in this as an inspiring piano student who’s basically living the dream Niki wishes he could live, and it’s because of that they formed a relationship in the first place. Niki and Ruthie’s romance could have easily been a low point in the movie, but thanks to Woodall and Liu’s charm, it’s actually compelling and gives the film a lot of emotional weight. 

Yeah, Tuner was a pleasant surprise and a really solid first narrative film from Daniel Roher and a stellar leading vehicle for Leo Woodall. Through brilliant sound design, outstanding performances, and gripping storytelling, it’s a near-perfect melody you’ll want to hear again and again. 

Backrooms review

BACKROOMS: 

A CREEPY AND FASCINATING TRIP INTO THE UNKNOWN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

A24

Renate Reinsve in Backrooms

 

            A furniture store owner and his therapist discover a mysterious dimension of endless liminal spaces in Backrooms, the new horror film from A24 and directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons in his feature film debut. The film is based on Parsons’ 2022 webseries of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the creepypasta also of the same name. 

            The movie looked interesting when I saw the trailers, which didn’t show much outside of people discovering the backrooms and something terrifying lurking inside. Also, we’re currently in this sweet spot for horror movies with this, Obsession, and Hokum, which came out earlier this month, and YouTubers making their jumps from computer and phone screens to the big screen. 

            Bottom line, it got my interest and became a priority watch when it was released, and…damn! Horror fans are eating well between this and Obsession. Backrooms is amazing and as fascinating as it is frightening, I was glued to the screen from start to finish. 

            The film follows Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor-12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange 1 and 2, The Life of Chuck), a down-on-his-luck furniture store owner who discovers a door to a strange dimension in the basement of his store. It turns out, this dimension is an endless liminal space of uncanny hallways and malformed furniture known as the Backrooms, but as Clark and eventually his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve-Sentimental Value), venture deeper into it, the more nightmarish and terrifying it becomes. 

            The film also stars Mark Duplass (Creep 1 and 2, Safety Not Guaranteed, Tully) as Phil, Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night County, Warfare, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) as Bobby, Lukita Maxwell (Generation, Shrinking, The Young Wife) as Kat, Avan Jogia (Caprica, Zombieland: Double Tap, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) as Naren Warne, and Krista Kosonen (Jade Warrior, Princess, Blade Runner 2049) as Nora Kline. 

            Overall, Backrooms is a chilling, surreal, and engaging experience with an interesting premise, some very tense sequences, and even some thought-provoking subject matter. I was locked in during a lot of this movie and was on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen and how everything would come together by the end. 

            The movie looks incredible in terms of the production design, with much of the film being shot in an empty, maze-like office set with digital effects to enhance, which really gives this sense of claustrophobia and the unknown as you’re watching the film. I can see this film striking a chord with people who are claustrophobic because the way the backrooms look and are filmed is genuinely frightening. 

            The film also utilizes some found-footage moments where certain scenes are shown from the perspective of a cameraman, and I honestly found these sequences to be the most tense and scariest parts of the whole movie. Despite found-footage being overused to death, Backrooms found a way to inject new life into that filmmaking trope, even if it isn’t 100% the entire film. 

            For the most part, Backrooms leans into suspense and psychological horror, but there are elements of body horror, and while nowhere near as grotesque as a film like The Substance, it’s pretty unsettling. That’s all I’ll say. There are definitely some weird body horror scenes and images in the movie that will stay with me. 

            The performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are stellar, especially the former; Ejiofor really sells his performance as a man who’s clearly on edge, not just in the backrooms but events outside the backrooms as well. Even before he discovers this unknown series of rooms in his shop, he’s the kind of person where one little push is enough for him to completely lose his mind, and the backrooms are gonna make things much worse. It's one of the best performances from him I’ve seen in a while. 

            Renate Reinsve is also magnificent as Clark’s therapist, who ends up in the backrooms later on in the film, just a level-headed therapist trying to help him out, and as he’s explaining what he discovered to her, she rightfully doesn’t believe until she begins experiencing it for herself. Her character also has a past that’s glanced at at certain points in the movie, and ultimately comes to terms with it once she enters the backrooms. She’s easily the most normal character in the film, but the latter half is where she really shines. 

            I will say, as much as I love this movie, I felt the runtime could have been cut short a little. The film is an hour and 50 minutes, and with constant slow-burning scenes without many straight-up scares. It’s not a huge issue and doesn’t ruin the movie, but I think the film in general would have been better paced had it been trimmed down to 90 minutes with fewer scenes that drag. 

            Despite some minor runtime issues and a few things about the ending that I’m a little torn on, I enjoyed the hell out of Backrooms and found it to be a genuinely unnerving, clever, and fascinating horror movie. Like I said, this and Obsession are feeding horror movie fans good to the point where I completely forgot that Passenger came out recently. 

Passenger review

PASSENGER: 

JUST DRIVE AWAY FROM THIS STANDARD HORROR MOVIE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio in Passenger

 

            A couple is about to learn the horrifying lesson to never drive at night in Passenger, the new horror film from director André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Last Voyage of the Demeter). I’ve only seen two of Øvredal’s previously directed projects, those being Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and I liked both. Scary Stories was a solid adaptation of the books that inspired it, and Demeter was a really interesting and epic Dracula film; he clearly puts a lot of craftsmanship into his work. 

            I didn’t have any expectations with his next film, Passenger, though the teaser trailer definitely got my attention, which only showed two guys driving in the dark, pulling over so one of them can pee, and then some supernatural force terrorizes them. Regardless of how good or bad I think this movie is, that trailer made me want to check it out. 

            Sadly, despite a few solid scares and decent performances, Passenger is a pretty lousy horror flick and so far the worst film I’ve seen from André Øvredal. It’s certainly not the absolute worst horror film I’ve seen in 2026 (Psycho Killer and Return to Silent Hill are currently my #1 and #2 worst movies of the year), but I cannot believe a film with this much potential and talent could be wasted on standard genre tropes and cheap jumpscares. 

            The film follows Maddie (Lou Llobell-Voyagers, Foundation) and Tyler (Jacob Scipio-Bad Boys 3 and 4, Without Remorse, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), a couple on a road trip who witness a terrible highway accident. But when they make the boneheaded decision of stopping and getting out of the car after seeing the accident, Maddie and Tyler become haunted by a demonic entity that has latched itself onto them. 

            The film also stars Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Prisoners, The Equalizer 2) as Diana Marsh. 

            Overall, Passenger had the potential of being a truly spine-tingling and creepy movie revolving around driving in the dark, but instead, it wastes its premise on tired horror tropes and predictable storytelling. Of course, the opening scene of this film is the part shown in the teaser, but to give it a little bit of credit, it is an awesome way to start the movie off, as it is a genuinely frightening and effective sequence followed up by a grisly airbag payoff. 

            There’s another standout moment later on in the movie with Lou Llobell in a parking lot trying to get to the van, and it mysteriously keeps getting farther away from her the more she gets closer. That was probably the best sequence outside of the beginning scene from the teaser, and it was really suspenseful and knew how to time the scares well. 

            I’ll also say that despite the subpar material, Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio give decent performances as the couple. They aren’t like the most deep or complex horror protagonists, but I bought their chemistry, and they weren’t annoying as balls like a lot of other standard or downright garbage horror films. 

            Unfortunately, only a few effective scares and fine performances aren’t enough to make up for Passenger’s shortcomings because this film goes downhill pretty quickly after having so much promise and an amazing opening scene. The movie just hits every tired beat from other horror movies, obligatory jumpscares, lore that makes absolutely no sense, the wise character who knows what’s going on so, you know is going to be killed off by the end, people constantly making stupid decisions and not in a fun way like The Cabin in the Woods or Obsession, it all comes off as lazy even with a creative idea like this. 

            Even the monster/killer’s design is pretty uninspired; he just looks like some dirty, weird guy who also sometimes has Freddy Krueger powers as a ghost or demonic spirit. I’m not saying it has to be something so outlandish like the Smile demon, but make The Passenger a memorable movie monster and something moviegoers won’t forget, he could have been a new horror movie icon. Sadly, the film surrounding him dropped the ball. 

. I don’t know, guys; I’m struggling to even remember and gather cohesive thoughts on Passenger. If you absolutely gotta see this, then I’ll call the film “An A-List or Unlimited Movie,” where if you have AMC A-List or Regal Unlimited and you’ve seen everything else, I guess there’s no hurt in seeing this if you’re the teeniest bit curious. 

Me personally, I’d rather drive as far away from this movie as possible and never look back. It’s a generic, tired horror movie that wastes its premise on tropes and recycled storytelling. Also, Passengers starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence was better!