Ever since Tommy Shelby rode off into the sunset to start a new life in ‘Peaky Blinders‘ fans have been asking for more. This is certainly one of Cillian Murphy’s most memorable roles and so seeing him return to the franchise for one last hurrah is nothing short of exciting. With a title as well loved as this one, it was important for ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ to fit into this world and feel warranted, rather than a cash grab. Thankfully, from just the first few minutes, it was clear this film was made to complete the story – and it does just that.
Director Tom Harper worked on the first season of ‘Peaky Blinders’ so it was only fitting to see him return to direct ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’. He knew this world already, even if it had been a while since he was immersed in it, and he does a brilliant job weaving in new characters and celebrating the old ones.
Storywise, this movie is brilliant. Even though the series felt wrapped up enough, there were certainly some unanswered questions and longing to know what happened down the line for Tommy Shelby. ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ does a great job of not only providing these answers, but delivering an interesting, entertaining, and action-packed story. It is important to mention that the emotional moments are always allowed to breath. They are never overshadowed by the action.
Cillian Murphy was born to play Tommy Shelby. Fans of the series already know this but for those that were not convinced yet, ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ solidifies it. He is absolutely brilliant in this film. He knows this character inside and out, and is a natural on screen.
Barry Keoghan, who plays Tommy’s gypsy son Duke, is a great addition to this world. He is a talented actor who always gives one hundred and ten percent to his roles, and this is no exception. He fits into this world perfectly, and his scenes opposite Cillian Murphy ooze with chemistry. The two of them are brilliant together.
Then there is Rebecca Ferguson. Another fantastic actor who never phones in a performance. She also fits into this world well. We meet her early on and it is impossible not to relate to her from that very moment.
‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ is sure to make fans of the series very happy. It continues Tommy Shelby’s story, picking up a few years down the road from the series finale, in a way that, simpy put, just makes sense. Everything comes back around to the beginning, bringing this story full circle. It is well acted, well shot, and will have viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ receives a score of 87 out of 100.
What is the plot of ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’?
Birmingham, 1940. Amidst the chaos of WWII, Tommy Shelby is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground. By order of the Peaky Blinders….
Who is in the cast of ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’?
‘The Bride!’ is a lot. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s second directorial effort (which she also scripted) is wildly ambitious and far bigger than her first film, ‘The Lost Daughter,’ combining the genres of horror, film noir, comedy, and romance into essentially a anarchic punk reinvention of ‘The Bride of Frankenstein.’ But the Bride here, embodied by a magnetic Jessie Buckley, is no mute walk-on at the end: death and reanimation (or “reinvigoration,” as it’s called in the movie) changes her into a force of primal female power that no one – certainly not her monstrous mate – can control.
Buckley’s own primal energy and that of her co-star Christian Bae go a long way in ‘The Bride!’ but the film is not without considerable flaws. It’s almost too much at points, and its disparate tones, themes, and narrative strands take a long time to gel together, and then only fitfully. The movie takes a big, big swing – but doesn’t always connect.
The film opens with a ghostly version of ‘Frankenstein’ author Mary Shelley (Buckley) telling us from beyond the grave there’s more to the story of the Bride than we know (Shelley herself never brought the creature’s mate to life, unlike James Whale’s classic 1935 film). Next we meet Ida (also Buckley), a young woman in 1930s Chicago who, possessed inexplicably by Shelley’s spirit, is murdered by the gangsters she’s fallen in with.
At the same time, Frank (Christian Bale), Victor Frankenstein’s creation who’s been alive for more than a century and taken the name of his ‘father,’ approaches the eccentric, radical scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) about making him a mate. They dig up Ida’s body and as a result of her ‘reinvigoration,’ she becomes the Bride, a fierce, impulsive, wildly sensual, and unfettered being with no memory of her past.
Before they even fully understand what’s happening, Frank and the Bride go on a killing spree that begins with two men who grope the Bride at a club and continues bloodily from there, as they are pursued across the country by two detectives (Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz). But the Bride also becomes a cult figure to women everywhere, who adopt her look and her willingness to tell men ‘no’ – or in her words, ‘I would prefer not to.’ Frank, who adores her, is the only man she trusts, even though he hides some truths about their past as well.
‘The Bride!’ begins at 100mph and doesn’t let up from there, although there are points where it feels long and one’s interest begins to fade. Part of it is the overwhelming nature of the movie: ‘The Bride!’ is a full-on assault on the senses, from Ida’s murder to the creation scene to her first night out as the Bride in a club, each of these scenes nearly exploding with stroboscopic energy. The tone shifts wildly as well, from dark comedy to full-on horror to road movie, and those shifts can be so jarring and abrupt that the result for the viewer is numbness. Matching those are the narrative strands that come and go, from the undercooked gangster subplot to the fuzzily sketched detectives, who don’t really earn the arcs they get.
On a tactile level, production designer Karen Murphy and costume designer Sandy Powell create immersive, detailed sets and outfits for the film, while cinematographer Lawrence Sher comes up with a series of searing images. The film is also surprisingly gory, with heads smashed in, tongues ripped out, and bullets ripping through flesh. Frank, a movie fanatic obsessed with film star Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), has visions in which he and the Bride perform dance numbers out of Reed’s movies (there are lots of other movie homages as well, a nice touch on Maggie Gyllenhaal’s part). All this only adds to the jumbled, chaotic vibe of the movie – the viewer is never really sure whether to take all this seriously or not, which ultimately undermines the film despite its sheer originality.
Following hot on the heels of her devastating work in ‘Hamnet,’ Jessie Buckley pivots here into an over-the-top performance that teeters on the edge of overbearing but keeps the viewer enthralled due to the actor’s sheer presence and power. She’s matched in that department by Christian Bale, whose heavy prosthetics recall the classic Boris Karloff look but who is just as raw as Buckley, creating a nuanced monster who’s as empathetic in his own way as Jacob Elordi’s take in 2025’s ‘Frankenstein.’ The two channel a ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ chemistry that often goes so far out there that they have a little trouble reeling it back in and making these characters seem real again.
Peter Sarsgaard (Maggie Gyllenhaal’s husband) and Penélope Cruz share a nice chemistry as well, and Cruz is especially vivacious. But one gets the feeling that they might be better off in their own movie where they have more space to explore their characters. The supporting MVP is Annette Bening, who brings compassion to an otherwise campier role and who, like the others, has her motivations scrambled by the sudden turns in tone and narrative.
There’s no question that Maggie Gyllenhaal gets an ‘A’ for effort here. Rebooting the Bride of Frankenstein as a woman freed of her past, experiencing true liberation for the first time, and mowing down those who try to corral that is the most radical take we’ve seen on the Frankenstein mythos in a long time, and that theme, the setting, and the stream-of-consciousness structure of the whole thing make it one of the most original films you’re likely to see in 2026.
But as with a few other films we’ve already seen this year, ‘The Bride!’ often feels like Gyllenhaal and her cast and crew are throwing everything at the wall and holding nothing back, hoping that in the end it looks more like art and less like … a mess on the wall. Like its monstrous leads, ‘The Bride!’ is made up of many parts stitched together and sparked into life by pure electricity – yet it’s that uncontrolled energy that also makes ‘The Bride!’ an unwieldly, exhausting experience.
A lonely Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask pioneering scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Jessie Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: murder, possession, a radical cultural movement, and outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance.
(L to R) Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Natasha McElhone and Dónal Finn in Prime Video’s ‘Young Sherlock.’ Photo: Dan Smith.
You may be frustrated waiting for a third ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movie from filmmaker Guy Ritchie (at this point, you really shouldn’t hold your breath), but he’s no doubt hoping to tide you over with a new ‘Young Sherlock’ that spins the clock back to the detective’s days at college
Script and Direction
(L to R) Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Colin Firth and Max Irons in Prime Video’s ‘Young Sherlock.’ Photo: Daniel Smith.
Series creator Matthew Parkhill has found a decent basis for the new series, seeing him team up with an equally fresh-faced James Moriarty, and spinning a tale of the Holmes family that forms part of the mystery.
Directorially, Ritchie brings something of his Sherlock-focused movies to the style of the show, though it also settles down from time to time.
Cast and Performances
Joseph Fiennes in Prime Video’s ‘Young Sherlock.’ Photo: Daniel Smith.
Hero Fiennes Tiffin is a solid Sherlock, though sometimes overshadowed by co-stars Dónal Finn and Zine Tseng.
Tiffin at least escapes concerns of nepo baby casting, providing some charm and wit to the role, even if the family history angle isn’t completely helped by the addition of his uncle, Joseph Fiennes, playing his father. As his mother, meanwhile, Natascha McElhone is a little sidelined to begin with, but has a chance to shine later.
If there’s one performer with a reason to complain, it’s Colin Firth, who for the most part is reduced to being a blowhard, officious type you can tell is up to no good.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Zine Tseng and Dónal Finn in Prime Video’s ‘Young Sherlock.’ Photo: Dan Smith.
The new show might not really satiate those looking for the combination of Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and the visual trickery of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock outings, but one out of three isn’t too bad.
And if we truly must have a Sherlock Holmes prequel, at least it has some spirit and offers decent entertainment value.
‘Young Sherlock’ receives 68 out of 100.
(L to R) Max Irons and Natasha McElhone in Prime Video’s ‘Young Sherlock.’ Photo: Dan Smith.
What’s the plot of ‘Young Sherlock’?
‘Young Sherlock’ follows the origin story of the beloved detective in an explosive re-imagining of this iconic character’s early days. Sherlock Holmes is a disgraced young man –– raw and unfiltered –– when he finds himself wrapped up in a murder case that threatens his liberty.
Who stars in ‘Young Sherlock’?
Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes
Zine Tseng as Princess Gulun Shou’an
Dónal Finn as James Moriarty
Joseph Fiennes as Silas Holmes
Natascha McElhone as Cordelia Holmes
Colin Firth as Sir Bucephalus Hodge
Max Irons as Mycroft Holmes
Hero Fiennes Tiffin in Prime Video’s ‘Young Sherlock.’ Photo: Dan Smith.
Pixar has had a rough go of it for a few years, with the legendary Disney-owned animation studio not only still suffering from the box office aftermath of COVID but also dealing with some quality control issues. Yet the new Pixar original feature, ‘Hoppers,’ feels like the most fun the studio has had in a long time.
Dizzyingly paced (sometimes too much so), full of heart and warmth, often laugh-out-loud funny, and gorgeous to look at, ‘Hoppers’ doesn’t always work and is a little too long and frenetic, but it’s still a joyful entry from this fabled company and a visual treat. It feels in a way like Pixar getting a little weirder and crazier, but still retaining its signature style.
Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is a 19-year-old animal lover who is constantly getting in trouble for freeing animals from her college, Beaverton University. She’s also trying to get signatures on a petition to stop the construction of a new freeway spearheaded by Beaverton mayor Jerry Generazzo. The final portion of the beltway is slated to plow right through a serene, peaceful, wildlife-filled glade and pond where Mabel has gone for years – until recently with her late grandmother – to find calm and tranquility as the world fills her with rage and despair.
When Mabel learns that her college professor (Kathy Najimy) has created a technology that allows human minds to ‘hop’ into robotic animals, she seizes the opportunity by hopping into a robot beaver and heading for the glade, where she is able to communicate with the other animals – including the well-meaning but naïve beaver ruler, King George (Bobby Moynihan) and rally them to fight back against the mayor and his plan. But even as Mabel and George learn to trust each other, other species of animals are plotting a far more ruthless way to deal with the human threat to their habitat.
‘Hoppers’ packs a lot into its 105-minute runtime – almost too much at some points. Its moments of quiet reflection and beauty (most of them in flashbacks to Mabel and her grandmother sitting in the glade) are often left in the dust by the frenetic, busy-busy style of modern animation that seemingly dominates even a stylistic giant like Pixar. But much of it is also quite hilarious as well – particularly in Mabel’s interactions with the other animals and the dynamics between the various species – and that hectic pace also helps the film move along at a steady clip that rarely drags.
It’s also, in the end, quite poignant. There is an obvious environmental message here, but more importantly, there is a running theme of intelligent, empathetic beings of all kinds – whether they’re humans or animals – learning to have faith in and cooperate with each other, even if their goals are vastly different at first. Mayor Jerry is not necessarily the bad guy here (although to be sure, there is also a megalomaniacal villain who amounts to little more than a brat throwing a major tantrum), anymore than Mabel is a perfect heroine. Seeing things through other’s eyes, suggests ‘Hoppers,’ allows us to better understand each other and find ways to work together.
All this is set amidst top-shelf Pixar designs and animation, which bring the animals (real and robotic), the humans, and the setting to three-dimensional, textured, wonderfully detailed life. Yes, the film can be overstuffed (particularly during the third act, which throws a lot at the viewer), but this is a world that viewers of all ages will enjoy spending time in.
Director Daniel Chong balances lesser-known voices and comedic actors here with the presence of luminaries like Meryl Streep and Jon Hamm. Streep’s work amounts to not much more than an extended cameo, while Hamm does his slick best as the ambitious yet not entirely heartless mayor of Beaverton. Also notable are Dave Franco as Titus, the future (and bad-tempered) Insect King, and Kathy Najimy as the kindly Dr. Sam.
Yet it’s Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan who carry most of the film as Mabel and King George, respectively, and their voices display charisma, comic timing, and plenty of warmth. As a character, Mabel is perhaps unevenly drawn (no pun intended), not quite negotiating her traits of compassion and anger, but Curda still gives her personality, energy and empathy. Moynihan does the same with George, as the beaver evolves from somewhat of a guileless figurehead into a staunch, courageous defender of his world.
As ‘Hoppers’ races toward its conclusion, there’s that sense we mentioned that the filmmakers are throwing everything they can think of into the story – almost losing control of it in the process. But luckily it all comes together in an ending that’s sweet, relevant, and important. And what comes in the previous 95 minutes or so offers a lot to relish as well.
Most importantly, ‘Hoppers’ shows that Pixar itself is still capable of generating new, original animated stories – especially in an era where corporations like Disney are more and more reliant on revisiting proven IP (Pixar’s next release, after all, is ‘Toy Story 5’). Whatever its flaws, ‘Hoppers’ is wildly imaginative, emotionally rich, and thematically powerful – and we’re glad that Pixar can still deliver that.
Animal lover Mabel uses a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. Once in the animal world, Mabel rallies species of all kinds to face smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo, whose planned freeway may destroy their habitat.
(L to R) Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
Following the divisive ‘Scream VI’ and the controversy that erupted after the firing of star Melissa Barrera from the series, the 30-year-old franchise has gone for the nostalgia gold with ‘Scream 7,’ which sees the return of original star Neve Campbell and original writer Kevin Williamson, who now also directs.
But any spark from their return to the franchise is not evident in this tired, often dull, and borderline nonsensical entry. If anything, ‘Scream 7’ proves that the franchise has become what it once poked fun at, a horror brand running on fumes and a convoluted legacy that it forgets when necessary. It’s time for Ghostface to hang up the mask and robe.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Neve Campbell, and Director Kevin Williamson on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
‘Scream 7’ begins with the now-standard opening set piece, in which a young couple (Jimmy Tatro and Michelle Randolph) who come to spend the night at a ‘Macher Murder House Experience’ end up sliced, diced, and roasted by the new Ghostface. The sequence is well-staged and the ‘Murder House’ idea clever – but it’s dropped immediately thereafter.
We then move on to the town of Pine Grove, where founding ‘Scream’ heroine Sidney Prescott, now Evans (Campbell), is living a quiet life with her police chief husband (Joel McHale) and her teenage daughter Tatum (Isabel May), the latter of which she has a strained relationship with. It isn’t very long, however, before Sidney gets a call from the new Ghostface – and alarmingly, a video call as well, in which the killer appears to be the allegedly dead Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), one of the original Ghostface murderers from the first ‘Scream.’
Sidney, her family, and some of her daughter’s friends are attacked, but the initial assault ends up being something of a diversionary tactic before the real games begin. Pine Grove goes into lockdown and a few old friends return as Ghostface begins mowing down everyone around Sidney and targeting both her and Tatum for death.
(L to R) Isabel May, and Director Kevin Williamson, on the set of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
From this rather thin narrative, ‘Scream 7’ spins out a few ideas about AI and Hollywood’s endless thirst for nostalgia, only to do little with them. The same goes for the cast: while Campbell is a welcome presence of course, the rest of the ensemble is a bland cluster of actors who stand around waiting to get killed or looking suspicious. Speaking of which, we guessed who was behind the Ghostface killings pretty early on, but that doesn’t stop the finale – including the revelation of the killers – from being perhaps the weakest of the entire franchise, with motivations that don’t even make much sense capping a third act that tosses away almost all story logic.
References to earlier entries abound, including ‘Scream VI,’ and two characters from that film show up just to let us know that the franchise is not going to pretend that that NYC-based adventure never happened. But regardless, everything here has a detectable lack of energy, and both cast and filmmakers seem to largely go through the motions. Some of the kills are gleefully sadistic and creatively staged, but those and, again, Campbell’s return are about the only bright spots we can find.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) McKenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor and Isabel May star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
As we said, Neve Campbell’s return is a welcome one; she has an earthy, no-nonsense attitude that grounds her performance. But even she has trouble keeping her energy up, especially during some of the film’s tedious dialogue sequences, with most of her real fire coming in the confrontations with Ghostface. It doesn’t help that the younger, newer cast members around her don’t really get the chance to display much personality.
As for Courteney Cox, the franchise’s other longstanding charter member shows up during the second act and mostly disappears for the third – while we appreciate that this is a Sidney-centric story, it’s too bad Gale doesn’t have more to do. Other legacy cast members in the film – most of which have been made public, like David Arquette and Scott Foley – are really just rolled out in service of the nostalgia that the film ostensibly wants to satirize.
Final Thoughts
Neve Campbell stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream 7.’
Kevin Williamson returns to the ‘Scream’ saga for the first time since 2011’s well-regarded ‘Scream 4,’ but he and co-writer Guy Busick don’t seem to have anything new to deploy this time (it would have been interesting to see what ‘Happy Death Day’ writer/director Christopher Landon, who left the first version of ‘Scream 7’ after Barrera was fired and Jenna Ortega departed, might have done with the mythos). As a visualist he’s not that savvy here either: much of the film is shrouded in darkness that makes it hard to see the strikingly plentiful gore.
Those gruesome effects, the flashy murders, and Campbell may all be enough to draw both ‘Scream’ diehards and casual fans back to the theater, but it’s not enough to creatively sustain a franchise that has all but abandoned the rules and underlying premise that once made it seem revolutionary. After seven films, it’s time for ‘Scream’ to let silence reign.
Sidney Prescott has built a new life for herself in the quiet town of Pine Grove, Indiana, until a new Ghostface killer begins to target her daughter Tatum, forcing her to face her past and end the killings once and for all.
Sterling K. Brown plays Agent Xavier Collins in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
Arriving on Hulu on February 23 with three episodes (with five more to follow once weekly) is the second season of ‘Paradise’, the thriller series from ‘This is Us’ creator Dan Fogelman that keeps audiences guessing.
Shailene Woodley plays Annie in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
Talking about ‘Paradise’ is a dicey prospect for any reviewer, since it is predicated on a giant, twisty premise. But if you’re here reading a review of Season 2, we have to assume you’ve seen the first season (if not, go and watch it!) so I can talk about the fact that it revolves around an underground community that is designed to keep a limited population safe after an Earth-shattering environmental incident.
The first run of episodes was full of twists and turns, and the second keeps the pace up, even if much about the community has been revealed. But the best idea here was to send Brown’s Xavier Collins on a hunt for his wife, who has survived the cataclysmic events elsewhere, opening things up to new avenues.
Script and Direction
Krys Marshall plays Agent Nicole Robinson in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
Dan Fogelman, no stranger to both narrative rug pulls and tugging on the emotional heart strings, has here managed to keep the story of ‘Paradise’ moving even after the revelations of last year. The expanded plotline is worthwhile, even if it sometimes dilutes the overall effectiveness.
Filmmaking duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa are the primary directors for the series, and working alongside a couple of others, they keep ‘Paradise’ looking good, with the visual palette of the post-apocalyptic outside world just as impactful as those inside the show’s usual community.
Cast and Performances
Julianne Nicholson plays Samantha Redmond in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
It’s no accident that Fogelman chose to work with Sterling K. Brown again after helping him break out with ‘This is Us.’ Here, Brown gets plenty of chances to showcase his considerable acting chops, bringing lots of layers to Secret Service officer Xavier Collins.
Julianne Nicholson remains superb as the calculating tech billionaire Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond who conceived of the bunker, while in-Paradise highlights include Krys Marshall as dedicated officer Robinson and Nicole Brydon Bloom as the psychopathic Jane.
Woodley, meanwhile, enjoys her own storyline as survivor Annie, who made it through the environmental chaos holed up in Graceland.
Final Thoughts
Sarah Shahi plays Dr. Gabriela Torabi in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
‘Paradise’s first season was a series of mystery box reveals, and while elements of that remain in the second, the focus is also on the emotional stakes for the characters, letting some accomplished actors revel in solidly written scripts.
‘Paradise’ Season 2 receives 71 out of 100.
Nicole Brydon Bloom plays Jane Driscoll in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
What’s the plot of ‘Paradise’ Season 2?
A shocking murder turns the serene community of Paradise on its head. Kicking off a high-stakes investigation that uncovered secrets that some hoped would stay hidden.
And in Season 2, the world expands yet further as both Sterling K. Brown’s Xavier Collins and the story venture beyond Paradise’s borders.
Who stars in ‘Paradise’?
Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins
James Marsden as President Cal Bradford
Nicole Brydon Bloom as Jane Driscoll
Julianne Nicholson as Samantha Redmond
Sarah Shahi as Dr. Gabriela Torabi
Shailene Woodley as Annie
Thomas Doherty as Link
Sterling K. Brown plays Agent Xavier Collins in ‘Paradise’ Season 2. Photo: Disney/Ser Baffo.
(L to R) Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, and Zazie Beetz star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Having not made a movie for nearly a decade, Gore Verbinski has certainly found the right project with which to burst back on the scene. You can’t exactly imagine that Sarah Connor would have responded quite so well had she been confronted by someone as manic and shady as Sam Rockwell’s Man from the Future in ‘The Terminator’, but the new comedy certainly channels some of that movie’s concerns about the future.
Rockwell brings his typically nervy energy to the role, but it’s not a one-man show.
Script and Direction
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ director Gore Verbinski. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Written by ‘Love and Monsters’Matthew Robinson, ‘Good Luck’ harkens back to wild time-travel movies such as ‘Twelve Monkeys’ in particular, but has its own weird sensibility. While it doesn’t completely hold up towards the end –– several disparate storylines have to be knotted together, and it’s not always the cleanest fit –– the whole is happily more than the sum of its parts.
Verbinski, meanwhile, is clearly relishing the chance to cut loose once more, freed from studio restraints and letting a smaller budget be the mother of invention. There are various standout moments, and the movie is satisfying by the time the credits roll.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Asim Chaudhry, Juno Temple, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, Zazie Beetz and Haley Lu Richardson star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Rockwell is the central figure here, driving the narrative and spilling exposition in a way that it remains interesting and (usually) easy to follow. He’s also a compelling, crazed and, as his full story is revealed, emotional figure.
The rest of the cast are more of a mixed bag in terms of how much they have to do, but Richardson and Temple in particular are great in this.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, and Haley Lu Richardson star in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
It might not hit every beat it takes aim at, but ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ proudly finds its own groove, and once you’re on its wavelength, it’s hard not to have fun taking the wild ride.
‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ receives 80 out of 100.
Sam Rockwell stars in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’?
A man (Sam Rockwell) from the future travels to the past and recruits the patrons of a Los Angeles diner he arrives in to help combat a rogue artificial intelligence.
Who is in the cast of ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’?
Filmed in 2023 and collecting dust since then, ‘Psycho Killer’ boasts a rising star in Georgina Campbell, a script by ‘Seven’ scribe Andrew Kevin Walker, and the backing of producers behind films like ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Weapons.’
So how did this movie go so horribly off-course? Touted as a sort of serial killer epic, the film is as generic as its title and offers nothing in the way of suspense or genuine chills. Utilizing genre tropes that go back to the 1980s, ‘Psycho Killer’ fails to do anything new with them and even lacks anything in the way of truly shocking kills.
At first, ‘Psycho Killer’ seems like it might take an interesting tack: the nation itself is being terrorized by a murderer who has gruesomely and randomly dispatched more than 15 people across six states, with both local and federal authorities baffled. Much of the opening act is told from the point of view of the killer (James Preston Rogers), dubbed by the media as the Satanic Slasher due to the pentagrams and demonic writings the masked monster leaves at his crime scenes.
But nothing too remarkable is done with the idea of a sort of national hysteria brought on by a single killer, and the point of view begins to shift to that of Jane Archer (Georgina Campbell), a Kansas state trooper who lost her husband, also a trooper, to the Satanic Slasher in a cold-blooded daytime shooting that Jane herself witnessed.
Despite official attempts to wave Jane off the case, she doggedly pursues it on her own and chases the killer across the country, while he continues his murder spree and pursues his ultimate agenda. This is where the movie runs into serious problems on all fronts: there is no urgency to either the Slasher or Jane’s missions, and the film’s lackadaisical pacing only reinforces the turgid, repetitive nature of the narrative. One scene halfway through – in which Jane briefly confronts the Slasher – is simply ridiculous because he could slaughter her as easily as he kills everyone else, but allows her to escape only because the movie needs to fill another 45 minutes or so.
The same could be said for the Slasher’s stopover at the estate of a wealthy Satanist (Malcolm McDowell), which serves no real purpose except to show some cultists getting naked in a black mass. As for the killer’s ultimate plan, it’s as half-formed and ludicrous as anything else that happens in the movie.
‘Psycho Killer’ goes through such generic, stock tropes – the film even implies that heavy metal music may have influenced the Slasher (yes, that old chestnut) – that we found ourselves wondering if something was going to flip the whole thing on its head and make the movie into some sort of ‘meta’ comment on the genre itself. But no, ‘Psycho Killer’ offers up nothing of the sort, plodding to a weary finish that makes less and less sense as it gets there. Even the kills are dull, with the Slasher mainly swinging large objects into people’s torsos or heads as gouts of CG blood squirt into the air.
Georgina Campbell is something of an up-and-coming scream queen who has acquitted herself nicely in other genre films like ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Cold Storage.’ But while she tries valiantly here, the story lets her down and makes her into a one-note hero and vessel for exposition. The fact that almost none of the men in the film seem to take Jane seriously only adds to the insult.
James Preston Rogers certainly has an imposing physical presence and a voice as deep as the vaults of hell itself, but the Slasher in his long black coat and radiation mask lacks anything resembling a personality and has a muddled back story that may have at least been partially left on the cutting room floor. Malcolm McDowell is a legend, of course, but all he does here is chew the scenery for a few minutes before exiting abruptly.
‘Psycho Killer’ is directed by Gavin Polone, who has worked much more frequently as a producer and should perhaps keep that job: his direction doesn’t exhibit any feel for creating a truly terrifying atmosphere or sense of impending doom. As for Andrew Kevin Walker, we have to wonder what happened to the writer who gave us the brilliant ‘Seven’ all those years ago.
That was a movie that had something to say, along with three expertly conceived characters. But ‘Psycho Killer,’ which seems positioned as a throwback to the serial killer films of the 1980s, has nothing to say about that era of horror cinema and nothing new to offer about this longstanding archetype itself. As the song of the same name (which does not show up here) once said, ‘run, run, run away’ from this misfire.
‘Psycho Killer’ receives a score of 30 out of 100.
Following the brutal murder of her husband, a Kansas highway patrol officer (Georgina Campbell) sets out to track down the perpetrator. As the hunt progresses, she comes to realize the man responsible (James Preston Rogers) is a sadistic serial killer, and the depth of his mental depravity and his sinister agenda is more twisted than anyone could have imagined.
Halle Berry stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
‘Crime 101’ really wants to be Michael Mann’s ‘Heat’ (and maybe some of his ‘Thief’ as well). Not that there’s anything wrong with that; epic crime thrillers are few and far between these days, and writer-director Bart Layton’s 140-minute L.A.-based drama has a lot of the scope and a glittering cast to make a run at it.
Based on gritty genre writer Don Winslow’s 2020 novella of the same name, ‘Crime 101’ doesn’t quite hit the heights of Mann’s 31-year-old masterpiece – it’s patterned almost too closely on that film’s narrative, for one thing, and it takes far too long to set itself up and finally get to the good stuff. But when it does work – thanks to some terrific work from some of that cast – ‘Crime 101’ can be suspenseful and absorbing.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
A mysterious man named Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is committing a series of flawlessly executed heists – mainly of precious jewels — up and down the length of California’s 101 freeway, from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles. Careful not to harm a single person during his crimes, Davis is also lonely, isolated, and socially awkward, with his only goal to reach a certain sum of money and his past shrouded in shadows.
While most of the LAPD squad assigned to the robberies just wants to close them out, Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) sees a pattern in them and is convinced it’s one man, annoying his superiors. His investigation brings him into the orbit of Sharon Coombs (Halle Berry), a claims adjuster whose insurance firm handles the kind of high-end clients who are taking a hit from Davis’ heists.
When Davis targets another of Coombs’ clients for what he hopes is his final job, that puts Coombs on his radar as well – but unbeknownst to Davis, his own benefactor (Nick Nolte) has put a second operator on the job, a psychotic, violent man-child named Ormon (Barry Keoghan) who does not share Davis’ moral code or any hesitation to hurt and kill.
(L to R) Monica Barbaro and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Dean Rogers.
‘Crime 101,’ as with Winslow’s other works and the films that Layton emulates, walks the well-worn gray area of many a crime film where the lines between the criminals and the ‘good guys’ are often blurry and where thieves often have codes of honor that are tested to the breaking point by other forces. But a problem here that hampers ‘Crime 101’ is that it never creates a consistently rising sense of tension for a good portion of the film. Setup takes up a large chunk of its first half, and the narrative finds itself going down more than one blind alley.
There is more attention paid to character development, but only selectively, and often in ways that seem incongruous. But the movie does come to life in fits and starts, including a pulse-pounding car and motorcycle chase involving Davis and Ormon, some other scenes involving the latter, and almost all of the third act, as Davis, Lubesnick, Ormon and others are all drawn into Davis’ carefully calibrated plan. Layton also makes good use of real Los Angeles locations, from downtown to Malibu, effectively making the city very much a character itself, although Blanck Mass’ heavy-handed score, all synths and thunderous drums, works too hard to add extra gravitas.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Strangely enough, the weakest component of the all-star cast here may be its leading man. Hemsworth’s Davis is a curiously flat character – and while much of his background is intentionally left murky, there’s not enough for Hemsworth to work with, rendering him kind of a blank. Also unhelpful is his almost complete lack of chemistry with Berry and especially Monica Barbaro, who shows up in the Amy Brenneman role from ‘Heat’ – the love interest who changes the thief’s perspective – and brings her own considerable magnetism in spades, even in a typically underwritten and stock role.
Despite looking like he just came right from the ‘Task’ set to this film – his rumpled, exhausted cops are virtually indistinguishable – Mark Ruffalo brings his usual wounded dignity and innate decency to the role of Lou, who you can’t help but love thanks to his dogged determination and, uh, attempts at yoga (too bad Jennifer Jason Leigh is wasted completely and barely seen as his estranged wife).
The film’s MVPs, however, are Berry and Keoghan. The former is electric as a hard-working, quick-witted woman pushed to the brink by her obnoxious, sexist bosses, while the latter is genuinely frightening and unpredictable as the wild card psycho Ormon. Even though we’ve pretty much had enough Joker in recent Batman movies, Keoghan almost makes us want to see his cameoing Clown Prince of Crime from ‘The Batman’ show up again in Matt Reeves’ upcoming sequel.
Final Thoughts
Chris Hemsworth stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Dean Rogers.
Bart Layton definitely gets an ‘A’ for effort with ‘Crime 101’ – he really wants to make the kind of complex, morally ambivalent, tense, adult-oriented thriller that is harder to glimpse at the multiplex these days than an influencer staying off their phone for the entire length of a movie.
Yet Layton makes his melodrama almost too complicated; careful pruning of some subplots and sequences – he apparently likes one slowly rotating opening shot of the title motorway so much that he does it again later in the film – might have jacked up the pace and added more urgency to the proceedings. Still, while ‘Crime 101’ is not the epic crime drama the director-writer may have had in mind, it still manages to generate enough heat of its own to keep one interested.
‘Crime 101’ receives a score of 70 out of 100.
Corey Hawkins and Mark Ruffalo star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
What is the plot of ‘Crime 101’?
As an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) mystifies police with a string of heists along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. As the thief plans one final heist, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher for all three.
Halle Berry attends the European Gala Screening for Amazons: ‘Crime 101’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Opening in theaters February 13, ‘GOAT’ features the voices of Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, David Harbour, and more. Inspired by the real-life story of basketball superstar Stephen Curry, the film delivers a powerful message about dreaming big.
If the ‘GOAT’ trailer did not catch your interest, you are not alone. The marketing for this film has made it seem a lot more silly and childish than it actually is. Sure, there are jokes weaved in for younger audiences, but this a family movie, rather than one made for kids.
Adults have plenty of jokes included for them as well, and the overall message is extremely heartwarming. While ‘GOAT’ has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, there are also some that will have viewers reaching for the tissues.
While it might seem like this is a story we have all heard before, ‘GOAT’ offers a fresh and unique take on the message of following your dreams. In a world where big animals play Roarball (a play on basketball), a small goat named Will (Caleb McLaughlin) wants nothing more than to take the court.
The movie is not about him working hard to get there, as he is drafted to the Thorns early on. The real message lies in learning to find your place in the world, not listening to others, and being yourself. As he gets to know his teammates, they all grow as one, but also individually.
One of the subtle inclusions, but a powerful one nonetheless, is the fact that the Roarball league is co-ed. Will looks up to Jett as his inspiration. He wants to be like her when he grows up. This normalizes boys and girls, women and men, playing together as one and getting along with each other. It is just one more way that ‘GOAT’ subverts the tropes of a sports movie.
There are plenty of basketball Easter eggs (directors Tyree Dillihay and Adam Rosette certainly know their stuff), but thanks to the brilliant writing, you do not need to know basketball to understand the story or the jokes. Music also has a strong presence in the film, whether it be the inclusion of the a song or the unforgettable score.
Caleb McLaughlin voices Will Harris, the main character, and while he is an amazing live action actor, you never know if that can translate over to voice acting. They are two completely different animals (pun intended). Thankfully, Caleb is sure to blow audiences away as he brings the perfect amount of heart and humor to the film.
Gabrielle Union is a powerhouse and an absolutely brilliant choice for the voice of Jett. A woman who knows exactly what she wants, even if she does a bit of an inflated ego at times. As for the rest of the team: Steph Curry who voices Lenny, David Harbour who voices Archie, Nick Kroll who voices Modo, and Nicola Coughlan who voices Olivia, all bring something special to the table. Creating a voice team that has a comedic and heartfelt chemistry.
‘GOAT’ is far more heartfelt than the marketing leads viewers to believe. Thanks to an incredible cast chemistry, well timed jokes, and gorgeous animation, it sets the bar high for the family films of 2026.
The story follows Will, a small goat with big dreams who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball – a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will’s new teammates aren’t thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that “smalls can ball!”
