SICK (2026, Poland)

September 19, 2026

Fantastic Fest 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. My decision to review this movie was based on one thing: it’s the feature film directorial and screenwriting debut of Agata Trzebuchowska, who starred in Pawel Pawlikowski’s excellent IDA (2013). That was the extent of my research for this film from Poland, and now after watching it, I am at a loss on how to review without spoiling anything about it. Simply stating that the twists will surely surprise you is not enough – and it helps if you are unaware, as I was, of the film’s genre prior to watching.

It starts out as a ‘normal’ family situation. Sixteen-year-old Maks (Konrad Kakol) travels to a rural home to care for his ailing grandmother (Monica Niemczyk). Maks is a typically awkward teenage boy who spends his time reading comic books and looking at girls online. He is soon joined by his nineteen-year-old sister, Emma (Katarzyna Lubik). She’s perturbed she has to be there and spends entirely too much time drinking and sunbathing, leaving much of the work to Maks.

Emma’s tough façade hides the depression she’s fighting, while Grandma appears to be battling multiple ailments – both physically and mentally. All I can add here is that things get creepy. And then things get creepier. The film takes us in a couple of different directions initially and then stuns us with a twist that shifts everything. The climax is something else totally (with only a few subtle hints along the way). It’s a summer Maks will never forget. Any deeper description would take away from your own bewilderment at the progressions. The twists are such that most will not ‘figure out’ where it’s headed, and viewers are better off just letting it unfold. It will be interesting to see where Ms. Trzebuchowska takes her next feature film.

The film has its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 18, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE WEIGHT (2026)

September 17, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. Padraic McKinley, a film editor by trade, makes his feature film directorial debut with one that feels like a throwback. And that’s not just because it’s based in 1933 Eugene, Oregon during the depression.  This is a period thriller that maintains our interest through characters and setting and story. What’s unusual is that there are four writing credits: Matthew Booi, Shelby Gaines, Leo Scherman, and Matthew Chapman … usually not a good sign, but most of it works pretty well here.

Ethan Hawke stars as Samuel Murphy, a single dad devoted to his precocious young daughter Penny (Avy Berry, A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE, 2024). Times are tough, and father and daughter return from church service to find they’ve been evicted. This leads to an alleyway skirmish resulting in Samuel being wrongfully arrested and separated from his daughter. Sentenced to a work camp run by Warden Clancy (Oscar winner Russell Crowe), Samuel’s resourcefulness in engineering the removal of a boulder and fixing up a broken down 1918 bootlegger’s car, impresses Clancy.

Samuel is laser-focused on getting released and reuniting with his daughter, so he accepts a deal with Clancy. The job is moving a supply of gold bars through the rough forest terrain before the government confiscates it. He has five days and must depend on a couple other convicts. We get a countdown through the trek, where they meet up with native American Anna (Julia Jones, WIND RIVER, 2017) and a creepy stranger (Cameron Brady). The journey is anything but simple as challenges include more than a creepy stranger … also, a dangerous rope bridge, campfires, weather, and mostly distrust, backstabbing, and greed.

The film’s only weakness is in the non-descript secondary characters, although the cast (Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynngaard Tonnesen, Sam Hazeldine, George Burgess, Alec Newman) does the best with what they are given. In fact, only Mr. Hawke, Mr. Crowe, and Ms. Jones are memorable in their roles, and what’s interesting is that both Hawke and Crowe quietly underplay their characters using eyes and body language, making them stand out even more. Hawke has really put together a varied career, and he’s coming off a terrific season one of “The Lowdown” (plus he’s had five Oscar nominations over the years). Oscar winner Crowe remains one of the most powerful screen presences when he’s in the mood.

As previously stated, McKinley’s first feature is a bit of throwback, but one with heart and depth … and plenty to keep us engaged (although I’ll admit Clancy’s infatuation with baseball felt like a piece was missing). Whether a happy ending is in the wings is in doubt until the very end.

Opening in theaters on September 18, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

TRACES OF HOME (2026, doc)

September 17, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. The risk a filmmaker runs by producing a documentary to make sense of their own family is that it might easily turns into family therapy and/or personal therapy. However, in this case, it appears that’s exactly what Colette Ghunim was trying to do. She never had the close bond with her parents that she desperately wanted, so she set out to find out why those emotional defense mechanisms were in place. As with any therapy, the hope is that things get better, while the possibility exists that things get worse.

We first see Colette in a family video at Christmas in 1977. A grown Colette is not only the director of this film, she’s also the narrator … and she spent five plus years on the project. Her mother Iza is of Mexican descent, while her father Hosni was born in Palestine. Colette states she and her older brother Ramsey lived what appeared to be a typical suburban sitcom style childhood in Schaumburg, Illinois. Her complaint is that she never felt especially close to either of her parents, despite admitting they simply wanted to provide an American upbringing to the kids. Dad Hosni wanted to be a director, so he was rarely without a camera – providing plenty of clips of the kids from their childhood. Some of those clips show Mom Iza and Colette exchanging glances that carried silent messages.

Remarkably, Colette arranges a couple of family trips so that the parents can re-trace their roots. A trip to Palestine (Safed) finds Hosni emotional, despite cloudy memories of his time as a four-year-old, escaping war with his family. The sojourn to Mexico not only allows Iza to experience the joy of locating a childhood home, but also the pain of learning just how much her mother sacrificed in taking the kids from a dangerous environment. The emotions are rampant and that includes Colette’s own reactions.

Family dynamics are often bumpy, and we can’t help but wonder if Colette’s project was more for her than for her parents. Clearly, it was difficult for all. As viewers, we feel like eavesdroppers most of the time, and intruders some of the time.

Opens in theaters September 18, 2026 in NYC and September 25th in Los Angeles.

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Posted by David Ferguson

KNIFE: THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SALMAN RUSHDIE (2026, doc)

September 17, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. Seeing someone get violently attacked is horrifying, whether that be live or a video replay. An additional adjective can be added, ‘shocking’, when the attack occurs on a public figure in a public place. Such is the case when author Salman Rushdie was ambushed on stage at Chautauqua Institute (NY) in 2022. The attacker used a knife to stab Rushdie 14 times. One of the best documentarians working today, Alex Gibney (ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM, 2005; and an Oscar winner for TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, 2007), brings this story to the screen based on Rushdie’s 2024 memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder”.

Salman Rushdie makes for quite an eloquent narrator of his own story, and you are likely familiar with him as the target of Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini-issued fatwa in 1988, after Rushdie released his book, “The Satanic Verses.” A bit of quick math tells you that, at the time of this attack, Rushdie had lived more than thirty years with a death threat following him around. Mr. Gibney structures the film in intertwined pieces, including the attack, Rushdie’s hospital and recovery stint, the recordings by his wife, his earlier background as a writer, and his post-attack return to writing.

The film opens with Rushdie on stage at the event that would change his life, yet miraculously, not end it. Gibney elects not to show the video of the attack until much later in the film, however, the early images of Rushdie in the hospital bed make it clear just how violent this attack was. Rachel Eliza Griffiths is a renowned writer and Rushdie’s fifth wife. The video and photos she took of him in the hospital are incredibly personal, while also documenting his amazing recovery from a near-death attack. She understands the importance of documenting his recovery, and it’s clear these two adore each other.

Rushdie tries to recall those early days in the hospital, and one of his most vivid memories is a dream sequence involving Death from Bergman’s 1957 THE SEVENTH SEAL (a clip is included), and we also get scenes from TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1957) and PSYCHO (1960), two classic movies in which knives played a prominent role. Our first look at Rushdie’s injured eye is stunning, and as we learn more about his severe injuries, we can’t help but wonder just how he recovered so quickly and maintained such a positive outlook.

This is a man who uses language at an elevated level, and despite living most of his adult life under threats, his writings are often inspirational and about freedom of expression, especially in regard to religion. The archival footage of his early years provides a profile of a man who has always had the courage to write and say what he felt needed to be expressed. Amazingly, he was cleared to leave the hospital after six weeks, and Gibney films Rushdie’s return to the very stage (on Day 401) where the attack took place. It’s an emotional moment, and one Rushdie says brings him full circle and allows him to make peace … although neither Rushdie nor his wife mention the attacker’s name (a young man likely to spend the rest of his life in prison). Perhaps the most powerful words come not from the filmmaker or either of the talented writers, but rather when Rushdie recalls a lesson learned from his parents: “What can’t be cured, must be endured.”

Opening in theaters on September 17, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE UPRISING (2026)

September 10, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. It can be challenging to relate to an historical drama set in the 14th century, yet the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 in medieval England sometimes hits quite close to home. Writer-director Paul Greengrass directed three of the Jason Bourne movies, so we can expect the action sequences to be frenetic and thrilling … often relying too heavily on handheld cameras.

Andrew Garfield is ‘Ploughman’, a self-imposed moniker since “I am what I do”. We watch as he works his plot of land around the three graves near his cabin. He’s grieving and lonely, having paid a steep price from the bubonic plague known as “Black Death”. While he’s toiling away, the council for teenage King Richard II (Woody Norman, C’MON C’MON, 2021) is plotting behind closed doors whether to save the kingdom by taxing the rich or by taxing the poor. The rich would expect a seat at the proverbial table, so it all falls to the poor, of course. Ploughman doesn’t take kindly to the announcement and violently lashes out in anger … an action that John Ball (Jamie Bell) and Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) use as step one in the uprising of the frustrated masses.

The king’s council of corruption and manipulation is made up of elders: Archbishop Sudbury (Stephen Dillane), Chief Justice Belknap (Stanley Townsend), Treasurer Hales (Tom Hollander), and Mayor of London William Walworth (Jonny Lee Miller). While this group protects their own cone of power, the young king cowers in dark corners, escaping nightmares and uncertainty. Even his mum (Katherine Waterston) struggles to get him to govern.

Those in the rebellion are joined by Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie), a character clearly designed to represent the strong and determined women of the era. Injustice is readily accepted in no particular era, so an upswell of anger towards an oligarch by the oppressed is not surprising … although Ploughman’s elite fighting skills certainly are. The progression of the story and the battle scenes deliver significant intensity, and we can’t help but wince as those involved prove the adage, ‘power corrupts’.

If you know any of this history, you know the timid King makes a shocking turn, and one can only assume filmmaker Greengrass had no qualms about any modern-day symmetry shown in this saga from almost 650 years ago. The performances are quite good, and the Bavarian shooting locales perfectly capture the time period. Cinematographer Pal Ulvik Rokseth (ARMAND, 2024) embraces the feel of this setting, despite the trademark Greengrass overuse of handhelds. History can provide lessons of inspiration or lessons of caution, sometimes within the same story.

Opens nationwide in theaters on September 11, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

DON’T FORGET ME: EDDIE COCHRAN (2026, doc)

September 9, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. With new music being created every day, it’s important to keep alive the history of those early musicians who, decades later, are still influencing contemporary songwriters and musicians. This is exactly what Kirsty Bell accomplishes with her informative profile of Eddie Cochran, a young man whose stardom and artistic pursuits were cut short by a fatal car crash at age 21.

Most are familiar with “the day the music died”. On February 3, 1959, a plane crash in Iowa killed Buddy Holly (age 22), Richie Valens (17), and JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson (28), each a talented and rising star. Not as many are familiar with the car crash that killed Cochran barely one year later, on April 17, 1960. Cochran wrote and performed the classic “Summertime Blues”, which charted for him, and has since been recorded and performed by many artists, including The Beach Boys, Blue Cheer, The Who (yes, at Woodstock) and Alan Jackson.

Filmmaker Bell serves up a true profile of Eddie Cochran, going back to his childhood and his formative years in music (studio sessions). Jack Harris appears periodically as Eddie in reenactments and as narrator, as does Frances Barber as his beloved mother. Eddie’s older sister is interviewed, reminding us that not only is his story musical history, it’s also a personal tragedy. We learn Cochran’s guitar playing was influenced by Chet Atkins and that he was enamored with the music of Ray Charles. He not only befriended Gene Vincent (of “Be-Bop-A-Lula” fame, and another too-soon passing), but also the aforementioned Buddy Holly, with whom he had a friendly competition that found the two passing musical notes and ideas to each other.

The list of icons interviewed here includes Keith Richards, Albert Lee, Ronnie Wood, Peter Frampton, Alice Cooper, Cliff Richard, John Waters, Suzi Quatro, Garry Tallent, Yungblud, Rod Stewart, Roger Daltrey, Sting, and Kiefer Sutherland (among others). It’s a partial lineup that demonstrates just how influential and respected Eddie Cochran was, despite his unfortunately short career. Of course, I’ve only mentioned “Summertime Blues”, but Cochran left other memorable tunes, including “C’mon Everybody”, and “Twenty Flight Rock”. Because of his age, we will never know what directions he might have gone – music production, film acting, and/or continued songwriting and performing.

The film travels back to Cochran’s hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota and also goes into detail about his 1960 European Tour with Gene Vincent. We are fortunate to have the 1956 movie, THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT, which features a performance from Eddie (and others). In a remarkable twist of fate, it was Police Officer Dave Dee who found Cochran’s guitar after the fatal crash. This police officer went on to be part of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, an English rock band from the 1960’s (and mentioned in Quentin Tarantino’s DEATH PROOF). The message delivered by Kirsty Bell’s film and Eddie Cochran’s story is that good music connects the generations … even if tragedy strikes far too often.

The film opens in UK cinemas on September 11, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

WHO MOVES AMERICA (2026, doc)

September 9, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. Whether it’s flight attendants, dock workers, or Amazon, we tend to think about, and dread, the inconvenience a labor strike will cause us personally. Documentarian Yael Bridge gives us a rare peek inside … sometimes behind closed doors … to show us how a potential work stoppage (strike) could affect those workers and their families. This time, the company is UPS, which according to the film handles approximately six percent of all goods in the United States.

The film opens with some archival footage of the first UPS strike in 1997, before jumping to 2023 when the 340,000 UPS workers are preparing for collective bargaining on a new contract. Coming off the post-COVID era where UPS profits soared, the Teamsters union members are requesting and expecting many favorable changes. Filmmaker Bridge focuses on three people: a relatively new UPS driver in California, a long-time New York employee who was around during the 1997 strike, and a struggling part-timer in Kentucky. It should be noted that part-timers make up about 60% of the UPS workforce, and based on some of what we learn here, the company may have been skirting legalities in this area.

Solidarity is built through education and communication, and it’s a slow process when the workers are spread throughout the country and the expectations vary widely. At the time, drivers averaged $39 per hour and part-timers averaged $16 per hour. Of course, higher wages were one demand, but so were better working conditions (breaks, holidays, etc). It’s pretty interesting to hear these discussions, and even more enlightening to see which employees take a leadership role. The Teamsters’ national President, Sean O’Brien, makes the rounds and provides video updates for the employees. He’s also the one who announces a ‘tentative agreement’ (one that not every employee loves) that is subject to voting passage. Since each subsequent labor contract is built upon previous negotiations, generations of workers play a role … and this time it appears the union will plan ahead for the next round coming in five years.

The film opens September 9, 2026 in NYC’s IFC Center, kicking off a nationwide release that expands to Los Angeles on September 24, followed by Philadelphia, Boston, Encinitas, and additional cities throughout the fall.

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Posted by David Ferguson

MAYDAY (2026)

September 3, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. I guess we were due for a “Cold War Buddy Comedy”. And who better to deliver than co-directors John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein, the team behind GAME NIGHT (2018) and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (2023). This time out, they deliver excellent visuals to go along with stellar comedic chemistry between first class wisecracker Ryan Reynolds and expert straight man (and Oscar winner) Kenneth Branagh.

Reynolds stars as hotshot Navy pilot Troy Kelly, nicknamed “Assassin” for not-so-heroic reasons held at bay until near the film’s end. The year is 1987, which is forty years into the Cold War, and Reynolds is shot down while on a Top-Secret reconnaissance mission deep into Russian territory. A terrific visual effect has us following Troy’s ejection and fiery parachute down towards a very rough landing. He’s rescued by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), who it’s soon learned is a former KGB agent. Now living like a hermit miles from civilization, Nikolai prefers to be called ‘Nick’ and is thoroughly obsessed with all things American, especially TOP GUN … of which his prized possession is a Kramer-style bootleg of the film shot in a theater.

We are treated to a Jackie Chan-style bar fight, where Nick surprises with advanced skills. This forces the two men on a road trip, where Troy hopes he can be returned to freedom, and Nick hopes his efforts to save Troy will result in the ultimate relo to the U.S. for him and his daughter (an underused Maria Bakalova). While on this road trip, the men are being pursued by an ambitious and relentless Soviet agent played by Marcin Dorocinski (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE, 2023). Other memorable visuals include a chase scene through a parade involving a nuclear missile launcher and fisticuffs midflight while the plane door is open.

Cinematographer Barry Peterson deserves credit for visuals that maintain the pace of the Reynolds – Branagh back-and-forth, and the accompanying Bruce Springsteen songs don’t hurt either (a result of the Boss selling off his catalog). David Morse has a small role as Troy’s dad, but the subplot feels a bit slapped on, even if it doesn’t really distract from the overall entertainment value delivered by this latest Daley-Goldstein project. A key element on display is how both sides fall prey to propaganda.

The film will be released globally on Apple TV on September 4.

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Posted by David Ferguson

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: THE FIRST CORAL REEFERS (2026, doc)

September 3, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. With the mere mention of Jimmy Buffett, we immediately envision a sea of ‘Parrot heads’ sipping margaritas and having a blast as they sing along to the feel-good coastal tunes being played at a sunny outdoor venue. The beloved singer passed away three years ago, and now documentarian John H Cunningham provides an in-depth look at the early days. This is the origin story of the cultural phenomenon that Buffett built with his band … The Coral Reefers.

Oscar winner Jeff Bridges is a fitting narrator, and throughout the film we hear from former band members, those who were influenced by Buffett, and those who collaborated. A partial list includes guitarist Roger Bartlett, singers Deborah McColl and Mac McAnally, music producer Norbert Putnam, songwriter Keith Sykes, and country music star Kenny Chesney. What is immediately obvious is the respect these folks had for Buffett and their appreciation for having been associated with him, and his role in creating his own genre of music.

The stories from the 1970’s are fascinating. Sure, partying was central to the lifestyle – especially after Buffett relocated from Nashville to Key West, but it’s the associations and exchanges between musicians of the era that really strike a chord. Connections with Glenn Frey of The Eagles and the great James Taylor were important, and in fact, legend has it that Timothy B Schmitt was the first to use the ‘Parrot heads’ moniker. Filmmaker Cunningham is correct in titling this ‘The First Coral Reefers’, because there was certainly band turnover – some of it caused by the excessive partying of the time.

What the film does best is recount the foundation of the music, the band, the early albums, the changes in attitude (get it?), and the growth of a loyal fan base. The film ends with a list of former Coral Reefers who have ‘sailed on’, and Cunningham’s film will live on as a history of how Jimmy Buffett’s music became synonymous with “fun”. That’s not such a bad legacy.

The film will begin its theatrical release in major cities in early September timed to Jimmy Buffett Day (September 4, 2026) with a TVOD/ digital release to follow in November in the US/Canada.

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Posted by David Ferguson

COYOTE VS ACME (2026)

August 27, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. For those of us who grew up belly-laughing at Looney Tunes, the characters are considered sacred ground, so a bit of anxiety hits when movies like SPACE JAM (1996) hit the big screen. This especially holds true for this latest from director Dave Green, since we know so many of the beloved characters will be on display. Samy Burch (MAY DECEMBER, 2023) adapted the screenplay from a 1990 article in “The New Yorker”, with an assist from James Gunn (SUPERMAN, 2025) and Jeremy Slater (FANTASTIC FOUR, 2015). The blend of animation and live action is reminiscent of the 1988 classic, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT.

The two opening scenes set a high bar. A tongue-in-cheek title card reading “Based on a True Story” leads to the two action sequences. Dr. Lorre frantically escapes from Acme Labs and the more familiar pacing of Wile E Coyote trying (yet again) to nab the Road Runner serve as an introduction to the endless stream of Acme products that the amazingly persistent Wile E Coyote has used during his decades long bird chasing. Persistence is usually an admirable trait, though in this case it has led to his stockpile of gadgets and his shot in court … once he sees the advertisement by local law firm Avery, Jones, and Maltese (a nod to original Warner Bros animators Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Michael Maltese). Will Forte plays lawyer Kevin Avery whose catchphrase is “There’s always someone to blame”. Avery is a lazy lawyer and his specialty is quickly settling damage suits and then moving on to the next one.

Think of Kevin Avery’s approach as similar to what we saw on “Better Call Saul”. Avery’s hand gets forced when Wile E Coyote’s case against Acme becomes massive – thanks to Avery’s niece Paige (an excellent Lana Condor) – and a settlement collapse with Acme’s arrogant lead attorney, Buddy Crane (John Cena in alpha-male mode) falls through. Paige’s idealism contrasts with Avery’s skepticism and Crane’s over-confidence, making for quite a show in the courtroom run by Luis Guzman’s judge.

Many scenes were filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico – one of Bugs Bunny’s favorite spots – and the desert landscape makes for the perfect setting. Wile E Coyote is the epitome of a silent movie star, and we are reminded that he has ‘a limited number of signs’ for communicating. He has long been the aggressor and is now the victim seeking justice … going against the powerful mega corporation. Along the way, we see many of our Looney Tunes favorites, including Daffy Duck, Granny, Tweety Bird, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Witch Hazel, and Foghorn Leghorn (as Acme’s CEO). Many of the voices are provided by the great Eric Bauza – though of course, the legendary Mel Blanc lives on in our hearts (and ears).

Looney Tunes has long magically combined silliness with seriousness. This film (along with the human characters) play it straight, which ensures the comedy lands perfectly. Warner Bros had previously shelved the project (for tax purposes) prior to finding the new distributor. Even the politics and finances of Hollywood couldn’t stop this crew. The legacy of these iconic cartoon characters remains intact, and Looney Tunes fans will surely be satisfied. Meep Meep.

In theaters beginning August 28, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

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