Greetings again from the darkness. Talk about perfect timing. Not only is this documentary from Sara Robin a must-watch for parents and a should-watch for everyone, the subject matter is incredibly timely as it displays how we somehow haven’t learned our lesson, leaving history to repeat itself. The film opens with footage of Mark Zuckerberg answering questions during a Congressional hearing on the effects of social media on the mental health of kids. Ms. Robin then proceeds to walk us through the backstory … the inspiration for the activists who pushed for change.
I don’t recall having a more emotional response to a documentary (and I watch many). The remarkable Kristin Bride recounts the pain of losing her 16-year-old son to suicide after he was cyber-bullied. This sets her on the road to activism, where she is joined by others, including Trisha Prabhu, the founder of ReThink, as well as authors, educators, technologists, and parents. Some would argue that bullying and personal insults have been around for many years, and they’d be correct. The difference is that social media allows for anonymous and vicious attacks that spread widely and quickly. One approach is embarrassing, while the other can be devastating and life-altering.
Former United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy contributes his thoughts on the topic of how social media plays a role in the mental health of kids, and it’s ‘Facebook Whistleblower’ Frances Haugen who brought so much attention to this topic by exposing Big Tech’s knowledge of the impact they had. She did this by disclosing thousands of internal documents laying out company research. It seemed the time was ripe for action. However, for a government that has shown very little interest in protecting children from school shootings, should it be a surprise that the mental health of kids who are cyber-bullied or humiliated via social media is not the highest priority … especially when the system is generating big money and Big Tech is so politically influential?
As heartbreaking as teenage suicide stories are, it’s incredulous to think that Artificial Intelligence could have even more dramatic repercussions. Once again, politics is being ruled by power and money rather than protection of the country’s citizens. “What could go wrong?” Well, it’s already going wrong. AI chat bots have begun relationships with lonely teens … those already isolated socially thanks to online cruelty. And once again, the government is depending on these tech giants to ‘self-police’, an approach that has already proven to fail at protecting users.
The film fills us in on Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act passed in 1996 at the infancy of the internet. This has been used to insulate these providers, regardless of the research and damage. Ms. Robin follows the KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) as it works its way through Congress, only to be stalled by politics, special interests, big tech, and big money. Those working for the bill have a goal of building a better/kinder internet with reasonable safeguards. For the providers, the goal is selling user attention to advertisers. Some have termed this exploitation, while others excuse it as the effects of free market.
The film takes a few side trips, with the most interesting being Amsterdam, where we learn about the “Offline Club”. Folks gather and voluntarily relinquish their devices in order to hang out and socialize in the old-fashioned way. It’s the counterpoint to what the film earlier describes as those who are ‘digitally connected and socially isolated’. The comparison has been made that this fight is similar to the ‘Big Tobacco’ hearings of the 1990’s. Watching this film sent me through multiple emotions, including heartbreak, anger, and hope. It leaves us with words from Kristin Bride’s son: “In the end, only kindness matters.” If he were to see his mother’s work, he would surely add ‘courage’ to the creed.
Available to rent or own on October 6, 2026 on Apple TV and other platforms.
Posted by David Ferguson 
When you think of Alice Cooper, images of the goth rocker putting on a macabre theatrical rock and roll performance likely fill your mind. A chicken, the gallows, the guillotine, baby dolls, and (fake) blood were all part of the show, alongside the music which spanned heavy metal, glam rock, and even new wave. Mr. Cooper is now 78 years old, and this is his third memoir/autobiography. He opens this latest by pledging, after six decades of entertaining, to come clean about some of the previous rumors, exaggerations, and inflated legends.
Greetings again from the darkness. Even though studio sound stages are necessary and serve a purpose in movie making and TV series, watching scenes filmed on location adds the realism that can make or break a production. As an experienced Location Scout and Location Manager, first time director Paula Gonzalez-Nasser (she also wrote the screenplay) understands the importance of realism. To that point, and by design, her film often has somewhat the feel of a documentary.
Greetings again from the darkness. It happened on October 7, 2023. Hamas attacked. People were killed. Hostages were taken. A war began or rather was reignited. Documentarian Brandon Kramer (THE FIRST STEP, 2021) details each of these and chooses to focus on the plight of one family. We all know about the still ongoing (and escalated) violence between Israel and the Palestinians (more than 75 years now) on the West Bank, and Kramer’s attention to one family makes this personal, emotional, and frightening.
Greetings again from the darkness. Verity Crawford’s mid-century modern lake house/mansion is jaw-dropping and a true architectural marvel (actually located in Armonk, NY). Of course, if the best thing I can say about a film is that the title character’s house is amazing … well, you have a good idea how I felt about it. Still, I will not be bashing the movie as I might have if I had watched it on my own. Instead, I was in a theater full (mostly adult women) of fans of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2018 novel (I have not read it), and as shown by audience reactions, the vast majority thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
Greetings again from the darkness. There will likely be a very distinct line of demarcation between those who ‘dig’ DIGGER and those who don’t. Director Alejandro Inarritu, who won Oscars for THE REVENANT (2015) and BIRDMAN (THE UNEXPTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE, 2014) and a list of five esteemed writers (Sabina Berman, Jez Butterworth, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolas Giacobone, Inarritu) seemingly crafted a film that looks amazing, while intentionally angering or annoying or confusing a big chunk of movie goers. Not only will those who prefer traditional storytelling be frustrated, the politics involved will surely irritate many (and drive some nasty comments).
Like many families, our holiday traditions include annual viewings of the 1966 animated “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983), and, of course, the main event, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). The latter, Frank Capra’s classic, is now 80 years old, and the timing is perfect for a deep dive into why this film has made such an impact on so many viewers over the years. Co-authors Emily St James and Lauren Theisen clearly share a love for the film and fully engage when writing about the individual pieces that make up the whole: the studio, the filmmakers, the cast, and a couple of odd (perhaps lucky) breaks along the way.
Greetings again from the darkness. Director David Ayer (the excellent END OF WATCH, 2012) is no fool. He wisely begins the movie by putting the audience at ease. Yes, the dog survives. We learn this in the opening scene he blocks the road of a pickup driver (Anna Lambe, “True Detective”). We immediately shift to flashback mode, unsure whether the dog’s owner is still alive. The first feature film screenplay from Cameron Alexander benefits immensely from a couple of key factors: stunning scenery and a touching bond between man (Oscar winner Brad Pitt) and dog (Odin, a properly renamed Uber).
Greetings again from the darkness. Director Lance Oppenheim (SOME KIND OF HEAVEN, 2020) and co-writers Luke Dittrich and Ajon Singh toss nearly two hours of psychology at us, leaving us to fend for ourselves on how best to define evil and acceptable boundaries of ethics and decency. It’s a bit of a mind twister that some may define as horror, while others cast it as satire. Regardless of your take, I found this to be a mesmerizing look at the things that make some people tick.
Greetings again from the darkness. One of the most frightening things in existence is when mental illness blends with brilliance. Ted Kaczynski was a 16-year-old math prodigy at Harvard in 1958, and then arrested in 1996 after being identified as the Unabomber. His reign of terror covered 1978 through 1995, and his bombings were responsible for three murders and twenty-three injuries. The manhunt was the longest and most expensive in FBI history.
