The Drama

My View:  The Drama  (2026) R   In The Drama, a happily engaged couple, Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), are about to get married. However, their relationship is about to be put to the test when an unexpected, shocking, and explosive crisis sends their plans all to hell just days before their wedding. I will not spill what the crisis is, but it is shocking and would test any relationship. This is a film that starts out as a rom-com with a ‘meet cute’, a funny first date, and even a funnier first kiss. Then writer/director Kristoffer Borgli takes us on a trip to a very dark comedy that will make you squirm in your seat and maybe even gasp out loud a few times. You will be on the edge of your seat for every scene as things go further and further down a very rough and rock-filled rabbit hole. I think I even tried to look away at one point, but couldn’t. I loved Zendaya's and especially Robert Pattinson's performances, though you might not like their characters by the end of the film. Pattinson is brilliant in the role of a man whose world is shaken to the core and who puts too much faith in other people’s opinions. And I want to point out that Alana Haim’s performance is outstanding as the Maid of Honor who turns very quickly on Emma and doesn’t let up in her utter contempt. This is a film that you will talk about for days, and if you are like me, you may never want to see The Drama again. Not because it’s bad; in fact, it is amazing. It’s just darn uncomfortable to watch. And please, please don’t take anyone to see this on a first date. If you do, you may never see them again.  My Rating: Full Price  The Drama Website  Now playing in theaters nationwide

Familyfaire:  The Super Mario Galaxy Movie  (2026)  PG   The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues the adventures of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad. The gang is joined by Yoshi as they travel across the galaxy, exploring cosmic worlds as they face off against Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr. I did not like the 2023 film, and I found this one was even worse. My afternoon screening was filled with more adults than kids, which means its audience is full of fans of the games and that this film will make a boatload of money. Like the first film, I think only young kids and those video game fans will enjoy this film. Like the first film, it feels like the writers did one of their usual let’s throw everything up on the screen and hope some of it’s funny, which the Illumination studio is famous for. What I liked about the first film was the interaction between Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Princess Peach (voiced by the Anya Taylor-Joy) but sadly, Peach doesn’t have much to do after the opening sequence as this she is held in Bowser Jr.’s castle, with Mario, Luigi, Toad and new addition Yoshi on a mission to save her. The animation is colorful but unimaginative, and the storyline is one long video game, and once again, we don’t have any controllers to make the film move along. Now, gamers are going to love all the Easter eggs the film has and a few new characters that will delight some of the crowd. I found the film boring, unfunny, and stupid, with little thought given to character development or plot. However, I realize I am not the intended audience, and others may have a good time with the characters. I certainly didn’t. And once again, there are two bonus scenes, one mid-credits and the other at the very end of the film, that may make some gamers happy.  My Rating: Cable The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Website   Now playing in theaters nationwide

Indiefest:  Fantasy Life   (2025)  R   Fantasy Life follows Sam (Matthew Shear), a law school dropout who has just lost another job. His psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch) gives him a job babysitting the psychiatrist’s three granddaughters, and Sam soon falls for Dianne (Amanda Peet), the mother of the girls, who just happens to be in a bad marriage. Amanda Peet hasn’t been in a movie in ten years, and boy, have we missed her. Peet is perfect as Dianne, a woman who is dealing with mental health issues, along with an absent husband and a career as an actor that she thinks has forgotten about her. In walks Sam, a mess himself, who has anxiety attacks and needs a job. The two find they can quietly and lovingly support each other as they navigate life's ups and downs. With a brilliant, quirky supporting cast, the film slowly unfolds as we spend time with Sam, Dianne, and her family. Fantasy Life is a film you let wash over you, enjoying the performances that capture everyday life in a chaotic world that sometimes gets the best of us. My Rating: Full Price  Fantasy Life Website  Now playing in select theaters

My View: Pizza Movie  (2026)  Pizza Movie is about two college roommates, Jack (Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), who take an experimental drug called M.I.N.T.S and must go on a dangerous journey to pick up the only thing that will bring them down: a pizza. That dangerous journey? They have to travel two flights of stairs to their dorm lobby. Pizza Movie is a film where you question what drugs filmmakers Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney were taking when writing the script. The film is out of this world nuts, with some incredibly funny situations and others that are just out and out stupid and don’t work. However, the film never stays too long on one aspect and keeps throwing obstacles the guys have to overcome to get to that pizza. The great thing about this film is that it just keeps trying to outdo the last scene, and it does many times. Matarazzo and Giambrone have incredible chemistry on the screen and make this film work, along with the addition of Lulu Wilson as someone who fits better with the two roommates than the group she is trying too hard to fit into. And hey, any film where Daniel Radcliffe voices a rogue butterfly is a movie you just might have fun with. Just don’t take a mint if it’s offered to you while watching this film. It would be a mistake. Unless you have pizza nearby!   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Pizza Movie Website    Now playing on the Hulu platform

Forgotten Film:  Monsoon Wedding (2001) R  The Verma family of Delhi is coming from far and wide to see Aditi (Vasundhara Das) marry Hemant (Parvin Dabas), a computer programmer from Houston. Hemant is considered somewhat of an outsider, but in this arranged marriage, that’s not the only problem with this wedding. This is a fun and delightful movie where secrets are to be kept, romances blossom, and a wedding might just fall off its wheels before the couple can say their vows.  My Rating: Full Price  Monsoon Wedding Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie:  Head of Render Wranglers

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Sheep Detectives (2026) PG  Every night, a sheepherder (Hugh Jackman) reads a mystery novel to his herd before they bed down for the night. When one morning they find he is dead, the sheep realize that his death is under mysterious circumstances, and they set out to solve the crime. This is truly one of the weirdest trailers I have seen in a theater. The voice cast is outstanding, so let’s wait and see what happens.   The Sheep Detectives Website The film will be out in theaters on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Until Next Time!