The 50th Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference

It’s time for my favorite event in Atlanta, the Atlanta Film Festival! As one of the largest and longest-running festivals in the country, ATLFF welcomes an audience of over 28,000 annually to discover hundreds of new independent, international, animated, documentary, and short films selected from 8000+ submissions worldwide. As always, there is an emphasis on films celebrating the local area, with festival films tied to Georgia filmmakers. Attending the Atlanta Film Festival is a must for film lovers. ATLFF is presenting some of the best upcoming films Hollywood has to offer, including movies from top studios and from around the world.

The 50th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference will take place Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, May 3, 2024, at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta, with some of its lineup available virtually from May 4th - 11th.

The long-running festival has always been a distinguished event, recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” Atlanta Film Festival has been celebrated as the Best Film Festival by Creative Loafing, Sunday Paper, 10Best, and Atlanta Magazine.

Opening night on Thursday, April 23rd, will feature Idiots, directed by Macon Blair and filmed in Georgia. Emmy-winning producer Alex Orr, Executive Producer Joshua Harris, and actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. will attend.

Also on the same night, the premiere of the limited series documentary, The Birth of Trap Music, makes its debut. Stars and Executive Producers T.I. and Drumma Boy, among other cast members, will walk the red carpet ahead of the Opening Night and take part in a post-screening Q&A following the documentary screening.

There will be a special screening of Gifted on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with Emmy Award-nominated and Critics Choice Award-nominated star McKenna Grace in attendance. As one of the most sought-after talents of her generation, Grace will accept ATLFF’s Phoenix Award at the screening, in recognition of her body of work and extraordinary career momentum, as well as her ongoing contributions to Atlanta’s film landscape. 

Oscar-nominated, Grammy-winning actress and singer Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Peacemaker) will attend a special screening of If I Go Will They Miss Me at the 50th annual Atlanta Film Festival on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

2026 IMAGE Film Awards Gala, part of the festival’s milestone 50th anniversary, will be held Friday, May 1, at Assembly Atlanta, recognizing standout contributions to film, television, and Georgia’s creative community.

This year’s honorees include Will Packer (Ossie Davis Award), Josh Brolin, Carrie Preston, Hilton Howell, and Georgia Entertainment (IMAGE Film Awards), David Cross (Rebel Award), and Alex Orr, who will receive the inaugural Will Packer Award.

The Closing Night film on Saturday, 2nd, will be Boots Riley's I Love Boosters, starring Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Naomi Ackie, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore.

The festival is also known for its short film categories and is one of the few festivals in the country that offer Academy Award-qualifying for all three short categories: Narrative, Documentary, and Animated.

The annual Creative Conference, ATLFF’s popular educational programming extension, runs April 28 to May 1st. The Creative Conference provides educational programs for aspiring filmmakers, festivalgoers, newcomers, and community members to gain insight from industry experts. The Creative Conference features workshops, panels, talks, and demos that will delve into the world of filmmaking, focusing on topics such as screenwriting, pitching, acting, producing, casting, funding, and distribution, and how they all come together to make a film or television episode.

Highlights include conversations with David Cross and directors Craig Zobel (The Penguin) and James Ponsoldt (Spectacular Now), alongside sessions such as Practical AI for Independent Filmmakers, Inside the Independent Film Ecosystem, and Creating Creature FX and Puppetry for Indies.

The full schedule of films and events is available at www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com. Festival passes are on sale now on the site. Tickets for individual events will be available online.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

My View: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy  (2026)  R   Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is about a young daughter (Natalie Grace) of a journalist who disappears without a trace in the desert. Eight years later, the daughter suddenly appears, but what should be a joyful reunion is quickly shattered by a nightmare that may never end. I liked Cronin’s Evil Dead Rises, calling it ‘one of the better horror / possession films of the past few years.” I can’t say the same thing for a film that I am calling “Evil Dead Rises for Mummies”. And because moms take center stage in this gore fest, you can say mommies, too. The first problem with this film is that it’s incredibly, butt-numbingly long at two hours and thirteen minutes. The second problem is that I didn’t like the parents, who are the most irresponsible pair I have ever seen in a film. They apparently don’t know that their kidnapped daughter, missing for eight years, was found inside a three-thousand-year-old sarcophagus wrapped in ancient wrappings. And while the mom (Lala Costa) is a nurse (I think), they aren’t set up for the 24-hour care that their catatonic, twitchy, old as heck looking daughter, who has a tendency to projectile vomit, spit, and crush hands. Your first clue to their incompetent parenting is dragging the child up what seems like 20 flights of stairs in a wheelchair (which I kept waiting for the child to fall out of). The father (Jack Reynor) was a rising news anchor before the kidnapping, but he misses all the clues that this film hits us over the head with, and takes almost two hours to figure out that something is wrong with his daughter. The film tries to outgross itself at every opportunity, including a toenail-clipping scene that drags on for what seems like ten minutes. I could go on about how stupid this family is, including a grandmother who keeps getting close to the girl, even though every time she does, it seems she gets the crap beaten out of her. Or the Mummy’s two siblings, both of whom, even though the girl is weird as crap, get fooled by the old “cute voice through the door” trick. The tagline for this movie is “Some Things Are Meant To Stay Buried.” I sure wish the script had been one of those things. Well, at least with the director/writer putting his name in the title, we know who to blame for this mess of a film.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Lee Cronin's The Mummy Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Normal  (2025)   R  In Normal, Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) has come to the sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota, to become the temporary sheriff after the passing of the long-time sheriff in the town. Not only did the sheriff die under suspicious circumstances, but things get really weird after the local bank is robbed, and Ulysses suspects that the town might be hiding a huge secret. I find it very enjoyable that Bob Odenkirk has gotten into the action-hero game, and this film certainly delivers a lot of action. Odenkirk plays a flawed hero who is just passing through as a caretaker for a few weeks and then moving on to the next town. However, this town isn’t what it seems, and it has some very serious connections (which we see right from the start), and Ulysses is in for a mess of a fight. I had fun with this film for a while, but I had trouble keeping up with who had been killed (the kill rate in this film is incredibly high) and how. I did enjoy how Ulysses finds allies in very unexpected places while the whole town is out to kill him. Then the film kind of became more of the same, and I started wanting it to resolve itself (which it does, unconvincingly). I have a feeling critics will compare this film to Fargo (because of the small-town weirdness) and to John Wick (the nonstop violence), and I will admit that, about halfway through, I kept thinking I had seen this film before. Then I realized Odenkirk had just done the Nobody films. But hey, we have plenty of history with action heroes doing the same version of their films over and over, and we have continued to see them. So go ahead, Bob, and become the next Liam Neeson. I won’t mind. Just don’t become the next Steven Seagal. We don’t have the stomach to go through that again.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Normal Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Lorne  (2026)  R  Lorne is a documentary about Lorne Michaels, who created Saturday Night Live in 1975 and is still the driving force behind the legendary late-night comedy show. I have been a fan of SNL since it started. I still remember sitting with my dad watching the first episode back in 1975 (yes, I’m that old), when the first host was George Carlin (his first monologue bombed so bad he asked the audience if they had heard the jokes before). So I was excited to see a documentary about the man who created the show. This is a film that, while I really enjoyed at the time, the more I think about it, the less I like it. Award-winning director Morgan Neville, who brought us the Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom and the delightful Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, tells us right from the start that this is about a man who not only doesn’t enjoy being interviewed, he also doesn’t like being filmed at all. And that’s the problem. It’s about a man whom even his close friends know little about. So we get a film more about how the show is put together, and we get a ton of highlights on how the show has impacted comedy and the nation with its continued look at what is happening in America at any given time. There are a ton of clips from old shows and even more interviews with cast members (most of the interviews seem to be from casts from the last ten years). Looking back at this documentary, my enjoyment came from watching the vast array of comedy gems the show has given us, along with interviews with (surprise) very funny people who know how to tell a story or deliver a quip. I came away with the idea that this man does have an eye for talent, knows what is funny and what works on TV, but I already knew that. The problem is that this is a film about one man, Loren Michaels, not his show or the sketches, and we learn almost nothing about him. Lorne is like going on a blind date and realizing at the end of the evening, while you had a great time, you did all the talking.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Lorne Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: #Skyking  (2026)   #Skyking is a documentary about Richard ‘Beebo’ Russell, a troubled 28-year-old ground service agent with no pilot experience, whose impulsive decision to hijack and pilot a commercial plane shocked a nation. I vaguely remember a pilot taking a plane out for what I thought was a joyride that went wrong. I don’t remember learning that it wasn’t a joyride but a suicide. Director Patricia E. Gillespie does a masterful job of giving us a look at Beebo and why he did what he did. It’s an amazing story that gives us insight into why someone without any piloting experience would do what he did. The film does a brilliant job of letting us get to know both Beebo and his family and friends, and how shocked they were when he did this. Suicide is always a tricky subject, mostly because a lot of times we don’t know why they felt their only choice was to take their own life. We listen to Beebo’s flight recordings as his friends and family also listen in, many for the first time. It’s a gut-wrenching watch to see how many people cared about him and didn’t know the extent of his hurt. #Skyking gives us the reasoning why Beebo felt that maybe his suicide would make an impact and wake up the company he worked for on how they treated their employees. The film is moving, mostly because Beebo seems like a guy you would want to know. It’s horrible that we will never get that chance.   My Rating: Full Price  #Skyking Info    Now playing on the Hulu platform

Indiefest: The Christophers  (2025) R  In The Christophers, the grown-up children of a once-famous artist, Julian (Ian McKellen), hire a forger, Lori (Michaela Coel), to complete some of his unfinished and long abandoned paintings so they will have an inheritance when he dies. This is one of those rare films where I was having such a good time that I looked at my watch and said, “Crap, only fifteen more minutes of this.” I want more, much more. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are an absolute delight to watch. McKellen, as you would expect, spouts lines so effortlessly that you wonder if he even breathes. Coel, on the other hand, is the perfect foil, allowing McKellen to spout those lines while keeping us wondering what her character is thinking and whether there will be any sort of reaction. The Christophers is a fascinating film about lost youth, lost faith in your talent, and how life can knock you down, and you just might never get back up. This is a funny, moving film with witty, meaningful dialogue and, surprisingly, warmth. This is a film that captures what it must be like to see McKellen on the stage, as he seemingly floats along, with witty lines coming fast and furious, as Julian has an opinion on everything and everyone. Go for the absolute blast of seeing McKellen duel with Coel, but stay for the wonderful feeling you get as you leave the theater. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  The Christophers Website  Now playing in theaters 

Indiefest:  Bunnylovr  (2025)  Bunnylovr follows Rebecca (Katarina Zhu), a Chinese American webcam model, as she navigates a toxic client relationship while reconnecting with her dying, estranged father (Perry Yung). Rebecca is the type of person who is always late, shows up to meet friends, leaves ten minutes later with an excuse, and has an assistant job she is horrible at. She makes extra money by doing webcam chats. Nothing too dirty, but she wears skimpy clothes and will do some slightly risqué things to keep the chats going. She encounters a client who wants some private time but doesn’t want to be seen. Rebecca is also trying to reconnect with her father, with whom she hasn’t been in contact for a long time. As her father tries to keep up with her, she becomes more and more involved with the client, who gives her lots of money to be at his beck and call. Writer/director Katarina Zhu has a winning style on camera, and we like Rebecca at first. However, the film’s biggest problem is that it meanders, touching many storylines without giving us much depth. There are only a few times when you really connect with Rebeca, as she spends a lot of time on the screen walking from one acquaintance to another, never spending too much time with anyone, as she seems to commit only to a few moments. This gives the film a shallow feel, never letting us connect with Rebecca, not caring whether she succeeded or not. The film ends as it starts,, with Rebecca alone in bed listening to a self-help recording, making us feel that we never really knew her. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Bunnylovr Website Now playing in select theaters 

Forgotten Film: The Omen (1976) R  An American ambassador (Gregory Peck) to Britain and his wife (Lee Remick) deal with a series of increasingly deadly ‘accidents’ that always seem to happen around their son Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens). This 70s film distinguished itself from most horror films of the 60s and 70s by the stylish work of its director, Richard Donner, and its cast, which included Academy Award winner Peck and Oscar-nominated Remick. The film has one of the creepiest performances by a child and some shocking deaths, some of which come out of the blue. Even the ending sets this film apart from the run-of-the-mill horror films that came before. By the way, the horror that Lee Remick shows when the car is attacked by baboons (has to be seen to be believed) was real because they had an actual baboon in the car with her.    My Rating: Full Price  The Omen Info  The film is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Fandango

Weird Credits: From the credits of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy: Hurdy Gurdy

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) PG-13  Miranda (Meryl Streep) is nearing retirement, and the sharks are circling around. In walks Andy (Anne Hathaway) to help Miranda, and is forced to take on her former assistant turned rival: Emily (Emily Blunt). If anyone can pull off a sequel, it’s Meryl.  The Devil Wears Prada 2 Website  Coming to theaters nationwide on Friday, May 1, 2026

Until Next Time!

You, Me & Tuscany

My View: You, Me & Tuscany  (2026)  PG-13  You, Me & Tuscany follows Anna (Halle Bailey), who finds out that a Tuscan villa is empty all the time, goes to Italy, and is mistaken for the owner’s fiancé, Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor). Anna is about to become tangled in a mess of lies, romance, and a whole lot of trouble. You, Me & Tuscany is a cross between While You Were Sleeping and any Hallmark movie you have seen that doesn’t involve a small American town. Halle Bailey is very cute, and her love interest, Regé-Jean Page, playing Matteo’s brother (sort of), Michael, is very handsome and has a British accent. Like the explanation for why Matteo has a British accent, the rest of the film is built on very flimsy plotlines that ask you not to think about them too much. Now, you get a lot of the Tuscany scenery, but the film was disappointing in its kitchen sequences, where I expected to be dazzled by Anna (who had to quit culinary school when her mother got sick), but got very little flair, and, like the rest of the film, a questionable outcome. I think the other problem was that Page and Bailey didn’t radiate the chemistry we needed to root for them. In fact, there was more chemistry between Anna and her taxi driver/confidant than there was between the two love interests. There are a couple of blooper takes during the credits, where two actresses with minor roles in the film keep yelling out one quip after another. That’s about as much fun as I had through the entire film.  My Rating: Cable  You, Me & Tuscany Website Now playing in theaters nationwide

My View:  Outcome  (2026)  R  Outcome is about Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves), a major Hollywood star, who is about to make his comeback after disappearing for a few years due to “personal problems”, i.e., a drug habit. His life is upended when a mysterious, potentially career-ending video is threatening to be released. To identify the blackmailer, Reef sets out to make amends with everyone he has wronged. It’s a big list. Co-written and directed by Jonah Hill, this is a comedy? Or maybe it’s a satire? I don’t have any idea. All I know is that it is rarely funny, seems much longer than its brief one hour and twenty-three minutes run time, and has an incredibly miscast, notable nice guy in real life, Keanu Reeves, as a Hollywood pretentious asshole who has pissed off everyone throughout his career as the biggest star in Tinseltown. It took me about 30 minutes in to recognize Jonah Hill as Reef’s egomaniacal lawyer, whom Reef always uses to get him out of trouble. Hill’s character spends too much time on camera, mostly because almost everything he says or does isn’t funny. Reeves isn’t asked to do much in the role. In fact, he does a lot of listening to people tell his character what a jerk he was, then asking for forgiveness, or, with his friends, yelling at them for moral support. The supporting cast is huge, with lots of cameos, the best being Marty Scorsese, who plays Reef’s first manager, discovering Reef when he was just a kid. It’s a fun part as Scorsese plays a man whose office is in a personalized booth at a bowling alley. I wish the rest of the cast had put as much heart into their performances as Scorsese did. Even the blackmail video is a letdown, and the film's resolution is as unfulfilling as the rest of the film.  My Rating: Cable  Outcome Info  Now playing on Apple TV+

Indiefest:  Exit 8  (2025)  PG-13  Exit 8 is about a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) who is having a horrible day when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station with an endless maze of hallways. The “Lost Man” will have to solve the puzzle and identify subtle anomalies if he is ever to escape. I understand that this film is based on a video game, but unlike the Mario Brothers film, it doesn’t feel like one. The film has a few horror elements, but for the most part, it builds tension with every hallway turn our hero takes. The “Lost Man” gets stuck in a maze of subway halls that continue in a loop. If the man doesn’t turn back when he sees an anomaly, the exit count goes back down to 0. This is a problem because you are looking for exit 8. This mystery to solve is fascinating and at times frustrating, because just when you think you have figured out how our hero can solve the maze, something new is thrown in his path. This is a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing where it’s going. For anyone who has gotten lost in a mall or a parking garage, this is a movie full of nightmares that keep playing over and over with no end in sight. At least not Exit 8.   My Rating: Full Price Exit 8 Website Now playing in select theaters 

Indiefest:  Hamlet  (2025)  Hamlet is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet but set in contemporary London. Haunted by his father’s ghost, Prince Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) leaves elite London society and descends into the city’s underground, seeking to avenge his father’s murder. If you are someone who loves Shakespeare and can quote multiple plays, then this film isn’t for you. This is like reading an abridged novel, where only the highlights show up, and a lot is left on the editor’s desk. We get all the big scenes, but they are all in a modern setting, with the most unusual being the famous ‘To sleep: perchance to dream' speech given while Hamlet is speeding down a highway in a sports car contemplating suicide. For newcomers to Shakespeare, especially in this day of iPhones and YouTube, this is a perfect way to enjoy Hamlet without having to figure out too much of the dialogue. The film is carried by a brilliant, fiery performance by Riz Ahmed, who puts the film on his back and, through his charisma, makes this very stylized film work. The second half of this film is where the movie takes off, and the dance sequence when the King realizes Hamlet knows he was behind Hamlet’s father’s death is a magical moment in the production. This is not your parents’ or grandparents’ play, but a film that is gritty, bloody, violent, and heartbreaking, as Hamlet grapples with grief and his journey into madness and revenge.  My Rating: Full Price  Hamlet Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: Faces of Death  (2026)  R In Faces of Death, a content moderator, Margot (Barbie Ferreira), is tasked with removing violent content on a website. She discovers a group reenacting murders from the original Faces of Death film. She must determine if the acts are real or staged. Back in the 70s, when every town had a drive-in and Hollywood figured out that there was an audience for cheaply made films that promised a lot of shocking scenes, a very small film called Faces of Death came out, which claimed that it was so shocking, it had been banned in over 40 countries. While yes, some scenes had actual deaths, most involving animals or scenes where it was hard to see exactly what was going on, much of the film was staged, and the deaths were not real. The film was a hit, made a ton of money when VHS tapes hit the scene, and became a staple of many a high school and college overnight party experience. Margot discovers that someone is sending videos to the web content company (think YouTube) that recreates the scenes from the 70s film. The filmmaker uses mannequins to carry out the killing, but Margot is convinced that the person being attacked is really being killed. She breaks her company protocol and finds out who is doing the killing. Little does she know that by doing the sleuthing, she alerts the killer, and the cat-and-mouse chase in on. What makes this film interesting is that Margot has a history of being on YouTube with a horrific accident. So horrible that people recognize her in stores. While not a true horror film, it is horrifying to see how the internet has made us numb to the horrors of the world and how commerce has found a way to profit from showing us those horrors. Faces of Death, for fans of this genre, gives us a lot to think about while also shocking us with a few horrific deaths by a slasher who brings to life what was once fake, and a hero who is flawed but wants to make a difference and is willing to die trying.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Faces of Death Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Beast  (2026)  R  Beast is about MMA legend Patton James (Daniel MacPherson), who is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in trouble. Patton reunites with his old coach, Sammy (Russell Crowe), as he commits to fighting the brutal champion Xavier Grau (Bren Foster). This is a run-of-the-mill Rocky-like film (it even has the wife telling Patton to fight after not wanting him to) that is pretty bland and tells a tale that's been told many times before. Fans of Russell Crowe will be disappointed as, even as the co-writer of the script, his part is purely off to the side and doesn’t even show up for the final fight (his character lets his daughter do the training). The fight sequences are well done, but the film has almost no surprises, and Daniel MacPherson struggles when he has to show any emotion other than yelling his grief. And Sammy and Patton have the stupidest mantra that they chant to fire him up. I kept wondering what the heck they were talking about and why they were getting so excited. The final fight is predictable, and you can see the sequence of events coming from a mile away. MMA fans might get some enjoyment out of this film, but for the rest of us, it’s a bit of a slog to get through.  My Rating: Cable  Beast Website  Now playing in theaters

My View: Thrash  (2026) R  Thrash is about a group of people trapped in a coastal town during a Category 5 hurricane. Not only has the town been cut off from any rescue attempts, but the storm surge is bringing more frightening than rising water and crashing waves: hungry sharks. We all know that Sharknado is stupid fun. Thrash is just stupid. Filled with characters you don’t care about, not even to root for the sharks to eat them, and some terrible special effects, you have a movie that just isn’t fun to watch. Instead of being on the edge of my seat, working if the pregnant woman (why are you in this Phoebe Dynevor?) is going to save her just-born baby with a stick, I was thinking how horrible it must have been to be an actor on this film where you were wet and swimming while dodging furniture. There is one glorious Sharknado moment in the film, and unfortunately, it’s near the end of the movie. I just don’t think you want to sit around watching actors play “The Floor is Lava,” jumping on floating breakfast tables while waiting for a shark to show up.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  Trash Website Now playing on the Netflix platform

Forgotten Film: Cannonball!  (1976) This is a perfect example of a 70s drive-in movie. A group of car nuts get in a bunch of exotic cars and go on a race across the country, from L.A. to New York, as cars crash, people get hurt, and cars crash again, all really crashing, sometimes bursting into flames. This was another legendary filmmaker, Roger Corman’s doing, taking the same format and some of the same actors, including David Carradine, from the highly successful Death Race 2000, and this time set in present-day. What makes this film different and worth watching is that not only does the director, Paul Bartel, co-star, but it also features six other directors, including Joe Dante, Roger Corman, and Martin Scorsese. Even Sly Stallone appears uncreated in the film. While not even close to Death Race 2000 or the Ron Howard-starring Eat My Dust, and shouldn't be lumped in with the big budget Hollywood Cannonball Run movies, Cannonball! is a great example of the 70s drive-in movie staple people would go and see on a Saturday night, when not making out or going to the snack bar.  My Rating: Cable  Cannonball! Info  The film is available on Amazon and a few other streaming services

Weird Credits:  From the credits of You, Me & Tuscany:  Crowd Marshall Rome

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: #Skyking  (2026)  #Skyking is a documentary about Richard ‘Beebo’ Russell, a troubled 28-year-old ground service agent with no pilot experience, who made an impulsive decision to hijack and pilot a commercial plane, shocking a nation. I remember thinking when I first saw this on the news, how did this happen? Now, we just might find out.  #Skyking Info   Premiering on the Hulu platform on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Until Next Time!

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!