Sense and Sensibility

My View:  Sense and Sensibility  (2026)   PG  Sense and Sensibility follows sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esme Creed-Miles) as they cope with the aftermath of their father’s death. The two sisters must navigate romance, social expectations, and the need to find a husband to keep the family from falling apart. It’s hard to follow a classic, exquisitely written film with top-notch performances. This is a fine, well-crafted movie, and the performances, especially Daisy Edgar-Jones, are wonderful. So why did I walk away from the theater feeling a little down on this film? I think it lacks the warmth and humor of Emma Thompson's script from the 1995 film. I just never got the joy and lust for life spark this Austen story needs to work. The chemistry between the two sisters is good, but their reconciliation comes too easily and lacks the passion that scene needs. Still, it’s a good movie, but does that justify remaking a classic? I came away thinking it does not. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Sense and Sensiblity Website Now playing in theaters

My View:  Whalefall  (2026)  PG-13  In Whalefall, teenager Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving and is accidentally swallowed by an 80-foot whale. With only 60 minutes of oxygen, he has to figure out how to escape. There have been a lot of films about being trapped in a cave, including the excellent The Descent (2006). Still, I don’t think there are a lot of films (Pinocchio films are the exception) about trying to escape the belly of a whale, unless you want to talk about stories I learned about in Vacation Bible School. So writer/director Brian Duffield brings us Whalefall, based on Daniel Kraus's best-selling book. The film tells two stories: one is about the stormy relationship between Jay and his father, Mitt (played by the always interesting Josh Brolin), and the other is about how he ends up in the whale and his attempts to escape. As Jay tries to escape the whale, we go back into the past and see how tough Mitt was on Jay. Jay seems to disappoint Mitt at almost every turn, never living up to the standards Mitt has set for him. This continues until Jay decides to go to college in Iowa (just about as landlocked as you can get) and leave his family behind. All the while, Jay is in an incredibly claustrophobic and dangerous environment, with a limited amount of oxygen and seemingly an impossible task of escaping. This is a tough film to watch, and you will look forward to the interactions between Mitt and Jay just to get a breather from all the horrible things happening in the whale. It’s a film that you may have to look away a few times, as you would expect, things get pretty grisly. Austin Abrams does a Herculean job of showing us how frightening and difficult it is to survive in the whale. The film is somewhat brought down by the ending, which, for a film about being swallowed by a whale, feels strange and unbelievable. I also struggled to figure out what Jay’s escape plan was, since he never goes into any explanation of what he is doing. Still, if you want to join Jay on a very claustrophobic, scary ride while Mitt lectures you on the wonders of the sea, strap on an oxygen tank, check your gauges, and hold on tight. It’s going to be an icky and bumpy ride. Hope you have a strong stomach.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Whalefall Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  You Can See Everything  (2026)   R  You Can See Everything is a documentary where a documentary crew is invited to follow Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes every move, just thirty-four days before she is sent to prison. What starts as a portrait of an embattled executive becomes a three-year journey into manipulation, truth, and reality. When I tell people I see over three hundred new releases a year, they always ask, "Don’t you get tired of seeing films?" You Can See Everything is the reason I see so many films. I rarely walk in hoping that the film will be good, and then I am blown away by the experience. This is one of those films. I think this could be the first documentary to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It’s that damn great. After enduring the 4-hour rambling of the Alex Gibney Musk documentary, I was worried that I was just a few days later, walking into a screening that was almost 3 hours in length. I will tell you, not only did I notice how long the film is, but there really isn’t a place to take a bathroom break, because you don’t want to miss a single minute of this astounding film. You Can See Everything is a movie that leaves you walking out going, “What did I just see?” Most people know about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and how her company swindled a ton of money by promising her machine could test for multiple tasks from a single drop of blood. This documentary doesn’t retell her story; instead, this is about a filmmaker, Nathan Fielder, who goes to the home of Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their two young children to spend time with them as Elizabeth gets ready to serve her time in prison. When Fielder starts to think that Elizabeth and Billy are playing him, he then takes them up on staying in their house full time. It’s an unbelievable look at two people who are either very good at lying or truly believe Elizabeth didn’t do anything wrong. Holmes may be one of the strangest, weirdest people ever profiled so closely in a documentary. And you can see why people fell under her spell. She stares at you with an unnerving, steady intensity, nodding at every word you say. She is either one of the greatest liars of all time (she claims she has never lied in her life) or is so involved in her own little world of reality that she believes everything she says. On the other hand, you don’t like Billy from the start, and his attempts at manipulation begin almost immediately. Billy is definitely the villain in this passion play, but the question is whether Elizabeth is in on the con or being conned herself. At the halfway point of the film, Elizabeth is on her way to prison. I looked down at my watch and thought, wait, there is still more to come? Then one of the biggest twists in documentary history hits you over the head, and for the rest of the film you are just trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Please see this film as soon as possible, because the twist is going to get out, and it won’t have the impact it does if you know it ahead of time. This film feels like a comedy at times, but then, at a moment's notice, it turns into something that makes you angry or can’t believe what you're hearing. This is a magical film that you will walk out of the theater with more questions than answers. It’s also a film you will want to walk back in and buy another ticket right away to experience the thrill ride it provides again. Academy voters: do the right thing and nominate this incredibly original film for Best Picture. It deserves it.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   You Can See Everything Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Street Fighter  (2026)  PG-13   Street Fighter follows martial arts fighter Ryu (Andrew Koji) and actor Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who are recruited to fight in the World Warrior Tournament. Little do they know the tournament is a trap set by criminal mastermind M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) to take over the world.  Street Fighter Website  The review of the film will be posted Friday night Now playing in theaters

My View:  Love of Your Life  (2026)  R  Love of Your Life follows Maya (Margaret Qualley), a Boston emergency room nurse who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, falls in love and marries Charlie (Gabriel Basso), only to lose him to the virus. Overcome with grief, Maya decides to become a nomad, traveling around Europe, where she meets Felix (Aaron Pierre), who helps her heal and trust again. I am a big fan of Margaret Qualley, and this is her film as we follow Maya on her journey to find love, lose it, and deal with the feeling of isolation, loneliness, and guilt. This isn't the film I expected. I expected a rom-com or maybe even a rom-drama, but this is more of a plain drama with some romance (early on) thrown in. Qualley gives a moving, captivating performance as a woman who, until she met Charlie, wasn’t interested in finding love. We see how the couple grew into something special, only for COVID to take it away. The rest of the film follows a woman trying not to feel, avoiding the guilt and despair she is hiding from. Then Felix comes along, and Maya starts to feel again, but is she ready, or able, to stay in a relationship? This drama is about loss, friendship, forgiveness, and finding the strength to change, and Qualley takes us on Maya’s journey, showing how life can be cruel, but forgiveness is possible if you work hard enough.  My Rating: Full Price  Love of Your LIfe Website  Now playing on Amazon Prime

Indiefest:  Musk  (2026)  R  Musk is a documentary that follows billionaire businessman Elon Musk and his enormous influence on politics and life in America and the world. Alex Gibney, who won an Academy Award for his 2007 documentary Taxi to the Dark Side and gave us the incredible Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief (2015), brings us an extensive look at Elon Musk's life and work. Four hours’ worth. I will admit I saw this at home, where I could take breaks, so I can only imagine seeing it in a theater where, at the 2-hour mark, you get a 10-minute intermission. I think this would have worked better as a doc-series (the film is already broken up into sections) than as a single sitting (where you start to feel overloaded with details about Musk and his changing opinions to make more and more money). If you don’t like Musk, you certainly won’t like him by the end of the film. If you're a Musk admirer, maybe a fan of his SpaceX work, you are going to have a hard time enjoying this film. Almost from the start, the film does not paint Musk in a good light. Well, except for the digital avatar of Musk, which is synced with his past audio quotes. The avatar Musk, in his leather jacket and full head of hair, makes Musk look a little like a movie star. The problem with this film is that, other than a few small tidbits, we learn nothing new about Musk. He is so much in our news cycle, and so many profiles have been done on him; this film feels like a visual look at something we could look up online. One scene tells you everything you need to know about Musk and his investor buddies. A joke is made that only the rich and pompous would think was funny. Everyone else would say it was not only in poor taste but offensive. Did I enjoy watching this movie? No, but I don’t like Musk or his ever-changing agenda. But I expected from a talented documentary filmmaker like Gibney to at least be entertained and learn something about his subject. Instead, I got a rehash of things I already knew or, for that matter, didn’t want to know. Documentaries should be informative and thought-provoking. I got neither from this film, just the feeling that I was tired of seeing Musk tell me how great he is.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Musk Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Misty Green  (2026) Misty (Rosalind Eleazar) was once on a hot TV show that made her an icon. However, a few bad breaks and a bad attitude have left Misty staying in her married lover’s condo, on the bottom rung of Hollywood, where she has to audition for even small parts. Add in the fact that her lover has died and his wife wants her out of the condo by the end of the week. Things aren't looking up, and she's burned every bridge she can in Hollywood. Misty then finds out about a part in a musical she would be perfect for, but it’s with a director she had a major conflict with. Chris Rock, who wrote and directed the film, also plays the director Misty caused a major problem for on a film he worked on. There is one thing that Misty can do, and it's sing, and it might be the ticket back to stardom. Misty is a hard character to like, much less root for. She is her own worst enemy, and her ego won’t let her compromise. Rosalind Eleazar is brilliant in the role and makes us believe Misty could be a star if she would learn from her mistakes. It’s a powerful performance that overshadows a script with incredibly shallow, weak supporting characters, including the director Rock plays. Every character, except the director Rock plays, has major problems, which makes his character seem too good to be true and everyone else seem nuts. The film keeps Misty making the same mistakes, and the ending could have come ten minutes earlier, which would have had more impact than Rock's ending. Eleazar gets to sing a few songs, and those are some of the best moments in the film, but overall, the film needed a few more rewrites and more fleshed-out characters to work, despite Rosalind Eleazar’s performance. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Misty Green Website  Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  Since I mentioned this film in my Whalefall review, I thought I would reprint my review (June 2018 of the 2006 horror classic.  The Descent  (2005)  R  A caving expedition goes horribly wrong as six women become lost inside a previously unexplored cave. Trapped in the cave, they desperately try to find a way out as a strange breed of predators pursues them. This little-seen horror film was one of the best movies of 2005. The film builds tension almost from the start, and it features first-rate performances from Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, and Alex Reid. The film draws on many adventure films, including movies centered on space travel, and the cinematography uses the caves and darkness to build tension and scares. I will warn you: this film is very gruesome and graphic, but if you are looking for a horror film, you can't do better than this one.  My Rating: Full Price  The Descent Info  Available on most streaming services

Weird Credits: From the credits of Whalefall: Special Effects Manipulator 

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Wicker  (2026)  R  Wicker follows a lonely, ill-tempered woman (Olivia Colman) who is tired of living alone and asks a local basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a wicker husband. His creation comes to life (Alexander Skarsgard) and is everything she could ever want in a companion. However, his presence sparks the close-minded village into chaos. The film currently has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 30 reviews.  Wicker Website  In theaters on Friday, October 23, 2026

Until Next Time!