The Ten Buck Review

Sense & Sensibility (2026)

2026-10-15T13:50:38.249-04:00

With five television adaptations ranging from the 1950 version starring Cloris Leachman to the BBC’s 2008 miniseries and Hallmark’s 2024 holiday interpretation, not to mention Ang Lee’s near-perfect, Oscar-winning 1995 theatrical masterpiece, do we really need another Sense and Sensibility?

In short, filmmaker Gregory Oakley provides an earthy new version that unfortunately does not compare to Lee’s masterpiece. I won’t stop you from comparing; that’s for sure. You can't help it, really. Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones is the Emma Thompson role as Elinor. Esme Creed- Miles is Kate Winslet as Marianne. George MacKay as Hugh Grant and Edward Herbert Nordrum is Alan Rickman‘s Colonel Brandon. Frank Dillane is Greg Wise as Willoughby.

The result? No hot take, no particularly fresh perspective, certainly nothing approaching the reinvention Greta Gerwig brought to Little Women. And compared with Lee’s film, it's not even close. Yet somehow, it's equally swooning and still enormously enjoyable.

So what's new? Shakier camerawork? Darker lighting? A slightly earthier atmosphere? To truly justify its existence, perhaps this version needed a more modern perspective. But that presents a problem of its own. Jane Austen’s 1811 novel is so deeply rooted in the social constraints placed upon women of the period that updating its sensibility risks undermining the very circumstances that give the story its meaning.

Perhaps that's why this adaptation is being marketed as a story of sisterhood. I'm not convinced it entirely succeeds on those terms. Yes, the bond between Elinor and Marianne is central, but their lives are inseparable from questions of social class, financial security and the limited choices available to women.

Money may ultimately be passed over in favor of love, but the narrative remains overwhelmingly concerned with finding a suitable man. The sisters have always been there for each other, yet it's the romantic matchmaking that the film embraces as the definitive happy ending.

And happy endings are never a bad thing with popcorn. This is a great time at the movies. If something feels missing, perhaps it's because Ang Lee’s 1995 version remains so vivid in the memory, or because you keep wishing this new adaptation had found a genuinely fresh way into such familiar territory.

There is plenty of sense here, and certainly no shortage of sensibility. What’s missing is a reason for this particular retelling to exist beyond the simple pleasure of experiencing Austen’s story all over again.

In a nutshell: Austen fans will be pleased. It’s sensibly good, just not necessary.

Where to see it: In theaters, starting Friday, October 16.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Colman as Mrs. Jennings would have justified all of this.

Award Potential: Esme Creed-Miles is a standout that may find a place in award season, but this film has the tall task of being compared to the Oscar-winning 1995 version.

The Ten Buck Review: This is a good fall film, despite the comparison and still worth ten bucks.

The Social Reckoning

2026-10-11T14:10:27.569-04:00

The Social Network (2010) regularly appears on lists of the best films of the 21st century, sometimes even at number one. It had a force to be reckoned with, David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en) directing, Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball, A Few Good Men, The Newsroom, The West Wing) writing, Trent Reznor (Challengers) and Atticus Ross providing the score, and Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain, Zombieland) starring as Mark Zuckerberg.

For The Social Reckoning, Sorkin returns, this time in the director’s chair as well as behind the screenplay. His directing credits include The Trial of the Chicago 7, Molly’s Game and a contender for worst film of the 21st century, Being the Ricardos.

None of the rest of the original creative team has returned in the same capacity for this next chapter of the Zuckerberg story. Perhaps that’s because The Social Network was a perfect standalone tale of betrayal, ambition, power, class and the delicious irony of a man who connected the world only to find himself profoundly isolated. Or perhaps everyone simply realised how much the world has changed since then.

The first film arrived just three years after Facebook opened to the general public. Nearly two decades later, Zuckerberg is no longer the scrappy upstart fighting his way into the big leagues. He’s Goliath.

This time, the focus isn’t on startups, romance, fractured friendships or even Zuckerberg himself. It’s on how social media companies have both rewired our brains,and threatened American democracy. There’s a great film to be made here. Unfortunately, Sorkin doesn’t quite make it.

To enjoy it, you'll have to look away from some glaring missteps, including a slider-timeline gimmick and an almost comically overexplained subplot about why the film’s female lead needs to glam up. But the bigger problem is that Sorkin falls back only to what he knows best: procedural storytelling. He’s a master of the form, but here it feels like a step backwards. As a cinematic follow-up to its predecessor, the film falls short. It's lie a prestige HBO movie that happens to be showing in cinemas.

Speaking of that, Sorkin has assembled two of TV's finest performers in Jeremy Strong and Jeremy Allen White. Following their respective turns in The Social Reckoning and last year's Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, there’s something frustrating about watching two of my favourite TV actors in a film that feels so much like television.

Strong plays Zuckerberg, while Allen White is a Wall Street Journal journalist who connects with Facebook employee Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison of Anora), the whistleblower who would eventually land on the cover of Time magazine.

What does work, even if not always cinematically, is the old-fashioned pleasure of a Sorkin script, plus this is all true stuff and fascinating. What happens when a profitable algorithm learns that people respond more enthusiastically to hate than to harmony? What happens when the platform’s business model rewards that behaviour by feeding users more of what makes them angry? A company ironically created to bring people together has helped drive them apart, with consequences we’re already living through and others we can only begin to imagine.

Ultimately, the film frames the whistleblower’s success as a triumphant victory. But as the credits approach, you’re left wondering what, exactly, has changed. The company is still a Goliath. There is no reckoning.

In 2010, people wondered why make a movie about something so new. It turns out the original film wasn't too early to tell Facebook's story and the sequel was too late.

In a nutshell: More a TV version in the classic style of All the President’s Men than a proper cinematic sequel, The Social Reckoning is equally fascinating and frustrating, yet still needs to be seen.

Where to see it: In theaters. Obviously, it will hold up well on TV later.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Of course.

Award potential: This one is not going to make the list for Picture, Director, Actors, and in a surprise, should be looked over for screenplay. Shoulda be an Emmy contender.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks (or stream it in near future).

Digger

2026-10-05T23:38:23.163-04:00

Famously starring Tom Cruise under a mountain of makeup as a Texas oil tycoon who unleashes a disaster, Digger is the kind of satire we haven’t seen since, maybe, Don’t Look Down (2021). Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons also star in this dark comedy — although, really, “parable” may be the better word.

The question is: Will you dig Digger?

Digger is the kind of film you can barely review without ruining it. Its parlor trick — and much of its appeal — depends on what the audience discovers along the way. That creates a problem for a reviewer: How do you warn someone away from a movie they might hate while also telling the right person that they absolutely need to see it?

So, without spoiling anything, I'll try to help you decide whether Digger is an A or an F for you.

In other words: Will you dig Digger?

If you’ve enjoyed the films of Alejandro G. Iñárritu — Birdman, Babel, Biutiful — you’ll surely dig this, too.
If you loved Iñárritu’s The Revenant, then you’re capable of liking just about anything. You’ll dig Digger.
If Risky Business, Top Gun, Cocktail or Days of Thunder is your favorite Tom Cruise movie, you probably won’t dig Digger.
If Magnolia is one of your five favorite Cruise films, you’ll probably appreciate his over-the-top performance here as well.
If you think Dr. Strangelove and Citizen Kane belong in the top 50 films ever made — you’ll dig Digger.
If you believe the climate crisis is fake news, skip Digger.
If you can follow the dialogue in His Girl Friday, you’ll be able to keep up with Digger.
And if you’re intrigued by Iñárritu’s description of the film — “This film is a disaster movie, but the disaster is us,” you’ll dig Digger.

The film unsurprisingly bombed at the box office. Some great films weren’t appreciated when they were released. I wish I could say more, but I suspect that, in time, once audiences discover it on television and warm to its story and its parable, Digger will move from the “failure” shelf to the “classic” shelf. I know which side I’m on.

In a nutshell: It’s the end of the world as we know it — in a fine satire that is as divisive as it is brilliant.

Where to watch it: In theaters now.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Of course. But not by much. It already has Sandra Hüller, and her talents are barely uitlized.

Awards potential: Time will tell, but it’s a contender for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Actor and Screenplay — and it will be the film to beat for Production Design. If there's a most-acting award, oh yeah, The Golden Globes, Cruise will take it.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Tony

2026-09-08T21:21:44.827-04:00

Granted, I’m a sucker for films with vintage lenses, the seventies, beaches and coming-of-age stories, but Tony was the surprise of the summer.

Wonderfully small next to all the epic odysseys and superheroes, this is the summer movie that actually hit emotionally. And unlike most people walking in, I’ve barely seen Anthony Bourdain on TV.

It didn't matter that I hadn't. Wisely, director Matt Johnson draws from the early chapters of Kitchen Confidential and limits Tony to one summer: Provincetown, Massachusetts, 1975.

Young Tony has run away from home after failing to land a summer writing scholarship he’d assured everyone was a sure thing. Penniless, he arrives in Provincetown chasing Nancy (Emilia Jones), a crush who may or may not feel the same way.

Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) is superb as Tony, legendary Antonio Banderas (Zorro, Desperado) is his reluctant mentor and the constantly impressive Leo Woodall (One Day, Tuner, White Lotus) is Sal, his bad-boy kitchen big brother. Jones (CODA) makes the most of an underdeveloped Nancy. It’s a stellar cast.

Upstart director Matt Johnson is supported tremendously by having cinematographer Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another) behind the camera.

Using vintage lenses and shooting largely on Cape Cod, he finds the soft glaze of summer light while making even the kitchen scenes feel tactile and real.

The smartest thing about Tony is that it could work without its famous subject. This is less about creating the Bourdain myth and more about the making of a man.

And the romance works, too. Tony asks Nancy to take his portrait for the book he hasn’t written yet because, “I like the way I feel when you look at me.” Yeah, it’s sweet like that too.

Structurally, Tony is a basic coming-of-age movie, yet somehow every familiar note feels entirely its own. It’s breezy, groovy, funny, tender and as satisfying as the best day you had at the beach. Exactly the movie I needed in a summer stuffed with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland.

In a nutshell: A totally satisfying meal and the surprise treat of the summer. I loved it!

Where to find it: In theaters now.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Totally. Put her in this kitchen.

Award potential: Probably cursed by the “celebrity biopic” label, the coming of age them and A24 having a crowded slate. I’d love to see it sneak into the conversation anyway. Best Casting would be a good start.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Fall Films and Oscar Contenders to put on your calendar, 2026

2026-08-29T19:46:37.905-04:00

Here comes the fall quality movie season! Only twelve more Zendaya and Anne Hathaway films and two more Robert Pattison ones before we close out 2026. Just kidding. I think.

Spring and summer have already given us Oscar frontrunners in The Odyssey, Project Hail Mary, The Invite and Toy Story 5, plus a wild card in Obsession. But any true Oscarphile knows it’s a long journey, and the real contenders don’t come out to play until September through December.

Right now, La Bola Negra looks like one of the strongest potential challengers to The Odyssey. Netflix is giving it a rare theatrical run and putting real money behind its awards campaign, which suggests they think they’ve got something more than a participation trophy on their hands.

Grab your fall calendar; here's a roundup of films to keep your eyes on as well as my early bold picks that you should probably put on your watchlist.

Way too early Best Picture nominee list predictions. In order of likelihood.

1. The Odyssey (summer)

2. La Bola Negra

3. Dune

4. Wild Horse Nine

5. Fjord

6. All of a Sudden

7. Project Hail Mary (spring)

8. The Debut

9. The Invite (summer)

10. Digger

La Bola Negra

In a nutshell: The film most likely to put up a non-epic indie challenge to The Odyssey for Best Picture, assuming we get tired of Odyssey wins by March 2027. Across three periods of Spanish history, interconnected generations of queer men navigate desire, repression, pain, and inheritance in a story inspired by the legacy of Federico García Lorca — and Penélope Cruz.

Director: Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi (Los Javis)

Featuring: Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau

Studio: Netflix

Festival: Cannes

October 16 (select theaters)

Wild Horse Nine

In a nutshell: Expected to be one of the big five films in discussion (Including The Odyssey and Project Hail Mary, both not from the fall). Shortly before Chile’s 1973 coup, two CIA agents sent to Easter Island find their partnership tested by old secrets, political conspiracies and an unexpected connection with two rebellious students. Right now, this is one of the big three.

Director: Martin McDonagh (Banshees of Inisherin, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Featuring: Sam Rockwell, John Malkovich, Parker Posey, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits

Festival: Venice, Telluride

Studio: Searchlight

November 6

Dune: Part Three

In a nutshell: Wrapping up the likely locks is the conclusion to the three-part epic, our hero confronts the devastating consequences of his rule as enemies conspire to overthrow his increasingly ruthless regime. Likely to earn as many as 12 nominations and perhaps, like The Lord of the Rings, be the final film of an epic three-parter that takes home a prize for them all. Or not.

Director: Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Sicario, Arrival)

Featuring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson

Studio: Warner Bros.

Festival: None

Release: Dunesday, December 18

Fjord

In a nutshell: Not as assured as the first few, but in its favor, this is a well-reviewed, primarily English-language film. In addition to being Romania's Oscar submission, this could be our International film that breaks through. A deeply religious Romanian-Norwegian family living in a remote Norwegian community comes under investigation after their children show signs of possible abuse, setting off a conflict over faith, culture and parental authority. It has one thing others don't: the Palme d'Or.

Director: Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Graduation)

Featuring: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve

Studio: Neon

Festival: Cannes

October

All of a Sudden

In a nutshell: The manager of a Paris care facility and a terminally ill Japanese theater director form an unexpected bond through their shared determination to preserve dignity and human connection in the face of mortality. Efira and Okamoto jointly won Best Actress at Cannes. It's also Japan's Oscar submission for Best International Feature.

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)

Featuring: Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto, Kyozo Nagatsuka

Studio: Neon

Festival: Cannes

November 25

The Debut

In a nutshell: In his musical, a shy housewife cast in a tiny community-theater role becomes an obsessive method actor who goes to increasingly extreme lengths to defend her newfound artistic calling.

Director: Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)

Featuring: Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg

Studio: A24

Festival: Telluride

December 11 (likely)

Behemoth!

In a nutshell: The film centers on Alex Serian, played by Pedro Pascal. Alex is a talented cellist who returns home to Los Angeles after spending twenty years traveling on the road.

Director: Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, The Bourne Legacy,)

Featuring: Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Will Arnett

Studio: Searchlight

Festival: New York Film Festival, Centerpiece

December 4 (likely)

Ink

In a nutshell: In 1969 London, Rupert Murdoch takes control of The Sun and recruits an unconventional editor to transform the struggling newspaper into a provocative populist phenomenon.

Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, 127 Hours)

Featuring: Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce

Festiveal: Venice

Studio: Nerflix

December 11 (limited)

Elsinore

In a nutshell: Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson battles AIDS while preparing what would become his acclaimed final performance as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre. And Olivia Colman.

Director: Simon Stone (The Dig)

Featuring: Andrew Scott (Pressure), Olivia Colman

Studio: Focus Features

Festival: Telluride, TIFF, London Film Festival opening night

November 20, Thanksgiving wide

Paper Tiger

In a nutshell: In 1986 Queens, two very different brothers become entangled in a shady scheme involving the Russian mafia, putting their family, their integrity and their relationship at risk.

Director: James Gray (Ad Astra, The Lost City of Z, Armageddon Time)

Featuring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller

Studio: Neon

Festival: Cannes, New York Film Festival, Opening Night

November 13

Digger

In a nutshell: The world’s most powerful man desperately tries to convince humanity that he can save it from the very catastrophe he helped create.

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant, Babel)

Featuring: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed and John Goodman

Studio: Warner Bros.

Festival: None, but the CinemaCon preso and Tom Cruise push is underway positioning Cruise's performance as a career culmination

October 2

The Social Reckoning

In a nutshell: In the sequel to The Social Network (2010), a Facebook engineer joins forces with a Wall Street Journal reporter to expose the company's closely guarded secrets, igniting a reckoning over the social network’s impact on society.

Director: Aaron Sorkin (Molly's Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Featuring: Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White

Studio: Sony

Festival: None

October 9

Sense and Sensibility

In a nutshell: Despite Ang Lee creating a perfect movie with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, here we go again. Jane Austen's classic. After their father's death leaves their family financially displaced, sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood navigate love, heartbreak and social expectations. Oopsie, Daisy.

Director: Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean)

Featuring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, George MacKay, Fiona Shaw

Studio: Focus

Festival: none

October 16

Club Kid

In a nutshell: A hard-partying New York club promoter is forced to reconsider his chaotic lifestyle when the 10-year-old son he never knew existed suddenly enters his life

Director: Jordan Firstman

Featuring: Jordan Firstman, Diego Calva, Cara Delevingne

Studio: A24

Festival: Cannes

November 6 (limited)

Artificial

In a nutshell: The wild cards start here. This one by Luca Guadagnino. A darkly comic dramatization of the 2023 OpenAI crisis that saw CEO Sam Altman abruptly fired by the company's board, only to return days later after a chaotic power struggle.

Director: Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, Challengers)

Featuring: Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, Monica Barbaro, Yura Boriso

Studio: Neon. Amazon MGM originally made the film but dropped it in June; Neon subsequently acquired it for distribution.

Festival: None announced yet

Release: TBD, expected 2026.

I Play Rocky

In a nutshell: Not a joke, gonna fly now. Farrelly is looking for his second Best Picture winner with a film about a Best Picture nominee. A little-known Sylvester Stallone risks everything to star in the screenplay he refuses to sell without himself in the lead, leading to the unlikely creation of Rocky. Adrian!

Director: Peter Farrelly (Green Book, There’s Something About Mary)

Featuring: Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone, Matt Dillon

Studio: Amazon

Festival: Hamptons International Film Festival

November 6, November 20 wide

Clarissa

In a nutshell: In a contemporary Lagos reimagining of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, a society hostess preparing for a party reconnects with people from her youth, stirring memories of love, desire and roads not taken.

Director:Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri (Eyimofe)

Featuring: Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, Ayo Edebiri, India Amarteifio

Studio: Neon

Festival: Cannes

Release Month: December

Primetime

In a nutshell: Inspired by the rise of To Catch a Predator, a television journalist builds a sensational hidden-camera crime series that blurs the boundaries between journalism, entertainment and exploitation. I think Pattinson is overhyped as film talent; this may not work.

Director: Lance Oppenheim (Some Kind of Heaven)

Featuring: Robert Pattinson, Phoebe Bridgers

Studio: A24

Festival: Venice

September 25

Tender Loving Care

In a nutshell: Mike Leigh returns with an intimate ensemble drama examining family relationships, ordinary lives, and the complicated ways people attempt to care for one another.

Director: Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake, Topsy-Turvy)

Featuring: Kate O'Flynn, Marion Bailey, Brid Brennan

Studio: Bleecker Street

Festival: Telluride

December 4 (likely)

Wildwood

In a nutshell: Wildwood is a wild card. It's animated.Based on the novel by Colin Meloy, the story follows a young girl named Prue who enters a hidden, magical forest outside of Portland to rescue her kidnapped baby brother.

Director: Travis Knight

Studio: Bleecker Street

Festival: BFI London Film Festival

October 23

Werewulf

In a nutshell: The Frankenstein of this year. An Eggers period horror film has obvious potential in cinematography, production design, costumes, makeup and sound.

Director: Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman, Nosferatu)

Featuring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe

Studio: Focus Features

Festival: None announced

December 25

Disclosure Day

2026-06-15T20:59:57.213-04:00

What do I believe? Well before seeing Disclosure Day, I had three thoughts: Steven Spielberg knows how to make audiences lean forward better than anyone, John Williams remains one of cinema's greatest secret weapons and alien movies rarely stick the landing.

After seeing it, I still believe all three.

Disclosure Day is a fun, crowd-pleasing summer movie that kept me leaning forward from start to finish. The first half plays like a political thriller before shifting into classic Spielberg sci-fi spectacle. If you're expecting a late-life director bookend to Close Encounters or E.T., you may walk away wanting more. I certainly did. But judged on its own terms, it's a wild ride with a dream cast led by Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor, with Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.

The film is unmistakably Spielbergian. From the opening chase to the final reveal, every shot is designed for maximum impact. Spielberg brings a sense of wonder and spirituality to the story, pitting believers, skeptics and the fearful against one another as humanity inches toward revelation. A spectacular train sequence is worth the price of admission alone.

Not everything works. A major plot point involving a traditional news broadcast feels oddly dated in a world where a viral video would spread faster and farther. The story also takes a detour into alien-given superpowers that feels more like a weak Marvel magic stick subplot than thoughtful science fiction. It undercuts some of the mystery and realism that make the film's best moments so effective. A few dodgy CGI animals and some implausible escapes don't help either.

Listen, my biggest issue is probably unfair: I wanted more. Not a better movie, but a deeper one. Spielberg delivers a highly entertaining blockbuster, yet never quite finds a fresh angle on the alien-contact story.

Still, this is peak filmmaking craft from one of cinema's masters. It may not break new ground, but it's exciting, polished and immensely watchable. Go enjoy it!

In a nutshell: I believe in... Spielberg. Not groundbreaking, but one of the summer's most enjoyable trips to the movies.

Where to watch: Exclusively in theaters.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? This one needs her less than most, but yes, of course.

Awards potential: John Williams' magnificent score is the standout and will be the film's strongest awards contender. Sound has an outside shot, and Emily Blunt leaves a strong impression, but maybe not enough for the Academy to remember a summer action film come January.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Masters of the Universe

2026-06-04T11:42:09.168-04:00

The good news: with a reported budget somewhere between $170 million and $200 million, this is almost certainly the most assured flop of the year — and Mattel's Barbi-boosted plan to turn every toy in the closet into a cinematic universe will likely get a long timeout.

The other good news? For fans, Masters of the Universe is much better than it has any right to be.

Decades after the cartoon and toys ruled playgrounds, and nearly 40 years after the infamous Dolph Lundgren movie, returning to Castle Grayskull feels like a strange idea. I saw this in a preview setting, with half the room full of critics and half full of rabid fans. Both were pleasantly surprised by the film, having previously seen only the trailer, which did not reveal its silly love for the 80s, vibrant colors, a Queen nod to its stylistic cousin, Flash Gordon, and some comic bits that land.

The smartest decision is making Prince Adam an ordinary guy stuck in a dead-end desk job on Earth before he's pulled back to Eternia. Had the movie started with a blonde dude named He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) wandering a fantasy kingdom in a loincloth, it would have been a much harder sell.

The film understands the movie's balancing act between sincere fan service and a knowing wink at how ridiculous all of this is. The production design is gloriously colorful, the action has got the power, and there are plenty of jokes about names like Fisto and Mekaneck that somehow feel affectionate rather than mocking. My favorite scene comes when Adam reveals he originally named many of the heroes as a kid, drawing them from memory. It's a clever way to honor the toys while absolutely poking fun at them.

Jared Leto spends much of the film unrecognizable behind Skeletor's face, while Idris Elba brings more gravitas to Man-At-Arms than the material probably deserves. I don't see franchise potential here, and I certainly wouldn't hold my breath for a He-Man and She-Ra sequel. But as a standalone summer movie, it's surprisingly watchable.

In a nutshell: Delightfully silly. Completely unnecessary. Made for the fans.If you're coming in with no connection to these characters, there's not enough here to win you over.

Where to see it: In theaters starting June 5, 2026.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Absolutely. She would've been delightful as Roboto. Kristen Wiig does just fine, but still.

The Ten Buck Review: Not worth Ten Bucks for most. If you have a soft spot for these toys, this delivers more fun than expected.

Summer of 2026 movie guide

2026-05-31T01:46:50.872-04:00

After a spring that gave us successes like Project Hail Mary, the Michael Jackson smash and The Devil Wears Prada 2, 2026 is already shaping up to be a huge movie year. Now, summer begins, and I don't think there's a film this season that doesn't feature either Anne Hathaway (five films), Zendaya (four) or Tom Holland (the star of the summer's two biggest releases) — or, in some cases, all three.

The funniest movie of the year may be Scary Movie, the scariest film may be Obsession and with the same faces popping up everywhere, it's not looking easy to keep the movies straight, let alone figure out which ones are actually worth seeing.

No worries, here's your handy dandy summer film roundup so you can mark your calendars.

1. Spielberg and Nolan

Disclosure Day — June 12, 2026
Spielberg is back for another encounter where humanity confronts proof of extraterrestrial life in a large-scale science fiction event film. Fingers crossed.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Josh O'Connor

The Odyssey — July 17, 2026
Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic tale of Odysseus's long journey home after the Trojan War. Expectations are high despite a literally dark trailer.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson

2. IPs and Franchises

Spider-Man: Brand New Day — July 31, 2026
They're back! Peter Parker begins a new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the events of No Way Home. Likely contender for biggest film of the summer and year.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Actors: Tom Holland, Zendaya

Toy Story 5 — June 19, 2026
They're back! Woody, Buzz and the gang return for Pixar's latest installment in its flagship animated franchise. They have a good concept this time. And Taylor Swift.
Director: Andrew Stanton
Actors: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

The Mandalorian and Grogu - In theaters now

They're back! The Star Wars TV show becomes a film no one asked for with Din Djarin and Grogu embarking on a new mission.
Director: Jon Favreau
Actors: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White

Minions & Monsters — July 1, 2026
They're back! A new family animated adventure from Universal featuring an ensemble of colorful characters.

Moana — July 10, 2026
They're back! Disney reimagines its animated hit in live action.
Director: Thomas Kail
Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga'aia

Supergirl — June 26, 2026
Fresh from last summer's Superman, Kara Zor-El and Krypto take center stage in a key swing from DC Studios' cinematic universe. Based on the trailer, it looks like a lot of CGI, things blowing up, and about a thousand moments of Kara reminding you she's a badass, not Helen Slater.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Actors: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa

Masters of the Universe — June 5, 2026
Did the toys come first or the cartoon show, and did we really care that much about He-Man? The high-dollar film that looks most likely to be the major bust of the summer is getting buzz about its fun take on 1980s nostalgia and lighthearted fun. I'm not sure that I believe all that, but I'll see a sneak preview Monday and share the word.
Director: Travis Knight
Actors: Nicholas Galitzine, Alison Brie, Camila Mendes

3. Comedies

Scary Movie — June 5, 2026
The long-running spoof franchise returns with a new send-up of modern horror and pop culture. Given the past years, this looks to be a gem in the franchise and a big hit.

Actors: Damon Wayans Jr, Heidi Gardner

Power Ballad — June 5, 2026
John Carney's (Once, Sing Street) wheelhouse goes mainstream. A music-driven comedy-drama set in Dublin that explores the transformative power of song — and has a great one too.

Director: John Carney
Actors: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas

The Breadwinner — In theaters now

With a Nate Rate price and a good-lookin' comedian in his comedic prime, we get a contemporary version of Mr. Mom. I'd see a full film about his George Washington, but not sure about this familiar fluff for me, and family films are more of a streaming thing. We'll see how this does with special pricing and sheer star power.

Actors: Nate Bargatze, Will Forte

The Invite — June 26, 2026
A married couple's dinner with their adventurous neighbors spirals into an increasingly chaotic and uncomfortable night.
Director: Olivia Wilde
Actors: Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, Olivia Wilde

One Night Only — August 7, 2026
In a world where sex is legal for only one day each year, two strangers meet and spark an unexpected romance.
Director: Will Gluck
Actors: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Molly Ringwald

4. Alternates

The Death of Robin Hood — June 19, 2026
An aging and battle-worn Robin Hood confronts his legacy in a darker take on the legendary outlaw. Perfect setup for Wolverine to make an Oscar push.
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Actors: Hugh Jackman

Tony — August 7, 2026
A young Anthony Bourdain comes of age while working in the chaotic restaurant kitchens of Provincetown.
Director: Matt Johnson
Actors: Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodall, Emilia Jones

5. Thrillers

The End of Oak Street — August 14, 2026

Every month, a new Anne Hathaway movie, scary! A suburban family finds their neighborhood mysteriously transported into an unknown realm.
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Actors: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella

The Dog Stars — August 28, 2026
In a post-pandemic world, a survivor searches for hope amid the ruins of civilization.
Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney

6. Scary Films, Horror

Obsession — In theaters now
A micro-budget horror film becomes a breakout commercial phenomenon and one of the year's surprise hits.
Director: Curry Barker

Backrooms — In theaters now
An adaptation of the viral internet horror phenomenon follows characters trapped in a terrifying labyrinth of endless spaces.
Director: Kane Parsons
Actors: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass

Leviticus — June 19, 2026
Neon grabbed this at Sundance last year, despite being or because it is a supernatural horror film. It must be scary good.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma — August 7, 2026
A queer horror story from Cannes that follows a group of young people at a summer camp with deadly secrets.
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Actors: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson

Power Ballad

2026-05-26T19:50:06.718-04:00

I have a built-in expectation with any new John Carney movie. He's the force behind Once and Sing Street. This latest movie about musicians in Ireland, Power Ballad, doesn’t quite reach those high notes of his best films, but it’s also not really trying to. Instead, Carney leans into something lighter, broader, and way more crowd-pleasing. Think summer pop hit instead of indie folk anthem.

Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Clueless) plays Rick Power, a musician who almost made it big and now fronts “Ireland’s grooviest wedding band.” He’s settled into family life, still chasing that feeling of being on stage. Enter Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy-band star stuck in career limbo, watching his old bandmates have their Harry Styles moments.

The movie really starts to hum once the two start writing music together. Carney still knows how to make collaboration feel exciting and alive. Watching Rudd and Jonas bounce ideas off each other over whiskey and late-night jam sessions is one of the best parts of the film. For a second, it almost feels like the start of some legendary songwriting duo. Then the movie swerves hard into its rom-com place and overly-written hijinks ensue.

Power Ballad plays more like a ‘90s hit comedy than classic Carney. It’s closer in spirit to The Wedding Singer than the rougher edges of Once. At times, this feels more like really solid streaming content than must-see theater material. But I’m pretty forgiving when a movie this charming drops in the middle of summer. Rudd carries the whole thing with effortless warmth, the song is catchy, and Carney still has a gift for turning music performances into movie magic.

In a nutshell: It’s not operating on the same level as Once or Sing Street, but Power Ballad absolutely works as a feel-good summer movie and Carney’s most accessible film yet.

Where to see it: In select cities and theaters starting May 29, 2026 with a wide release on June 5, 2026.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? I'd have loved to see her in this. She would have provided some of the edge this needs.

Award potential: “How to Write a Song (Without You)” isn’t touching “Falling Slowly” territory, but it’s a legitimately great pop song in the same lane as “Golden” and could easily end up on plenty of nomination long lists.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Sinners vs One Battle After Another — Win your Oscars pool with stats

2026-03-09T19:23:00.009-04:00

There's been one award show after another and with a wild mix of winners, there's a lot to be excited for on Oscar Night. With all the moving targets, we’ll need some mathy math to help you win your office pool. Let's start with an easy one.

Win the Best Director category

Go with whoever won the Directors Guild of America award (DGA). Those winners have matched in 66 of 77 years, including last year's winner Sean Baker (Anora). The Oscar goes to Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another).

Win the Best Adapted Screenplay category

Hamnet doth make the most sense here, but the Writers Guild (WGA) chose One Battle and the USC Scripter Awards, which have accurately predicted this category for 12 of the last 16 years, also chose One Battle After Another. You should too.

Win the Best Original Screenplay category

BAFTA awarded Sinners and the Writers Guild (WGA), the closest guide for OG screenplay any given year, also chose Sinners. We have a winner and it rhymes with "winners."

Win the Best Editing category

Throughout history, the winner of Best Editing has always had a Best Sound nomination as well. That leaves Sinners, One Battle and F1. F1 has its editing fans and the One Battle and Sinners each won an ACE editing award this year in different categories, but only one BAFTA winner nominated in this category has lost the Oscar since 2018. One Battle for the win.

Win the Best Cinematography category

Sinners' Arkapaw could be the first woman ever to earn a cinematography Oscar. She used 70-mm IMAX cameras and alternating aspect ratios throughout the film. One Battle's Bauman shot on VistaVision, another rare format. And then there is Train Dreams.

I don't blame you for voting for any of those three. A vote for history? A vote for VistaVision? A vote to throw one award to cinematic beauty Train Dreams? But the stats show a different story.

BAFTA (60% record at matching) chose One Battle After Another. The American Society of Cinematographers (75% correct at matching) named One Battle After Another lenser Michael Bauman, too.

Win the Best Animated Feature Film category

Go with the math. 12 out of 19 PGA-winning animated films also won the Animated Feature Academy Award. K-Pop Demon Hunters should be golden.

Win the Best Music (Original Score) category

"Epic" films usually win here. The Golden Globes are your most reliable here, matching about 55 to 65% in the modern era. When the winner is also a Best Picture contender, its Oscar chances jump dramatically. This year, chose Ludwig Goransson's score for Sinners, just like the BAFTA and Globes did.

Win the Best Visual Effects category

Since the VES Awards launched in 2002, the winner of its top film category has gone on to win the Best Visual Effects Oscar in 13 of the past 23 years. It's the one you would choose anyway, Avatar Fire and Ash.

Win the Best International Feature Film category

In five of the past six years, one of the nominees was also nominated for Best Picture — that's the usual winner. But, this year there are two: Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent.

The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language went to Sentimental Value, a category that aligns with the eventual Oscar winner about 70% of the time. That track record makes it a stronger indicator than the Golden Globes, which selected The Secret Agent. With that mathy math in mind, the safer choice is Sentimental Value, especially after it secured a whopping nine Oscar nominations.

Win the Best Actor/Actress/Supporting Actor/Supporting Actress categories

This year is wild with BAFTAs, SAG, Globes and Critics Choice choosing different actors in every race except Best Actress, Jessie Buckley of Hamnet. Like any year, your best bet is to go with the four SAG winners every year, and you will get 3/4 correct. I have no idea which three

Win the Best Sound category
The “Oscar sound trifecta” is where MPSE + BAFTA + CAS Sound all match. When that happens the Oscar prediction rate is over 95%.

BAFTA awarded F1. The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) awarded Sinners, Frankenstein and Sirat, while the Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Sound Mixing Award winner was F1.

Well, to be specific, 95% of the CAS voters who determine the winner of the Best Sound Oscar are not members of the sound community at all, so I always say "vote for the loudest." F1 wins the race.

Win the Best Music (Original Song) category

There are no solid stats in this category except that Diane Warren never wins. It will likely be 17 losses after this one. Now, if it's also the biggest pop hit of the past year, you have a solid frontrunner. Go with "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Win the Best Production Design category

This award, the 2012-renamed “Best Art Direction" award, doesn’t usually match Best Picture (just four times since 2000). The winner of this category often aligns with the winner of the Art Director's Guild Award (AGA), which chose Frankenstein and One Battle After Another is separate categories. BAFTA chose Frankenstein, which seems the most alive here.

Win the Best Costume Design category

Frankenstein (Period ) and One Battle After Another (Contemporary) took the top film prizes at the Costume Designer Guild Awards. Over the last ten years, the Oscar winner has most often come from the Period category, Sci-Fi is second, and Contemporary is always the least likely to win. BAFTA, which resembles the Academy more than the Costume Guild, went with Frankenstein, and you should too.

Win the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category

The MUAHS recognized One Battle for Best Contemporary and Sinners for Best Period/Character. Period almost always wins.

Win the Best Documentary Feature category (Feature)

There is no reliable math here, the DGA all over the place and the PGA winner is not even nominated here. Social urgency always helps, which touches all of these, especially The Alabama Solution. The Perfect Neighbor, on Netflix, is the most widely seen one, and it won at the Critics' Choice, the American Cinema Editors and Film Independent Spirit awards. Mr Nobody Against Putin won BAFTA.

Win the Best Animated Short, Best Live Action and Documentary Short categories.

There's no math here but i always say, "the ones with great names win more often than not" and it's helped me many years. I have my favorites this year, but I will offer you the Vegas odds. All The Empty Rooms (doc short), Two People Exchanging Saliva (live action) and Butterly (animated) edge out The Girl Who Cried Pearls in Vegas.

Win the Best Casting category.

This is a new category this year so there is no history to look to. Like most races its between two movies and two legends in their fields to win the first ever Oscar for casting: Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle) and Francine Maisler (Sinners). The Critics Choice chose Sinners, and BAFTA chose I Swear, not eligible here. SAG chose Sinners for best ensemble, similar in some ways, so it's got an edge over the mega stars of One Battle.

Win the show’s running-time tiebreake

In 2002, the show ran for four hours and 23 minutes. It's been trending down ever since, but there is one extra award to hand out this year.
Here are the timings for the past ten years:

2009: 3 hours, 30 minutes
2010: 3 hours, 37 minutes
2011: 3 hours, 15 minutes
2012: 3 hours, 14 minutes
2013: 3 hours, 35 minutes
2014: 3 hours, 30 minutes
2015: 3 hours, 43 minutes
2016: 3 hours, 37 minutes
2017: 3 hours, 49 minutes
2018: 3 hours, 53 minutes
2019: 3 hours, 23 minutes
2020: 3 hours, 36 minutes

2021: 3 hours, 19 minutes

2022: 3 hours, 40 minutes

2023: 3 hours, 37 minutes

2024: 3 hours, 23 minutes

2025: 3 hours, 50 minutes.

Win the Best Picture category

One Battle After Another won BAFTA and Critics Choice.

The Palme d’Or winner was It Was Just an Accident.

The Globes split between One Battle After Another (comedy) and Hamlet (drama).

Best Ensemble at SAG went to Sinners.

Sinners has all the momentum after SAG.

No film in history that has won at the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTA, ACE, DGA, PGA and WGA with at least one SAG prize has ever lost best picture, boding well for One Battle After Another.

However, Sinners holds the ACE, SAG ensemble and WGA, and no film has lost with that powerful combination either.

Whatever to all that. The PGA is the only one with a preferential voting ballot like the Oscars, and chose One Battle After Another. The PGA has a consistent record with picking winners, and has only been wrong two times in the last nine years—when it chose 1917 over Parasite and La La Land over Moonlight.

Good luck with your Oscars pool, everyone!

Have an Arctic Blast! Here's where to stream Oscars' Best Picture nominees in your cozy home.

2026-01-23T10:32:00.011-05:00

Staying at home this winter weekend? TBR has rounded up the Top 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees and where you can watch and stream them so you can enjoy from the comfort of home during the Arctic Blast of 2026.

THE 10 BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

SINNERS

This stylish vampire movie sucked up a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, the most of any film ever. Ryan Coogler’s (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) slow-burn story leads to a barn-burner of a finale.

Where to watch: HBO Max or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, original screenplay, production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, makeup and hairstyling, sound, visual effects, score, song, casting.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

With 13 nominations, Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights) delivers one of the best sustained pieces of filmmaking — ever. It felt like one hour. At full volume, it’s about defying fascism and racism, but in quiet moments, it's a tender father-daughter story. Somehow it is both a thunderous thriller and intimate drama, switching gears with comic precision.

Where to watch: HBO Max or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, cinematography, editing, sound, score, casting.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Director Joachim Trier’s (The Worst Person in the World) helms this Norwegian family drama with an exceptional ensemble cast. It is slow, character-rich and moving. The subtitles are free.

Where to watch: VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress (2), original screenplay, editing, international feature.

HAMNET

Director-writer Chloe Zhao's (Nomadland) adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, earned eight Oscar nominations. This is not simply a film that “makes you cry.” It is a full sensory passage through love, family and mourning that ultimately opens into something rare and transcendent. Quite poetically, the theater is alive with power here. Hamnet is a story of loss that somehow bursts with life. A reminder that from unbearable grief can come lasting beauty.

Where to watch: Currently in theaters, which is a must for this one.

Nominated for: Best picture, director (Chloé Zhao), actress (Jessie Buckley), adapted screenplay, casting, costume design, production design, original score.

FRANKENSTEIN

Director Guillermo del Toro’s (Shape of Water, Pans Labyrinth) sumptuous gothic take on Mary Shelley’s classic is alive in distinct design, and ranks as a major contender in all the craft categories.

Where to watch: Netflix

Nominated for: Best picture, supporting actor (Jacob Elordi), adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, cinematography, makeup and hairstyling, sound, score.

TRAIN DREAMS

Director Clint Bentley (Sing Sing, Jockey) brings us the story of logger Robert (Joel Edgerton), a would-be-forgotten everyman. More than telling this man's story, Bentley is intent on celebrating a life even if it’s a quiet one. This lyrical period piece blends breathtaking visuals with heartfelt storytelling.

Where to watch: Netflix

Nominated for: Best picture, adapted screenplay, cinematography, original song.

BUGONIA

Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) reunites a third time with Emma Stone for a surreal journey that’s as funny as it is alien.

Where to watch: Peacock or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, actress (Emma Stone), adapted screenplay, original score.

THE SECRET AGENT

A Brazilian political thriller with a powerful central performance by Wagner Moura. It has earned multiple nominations and has a leg up on all the international feature nominees.

Where to watch: In theaters now.

Nominated for: Best picture, best international feature, best actor (Wagner Moura), casting.

MARTY SUPREME

A24’s hyped hit starring Timothée Chalamet either impressed or exhausted the academy to gather nine nominations across acting, technical and major categories.

Where to watch: In theaters now.

Nominated for: Best picture, actor (Timothée Chalamet), director (Josh Safdie), adapted screenplay, casting, costume design, cinematography, editing, production design.

I’m not sure why the F1 this fun popcorn movie is in the top ten, but voters must agree that it’s high-octane and visually stunning, delivering on spectacle in an old-fashioned, Top Gun kind of way. It's on track to win editing and sound.

Where to watch: Apple TV or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, editing, sound, visual effects.

Bonus: Best Documentary Features worth streaming right now

If you love peek-behind-the-scenes or secret camera footage, these nominees deliver gripping real life drama:

The Perfect Neighbor
Uses police bodycam footage to examine the killing of Ajike Ownes and the laws and biases at play.

Where to watch: Netflix

The Alabama Solution
Explores a troubling prison system through secretly recorded footage by incarcerated men.

Where to watch: HBO Max

Mr. Nobody Against Putin
A Russian teacher captures how propaganda and patriotism are instilled in children during wartime.

Where to watch: VOD to rent/buy

Come See Me in the Good Light

An intimate portrait of an artist at work set against political unrest.

Where to watch: Apple TV or VOD to rent/buy

To be or not to be; who gets Oscar noms this Thursday?

2026-01-19T13:20:00.013-05:00

It’s almost time to dust off that movie watch list. Deep-picks Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), Lewis Pullman (Thunderbolts) and the Academy announce its Oscars nominees across all categories Thursday morning, but you don’t have to wait around for the envelope. With a track record of 82.7% accuracy at predicting nominees, here are my picks for an Oscar race that’s poised to shower One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet, Frankenstein and plenty more with love. It’s a year full of vampires, zombies, monsters and demon slayers and somehow I still have a few monster favorites.

Some things to watch for: 24% of Oscar voters live outside the U.S., sequels from Wicked to Avatar will have a bad morning and voters just love Guillermo del Toro. And Sinners may be the most nominated film in all of history if it gets to 15, given it definitely will take a nomination in a new category, Best Casting in addition to almost all categories. The record for the most Oscar nominations for a film in one year is 14 (All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016). Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 5:30 a.m. PT (8:30 a.m. ET).

The nominees will be:

Best Picture

Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
The Secret Agent
Train Dreams

Surprise: Weapons
Shocker: F1

Best Director

Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident)
Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein)
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Chloe Zhao (Hamnet)

Surprise: Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)

Shocker: Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Jesse Plemens (Bugonia)

Surprise: Ethan Hawk (BlueMoon) or Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
Shocker: Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine)

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
Emma Stone (Bugonia)

Surprise: Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
Shocker: Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby)

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another)
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Paul Mescal (Hamnet)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value)

Surprise: Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly)
Shocker: Miles Canton (Sinners)

Best Supporting Actress

Odessa A'zion (Marty Supreme)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Wuni Mosaku (Sinners)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)

Surprise: Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good)

Shocker: Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)

Best Original Screenplay

It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Weapons

Best Adapted Screenplay

Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

Best Animated Feature

Arco
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Demon Slayer
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Casting

Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battler After Another
Sinners
Sirat

Best International Feature

It Was Just An Accident (France), Neon
No Other Choice (South Korea), Neon
Sentimental Value (Norway), Neon
Sirat (Spain), Neon
The Secret Agent (Brazil), Neon

Best Documentary

2000 Meters to Andriivka, PBS
The Alabama Solution, HBO
Apocalypse in the Tropics, Netflix
My Undesirable Friends, No distribution
The Perfect Neighbour, Netflix

Best Cinematography

Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Best Production Design

Avatar: Fire & Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners

Best Film Editing

F1
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Score

Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat

Best Song

Dear Me (Diane Warren: Relentless)
Dream as One (Avatar: Fire & Ash)
I Lied to You (Sinners)
The Girl in the Bubble (Wicked: For Good)
Train Dreams (Train Dreams)

Best Sound

F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat

Best Costume

Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
Sinners
Wicked: for Good

Best Visual Effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Sinners
Lost Bus

Best Documentary Short

All the Empty Rooms
All the Walls Came Down
Armed Only with a Camera
Cashing Out
The Devil is Busy

Best Animated Short

Autokar
Butterfly (Papillon)
Cardboard
Eiru
The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Best Live Action Short

Ado
Amerla
Beyond Silence
Butterfly on a Wheel
The Boy with White Skin

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
Wicked: for Good

5 Things To Watch For During Tonight's Golden Globes (and who will win)

2026-01-11T16:21:00.001-05:00

The Golden Globes are a show that has always been a little questionable in purpose, intentionally messy in execution and yet somehow impossible to quit. For years, it hovered in the background as something you flipped to during NFL playoffs just to see gave a drunk speech. This year, withh a can't-miss host and a genuinely wild slate of nominees, the Globes might actually deserve your full attention again.

Spoiler alert. Here’s what to expect.

1. Nikki Glaser will wildly entertain and mildly disappoint and that’s okay

Nikki Glaser set an absurdly high bar last year. Ratings went up, critics were happy and the show briefly avoided extinction. Long story. That bar is now so high there’s basically no way she tops it, whether she plays it safe or swings harder. But here’s the thing. She is still the best awards show host working right now and even her off night is better than most people’s career highlights.

2. Horror is officially having a monster year

This may be the first time serious awards categories are openly embracing horror in a big way. We’re talking a vampire film as a major drama frontrunner, a zombie/witch film dominating supporting actress chatter and an actual monster performance putting Jacob Elordi in the supporting actor conversation. Animated horror even shows up with K Pop Demon Hunters.

Horrifying Predictions:

Wins for Sinners

Best Motion Picture Drama
Best Original Score
Box Office Achievement

Maybe Michael B. Jordan, Best Actor,

Wins for Weapons

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Amy Madigan

Wins for K Pop Demon Hunters
Best Animated Feature
Best Original Song Golden

3. International films are everywhere and yes, you will be reading subtitles

Non-English language films are no longer confined to their own corner. The newer voting body has made it clear they are paying attention to global cinema and it shows. Expect to hear titles like Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, No Other Choice and Sirāt popping up in major categories.

Predicted winners:
The Secret Agent
Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama: Wagner Moura

Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Stellan Skarsgård

It Was Just an Accident
Best Non English Language Film

If you see the room stand, here's why: Director Jafar Panahi has faced repeated arrests and imprisonment by Iranian authorities over the years for his filmmaking and political stance making the film’s themes resonate directly with reality.

4. The speeches absolutely matter this year

The Globes are looser, funnier and less formal than the Oscars which is exactly why the speeches matter so much. Even though the Globes share zero voters with the Academy, it’s impossible not to read these moments as momentum setters. If you remember last year, you remember Demi Moore and how a great speech can launch an awards run. A bad one can stop it cold. One of the tightest races this year is Actress, with Oscar frontrunners split across drama and comedy here. This is the speech to watch if you want clues.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

5. Warner Bros will clean up

Despite my personal love for Hamnet and how it should be the filmaker choice of the year in any race where it's not up against One Battle, this looks like a huge night for Warner Bros. They have heavyweight contenders across multiple categories and the math is on their side.

Predictions:

One Battle After Another (Warner Brothers)
Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Potential Supporting wins for Teyana Taylor and Benicio Del Toro

Sinners (Warner Brothers)
Best Motion Picture Drama
Best Original Score
Box Office Achievement

Those are the five film things, but I forgot...

6. Yes there’s a podcast award now, and there will be television awards too

There will also be a podcast award for the first time ever. SmartLess feels like the time-earned, popular favorite while Good Hang with Amy Poehler has longtime Globes love. Either way you can expect a bit that makes watching live worth it.

As for TV, most winners will echo Emmy season with one twist. Rhea Seehorn enters the conversation for Pluribus and likely wins, and for show it's up against The Pitt in a very tight race.

The Ten Buck Preview: The Golden Globes are back to being a genuinely fun night. Pour something good, make NFL the flipping channel, and enjoy the chaos.

Song Sung Blue

2025-12-22T11:47:00.004-05:00

If you’re expecting a Neil Diamond biopic, you will be pleasantly surprised. This is the true story of a hard luck Milwaukee couple who performed Diamond tunes.

Hugh Jackman is perfectly cast, of course, as Mike the Diamond “interpreter” who eventually becomes a local legend with his better half, played by Kate Hudson. Hudson shines as Claire, whom Mike meets backstage at a state fair. Mike asks the Patsy Cline-wigged Claire, “You’re a blonde?” and she replies “Oh boy, am I”. Both actors fully commit to the roles and that’s the pure joy of this film.

In theaters on Christmas Day, this film has a job to do for movie goers and it performs mostly on that.

It breezily plays like a great night at a bar when the jukebox lands on “Sweet Caroline” and suddenly everyone is family. The tone is breezy, tuneful and built on smiles. I wan't hunting for awards here. I wanted a good time, and for most of its run the movie delivers exactly that.
Midway through, a sudden real-life twist threatens to turn the story into melodrama. I braced myself for eye rolling TV-movie territory, but the filmmakers pull off a smart rebound that keeps the spirit light and the tempo alive.
The stumble comes at the very end. A second tragic beat overlaps what should have been the film’s last pure, joyful performance. Instead of swaying, the audience is left waiting at the end of every single note for something bad to maybe happen. It was followed by a list of familiar tropes that drain the room just when it should be singing

What worked so well at the Freddie Mercury movie Bohemian Rhapsody, is that they altered the timeline a bit so that the movie ended on that inspiring Live Aid performance, leaving audiences exiting in bliss. Since they messed with Mike’s timeline anyway, this would have made this a crowd pleaser that might have reached its own cult status.

In a nutshell: A lot of fun, hitting most of the right notes. Adding an extra song at the end (i.e. Mamma Mia musicals) or blooper songs (i.e., Anyone But You) would have saved this film and probably have started a Tik Tok craze.

Where to see it: In theaters, starting Christmas Day.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman: I'd cast her in a bar scene and just watch what happens.

Award potential: Ripe for Golden Globes attention, but nothing more. Jackman and Hudson are perfect in their roles, but where it achieves best is not meant to be award territory.

The Ten Buck Review: Still your best bet for a fun film this season. Worth ten bucks.

After the film: Watch the original documentary for free here.

Hamnet

2025-12-19T17:30:00.006-05:00

The beauty of a tragic tale is how it takes hold of the heart and refuses to let go. Shakespeare understood that better than anyone.

The grief and mortality that shape the historical novel behind the film draw from Maggie O’Farrell’s own experiences living with the constant danger posed by her daughter’s life-threatening food allergy and anaphylaxis.

Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland) adaptation of Hamnet understands loss not as something to conquer, but something to carry, with art offering a way to survive it.

When a (spoiler-free) tragedy happens, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) turns to his work because it is the only place he believes his sorrow can go. Agnes Shakespeare (Jessie Buckley) endures by refusing to mute her pain or soften it for anyone else.

Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) gives Agnes, known more casually here and historically as Anne Hathaway, a raw and deeply physical presence. Her grief is loud, uncontained and impossible to ignore. Paul Mescal (Normal People, AfterSun) meets her intensity with restraint, playing a man who learns that creating art can both protect him and force him to face what he has lost.

This is not simply a film that “makes you cry.” It is a full sensory passage through love, family and mourning that ultimately opens into something rare and transcendent. Quite poetically, the theater is alive with power here. Hamnet is a story of loss that somehow bursts with life. A reminder that from unbearable grief can come lasting beauty.

In a nutshell: Brilliant. Devastating. Achingly beautiful. A profound act of empathy, Chloé Zhao’s finest work to date and another reminder of why art matters.

Where to see it: In theaters. Don't see it Christmas Day.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? To thine own self be true.

Award potential: This film will be very competitive with Oscar noms ranging from Picture and Director to Actress and Supporting Actor to Max Richter’s score. It won’t tally as much as Wicked, Sinners and One Battle, which are eligible in everything including song, but it will be a big player in key categories.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Jay Kelly

2025-12-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

There is an expectation that comes with a new Noah Baumbach film (Frances Ha, The Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story). You sit down expecting something essential and maybe a little bruising. Jay Kelly arrives with that same promise and a tuxedo full of movie stars and for a while, it looks like it might be his leap into deliverying an elevated crowd-pleaser. Instead, it settles into something more modest and oddly charming.

George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, one of the last movie stars who still believes in movie stars. He floats through life with an entourage, a displaced family and the kind of privilege that insulates you from ever needing to ask why any of it exists. Clooney is basically playing himself with a Cary Grant tilt, and the film knows it. At one point, a stranger on a train calls him out for exactly that. Clooney fires back like a silver screen relic, insisting that playing yourself is harder than it looks. The movie winks.

Somehow, and oddly, all at once everyone who orbits Kelly seems to quietly question why they are there and whether this life is enough. That is fertile Baumbach territory, but Jay Kelly keeps slipping between tones. One minute, it is a melancholy character study, the next it is a travelogue through Tuscany.

The best stretch is an out-of place middle section on a train rolling through Europe. Adam Sandler delivers another reminder that vulnerability is his secret weapon. This is not another against-type tough guy turn. He is open, fragile and quietly devastating. Laura Dern delivers her lines like an Aaron Sorkin classic. Greta Gerwig (his wife and collaborator), Emily Mortimer (co-screenrighter, BIlly Cruddup, Stacy Keach and the rest of the cast all deliver. It's fun in parts.

And yet, when the film finally asks you to care deeply about Jay Kelly, it runs into trouble. The ending aims for a poetic bookend to the opening shot, complete with a quote that wants to be immortal. It does not quite earn it. Jay remains too insulated, too entitled and too vaguely sketched for the emotional payoff to fully work. You enjoy watching him but you do not ache for he and his Hollywood life.

The comparison that hangs over the film is Sentimental Value, another 2025 film about a famous father and his daughters. That film knows exactly what it is building toward and sticks the landing. Jay Kelly prefers to wander, collecting moments instead of meaning.

In a nutshell: There is plenty to enjoy. The dialogue snaps. Tuscany looks incredible. The scenes, taken individually, are often wonderful.

Where to find it: Watch it in theaters or on Netflix.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman: Absolutely.

Awards potential: Golden Globe nominees Clooney and Sandler both have a shot as the Oscar nominees become 10 not 24, but Sandler feels like the real long-shot contender, especially in supporting actor. The screenplay by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer should also be in the conversation.

The Ten Buck Review: Not what we hoped from all this talent, but it's still worth ten bucks.

2025 in Film + What Best Pictures will Golden Globes choose tomorrow?

2025-12-07T17:56:00.005-05:00

2025 has shaped up to be a terrific film year and thank you thank you, because after 2024 I needed this. Around this time a year ago, we were trying to convince ourselves that The Brutalist was a triumph. I adored the first half, then spent the second half wondering if I had wandered into the worst movie of the year by accident. Anora gave us the most trite entry in an auteur director’s collection and Emilia Pérez left me indiferente. I mean, The Substance made the top ten nominees for film that year.

This year, the energy is different. It's a director year. We get to cheer an auteur director delivering one of his finest works with Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Chloé Zhao doth dropped a gutting masterwork in Hamnet. Joachim Trier gifts us an emotionally rich family drama with Sentimental Value. And then there is the unforgettable Train Dreams, which you just have to see right now.

Even stranger, the monster corner of cinema has come to play at an A+ level in a genre I don't usually bother with. Ryan Coogler pulled off a vampire film with Sinners, and Guillermo del Toro brought Frankenstein to life. Meanwhile, Weapons came in screaming as a well-scripted zombie movie to complete the trifecta.

Extra exciting, we still have heavy hitters coming to theaters soon, from Marty Supreme to It Was Just an Accident to The Secret Agent. If last year’s nominee, A Complete Unknown, tried to sneak into this year’s top ten, it wouldn’t stand a chance. Sorry to Deliver Me From Nowhere, tough year for a rock biopic.

There were some big misses. Kathryn Bigelow’s House of Dynamite fizzled on a finale, Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt got schooled and Coppola’s Megalopolis wandered. Still, this is unmistakably a top director year. Also did I mention there is another Avatar coming? Never ever count out James Cameron.

The Golden Globes announce their nominees tomorrow. It’s a new voting body, not your father’s Globes, but here are the films I expect to see on their list, in alphabetical order.

Best Picture, Drama (6)

Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
The Secret Agent (Neon)
Sentimental Value (Neon)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Fingers crossed: Train Dreams
Spoiler: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Surprise: Is This Thing On?

If you're missing some top dranas, it's because they are running as comedies. I hope you see the humor in that too.

Best Picture, Comedy or Musical (6)

Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Marty Supreme (A24)
No Other Choice (Neon)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Wake Up Dead Man (Netflix)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Fingers crossed: If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You
Spoiler: Bugonia
Surprise: Song Sung Blue

Train Dreams

2025-11-18T18:14:00.006-05:00

Director Clint Bentley (Sing Sing, Jockey) brings us the story of Robert (Joel Edgerton), a would-be-forgotten everyman. More than telling this man's story, Bentley is intent on celebrating a life even if it’s a quiet one. He lets us see the sweep of a man’s existence, the small and large moments that shape a souland what it means to live mostly alone in Idaho at the start of the 20th century, except during logging season when Robert joins the men cutting down trees and drifts to wherever the work calls.

Edgerton plays Robert with a blend of masculinity and vulnerability. He watches the world shift beneath his feet as he clears forests, pounds rail tracks into the ground and helps raise bridges. His work reshapes the land and, in turn, reshapes him.

One of the film’s earliest shots shows a pair of boots nailed to a tree. It’s the kind of woodland oddity you might stumble upon and quietly wonder about. How did they get there? Who left them? The film understands that every tree has a story, and every person has a story, and if luck is on our side, someone will keep that story alive.

The film is narrated by Will Patton (Minari) with support from characters including wife Gladys (Felicity Jones) and logger Arn(William Macy), who steals his brief time on screen. Still, the truest supporting character is the land itself. Cinematographer Adolpho Veloso makes every frame glow as if borrowed from magic hour, which gives the film the hush of a dream.

All of this springs from Denis Johnson’s 117-page Pulitzer finalist novella. Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing) bring that spirit to life from the candlelit cabins in the middle of nowhere to the lush woods where Robert works to the thick night.

Time moves forward and the old man searches for his place in a modern world. Men are going to the moon and the shape of the earth seems to bend in his mind just as his own reflection does in a mirror. A later scene takes this view even further and the perspective it offers will stay with audiences for a long time.

At one point, a logger looks out into the gathering dark and says simply “It’s beautiful.” Train Dreams is a disarmingly human film about who we are, how we arrive at ourselves and how we endure. It’s my favorite film of 2025 so far.

In a nutshell: If Terrence Malik (Tree of Life, Badlands) made an accessible film about what defines a life, it would be Train Dreams. “It’s beautiful.”

Where to watch it: In theaters now and on Netflix on November 21, 2025. That’s a short window to get to a big screen with an audience. Don’t watch this on your phone, please.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman: Of course, even as good as it is.

Award potential: Dark Horse for Oscar Best Picture and Cinetography and acting awards with a low profile and Netflix focusing on Jay Kelly, Frankenstein, House of Dynamite — and this. But I have faith the word will get around by January nomination time.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

After the Hunt

2025-10-16T22:51:00.002-04:00

You don’t have to be a Yale grad to see it coming. A movie about professors means endless coffee-fueled conversations, deep moral questions and zero concrete answers. That is After the Hunt.

Julia Roberts (Ben is Back, Erin Brockovich) goes full serious mode here, more Cate Blanchett than Pretty Woman. She plays Alma, a philosophy professor whose calm, curated life unravels when a student, played by Ayo Edebiri (The Bear, Bottoms) accuses another professor, Andrew Garfield (Tik Tick Boom, Spiderman, The Social Network) of abuse. Roberts nails the mix of control and unease, and Garfield? There’s a wild pulse to him here with every glance loaded, every pause flirty.

Director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers) brings his signature touch of place with beautiful, slightly haunted spaces and that unmistakable sense of tension in the air. He starts things off with Woody Allen–style title credits and music (intentional), then dives in.

There’s a lot to unpack here. Power. Politics. Truth. Yet Guadagnino never quite lands the plane. You’ll keep wondering who to believe and what it all means, right up to the moment the credits roll and probably long after.

In the end, it’s like sitting in on a really juicy grad-school debate: fascinating, messy and impossible to stop thinking about, even if no one reaches a conclusion. B-

In a nutshell: A smart, moody drama that keeps you guessing. Don’t expect a breezy Julia Roberts romp. This one’s dense, divisive and post-film conversation-worthy.

Where to watch: In theaters, starting October 17, 2025.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? No scholarly discussion needed here. Yes.

Award potential: Julia and Andrew deserve a seat at the table, but it’s a competitive year.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks and maybe a post-movie drink to process it.

Anemone

2025-10-02T17:37:00.004-04:00

It’s not every day you get a new movie with Daniel Day-Lewis. Anemone (uh-NEM-uh-nee) marks the Oscar winner’s return after an eight-year retirement, and it’s a thunderous reminder of why he is the GOAT.

From the opening childhood drawing sequence, you sense a storm is coming—and it does.

This debut feature from writer and filmmaker Ronan Day-Lewis is exactly what you’d expect from a first film by a talented artist finding his voice. At times, it dazzles, with environmental details as sharp as the rim of a beer glass or as stark as woodland landscapes caught in winter light. At other moments, it leans into indulgent arthouse clichés. His handling of mystical magical visions haunting the protagonist Ray doesn’t always land, but when he unleashes elemental chaos—particularly a hailstorm of near-biblical scale—the effect is unforgettable.

Confession: I loathe dream sequences. They so often feel like a lazy storytelling shortcut. Here they’re treated with self-conscious gravitas, which only underlines the contrivance. Still, the raw force of nature on display makes up for some of the eye-rolling.

The full acting team is on point, too. Sean Bean sparring with his co-star is not an easy feat.

The film pattern is uneven, much like the brothers, and the men it portrays, mixing stretches of silence with dialogue-heavy scenes that occasionally feel overwrought or flat-out gross. Yet together they serve as a showcase for Daniel Day-Lewis’s craft. His portrayal of Ray Stoker, a former British soldier living in exile, is a reminder of why he’s untouchable. To see him back on the big screen is a thrill, even if the script isn’t fully fleshed out.

An anemone, incidentally, is a flower, and if that applies to the director, looks like one to watch bloom.

In a nutshell: Not a fan of dream sequences or dialogue that stretches on like a pub monologue, but the film’s dark beauty and Daniel Day-Lewis’s mesmeric presence won me over.

Where to watch: Opens Friday, October 3 in Dallas. In theaters nationally starting October 10, 2025.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Naturally. SHE better not retire.

Award potential: Never count out the GOAT for Best Actor nomination.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

One Battle After Another

2025-09-28T14:16:00.003-04:00

I had zero interest in this film after its trailer. After all, I either love Paul Thomas Anderson movies (Phantom Thread, There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights) or hate them (Inherent Vice, The Master). In fact, Inherent Vice holds the dubious honor of being one of only four films I’ve ever walked out of. Critics at festivals were swooning, but at two hours and fifty minutes, it seemed destined to be filed under my most common dig of the decade: “self-indulgent marathon films from untouchable directors that should have been two hours flat.”

However, his tenth film, One Battle After Another, is one of the best sustained pieces of filmmaking — ever. It felt like one hour and is clearly one of the best films of 2025.

It kicks off with the kind of velocity most action films save for their finale, then never lets up. Without spoiling specifics, it centers on revolutionaries from the last decade, though it feels as if the script were finished last night. At full volume, it’s about defying fascism and racism, but in quiet moments, it's a tender father-daughter story. Somehow it is both a thunderous thriller and intimate drama, switching gears with comic precision. The balance of action, thriller, drama and comedy is a masterwork.

Often cited "greatest actor of our generation," Leonardo DiCaprio to me, has too often been outsized by the film roles from The Aviator and Departed to J.Edgar and Killers of the Flower Moon, but this film and comic role fits him better, much like his turn in The Wolf of Wall Street. Here, DiCaprio gives a carefully modulated turn, often channelling The Big Lebowsi in his backrobe as Bob Ferguson.

Our other "greatest actor," Sean Penn completely disappears into Col. Lockjaw, the clearest bad guy of the film, creating one of his all-time best roles. Teyana Tarylo, Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall are all expectedly great too.

What makes the film astonishing is that it never panders. It’s bleak, sardonic, tough-minded, yet alive with jolting humanity. It isn’t about good guys or easy redemption, it’s about survival and defiance, and somehow that makes it all the more hopeful.

In a nutshell: the action jolts, the comedy lands and the suspense feels utterly original. This is a Molotov cocktail hurled into the 2025 film season.

Where to see it: Theatrical release, in 70mm, IMAX 70mm, IMAX Digital and VistaVision. IMAX was worth every cent.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? We’re talking about one of the decade’s best films, but yes, naturally.

Award potential: Expect Oscar nominations in all categories.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Fall's Future Best Picture Nominees - mark your calendar

2025-09-03T21:54:00.001-04:00

Goodbye, super summer blockbusters. The fall movies are coming. Festival buzz is heating up and while some early Oscar contenders (Frankenstein, The Bride, The History of Sound and Julia Robert's instantly controversial After the Hunt) have already fizzled out, a new crop of top-tier films has emerged. These are the ones to circle in your calendar and get your popcorn and excitment ready for.

TOP 3 LOCKS

Hamnet

In a nutshell: Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's acclaimed novel, this drama centers on Agnes (Jessie Buckley) grieving a family tragedy that inspires her husband William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) to write Hamlet. Directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao.

Why it's a lock: It's Zhao’s first drama since Nomadland, and it slayed at Telluride. Focus Features might finally have its Best Picture winner.

In theaters: Limited release November 27, 2025, national expansion December 12, 2025.

Sentimental Value

In a nutshell: An actress reunites with her estranged, acclaimed director father, who wants her to star in his autobiographical film.

Why it's a lock: Reuniting The Worst Person in the World dream team of Trier and Reinsve. Oh, and it was the Cannes runner-up for the Palme d’Or. Sentimental? Early word has it as sensational.

In theaters: Limited release November 7, 2025.

Sinners

In a nutshell: A complex, ambitious film that blends vampires, blues music and historical themes. Michael B. Jordan excels in a dual role.

Why it's a lock: Don’t let the vampires fool you, this one has real teeth. One of the only Oscar-quality films to already hit theaters and people are still talking about it.

In theaters: Now streaming online.

TOP 3 CONTENDERS

House of Dynamite

In a nutshell: A U.S. missile is accidentally launched at Chicago, and a high-stakes team led by Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson races to prevent catastrophe.

Why it's a lock: It's directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt Locker), in another James Cameron Avatar year, and it recently blew up the Venice Film Festial.

In theaters: Limited September release and on Netflix October 10, 2025.

Marty Supreme

In a nutshell: Timothée Chalamet is a young ping pong player in the 1950s on a quest for greatness. The ensemble cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher and Tyler, The Creator.

Why it's a lock: Directed by Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems) and backed by A24, this late-year entry is the weird, wild awards contender that will likely sneak in at the end.

In theaters: Christmas Day.

Jay Kelly

In a nutshell: George Clooney plays a fading actor on a reflective European road trip with his longtime manager, grappling with fame, failure, and legacy.

Why it's a lock: Directed by Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), with Adam Sandler poised for another serious-actor moment. Netflix is pushing this hard despite some so-so reviews — expect it to go the distance.

In theaters: November 14, 2025.

THE 3 POPULAR, COLON ONES

Avatar: Fire & Ash: The upcoming third film in the James Cameron Avatar series (each prior film was nominated for Best Picture) will release on December 19, 2025.

Wicked: For Good: The follow-up and conclusion to last year's Best Picture nominee releases November 21, 2025.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere: The film about Springsteen's personal work on the Nebraska album, and not his life story, had a boss world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, securing likely nominations for both Jeremy actors (Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong) and a shot at Best Picture. Releases October 24, 2025.

THE WILD CARDS

It Was Just An Accident: Directed by Jafar Panahi, this co-production between Iran, France, and Luxembourg explores political repression in Iran. It has garnered global acclaim and was awarded the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Releases October 15, 2025.

No Other Choice: A 2025 South Korean dark comedy thriller film co-written, produced and directed by Park Chan-wook, in theaters now.

Begonia: The next satirical absurdist science fiction dark comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favorite) with Jesse Plemmons and Emma Stone, opens appropriately on October 31, 2026.

One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson directs Leonardo DiCaprio as a former revolutionary hunting for his missing daughter. Ehh. Releases September 25, 2025.

Train Dreams: Netflix's contender with actor Joel Edgerton as a logger and railroad worker in the rapidly changing American West in theaters November 7, 2025, followed by a global Netflix release on November 21, 2025.

Testament of Ann Lee: Early indications from the Venice Film Festival suggest a divisive film like The Brutalist. It stars Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century. Release date is still TBD.

Is This Thing On? Bradley Coopers' film about British comedian John Bishop is the closing film of the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2025, and it releases on December 19, 2025.

Rental Family: A comedy-drama, starring Brendan Fraser, is set in Tokyo and follows an American actor who finds purpose working for a Japanese "rental family" agency. In theaters starting November 21, 2025.

Weapons: One of two summer horror breakouts. Stylish, chilling and smarter than your average scream fest. It's in theaters now.

The Naked Gun (2025)

2025-07-31T19:16:00.002-04:00

"Nothing to see here! Please disperse!" In 1982, Leslie Nielsen first played the hilariously clueless Detective Frank Drebin in Police Squad!, an underappreciated, short-lived TV series that took the breakneck, deadpan absurdity of the movie Airplane! and applied it to copland Six episodes and one cancellation later, that same character hit the big screen in 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, which became an instant classic and spawned two sequels—the final one aptly titled Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.

Now, 31 years after that final insult, The Naked Gun returns. The style? Still rapid-fire and delightfully ridiculous. The difference? This time, it's coming from the team behind The Lonely Island and Family Guy.

Akiva Schaffer directs, Seth MacFarlane produces and Liam Neeson plays Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., son of the late, great Nielsen’s character. He’s perfect in the role. Plus, Pamela Anderson joins in and holds her own, while the film throws everything at the wall.

It helps that it’s a tight 90-minute comedy, yet the reboot wrestles with the same truth as the original sequels: lightning rarely strikes twice, and never three times in a row. The film is funny, but rarely Airplane! funny. Not enough jokes work for me to suggest you buy a ticket and go out to see this when your TikTok delivers rapid-fire comedy without having to force a contrived plot between the jokes.

All that to say that Naked Gun is only OK and hard to fully recommend, despite Neeson firing on all cylinders to dramatic deadpan perfection. If you go anyway, you may be disappointed, but you will laugh in a full theater with the community and that's hardly a bad thing.

In a nutshell: They don’t make them like this anymore, but they probably won’t again either.

Where to see it: In theaters, starting August 1.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Surely. But don’t call her Shirley.

Award potential: No.

The Ten Buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

Superman (2025)

2025-07-09T22:53:00.006-04:00

Look, up in the sky! It’s yet another Superman, his eighth screen incarnation if you’re counting, and yes, we are doing this all over again. Should we be?

Mostly, yes. The new Superman smartly skips past the origin story. No exploding planets, no baby in a space bassinet, no discovering his powers at the Kent farm. We’re dropped right into a world that already knows the guy in the cape and tights. Clark’s secret identity? She knows. Lois and Clark? Already a thing. Clark and The Daily Planet? Oddly sidelined. And that’s a shame.

What works, and works fast, is the film’s energy. Filmmaker James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) clearly brought his mixtape of comic book optimism. The colors pop, the pace zips and we are thankfully spared another dark, overly grim yawnfest. The film clocks in at a breezy two hours, which feels practically retro in an age of 3-hour superhero bloat. A standing ovation for that alone.

David Corenswet (Twisters, Hollywood) and his do-gooding Superman radiates a golden retriever vibe. He’s super, yes, but vulnerable in ways that make you actually care when he gets knocked around (and he gets knocked around a lot). Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) matches him beat for beat as Lois Lane, the two sharing skyscraper-leaping chemistry that fuels much of the film’s charm. More of that next time, please.

And there’s Krypto. The superdog. He flies. He growls. He steals scenes. You’ll leave wanting the plushie.

The first hour is pure joy. Banter, character beats, clever action. Then comes the large plot hole. I mean, a universal portal time hole thing.

Woof. It piles on cosmic threats and loses much of what made the early going so enjoyable. Superman gets beaten more than any other screen version before him. So much so that Mel Gibson is probably wishing he had this role.

Suddenly, the film feels pressured to go epic big, piling on way too many increasingly vague threats. The Justice Gang (maybe their name, maybe not) enters. They’re here to help, and somehow they get beaten up much less than the Man of Steel. It doesn't add up. Supes fights one threat, then another, then five more. Lois drives a spaceship — what is happening now?

Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, The Great, Juror #2) plays Lex Luthor in the most one-note Elon Musk way, and it's a mystery what his beef is with Superman is despite, well, spoiler avoided.

The real crime committed is — not enough Clark Kent. With all the universe-hopping, the grounded, goofy charm of Clark-in-the-city is sidelined.

For all its flaws, Gunn brings a welcome sense of humor, hope, and old-fashioned romance back to the DC Universe. Will it make its money back? Definitely. Will it make people want more Superman? Well, I left wanting more Krypto, Lois and Clark, so I'd say they might be on to something here.

In a nutshell: The first half is a colorful blast. In the second half, I was looking at so many things happening, and yawning. It's a toss-up, but yay, it's a tight two hours and Krypto saves the day.

Bonus Tip: No need to stay for the credits. Throwaways without much charm or intended humor.

Where to watch: In theaters starting this Friday. July 11, 2025.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Of course.

Award potential: Visual Effects is the only play here.

The Ten Buck Review: Down Krypto! Worth ten bucks.

The Materialists

2025-06-12T23:06:00.013-04:00

Good news: Director Celine Song is back.

Bad news: After making my favorite film of 2023, she’s now made a rom-com. You had me at hell-no! For every Nora Ephron, Nancy Meyers or Richard Curtis meet cute that worked, there are hundreds of forgettable duds.

The director of Past Lives—that quiet gut-punch of a film about time, fate and choices—has followed her debut with a story about swiping right.

The Materialists plants us in a very Insta-friendly New York, where Dakota Johnson plays a high-end matchmaker who’s juggling two very different suitors (Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans).

Here, romance isn’t just roses and Meg Ryan karaoke —it’s ROI. Song explores the transactional side of modern love. There’s real bite in the script like an anxious bride nervously joking, “It’s not like my family needs a cow.” One other unique offering is I loved walking in not knowing which of the lead men would be the jerk in the end; I guessed wrong.

Most of the great rom-coms often ask us to conveniently dismiss our knowledge of life’s realities. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law meet up in an English cottage, c’mon.

Song is caught between her desire to speak honestly about what it means to be an authentic woman working in the dating industry while balancing her own wishes and create a fun, funny film with real consequences dropped in.

The movie’s split personality shows. It wants to be sharp and insightful, but also swoony and fun. Sometimes it’s both and other times it feels like it’s ghosting its own premise.

Is it frustrating? Occasionally. Predictable? Yes. Sweet? Often. Perfect? Nope. But in a summer stuffed with bombastic IPs, The Materialists feels like a great date to swipe right to (and one with great music).

In a nutshell: Not great, but fascinating. It’s no Past Lives nor Bridget Jones, but hey—it’s definitely not Bride Wars.

Where to see it: In theaters starting June 13.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? Absolutely.

Award potential: None. I suppose the comedy Golden Globes has some potential.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks. This ones fine either in the theater or on the TV at home.