For the last decade or so, New York’s SUSS has been one of the nation’s pre-eminent practitioners of “ambient country.” Which, as the genre’s name suggests, finds purchase in that unlikely liminal space between ambient music and country music. Not “country” in the Nashville sense of the word, mind you, but rather, in the sense of wide open spaces filled with dust devils, tumbleweeds, and endless desert vistas.

As it turns out, “endless” is a pretty apt descriptor for “Sunset VI,” which appears on the trio’s latest album, Counting Sunsets. The album’s title suggests the sort of activity one can only truly enjoy when they’re freed from the hustle and bustle of modernity and become more in-tune with the cycles and rhythms of nature.

Appropriately, the dulcet tones of Jonathan Gregg’s pedal steel stretch from one horizon to the other. Meanwhile, softly plucked guitar notes lend some structure to the song, as does some minimal percussion. For the most part, however, SUSS is content to let “Sunset VI” drift like the shifting desert sands and draw the listener into wide open spaces in which they can truly lose themselves.

Counting Sunsets is currently available from Northern Spy Records.

At first blush, Justin Chamberlain, who records and releases music as Soft Vein, sounds like yet another one of the countless ’80s revivalists making music these days. His music certainly bears all of the sonic hallmarks, from the crisp programming and ghostly guitars to a proclivity for woozy saxophone. His earliest material, like 2022’s “Giveuptheghost,” even bore a goth aspect for good measure.

His latest single, however, uses those ’80s trappings for an introspective look at the human condition. “I have all that I want, I have nothing I need/It is killing you, it is killing me,” Chamberlain intones in a sing-speak that’s part Paul Buchanan and part David Byrne. Meanwhile, the song’s immaculate synth programming bounces along behind him, evoking the futuristic environs that we imagined 40 years ago. And yes, there is, indeed, a sax solo.

“All We’ve Known of Heaven” is currently available from Artoffact Records, and serves as a lead-up for his upcoming album, which will be released later this year.

I’ve been following Bristol’s Night Swimming ever since last year’s ephemeral “Whispers on Argyle” single, which ended up being one of my favorite songs of 2025. Although the quintet has been releasing new music at a pretty steady pace, Melting, Sometimes Bleeding is only their second EP, and it reveals the band continuing to refine their sound.

Bands like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive are the most obvious touchstones for Night Swimming’s dreamy sonics, but “Nothing Safe Is Technicolour” finds them embracing a more detached — though no less atmospheric — sound that brings to mind Broadcast. Although Night Swimming don’t employ the same levels of hauntological trippiness, the song still veers into stranger territory thanks to Meg Jones’ layered vocals and surreal lyrics (“For some time, I was walking through treacle, trying not to crash/And the insects were trapped at my ankles as it turned to black”) while her bandmates conjure up an increasingly ominous backdrop.

Just to be clear, the rest of Melting, Sometimes Bleeding is also well worth checking out, particularly “Submarine,” which seems to more towards a more “traditional” dream pop sound before revealing some subtle twists and shifts of its own.

Melting, Sometimes Bleeding is currently available from Venn Records.

Spring is in full swing, more or less, here in Nebraska. And though I prefer the chilly days of autumn, I can’t deny the sense of relief and renewal at seeing the skies brighten, the temperatures go up, and the world turn green again.

Longtime Opus readers will know that I love all things shimmery and shoegaze-y in my music, so this month’s playlist, titled “Maygazers,” highlights 16 recently released songs that prove all is alive and well in the realms of dream pop and shoegaze. The playlist features veterans from the scene, like former Lush singer/guitarist Emma Anderson, whose voice is still as airy and ethereal as ever, and Autumn’s Grey Solace, who are still going strong after nearly 25 years. But it also features plenty of youngsters, as well, including deary, Yndling, and Night Swimming.

Accompanying the playlist is the latest episode of my “Playlist Breakdown” podcast, in which I spotlight one of the playlist’s songs and why it’s so special, interesting, and/or meaningful. This month’s episode focuses on deary’s “Seabird,” a wonderful slice of dream pop that ably carries on the Cocteau Twins legacy.

Both of these are little bonuses for subscribers who support Opus financially. If you’d like to get access to them (and more), subscribe to Opus for just $5.00/month or $50/year. (You can also subscribe for free and get my weekend newsletter.)

I could’ve sworn that I’d written something about Slow Crush over the years. Like, say, a review of their excellent debut album, 2018’s Aurora, which blends an MBV-esque wall of noise with some nice, grungy crunch. But a search of the Opus archives revealed nada for the Belgian band, so allow me to address that oversight right now.

Released earlier this year, Slow Crush’s “Que Du Noir” single finds Isa Holliday and her bandmates refining their heavy shoegaze sound to be slower, more dramatic, and dare I say gothier? The shadowy guitars, measured drumming, and tolling bells are certainly apropos for lyrics like “Without you/Without hope/Without you, the soul dies.” And those lyrics grow even more pained and angsty thanks to Holliday’s breathy voice — and being sung in French, of course.

Slow Crush’s most recent album, Thirst, was released last year by Nashville’s Pure Noise Records.

Let’s be honest: When you think of the Cannes Film Festival, you probably don’t think of sci-fi and other genre films. Everyone knows that Cannes is for arthouse cinema from around the world, the sort of hoity-toity cinematic fare that only pretentious snobs love. And yet, one of the biggest films to emerge from the first week of Cannes 2026 is Hope, an alien invasion flick by Na Hong-jin, who previously won accolades for his 2016 horror film The Wailing. As The Playlist’s Rafa Sales Ross writes,

Despite the mid-runtime ebb and an overlong runtime that works against the film’s firm grasp on the slippery tautness of good action, Hope still proves one hell of a time. Na’s ambitious sci-fi offering doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it does not need to. Sharply written and with impeccable comedic timing, this South Korean whopper is meticulously engineered to cater to the big screen, and those lucky enough to experience it in a packed screening room will be most privy to its blockbuster joys.

ScreenAnarchy’s Andrew Mack has compiled a list of several more Hope reviews, all of which are pretty positive.

I actually watched the above trailer before reading Ross’s review; I knew nothing of the movie and the only reason I started watching was because of the intriguing thumbnail. But the trailer is just about perfect, selling the film’s thrills and striking visuals, from the opening scenes of carnage and ruin to that incredible final shot — and everything in-between.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village. In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters, including Sung-ki (Zo In-Sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.

Following the film’s festival run, Neon will release Hope into theaters this fall.

First popularized as an Appalachian folk ballad in the early 1900s, though almost certainly much older than that, “Black Is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair” has been covered by numerous artists, including Joan Baez, The Corrs, Rhiannon Giddens, Christy Moore, Pete Seeger, Nina Simone, The Smothers Brothers, and The Twilight Singers — to name but a few. Not surprisingly, the Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus’s take on the song is particularly lovely, filled with striking vocal harmonies and slowly building arrangements comprised of drones, flutes, and thundering percussion.

At barely four minutes, the song is — quite frankly — over far too quickly. But hopefully, it’s a sign of more music to come from the still enigmatic outfit. In the meantime, the Army will be performing later this month in Leipzig, Germany at the 33rd annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen, one of the world’s largest gothic festivals.

Thanks to films like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, LAIKA Studios have earned a reputation as one of the finest stop motion studios working today. And if the first teaser for the upcoming Wildwood is any indication, they’re looking to cement that reputation for all time, because it looks to be absolutely gorgeous, not to mention deeply emotional and heart-wrenching. (The choice to score the trailer with M83’s “My Tears Are Becoming a Sea” certainly doesn’t hurt that impression.) Here’s the film’s premise:

After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg, Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition. As the pair is drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself, Prue must discover strength and belief she never knew she possessed.

Adapted from Colin Meloy’s novel, Wildwood is directed by Travis Knight, who also helmed this summer’s Masters of the Universe live action film, and features the voices of Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, and more. I was already interested in seeing Wildwood — it occupies a spot on my list of 2026’s most anticipated movies — but this trailer completely sealed the deal for me.

Wildwood arrives in theaters on October 23, 2026.

Written and directed by Hal Needham (of Smokey and the Bandit fame), Megaforce occupies a legendary position in the “Bad Movies” pantheon. Focusing on the exploits of a top secret army that keeps the peace around the world, Megaforce explores its ridiculous premise to the hilt with cheesy effects, ridiculous costumes, and corny dialog.

Although it was critically panned upon release in 1982, Megaforce has since acquired a cult following. (For the record, I still have the VHS copy that I recorded off cable TV decades ago.) But it’s arguable that no one loves Megaforce more than Bob Lindenmayer, the man behind the Making Megaforce documentary.

He wanted to make a documentary about the making of Megaforce, one of 1982’s biggest box office failures. But when he met his hero, Megaforce star Barry “Ace Hunter” Bostwick, things started to get really out of hand. Hal Needham’s big budget epic Megaforce was one of the undisputed worst movies of 1982, and beyond — a box office flop that time would like to forget. But there is one man who remembers… Bob Lindenmayer, and he’s on a quest to convince the rest of the world just how awesome this stunt-filled spectacle is. As Bob delves into the movie’s history with cast and crew, he drags his childhood hero Barry Bostwick into his mission to relive the past. It’s a touching and hilarious tribute to the power of heroes, friendship, and flying motorcycles.

It looks like Making Megaforce is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit — it won “Best In Fest” at the 2025 Film Invasion L.A. festival — though Blu-ray copies are going out to folks who backed the movie’s Indiegogo campaign. As far as I know, there’s no word yet concerning a wider release for those of us who are just now learning of its existence, but Making Megaforce seems like the perfect thing to watch on Tubi.

Starflyer 59 has a long history of making dreamy sounds whose roots lie in shoegaze and British alternative rock, and even after 30+ years, they’re still going strong. (Look no further than 2024’s masterful Lust for Gold). But bandleader Jason Martin also knows how to kick out the jams, which is precisely what he does on “I’m Disappointed,” the title track and first single from his band’s upcoming EP.

The song opens with a riot of noise that’d make Jim and William Reid green with envy, while Martin — sounding a bit higher in the mix than usual — sings/intones “Do you wanna to make a big wave?/Yeah, I wanna make a big wave/Do you wanna see your name in lights?/Yeah, I wanna see my name in lights.” Once again, Martin seems to be singing about one of his favorite themes: being bored with making rock n’ roll. Which is ironic seeing as how Starflyer 59 has been making some pretty awesome rock ‘n roll for decades now.

The I’m Disappointed EP will be released by Velvet Blue Music on July 31, 2026; click here to preorder.

However much you might like The Cure, odds are you don’t like them even half as much as TRAITRS’ Sean-Patrick Nolan and Shawn Tucker do. On their latest album, POSSESSOR, the Toronto-based coldwave duo consistently evokes the specter of the world’s most beloved goth band with icy synths, spidery guitar figures, and Tucker’s plaintive wail and lyrics, which deal with desire, the vagaries of love, and in the case of “Prayertaker,” heavier topics like religious abuse.

That specter looms especially large on “Dream Drowning,” an existential nightmare of a song that begins with creeping synths and spectral guitars that distinctly recall “A Forest,” arguably the Cure song. But it’s to Nolan and Tucker’s credit that their song is no mere rip-off. Rather, as “Dream Drowning” builds in intensity, with Tucker crying out “I’m dreaming of you dying/Through your eyes/But I can’t heal myself/No, I can’t kill myself again,” it very much becomes its own thing, and obviously an incredibly personal tale based on Tucker’s own experiences.

The above is true for the rest of POSSESSOR, as well. Nolan and Tucker never ignore or downplay their obvious influences, or try to move past them. Instead, they evoke them completely, and use them as a language for telling their own affecting and deeply personal stories.

POSSESSOR is currently available.

Thanks to its inventive, and incredibly gory, action, Mortal Kombat is one of the most iconic and popular video game franchises of all time. Indeed, I have fond memories of pumping quarter after quarter into the Mortal Kombat machine at the local arcade as I tried to master the game’s various moves and fatalities. (I was partial to Sub-Zero’s spine-ripping, myself.)

Given the franchise’s popularity, several live-action Mortal Kombat movies have been released over the years, beginning with 1995’s Mortal Kombat by Paul W. S. Anderson, which has since become a cult favorite. In 2021, the Mortal Kombat movies rebooted with Simon McQuoid’s film, which featured some really great Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero ninja action… and not much else.

With Mortal Kombat II, McQuoid and screenwriter Jeremy Slater look to focus on the actual Mortal Kombat tournament, an extradimensional fighting competition that decides the fate of worlds. Karl Urban (The Boys, Lord of the Rings) joins the cast as Johnny Cage, a washed up Hollywood action star who must face his destiny when he’s selected for the competition. Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada return as Lord Raiden, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion, respectively.

So, does Mortal Kombat II do right by the video games? Or does it deserve a fatality of its own? Read on for a selection of critical reactions to McQuoid’s movie.

👎 Simon Abrams, ​“Too hip to be sincere and too hacky to be moving” 

Mind you, Mortal Kombat II is still very much the kind of pandering entertainment where one guy yells “Get over here,” since that’s his catch phrase in the video games, right before he splits another colorfully dressed guy in two. Unfortunately, while some computer-animated set pieces look like they cost money, most are woefully nondescript and underdeveloped. I miss when stoner-friendly video game backgrounds, with acid moats and ominous-looking thunderstorms, were just window dressing and not the primary inspiration for a million-dollar movie.

👍 Chrishaun Baker, ​“What the first film should have been all Along” 

An adaptation of Mortal Kombat will never be high cinematic art, nor does it need to. Mortal Kombat 2 does precisely what a film based on the series should do best, which is provide staggering martial arts action and stomach-flipping gore set against the backdrop of a plot that is monumentally dumb and, nonetheless, entertaining.

👍 William Bibbiani, ​“Karl Urban livens up this enjoyably violent sequel” 

Karl Urban infuses the film with a welcome “why am I here” energy whenever the boring good guys are on screen, and since the boring bad guys get just as much screen time, they also have their own cocky ass, Kano (Josh Lawson), who doesn’t take the plot too seriously either. The drama would be unbearably self-serious without these characters, and these characters would be insufferable without some self-seriousness to bounce off of. It’s a delicate balance and sometimes it sloshes around a bit, but it works. Mostly.

👍 Travis Hopson, ​“A superior sequel that’s like an apology to fans” 

It delivers more of the fan-favorite characters fans of this iconic video game franchise want; it streamlines the story with a focus on brutal otherworldly battles, and, oh yeah, fatalities fatalities FATALITIES! In a year when the game’s eternal rival, Street Fighter, also has an anticipated high-profile movie on the way, Mortal Kombat II has dealt the first blow, and it’s a doozy.

👎 Jake Kleinman, ​“An extremely forgettable movie” 

Calling it a movie is actually pretty generous: It feels more like a series of well-choreographed fight scenes set against meticulously crafted backdrops, then strung together with a plot and dialogue that recreates the experience of watching a video game cutscene. Mortal Kombat 2 is also a full-throated apology for the 2021 movie, in response to fan criticism… If that’s what the Mortal Kombat fandom is looking for, more power to them. But if you’re expecting any of the hallmarks of quality storytelling, you won’t find them here.

👍 Germain Lussier, ​“Designed to make you smile” 

If you like action, violence, pop culture references, and seeing classic video game characters on screen, it’ll bring a very big smile. If you disliked 2021’s Mortal Kombat for having too much of a story, it’ll be an even bigger smile. And if all of those things are true, well, it might be your favorite movie ever. Just don’t expect much more than that.

👍 Liz Shannon Miller, ​“The right kind of stupid” 

To be blunt about it, Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is a downright riot. Introduced first through a clip from his 1996-era action filmography, Urban leans hard into his natural swagger as well as a preening selfishness that fits Johnny’s washed-up star persona. It’s more than a little strange that despite 30 years passing, Johnny Cage hasn’t aged a minute since the 1990s, but maybe he also has access to Tom Cruise’s secret vat of youth juice. Or maybe it’s the frosted tips.

👎 Jacob Oller, ​“Combines direct-to-video schlock with blockbuster boredom” 

Mortal Kombat II is neither campy enough to revel in its violent bad taste, nor earnest enough to pull off its sprawling ambitions that it most resembles a late-stage Marvel entry. The film is filled with MacGuffins and plot bloat and a roster of awkward characters, dressed to perfectly match their inspirations because that surface similarity has been prioritized over anyone in the audience actually caring about them.

👎 Frank Scheck, ​“A tacky sequel that’s strictly for the fans” 

It doesn’t help that the whole thing comes off as low-rent, with underwhelming CGI effects and creature costuming and make-up that pales in comparison to a typical NYC Village Halloween Parade. When the chief villains look like rejects from Star Trek, and I mean the old TV series, you’ve got a problem.

👍 Amon Warmann, ​“At its best, it’s a lot of dumb fun” 

Any Mortal Kombat film knows its audience’s primary concern is the fighting tournament itself — which we actually get to see this time — and in that regard the sequel by and large delivers. The fatalities are pleasingly gory when they arrive, and though some of the CGI and excessive green-screen is off-putting, there’s just enough variety and inventiveness to keep each battle entertaining.

Mortal Kombat II arrives in theaters on May 8, 2026. Watch the trailer below.

To call Boards of Canada’s upcoming Inferno one of 2026’s most anticipated albums would be a gross understatement. Following last month’s surprise teaser, fans have been clamoring on social media about their expectations for the album. Expectations that surely won’t be lowered by the band’s decision to release the album’s opening songs, “Introit” and “Prophecy at 1420 MHz.”

Accompanied by a video laden with “Photo-Psychic Stimuli” — which mainly takes the form of surreal visuals combining religious and scientific imagery, as well as a heavily vocoderized voice intoning that God is “the ultimate resonance” — “Prophecy at 1420 MHz” is particularly enthralling. The song strikes the perfect balance of ominous and beguiling thanks to the band’s trademark analog synths, snappy beats, and some murky guitar melodies. In other words, if “Prophecy at 1420 MHz” is any indication, then Inferno will likely live up to the hype… and then some.

Inferno will be released by Warp Records on May 29, 2026.

NASA’s historic Artemis II mission — which successfully concluded last month — continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. Case in point, NASA recently uploaded a gallery of photos taken during the mission and they are all, in a word, stunning. So stunning, in fact, that they hardly look real. (Of course, they are real. Never let it be said that I spread silly conspiracy theories here on Opus.)

I had a hard time picking a photo to feature for this post, but I opted for one that really conveys the vastness of space and our place in it while also revealing details of the Moon’s dark side. However, I also really like this stark, almost abstract photo that captures the flare of a solar eclipse peeking out from behind the Moon’s curvature.

All of these photos are available on Unsplash, meaning they’re free to download. I suspect that more than a few of them will end up as backgrounds on computers, tablets, and phones around the world, not to mention prints hanging on people’s walls. All of which serve to bring the unfathomable beauty of the cosmos that much closer to us.

Lost in Ohio is doing the Lord’s work remastering and reissuing long-lost classics. To date, they’ve released new editions of beloved albums by Aunt Bettys, Fluffy, The Julies, Love Spirals Downwards, and L.S. Underground, to name a few. Their next reissue, however, is an album that’s truly near and dear to my heart: Velour 100’s Fall Sounds.

Originally released in 1996 by Tooth & Nail Records, Fall Sounds stood out amidst the label’s other releases that year, which included MxPx’s Life In General, Overcome’s Blessed Are the Persecuted, Plankeye’s Commonwealth, Stavesacre’s Friction, and The Supertones’ Adventures of the O.C. Supertones. Embracing a dreamy sound highlighted by Amon Krist’s clear, gentle voice, Fall Sounds had much more in common with classic 4AD than anything remotely resembling punk, hardcore, or ska.

As I wrote in my review from way back in the day, “Fall Sounds is the perfect name for this album, because the music somehow conjures up images of falling leaves, grey skies, and beautiful sunsets.” To this day, Fall Sounds remains of my favorite releases from T&N’s ’90s heyday, an album that I reach for whenever the air starts to cool and the leaves change color, and it brings back a lot of great memories. (Case in point, one of my favorite Cornerstone memories was seeing Velour 100 perform an impromptu and intimate acoustic set in the lull before P.O.D. and MxPx took the stage.)

To mark the album’s 30th anniversary, Lost in Ohio and Burnt Toast Vinyl are collaborating to reissue Fall Sounds on vinyl for the first time. From Lost in Ohio’s official announcement:

In 1995 at Eastern Michigan University, two people made a record: Trey Many (drummer for 4AD’s His Name Is Alive) and Amon Krist (an art student and daughter of celebrated folk singer Jan Krist). Warren Defever recorded it, bringing the same atmospheric instincts that had made His Name Is Alive one of the most singular acts in the 4AD catalog. In 1996, Tooth & Nail released the result: Fall Sounds.

Comparisons were made to bands like Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, and Low, but were incomplete. Fall Sounds had something those records didn’t have, a folk-like earthiness beneath the shimmer. The songs move from the reverie of “Stare Into Light” through the gorgeous, sun-catching acoustic strum of “Evergreen,” to “Flourish,” the album’s most kinetic moment. The closer, “Dub Space,” runs over eight minutes of guitar fingerpicking and cymbal wash, landing like a long exhale.

The album lived for 30 years on CD and cassette, gathering a devoted following that described it in quiet superlatives, with an increasing demand for a vinyl release. In the fall of 2026, on the album’s 30th anniversary, the wait is over. This limited vinyl pressing was made in direct collaboration with Trey Many, who has gone on from Velour 100 to drum for Pedro the Lion, Starflyer 59 and Lo Tom. The album has been thoughtfully remixed by James McAlister (Sufjan Stevens, The National) and freshly remastered by Warren Defever himself, now a celebrated mastering engineer at Third Man in Detroit. Lacquers were cut by Lex van Coeverden in the Netherlands. A reimagined layout was provided by Jason71.

The 2026 edition of Fall Sounds will be released this autumn; click here to preorder. Watch the video for “Flourish” below.

If you’ve read any of my political posts in recent years, then you’ve probably seen the term “cultural hermeneutics” pop up now and then. The term “hermeneutics” is often used within the realm of biblical studies, where it refers to the study and method of interpreting and understanding biblical passages. Cultural hermeneutics, as I use the term, therefore refers to the interpretation and understanding of cultural references and artifacts.

As it turns out, Donald Trump and the rest of the Trumpian Right possess a hilariously poor grasp of cultural hermeneutics. For proof of this, look no further than Trump’s recent Truth Social post that features a badly Photoshopped image of him holding a handful of Uno Wild cards with the caption “I Have All The Cards.”

Based on his other posts around the same time, Trump was probably referring to the ongoing tensions in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and his belief that he’s got them under control. Which makes his choice of imagery all the more bizarre. As everyone knows, given the game’s long-standing popularity, the entire point of Uno is to hold as few cards as possible, even Wild cards. Thus, you’d think that someone in Trump’s camp would’ve realized that if the president were playing a real game of Uno with that hand, he would be losing. Which is probably not the message that Trump sought to convey.

When I talk about Trump and his followers having a poor grasp of cultural hermeneutics, this is precisely what I’m talking about: a pop culture reference that doesn’t understand the pop culture that it’s referencing, and as a result, actually undermines its intended message.

Consider Trump’s fondness for Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” — a song written to criticize people who used their wealth and privilege to shirk military service, like Trump did with his bone spurs. Or Nancy Mace’s use of the “Cheating CEO” meme to tout Trump’s economic benefits for American workers without apparently considering the real-world pain caused by that display of adultery or Trump’s own long history of infidelity. And then there’s what is arguably the ur-text for Trumpian cultural hermeneutics: a 2020 video of two Trump supporters dancing to Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In the Name.”

Where to even begin with this? With the woman singing along to lyrics like “You justify those that died/By wearing the badge/They’re the chosen whites” whilst wearing a “Thin Blue Line” flag? Or the guy waving a Trump flag as he dances to a band that proudly (and loudly) identified with leftist politics? The most likely explanation for this odd performance is that the couple simply latched onto the song’s rebellious spirit, as exemplified by Zack de la Rocha screaming “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me,” without giving any thought as to what the song actually rebels against (i.e., white supremacy and police brutality).

Thus, we see that Trumpian cultural hermeneutics are ultimately about vibe above all else. If something looks, sounds, or feels like it’s inline with Trump’s image of himself as a tough-talking, swamp-draining, hard-bargaining, lib-owning alpha male, then that’s all that matters, and never mind things like the creator’s stated intent, relevant cultural context, or evidence that Trump is, in fact, none of those things. The goal is maintaining and promulgating Trump’s “strong man” persona, and any other concerns are of secondary importance — if they’re considered at all.

So why does this matter? For starters, pop culture matters. It’s not just disposable fluff and entertainment. Even seemingly insignificant examples of pop culture can speak powerfully to human wants and desires, and what we value and care about as a society and species. Pop culture might not have the same unifying power that it did even just 10 – 15 years ago, but at its best, pop culture can serve as a sort of lingua franca, a common language that transcends usual divides to give us a way to understand and communicate with each other.

Therefore, we ought to give some thought as to how we use pop culture. Obviously, we don’t want to look like fools and frauds. But we should also want to be honest about what a particular pop culture artifact represents, lest we become guilty of simply twisting it to fit our agenda regardless of what might be true. Trump et al.’s use of pop culture is often shockingly crass and callow, displaying no understanding or curiosity, and certainly no concern about any deeper meanings. Like so much of Trump’s activity, it’s just a display of naked power that cares nothing for context, nuance, or truth.

Perhaps Donald Trump really does like “Fortunate Son.” He would not be alone in that; it’s one of the great American rock n’ roll songs for a reason. And I’m a firm believer that people can like what they like for no other reason than because they like it. But Trump goes beyond mere personal preference. He has tried to promote and glorify himself — as he did with last year’s Army parade on his birthday — by using a song that was actually written to criticize and ridicule people like him. And he doesn’t seem to care, not so long as it helps to sell his vibe.

But what about the rest of us? I think we ought to care about such things, at least a little bit. Otherwise, we end up with an “alternative facts”-style approach to art and culture. When I see the Trumpian Right use a pop culture artifact, be it a beloved song or a simple card game, without any care for its actual meaning, I can’t help but think about how Christians in the late ’90s and early ’00s bemoaned post-modernism and what its embrace of relativism meant for things like absolute truth and objectivity. As it turns out, their concerns were not unfounded, but their ire was misplaced.

It wasn’t Hollywood, liberals, or any of the usual conservative Christian boogeymen that perfected a relativistic approach to culture. Rather, it was a man that many American Christians have embraced as their political savior, a man who cares for the truth only to the extent that he can twist and distort it for his own personal gain. With each lie, each “alternative fact,” and yes, each poorly executed pop culture reference, Donald Trump and his followers corrode our culture’s respect for, and valuation of, the truth.

In order to better track my various cultural experiences (e.g., movies, TV shows, books, restaurants), I’ve created the Cultural Diet. Think of it as my own personal Goodreads, Letterboxd, and Yelp, all rolled into one (more info here). Every month, I recap everything that I watched, read, etc., in the previous month.

No one can ever accuse Jonathon Smith of having a poor ear for sonic details. As the mastermind behind My Science Fiction Twin, the Kansas City-based songwriter has clearly immersed himself in lush worlds of sound, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and perhaps most of all, Terry Taylor.

Indeed, much of his latest album, A Slow Unlearning, feels like an ode to Taylor’s own work in Daniel Amos, from the intricate and surprising arrangements and instrumentation — like the keytar solo on “Astir and Apart” or the weepy pedal steel on “Marbled” — to Smith’s thoughtful lyrics about the difficulties of human communication, the beauty of old friends, and perils of skepticism.

That said, the song that sticks with me the most is “Uneasy Does It,” a sprawling, eight-minute instrumental replete with trilling strings, shimmering guitar notes, layers of clattering beats and percussion, and plenty more of that weepy pedal steel. One gets the sense that Smith was inspired to compose the song after taking a nice, long drive through the American heartland sometime around sunset.

A Slow Unlearning will officially be released by Poptek Records on May 8, 2026 but can currently be ordered via Bandcamp.

When I was a kid, there were several TV shows that I was obsessed with. The Dukes of Hazzard. The A-Team. MacGyver. Airwolf. Above them all, however, reigned Knight Rider. Created by Glen A. Larson — who also created Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, and Magnum, P.I. — and starring David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a loner who traveled the country meting out justice, Knight Rider had everything a young boy could possibly want from a TV show.

Specifically, Knight Rider had KITT, a high-tech Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that could go 0 – 60mph in two seconds, travel faster than 200mph, plow through brick walls, and talk. Y’know… everything.

Although it was poorly received by critics at the time, Knight Rider developed a devoted following that has remained to this day, and ultimately, it exemplified a certain era in American television where action reigned supreme. That phenomenon is the focus of Knight Rider: Declassified, an upcoming five-part documentary series featuring interviews with the Knight Rider cast and crew alongside other celebrities and personalities from the era. The documentary also highlights the stunt performers who risked life and limb for the series’ many memorable car stunts as well as the fanbase that’s kept Knight Rider’s spirit alive all these years.

Knight Rider: Declassified is currently still in production, but is available in several pre-orders that range from $99 for the basic package (a Blu-ray release, digital soundtrack, and collector print) all the way up to $5,999, which gets you a bunch of schwag, an “Executive Producer” credit, and featured in the documentary as one of the interviewees.

Knight Rider: Declassified is a production of WheelhouseTV, which specializes in creating premium content for auto enthusiasts. Some of their other titles include Picture Car, which highlights film and TV’s most famous automobiles; Cut to the Chase, a series about automotive stunt performers; and Gladiators of Steel, which explores the world of demolition derby.

Nearly ten years after Twitter shut it down, Vine is back. The recently launched Divine aims to recapture the original Vine’s look and feel, including an archive of thousands of its most classic six-second videos from creators like King Bach, Zach King, Rudy Mancuso, Lele Pons, and Thomas Sanders.

Originally founded in 2012 and then acquired by Twitter, Vine grew in popularity as creators and influencers took advantage of its constraints to create infectious, meme-worthy content. In 2016, though, Twitter decided to shut down the Vine app in part due to rising competition from the likes of Facebook and Instagram, who rolled out their own versions of Vine’s short-form videos. The final nail in Vine’s coffin came in 2019, when Twitter shut down an archive of the platform’s videos (though many of those videos have since been uploaded to YouTube channels like “Funny Vines”).

Which brings us to Divine.

Divine’s launch was spearheaded by Evan “Rabble” Henshaw-Plath, a former Twitter employee, and funded by And Other Stuff, a nonprofit launched by Twitter co-founder (and former CEO) Jack Dorsey in order to fund the development of “open tools, protocols, and applications that strengthen human liberty.” Besides Divine, AOS has also funded projects like Shakespeare (an AI-powered app builder), Chorus (a tool for creating online communities), and White Noise (a secure private messaging app).

Techcrunch’s recent profile contains more information about Divine’s development and launch, as well as this interesting bit: Divine does not allow AI-generated content. Rabble explains: “I decided that I was going to filter out AI content because I personally don’t like seeing AI content. I don’t like feeling tricked. I don’t like the idea that tons of content can be made very quickly and with little humanity or thought.”

Furthermore, Divine is built on the open Nostr protocol and is experimenting with other protocols, including Bluesky’s AT Protocol. Which, in non-techie terms, means making it impossible for a single company to control Divine content, as opposed to “walled garden” platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. (For more on this, read Rabble’s 2025 appeal for a new social media bill of rights that prioritizes privacy, security, transparency, and non-corporate control.)

Obviously, given Instagram and TikTok’s market dominance, Divine faces an uphill battle. For starters, do people really need yet another social media platform clamoring for their attention? And will Divine be able to survive and offer more than just a decade-old sense of nostalgia? Time will tell, I guess, though I certainly laud Rabble for prioritizing open protocols and pushing back against AI slop, two steps that feel nigh-revolutionary these days.

Since their original formation in 1992, Arizona’s Alison’s Halo have only released a handful of EPs and compilations, including the stellar Eyedazzler compilation that was reissued in 2024. Nevertheless, the band is still going strong, and remains an exemplar of the American shoegaze scene thanks to their rich guitar dynamics and Catherine Cooper’s voice.

Both of those are on full display in the band’s Audiotree studio performance from last November. The quartet perform songs from throughout their catalog, including “Jetpacks for Julian” from the 2009 EP of the same name and arguably their signature tune, “Dozen,” which was originally released on Independent Project Records back in 1995. The performance is followed by a short interview with Audiotree host Psalm One where they talk about their experiences as a hidden shoegaze gem, their favorite venues to play, and their memories of the ’90s Arizona shoegaze scene.

On a related note, I’m still kicking myself for not seeing Alison’s Halo last June, when they opened for Panchiko at Omaha’s Slowdown. If you’re in Europe, learn from my mistake and go see them this October, when they tour with Panchiko again.

As Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, et al. add more content, it can be difficult to know what to look for amidst all of the new titles. Every month, I compile a list of particularly noteworthy and interesting movies and TV shows to add to your streaming queues.

If you’d like to receive my streaming recommendations even sooner, become an Opus subscriber today.

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Amazon Prime Video

Babe (May 1)

Baa-ram-ewe! Baa-ram-ewe! The Citizen Kane of talking pig pictures, as one critic called it, will start streaming as soon as the new month rolls around. I plan on watching it with my kids, and all the while, I’ll try to wrap my mind around the fact that the man responsible for this charming little film is the same deranged genius who gave us Mad Max.

Gosford Park (May 1)

Robert Altman turns his incisive eye to the foibles of the British gentry in this darkly comic murder mystery. When a murder occurs in the posh country estate of Gosford Park during a lavish hunting party, the entire estate is thrown into chaos and everyone becomes a suspect. Thanks to its star-studded cast, which includes Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Clive Owen, and Helen Mirren (to name just a few), Gosford Park is a thoroughly enjoyable whodunit that packs an emotional punch in its final act.

Hot Fuzz (May 1)

Nicholas Angel is London’s best cop. He’s so good, in fact, that he makes all of the other cops look bad. Which is why he gets transferred to the sleepy town of Sandford, where the crime rate is zero and nothing bad ever happens. But when locals start disappearing, Angel’s convinced something’s going on. Has Sandford gotten to him, or has he cracked the biggest case of his career? Inspired by classic buddy cop films like Lethal Weapon, Hot Fuzz is action comedy of the highest sort (read my review).

Serenity (May 1)

When Firefly went off the air after just one season, the series’ fans rallied on the internet, clamoring for more. Due in part to their efforts, writer/director Joss Whedon was able to pitch a full-length feature to give his beloved sci-fi western a bit of closure (read my review). Serenity stars Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds, who leads his crew of ne’er-do-wells on a mission that could bring the solar system’s totalitarian government to its knees.

Sneakers (May 1)

Martin Bishop and his team are the best at what they do: hacking and penetrating security systems to uncover their weaknesses. But Bishop hides a dark past that comes back to haunt him and his colleagues when they’re hired by the NSA to retrieve a top secret Russian device that could undermine national security. With its ensemble cast led by Robert Redford, Ben Kingsley, and Sidney Poitier, and a smart and thoughtful plot about espionage and government secrets, Sneakers still feels thoroughly relevant despite being released all the way back in 1992 (read my review).

WarGames (May 1)

“Shall we play a game?” That’s the deadly question faced by a young hacker (Matthew Broderick) when he accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer in charge of America’s nuclear weapons. Though a big box office success, WarGames had a much bigger impact. Its representation of the internet, and the unintended impact that computers could have on security, led to the creation of the 1984 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act as well as the first Presidential directive concerning computer security.

Spider-Noir, Season One (May 27)

After previously voicing the character in the Spider-Verse movies, Nicolas Cage stars in this live-action series as Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator who must re-don his superhero persona to solve a particularly difficult case. Spider-Noir, which also stars Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Li Jun Li, and Brendan Gleeson, will be presented in both black-and-white and retro-looking color versions.

Here’s everything arriving on Amazon Prime Video in May 2026.

HBO Max

Enter the Dragon (May 1)

Enter the Dragon was the final film that Bruce Lee completed before his untimely death at the age of 32, and it was the film that sealed Lee’s status as the greatest martial arts actor of all time. Enter the Dragon’s plot is pretty straightforward — Lee must use his skills to infiltrate a martial arts competition run by a ruthless crime lord — but it’s all about Lee’s charisma, lighting fast fists and feet, and superhuman skill with the nunchaku. Enter the Dragon also stars John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Angela Mao, and Bolo Yeung.

Song of the Samurai, Season One (May 9)

Produced by the studio behind Netflix’s Alice in Borderland, Song of the Samurai is a live-action series based on the popular Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem manga series. In 19th century Kyoto, the Shinsengumi are tasked with protecting the city. But even as their camaraderie grows, they must struggle with living up to their lofty ideals while battling various threats and enemies. The series stars Yuki Yamada (Godzilla Minus One) and is directed by Kazutaka Watanabe.

Josh Johnson: Symphony (May 22)

Following his gig hosting The Daily Show, Josh Johnson has steadily become one of today’s most popular comedians. After previously appearing in comedy specials for Peacock and Comedy Central, Johnson ventures onto HBO to deliver a set that tackles such topics as family, religion, and relationships.

Tomb Raider (May 24)

Based on the best-selling video game franchise, 2018’s Tomb Raider stars Alicia Vikander as the famous adventurer and archaeologist Lara Croft. Determined to find her missing father, Croft follows his trailer to a mythical island located in the Pacific where she encounters other nefarious forces at work. Though nothing mind-blowing, Tomb Raider is a decent enough popcorn film that also stars Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Here’s everything arriving on HBO Max in May 2026.

Hulu

The Prestige (May 1)

Christopher Nolan may be best known for the “Dark Knight” trilogy — which is arguably the definitive film version of Batman — but in 2006, he directed this entertaining little suspense thriller about the escalating rivalry between two magicians in the late 19th century. As is Nolan’s wont, The Prestige is full of clever little visuals, twists, and turns. Oh, and it features a David Bowie cameo as the legendary inventor Nikola Tesla.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (May 1)

The first Star Wars anthology film follows a ragtag group of Rebel fighters on a mission to steal something that could bring the Empire to its knees: the plans for a new battle station called the Death Star. The film’s cast includes Felicity Jones as the group’s leader, Donnie Yen as a zen-like fighting master, Mads Mikkelsen as a brilliant weapons designer, and Alan Tudyk, who steals the show as the misanthropic droid K-2SO.

Here’s everything arriving on Hulu in May 2026.

Netflix

Hitch (May 1)

Alex Hitchens (Will Smith) is an expert at teaching other men how to woo women. But his latest case may prove his most challenging yet. Adding further complications, Alex finds himself falling for a cynical reporter who seems resistant to his charms, and who could ruin his career. Hitch’s plot may have you rolling your eyes, but it’s still a fun date movie due in large part to Smith’s charisma and comedic timing.

Starship Troopers (May 1)

While it’s entirely possible to watch Starship Troopers as a parody of military fascism, you can also just enjoy it for the over-the-top violence as a bunch of clean-cut, attractive teenagers join the military in order to fight an alien insect race. Despite receiving quite the critical drubbing at the box office, it has since inspired four sequels and two TV series.

Veronica Mars (May 1)

Set nine years after the events of the acclaimed TV series, Veronica Mars finds Kristen Bell’s redoubtable sleuth returning to Neptune, California in order to try and clear her former boyfriend of murder charges — and uncovering a web of corruption beneath the town’s idyllic facade. Veronica Mars successfully translated everything that we loved about the series (e.g., colorful characters, witty humor, intriguing mysteries) to the movie format without losing a step.

The Boroughs, Season One (May 21)

On its surface, The Boroughs seem like an idyllic place to spend your remaining years. But just beneath its surface lies a strange threat, and it’s up to an unlikely group to stop it. Starring Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Bill Pullman, it’s tempting to say that The Boroughs look an awful lot like Stranger Things for the senior citizen crowd. Then again, it is produced by the Duffer Brothers.

Here’s everything arriving on Netflix in May 2026.

Peacock

The Blues Brothers (May 1)

When Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) learn that their old orphanage needs $5,000 to keep going, they decide to track down the members of their old blues band and put on a show to raise the money. Along the way, they’ll demolish a shopping mall, enrage a country band, take on some Nazis, and cause massive vehicular chaos across the state of Illinois. Easily one of the best Saturday Night Live films, The Blues Brothers is a true cult classic.

The Foreigner (May 1)

In this suspenseful thriller set in London and Belfast, Jackie Chan plays a seemingly nondescript man seeking justice for his daughter after she dies in a terrorist bombing. Unfortunately for the bombers, he was a special forces soldier during the Vietnam War, and he’s not afraid to put his deadly skills to use in order to get vengeance. Grim and gritty, The Foreigner is a far cry from Chan’s usual action/comedy blend, but it’s also something of a revelation, and proof that Chan can carry purely dramatic fare.

Galaxy Quest (May 1)

The premise — actors from a classic sci-fi TV series are kidnapped by aliens who believe the show to be real — makes it sound like Galaxy Quest does nothing but poke fun at all things Star Trek. Which it does, and brilliantly so, but all of its jokes come from a place of love. As a result, it’s the best kind of parody, one that recognizes the inherent silliness of Star Trek while also capturing what makes Star Trek so great in the first place. By Grabthar’s Hammer, indeed.

Fearless (May 1)

When Fearless was released, it was touted as Jet Li’s final wushu (i.e., traditional martial arts) film. A loose re-telling of the life of Huo Yuanjia, a real-life martial arts master who helped defend China’s national honor in the early 20th century, Fearless easily ranks as one of Li’s best films (read my review). While it boasts some impressive combat sequences (choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping), the film’s ultimate message of piece and forgiveness makes it more than just another martial arts epic.

Jojo Rabbit (May 1)

Young Jojo is under a lot of stress. He wants to fit in with the rest of the Hitler Youth, but he’s too kind-hearted and is mercilessly mocked by his peers. The only one who believes in him is his imaginary friend: Adolf Hitler. But even that friendship gets tested when Jojo discovers that his mom is hiding a young Jewish girl. As you might guess, Jojo Rabbit is far from your typical World War II film, but what else would you expect from writer/director Taika Waititi?

The Martian (May 1)

Based on Andy Weir’s best-selling novel, The Martian chronicles the efforts of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) to survive on Mars after he’s presumed dead and left behind. But even as Watney struggles to stay alive, his NASA comrades and fellow astronauts are mounting a massive rescue effort. Released in 2015, The Martian received numerous awards and accolades, and was nominated for “Best Picture” and “Best Actor” at the Academy Awards (read my review).

Mary and the Witch’s Flower (May 1)

If you were to think that Mary and the Witch’s Flower was a long lost Studio Ghibli film, no one would blame you. For starters, it was created by Ghibli alumni at Studio Ponoc, including director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who previously directed The Secret World of Arrietty. And it has all the hallmarks of a classic Ghibli film, including a spirited female protagonist and lush, richly detailed animation. Even so, Mary and the Witch’s Flower is an utterly charming film that is no less so for feeling familiar (read my review).

The Mummy (May 1)

Starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, The Mummy is a delightful throwback to the classic action serials of the ’30s and ’40s. When an Egyptologist discovers a map to a hidden city, she enlists the aid of an American soldier of fortune to help her, not knowing that they’re about to face a slew of supernatural threats. Filled with cutting edge (for the time) special effects, and more importantly, a sense of fun and adventure, The Mummy is popcorn cinema par excellence.

Munich (May 1)

After Palestinian terrorists attack the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, a Mossad agent is tasked with tracking down and eliminating eleven Palestinians who were involved in the attack. Based on a true story, Munich may seem a far cry from Steven Spielberg’s use fare, but it’s nevertheless a brutal and riveting thriller about the endless cycle of violence and its consequences. Munich stars Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Geoffrey Rush.

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (May 22)

Quentin Tarantino originally released his martial arts-inspired revenge epic in two parts that were released six months apart. After promising for years that he was going to combine the two into a single film, Tarantino finally made good on his promise last year with the release of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, which features new footage, including an animated sequence by Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell). After screening in theaters, The Whole Bloody Affair makes its television debut on Peacock.

Here’s everything arriving on Peacock in May 2026.

Tubi

Broken Arrow (May 1)

I know that, as a longtime fan of Asian cinema, I’m contractually obligated to denigrate all of John Woo’s Hollywood films. Even so, Broken Arrow is a total guilty pleasure. When terrorists steal nuclear warheads from a crashed bomber, it’s up to a pilot and a park ranger to stop them. But there’s a catch: the lead terrorist is the pilot’s commanding officer, played to scene-chewing perfection by John Travolta. The film also stars Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, and Delroy Lindo.

Conan the Barbarian (May 1)

What is best in life? Well, as Conan taught us once so well, it is “to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!” In this classic sword-and-sorcery film, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays one of his signature roles, the titular barbarian who must take on an evil cult to avenge his family’s death.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (May 1)

Ang Lee’s martial arts epic was a huge success when it appeared in 2000, winning numerous awards (including four Oscars) and becoming the most successful foreign film in American box office history. With its dramatic storyline, sweeping cinematography, evocative score, and graceful combat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon proved that martial arts films could be more than cheesy action comedies, and ushered in a wave of artsy martial arts films including Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and The Promise.

Gladiator (May 1)

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was one of 2000’s biggest and most successful films, thanks to an epic plot, incredibly special effects, and thrilling action sequences. Russell Crowe stars as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a disgraced Roman general who is enslaved and forced to compete in Rome’s brutal gladiatorial exhibitions. Gladiator also stars Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed (in his final film appearance), Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris, and Joaquin Phoenix as the corrupt Roman emperor.

Heat (May 1)

When it was released in 1995, Heat was widely promoted as the first film in which Al Pacino and Robert De Niro appear on-screen together. And while that’s cool, that overlooked the fact that Heat is a scorching (npi) crime thriller about a gang of elite thieves (led by De Niro) and the police officers (led by Pacino) trying to stop them. Directed with panache by Michael Mann, the film oozes style and atmosphere, and features one of the best shootouts in movie history. In 2022, Mann announced that a sequel was in the works.

Kung Fu Hustle (May 1)

Sing (Stephen Chow) has one dream in life: to become a member of the feared Axe Gang. But when he encounters a group of reclusive and unlikely martial artists, he’s slowly begins to realize that he could be something more. But not without plenty of hijinks — this is a Stephen Chow movie, after all. Coming on the heels of Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle went even further into CGI-fuelled leaps of martial arts slapstick. While Shaolin Soccer is the better film overall, Kung Fu Hustle still has plenty of hilarious delights all its own.

No Country for Old Men (May 1)

In this harrowing adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, a hunter discovers a bunch of drug money and decides to keep it — which puts him in the sights of a psychotic hitman (Javier Bardem, in a chilling performance). Meanwhile, the only one who might save him is an aging, world-weary sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones, also giving a fantastic performance). No Country for Old Men may not have the quirky humor that the Coen Brothers are best known for — O Brother, Where Art Thou? this most certainly is not — but its depiction of human evil and darkness is captivating and provocative in its own right (read my review).

Shaolin Soccer (May 1)

I still remember the first time I watched this film, and being absolutely charmed and thrilled by its tale of a group of Shaolin monks who decide to use soccer to promote Shaolin kung fu (with the help of lots of CG effects, of course). Shaolin Soccer is completely bonkers, but also completely enjoyable from beginning to end.

Here’s everything arriving on Tubi in May 2026.

I became aware of this inventive short film courtesy of the boys at Corridor Crew, who discussed it in a recent “VFX Artists React” video. Created back in 1979 by Mike Jittlov, who basically did everything — directing, editing, etc. — The Wizard of Speed and Time is one of those films that feels distinctly ahead of its time. Sure, it’s all grainy and whatnot, but the visual effects, which were all done sans any computer, are still pretty mind-blowing, especially the stop motion animation in the second half.

Several years later, in 1988, Jittlov created a feature-length film (also available on YouTube) inspired by his earlier short in which he plays a special effects guy trying to make a film, only to end up butting heads with the Hollywood studio system. In keeping with the quirkiness of the original, Jittlov inserted subliminal messages into the feature film to promote positive thinking.

When he died at the far-too-young age of 46, Satoshi Kon had already established himself as one of the world’s premier animators thanks to sublime and thought-provoking films like Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Paprika. Even so, he was hard at work on what looked to be his most ambitious film yet: a retrofuturistic tale titled Dreaming Machine that remains unfinished despite the existence of a wealth of production material.

Much of that material remains locked away. However, Animation Obsessive — a fantastic newsletter that all animation aficionados really ought to subscribe to — has dug through the material that has been released, along with interviews and blog posts, to provide our most complete look yet at Kon’s Dreaming Machine. Noting Kon’s desire to create a “retrofuturistic post-apocalypse” that hearkened back to the works he loved as a child, Animation Obsessive writes:

Kon was a child of the ‘60s, and all too familiar with the “shining future” that’d been promised. He mentioned the illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, for example, who spent years conjuring optimistic future-tech worlds. In Dreaming Machine, this kind of world happened, but utopia failed somehow. Kon observed a similar feeling in the 21st century, where things haven’t played out as expected.

Even as Kon drew the past’s future in ruins, he wanted to get into the spirit of it. So, he immersed himself in the cartoons of his childhood.

In 1960s Japan, animation was often called manga eiga (cartoon movies) and terebi manga (TV cartoons). By the time Kon started Dreaming Machine, both terms sounded impossibly naive and old-fashioned, and they brought to mind animation in the same vein. But that’s what he hoped to channel. “A story of love and courage, a boy’s growth and adventure,” Kon wrote on his blog in 2002, half-joking. “The royal road of manga eiga.”

While working on Dreaming Machine, Kon listened to a 120-track playlist named “Shining Future.” It was four-plus hours of Japanese cartoon themes from the old days: Leo’s Song, Super Jetter. In these shows, Kon wrote, justice and love triumphed over the “bad guys” and scientific progress saved the day. The work still appealed to him, in a way, even though he saw right through it.

Given the relative darkness of Kon’s other movies, especially Perfect Blue and Paprika, it’s interesting to note that Kon intended Dreaming Machine to be a family film, i.e., “a dual-structured movie… in which children can enjoy it as a fantasy while adults can find the other message in it.” I suspect, however, that it would’ve been a far cry from what we typically consider a “family film,” and all the better as a result.

I encourage you to read the entire article, which goes into great detail about the few plot elements that have surfaced, as well as the surprising amount of material, much of it created by Kon himself, that remains unseen. It seems highly unlikely that Dreaming Machine will ever be finished or released in any form. Perhaps the most we can hope for is that the film’s storyboards, etc., are someday compiled and published as a tribute to Kon’s ambition and genius.