All articles tagged with #film review
Aaron Sorkin’s new film, The Social Reckoning, dramatizes the 2019-2021 era of Facebook’s internal controversies, focusing on whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz. While the film is praised for its sharp dialogue and relevant subject matter, critics note its visual stagnation and lack of the alienation-driven tension present in the 2010 predecessor, The Social Network.
Aaron Sorkin’s new film, 'The Social Reckoning,' opens in theaters on October 9, 2026. The movie serves as a sequel to 'The Social Network,' focusing on the 2021 'Facebook Files' leak by whistleblower Frances Haugen and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. While critics praise the sharp dialogue and strong performances by Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White, many argue the film feels dated because it fails to address the current political landscape, notably omitting Donald Trump by name. The film ends on a somber note, acknowledging that Meta has since ended its fact-checking program.
Brad Pitt’s survival thriller 'Heart of the Beast' opens in theaters on September 25, featuring a German Shepherd named Uber as a lead co-star. While Pitt and director David Ayer highlight the unique bond between the actor and the dog, critics argue the film lacks narrative depth and relies on bland military tropes.
DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island delivers a dazzling, heartful adventure rooted in Filipino folklore, following two friends transported to a magical realm where returning home means sacrificing memories of their bond. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the film fuses fast-paced animation with influences from anime and Studio Ghibli, featuring a starry voice cast (H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Lea Salonga) and a score that blends traditional Filipino sounds with 90s covers. Despite a crowded lineup, the story's wit, emotion, and visuals carry the day. Release Sept 25, 2026; PG; 1h47m.
Variety's review pans Run Hide Fight: Infidels as shoddy, Islamophobic propaganda from The Daily Wire, criticizing its fear-mongering and anti-Muslim stereotypes; Jonathan Majors appears briefly in a disengaged turn, while the film’s attempt at satire collapses into partisan propaganda.
Zach Cregger’s reboot of the Resident Evil film series revitalizes the franchise with a lean, 90-minute thriller that swaps out game characters for Cregger’s brisk, witty direction. Following a medical courier who takes a dangerous last-minute delivery through a zombie‑infested Raccoon City, the film blends tense set-pieces, sharp humor, and occasional first‑person perspective to mimic the games’ intensity while delivering a self-contained, propulsive horror experience that feels fresh and entertaining.
A Daily Beast review argues Practical Magic 2 fails to land emotionally, citing a clunky script and Sandra Bullock’s largely unmoving expression, despite the sequel opening strong at the box office (~$30 million) and drawing an audience that revered the original.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, director Jonathan Schey’s semi-thriller Everybody Wants to F—k Me is a tedious, overlong misfire that leans on a single provocative premise, wastes Taron Egerton’s charm, and fails to deliver any coherent or satisfying payoff, despite brief moments of genuine humor.
Zack Snyder steps away from the DC universe for an indie Western shot in Colombia, delivering striking visuals but a 2h15m slog defined by pretentious symbolism, clunky dialogue, and underdeveloped characters, resulting in a disappointing but audacious risk that splits critics at TIFF.
Tim Blake Nelson’s The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd uses a fractured timeline to probe guilt, humanity, and the death penalty, following a Oklahoma inmate from childhood poverty toward a lethal sentence while Amanda Seyfried’s prison-writing teacher grows attached to him; the interwoven stories of innocent families and a looming escape complicate the question of justice, culminating in a final act that argues capital punishment is tangled with circumstance and mercy. TIFF 2026 premiere; Grade: B; the film seeks U.S. distribution.
At TIFF 2026, Mahershala Ali stars as Latif, a widowed father who is also a hitman in Bassam Tariq’s Houston-set action drama, a film praised for its bold blend of faith, grief, and vengeance as it unfurls across a sprawling multicultural city and centers Ali’s blade-trained, fearless performance.
The New York Times highlights eight new films this week, with Practical Magic 2 singled out for its warmer, more cohesive tone and focus on family heritage and romance, alongside other new releases currently in theaters.
Practical Magic 2 reunites Sally and Gillian Owens (Bullock and Kidman) 28 years after the original, sending them to England to confront a renewed family curse. Directed by Susanne Bier, the nostalgic sequel leans into their chemistry and the mythology of Alice Hoffman’s world, delivering polished visuals and a heartfelt, if uneven, journey that values character over blockbuster spectacle. The film praises Bullock’s and Kidman’s performances, expands the Owens saga, and earns a B+ with a Sept. 10 theatrical release.
SlashFilm revisits Peter Hyams’ 2001 adaptation The Musketeer, a Hong Kong–style wire-fu take on The Three Musketeers released just before 9/11. Despite a modern action tilt and a notable cast (Justin Chambers, Mena Suvari, Tim Roth, Catherine Deneuve), critics panned it for murky photography and a weak story, with Roger Ebert offering a rare praise for the action. The film bombed at the box office and has since faded into memory, surviving mainly in retrospective lists about misguided attempts to reboot the musketeers.”
Venice 2026 presents three bold visions: Ink, Danny Boyle’s kinetic look at a Murdoch-era media world that casts Murdoch as Frankenstein and Lamb as the rebellious monster (with sharp visuals but controversial tweaks to history); Moragheb (Falling House), Mohsen Gharaei’s Iranian neorealist drama about a tyrannical patriarch clamping down on his family, a stark meditation on gender and resilience; and Too Much Sugar, Robert Greene’s audacious, therapy-inflected documentary-fiction hybrid that follows ex-convicts turning trauma into cinema. Taken together, the lineup showcases ambitious storytelling that probes power, family, and healing through inventive form.