Roommates (2026) Film Review

A shy freshman, Devon, hopes to reinvent herself in college by becoming best friends with her cool roommate, Celeste, but their bond sours into a passive-aggressive war as Celeste’s behavior becomes increasingly manipulative.

Roommates is directed by Chandler Levack director of We Forgot to Break Up (2017), I Like Movies (2022) and Mile End Kicks (2026).

It’s worth noting that Mile End Kicks and Roommates came out the exact same day which was April 17th 2026 very neat! I also do think it’s kind of interesting due to both films centering someone in different parts of their life, Mile End Kicks focuses on being in your late 20s and trying to figure yourself out in the world with this feel of loneliness. Roommates focuses on freshmen year of college, someone who just graduated high school. They are both done in very different styles but I thought it was neat to point out.

Roommates is a surprisingly decent Netflix comedy, there are some flaws that do unfortunately hold this movie back from reaching “great” territory, but for what the film is and how Chandler Levack is able to tell the story in this sort of focused way (up until the third act) I do think it’s worth it in the end.

Sadie Sandler (daughter of Adam Sandler) does a really great job here, while this isn’t her first role. This is her first performance without Adam Sandler being in the movie. Her performance as Devon has the right amount of charm and character moments that really bring the fun atmosphere to life. She shows off her range in her performance decently well, plus her chemistry with the rest of the cast especially Chloe East is quite fascinating.

Chloe East plays Celeste someone who is truly unlikable and due to some grounded moments from East, the performance ends up delivering quite well. She’s able to switch from being a seemingly sweet person to a pretty nasty one with a flip of a switch, it has this Regina George from Mean Girls (2004) sort of feel that Chloe East captures incredibly well.

The rest of the film is solid, it’s entertaining enough to reach the finish line. But it is admittedly on the basic side of things, luckily there are the technical elements such as the fun music and the speedy editing to back the film up.

It’s very clear that this is a much different film from director Chandler Levack, whereas her last couple films have had more of a grounded approach. Roommates is a much more sillier approach with some grounded moments as well as being larger in scale. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the movie manages to stick the landing, but you do start to see the cracks during the third act where things get a bit too chaotic that can potentially take the viewer out of the experience.

Overall Roommates is not bad, it’s decently fun and has great performances. Not everything works here, but if you are looking for a quick watch this will do the job.

Roommates is available on Netflix.

6/10 C+

Quick Reviews: Slanted (2026) and Whistle (2026)

A Chinese-American teen gets surgery to change her race to win prom queen, leading to body horror as she deals with the consequences

Slanted is directed by Amy Wang which is her directorial debut.

Slanted is one of those films where I do think the bizarre idea is more interesting than the film itself. That mainly comes down to execution and the film really not going far enough with its premise, despite that however I do think the movie manages to stick the landing in the end.

I do think this is McKenna Grace’s first performance since Gifted (2017) where she actually got a lot of depth for her character. There are some emotional moments here that wrap into the film’s themes and McKenna Grace is able to really capture said moments and make something devastating. Shirley Chen is also quite great here as well, the first bit of the movie we see Joan Huang (played by Shirley Chen) wanting to change. The acting from Chen is careful and quite devastating especially since the viewer does know what is going to happen. When we do get the change of Joan Huang becoming Jo Hunt the result has its character moments but does eventually dry up.

What hurts the movie the most is the writing, as a body horror movie it’s just not there at all. Outside of a few moments towards the end there really isn’t a whole lot of body horror going on here. As a satire that tackles themes of racial identity and self-hatred they are done decently enough, but the execution feels like it’s missing some power hitting moments. The whole idea of the race change through this technology is far more interesting idea than the movie itself, the more interesting moments come in with Joan Huang’s parents reaction to her change. It’s genuinely devastating to watch seeing them completely destroyed and disappointed.

Then you have the rest of the movie that just kind of feels there and does not really do much with the themes. I think for the most part the movie gets the job done, but for a movie that tackles quite a heavy topic it surprisingly feels lacking.

Slanted is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

A group of high schoolers finds a cursed whistle that, when blown, causes a supernatural entity to hunt them down, manifesting their future deaths.

Whistle is directed by Corin Hardy director of The Hallow (2015) and The Nun (2018).

Whistle is if you took any of the Final Destination movies and proceeded to make your movie far less entertaining. While Whistle is not the worst copycat out there, it is a very forgettable one that is slightly frustrating due to having some interesting ideas that are held back by terrible writing.

The cast try their best with the script that’s given, Dafne Keen being the movie’s lead gets the bigger end of the stick naturally. So she’s able to turn in a decent enough performance, Sophie Nélisse is also not bad here either. A far more interesting movie is hiding in the romance between Chrys Willet (played by Dafne Keen) and Ellie Gains (played by Sophie Nélisse.) The rest of the cast do what they can, I don’t think anyone here turns in a bad performance it’s just a matter of the script being terrible and not giving a lot of these actors anything to work with.

The writing is what flat out kills this move on arrival, the dialogue has a few laughably bad moments that the movie tries to play as being serious. The large amount of cliches and lack of tension completely take the viewer out of the movie and can easily be predicted as to what is going to happen.

There are some creative kills here, but just getting to them feels like a chore. Which is a shame because I do think the whole idea of the whistle causing the deaths of how someone is going to die is pretty interesting. Unfortunately the movie completely botches the idea and goes for the most generic direction possible.

There really isn’t much else more to say here, if you have seen any horror movie within the last 10 years. Then you have already seen Whistle and know exactly how it’s going to end. In a year that so far has delivered a lot of great horror movies, this one really feels out of place.

Whistle is available on all VOD platforms.

3/10 D-

Erupcja (2026) Film Review

A woman reconnects with an old friend while visiting Warsaw, Poland, with her boyfriend.

Erupcja is directed by Peter Ohs director of Everything Beautiful Is Far Away (2017), Youngstown (2021), Jethica (2022), Love And Work (2024) and The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick (2025).

Erupcja is one of those films that almost immediately takes you into its own little world, the opening shot being a volcano erupting and from there the film takes you on this journey whether its narration or through the characters. It’s truly beautifully told and the sort of film you never want to end.

Erupcja is one of singer Charli xcx first leading roles (the other being The Moment which I’ll get into next time), and her performance here is nothing short of brilliance. It’s not easy for a singer to have a go at acting, but Charli xcx truly makes it look easy here, she disappears into her performance. Bethany is a complex character that we explore throughout the film and we get to see how she connects with the world and people around her whether be with her Boyfriend Rob (played by Will Madden) or Nel (played by Lena Góra) her old friend. It’s very clear Charli xcx cares so much about Bethany as a character because of how she puts a ton of passion into her, she gives a confident and striking performance that leads up to one particular moment that really shows Charli xcx’s creative process as an artist. It’s one of the best performances of the year that truly leaves an impact on the viewer.

Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden and Agata Trzebuchowska are all brilliant here as well. They all work well together and each contribute to the film, Trzebuchowska as Ula gets some investing dialogue exchanges with Góra as Nel. Jeremy O. Harris as Claude brings this natural performance, it has the feel of talking to someone you meet on vacation for a couple of minutes. Sure we might not know a whole lot about said person, but it’s the atmosphere and joy of talking to someone that makes it all work. Harris does a fascinating job of capturing this sort of atmosphere.

Will Madden as Rob has great chemistry with Charli xcx, there are some quite beautiful moments between the two just silently communicating that really paint this beautiful picture. During the last bit of the film we especially see and feel the thoughts of Rob and what is exactly going through his mind. Finally there is Lena Góra as Nel who much like Madden, has fantastic chemistry with Charli xcx. There is this striking bond between two old friends rebuilding into something special, a fire is slowly being made again and the film does such a fascinating job of the body language of the two and the atmosphere do a lot of the talking. Góra’s performance is also in general very grounded and really brings so much passion into a film that is built on it.

The writing is phenomenal especially when you combine it with the themes of self-discovery, adventure and freedom. We Bethany discover parts of her that she might have not known, all taking place in Poland. The cinematography from Peter Ohs adds so much to the writing, we get so much detail of the character’s reactions and what is going through their heads. The theme of adventure through exploring Warsaw, Poland has this beautiful small scale that really matches the atmosphere of the experience, not only does director Peter Ohs take the viewer along for the ride, but so does Bethany. She takes Rob, Nel and the viewers along this adventure and exploration of such a beautiful city.

The use of a narrator is such a nice touch to an already beautiful film, especially when you combine it with the film’s 71 minute running time. It feels like a natural fit and a decision that really reflects this dreamlike feel of escape, the film itself almost feels like a poem which does lead into Charli xcx’s most beautiful moment of the film. It all adds into the film’s themes and technical aspects to paint this beautiful picture that you can explore for hours.

Erupcja is the type of film that really inspires me to talk about film, there’s this sense of discovery and passion that is poured into the film. You can feel, see and hear how beautifully the craftsmanship of the film really is, there is so much going on with this film thematically that you never want to leave. This is one that I highly recommend giving a look, one of 2026’s best films thus far.

Erupcja is currently in theaters and expands to more theaters tomorrow!

10/10 A+

Mile End Kicks (2026) Film Review

A 24-year-old music critic gets romantically involved with members of an indie band in Montreal.

Mile End Kicks is directed by Chandler Levack director of We Forgot to Break Up (2017), I Like Movies (2022) and Roommates (2026).

Mile End Kicks on the surface may just seem like another coming of age film and while it does share some common traits, what Levack does here with the coming of age template is what makes this one stand on its own. Combine that with charm, fun, charisma, very well written characters and strong acting you then have yourself something quite special.

Barbie Ferreira as Grace Pine a music critic who is trying to accomplish her goals feels all too real, Ferreira’s performance has this natural tone of meeting a handful of people while also having this feel of loneliness. Grace Pine is trying to find her voice in the world and figure out what she really wants, Ferreira portrays this so beautifully and captures the different emotions the film goes for. Whether it’s humorous moments, heartfelt moments or moments of loneliness, Ferreira is able to quickly adapt to the change and go all out.

Devon Bostick and Stanley Simons are both fantastic here as well, Bonstick shows off how great of a comedic actor he really is. Plus much like Ferreira, he is able to quickly adapt to the film’s atmosphere. Simons also has some quite humorous moments as well and brings this sort of raw presence to the story. Ferreira’s chemistry with Bonstick and Simons is also quite great as well, the back and forth dialogue between them is grounded and has this charm that really draws you into the film.

What really sells Mile End Kicks is the film’s writing, I mentioned it before but there is this sense of loneliness to the film that anyone can really relate to. In particular this film is capturing this time in your late 20s where you feel alone in the world and have to find your voice and what you really want in the world. The natural dialogue between the characters really amplifies this, especially when this theme of feeling like there is something new that you are missing. This theme of old experience vs new experience that brings you on this road that has two completely different paths, it’s something everyone has experienced at least once in their life. The film really does a fascinating job of capturing this, showing it through the eyes of Grace and her experiences.

The humor and charm of the writing is just as satisfying, there is this beautiful tone that really captures the heartfelt moments and brings the experience front and center, the relationships that Grace forms feel complete as well as feeling like a much larger community in the film’s world. The slow burn aspect really brings the focus on building bonds and only brings the film’s desire to form these characters in such a beautiful light.

Overall Mile End Kicks is a beautiful film that Chandler Levack truly hit out of the park, it’s a coming of age story that hits all the right notes and does a lot more to make the film stand on its own. If you are a fan of the genre this is one that is absolutely worth seeking out.

Mile End Kicks is currently in theaters and expands to more theaters tomorrow.

8/10 B+

Over Your Dead Body (2026) Film Review

A couple with secret plans to murder each other at a remote cabin find their schemes unravel when strangers arrive, leading to chaotic carnage.

Over Your Dead Body is directed by Jorma Taccone director of MacGruber (2010) and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016). The film is an English-language remake of The Trip (2021).

Over Your Dead Body is a fun ride that definitely has its bumps in the road, but for the most part sticks the landing due to some incredibly fun slapstick and a really solid cast.

Jason Segel and Samara Weaving work incredibly well together, Segel brings a lot of the film’s humor. He is able to match the film’s chaotic and slapstick nature and even moves away from his traditional comedic roles and goes far more chaotic and riotous. Samara Weaving continues to show that she’s one of the most exciting actresses working today, she uses a lot of what makes her performance in horror comedies such as the Ready Or Not movies so great and applies here. It’s definitely not as large in scale, but it’s still very entertaining and much like Segel’s performance, it matches the tone of the film incredibly well.

Timothy Olyphant and Juliette Lewis are both great here as well. Olyphant always brings a certain intensity to his villain roles and here is no exception, Juliette Lewis gives an entertaining performance that is filled to the brim with this balance of humor and genuine craziness. The two add a lot of spirit and fun to the film that really helps it stand out.

The writing definitely has its ups and downs, while the film is quite entertaining and has some genuinely funny scenes. There is one particular bit associated with sexual assault that feels like it goes on for way too long, it’s horribly handled and seemingly comes out of nowhere. I’m obviously not trying to say a film can’t depict heavy subjects, however there is no commentary here and it does really suck the air out of the movie.

However I do think the film recovers from this eventually as the third act is a decently fun (although very predictable) slapstick fest with gore that is quite fun. There is clearly a lot of fun energy poured into this final act that brings the the slapstick portion of the film front and center, especially when you combine it with Segel and Weaving’s facial reactions and body language.

Overall Over Your Dead Body is fun enough movie that doesn’t overstay its welcome, it’s a very quick 105 minutes that fans of the thriller comedy genre will enjoy.

Over Your Dead Body releases Friday in Theaters.

6/10 C+

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (2026) Film Review

A young girl disappears in Egypt and returns eight years later, physically unwell and possessed by a demon, terrorizing her family in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is directed by Lee Cronin director of The Hole in the Ground (2019) and Evil Dead Rise (2023).

After Evil Dead Rise (2023) I was quite excited to see what Lee Cronin was going to do next, when it was announced it would be a take on The Mummy I was pretty intrigued. I’m always a sucker for different takes on the Universal monster movies, while Lee Cronin’s The Mummy isn’t a terrible movie and does have a lot to like here. There is a whole lot holding it back that ultimately makes the experience feel incredibly lackluster.

The acting for the most part is decent, everyone does what they can with a very generic script that does not give any of the cast anything striking to work with. May Calamawy who plays Detective Dalia Zaki probably gives the best performance here even though her character is one note and by the end we really don’t know much about her. Natalie Grace as Katie Cannon gives a creepy performance but that’s really about it, there are times when the creepiness works well and other times where it comes off as incredibly over the top.

The best part of the movie is the gore, if you have heard anyone talk about this movie the one thing that people will tell you is that it’s nasty. Which it absolutely is, there are a few moments here that will definitely make the viewer cringe. For a mainstream studio horror movie that’s quite surprising, while it does get very over the top. Early on it’s quite effective in bringing the viewer into the picture and effectively creates this mean spirited atmosphere.

With that being said, what hurts this movie the most is the script. It’s very clear Lee Cronin wanted to make The Mummy very Evil Dead like, so much in fact that there are times where you almost think you are watching a new installment in the series. Doing that is fine but when you mix it with very bare bone elements of The Mummy and bring in elements from The Exorcist it starts to become a gigantic mess. The character decision making is a bit too hard to ignore, I’m not expecting a Mummy movie to be grounded but there are a lot of very ridiculous decision making moments that ultimately take the viewer out of the experience.

The running time is also a huge issue, the 2 hour and 14 minute runtime is not justified here at all. There is a whole lot of padding for the sake of it and there are even some scenes that could have flat out just been cut, Katie terrorizing the family starts to become incredibly redundant, the other kids being possessed doesn’t go anywhere and the final act is a mashed up mess that feels way too over the top for its own good.

Overall you could do a lot worse than Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, but it is frustrating since there is a good movie in here somewhere. It’s just buried within a lot of extra bunk that holds the movie back.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is currently in theaters.

5/10 C

Crime 101 (2026) Film Review

An elusive jewel thief’s final score puts him in conflict with a determined detective and an insurance broker, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted.

Crime 101 is directed by Bart Layton director of The Imposter (2012) and American Animals (2018).

Crime 101 is essentially Michael Mann lite, but it still is quite great in its own ways, even if the film may not be doing anything new. But it is still a quite fun time all around.

The performances are what really make the movie work. Chris Hemsworth gives a strong performance and brings nuance to his character, Hemsworth captures the film’s atmosphere almost immediately and only adds on to it as the plot starts to reveal itself. Mark Ruffalo is reliably intense and Halle Berry serves as the emotional weight of the film, she works incredibly well with the rest of the cast and has a ton of great moments with Hemsworth. Barry Keoghan much like Hemsworth (all be it in a much more louder way) fits the atmosphere and goes all out when required.

The visuals are quite strong with cinematographer Erik Wilson really bringing the film’s world to life, the classic L.A. crime setting pops out wonderfully and the attention to detail with the lighting is genuinely gorgeous. The tension during the film’s man car chase scenes are filled to the brim with atmosphere and thrills that are enough to keep the viewer invested, they never go over the top and try to remain as focused as possible.

Where Crime 101 suffers is the running time and a bit of a very thinly written story. The film goes on for a bit too long especially with scenes with Maya (played by Monica Barbaro) who is Mike/James Davis’s (played by Chris Hemsworth) love interest that just really do not add to the plot. The story isn’t exactly anything new, if you have seen any sort of crime thriller before you are going to recognize a lot of different elements almost immediately.

With that being said, Crime 101 is still a lot of fun. It’s not going to break any new ground, however it’s well directed, acted and made. If you are a fan of the genre you should give this one a go.

Crime 101 is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Honey Bunch (2026) Film Review

Diana is a head trauma patient with memory loss whose husband takes her to a secluded, “cozy” mansion for a radical new treatment, only to find the staff is secretive and the therapy disturbing.

Honey Bunch is directed by Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer both of which previously directed Violation (2020).

I was very impressed with Mancinelli’s and Fewer’s directorial debut Violation (2020) so I was very excited to see what they would do next, while Honey Bunch isn’t as good as Violation (2020) I still do think this is an incredibly solid follow up and has a lot to like about it.

The performances are solid, particularly Grace Glowicki as Diana. Glowicki gives a believable, meditative and this psychological performance almost like we are seeing through her eyes. It’s a stunning performance that really gives the viewer a lot to explore as the movie progresses, she also delivers some genuinely sweet and vulnerable moments that stick with the viewer throughout the experience.

The whole theme of memory being recovered and feeling the unease about relationships is so well done here, it’s done at this slow burn type of pace that slowly creeps up on you and ultimately shows the final result. The tone plays into why the film works as well as it does, it’s unnerving and at times oddly whimsical. It reveals itself in dissociation and ambiguity without ever fully explaining itself, it keeps the viewer informed just the right amount to have you stay on the ride.

The technical aspects such as the cinematography from cinematographer Adam Crosby is very beautifully done and gives the film a personality, it has this balance of beauty and darkness that is truly mesmerizing and really keeps the viewer invested and motivates the viewer to explore the film’s world. There’s a lot of striking moments here that really leave you in awe.

Overall Honey Bunch might have some pacing problems, however the film makes up for it with just about everything else. If you are a fan of slow burn horror films this is definitely something worth checking out!

Honey Bunch is available on Shudder.

7/10 B

Sweetness (2026) Film Review

When a superfan learns that her rock-star idol is spiraling into addiction, she makes it her mission to save him, whether he wants her help or not. However, when her desperate plan spins out of control, she kidnaps him in a delusional attempt to fix him. What started as compassion soon turns into captivity as she locks him away in the name of love.

Sweetness is directed by Emma Higgins which is her directorial debut

Sweetness is basically Gen-Z Misery (1990), the main difference here is this movie released at a time where Stan culture is at its most insufferable. This one mainly focuses on the teenage celebrity obsession which the movie surprisingly executes quite well.

It helps that the Rylee (played by Kate Hallett) and her friend Syd (played by Aya Furukawa) actually do look like teenagers, it makes the movie a bit more on the grounded side and helps execute its themes a lot better. Hallett and Furukawa also give great performances as well and lead to some interesting dialogue exchanges. Hallett sells the transition from an awkward and lovestruck teenager to somebody who is very unhinged in this quite disturbing and realistic way. Without Hallett I don’t think Sweetness would have worked nearly as well as it did.

When it comes to tone and pacing , Emma Higgins nails it. She slowly builds this atmosphere around Rylee, she starts out friendly and being lovestruck then slowly but surely turns unhinged. It’s carefully done and does not feel rushed at all, there might not be as many powerful and striking moments as there were in Misery (1990) but it’s still quite impressive to see how well crafted and paced Sweetness really is with its tone.

There are definitely moments in the writing where you need to suspend your disbelief, but even then those moments make for an interesting satirical edge that grabs the viewer’s attention. The character writing for Rylee is actually quite solid, we get a quite tragic backstory as to why she became the way she did and it’s all told decently well.

Overall Sweetness is a decent little thriller, it’s definitely not going to reinvent the whole Misery (1990) premise but I do think the way the story is told and the performances make this one worth a watch.

Sweetness is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Pretty Lethal (2026) Film Review

Five ballerinas find themselves in a fight for their lives when they seek shelter at a mysterious roadside inn that’s run by a former ballet prodigy.

Pretty Lethal is directed by Vickey Jewson director of Lady Godiva (2008), Born Of War (2014) and Close (2019).

Pretty Lethal is basically if you took the John Wick franchise and put in five ballerinas, the movie has its flaws the major one being the character writing. However the final result is admittedly quite fun due to the action, kills, fight choreography and the chemistry between the cast.

While the performances here aren’t going to hit the ball out of the park, they are far from bad. Maddie Ziegler, Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds and Avantika all work together quite nicely especially during the action scenes where they use some team up techniques. You can really feel the passion and fun through these scenes, as I said before the character writing has its issues. We really do not get a whole lot of information about the girls outside of Bones (played by Maddie Ziegler) and Princess (played by Lana Condor), even then it is very surface level at best. Despite that however the girls are able to make it work and deliver satisfying enough performances. Uma Thurman gives an incredibly campy performance that is entertaining enough to stand (although the dialogue really does not help in some cases.)

The fight choreography combined with the kills are the movie’s best parts, the kills are surprisingly brutal and match the thrilling atmosphere the movie is going for. The fight choreography is especially impressive when the previously mentioned team up techniques are shown off, it feels like the cast is in sync with one another which actually tells a lot more about their bond than the script ever does.

The main problem here as I said before is the character writing, it ranges from not being really present to surface level and that becomes apparent later on when the movie tries to bring in the emotional moments which sadly do not really work. They feel very tacked on and while the acting works decently enough, the corny dialogue that rears its head is not doing the movie any favors.

Overall Pretty Lethal is decently fun, it’s not a great movie and it’s completely understandable if someone checks out of this movie early on. However I would be lying if I said I did not have fun with it, the movie does just enough to satisfy the viewer if they are looking for great kills and excellent choreography.

Pretty Lethal is available on Amazon Prime Video.

6/10 C+