The Bride (2026) Film Review

In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change.

The Bride is directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal director of The Lost Daughter (2021).

The Bride is not what you expect at all, sure it does take inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. But rather than just being yet another Frankenstein adaption, this one chooses to go a very different route with some choices that are admittedly some huge swings. Not everything here works, but the elements that do really help this film stand out.

Jessie Buckley is quite fantastic here which isn’t really a surprise given how great of an actress she is. She actually plays a dual role, she plays The Bride and plays Mary Shelly, the ghost of the author of Frankenstein. She plays both these performances quite well, Buckley delivers an incredibly unhinged performance that has this unpredictable energy where it’s hard to read what she is going to do next. One minute she is having a somewhat normal conversation with someone and the next she’s twitching, yelling and saying the most bizarre sentences you could think of. In some cases this would be points against the movie, however Buckley does such a fantastic job of really capturing the bizarre atmosphere the film asks for that it ultimately works.

Christian Bale meanwhile plays Frank (or Frankenstein’s monster) who looks beaten up and has been through this multiple times before. He is sad, lonely, strangely gentle at times and can even get terrifying when needed. It’s a very different take on the character that is admittedly really neat and something that we the audience typically don’t lean into. I do think Bale’s best moments are when he and Buckley are causing chaos together. There is this nice yin and yang type of feel going on here with The Bride and Frank (at least in the beginning) that the film does explore.

As I said earlier the film is unhinged and it’s proud of it, there are times where the film definitely does not go far enough. However I do think the ideas presented are fascinating, the whole Mary Shelley’s ghost element strangely works incredibly well and fits into the narrative being told. Rather than showing how tragic these characters are, Gyllenhaal goes for a much more playful energy where these characters are chaotic and they are trying to figure out love, identity and revenge. Which I do think benefits the film far more in the end, sure thematically there is a bit of a mess going on here. But it’s the sort of mess that you can’t help but have fun with and genuinely appreciate.

The technical aspects are really strong here, especially the cinematography from cinematographer Lawrence Sher who goes for this large in scale 1920s film that mixes gangster movies and gothic movies. It’s an incredibly strange hybrid that works in the context of what the film is presenting. The score from Hildur Guðnadóttir fits the mood of the film and really brings the viewer into the experience.

Overall not everything in The Bride works but in the end it does end up being such a fun and genuinely great film. I admire the film for taking the swings it took and really not caring what anyone else thinks.

The Bride is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Wuthering Heights (2026) Film Review

A passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.

Wuthering Heights is directed by Emerald Fennell director of Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023).

Wuthering Heights film adaptions have always existed, you have the 1939 film with Laurence Olivier, the 1992 version with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, the 2011 film directed by Andrea Arnold and there is a TV movie plus a mini series. Emerald Fennell’s version is definitely more stylized which leads to both some really interesting elements and some elements that do hold this one back.

Before we get started I do want to say that I have not read the source material, I’m going to judge the film from what was presented. If you are interested in the controversies surrounding the film such as the casting choices I highly recommend looking that up as there are people who talk about this that are far more knowledgeable with the source material than myself. Now with that said, let’s get the ball rolling.

The performances are all quite solid although some are definitely better than others. Margot Robbie does have a few moments where she can feel a bit out of place with the film’s time period, despite that however she is able to land a great performance. I definitely think it’s one of those cases where as the film goes on the better her performance becomes, she adjusts to the film’s atmosphere and is able to make a decently compelling performance. Jacob Elordi is in the same spot as Robbie where I do think it takes him a bit of time to fit in with the atmosphere. But once he does, he is able to land some quite strong moments especially towards the end.

Robbie and Elordi are at their best when they share a screen together, these are by far the film’s better and more investing moments. Their dialogue bounces off of each other decently well and there is some firepower behind certain scenes. The chemistry has some quite strong moments that do bring the viewer into the film’s world, there are definitely some hiccups which mainly comes from how long the film is. But overall I do think the two are able to match the tragic picture that’s being painted.

Hong Chau and Alison Oliver are also pretty solid here, Hong Chau’s more quiet performance compared to the rest of the film being on a more louder scale makes for an interesting contrast. Alison Oliver provides the film’s more bizarre angle, she has this comedic relief aspect that slowly becomes more dark as the film goes on. Oliver captures this quite well and is not afraid to go all out.

The film’s best aspects have to be its cinematography combined with the music. The cinematography from Linus Sandgren is undeniably gorgeous, it matches the atmosphere the film requires and brings this large scale to the story. Even the film’s more simple shots have a whole lot going on in them, there is a striking amount of beauty going on here that does capture the film on this wondrous scale. The music from Charli xcx works incredibly well here, each of the songs are able to stand on their own and they complement their respective scenes. The music definitely does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to bringing the viewer into the experience of it all, a few notable mentions go to “Always Everywhere”, “My Reminder”, “Out Of Myself” and “Funny Mouth”.

Overall I do think Wuthering Heights as it stands is a decent film, it does go on for a bit longer than it should and it does have a very bumpy start. But I do think it gets better as it goes on resulting in a decent enough film.

Wuthering Heights is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

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+

Eternity (2025) Film Review

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with, and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

Eternity is directed by David Freyne director of The Cured (2017) and Dating Amber (2020).

Eternity is one of those rare modern romantic comedies that strikes that sweet spot when it comes to making both its romance and comedy work so incredibly well with one another. While it is a bit on the predictable side and may have some extra padding here and there. The film works wonderfully due to its fun cast, creativity and the dreamlike atmosphere and filming.

Each of the performances are quite excellent and bring something to the table. Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller and Callum Turner all bring their own special charm to the film. Olsen going back and forth of who she wants to spend eternity with feels very real and at times even gets the viewer to participate by making decisions with her. It helps that Olsen in general is a fantastic actress and here is no exception, Teller and Turner are both very fun here and the constant back and forth they have with each other is always entertaining. Their chemistry with Olsen is beautiful and with Olsen delivering a lot of the emotional moments, Teller and Turner do a great job of supporting said moments.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early are also quite great, they are definitely the film’s comedic weapons but serve that role perfectly. Randolph is a stand out among the cast, she steals each and every single scene she’s in as well as bringing the fun and creative energy to the atmosphere whenever possible. Randolph has an undeniable amount of charm here that really blends well with the rest of the cast, her moments with Miles Teller are some of the film’s absolute best.

I have always been interested in films that have different ideas of what happens after life and Eternity is no exception. In fact this is by far one of the most interesting ideas in quite a while, the writing brings this creative, heartfelt and humorous feel to the film that truly captures its playful mindset. There’s this realness to the dialogue and even some strong character moments, the whole memory archive idea leads to some genuinely beautiful scenes that help build Larry, Joan and Luke as characters. There is the perfect balance of comedy and romance, they don’t outweigh one another to a degree where it becomes distracting.

The cinematography from Ruairí O’Brien is done in this dreamlike state that perfectly captures what you would imagine what the afterlife would look and feel like if it was a film itself. The atmosphere shines perfectly with its soft yet beautiful presence, there is times where the atmosphere almost feels like it’s trying to give you a big warm hug and you can’t help but accept it. There’s so much attention to detail with the different eternities or “worlds” that we see, the use of color and light is always quite beautiful to explore with your eyes.

Overall Eternity is a beautifully done film that really shines through, it might be simple at times and as I said it can feel like it’s padding a bit. However the positives absolutely shine and are truly a blast.

Eternity is currently in theaters.

8/10 B+

Hedda (2025) Film Review

HEDDA (Tessa Thompson) finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt–pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.

Hedda is directed by Nia DaCosta director of Little Woods (2018), Candyman (2021) and The Marvels (2023).

Nia DaCosta knocks it out of the park with Hedda, a very confidently directed film that displays tons of fantastic performances, visually stunning, and some clever build up that captures the atmosphere that is needed to make the film work in the end.

The performances are a delightful to watch, Tessa Thompson gives a career best worthy performance that fills the screen with passion for her character Hedda. Thompson is able to show her acting power here which leads to a complex and layered performance, she brings Hedda to life as this character who is a agent of chaos who will sit back and enjoy the show. Thompson’s subtle acting with her eyes, breathing or even just standing completely still make the film all the more effective. One of the best performances of the year as well as one of the most passionate ones.

Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots are both incredibly strong here as well, Hoss definitely gets the bigger part as she gives a volcanic performance that shows great deal of strength and range. Her chemistry with Thompson oozes with passion and immediately hits you with this electric type of feel. Much like Thompson, she’s able to portray a complex character brilliantly and in this way that will keep the viewer invested throughout the film.

The cinematography from Sean Bobbitt is absolutely wonderful here, what makes this a very interesting and clever case is the camerawork and how well the stories and emotions of the characters are told through the camera movements. Even when there are some scenes that do not have the writing to back them up, you have the clever use of the camera to back the film up and the results are genuinely beautiful. Due to this we get to see the performances shine front and center, with tons of attention to detail with the costumes and the many conversations that take place throughout the film.

The writing is sharp, very well blended together and has a lot of passion going on here. While it does take a bit to get going, the setup of the film is worth it and ultimately builds to a final act that is very worthy and fits the film like a glove. The atmosphere that is attached to the writing as well as the film’s world is rich and perfectly captures the “whodunnit” genre, it has this classic Hollywood feel that Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss radiate throughout the film with each and every scene.

Overall Nia DaCosta lands her best film to date, it’s a confidently directed film with clever camerawork and excellent performances. It might have a slow start but once it gets going there is so much to absolutely fall in love with.

Hedda is available on Amazon Prime Video.

9/10 A

Plainclothes (2025) Film Review

In the 1990s, an undercover officer is told to entrap and apprehend gay men only to find himself drawn to one of his targets.

Plainclothes is directed by Carmen Emmi which is his directorial debut.

Plainclothes is one of the most underrated films of the year as well as being one of most surprising. A very strong thriller with tense and powerful performances mixed with rich atmosphere makes this one feel all the more real especially with its themes.

Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey are both phenomenal here, the chemistry between the two is wonderful and they perfectly capture the film’s theme of romance being hopeless and dead thing from the start. Having to hide everything of what you are until it fills you up and destroys you, that’s something Blyth and Tovey depict masterfully, devastating performances that capture the film’s atmosphere and emotion. There is this physical passion between them but when you are only allowed to be shells of human beings, that gets to you incredibly quickly.

The film’s VHS-style is quite wonderful and really captures 1990s New York incredibly well, the cinematography from Ethan Palmer allows the viewer to explore New York in this classical way that is filled to the brim with atmosphere. The style also gives the film a more authentic feel that quickly brings the viewer into the film. The direction from Carmen Emmi is confident, raw and has this tenseness to it that helps both Blyth and Tovey’s performances stand incredibly tall.

The theme of performing different versions of yourself to navigate the world is powerfully done, in this case hiding sexuality which the film brings this heartbreak and tense atmosphere to compliment it all. While there is not exactly anything new discussed or explored here, the way that Emmi explores these themes and topics is what keeps the viewer intrigued.

Finally there is the writing which is done very well here, the build up from the start of the film to the complete turmoil at the end is worth the wait and results in a final act that does a splendid job of bringing its themes together. There is a ton of character moments here that Emmi throws in to make each and every scene all the more important and powerful.

Overall Plainclothes is quite great, it’s an intense and emotional thriller filled with strong performances and just being a cleverly put together film.

Plainclothes is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Splitsville (2025) Film Review

When his wife asks for a divorce, a man runs to his friends for support, only to learn that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage.

Splitsville is directed by Michael Angelo Covino director of The Climb (2019).

Splitsville is a decent little comedy that has just enough meat on its bones to make it to the finish line, the performances, humor and the exploration of its themes such as the struggle for honesty openness within marriages and this whole honesty vs deception angle is able to make the film more interesting.

The performances are all quite great here, Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino all turn in very solid performances and work well together. The discussions the characters have are both decently funny and have this layer meaning that brings the film’s themes such as exploring open marriage front and center. It gives these characters personality especially when you combine the witty banter.

Dakota Johnson brings the necessary depth to Julie as a character, Adria Arjona gives a memorable performance due to one particular scene, plus she’s just fantastic here and works incredibly well with the rest of the cast. Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin both have strong chemistry, their real life friendship translates well here and at times it feels like we are given some personal moments, which can be felt due to both Covino and Marvin being the writers. It’s especially felt when we get scenes of both Carey (played by Marvin) and Paul (played Covino).

The humor for the most part works very well, there’s this nice balance of exploration in the film’s themes and the humor itself. While not every single joke lands, there is just the right amount to get some laughs from the viewer, the sharp direction from Covino really puts in the work here as well. The intimate moments help bring the characters closer to the viewer combined with the film’s cinematography from cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra.

While Splitsville does suffer being from a bit too long and has some pacing issues. It’s a nice balance entertainment and meaning that gives the film more to stand on.

Splitsville is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) Film Review

Through a surprising twist of fate, single strangers Sarah and David get to relive important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is directed by Kogonada director of Columbus (2017) and After Yang (2021).

Coming off of two quite fantastic films, I was pretty excited to see what Kogonada had in store with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and unfortunately this was a huge step down from his previous work. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey has a lot of great ideas and ingredients to make a great film is here, but unfortunately none of it is mixing all that well and creates this messy and forgettable experience that leaves the viewer disappointed.

Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie are both solid here, there’s a few moments in particular where they easily make scenes that otherwise would be drawn out and dull into something genuinely sweet and somewhat powerful. There’s some moments that show vulnerability that mixes well with Joe Hisaishi’s score, there’s a track called “To Her Mother’s Side” that in particular is genuinely moving and creates one of the movie’s most memorable moments. It’s one of the movie’s longer moments but unlike other moments where they feel drawn out, this one feels a lot more earned.

Unfortunately the rest of the movie does not have the strength and firepower it needs to leave an impression on the viewer, the characters just do not have much in common which in turn makes the whole love story element seem incredibly forced and is not worth investing in. The chemistry between Farrell and Robbie is just not there at all, a large part of it is due to just how shallow the script really is. The two are excellent individually but romantically there is not anything here that feels striking or to really care about them as a couple.

The biggest problem here is the dialogue and how it’s desperately trying in every single scene to come off like it’s saying something profound, rather than going for a more natural direction and letting scenes speak for themselves. The movie opts for this forced dialogue that is the equivalent of those type of quotes you would see on Facebook like pages, the ones about relationships, or ones trying to inspire you. Those are fine in themselves, but when you are writing a script for a movie and that’s how deep your dialogue is then where exactly do you go from here?

Finally there’s the scenes being drawn out, I spoke a bit about this earlier but this is a problem that appears several different times during the movie. It’s repetitive and unfortunately leads to the viewer checking out of the movie early on, there’s just not enough interesting moments for our main characters to explore, their backstories are incredibly cliched and predictable and despite how solid the cinematography looks thanks to cinematographer Benjamin Loeb, the world feels empty and the lacking of detail is incredibly noticeable.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is one of the most disappointing movies of the year, the themes of taking risks for connection, embracing vulnerability and overcoming regret do not have the proper writing to make the exploration worthwhile. The lack of chemistry and investing scenes completely stop this movie from being powerful.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Quick Review: All Of You (2025)

When a new test matching soulmates together comes between two best friends, they spend the next twelve years trying to resist the urge to disrupt the paths their lives have taken despite the undeniable feeling they belong together.

All Of You is directed by William Bridges which is his directorial debut.

Not a whole lot to report on here, All Of You is a romance movie that starts out promising enough but then quickly runs into a lot of the exact same problems that a lot of modern romance movies do. The main one being that the chemistry between the leads is about the only part going for it.

Brett Goldstein is incredibly charming and Imogen Poots is gives a pretty touching performance that has a lot of beautiful moments. Unfortunately the side characters only serve the story and have very little going on which takes away a lot of the power this movie was building up. The side characters ultimately feel disposable which in turn hurts the movie quite a bit.

The dialogue starts out decent enough but quickly gets tangled in its own web, the idea of time wasted is such a heartbreaking premise that it’s genuinely surprising the movie wastes a lot of time doing way too many time jumps. The sci-fi elements feel incredibly wasted and were begging for a much better script.

All Of You is available on Apple TV+

5/10 C

Oh, Hi (2025) Film Review

Iris is enjoying her first romantic getaway with Isaac, until he tells her he’s not interested in a serious relationship.

Oh, Hi is directed by Sophie Brooks director of The Boy Downstairs (2017).

Oh, Hi is if you took Misery (1990) and Gerald’s Game (2017) then proceeded to make them into a romantic comedy, the film takes a look at modern relationships and communication as a whole especially when it comes to intentions and needs. The film does this quite well especially when it explores our own vulnerabilities, although the film does have a weaker third act. It still manages to stick the landing quite well.

The performances here are easily the film’s best part. Molly Gordon gives this often anxious and very talkative performance that is both striking and humorous at times. She’s able to easily switch in tone with the film’s atmosphere demands it and the script she’s given helps make her character as well. Logan Lerman’s charm as an actor works effectively here he is much more quiet than Gordon but still leaves an impression on the viewer. The two’s personalities clashing is what makes the film all the more interesting, there’s some touching moments between the two as well as moments of arguments all of which strangely feel grounded. That mainly comes from just how great Gordon and Lerman are as actors and how easily the two adapt to the film’s atmosphere.

The writing is solid, there’s definitely some bumps in the road during the third act where things get a little too out there for the film’s own good. With that being said the character writing is genuinely quite great, it’s clear that Sophie Brooks and Molly Gordon (who helped develop the story) have this clear as day interest in exploring these characters. Even with the side characters, while they aren’t given the depth that Iris (played by Molly Gordon) or Isaac (played by Logan Lerman) got, Geraldine Viswanathan (who plays Max) and John Reynolds (who plays Kenny) still feel involved in the story and their performances make up for it as well.

When the film leans into the absurd and ridiculousness that’s where it’s weak point is shown, it takes what was the complexities of a romantic relationship and becomes very exaggerated as well as being a bit too hard to buy. Which is a bit unfortunate because everything else that came before the third act is incredibly solid and well written character exploration.

Despite my feelings towards the third act, I still think Oh, Hi is a solid film that is an interesting watch. There was definitely room for improvement but as it stands this is a nice, easy and fun watch.

Oh, Hi is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B